Chapter 1

"I'm on my way." I reversed out of my parking spot and threw the car into drive. I was running late – I was always running late. "Stop busting my balls and get my cocktail ready, bitch." I drove down the alley too quickly to be safe. Some of the other condos on my street had to use the alley to get to their parking garages, too, but there was usually no traffic. Besides, I was running late, so speed was of the utmost importance.

"Hurry up!" Zane seethed as his voice blasted through my car's speaker system. "Do not leave me alone with all these queens, David. Our friends are being so extra today! Like super bitchy, and they don't want to fall behind and have someone spoil the finale on socials for them. So, get your ass here pronto!"

"Zane, honey, I said that I'm on my way. Hanging up now, and I'll be there in ten minutes. Love you mean it." I hung up the phone so my bestie couldn't complain anymore. It was the finale of Drag Race, and those golden gays could chill. This was the price I paid for having friends even older than I was. They had forgotten how to be patient as time passed by them in a flurry. I understood. I was approaching forty and felt completely unseen by anyone under the age of fifty. Almost forty felt like eighty in gay years.

My phone slid off the seat as I pushed my brakes too hard and screeched to a stop at the end of the street. I reached down and picked it up as I glanced to my left and started to pull out. A blur to my right caused me to slam my brakes again.

"Holy shit!" I couldn't believe my eyes. I almost ran over Taylor Lautner as he crossed the street in a tank top. He glared at me as if he wanted to cuss me out, and I smiled at him. He was even hotter in person than I… Jesus, those arms were fucking amazing.

I watched him cross all the way across the street because I couldn't tear my eyes away from his rearview. I noticed him going towards a beat-up, old, maroon station wagon. I chuckled as I looked harder at his profile and watched him slide into his car.

"Taylor Lautner drives that piece of shit?" I glanced away and pulled out onto the cross-street since I was openly staring at him and now felt like a stalker. What was he doing in my neighborhood? I mean, it's one of those streets where everyone knows everyone. We even have street parties where we close the street down for the residents that live here. This is one of those neighborhoods where secrets are discovered, and gossip flies at the first sign of something fun.

If Taylor Lautner had moved here, I would know. Wouldn't I?

I hadn't noticed anyone moving out, or for that matter, anyone moving in. But there was a new condo building that looked like offices, and no one on the street had met most of the people who had moved in, as they had kept to themselves. Of course, we had just sent out the invitation to our next street party, which would happen in two weeks, so… maybe? Perhaps Taylor was one of these new neighbors? Maybe he chose Point Pleasant as his new home and left Los Angeles to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city. We had plenty of celebrities who had moved here over the past few years. I mean, it was possible, and if he was my neighbor… Good Grief! The eye candy would be so much more fabulous! Even if he were married and straight – it wouldn't hurt to ogle the sexiness.

We even had royalty come to The Pleasant every now and then. So, a movie star like Taylor was a definite possibility. I giggled as I thought about him flipping burgers on the grill while he met all of his new neighbors.

I had a type, and the type of guy I found attractive was the type of guy who did not find me attractive in any way. Fit, muscly boys like Taylor – and yes, I knew he was straight – those kind of boys only ever dated or fucked other guys like themselves. It was gay math. But I couldn't stop how I felt. I liked guys that were hot and in shape, even if I was not any of those things.

I was cute and cuddly. My type was hard and unavailable as they ran out the door right after they finished – if I could even get them in the door. I rarely got anyone to say hello to me, much less come to my house to scratch an itch that hadn't been scratched in way too long.

Why did I have to have a type? My life would be easier if I settled for another man like myself – lonely and desperate. But here in The Pleasant, you never did know what was right around the corner. I had seen quite a few surprising relationships happen to people I knew. I just wished it would be my turn for a fucking miracle. If that miracle was with a hunky werewolf, I'd fucking die happy. For Taylor, I would get over my long list of issues – seriously, it was a very long list.

I turned the corner way too quickly and noticed that Taylor was following behind me in his old station wagon. I passed by the best coffee shop in town and watched him pull in and park on the street through my rearview mirror. If I weren't in such a hurry, I'd… What? Turn around and stalk him? Yeah, that's not creepy at all.

I wanted to be a total creeper. But I was in a hurry.

I sped towards the other side of town and quickly turned onto Zane's Street. Parking would be at a premium since every old queen in a hundred-mile radius was at his house waiting on me. I pulled around the block and, miracle of miracles, found a spot down the street. I power walked toward his house because I didn't want to hear him bitch about my tardiness once again.

"Finally, hooker!" Zane screamed as I walked through his front door. "Your drink is on the counter. Hurry up!"

I grabbed my cocktail and looked around at my small group of friends, who were all staring at me to hurry the fuck up and sit down so they could un-pause the television. I sat down by Zane in his big poofy chair, and he immediately threw his legs over me, making himself comfortable. We watched – we screamed as Ru chose the wrong winner once again. But we had fun. I always did with these guys, even if I did usually feel like an outsider half the time. It wasn't their fault – it was just third-wheel syndrome I seemed to relish in.

Benny and Ben had been together for twenty years. They were both in their late fifties and prided themselves on being homebodies who never went out for anything more than an expensive dinner.

Jerrie and Pete had also been together for quite some time but didn't want to participate in the heteronormative act of marriage. I had always found that hilarious since they were totally monogamous and married in every way except the tax breaks. They also had become homebodies and rarely attended anything except for Drag Race watch parties and birthdays with us.

Then there was Jacob. He was the sweetest and oldest of us all. His partner Stevie had passed away from cancer a decade ago before I knew him. He was sixty-nine and had the mouth of a sailor and the dirty mind to match. He cared for all of us, and if we ever needed a shoulder to cry on – we chose Jacob.

That left me and Zane. We had graduated high school together and came out when we were in college. We had remained good friends, but it wasn't until I moved back to The Pleasant from Denver that he truly became my bestie. He had moved back home a year before me to help his mom out. She had fallen and broken her hip, so he came back and worked remotely for the insurance company. He could talk anyone into anything – and he convinced them that his working remotely would be beneficial to everyone, and they agreed.

I moved back home because my company had downsized, and now I work for a start-up and manage their website from my own comfy couch. I had no idea how lonely working by yourself could be, but I didn't feel the need to move to Saint Louis to work in the office. Hey, it was a paycheck and, honestly, not a ton of work for me to do. I usually sat at my desk and watched movies while I waited for the ding from one of my co-workers when they needed something. My Teams app rarely dinged.

Not even at work was I an essential part of anyone's life. I had gotten used to it, even if I did hate it, and I had been doing it for the last six years.

"You want another drink, boo?" Zane shook a cocktail brusquely before pouring it out into an up glass for Benny.

"You know he does," Jacob winked at me.

"Hey! I almost killed a celebrity today." I stood and walked over to where everyone seemed to be congregating as Zane made a new batch of drinks.

"Why would you attempt to murder Blake Hudson? He's very sweet." Jerrie handed Zane his glass for a refill. "He just volunteered to be our master of ceremonies to help raise money for the new senior center."

"It wasn't him. It was Taylor Lautner." I giggled.

"Who is that?" Jacob looked totally confused. He only watched TCM and rarely went to a new movie because he thought they were trash.

"He's that kid that turned into a werewolf in those vampire movies we made you hate watch." Ben grinned.

"Oh, he's very good-looking. He could be my grandchild, but cute." Jacob shook his head as he always did when we talked about someone cute who wasn't under the age of fifty.

"He still is." Jerrie raised his eyebrows lasciviously and wagged them.

"David, honey. You are going to have to start at the beginning." Zane laughed. "This is getting us nowhere. What happened?"

"He was crossing the street when I pulled out of the alley, and I almost ran him over." I grinned. "Taylor was almost my hood ornament."

"Huh? Why would he be on your street? Did he move here or something?" Pete took his cocktail from Zane.

"No idea. But he drives an old maroon station wagon."

Zane laughed loudly and slammed his hand on the counter. "Taylor does not drive a station wagon. I follow him on the gram. He and his wife are still living in LA. So why would he be here and driving someone's old nasty station wagon? It couldn't have been him," Zane droned. I hated when he talked down to me like I was a moron.

I held my hand up in the Boy Scout salute. "I swear. He walked right in front of me. Maybe they bought the condo to have a getaway place? It's totally possible."

Zane walked over and placed his phone in front of my face. "This was posted four hours ago, and he and the wifey are vacationing in Bali. How did he get from Bali to here in a couple of hours, David? I will need an answer." Zane excelled at bitch.

"It's possible that he posted that after he returned." Pete waved his hand in the air quickly as if this didn't matter.

"The caption says it's their first day in Bali, and they can't wait for the next two weeks. So… Are you calling my favorite hunky werewolf a liar? Sorry, boo. It wasn't him. But isn't that better? Maybe this doppelganger is single and gay and into older men with thinning hair and commitment issues? If so, maybe it's your lucky day." He grinned happily, which was a totally different grin than his hateful, evil, vile grin. He had a multitude of happy faces that hid all of his other emotions.

"Zane, honey. You're a total bitch. I love you, but… Maybe tone the tude down just a tad." Jacob chortled and patted me on the back. "All that chutzpah will cause early aging, and you can't afford it."

"I'm in my bitchy era. I can't help it," Zane retorted and walked back behind the counter to make another drink.

If it wasn't Taylor Lautner that I almost murdered with my Prius. Then who the fuck was it, and how could I get his number?