Chapter One

Nelson

Friday night. Instead of going out with my boyfriend or agreeing to work late, I sat at home. Because I didn't have a boyfriend. Or a job for that matter. Not anymore.

"Let's go to Hung tonight." Jack, my ex from two relationships ago, tossed a pillow at me. "I'm tired of you wallowing in self-pity. You're bringing me down with your deep, dark mood, and I might just have to kick you out if you don't get over yourself."

He'd been nice enough to let me move into his spare room when I found out my last ex had an open relationship with me and several others without letting me know. Jack and I remained friends after our breakup, but we couldn't live together. That's why we ended our relationship in the first place. I hadn't planned to stay with him for more than a month, but I didn't expect to be suddenly unemployed. Corporate downsizing cut all special programming and left our local news channel with one daily news hour, getting rid of over one hundred employees, including myself.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Fine. Let's go. And by some miracle, maybe I'll meet a man who will sweep me off my feet and want to spend the rest of his life with me."

Jack gave me a tight-lipped smile as he raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe you can find a guy to fuck this pity party out of you so you can start looking for a new job and a new place to live on Monday."

I doubted I would find a guy at Hung who could fuck me that well, but going would give Jack a chance to hook up with someone new, thus making him more tolerant of me. I'd already been searching for a new apartment, but it was hard to find one in my price range without needing a roommate. And the loss of my job came as a sudden lurch to that task. I hadn't had time to fully process the breakup and loss of my home before the next huge life change. I thought that was the one secure part of my life I didn't need to worry about.

After changing into a pair of white skinny jeans that showed off my ankles, and a baby-blue button-down short-sleeved shirt—not typical dance club attire, but it was the only effort I was willing to put into the evening—I met Jack at the door. He'd already called our ride, and it wasn't long before we were on our way to the biggest gay dance club in our city.

Once we arrived, the line to get in was already halfway down the block. The other businesses on that side of the street had closed for the evening, except the coffee shop down on the adjacent corner. Maybe I should have gone there instead. A cute barista was better than a dance-club-fuck boy any night or day. But I'd promised Jack.

In line, we greeted some of the usual patrons we saw whenever we went to Hung. A man in a hooded robe with a corded belt around his waist came strolling down the line, catching my attention. He looked like some kind of religious radical who would tell us we were all going to hell for being gay. I looped my arm through Jack's and tried to move us closer to the wall to avoid the attention of this guy. But when he reached us, he stopped and stared at me, his wrinkled face prevalent behind his bushy white beard.

With his hands behind his back, he tilted his head then smiled. "You look like you could use a change."

I nearly laughed in his face. I'd had plenty of changes in my life recently, and I was sure there were plenty more to come. I didn't need any help in that department.

When he reached into his cloak, I stepped back, worried what he might pull out. I still couldn't eliminate the chance of him being some extremist who wanted to educate me on how to save my soul. But instead of a weapon, he withdrew a business card.

"When you're ready." He handed the card to me.

With shaking hands, I took it from him, though I didn't bother looking at it before shoving it in my pocket with my phone.

Jack scoffed. "He may not have been as rude as they usually are, but that doesn't mean you have to keep his card. It probably has a number for a conversion therapy place."

It would have been nice if the old man had offered me a job, but I was simply thankful he hadn't harassed me or anyone else in line.

When I glanced behind me to see if he was giving out cards to others in the queue, I couldn't spot him. He'd disappeared.

"Where'd he go?" I asked Jack.

"I don't know." He rested his hands on my shoulders and pushed me forward. "But the line is finally moving. Let's hope we get inside before it stops again."

***

Jack abandoned me only minutes after we'd gotten inside. He'd already zeroed in on the bear—a big, burly, hairy guy—whom he wanted to take home for the night. Thank goodness for noise canceling headphones. I went to the bar to wait for what felt like forever just to get a drink. Once I had my gin and tonic, I left the crowd to locate a spot on the edge of the dance floor with a good vantage point.

Prior to my last relationship, I would have easily found someone in the club who attracted my attention, but with changed priorities, no one I saw held any appeal. I no longer desired one-night stands but craved a longer, lasting relationship. Wasn't even interested in flirting and fooling around unless it would lead to a deeper connection.

Questioning why I'd agreed to go to the dance club, I considered leaving. I intended to finish my drink then head back to the apartment to get some sleep before Jack arrived home with his newest daddy.

As I took the last sip, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Had one of the servers been watching me that closely? When I turned to hand him my empty glass, I realized my mistake. The young man—probably barely legal enough to get into the club—stared at me as if he were a lion eyeing a baby antelope separated from its mother. He was cute, with dyed-blond wavy hair and tanned skin. His tight blue jeans and black mesh shirt revealed he worked hard to maintain his figure. Definitely my type when I was closer to his age.

"Can I get you another drink?" He leaned into me to speak, and when he pulled away, his eyes sparkled and he smiled, revealing adorable dimples. "Or maybe you'd like to dance?"

No more drinks, especially from someone who appealed to my inner, carefree, immature self. Dancing with him could be fun and it wouldn't be a waste of my night.

"Let's dance." I set my glass down on the table at the edge of the dance floor then headed toward the mass of swaying and grinding bodies.

As we approached the crowd, my younger admirer placed his hand on the small of my back before beginning to bop to the beat. He was a great dancer. Not sure what he saw in me though. He could have any number of guys in the club, including a multitude closer to his age. But he was enjoyable, so the question didn't linger too long.

After a few songs, I was ready for a break. If the guy wanted to dance with someone else, I would give him the opportunity. Maybe he could find someone he had a chance of convincing to take him home.

"Thank you." I rested my palm on his bicep and gave him a light squeeze. "That was fun."

"Where are you going?" He grabbed my wrist and yanked me into his chest. "You're mine tonight. I already claimed you."

Claimed? My body tensed as my heart raced. Who did he think he was, some het who listened to a few too many alpha male podcasts?

"Yeah, I'm not interested." I tried to push off his chest, but his hold was too tight.

"That's not what your body says." He slid his hand between us, palming my cock.

"Hey, Nel, how's it going?" Allen, one of my former coworkers, passed by with his boyfriend. Enough attention to get the pushy young punk to let go of me.

"Good." I smiled briefly, more thankful for the interruption rather than the reminder I'd lost my job. "Just needed to get out after everything that happened this week."

"Yeah, me, too." Allen remained with us, dancing in place, as if he knew I needed his presence there.

Yet, I didn't want to stop him from having a good time. "I... I need to use the bathroom." Or find a way out of the place without the pushy dude following me.

The young punk clasped the back of my arm. "I'll go with you."

I shook him off, still glad for the audience so he didn't try anything else. "No, you go buy me a drink for when I return." Which would never happen.

Before he could object, I hurried away, heading in the direction of the bathroom then slipping through the shadows of the club until I reached one of the emergency exits.

"You okay?" the bouncer asked from nearby.

"Just looking for a quick exit." Taking a hasty glance behind me, I tried to check if I'd been followed.

"You got a ride?" The bouncer stood behind me, hiding me simply with his size. "Or is anyone aware you're leaving?"

"Thank you for your help." I pulled my phone out of my pocket. "I'll send my roommate a text and let him know I'm heading home."

The bouncer nodded.

After texting Jack, I stepped toward the door, but the bouncer stopped me. "Here. You dropped this."

He handed me the business card the hooded man had given me while we were in line. I had not bothered to look at it until that moment. On one side, it read: Make a wish . On the other side, the text was too small for me to read without my glasses.

Make a wish?

What I really wanted was a stable job and relationship, to no longer have to move every time one coupling ended or another began. I took a deep breath as I stepped out into the cooler night air. "I wish I could find a man who would love me and whom I would love for the rest of my life."

Suddenly, a wave of vertigo hit me, as if I'd been knocked off-balance by an invisible force. The door slammed shut behind me, quickly blocking the loud music from inside. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing my senses to right themselves again. I needed to be fully aware of my surroundings out in the alley. I'd only had one drink. Yet, when I opened my eyes, the sight before me left me even more confused.

Instead of escaping into the alley behind Hung, I'd somehow ended up at the edge of a forest. Behind me, the emergency exit in the large brick building had disappeared, giving way to a meadow of tall grasses that swayed in the breeze. Plus, it was daytime. It should be dark. The moon should be out instead of the sun.

Shit, had that punk slipped me something, leaving me in a delusional state?

A couple steps into the forest, I sat on a fallen log. Probably not the best decision with white pants on, but none of it was real anyway.

With my eyes closed, I massaged my temples and took a few deep breaths. That's when I noticed a difference in the air. In an alley, I expected the combined scents of exhaust, sewage, and a sampling of many food sources. Yet, wherever I'd ended up smelled of moist earth and vegetation with slight floral notes blown in from the meadow.

I can't really have ended up here, right?

Then, blurry and glowing like a mirage, I spotted a figure walking toward me. A man, naked in all his glory. With his thick thighs, warm-brown skin, and a lightly haired wide chest, he was quite a sight to behold. Yes, definitely a dream.