Garner working as a waiter at an upscale restaurant with a growing attraction to a man named Alonzo, who always asks to be put in his section for dinner. One night after work, the man is assaulted while trailing Garner. Garner goes to his aid, but is shot for his trouble.<br><br>Taking time off from work to recover, Garner is resting on a park bench when Alonzo suddenly appears at the other end of the bench. Garner never saw him approach. He asks why Alonzo is trailing him.<br><br>After some hesitation, Alonzo explains he wants to recruit Garner to help fight against others who systematically hunt people like himself. Garner isn’t inclined to get involved in anything dangerous, but he does finds Alonzo more and more attractive, so he agrees to consider the idea. As he learns more about Alonzo’s bizarre and dangerous subculture, what Garner really wants to know is whether Alonzo is romantically interested in him at all.

Call to Love

Their gazes locked in a kind of duel of wills for several seconds, but then the man deliberately looked away. Maintaining an air of indifference, he took a sip from his water glass. Putting the glass down, he looked back at Garner and gave a brief dismissive nod.


Clearly the man knew how to play the game. Garner had been dismissed. But as he turned away, he didhave the sense that for an instant the man had begun to quail under his glare.


Feeling suddenly wrong-footed and mortified at his own actions, Garner took refuge in focusing on his next task. Looking down at his pad, he nodded as if at something, and retreated to the kitchen.


Chapter 5