Page 44 of Love in Mission City: The Shorts

“Or I might be gay myself.”

I’d heard the expressionjaw dropping to the floor, but I couldn’t remember ever witnessing it to quite such an exacting degree.Of course, his chin didn’t hit the floor, but his mouth gaped open.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

Chapter Three

Ben

Okay, so math wasn’t my strong suit, but I still tried to calculate the odds of me winding up here, in this town, in this lodge, on this day, and having to share a room with the most handsome guy I’d met in a whileandhe was gay?

Astronomical came to mind.

Or today was the luckiest day of my life.Right up there with the day I got into teacher’s college.About the same odds, I figured.

Isaac cleared his throat.“So we’ve discovered there are no homophobes in the room.That’s a good thing.”He squinted.“And I don’t really care one way or the other, but do you snore?I’m pretty sure I’ll sleep like the dead tonight after the insane week I’ve had, but I can request ear plugs just in case.”

I flushed.“I think the guy was just saying that.He tossed tons of insults my way.Jackass.”And I so did not want to be thinking about him at this moment.“Do you snore?”

“No one’s ever complained, but it’s been a few years since I shared a bed with anyone.”

Did that mean he just had sex and left, or did it mean he hadn’t been with anyone?

“I’ve been celibate for almost five years.”

Holy shit.

Okay, question answered.I hadn’t gone more than four months without sex since I started experimenting at sixteen.I figured out how to find guys pretty easily, living in Vancouver and all.Lately, it’d been more challenging since I was living in Abbotsford, the bible belt of the Fraser Valley, and attending the local university.Within spitting range of Vancouver, but a pain in my ass to do all that driving when I was supposed to be studying.And I was moving next week to Mission City where I was starting at my new school, Cedar Street Elementary, after Christmas.A teacher was going on maternity leave, and the school had leapt on my application.Done deal.

I gazed at my new roommate.Dark skin, bright dark-brown eyes, and a shaved head.A head he kept scratching.

He noted my interest.“I started going bald when I turned twenty-four.Not wanting to look dorky, I opted to start shaving my head.I’m overdue.Been kind of busy.”

“Doing what, if you don’t mind me asking?”Which was way too personal, but we had about an hour to kill until dinnertime.

Another head scratch.“Burying my grandfather.He died two weeks ago, and since I was the only remaining relative, the job fell to me.I took the time off work and went up to Whitehorse.Pretty straightforward.Guy didn’t have many friends, and he rented a rundown shack just outside of town.I gave away anything of value, hauled the rest to the dump, saw him buried, and headed back here.”

Wow, that sounded so sad.Except he didn’t look sad.He looked…neutral?Or maybe just tired.Everyone handled grief differently.I’d be devastated if one of my grandfathers died.Both were in their seventies, so that possibility definitely existed.I wouldn’t have them forever.But hopefully a while longer yet.“Do you want to watch television or something?”

A small smile.“I’m good.I have some weather reports to read.”He walked over to the desk, scooped up the remote, and handed it to me.

Our fingers brushed.

He’d done that on purpose, right?Because the thing was big enough, we didn’t need to touch.

You’re overthinking this.He handed you the remote.Thank him.Move on.

“Thanks.I’ll keep the volume down.”

“No worries, Ben.I’m able to focus.”

He said my name in such a soothing dulcet tone.It washed over me like a gentle wave.

Finally breaking eye contact, he headed over to his rucksack, pulled out a laptop and a power cord, and then headed over to the desk.

Still, I stood like an idiot.

He gave me a quick look before sitting in the desk chair and getting settled.

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