Chartreuse by T. E. Ridener Read Free Book Online Page A

“I
do,” Kasen nodded, “It depends on my mood really.”
         “I
think I’ve noticed that,” Rowan replied, exhaling from his nostrils before
moving closer to Kasen to flick his ashes into the ashtray.  He glanced down at
him, noticing how Kasen suddenly seemed nervous, so he backed off as quickly as
he could.  “Is that why you were playing so much Journey the night before
last?”
        
Kasen chuckled a little, giving a shrug, “Between them and REO Speedwagon, I
thought I did a pretty great job.”
        
“Oh, you did.  Don’t worry.  I enjoy both groups,” Rowan licked his lips,
taking another drag as his gaze stayed focused on Kasen.  He was a good looking
guy.  Though Rowan wouldn’t voice those opinions because he still wasn’t
entirely sure about him.  What if he was straight and just had a thing for
staring at people?
         He
watched as Kasen’s eyes shifted back down to his cigarette.  It was like the
cigarette had suddenly become so interesting.   Rowan didn’t say anything about
that, though.  He settled for leaning against the table and finishing his own
cigarette in silence.
        
“So…”  Kasen finally said, and the silence was broken.  “You said you’re from
Boston, right?”
        
“That’s right,” Rowan replied with a small smile.
        
“What’s it like there?”
         Rowan
was thoughtful for a moment, trying to figure out how to word it properly.  He
had lived there his entire life.  All he’d really known was Boston.  But he
needed a fresh start.  He had to make his own reset button.  “It’s got a city
feel to it,” He started, “But it’s not like New York.  It’s real old.  There’s
history everywhere, whether you’re interested in it or not, you can’t help but
to notice it,” He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling fondly as he envisioned
his hometown.  There would never be another place like Boston, he knew that. 
But he also knew that he couldn’t live there again.  Not now at least. 
Perhaps, never again.
         "Boston
is nice, I guess. I mean, I went to Tufts for vet school, and spent most of my
time there in a lab rather than exploring Somerville.  Lots of students around,
which was pretty fun. Tufts was a blast, the undergrads did lots of crazy
stuff.  There's even a Naked Quad Run which is...well, exactly what it sounds
like.
         "The weather is pretty wild. I grew up with
it, and I was used to it, I guess. Six inches of snow in October, sixty degrees
the next day. The April fool’s Day storm was truly epic.
         "As to what to do, well, I spent a lot of
time in small breweries, heh heh. Boston's got some pretty fantastic
restaurants, even ones that poor veterinary students can afford. I did a lot of
partying in undergrad, but I preferred to just have quiet drinks with other
students or friends in Vet school. I had to get up too early for hangovers.
         “Last year was my first year out of school.
Despite two years of clinical, I didn't feel quite comfortable in my skills
yet...and living at home with my folks to pay down some student loans was too
tempting. So I became the Rat Lord,” He chuckled at his own joke, but then continued
on.
         “All schools that test on animals have to have
to have a certified vet on hand, so I worked at MIT treating the big-headed
genius’s pet rats. Most of what happens to cats and dogs happen to rats
too...just on a much smaller scale."
         Rowan looked down to see that Kasen was staring
at him in pure wonderment.  He blinked a few times and then cleared his throat,
looking down as he chuckled. 
         “Sorry.  I’m sure that was more information
than you cared to hear.”
         “No, no, no,” Kasen replied quickly as he shook
his head.  “That was great.  It seems you’ve had a lot more excitement than I
have.  Alabama sucks.  At least Chartreuse does.  I cannot say I’ve been much
further than