Shiny! by Amy Lane Read Free Book Online

income while I can.”
    “Web client?”
    “It’s my other job. You don’t think I can afford my tiny apartment and hand-me-down car on what I make as a teacher, do you?”
    “Wow. No wonder you have no social life. Well, it’s a good thing I woke you up, then—I was going to let you sleep!”
    Will sighed and stood, stretching, his entire big body just arcing up toward the ceiling as he yawned and tried to clear his head. “Nope! No rest for the fired. I should probably call my mom too and see if Denise is still talking to me.”
    Kenny made a sound—Will wasn’t sure what kind—and he realized that his stretch had let his boxers drop below the danger line. He pulled them up and blushed, feeling suddenly exposed. To cover his embarrassment for his tummy—and exposing his treasure trail and almost the treasure—he reached for his clothes from the day before, which were folded at the foot of the couch, and tried to think of something, anything, that would let Kenny know he didn’t want last night’s camaraderie to end. Embarrassment or not, it was almost a compulsion. He must see Kenny again.
    “So, you want to hang out tonight?” he asked as he was pulling up his pants. Suddenly he felt foolish. “I mean, you probably have other friends. Never—”
    “Actually,” Kenny said, looking sort of excited, “bring a thumb drive or—better yet, here, give me your phone.”
    Will fished it out of his pocket and unlocked it. Kenny took it and started entering his information under Will’s People, talking while he texted.
    “Name—Kenny Scalia. Occupation—Graphic Designer. Relationship—Will’s New Bestie.”
    Will grinned and pulled his shirt on. “Bestie, huh?”
    “Absolutely,” Kenny said, still texting. “Camera?”
    Will showed him how to work it, and Kenny took a selfie, then added that to his profile. “We’re besties? Not that I’m arguing or anything.” Most of the people in the credential program had been married. They’d all sort of scattered to the four winds as soon as the nongraduation graduation ceremony had occurred.
    “Yeah,” Kenny said, finishing up and handing the phone back to Will. “Gif and I settled down, and all of my party friends from college sort of kept partying. Besides—we picked up dildos together. I think that establishes a bond.”
    Will tucked the phone back in his pocket and chuckled. “Okay, bestie, why was I supposed to bring a thumb drive?”
    “Oh yeah! What I meant to say was e-mail me your story arcs and character bibles and stuff. I can work up some sketches and some ideas.”
    “Really?” Oh wow! “That’s awesome—you’d do that?”
    Kenny nodded, looking excited. “Yeah—I mean, it sounded like a great project, and I was going to be working a little less anyway.” He looked around the little house, which was probably starting to seem empty. “And it’ll feel productive,” he said at last, simply. “It’ll give us a chance to… to get normal, to—”
    “Get our lives back on track,” Will agreed. “Yeah, I hear you.” He sighed. “I’m not going to find anything but sub work until August, and even that will run out in the next three weeks.”
    “Mm….” Kenny sighed, then brightened. “You know, give me a business card. I’ve got some friends who might give you some website business.”
    Will pulled up a corner of his mouth. “Business cards are for real professionals. I’m a ‘find me on the Internet’ kind of guy.”
    Kenny grunted and pulled out his own phone, which he shoved imperiously in Will’s hands. He was close enough for Will to smell his body soap, which was something surprisingly dark and herbal—sandalwood? Whatever it was, it made Will wish he had a change of clothes so he could shower. It smelled really good.
    “Well,” Kenny said impatiently, “fill in your info!”
    “Okay, okay!” Will snapped out of his cologne-smelling stupor and started punching his info into Kenny’s phone.
    “Name: