Page 6 of Silver Fox in Cedarwood

“I suppose that’s good for him, but it’s not for a relationship.” He paid the bill. “Do you want a break? From him?” He wasn’t a good person to give dating advice, but he could listen.

“I want a break from Aziz, sort of. I love him, but I can’t do the drama.” Dorian pushed the cart through the sliding doors. “Why can’t guys we find want to settle down or at least sleep with just us, not everyone at the same time?”

“Luck of the draw?” Isaac followed Dorian to the car. “You can stay over tonight.”

“I’ll be okay—if you will.” Dorian elbowed him. “I’d like to meet a lawyer—not you—or maybe a banker. Someone with a good job, steady home life, and he has to be hot. What do you want?”

“I don’t know any longer.” He had an idea. Isaac loaded the bags into the trunk. “Do you ever wonder if you made the right choices?”

“About?”

“Life.” He pushed the cart into the cart return. “I thought coming here would be good for me. A new start. All I can think is that I made the wrong decision.”

“So meeting Aiden was a bad thing?” Dorian joined him in the car.

“No.” Maybe. “He’s married. There isn’t a chance I’d get with him ever.”

“Okay, so nothing’s possible with him. Big deal.” Dorian fiddled with the radio as Isaac left the parking lot. “Don’t you want to work at the new place? It’s bigger and you have your own receptionist. That’s huge.”

“I do.” He worried his patients wouldn’t follow him. He’d let them all know he’d moved, and a few had scheduled appointments, but that didn’t quell his nervousness. “I’m scared I’ll realize I should’ve stayed where I was.”

“Because it was a rut.” Dorian selected a radio station, then turned to Isaac. “Honey, we go where we go for a reason. Even when we think we’re in control, we aren’t. We’re where we should be because we’re supposed to be there.”

“Are you done being a motivational poster?” He sped across town to his apartment. “I don’t need that much of a pep talk.”Okay, maybe I do.

“I’m done,” Dorian said. “But that pep talk was for me, too. I’m over here worrying about a man who doesn’t give a shit about me. We’re apart for a reason. He knows what he’s doing and I’m letting him do it. I need to stick up for myself.”

“Dorian.” His friend was right. Dorian needed to stop being a doormat for Aziz.

“I’m not interested in worrying about him. Let’s go to your awesome apartment that could be bigger and make cookies. I’m at my best when I’m baking.”

“And yet you’re an accountant.” He turned in to his parking garage. “But you’re good at baking.” Part of Isaac worried about Dorian. His friend wasn’t good on his own. No matter how many times he told Dorian he was a perfectly good catch, Dorian chased after the next guy to come along.

But Dorian was an adult and could handle himself.

As Dorian left the car, Isaac considered his own situation. He had no boyfriend, a good job, no relationship prospects, no real desire to look for a partner, but a lot of energy for complaining about his nonexistent relationship status. He did have a burning crush on an older man and the confounding need to snag him instead of settling for someone else.

Not good.

Maybe alone was his best bet.

* * * *

Two nights later, Len managed to suffer through the coffee date with Brandon. He had better things to do on a Monday evening, but he couldn’t get Brandon to give him space otherwise. The more Brandon talked, the more Len lost interest. He wasn’t big on chatty, needy men.

Tuesday morning, he sat on the front porch of his condo and sipped his coffee. He read through the paper and basked in the first warm morning of the spring. He loved coffee on the porch.

A man jogged down the sidewalk and Len considered the scene. He needed to get back into running. He’d let his exercise regimen get slack during the move. Cedarwood had a swim park. He’d have to get a membership and get back into swimming laps.

His thoughts turned from swimming to Isaac. His doctor had told him that swimming and running were good for him. For a moment, he wondered if the jogger could be Isaac.Nah.Isaac wouldn’t live in this kind of development. He’d have a big house and a hot boyfriend. Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t ogle the jogger’s ass. He admired the bit of jiggle with each step. He had enough to grab and looked hot in those running pants. Heat rushed to Len’s groin.Shit.He needed to rub one off or have a one-nighter. No, he needed a lover, not a fuck buddy.

Another jogger came down the sidewalk. As soon as Len spotted the second runner, he knew the man.

Brandon.

“Hi.” Brandon jogged up his lawn. “Didn’t expect to see you out this morning. We were out late last night.”

“I was home by eight.” He should be nice. “How’s the run?”

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