Chartreuse by T. E. Ridener Read Free Book Online

delicious food
that had been provided for him, but he was finding it incredibly hard not to
glance over at Rowan.
         You
idiot.   He thought to himself.  Just because he brought you food doesn’t
mean anything.  That was true.  It didn’t.  But what if it did ?He
swallowed the last bite of the mashed potatoes before he began to dig into the
chicken.  It was probably the best chicken he’d ever tasted. 
         He
could remember his mother’s cooking.  There had never been a time when she’d
made something decent. Always burnt or not done enough.
    Then
again, there were also nights where he didn’t eat at all.  He didn’t like to
think about that though; how negligent his mother had been towards him….not to
mention how he’d grown up wondering if he was even loved. That probably wasn’t
a healthy life style for any kid.
         “So
how long have you worked here?”  Rowan’s voice pulled him from his own thoughts. 
He blinked, looking up at him.
          “A
little over eight months now,” Kasen replied as he took another bite of the
chicken before reaching over for his bottle of cherry cola.  He took a large
gulp, swallowing it down before he licked his lips.
         “And
you like it a lot?”  Rowan continued.
         “Yeah,”
Kasen nodded.  “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.  I enjoy it very
much.  It’s better than flipping burgers on a grill somewhere.”
        
Rowan nodded before he gave that same warm smile that Kasen was discovering he
liked, very much.  “I think everyone should do what they enjoy.  We don’t live
long enough to do sucky jobs,” He gazed at Kasen, still leaning against the
table as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.  “That’s why I’m
doing what I love, too.”
        
“What do you do?”  Kasen asked, finding that he very much wanted to know more
about Rowan.  Anything he’d tell him, really.
        
“I’m a vet,” Rowan replied, his brown eyes moving back to Kasen’s blue.  “I
love animals.  I find that animals are more pleasant to be around than humans most
of the time.”
        
Kasen couldn’t help but grin.  He understood that entirely.  That’s why he
liked being a radio DJ so much.  He didn’t have to be face to face with
people.  If need be, he had the option to hang up on them.  So it seemed they
had that in common.
          It
was quiet for a few moments while Kasen did another announcement before putting
his next playlist into queue.  Rowan waited patiently as he pulled out his pack
of cigarettes, contemplating lighting one up although he wasn’t sure it was all
right to do so.  It was only when he noticed Kasen pulling out his own pack and
lighting one up, that Rowan cautiously did the same.
         The
radio studio was almost exactly as he had imagined it.  It was a bit bigger
than most studios, glass walls keeping the noises from outside away from
Kasen’s music collection.  There were various posters around including Led
Zeppelin, Guns-N-Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, and Journey.  Rowan wasn’t sure if those
were from Kasen’s own collection, or if they’d been there for years.  They all
looked fairly old.
         “I
can’t believe you’re Pasta Salad,” Kasen said, a bit of amusement in his tone. 
Rowan looked away from the posters to see a small grin on Kasen’s lips.  This
made him smile in return.
         “Is
that so hard to believe?”  Rowan asked, curiously, quirking a thick brow.
         “I
guess not,” Kasen replied with a shrug, before he took another drag of his
cigarette.  “I just…you seem like such a proper kind of guy, I guess.  I
wouldn’t have pegged you for the type to listen to my station.”
         
“Why’s that?”  Rowan inquired.  “You play some really good music.  You don’t
seem to stick with just one genre, either.  It’s like you play whatever’s on
your mind for the day.”