Renowned interior designer Fredi Zimmer is surprised when outdoorsman Max Greene, owner of Greene’s Outdoors, hires him to revamp Max’s rustic cabin in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Fredi is an out-and-proud Metro male whose contact with the outdoors is from his car to the doorway of the million-dollar homes he remodels, and to Fredi, Max is a typical straight man’s man. When Max blatantly and clumsily flirts with Fredi, Fredi’s stereotypical view of Max is shattered. Is this a build-up to a gay bashing? Cautiously believing Max is closeted and is trying to come out, Fredi decides he’s game to put a little spice into Max’s life, whether it’s in the colors and fixtures he’ll use to turn Max's dilapidated cabin into a showplace or over one of the many lunches and dinners they share talking about the remodel. Who can blame a guy for adding a little sensual pleasure as he retools Max’s life visually? Besides, Fredi has a backup plan if he’s wrong about Max’s intentions. Life would be all wine and roses if it weren’t for Max’s former friends and their conservative families. Alarmed with Max’s obvious infatuation, they make it their business to save him from sliding into hell. With the battle on, will Fredi and Max win the fight for a life of happiness together?

Redesigning Max

“Right,” I answered. I wasn’t sure what was going on. In fact, I was still at sea with what had just happened. I wasn’t going to turn tail and run, but I couldn’t quite get myself back to square one. Had he just made a pass at me? Wouldn’t it be nice if he had? I couldn’t be sure.


“So do you cook?” I asked Max as I picked up my fork and took a tiny bite of my lunch. I was nervous and reaching.


“Yeah.” Max seemed to be making an effort. Or at least that’s what I took his slight grin to mean.


“Oh? What do you cook?” I refused to be rattled. What was I letting myself in for? Was the earth going to move every time we were together like this? It hadn’t before, much, had it? “I like to bake. So what kind of cooking do you do?”


What had just happened? Was Max a tease who bashed when he got a response? I’d met a few of them, and they weren’t fun. My attraction to him had blurred the lines. Was he attracted to me? Or was this a game to him? I was so confused.


Chapter 13