Chartreuse (2 page)

Chapter
Two

    
Well, that was an odd encounter.  Rowan had only been in town for two weeks,
and his hopes of getting acquainted with the locals were beginning to wane.  He
had moved here to start over.  He had hoped for a better life.  So far, he had
been doing well.  Opening up his very own animal clinic to a small town that
obviously had a love for animals was a good idea, but he was noticing that the residents
of Chartreuse were very, very different than those of Boston.

     He
liked that it was so small here.  He liked that while buying groceries, the
cashiers knew customers by name.  He hadn’t really seen anything like that
before.  It felt like a tight knit community.  It was a place that he really
wanted to fit in with, although he wasn’t sure just how open he could be about
himself.

    
Rowan Kelly had been openly living as a homosexual for nearly half of his
life.  He came out to his mother when he was thirteen.  The only response she’d
given was “Good for you.” Before she’d gone back to her romance novel, and
Rowan figured that he’d prefer getting that reaction rather than hate.  He was
certain that many other people, especially kids, received responses from their
parents that could be heartbreaking.

    
Though Rowan rarely felt pain like that.  He’d put up a shield long ago to
anything of the sort.  He didn’t have to worry about getting hurt if he didn’t
put himself in that situation in the first place.  He had dated several men in
his lifetime.  His most recent ex, and by recent he meant three years ago, was
the ‘one’, or at least he’d thought so.  He had seriously considered
propositioning an engagement, making things more serious.  But that’s not what
his partner had in mind, apparently.  Because when Rowan returned home one day,
he discovered his boyfriend tangled up in the sheets with a barely legal
waitress.

    
He’d been on the run ever since.  He put up walls to guard himself, and he
didn’t really attempt to date anymore.  He devoted every waking moment to
animals, because he’d always loved them.  At least animals were loyal, and
never hurt people on purpose.  That’s how Rowan saw it.

     As
he took the short walk to the clinic with Napoleon in tow, his mind went back
to the seemingly shy young fellow back at the park.  Maybe it was his Bostonian
accent that had thrown the kid off.  Or maybe he just didn’t like people.  But
that didn’t make sense considering he’d gone to the most public place in town. 
Ah well.  Why was it Rowan’s business anyway? It wasn’t.

     “Good
morning, Doctor Kelly,” He was immediately greeted by his assistant, Natasha. 
She seemed like a nice enough girl, and she had been super eager for the job
when he’d posted the listing on Craig’s List.

    
“Morning,” He replied with a nod.  He took off his black jacket, trading it in
for the solid white one as he watched Napoleon travel off towards the back. 
That dog was too spoiled.  But really, how many dogs got to say they could go
to work with their master?  Well, if dogs could talk, that is.  “Do I have any
messages?”

    
“Uh,”  Natasha went through a stack of papers.  “Oh, yes.  Mrs. Birmingham
called. Again.  She said FiFi’s not getting any better.”

    
Rowan rolled his eyes.  He knew better than that.  He’d checked the dog out three
times already, and she was perfectly fine.  He’d dealt with women like Mrs.
Birmingham before.  She was a lonely housewife, desperate for attention, but
she was barking up the wrong tree; pardon the dog humor.

“Should
I schedule her another appointment?”

    
“Just call her back and tell her that FiFi deserves some more vitamins in her
diet. If that’s not satisfactory, I suppose you can schedule her for next week,”
He replied, before he disappeared into the sanctuary of his office.

    
Once inside, he slid into his chair and gazed at the black computer screen.  He
loved his job, he really did.  It was probably the best thing that had ever
happened to him.  He’d always loved animals, and he’d rather deal with them
than people to be honest.  It wasn’t that he wasn’t a people person, because he
definitely was, he just preferred animals.

    
“You want some breakfast?”  Natasha asked, leaning against his doorframe.

     “If
it’s not from that store you went to yesterday,” He replied, quirking a brow. 
That had honestly been the worst pork chop biscuit he’d ever tasted.  He didn’t
want to experience it again.

    
“Nah. I’ve got some Krispy Kremes.  I thought you’d enjoy those more.”

     He
quirked a brow, “Krispy Kremes? I’d be insane to say no.  Bring me one. Or two,”
He gave her a small smile as she turned to disappear back down the hallway.  He
sighed, leaning back into his chair again.  At any time now, the animals of
Chartreuse would be filing in for check ups and he would be ready to greet them
with the same warm smile he’d been famously known for in Boston.  This was
definitely the life he’d always wanted.  But something was missing…..

Chapter
Three

     There
were only two things in this world that really made Kasen nervous.  Being face
to face with people- and his mother.  No sooner than he’d gotten back home, his
house phone was ringing off the hook.  No one ever called him.  At least not at
home.  It was very different than from work.  Everybody called in to have a
quick chat with ‘Cool Kasey’, make a dedication or request, and then they’d
hang up, leaving him to feel somewhat liked and popular.

     But
as soon as he answered the phone, he already knew who it was without looking at
the caller ID.

    
“And just where have you been?”  His mother asked.  She had some way of saying
hello, didn’t she?

    
“Hello to you, too,” He said.  “I took Houston for a walk at the park.”

    
“Well, you could’ve called to let me know. I’ve called eight times, Kasen.  I
was worried sick,” He rolled his eyes.  She wasn’t worried, she was just upset
that she couldn’t keep tabs on him all the time.  It must’ve been so difficult
to do since he’d moved out.

     “I
have a cellphone,” He replied.

    
“Well I didn’t want to call your cellphone.  It plays annoying music.”

    
“It’s called a ring back tone.”

    
“Are you getting smart with me?”

    
Again, he rolled his eyes.  He’d been able to tell straight away that this
wasn’t one of her better moods, and that bothered him.  He honestly couldn’t
remember the last time she’d been in a happy mood.   She was always so mean
lately.

    
“No, Ma’am.  But I have to go, Mom. I’ve got things to do,” Which wasn’t a
lie.  He needed to shower before he started browsing videos on YouTube.

    
“Oh, sure. I see how it is.  Always have better things to do than talk to your
mother,” And here it went.  The guilt trip.  She’d tried this countless times
since he moved out.  But he’d be damned if he’d let it work.  “I’m so lonely
over here. You never come to visit me.”

     “I
promise I’ll come see you soon, okay? Maybe for Halloween.  Would you like
that?”

     She
released a heavy sigh, the type that said she was irritated, and it honestly
annoyed him.

    “Whatever.
I’ll talk to you later,” And then she hung up.

     He
pressed the off button on his phone, sitting it back down on the base before he
shrugged out of his jacket, reaching down to release Houston from his leash. 
“She’s crazy,” He muttered.  Of course, he immediately felt bad for saying it. 
Who, in today’s society, was actually sane?

     His
shower was nice.  He always enjoyed hot water beating down against his skin,
warming him up and relaxing him at the same time.  He always felt so tense and
he wasn’t entirely sure why.  His life wasn’t really that stressful.  He had it
better than most people, being independent and having a job he enjoyed.  It was
just his hackling mother.  It never seemed to end.  Ever.

     Once
he was back in the living room, laptop on and warming up, Kasen was finally
satisfied.  There was nothing like taking a few minutes to just relax and do
something fun.  He scrolled through various videos on YouTube, trying to find
something funny, because nothing lifted his spirits quicker than that.  He was
a fan of fan-made videos about his favorite movies; such as Star Trek, or Star
Wars.

     It
didn’t take long for him to get lost in his own little word, amusement written
all over his face while Houston lounged lazily on the couch.  The hours would
eventually pass by until it was time to start getting ready for work.  It was a
plus that he didn’t have a specific uniform to wear.  He dressed in his usual
attire of dark denim jeans, a t-shirt, and his favorite denim jacket.  He said
goodbye to Houston, willing him to hold the fort down as he left.

    
Just like all nights at work, tonight would be a good night.  Kasen was
positive of this.  When he was at work, he felt like an entirely different
person.  No matter how anonymous he may have seemed, people liked him and they
depended on him for something.  Sure, radio wasn’t as popular as it used to be
thanks to XM radio and iPods, but at least there were still those few faithful
followers who would always dial in their favorite requests.  So once inside his
little studio, Kasen flipped on the switch and let contentment set in.

--------------------------

     To
say it had been an eventful day was an understatement.  Rowan wasn’t sure how a
Pomeranian succeeded in getting a fish hook stuck in its jaw, but it had
happened, and he’d had a frantic old woman about to pass out in his office for
nearly an hour before he finally removed the damned thing.  According to her,
there wasn’t any fishing equipment in her home, and there was no way possible
any had gotten in her yard.

    
Rowan suspected that maybe one of the neighborhood kids had done it, but then
again, who knew how strange things happened.  Freak accident, maybe.  But all
was well now as he headed home, turning on the radio to the station he’d been
enjoying for the last week. 

    
“This is Cool Kasey, back for another hour of all the music you love.  Or at
least I do,” Then there was that cute laugh that Rowan found himself smiling
at.  It really was an attractive laugh.  He wondered who it belonged to.  He
hadn’t met anyone named Kasey in town, and apparently, the DJ was a masked
figure who only came out at night- and only between the hours of seven and two.

    
Though Rowan would never admit it to anyone, he fell asleep to that voice. 
Around ten at night, Cool Kasey would always take a few minutes to talk about
world events, or his own thoughts.  Rowan found that he could relate to most of
them. 

    
Like the night before, Kasey had been talking about how he enjoyed life.  He
seemed so easy to please, really.  He spoke of how he enjoyed seeing the sun
beaming down through the thick leaves of trees and how it could make designs on
the grass.  He liked taking walks and breathing in the fresh air, being
grateful that his town wasn’t polluted by smog and worse things.

    
He’d also heard Kasey mention that loneliness wasn’t always a bad thing, but
sometimes, it ate at him.  Rowan could relate deeply to that.  He knew all too
well that the solitary life style could be a blessing and a curse at the same
time.  Kasey never seemed to be too down though.  He was always in high spirits
on the air, and sounded as if he really enjoyed his job.

     It
was probably a bit silly to be listening to a complete stranger, and wondering
what he’d be like in person.  But that’s just how Rowan’s mind worked.  He was
always thinking about possible scenarios, even if the chances of them becoming
a reality were slim to none.  He tried to imagine what Kasey looked like. 
Probably a tall, skinny fellow with big framed glasses.  He probably wore
flannel shirts and jeans with holes in the knees. 

     Or
maybe he was completely wrong.  Maybe he was a rebellious teen who hid out in
his basement and was as good looking as Christian Slater in Pump Up The
Volume.  Rowan rolled his eyes despite himself, turning into his driveway as he
shut off the engine and got out.  His new home was really nice, and the price
hadn’t been one he could pass up.

     It
was a single story house, with two bedrooms and a bathroom.  The kitchen was
large and comfortable; something he particularly enjoyed because he liked to cook. 
He always had to have his space.  Being the bachelor that Rowan was, he liked
to have room to move around.  There was also a basement, though he hadn’t
really ventured into it too much.  There was all sorts of junk down there from
the previous owner, and he’d made it a mission to check it out one day.  Rowan
was a sucker for antiques and the mysteries of other people’s belongings.

     He
shrugged out of his jacket once he was inside, tossing it onto the back of his
couch as Napoleon headed straight for his food bowl in the kitchen.  “Aw, come
on. Surely you’re not hungry,” Rowan teased as he flicked on the switch in the
kitchen and watched his dog’s tail wag happily.

     “Hold
on. I’ll get you something,” He promised.  He moved to the cabinet beneath the
microwave, pulling out the ten pound bag as he tended to his best friend.  Napoleon
wagged his tail excitedly as he munched down on the food.  Rowan patted his
back gently before he put the bag away and then moved to turn on the radio so
he could continue listening to Cool Kasey.  He began browsing through his
cabinets, trying to figure out what he wanted for dinner.

    
“That was Be Here Now by Ray LaMontagne,” Kasey was about to start taking in
phone calls, and Rowan was seriously contemplating calling in just so he could personally
say hi.  No, he couldn’t do that.  He could just call in and make a request
again- he’d done it the night before.  It wasn’t like Kasey would know he was
fond of his voice or anything, right?  Of course, that was silly.  Kasey was
used to people calling in requests and Rowan was certain he had recurring
callers.

     The
night before, he’d requested Feels So Close by Calvin Harris, and tonight he
was pretty positive of the song he wanted to hear while preparing the noodles for
his pasta salad.