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“It’s a pleasure to do business with you. Get settled in the place and we can begin the campaign later this week.”

Craig stood up and shook his hand. “It was a pleasure doing business with you as well.” He walked Frank to the front door. Frank bustled past him without a backward glance.

He ran back to his office, shut the door, and started jumping up and down. Craig wasn’t sure who to call first, Janet or Jeremy. He decided it would be best to call Janet since this was going to directly impact her and he wanted to make sure she didn’t blow a gasket. Picking up his cell, he dialed her number. After a few rings she picked up.

“Janet, we have to talk.”

“What!” She sounded irritated. “This is my first day off in a month and you fucking call me at eight-thirty in the fucking morning. Fuck you!”

“Okay, then I won’t tell you about the meeting I had with Frank DiMasso.” Craig counted to five before Janet broke the silence. She lasted longer than I expected.

“All right, how did the meeting go?”

Craig’s grin nearly split his cheeks. “We didn’t get the job.”

“You woke me up to tell me we didn’t get the job. You asshole!” Craig could hear Janet take in a deep breath and knew she was ready to start in with a long list of profanities.

“Wait. What if I told you not getting the deal was going to be financially beneficial to you directly?”

Silence. “I’m listening.”

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“Hear me out. Frank offered me a deal. An apartment is available in your building on the second floor. He offered me the unit for six hundred dollars a month if I did the designing for him for—”

“You what? You fucking gave away business for your own—”

“Hang on.” Craig knew this final bit of information was going to tip the scale in his favor. “I made him sweeten the deal before agreeing. I told him I wanted him to reduce your rent as well.” He repeated to her what he’d worked out with DiMasso.

“Did you say twelve-hundred a month? Did I actually hear you correctly?” Craig heard Janet hyperventilating on the other end of the line.

“Yes. We both get reduced rents and limited rent hikes as long as I do four jobs for him and you help him with to get the best deals through our contacts with the web companies, papers, and the Yellow Pages.

“Craig, I knew you were one of my best friends for a reason.” Janet started laughing and Craig knew she was thrilled with his decision. “Let’s not let tell the others about this. Let’s say the client chose not to hire us.”

“Precisely what I was thinking.” Craig sighed, relieved this conversation had gone well. “Okay, enjoy the rest of your day.” He hung up and leaned back in his chair. With the call to Janet completed, he had the much more important and frightening phone call to make. He had to call Jeremy.

He dialed Jeremy’s number, holding his breath to calm his nerves as he waited for Jeremy’s voicemail. To his surprise, Jeremy answered. “Hey, I didn’t think you would pick up. Aren’t you teaching right now?”

“The kids are in art. I’m on a preparation period right now.”

Craig took a gulp of his coffee. “Can you talk for a minute?”

Jeremy laughed. “Forty-five of them. What’s up?”

Craig hadn’t prepared what he would say. He had only expected to leave a message. Sticking to his usual behavior when he didn’t know what to say, he dove right in with his question. “How would you like to live in the East Village again?”

“I’d love to, but I can’t afford the rent.”

“What if you could?” Craig’s blood raced through his veins.

“Then hell yeah, I’d love to move back.” Jeremy paused for a moment. “Where’s this coming from?”

Craig’s chest constricted as he prepared to ask the most important question he had ever asked in his life. “I had a meeting with a client who owns Janet’s building. I’m going to do some work under the table for him and he’s renting me a unit for six hundred a month.” Craig’ heart rate sped up even more as he worked up to the big question. “And I wondered….what I was hoping…is…would you move in with me?”

Time suspended for a fraction of a second which seemed to stretch for an eternity, all of his fears and excitement frozen inside him, waiting for Jeremy’s response.

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Finally, Jeremy spoke. “I would love to live with you. I was thinking how much I wanted to live with you after you left this morning. Waking up in your arms felt right.”

Craig breathed again, time moving in fast forward catching up from the moment when it had stopped. “Really? You want to live with me?”

Jeremy laughed. “You sound as excited as my kids on Halloween. Of course I want to live with you. I loved you and now that we’re a couple, I don’t want another day to pass where we aren’t together.”

Craig laughed. “Oh my God. This is so perfect. I can’t believe it”

Jeremy laughed again, before he became serious. “Craig, believe it. Being with you is like stepping into my own skin. Let’s make a home together. There is nothing I want more.”

“I love you so much, Jeremy. Let’s go sign the papers tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you tonight.” Jeremy hung up the phone.

Craig jumped up from his seat and started dancing around his office once again.

His whole life flashed before his eyes in clips like a movie reel: him and Jeremy climbing The Love Tree, peering at Jeremy’s face through the rear window of the car as his family drove away, seeing him at Boris’s party, their evening the night Robert and Andrew left, Jeremy finding him at the Phoenix, making love. Craig was so excited he spun in a circle, tripping in the process and tumbling to the floor in a heap.

Laughing, he closed his eyes and the best clip of all flashed through his mind…the two of them together for the rest of their lives.

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About the Author

D. H. Starr is a clean-cut guy with a wickedly naughty mind. He grew up in Boston and loves the city for its history and beauty. Also, having lived in NYC, he enjoys the fast pace and the availability of anything and everything. He first became interested in reading from his mother who always had a stack of books piled next to her bed. Family is important to D. H. and his stories center around the intricate and complex dynamics of relationships and how people work through problems while maintaining respect and love. His favorite books tend to fall in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and coming of age.

To learn more about D. H. Starr and his books, please visit his website at www.dhstarr.com or follow his blog at www.dhstarr.blogspot.com.

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