Chasing the Rainbow

CHASING THE RAINBOW

Kade Boehme

Chasing the Rainbow

Copyright © May 2015 by Kade Boehme

All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

Editor: Tina Adamski

              http://allyeditorialservices.weebly.com

Cover Artist: Reese Dante

              http://reesedante.com

Published in the United States of America

Image/art disclaimer: Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.

This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Warning
This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. For adults
18+ ONLY
, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers

Trademark Acknowledgments

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following trademarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Amazon: Amazon.com, Inc.

Facebook: Facebook, Inc.

Hugo Boss: HUGO BOSS

iPhone: Apple, Inc.

“Jersey Shore”: MTV Networks

Jimmy Choo: J. Choo Limited

Men’s Health: Rodale Inc.

“Sex and the City”: Darren Star Productions, Home Box Office (HBO), Sex and the City Productions

Skittles: W. Wrigley J. Company

DEDICATION

To all of you who give me the sun and the moon and the stars. You’ve made my dreams come true. You are my heroes. Writing is my place in the rainbow and that you’re all a part of it, my readers, my friends, makes you the very best thing that’s happened to my life.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

None of my books would ever be what they are without some very important people. Wendy, who listens to my insanity; Megan Myers, who cleans up after me; Tina, who makes it shine; and Lili, the one who cheers me on. Heidi, I can’t thank you enough for all the pimping you do. I’d be absolutely lost in this without you all.

In my day to day life, I’d not survive these processes without Love and support from lovely Felice and Meredith and my sister from another mister, Jackie. That you keep me smiling and laughing makes every time I work a little easier. (Also, the booze and brunch never hurts, Felice.) And Mon, you know this journey would never have started without you getting to say “I told you so.” Thanks for the push.

And of course I have to acknowledge the readers, who this is dedicated to as well. Whether you’ve e-mailed me, friended/followed me on social media, or buy and read my books without fail, you all inspire me to keep going and keep doing my thing.

Thank you.

Chapter 1

“I’M SO SORRY I had to drag you over here. I know it’s awkward,” Jody Olsen’s ex-wife, Isabella, said. She seemed to genuinely mean it, so he’d cut her some slack. They’d never been contentious anyway.

“Well, I have that bag you asked for. Though how it was still in my storage unit is beyond me.”

“Did you look in it?” she asked, taking the large, military-style duffle from him and slinging its strap over her shoulder.

“No,” he said, slowly. “Why would I?”

She huffed a fond laugh and gave his bicep a squeeze. “It’s nothing, really. I should have known you wouldn’t look anyways. Honest, Jody.” Only she could make that sound like a compliment and an insult at the same time. He didn’t even bother responding, just made to turn on his heel. He did not want any part of whatever wild party was going on in Izzy’s folks’ house. He didn’t even want to be on this block any longer than he had to. He wanted to leave this corner of the Brooklyn where her brothers, as well as the guys they grew up with still lived.

              Although, her brothers hadn’t really ever liked him. He was Lower East Side; they were Bensonhurst. He was blond; they were… Guido. He was a WASP; they were Catholic. He was gay… The list really could go on.

              “Wait. Did you seriously walk here?”

              Jody stopped and raised a brow at her. “Because I suddenly felt the necessity to buy a car after almost thirty years without one?”

              She met his raised brow with one of her own. “It’s like four transfers to get here.” Yes, another thing her brothers gave her shit about. Only in New York would someone think you look down on them because they owned a car.

              “It’s not that bad. I live off the F line.”

              Some emotion flickered through her eyes, but he didn’t feel like deciphering it. She shook off whatever it was, anyways. “Hey, let me get one of the boys to at least give you a ride to the stop.”

              Jody quailed. “Oh, uh, no it was no problem. Really….”

              She smirked knowingly. “I wasn’t going to throw you to the wolves, Jody. Gimme a sec.”

              Before he could protest, she’d disappeared into the house. He considered just starting off down the street, but as open as these streets were; it’s not like he’d blend into a crowd. In fact, other than the house he was at, the entire neighborhood was quiet in a way you only found in Lower Brooklyn and Staten Island. The sidewalks were empty and it was only six p.m.

              The music from inside grew louder as the front door swung open, drawing Jody’s attention. He’d been expecting Izzy, but instead he was face to face with one of her few neighborhood friends that he liked—and had drooled over once or twice.

              “Jody, my man, how goes it?” Bobby Gugino—most of the guys called him Bobby G—stuck out a hand to shake, twirling keys on a ring with the other hand. Jody shook the firm, callused hand, trying not to blush at the heat from it. Damn it wasn’t just that the man was gorgeous in such an understated way; different from most guys Jody knew. But that firm handshake was genuine and those calluses were something none of the guys Jody’d hooked up with would ever get from their jobs in offices and retail stores. Not that Mr. Book Store Manager Jody could say a whole lot.

              “Um, hey Bobby. Good, good. But, like I said to Iz, you really don’t have to take me. I can catch the bus right around the corner.”

              “That’s dumb,” Bobby said, waving off Jody’s words; making his way to a large pickup truck with Gugino & Sons on the side. “It’ll take five minutes to drive you up to the Avenue I stop. That do?”

              “More than,” Jody said, following Bobby into the cab of the truck. Bobby started the loud thing and started down the road.

              “You been taking care?” Bobby asked after a moment of silence at a red light.

              “Oh, yeah, everything’s good.” Jody looked at Bobby’s strong profile. The man wasn’t much older than Jody, maybe thirty-six or seven if Jody remembered right, but he looked more adult than Jody felt he ever would.

              “It’s been a long time,” Bobby said. Guess he wasn’t one for awkward silences. Too bad Jody wasn’t one for small talk.

              “Yeah. Three, maybe four years.”

              “Damn.” Bobby’s tone hadn’t held much inflection, most probably just a lame, obligatory response. Jody looked out the window at passing brownstones and row houses, the occasional elderly woman scurrying along with a cart full of bags in tow.

              “Sorry if the guys have been hard on you.” It took a minute for Jody to comprehend Bobby’s random apology.

              “Why so?”

              “Izzy pulled me aside, said you’d done her a solid, but she didn’t want to ask her brothers to give you a lift. I know they were pissed about the divorce and all.”

              Jody snorted inelegantly. “I think it’s the gay thing that did it, not just the divorce.”

              Bobby turned his appraising gaze Jody’s way. Damn, why’d he open his big mouth? Before Bobby could respond, Jody tried for a neutral topic. “So how’s Angie? You guys get hitched yet?”

              That seemed to make Bobby squirm more than the acknowledgment of Jody’s Big Gay Life.

              “Not exactly.” Was Bobby’s only response. Thankfully, they were already at the subway stop. “You sure this is good?” Bobby asked.

              “Yes. Thanks. This was real nice of you.”

              “If I hadn’t, she’d have made you wait for a cab.”

              Jody laughed. That was true. Even when they’d lived in Manhattan together, Isabella was always a taxi person. She did not do public transit. “Very true.” He checked his phone. “And thanks to you, I’ll get back to work early.”

              “Where you working these days? You were in some retail corporate thing right?”

              Jody shuddered at the memory of his old job, old life. “No, thankfully. I’m a manager at McNamara Books in SoHo.”

              That seemed to make Bobby brighten in a way Jody didn’t think he’d ever seen. “Hey, that’s the one off Bleecker, right?”

              Jody swallowed audibly, trying to suppress the urge to kiss those smiling lips. Since when had he been that into Bobby Gugino? He’d only met the man a handful of times years ago. But damn, he’d never seen that smile.
I’m sure his girlfriend has. In bed.
That helped keep him in check.

              “That’s the one. Been there officially for four years in June.”

              “That’s great. I stop in sometimes for that coffee shop; pick up a book. I’m doing work in a loft down off Houston.”

              “Well, make sure you say hi next time you stop in,” Jody heard himself say.
What are you thinking?

              Bobby just nodded and smiled. “It was good to see you, Jo.”

              Jody stopped with his hand on the door handle. He was surprised how warm Bobby’s tone was when he’d made that statement. Jody flicked his gaze up to see Bobby assessing him like he had earlier.

              “You too, Bobby. Uh, have a good one.” And with that he bounded from the truck and made himself not look back as he walked across the street to the subway and descended into the tunnels.
 

“I’M TAKING MY lunch break now,” Jody announced to the two girls running the customer service kiosk. “I’ll be back in twenty.” After receiving twin nods of acknowledgment, he made his way to the café area. After purchasing a tuna and cream cheese bagel, he settled in with a new paperback—a gay romance. He was an unabashed enthusiast of the genre. He’d found a few at a gay book fair a few years earlier and had been adamant that McNamara’s include several of their titles in paperback.

              Secretly, he’d just not wanted to wait on books to come in from Amazon. His refusal to buy an e-reader left him with little to choose from in their collection of LGBT literary classics, auto-biographies, and the occasional bleak fiction; which usually managed not to progress into very hopeful endings. But, ever the optimist, he’d unashamedly delved into the new books with their Happily Ever Afters; even if he caught hell for the fact they were romance.

              He’d only gotten through a few pages and half a bagel when he was startled out of his fictional world by a chair at the table directly next to his scraping on the ceramic tile. Loudly. He took a quick peek, then did a double take when he noticed a familiar Italian man smiling at him.

              “They pay you to read the books or what?” Bobby teased. Jody’s heart fluttered in his chest, much to his chagrin.

              “Uh, hey.” Be cool. “What’re you doing here?” Of course, that was a dumb question. Bobby’s left hand held a Frappuccino, which was entirely incongruous with his tough guy looks. Of course, in response Bobby shook said Frappuccino, smirking.

              “Right,” Jody said. “Like our Fraps?”

              “They’re the best,” Bobby confirmed, suckling on his straw. Fuck, the way his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, the way he licked the white drink left behind by the straw—Jody’s pants were suddenly not as comfortable as they’d been five seconds ago.

              “Uh. Awesome,” Jody squeaked. He wasn’t proud of how high his voice had just registered. Bobby’s gaze roamed Jody’s face, assessing, same as the other day when he’d given Jody a ride to the subway station.
Do not think about riding; don’t even think the word.

              Thankfully, Bobby didn’t comment. But his eyes did flicker when he noticed the cover of Jody’s book—the one with two very shirtless men. Jody knew he blushed then. But he wasn’t ashamed; he wasn’t going to hide something Bobby would already know. It was bound to be awkward for Bobby, having his first tangible evidence of Jody’s gayness in his face. But Jody hadn’t looked back once since he’d come out, wouldn’t start today. Even if he’d hate to see disgust on that handsome face.

              “You like working here?” Bobby asked.

              Jody blinked, surprised by how easily Bobby went on with regular conversation. He felt kind of bad for having expected Bobby to be a jerk. “Yes. It’s not so bad. Much more laid back than working a corporate gig.”

              “I’ll bet.” Bobby’s expression grew wistful as he surveyed the store. “I’d love being surrounded by books all day.”

              Jody frowned; feeling like a jerk again for his assumption that books wouldn’t be something Bobby G was into. The guy had said he liked books the other day, and if Jody remembered correctly, Bobby was the only of his brothers to have gone to college.

              Bobby laughed. “It’s okay, I get that a lot.”

              Jody blanched. “What? I didn’t—”

              “You did, but it’s okay. I suppose dressed like this—” Bobby waved his hands up and down, indicating his dusty Penn State t-shirt and holey jeans. “—one doesn’t automatically assume I’m a scholar.”

              “No. It’s not that. I actually don’t even know you that well, so it was rude.”

              “Ah, but we all judge books by their covers, right?”

              It was Jody’s turn to study Bobby carefully. He wasn’t entirely sure what Bobby meant. He’d spoken plainly, but had seemed to mean something more than he’d actually expressed, something heavier.

              “I guess,” Jody said.

              Bobby smiled kindly, his eyes crinkling in the corners. Those brown eyes were full of good humor, displaying lines from a million smiles. Not many people made aging look quite as nice as Bobby Gugino was managing.
Because he’s so much older than you.

              Bobby rose to standing, dropping a heavy pat on Jody’s shoulder, a showing of fondness that surprised Jody. “I’ll get out of your hair. Just thought I’d say hi.” He winked, leaving Jody with the understanding he’d followed Jody’s own instructions. How many people actually did stop by to say hi when you told them to?

              He wasn’t getting his hopes up, though. He knew Bobby and his girl had been together for a long time, even back when he was with Izzy. Bobby was probably just being nice.

              Jody’s dick was annoyed with his dismissal of the option of Bobby as a prospect. He watched the guy’s wide shoulders; wishing he could run a hand over them as Bobby walked away and out the front doors, into the crowd of pedestrians wandering hither and thither.

              He shook his head, feeling silly, and returned to reading his book. At least there, the straight guy turned out to be the Prince Charming the other man hoped for.