It only takes a few days for Ollie D'Angelo to lose his boyfriend, his job, and his home. Instead of mourning what he doesn't have, Ollie celebrates what he does: the freedom to pursue his real passion -- cooking. He begins Dinner at Home, a home-catering business, and it takes off.<br><br>Late one night, Ollie catches Hank Mellinger, a streetwise hood down on his luck, about to rob his car. Ollie soon discovers that appearances aren't necessarily what they seem. Hank isn't a criminal caught red-handed, but a hungry young man trying to make a life for himself and the four-year-old niece he's trying desperately to take care of.<br><br>Instead of calling the cops, Ollie offers Hank a job and a way to pull himself up by his bootstraps. Together, they discover they can really cook ... and that their shared passion for food just might lead to a passion for each other.

Dinner at Home

Ollie smiled to himself as he realized he thought the guy was hot. No. No. No, he told himself. Number one, you don’t even know which way this guy goes. Odds are, he’s straight. And number two, what kind of perv thinks about how hot a guy is in a situation like this one? You’re supposed to be helping him, not lusting after him. Ollie shook his head, knowing that sexual attraction had never been tempered by goodwill or even common sense. The body wanted what it wanted. Still, Ollie knew he’d be better off if he shoved any such thoughts deep down inside.


Hank finished his cigarette and pitched it over the side of the landing, where, Ollie was sure, it would join thousands of other fallen comrades. “I guess you need to be gettin’ back home, huh? I mean, you have a job and shit, and I’ve kept you up all night.”


Chapter 34