Mark is a man on the horns of a dilemma. He's in the midst of a five-year affair with a married man and he wants out ... but isn’t sure he can give up his lover.<br><br>Austin, who lives in the apartment building across the street from Mark, has his own problems. Two years earlier, the man he loved died in a horrible auto accident. Austin is still trying to come to terms with seeing it happen, and dealing with the aftermath.<br><br>After watching Mark from his balcony, making up stories about what he sees, Austin decides to meet him. Will the meeting help the two come to grips with their problems? And if it does, can they move on to something more than possible friendship?

The Man on the Balcony

“On? I’m dressed and ready to go. Okay, not in my coat and boots, but…” Mark laughed. “I was about to call you to ask the same thing.”


“Great. I’ll meet you out front in ten?”


“It’ll have to be yours. I don’t own one.”


“You don’t? Oh, okay. See you in a few.”


Austin was pretty sure Mark had a good idea why he didn’t have a car. Mark did ask, though, while they walked to the lot behind Mark’s building, so Austin told him. “At first, right after Jon’s death, I was, quite honestly, terrified of getting into a car. I didn’t have much choice, however, when my folks showed up.” He smiled briefly. “They wouldn’t take no for an answer, because there was too much to do that required going places.”


“You’re all right with it now, I hope. It’ll be a long walk if you aren’t.”


“I’m fine. It’s…I can ride but I don’t want to drive. Besides, I’ve found out there aren’t many places I go where I’d have to.”


Chapter 20