Chalk Butterfly: Part One (First Time Erotic Romance) by Audra Red Read Free Book Online Page A

grinned. “Yeah, I was. Until the
bastard ran off with that German shoemaker.”
     
    Madeline scowled, and flicked her toothpick
at Daniel before picking up a few tips from the bar. “You’re not
going to say, huh?” she asked.
     
    “I’d rather not jinx it,” Daniel said.
“Fuck, it’s nearly nine thirty. I better go find Owen, cart his ass
home, and then my own.”
     
    “Sure you don’t wanna call a cab?”
     
    “A Coke or two and a tumbler of scotch
better not be enough to sink me these days. Then I’d really have
something to worry about,” Daniel said, grinning. “You guys alright
to close up without me?”
     
    Madeline rolled her eyes. “Yes, seeing how
it’s our job, I think we can handle it. Now go help Fox snap his
trousers up!”
     
    Daniel chuckled, standing tiredly.
“Goodnight to you, too.”
     
    ***
     
    Alexander smiled in the dim light of the
room, feet up on the couch, arms wrapped carefully around his
knees. He let out a wistful sigh, and the music from the television
swelled.
     
    Reaching for the remote control, which
was half hidden under Elijah’s dozing form, he turned off the DVD
player. Breakfast at Tiffanys blinked off the screen and he
settled himself back against the cushions, being careful not to
wake Elijah on the other side of the sofa.
     
    It was nearly nine, and he was completely
worn out. He suspected Elijah would crash at his apartment, so he
let his friend stay curled up on the couch where he wheezed
slightly in his sleep. Alexander, on the other hand, had one more
thing he wanted to do before bed.
     
    He padded into the kitchen, flicking on the
lights and finding his jacket half slung across a chair in the far
corner. “Alright,” he muttered, dipping his hand into the deep
pockets and coming up with a folded napkin.
     
    Spreading it open on the table, he took the
phone from the wall and eyed it seriously.
     
    “I just can’t think about it,” Alexander
told himself, pressing the talk button. “I need to dial and then
whatever comes out of my mouth comes out of my mouth.”
     
    His hand shook a bit and he swallowed hard.
The uncertainty of what lay ahead was nerve-wracking, but it also
sent little thrills up and down his body. This was something new,
and in his life where most things were constant and expected, it
was a good thing.
     
    His fingers hovered over the keypad, ready
to dial, when a loud noise from the corner of the room made him
nearly drop the phone. He winced as his hands tightened and slid on
the phone, pain lacing up his fingers.
     
    Steadying his breathing, he sat the phone
down to find his cat walking across the counter.
     
    “Oh, silly Cat,” he whispered, shaking out
his hands. The cat knocked over an open jar of spaghetti sauce that
Elijah had left on the counter. Alexander sighed, and stood. “Get
down from there,” he berated the large cat. “You know you’re not
supposed to be up there.”
     
    He frowned and walked toward the cat,
holding his arms out to scoop him off the counter. The animal had
different ideas and bolted out of Alexander’s reach, hopping up
onto the refrigerator top.
     
    It happened so quickly that Alexander was
still reaching forward as the cat leaped away, his bandaged foot
awkwardly landing in some spilled sauce. Before he could steady
himself, his entire body lurched forward violently.
     
    “Fuck,” he gasped, reaching blindly for
anything as he lost balance. His hand caught hold of the counter
edge, grabbing firmly and sliding across the smooth wood. He
couldn’t help but cry out; the friction was so powerful that his
bandages slid aside, his bare skin coming in contact with the
counter.
     
    The pain was only bearable for a few
seconds, and then he let go, toppling to the floor with a quiet,
hollow cry.
     
    He lay sprawled out, wetness from the sauce
seeping into his pants, his hand cradled against his chest. His
breath shot out erratically, his heart beating madly. He willed
himself to