Chapter 2

He leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. He didn’t regret one bit giving Raphael the slip. But he did feel a little twinge over his lover before Raphael, Tad. They’d had two good months together before Tad dumped him. For a chick, no less.

“What are you doing after work, kid?”

Kevin jumped, not having realized Mr. Lewis had come up next to him. He smelled a little of stale alcohol. Lately things had been turning decidedly uncomfortable with his boss. He had been sort of…well, leering at Kevin. For the most part, Kevin thought he imagined it. After all, Mr. Lewis had a wife, but he was always sneaking up behind him.

“I…uh, dunno.”

“You’ve been looking skinny lately, Flaherty. Even skinnier than when I hired you.” Mr. Lewis licked his lips. “You getting enough to eat?”

“Sure, mostly,” Kevin lied. He didn’t like the way his boss was looking at him, and he didn’t really want handouts anyway. He hadn’t even told most of his friends his situation.

Mr. Lewis smiled. “Well, if you want to earn a few extra bucks, I have some side work you could do.”

“Really?” Kevin asked cautiously.

His boss leaned toward him. A wave of stale alcohol and sweat hit Kevin. “You have to keep it just between the two of us, mind you. I wouldn’t be offering the kind of work I’m talking about to any of the others. Just you.” The look he gave Kevin was purely sexual. There was no doubt in Kevin’s mind that his words had hidden meaning. “I’m sure you know the kind of work a guy like you does for men like me.”

Kevin’s stomach lurched with a sickening twist. He simply stared at the man, unable to form a coherent response.

Mr. Lewis stared back, his expression almost baleful, before he suddenly started laughing. He threw his head back, laughed harder, and then slapped his leg. “Ah, Jesus, Flaherty, you should see your face. You are too funny. I was joking, for Christ’s sake. I got no side work for you. Go get the broom and sweep the driveway while you wait for cars.”

“Um, okay,” Kevin agreed, feeling his fair skin burning. He hurried away, pretty sure Mr. Lewis had notbeen joking. He spared a backward glance and saw his boss staring intently in Kevin’s direction.Fuck.

He needed this job, such as it was. He did not need to be worried about some crazy-ass boss sexually harassing him. Kevin bit his lip and grabbed the broom. He simply could not do that. He guessed it was possible he had misunderstood his boss and he wasn’t implying sex. Kevin didn’t think so though. Things were bad, but reducing himself to whoring?

Swallowing back the bile threatening to rise in his throat, Kevin began to sweep the debris that had accumulated overnight in the wide driveway leading into the car wash. If he just pretended Mr. Lewis really was joking, maybe it would go away.

Several hours later, around one in the afternoon, Kevin rubbed his painfully hungry stomach. He had a lunch break to take so he walked into the cashier booth.

Gabby smiled. “Hey, Kev, how’s it going?”

“Okay.”

“You look a little pale. Are you feeling all right?”

“Uh, sure. You think I could use the phone?” He glanced behind him, looking for his boss. He’d stopped paying his cell phone, and it had been disconnected two days ago.

“Yeah, it’s okay. Mr. Lewis isn’t here right now.” Gabby handed him a wrapped double cheeseburger from McDonald’s. “And here. I got you this.”

His mouth watering, Kevin stared at the sandwich. His throat tightened. “I-I can’t pay for it.”

She shoved it into his hands. “Honey, I’m not asking you to pay for it. It’s not that much money, Kevin. I promise, it’s fine.”

He smiled. “Thank you, Gabby. You’re so sweet. You make me almost wish I was straight.”

She laughed. “You’re also too young for me. Eat your burger, and then use the phone before Mr. Lewis returns.”

Kevin sat on the little stool beside the cashier’s counter and wolfed down the double cheeseburger in four quick bites. He didn’t really taste it, but his stomach appreciated it even if his taste buds didn’t get to savor it. He poured himself a small cup of water from the dispenser and swallowed that in two gulps.

“Thanks again, Gabby. You’re a lifesaver.”

Kevin scooped up the phone and dialed the work number for his friend Noah. He didn’t get to see Noah nearly as much as he once had. Noah had a new man in his life, Charlie, and the two were getting very serious. In fact, right around Christmas, Noah had moved into Charlie’s house. Noah now had a nice empty house he did nothing with, and Kevin would give anything to live there. But he couldn’t pay any money for it, not now, and he also couldn’t tell Noah about how far his life had fallen apart. He was simply too ashamed.