Change comes to all of us. For Theo Bascopolis, the first time is when he's fifteen. He finds his life falling apart when his father discovers Theo is gay and orders him to become straight or leave. Having no choice, in spite of what his father might think, Theo leaves. But where can a fifteen-year-old go? Especially when it starts to rain. He thinks things are looking up when he meets a striking man named Franky, who seems very attracted to him. However, once again Theo's life changes when he learns all Franky wants is for him to hustle. And so Theo becomes the rent boy Sweetcheeks. However, Franky underestimates Sweetcheeks, and the results of the ensuing fight sees Sweetcheeks fleeing to Washington DC, where he crosses paths with a group of rent boys who take him in. Finally Sweetcheeks has a family, a home, and an additional source of income in the form of apartments they're able to rent out. His life changes again a few years later when a mysterious tenant by the name of Mark Vincent becomes the reason behind the assault on one of Sweetcheeks's boys. Vincent visits the boy in the hospital, bringing with him his equally enigmatic trainee, William Matheson. The instant attraction blindsides Sweetcheeks. In spite of knowing love isn't for rent boys, he hopes Matheson can see beyond the body he's offered to so many. But Matheson has secrets of his own. Can Sweetcheeks overcome his insecurities enough to believe in the quiet man who's come into his life? Can Matheson keep his actual occupation a secret without it jeopardizing their budding relationship?

Pick Up the Pieces

“What’s up?” I asked, yawning and rubbing my scalp.


His eyes widened. I stood there dressed only in a pair of sweat pants that dipped low on my hips, a tattoo of a dragon—a temporary tattoo—curling from my back to just the right of my navel. The client I’d seen the night before was a businessman from Taiwan, and I’d serviced him a number of times before. He liked to think he was taming the dragon.


“What?” Walter, the architect, blinked a couple of times and cleared his throat. “Oh, what I found! The original bedrooms each had a fireplace. This is fantastic. Can you imagine? They must have been bricked up when this was converted to a rooming house. What a waste! I’ll have them opened up for you, design new mantels—”


“Hold on a minute, Rockefeller. How much more will that cost us? No, don’t bother telling me. We don’t need the added expense.”


“It will be a great feature when you’re ready to sell this place.”


Chapter 21