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

More than anything else in life, Garner hated bullying. But his reaction this evening seemed unaccountably intense.


Then he remembered his regular—Alonzo. That had been the first time he had reacted so intensely. It was like that evening had opened something in him that hadn’t closed since. And then there was the practicing he had been doing, opening to people. He groaned inwardly as he felt a sense of impending disaster.


He took hold of himself as well as he could, repeating his mantras: Not my business. Don’t get involved. Let people live their lives.


Chapter 41