Tipping the Balance by Christopher Koehler Read Free Book Online Page A

place in it in previous years, and what Brad had let slip, he had the sense Brad might not have had too many friends, real friends, not just people he made trouble with.
     
    It was probably just wishful thinking, Drew cautioned himself as he pulled into his parking space at the realty office, but it had really seemed like Brad had opened up over the course of lunch, from the closed, even hostile person who’d greeted him in the parking lot, to the laughing and joking guy he said goodbye to.
     
    Drew knew he had to play it cagey, since he had only a few fleeting smiles, a vague sense of the fey, and wishful thinking to go on where Brad’s sexual orientation was concerned. The last thing he wanted was to come on strong and scare the guy off. If he was the older gay perv hitting on the hot young guy, he wouldn’t even have Brad’s friendship to show for his efforts.
     
    “Hi, Drew,” the admin said as he walked into the office. “You’ve got a small pile of messages on your desk, but otherwise, it’s been pretty quiet for you.”
     
    “Thanks, Serena,” Drew said, blowing her air kisses as he walked by.
     
    She laughed. “You always promise but never follow through.”
     
    Drew sat at his desk and sorted through the promised stack of messages. Most weren’t urgent, but he was surprised a few weren’t smoldering. He set them aside. He’d have to return to them before he drove to meet his clients for that 6:00 p.m. meeting.
     
    He woke his computer up and set it to downloading e-mails, but his mind was still at lunch with Brad. As much as he’d enjoyed himself, and as happy as he’d been to help (once Brad had seen through his attempts at dodging being honest about that development), it hadn’t required a face-to-face meeting, let alone a lunch that lasted several enchanting hours. A real estate agent’s perspective on Suburban Graveyard could’ve been solicited via e-mail or even telephone, and it wasn’t like he hadn’t given Nick permission to pass his contact information along to Brad via Morgan.
     
    The more Drew thought about it, the more lunch felt like an excuse. That Brad might’ve been looking for an excuse to see him thrilled him. He felt warm all over as a goofy smile stole over his lips.
     
    Brad was going to be the death of him, however, if he didn’t change his vocabulary. All that talk of Brad and ass had Drew hard and wanting.
     
    Drew snickered at the name Brad had come up with for Suburban Symphony as he reluctantly got back to work.
     

Chapter Five

     

     
    As the days headed for a full week with no contact from Brad, Drew faced the fact that he’d misjudged Brad and his interest. He tried to shrug it off. He tried to be philosophical about it. After all, as he well knew, wishful thinking trumped gaydar every time. But no calls, no e-mails, no nothing from Brad cast a dark patina over Drew’s mood. He’d been so sure….
     
    But Drew had other things to worry about that summer afternoon. The economic climate might not have been the best, but for some reason, Drew had never had more business, and that was the problem. What he didn’t have was people to do the work.
     
    He sat in traffic on the freeway, wondering if he could possibly have found a worse time of day to check out another potential reno. Even though it was where he wanted to head in terms of his business, he was practical enough to realize he wasn’t there yet. He just didn’t know how he could handle another renovation right then.
     
    But then Emily had called. Actually, she didn’t just call. She’d driven to his office and begged.
     
    “Even if I take out a hit on my old contractor, which, believe me, is growing more likely by the minute, it won’t save this project,” Emily had said.
     
    “I’m not a contractor, you know that,” Drew’d protested.
     
    “No, but you’ve got one you can work with, and these days, that’s a miracle. You also do good work, which is a nice bonus. Please,