Two men trapped in an elevator are about to discover they have more in common than the inconvenience of lost time. Dr. Mason Grant recognizes Parker Collins, whom he had loved during their senior year in high school, but Parker does not immediately recognize Mason. Maybe it’s the passage of time that has dulled his memory ... or maybe it’s the wheelchair in which Mason is confined. As the two wait to be rescued, Mason recalls their six month love affair -- its uncertain beginning, its athletic highs both on and off the field, its romantic peacefulness spent at the Grant’s remote lake cabin, as well as its painful lows and horrific conclusion. The teenage Mason realized there were two sides to his lover -- the confident Parker, an athletic hero popular with both teammates and female students, and the private Parker, who is unsure, sexually submissive, and needs to be cuddled and petted. All Mason wanted then was for Parker to love him, and not diminish what they shared by giving in to the social pressures that demanded he play out the role of football jock and studly lady killer. Now that they’re grown men, what happens when Parker sees past Mason’s wheelchair and realizes who’s trapped in the elevator with him?

Trapped Nerves

“Well, uh, I got a job in her daddy’s firm,


passed the bar exam and was starting to climb the ladder. But…”


though he was determined not to interrupt.


“We had a couple of kids, boy and a girl,


“Well, uh, I started using the Internet. I


visited different chat rooms where I could chat with other men who


“That helped a lot, but just talking to


people who understood only went so far, you know? Shit, I’m not


proud of this,” Parker mumbled. “But, well, I’d visit adult


bookstores, even public restrooms and… Well you know.”


The venom in Mason’s voice surprised even


him. “You could never stick to just one partner when I knew you, so


it’s no surprise that nothing has changed.” Mason didn’t care that


his mode of questioning wouldn’t be approved of by the state


Chapter 33