Taking Chances by John Goode Read Free Book Online Page B

Robbie?”
    Oy! Again with Robbie. Looks like I am going to go over those memories no matter how much I don’t want to.
    Explaining Robbie will take some time, so bear with me as I try to thumbnail it for you. When I came back to Foster after my accident, I was torn between two opposing desires. The first was to remain hidden so no one would know I was gay. The second was the crushing loneliness I felt when I lay in my bed staring up at my ceiling. At first, it was easy: just shut up, ignore it, and hope it would all just figure itself out.
    Time passed, and all that happened was it got worse.
    Shortly after my mini-meltdown when I came out to my parents, I found out about the Bear’s Den. It’s a small gay bar on the outskirts of town, the only gay bar for almost a hundred miles around. It’s where most of the gay people in the sleepy little towns around Foster got to socialize and meet. I heard about it when Riley, a friend of mine I went to high school with, came to the shop saying he was moving back into town.
    Riley was one of those rare guys who was a jock but smart. And no one hated him for it. Everyone liked him, but no one ever felt like they knew what lay behind his hazel eyes. When people talked about him, I felt they were talking about me when they brought up the way he kept people at arm’s length. Riley was one of those people you wanted to know more about because he was a private person, and I could relate. I had crushed on him, as I had with every other guy I played football with, but never moved on it. So when he came to the store and told me he was moving back into town with his lover, Robbie, it kind of floored me.
    Riley’s dad was into oil in some way or another, maybe distribution, maybe actual production, but something with a lot of money about it. The family had more than enough money to be considered wealthy around these parts, more than enough money to send their son out of state for college, which was where he met this Robbie guy. Riley explained all this to me over a Coke while he asked how my parents were and what I had been up to. We caught up on lost time as I resisted the urge to just blurt out “I never knew you were gay.” Instead, I sat there nodding and smiling, dazed. It wasn’t until he was done and said I should head out to the Bear’s Den to meet Robbie one night that I realized he knew. Somehow he knew I was gay and was throwing me a lifeline.
    You know what? I was right. I’m not ready to keep going down that path right now. Let’s just say that Robbie and I do not get along.
    “He isn’t my biggest fan. Besides, I don’t think we’re each other’s type,” I said cryptically.
    Kyle leaned forward. “What type is that?”
    I paused for a second, wondering how much he knew. “What did he tell you about me?”
    “Kyle is working for him,” Brad interjected quickly. “At his store.”
    “Oh,” I grunted, knowing that was a bad thing. “Well, then, I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about me so far.” I was about to ask how much Robbie had told him when I noticed a couple of people standing in front of my shop peeking in the window. “Damn it, I knew I couldn’t leave the store for more than five minutes.” I got up. “We’ve been swamped, and I’ve had zero time to think about this.” I laid a twenty on the table. “That’s to make up for me eating all your food.” I was about to walk out when a thought hit me. Turning to Brad, I asked, “Hey, you need a job?”
    “Me?”
    I laughed and pointed to Kyle. “Well, he already has one.”
    “Um, yeah I guess,” he replied after a few seconds.
    “Awesome! Come by after lunch and I’ll start training you.” I looked at Kyle and then back at Brad. “And you were right, this one is a keeper.” I saw Kyle redden slightly as I walked toward the door.
    Kyle jumped up. “Mr. Parker, wait!” He hurried over to me. “Can I ask you a question?”
    I saw Brad watching us curiously. I nodded. “Sure, what’s