CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Tate

The video monitor displayed an empty street and the occasional car zipping by the front entrance of my building. My endless pacing did nothing to calm my nerves. Luke was coming today; his visit was the only thing I thought about.

Luke called three days earlier to inform me he and another employee from the furniture store would deliver my purchases on Saturday. His phone voice was very manly in tone, driving me crazy ever since. That was on Thursday, and this was Saturday, the day I'd been waiting for all week.

I glanced toward the video monitor for what felt like the fiftieth time. "What's taking so long?" I complained. Luke told me they'd arrive around noon, and he'd call if there was an issue. I glanced at my watch, also for about the fiftieth time. It was three minutes after twelve now, and I was behaving like an impatient little fuck.

Forcing myself to sit down at the oversized kitchen island, I thought about the conversation we'd had when I bought my new furniture. He'd told me that the men at his store, him included, knew the risks of dating a homosexual. Why would he tell me such a thing? Was he dropping a hint?

But as soon as I was about to explore more of what he meant by dating a homosexual and taking risks, he switched off faster than a lamp when an uninvited guest arrived at your front door. Suddenly, and disappointingly, the conversation shifted back to me, the client, and him, the salesperson.

He'd also stated that Tyler still came into his place of work and that his coworkers knew why he stopped by so frequently. Apparently, they knew the concept of a gay guy cruising them, but what they did about it, if anything, was a mystery to me. The idea of me being there when or if Tyler stopped by the next time worried me. Tyler would squeal like a stuck pig if he had info like that on me. And I didn't have to imagine who the first person he'd squeal to would be.

I nearly fell off my barstool when the monitor buzzed. I practically dove across the room to reach the small screen, finding the back of Luke's head filling it.

"Hello," I said.

Luke quickly turned to face the camera, looking impossibly handsome, the bright sunlight setting his blue eyes off like a smoldering fire. "Sorry we're late, sir. Jed is at the garage door with his truck, and I'll be there in a minute if you can buzz us into the loading area."

"You have two trucks?" I asked, forgetting the dent I'd put in my bank account the other night. The number of items I'd purchased added up, but they'd look terrific in my loft. "I'll be right down." I buzzed his associate in and hung up.

The hallway mirror confirmed that I looked nervous. It wasn't mere butterflies in my gut. I had pterodactyls. Taking a deep breath and then exhaling slowly, I played with my hair and checked my teeth. Why I checked my teeth, I wasn't exactly sure. Maybe we'd kiss, I fantasized. We'd done more than kiss in my late-night jack off session the previous night.

The two trucks were parked near the freight elevator when I arrived. The way the building contractors had incorporated the old lifts into the redesigned building was a godsend. Moving in or out, as well as bulk deliveries, were easily handled with the oversized elevators.

"Hello, sir," Luke began, turning to his associate. "This is Jedidiah. He goes by Jed though."

I nodded at Jed, marveling at all the biblical names Luke's community used. Jed was probably early twenties with a bad case of acne. He was also the first of Luke's coworkers not to be perfect to look at. However, like my crush, Luke, Jed was built like a God. What did they feed these boys out at the ranch?

Luke gestured to the first truck which held my new dining room table. "We'll handle that one first, sir," he said, disappointing me with the formal, ‘have we ever met?' nature with which he addressed me.

"How about I leave the elevator key with you guys and I'll head back up to the loft?" I began. "I'm in unit number 41 at the end of the hall. Fourth floor," I added.

Not only did Luke and Jed bring my furniture up to the loft, but they assembled everything and placed the pieces exactly where I asked them to. I'm not going to lie; watching them busy themselves with the hard work was a feast for my eyes. Luke was great at any angle, while Jed was best from the backside.

‘Watching Luke Work' would be a great name for a YouTube channel. I'd watch all day if it existed. I literally couldn't take my eyes off him. He glanced my way several times, each time catching me fanning out like a teenager. He'd smile and then get back to work. I'd try to pretend I was busy fussing about the kitchen.

"That'll do it, sir," Luke said, picking up the last tool he'd used to attach the doors to the large kitchen cabinet.

They'd been in the loft working their butts off for nearly two hours, and yet, I wasn't in anything that resembled a hurry to see the job completed. While I fussed and pretended to be uninterested in their incredible bodies, the time flew by. I was only in my early thirties, but I felt like an old perv, as I spent the entire time ogling them.

"I'll meet you back at the store," Jed said, speaking for the first time since they'd arrived.

I walked across the room and ran my hand along the edge of the cabinet doors on the kitchen piece. They weren't aligned correctly, and I could see a small gap at the bottom of the two primary doors.

"These are slightly off," I said, looking from Jed to Luke. "I guess I could adjust them myself," I added, suddenly feeling like less of a man because I'd pointed out the simple flaw. The fact is, I was helpless when it came to fixing things or using any sort of tool. I needed one of them to stay and fix the doors.

Luke quickly addressed my concern, jumping on what seemed to give him a reason to stay behind—I hoped. Truthfully, I'd spent the last hour or so trying to figure out how to get him alone. Perhaps my perfectionist's eye would give him a reason to stay.

"You head back, brother. I'll adjust the doors," Luke said, nodding at Jed.

Jed simply tilted his head in my direction and walked out the front door. I had Luke alone in my home. Now what?

"Sorry," I mumbled, gesturing toward the cabinet and feeling petty. "Pain in the butt customers, right?" I asked.

"Never, sir," he replied, dropping to his knees and opening one of the cabinet doors, eyeing it as he moved the door back and forth.

"Can we get back to you calling me Tate?"

Luke turned his stunning blue eyes toward me, locking them with mine. I hoped that my lust for him and the hard swallow weren't obvious, as I practically gulped down my desire. Even while he was on his knees, he appeared huge. His crisp white button-down barely held his strong back inside its seams.

The shirt came untucked as he squatted to examine the piece, revealing smooth, white skin, just a tiny hint of his powerful and muscular ass exposed to my weak resistance. I don't think I've ever seen a man so muscular in all the right locations on a body in my life.

"I didn't ruin our friendship?" he asked.

I was confused by his question. "Why would you think that?" I asked, once again feeling like I had to solve a riddle.

"When you saw me hurting your friend through the door the other night."

"That was several days ago, Luke, and we spoke about that already. I told you I didn't blame you," I reassured and waved a dismissive hand toward him. "I've forgotten all about that. Plus, you said he insulted you or something like that."

"He was out of line, sir… I mean, Tate."

Luke stood, nervously wringing his hands, waiting for a response. I assumed because I had a quizzical look on my face. I'd thought we'd hashed this out the last time when he was informing me he was aware of homosexuals.

"And you were within your right to correct him," I agreed.

"He caused me to lose my temper, though. I'm not proud of that, and I don't want you to think I would intentionally hurt anyone," he said. "I am not that type of person, Tate."

"And I believe you, Luke. I'm sorry that Tyler was disrespectful."

"I don't hurt people," he continued. "And I don't like when others do."

That I understood he wasn't a violent person seemed important to him. "I believe you, Luke. You've always been kind to me," I said.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked, quickly looking away once I nodded. I waited for him to compose himself. He ran a hand through his short hair and exhaled slowly. "Never mind. I'm not sure how to say it all proper and such."

"Luke," I said, waiting for him to turn to me. It took him a moment, but he reluctantly turned to face me. "You can trust that I'll keep what we say to each other…" I paused to make sure he heard me. "Just between us," I finished, motioning back and forth. "So go ahead," I urged.

"I like you," he whispered, his voice catching in his throat. His face immediately blushed in a beautiful burst of red, his eyes falling to the floor.

I stepped closer, careful to measure what he was trying to say. He was two, maybe three feet away from me. "And I like you too, Luke," I replied.

"I think I might be homosexual because I like you so much," he blurted out. "I wanted to tell you the other day when you came in, but I chickened out. I'm not good at saying stuff, I guess."

To say I was stunned would've been the understatement of the decade. However, I remained cautious regarding his admission. Luke was unlike most young men in our world, and the clinical way with which he said homosexual naturally had my guard up.

"I want to be respectful of you, Luke," I began, backing away and reaching for a barstool behind me as I blindly backed toward the island. I managed to sit and take a breath before speaking again. Luke watched me carefully as I backed away. I wondered if he thought I feared him. "Do you know why you think you may be homosexual?" I asked, using his terminology.

He certainly didn't hesitate to answer me. "Do you remember when I told you I knew what the risks would be if we courted a homosexual? Especially if we courted an outsider who was homosexual?"

He had no idea just how much I remembered him saying that. I'd spent countless hours analyzing his meaning ever since. "Yes. I remember."

"I wanted you to know I'd take that risk for you."

My hand grabbed the edge of the kitchen island as I tried to steady myself from the bomb he'd just thrown at my feet. My heart rate doubled as I considered what his statement meant. How would dating each other work for us? When would we start? Today? Where would we meet up? Who would handle the wedding plans? Don't jump the gun yet, Luke.

"Do you understand what you're saying?" I asked. "I mean… well…" I lost my train of thought. His blunt declaration had me at a disadvantage. I hadn't expected this by a long mile. Had he said he wanted to date me? I pointed at him and then at myself. "You and me… we would date… each other?"

He nodded his intention. "You make me feel… well, feel…" He tapped his chest. "Feel inside my… right here." He tapped his chest again, paused, and then drew a long breath before beginning again. "My insides hurt whenever I see you, Tate. Do you remember that day when you came into the bakery, and I saw you that first time?" I nodded, too shocked to speak. He was apparently on a mission to dump a lot of pent-up info on me, so I paid attention. "I felt sick when you left. I missed you and waited every day for you to come in again. And then you did… and I panicked. Remember when I made a fool of myself at the bakery and ran to the back room?"

"I remember that too," I admitted. "I didn't think you were a fool, but I thought about you, too."

His face softened and his smile spread across it. "Really? You did?"

I returned his smile, feeling like the kid who got a yes to his prom proposal. "I did."