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

Max became the target for radical extermination after he met me. Max didn’t take the news well. I was long acquainted with the absolute fear a person felt when he knew for certain someone wants him dead. Mortality looms large at the moment absolute fear strikes. So I completely understood Max’s vacillation between fear and anger.


Lloyd found us at Max’s at twilight huddled together away from all windows with the doors locked and booby-trapped. He’d had to yell at us to open the door a number of times before we did.


“The Myerses are in jail and will be put away for a long time,” he said after pouring stiff drinks for everyone and passing them around. He scratched his chin and added, “You know, this used to be a peaceful place.”


“Before the gays moved in and queered it up?” My voice dripped with sarcasm.


Lloyd didn’t smile exactly, more grimaced. I knew he was married to a very nice man, but still, the “peaceful place” crack sounded awfully damning to me.


Chapter 33