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

With a start of surprise, he realized that he hadn’t asked the guy about what had happened the other night, when he’d been taken down in the street—and had no pulse. What had that been all about? It surprised him that he wasn’t more curious. But, when he considered this, he became aware of a rising bubble of joy. Just having made contact, walked and talked with this intriguing and wonderful man—that was what counted right now.


And, further, that bit about intuition or ESP or whatever, it seemed to suggest a connection of ability with Alonzo. And the important, the blazinglyimportant thing, he realized, was that Alonzo had actually said something to the effect that Garner could learn to become like him. And thatmeant—well, it would give them something in common! And that—thatgave Garner hope.


Which left the important question: When would he see Alonzo again?8: Changes


Chapter 31