On a whim, Alex signs up to volunteer with an outreach program at a local youth shelter. When Father Nate calls him and asks him to work with Jamie as a big brother, Alex envisions a little kid he'll pal around with. What he doesn't expect is Jamie Owens, an 18 year old boy with a bad attitude who's only two years younger than Alex himself.<br><br>Jamie's hot. Very hot, and nervy, and precocious, and damn sexy, to boot. Even if he is eighteen, Alex feels guilty lusting after the kid. Alex sees himself as a mentor to Jamie, someone to look up to, someone to prove being a gay man doesn't mean casual sex in crowded clubs. He tries to keep his distance, both physically and emotionally, but Alex is sending some very mixed signals, and Jamie is getting pretty frustrated. As their friendship grows, Jamie becomes a part of Alex's life in a way neither expects.

Conflict of Interest

The next morning, the first thing Alex did upon


waking was fumble for the phone and dial Saundra’s number, before


he even rolled out of bed. “I can’t come in today,” he said simply.


For a moment he listened to Saundra breathe into the phone. He


could hear the anger in her silence, but Alex didn’t care. Just as


he was about to hang up, Saundra replied, “Fine.” Then a dial tone


filled his ear and Alex pushed the Phonebutton, clicking


He waited until after his shower to call the shelter. “It’s me,”


he said as he zipped up his jeans. “Alex.”


“Hello there,” Father Nate replied warmly. “Jamie’s eating


breakfast, if you want me to get him for you—”


“No,” Alex said, a little too quickly. “I need to talk to


you, actually. About Jamie. Are you busy right now?”


Father Nate sighed, and Alex didn’t like that sound, not one


bit. “Sure,” he said. “Let me get to my office—”


Chapter 31