Chasing the Rainbow (2 page)

Chapter 2

“I DON’T KNOW why you always wanna come here for lunch,” Bobby’s brother Carlo bitched.

“What can I say, I like their coffee.” Okay, so that wasn’t a total lie. Bobby did like the coffee, and as far as the food went, their typical coffee shop café fare wasn’t that bad, either. He loved the bookstore. The place was considered one of the best in the City, which said a lot, because New York City still had a ton of bookstores, regardless of how often you heard the brick and mortars were going tits up.

Bobby loved the smell of a bookstore. And this one was one classy place, all marble counters with black, wooden shelves and wrought iron accents. He geeked out over the place the first time he’d come in. He was the bona fide nerd of his family, the only one who had any kind of education past high school. His brothers had teased him as a kid for reading so much. He loved two things: a) his work as a contractor, the beauty one could make with a remodel job, and: b) books.

“They got six coffee shops on this block that make your frou-frou frozen coffees.” Carlo took a huge bite of his tuna on rye, mawing it like he hadn’t eaten in a week. Bobby huffed, not wanting to bitch at his brother for calling him frou-frou, nelly, or some variation of a passive-aggressive homophobic remark. His brother had taken his coming out well, but still hadn’t grasped the concept of basic courtesy. As Carlo wiped mayonnaise from his cheek with his hand, Bobby realized it was also pointless to fuss at his brother for his table manners. This is a guy who, at forty years old, hadn’t outgrown using his pants as a napkin.  

“Yeah, well, I like to stay out of the chain stores.” Again, not necessarily a lie, but not the whole truth. He glared at Carlo before his brother could even open his mouth. If he heard “You got uppity since you turned gay,” one more fucking time.

He actually hadn’t changed at all. He’d been the same Bobby before and after coming out, but since Carlo knew, it was like he noticed things. It was just like being fourteen years old again. “Maybe if you didn’t read so much. I bet you get manicures. You always did like sweet things too much.”

“Hey, Jody, you got a minute to help a customer?” That drew Bobby’s attention, glancing over his brother’s shoulder toward the bookstore’s checkout area. Not only was the vision of the cute man a pleasant one, it was the real reason Bobby’d come to McNamara Books almost daily for lunch in the couple of months since he’d found out Jody Olsen worked there.

Jody was visibly well proportioned underneath his button down shirt and khakis. The shirt’s sleeves and pant legs were tight over well-built muscles. He didn’t seem like a gym rat, though; still soft in all the right places. His face was kind, with striking blue eyes and high cheekbones. He was exactly the type of guy Bobby had always wanted, and exactly why Bobby had dated the opposite type of women. But he didn’t want to think about that now…

He sighed to himself as he watched Jody wander off to help the customer, his firm bubble butt bouncing just the way Bobby liked in those cargo khakis. He’d hooked up with any number of guys since he finally busted out of his Catholic Guilt constructed closet and a very lengthy relationship with a woman. He had no complaints about the sheer joy of enjoying his dick more than he had even when he was a teenager. But damn, he’d enjoyed Jody’s company the couple of times they’d talked. That was the kinda guy he wanted to do more than suck off and send home.

He couldn’t even imagine the hell he’d catch from his brothers, though. And Jody would probably catch even more. Everyone knew Jody and Izzy’s story. No one would accept him and Jody in a relationship.

What the hell are you thinking? Now you’re introducing him to the family?
He shook the thoughts off and returned to his tomato bagel. So yeah, Jody was gay. The guy sat in the café during his breaks reading romance novels that had two guys on the cover. But just the fact he was gay didn’t mean Jody would even be interested in Bobby.

Bobby still couldn’t believe his luck. It’d been a complete fluke that he’d been Izzy’s going away party. They certainly hadn’t been close after he’d left Angie. But when he’d dropped his mother off with one of her usual pasta dishes, one of the Fiorino brothers had talked him into a beer. When he’d barely finished half and Izzy had come over to ask him to give Jody a ride, it was like kismet. He’d been delighted, though he’d never admit it.

Carlo, thankfully, hadn’t noticed Bobby checking out the younger man; too busy doing something on his phone. Probably texting one of his three ex-wives or current girlfriend. Between all of Carlo’s exes and his own, that they wouldn’t stop including, it made for some fun family dinners.

“Hey, man, I’m gonna head out,” Carlo said, abruptly. “I gotta check in with somebody.” Carlo stood, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Catch you after lunch.”

“Alright,” Bobby advised. “Wear a rubber.”

Carlo just smirked as he gathered up his trash and Bobby shook his head as he watched his brother leave.

He checked his own phone to see he still had thirty minutes left, and as they were ahead of schedule and working only half a block away, he was in no rush. He finished off his own lunch and tossed out the trash before wandering out of the café area to look for a book. He found a new one by a favorite crime author, paid for it along with a refill in the café, and sat back at the table he’d only just recently vacated.

He hadn’t been reading long when his attention was grabbed by a chair scraping the tile floor beside him. When he glanced to his left, Jody was taking a seat at the bistro table next to him, his usual bottled water and cream cheese and tuna bagel beside another gay romance novel. He tried not to feel like a creep for knowing the man’s routine so well.

Jody looked Bobby’s way and gave a shy smile, pushed his fashionable glasses up his nose, and gave a two-fingered wave. “Hey, Bobby.”

“Jody,” Bobby acknowledged, with the customary downward nod, face solemn as he cleared his throat and tried to pretend he wasn’t staring at Jody’s stubbled jaw and fine facial features. Damn the man.

Jody blushed, though, so Bobby was absolutely busted.
Fuck me.
He had always been too aloof; girls had to throw themselves at him. Of course, he hadn’t ever really actively sought them out. But he’d always been aware of men. Since he’d realized he was probably bisexual in his later twenties, then most definitely, 100% gay in his thirties, he’d become hyper aware of men. He sometimes couldn’t stop himself from staring. But he figured that made him a typical guy, finally. His brothers hadn’t gotten why he wasn’t into tits and curvy hips, and he hadn’t gotten why they stared.

Yeah. He knew now, for sure.

“How’s work going?” Bobby tried to cover his awkward blunder.

“Good, good. Getting ready for a big signing this week, y’know.” Jody pointed at the sign by the display where Bobby had gotten the novel he was reading. He picked up his bagel, but nodded his head and asked, “You liking his new book?” Before taking a bite. This was how their conversations usually went. But he liked it. He’d never really had anyone to talk to about books and film. His brothers and his crew were rarely interested in more than the latest edition of Men’s Health. Not that they followed any of its advice.

“Yeah. I’m a big fan. You guys always get the good writers coming in.”

Jody snorted. “Yeah, well, that can be good or bad. Of course, for readers it’s great getting a copy of your favorite author’s book signed by them, but it’s not great being the guy who has to get some egomaniac’s coffee. You’d never realize what divas some people can be when the fans aren’t looking.”

“I’m sure you can handle them.” Bobby almost blushed at how much he practically gushed over Jody with that statement. He definitely believed it, though. Jody was shy, but he was the contemplative type of quiet. When he spoke, you tended to listen. Bobby knew men like Jody, his older brother and his father being very similar. He admired it. Respected it.

As if he needed more things on his mental checklist in this guy’s favor.

Jody turned to him and opened his mouth, shut it; then opened it again before finally asking, “You coming to the signing?”

“Oh. I don’t know.” He hadn’t really thought about it. He never really had anyone to go with, had been too much a workaholic over the last decade to do any of that stuff.

“I could get you a signed copy. If you want.” Jody cleared his throat, then went back to eating his bagel. Bobby didn’t read anything into it. He figured, if anything, they’d become friendly over the last few months of the occasional lunches like this one. A friend could do a guy a solid.

“Yeah. That’d be great.”

“Awesome. Maybe after—” Jody didn’t get to finish his thought, face flushing bright red as a blonde woman walked over; plopping down in the seat across from him.

“Jody, baby, who’s your friend?”

Bobby recognized the woman. He wasn’t sure if she was a manager of some sort, but she definitely worked in the bookstore. She was never in the apron all the baristas and sales floor staff wore. She was closer to Bobby’s age, maybe a little older if he had to guess. She always dressed elegantly, fitting in with the sleek décor of the store.

“Hi, DeDe. This is Bobby.”

“Nice to meet you, Bobby….”

“Gugino,” Bobby supplied, awkwardly. The way she leaned closer to his table, extending a neatly manicured hand and did her eye lashes just so was not beyond him. He may be aloof when it came to women, but he wasn’t completely stupid.

“Denise Dutton. Everyone calls me DeDe.” Bobby had to work hard not to roll his eyes. Jody, on the other hand, did not cover up his own annoyance as he crammed the last of his bagel in his mouth. “You’re here a lot. Work nearby?”

“He’s a contractor,” Jody inserted, then looked away. Bobby smiled, inexplicably pleased that Jody had remembered that fact.

Before Bobby could say anything, DeDe slid from Jody’s table to his. “Oh, what a wonderful coincidence. Do you do commercial or residential?”

Bobby sighed in disappointment as Jody tossed a goodbye wave his way and gathered his things to leave. He turned his attention back to DeDe. “We’re strictly residential.” He extracted a card from his wallet out of habit and passed it her way. “Gugino & Sons, though it’s just the sons these days.” He wasn’t trying to be charming, that was just his throwaway line he used on all potential clients. But the way her eyes flicked up his way and mouth curved just so, he knew she’d taken it as flirting.

“Well, I’m in luck today. I own an apartment over in Alphabet City. My kitchen is in serious need of a face-lift. I’d love to have you come by and see if there’s not something we could work out.”

He bit back a groan. Maybe he could pass it off on one of his brothers. He had to take her up on it though. If she owned her space, she could undoubtedly be an invaluable account.

“Sure, just give the number on the card a call. She sets up all my appointments.” He looked at the time on his phone. “And I’m so sorry; I’m cutting it close on my lunch break.” At her disappointed expression, he put on his salesman smile, because she was definitely smarting at not getting his personal number. No way, no how, lady. “Make sure you ask for me.” There, that should at least keep her interested in giving them her business.

He hoped.

“It was lovely to meet you, Mr. Gugino.”

“You as well, DeDe.” He stood, picking up his book and made his way to the front doors. He looked around for Jody, but no such luck. Damn. He kind of wanted to know what DeDe had interrupted. He knew it was wishful thinking and he cursed himself for even letting himself think it, but what could he say?

His phone chimed to let him know lunchtime was almost over. Thank God he’d set the alarm before he started reading.

Back to work and his brothers. That should keep his mind off a certain blond man.

Chapter 3

BOBBY HOPPED OFF the L train, walked up the stairs, and exited the subway station. The bright, May sunlight was jarring after such a long time below ground. He was relieved to be back in the breeze though. The subway in summer was unpleasant on a good day, but with temps in the mid-eighties, down in the tunnels it was closer to a hundred and stifling. The still air didn’t lend itself to a comfortable ride, no matter how much the subway cars’ signs boasted about being air-conditioned.

              He walked down the four blocks to where he was to take a look at DeDe’s apartment. No matter how he tried to sell it to his brothers, they made him take it. They usually sent him out to new clients, but damn if this time he’d really wanted one of them to take the estimate appointment.

              He was buzzed up to DeDe’s apartment, which thankfully was not a walk-up, since she was on the ninth floor. When she opened the door, her smile was mild. Good, maybe this wasn’t going to be that bad. He could do this.

              “Hi, Ms. Dutton.” He held out a hand to shake. She took it in both of hers, clasping it.

              “Please, it’s DeDe.”

              He shifted from one foot to the other; it was time to get to business. If he needed to grease the wheels, so to say, he could handle that. He let loose his devil-may-care smile the one he knew had always worked wonders for him. He made sure to make eye contact, and puff up his chest a bit. “Of course, DeDe.”

              She smiled and with a graceful movement, invited him in. “The kitchen’s right through here. Can I offer you a drink?”

              “Just a water.” He followed her into the kitchen. The apartment was top of the line. She definitely had some kind of money if she owned the joint. This could be a primo client to land. But when she turned to him from where she’d opened the refrigerator, handing him a bottled water, his skin crawled at the way she looked at him. He moved around the kitchen island, putting space between them.

              He’d played this game before with both male and female clients. It wasn’t new. Not something he was willing to do for an account. He had the distinct feeling, even if he wasn’t morally opposed; now that his dick had a taste of the man meat; it wouldn’t go for the girly bits any more. Funny how that worked out. It’d been the final nail in his relationship with his ex when he’d really started thinking only about men. She’d come to him after their breakup, when he’d been seeing men, and had pulled out some of the old tricks. He’d been embarrassed and hurt her feelings. He’d realized then he wasn’t only bi, but gay as a pride float.

              “So what did you have in mind for your remodel?” He thought bringing it right to business might deter her, and it did for a few minutes as he pulled catalogues out, and she provided some of her own print-offs. But he realized she’d moved around to stand by him at some point so he extracted a measuring tape, which wasn’t really necessary quite yet, but needed an excuse to move away.

              He’d made it a few minutes, rambling off some ideas; rough prices, but he’d not paid attention, and when he turned from the corner he was facing, DeDe was right there; a hand on the counter on each side of him, keeping him trapped there.

              He had to smile at her gusto. He had respect for women who owned their sexuality, and she seemed to be brazen as hell. Her cleavage was out, her lip-gloss bright. She’d coiffed her blonde hair and had a winning smile for him.

“I like the suit,” she said huskily. He looked down at his best Hugo Boss suit, the one he wore only to hook new clients.

              He gave her a flirty smile, too. Two could play this game. It wouldn’t go anywhere, but he assumed she was just one of the clients who needed their ego stroked more than their bits. “Thanks. Only wear it for special occasions.”

              “Oh?” She ran a well-manicured fingernail down where he had his silk shirt-collar open. He was making a move to stop her when a surprised, “Mother!” Came from the direction of the kitchen door. A familiar voice.

              When they looked toward where the voice had come from, the face attached to it was also extremely familiar.

              “Bobby?” Jody’s voice cracked. He looked both humiliated and angry. Bobby knew his eyes must be bulging out of his head. Oh shit! How could this have happened?

              Wait.

              “Mother?” Bobby asked. DeDe watched as Jody left the room, rolled her eyes, and turned her attention back to Bobby.

              “Pardon that intrusion. I’m so embarrassed.” She didn’t sound a bit like it. “I know; I look much too young, right? I was a young mother, obviously.” She grimaced as she looked back at the door, noticing Bobby was obviously side tracked by Jody. “You’d think at twenty-nine he’d be old enough to—”

              “You’re Jody’s mother?”

              “Guilty.”

              “Oh. Shit.” He tried to move past her. Her eyes flicked from the door to him. Then, thankfully, it seemed to dawn on her.

              “Oh.” She looked disappointed.

              “Look, I’m sorry if you misunderstood. Sorry if we lost your business,” he said, gathering his things off the counter. No way was he going to let Jody think he was a creep if he could help it. Even if the guy wasn’t into him like that, he didn’t want to be thought of as the mother-seducing contractor. Though, that’d be a gross mischaracterization, because he’d definitely not been the aggressor. He almost wanted to give her kudos for her moves, but he had to get out.

              “Oh, go. He probably went to his old room,” she informed him as he bolted from the kitchen. “Third door to the left!” He heard her call.

              He went down the hall and found the door wide open, room empty.

              Damn. Jody must have left.

              He ran out in the hall and pulled up short when he saw Jody shifting from foot to foot, waiting on the elevator.

              “Jody!”
You’re a regular Don Juan, Gugino.

              Jody turned, still looking annoyed.

              “That was not what it looked like.”

              “No, I shouldn’t—”

              “Jody. Look at me, man. Please.” When Jody didn’t turn around he said, “You realize we’re just going to end up on that slow elevator together. I’m loud and I’m Italian. We tend to make sure you have no choice but to listen to us.”

              Jody’s shoulders heaved in a sigh and he turned Bobby’s way. His face was flushed, embarrassed. Bobby felt horrible. He wasn’t sure how he’d feel if he walked in on a friend and his mother in such a compromising….

              “Seriously, Jody. That was not what it looked like.”

              “Looked like typical DeDe getting her way to me,” Jody said, drily.

              “She could try if she likes, but it’d be hard to get her way with a gay man.”

              Jody’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. He looked like he was going to speak, but the elevator dinged to signal the doors opening.

              “Let’s go for a coffee?” Bobby hoped he didn’t look as desperate as he felt. A thirty-six-year-old man should not be clinging to a chance with a boy like a teenager. But hell, this was a serious contender for guy of his dreams, even if Bobby wasn’t looking for that. In fact, he didn’t know why it was so important to him to chase down Jody. He should have just let him go. Damn if he couldn’t stop himself. “Assuming you don’t mind having coffee with the help?”

              That got a smile from Jody, who put his hand out to keep the elevator open. He nodded as he stepped on. “Okay. Coffee.”

***

JODY STILL SHOOK from the humiliating anger that had zinged through him when he’d seen DeDe’s nail trailing down Bobby’s handsome chest.

I thought you were
my
Prince Charming. Stupid man.

He hated that sometimes things that made him anxious, caused him to get so worked up. He wasn’t much of a worrier, except in social situations—which he was getting much better at—but when something set him off; made him embarrassed, he could dangle right on the edge of a panic attack.

              But Bobby had come for him, left DeDe to come for Jody. He hoped among hope that this was a good thing.
Breathe.
He kept saying it over and over again in his head, steadying his hands on the coffee he’d gotten at the shop a few blocks from DeDe’s apartment.

              He smiled a little as he watched Bobby wait for his frozen Mocha Cookie Crumble. He knew Bobby usually had frozen drinks at McNamara’s but he didn’t realize they were of the dessert persuasion. The knowledge was actually endearing. More so when Jody noticed the flustered, ruffled appearance that was nowhere near Bobby’s usual bravado.

              The barista handed Bobby his drink and with an uncharacteristically shy smile, Bobby turned to Jody and directed him toward a table in the far corner of the coffee shop’s seating area. After they’d sat for a moment sipping their drinks, Bobby spoke the first. It was almost jarring after such a long, silent walk from DeDe’s place—Jody in his haze of “get it together.”

              “I hate these chain coffee shops.”

              Jody looked at Bobby’s hands, busy twisting a napkin. When he glanced back up at Bobby, the man was so obviously unsure of himself. Jody relaxed, not sure why Bobby’s being so off-kilter by the situation settled something in him.

              “You sure knew your order off the top of your head.” Jody nodded to indicate the whipped cream covered drink.

              “Oh,” Bobby said, then smiled in the boyish way he had. “I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth.”

              “I gathered.”

              “Make fun all you want. My brothers give me shit, too.” Bobby unashamedly picked up the drink and sucked on the straw with a defiant look.

              Jody sipped his own hot drip coffee, hiding a grin. Sitting this close to Bobby, which was a rare thing, no matter how often they’d spoken, Jody realized how cute the guy was. Yes, he was always classically good looking, and the grey suit and white button down lent him a successful businessman vibe, even if his hair was sticking up from running his hands through it.

              Up close, Bobby had this warm charm. For a man who probably had almost ten years on Jody, his expressions lent to a more boyish face. Then that smirk Jody’d seen a few times appeared. “You like what you see?”

              Oh shit. Had he been staring at that sexy, trimmed hair on Bobby’s tanned chest, exposed by the few open buttons at the collar? Jody had bumped into many a Guido in the city who wore their shirts similarly, but on Bobby it wasn’t as smarmy. He just looked… Good. And with that cocky smirk, one belied by his disheveled overall appearance from following Jody so quickly, he looked lickable.

              Jody couldn’t respond, so Bobby’s smirk got broader. Jody scowled.

“Did you want to talk about something?” Bobby asked.

              “I’ve never seen you in a suit.” What’s with the small talk? Though, he wasn’t entirely sure why they were here, so making conversation about anything seemed better than getting called out for drooling.

              Bobby’s face fell; hand resumed twisting the napkin. They sat silently for a beat before Bobby finally spoke again. “That was awkward.”

              Jody titled his head in question.

              “That. With your… Mother.”

              Jody cringed. “Awkward is one word.”

              “She’s something.”

              “She is that. In my head I think of her like Samantha on ‘Sex and the City.’ Only Samantha didn’t have all those marriages under her belt.”

              Bobby’s face grew contemplative before he responded. “Yes. I could definitely see that. She like that all the time?”

              “Pretty much. But she’s good people.”
When she’s not cock blocking.

              “I was thinking she seemed like a girl in charge. If I swung that way….” Bobby let the trailed off words speak volumes. The way he pinned Jody with his warm, but serious gaze made Jody’s hopeful side become all atwitter.
Gross, atwitter?

              “So… You’re….”

              Bobby chuckled and leaned back in his seat, relaxing for the first time since they’d gotten there. “Yes, gay.”

              “Oh. Cool.”

              One of Bobby’s sexy, full brows went up. Jody couldn’t tell which incarnation of the man he liked more, the bashful, the boyishly brash, the chic businessman, or the guy he’d seen for months now in nothing but jeans, tees, and work boots.

              If he was honest, he liked it all.

              “So about that, then. You don’t know me all that well. I know we talk a lot, but you don’t know me well enough to completely trust me, but I’m asking you to trust that I would never have done anything like that.” He waved his hand, throwing a bit more accent to the last few words. “To get a client.”