6. BRUNO

Ihadn't intended to send the text at the beginning of the evening. I was quite looking forward to Danny moving in. As the night settled in, Evan's laughter filled the air, echoing through the living room as he played with his toy trucks or watched cartoons on the iPad.

After we ate dinner, we had chosen the classic animated film Ratatouille, which Evan adored, and nestled on the couch together, father and son. With each scene, Evan's eyes sparkled with wonder, his small hands reaching out to grasp mine as we navigated through tales of bravery and friendship. His infectious laughter filled the room, mingling with the playful melodies of the soundtrack.

Sometimes Evan clambered over me, and sometimes he sat on the edge of the seat, utterly transfixed by the rats and their crazy adventures. The movie was funny and fast, and both of us laughed, him at his five-year-old level and me at my adult one.

As the movie drew to a close, Evan's eyelids grew heavy with sleep, his breathing steady and calm and I knew he didn't have long left in him. He sat on the couch with his eyes closing.

"Come on, buddy," I said to him, scooping him into my arms and carrying him off to the small second bedroom of my apartment, which I would soon be giving to Danny two nights a week. With him already fast asleep, I tucked him into bed, his favorite stuffed animal placed beside him, a guardian, a friend, for the night.

Alone in the quiet aftermath of our evening adventure, I went back to my desk and started writing. The soft glow of the lamp illuminated my fingers on the keyboard. But as I sat there, something began to trouble me.

The prospect of having Danny in the apartment, even as just a roommate, stirred up some apprehension. We were supposedly old school friends, but in truth, we hardly knew each other. Our paths had crossed briefly in the past, but we had never truly been friends. What would it mean for Danny to be a fixture in my home now?

I couldn't deny the allure of his presence. His intelligence shone through in our conversation on the phone the other day; his humor and generosity were undeniable. Tall, dark, and undeniably handsome, Danny possessed a magnetic charm back then, when we were young.

And that charm seemed greater now that he was older, more mature, even more masculine than before. But its effect would be on me. I would be the one being charmed. How long before I started to catch feelings for him? The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

With Marlon moving on to someone new, I couldn't help but wonder if I would end up reading too much into small gestures, offhand remarks, looks, and little bits of kindness.

The more I thought about it, the more I began to question the wisdom of Danny moving in at all. Sure, the prospect of him contributing financially to the household was appealing, but money isn't everything. Five hundred bucks would be great, but at what cost to me? I grabbed my phone, and without thinking, I typed out the words:

MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T STAY HERE

SORRY TO MESS YOU AROUND, BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET A HOTEL ROOM FOR THAT MONEY

EASILY

I hit Send without giving myself a moment to think if I should. Instantly, he was online, reading it. Maybe if I had had a second, I would have deleted the messages, to stop him reading them. But now he was hundreds of miles away, back home, staring at me stupidly, selfishly, withdrawing my offer. God, I'm an idiot!

My phone started ringing at once.

DANNY

But then I realized it was a video call. I felt a shudder of horror. Surely, the whole point of texting was to avoid awkward conversations! Who was Danny that he just ignored all that and wanted a direct connection with me instead?

Nervously, I accepted the incoming video call, and Danny's chiseled face materialized before me.

"Hey, Bruno," Danny's voice greeted me, but full of tension and surprise.

"Oh, hey, Danny," I replied with a dumb, fake innocence. "What's up?"

Danny's features, illuminated by the soft glow of the screen, seemed both mad and conciliatory.

"Bruno, I got your text," he said quite sharply. "What the hell, man? I thought we were cool."

I tried to be just that.

"We are, bro."

Bro? Since when did I call guys "bro"?

"Well, I wanted to find out what is up."

I felt a blush creep across my cheeks, embarrassment mingling with those deeper, more primal concerns.

"I just think a lot is going on…"

"What, though?"

"Evan is going to be moving in."

"But I'm totally cool with that."

I tried to gain the upper hand in the discussion.

"Yeah, I have to think about Evan, that's what I mean."

But now, Danny turned more forthright. His masculine presence seemed to loom straight out of the phone.

"What the fuck, man? I'm coming tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I repeated. "Is it tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I texted you."

I assumed Danny was only annoyed by the sudden change in plans, that suddenly he would be spending the night on booking.com or whatever, trying to find somewhere cool to stay, but then he spoke.

"Man, I've been so looking forward to reconnecting with you and, you know, having somewhere cool and homey to stay." He paused and sighed unhappily. Then suddenly, he gave the most radiant, charming smile. "What does the kid like?"

I didn't know what he was talking about.

"What?"

"Evan, what does he like?"

It was cute that he was asking about him.

"He is very technical. He loves building stuff."

"I'm an architect, man. I will turn his LEGO into whole skyscrapers. He'll love me!"

The implication was if you let me move in… Danny's laughter echoed through the phone. He shifted his position, and I could see what he was wearing: a very neat dress shirt. He looked super sharp.

"Wait, why are you dressed up?" I asked.

Danny's chuckle reverberated through the screen.

"I was out on a date," he confessed.

I hadn't quite expected him to say that.

"A good one?" I asked. "It couldn't have been that good if you're home already."

"I realized I was messing the girl around. Decided to come home and just…jerk off."

The words ran through me. Very clearly, I had the image of him just doing that, cock in hand, busting his nut. Did he have a big cock? Of course he had a big cock. Guys like Danny always did.

I felt my cheeks flush red. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't sure if he picked up on that, that sexual awkwardness, but I felt the need to come clean.

"Look, there's something I should tell you, Danny," I began. "I just found out my ex has found someone new, so if you're looking for a party house, I'm not that."

Danny's brows furrowed in curiosity.

"Nah, I'm not looking for a party place, man, not at all." He paused a second. "Was it serious with your ex?"

I laughed to myself, at my own ridiculousness, really.

"No, not at all. But now that they're moving on, I am feeling some weird things."

I understand that pronoun strategically, in the way of people who are trying to avoid saying what someone's gender was. He smiled sympathetically.

"Who was she?"

I paused.

"It wasn't a she. It was a he."

His eyes widened slightly.

"A guy?" he said.

"Yeah, a guy, Danny."

"Wow, I didn't realize."

He paused.

"Does it matter to you?" I asked nervously.

He furrowed his brow.

"That's you're still into your ex?"

I hadn't exactly said that I was. I wasn't, really! I was just weirded out by people moving on when I hadn't.

"No, I mean that I was with a guy."

He raised his eyebrows.

"No, man, not at all. I'm not like that at all. You can screw a different guy every night if you want."

I gulped, felt my cheeks redden.

"Oh, well, I am not like that,either."

He laughed and shrugged, and he seemed so carefree and alluring in that moment.

"It's all cool," he reassured me, his voice soft with sincerity. I admit it, I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

"But as long as you realize that I'm not going to be party city," I said. "I got a kid and a broken heart, you know what I mean?"

"Man, I couldn't care less about party city. I just wanna hang with you and Evan." Danny's response was perfect. He paused a moment. "Are you gay?" he asked, his tone gentle yet probing.

"Bi, I guess," I confessed. "Gay for the right guy, maybe. I don't even know myself." I laughed and rolled my eyes. I could feel myself doing it. "Are you cool with that?" I asked.

Danny's response was immediate, his affirmation ringing out like a clarion call in the night.

"Yeah, of course," he grinned. "So am I okay to come tomorrow?"

I felt only good things, only happiness. He was smiling at me beautifully, kindly, genuinely.

"Cool," I replied, smiling back. "You can come."