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

At eleven he thought he should call it a night. Thirty minutes


later he was still on the sofa, staring at the phone where it sat


on the coffee table. Part of him was afraid to go to sleep, afraid


he’d miss Jamie’s call. Maybe I should call the shelter,he


thought, or even go down there, see if he’s in yet. Maybe he


thinks it’s too late and he doesn’t want to wake me up.


He dialed the shelter’s number, but it was late and all he got


was a recording. As he listened to Father Nate’s voice reeling off


meal times and hours of operation, he mused, Why didn’t he put


on there whether Jamie was back yet or not? That’s the important


stuff—that’s what I want to know, what I called to find


So the shelter was closed. It was too late to go looking for


Jamie again—if he hadn’t found him in broad daylight, how would he


ever find him now? Just go to bed,he told himself. You


can go over in the morning and he’ll be there, you’ll see. You’ll


Chapter 37