Insurance claims officer Ricky Farr is a nice guy. He's single, charming, fun, and responsible. At thirty-eight, his life is going well. Things are nice these days, and comfortable. Then all hell breaks loose. Ricky asks his coworker (and frenemy) Jamie Oakley to do him a favor and help him move some boxes. What Ricky knows about Jamie is simple: he's blonde, beautiful, and mean. The stud isn't nice to anyone. Not to Ricky. Not to his boyfriends. No one. When Ricky confronts Jamie about being mean, the two have a hellacious argument. Ricky ignores him for a week, but something strange happens. Jamie claims he misses Ricky, and promises to be nice to him. Is this the beginning of a changed relationship -- and romance -- between the men? Or is Jamie just being his usual mean guy self, leading Ricky's heart astray?

Mean Guy

“Goddammit, you’re not supposed to say that! You’re on my side, and you’ll support me. You’re going to drive me to Estuary Street…”


“I’m not driving you to Estuary Street so you can do whatever you want to do to hurt Milo Ganzelli. Act your age, Jamie. Stop being a mean guy. You’re smarter than that.”


“Fuck you!” he yells again. “Fuck you and fuck off!”


I feel him drop his grip on my one arm and watch him escape my side. He tromps over the tile floor and vanishes.


I’m left standing in the lobby among the apartment’s mail boxes and a cork board covered in pizza coupons, signs for lawn care help, and personal massages that aren’t very nice.


Chapter 10