Page 5 of Silver Fox in Cedarwood

He wished he’d spent more time with Len over the years and talked about his desires. He’d have crossed one hell of a line, but Len had seemed interested and worth it. Len, despite having had a stroke, had aged well, looked good, was handsome and, while he might be a little older than Isaac, age was just a number. The electricity between them had been strong. Maybe it could be again.

Dorian, Isaac’s friend and former housemate, tugged on his arm. “Hey.”

“Yeah.” He focused on his friend. “Yes.”

“Are you okay?” Dorian waved his hand in front of Isaac’s face. “Did you see a ghost?”

“No.” He pushed the cart. “I’m okay.” He wasn’t, but he didn’t want to discuss his crush with Dorian. Not right now.

“Are you sure?” Dorian walked beside him. “You seemed spooked.”

“I’m fine.”Liar. God.Why couldn’t he be honest? If he had, maybe he’d be with Len right now, not ogling him.

“Right,” Dorian said, drawing out the word. “You don’t fib well.”

“What?” He continued to push the cart. “I’m okay.” He was lonely, but that wasn’t a shock. Now that he lived in Cedarwood, he was living alone for the first time in four years. He’d opted to move forward when he’d been offered a partnership in the Cedarwood Family Practice. He liked the new staff and building so far.

“Are you sure you want to live here? This town is odd,” Dorian said. “We’re getting stared at.”

“We are?” He hadn’t noticed.

“Yeah. There was that older guy, then a couple and the silver fox. That guy was hot.” Dorian selected a box of baking soda. “Do we stick out that much?”

“No—well, you do. You’ve got pink hair and nail polish.” Dorian loved to gender bend. He worked his look well, though. He knew how to pair pink with combat boots and make it seem effortless. “I’ve always envied your ability to wear polish and makeup with a beard.”

“It’s a gift.” Dorian read the back of a package of chocolate chips. “I’m happy and that’s what matters. Are you happy here?”

“Sure.” He drummed the handle of the cart. “I wanted to move here.”

“Well, whatever. If you’re happy, then I am, too.” Dorian picked up one of the bags of chocolate chips.

“Of course you’re happy. You’re the one with the boyfriend and no cares in the world.” He hated to be jealous of Dorian, but he’d been single for too long. “How is Aziz?”

“Good. He’s still working on his doctorate, but he loves his politics.” Dorian sighed and picked invisible lint from his leather jacket. “I wish he’d finish. When he ever graduates, he’ll be up to his eyeballs in debt, but he’ll be able to work. I can’t imagine how he’ll ever get out of that student loan debt.”

“I’m guessing he doesn’t know, either.” Isaac pushed the cart to the refrigerated section. “You said you needed butter.”

“I do.”

“Is he going to be upset you came over tonight?” Isaac asked. Aziz could be clingy and jealous when he thought Dorian might be stepping out. Isaac and Dorian would never be more than friends, but that hadn’t stopped Aziz from worrying.

“No. He’s doing a radio show tonight in Lexington. I wasn’t invited and didn’t want to go,” Dorian said. “I don’t care about political opinions.” He held up his hand and waved the box of stick butter. “I take that back. I care, but I don’t want to debate political opinions. I have mine and I’m willing to listen to yours, but I don’t want to argue about it. He loves to argue.”

“Well, you care about him.” He steered the cart to the registers. Once there, he placed the items on the belt. “Here. You ring these and I’ll bag. I brought bags.”

“Sure.” Dorian pinged each item. “I care about him, but he’s been pulling away.”

Shit.He didn’t want to hear that. He’d thought Dorian and Aziz were tight. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not good, but it’s okay. He still won’t move in with me and I’m not sure it’d work if he did. We’re good on paper and in bed, but he’s not marriage material and he’s not interested in focusing on one relationship.”

“Ouch.” He’d thought they might tie the knot. “I missed those signs.”

“He’d rather live at the college,” Dorian said. “I’d love for him to teach, but he thinks he could make a career out of being on those political shows. He wants to say he’s a professor and live on campus, so he can look important. I think he won’t live with me because he’s got a slew of guys on the side.”

“He knows politics, but if he’s sleeping around…” He tapped the screen. “Done?”

“Done.” Dorian placed the bags in the cart. “Aziz wants to be famous. Ever since that guy told him he was a fan, all Aziz could talk about was being on television.”

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