drink. Come on. Let’s go grab a beer, on me.”
“Look at you, the big spender. Don’t you think you’d better hold onto your cash until you find a job?” The grumpy quality was back in Rodney’s voice, and David found that much easier to bear. It seemed right somehow.
“I think I can spring for a beer.” He wished Rodney would come out where he could see him. The disembodied voice, no matter how deep and seductive it sounded, was starting to feel a little creepy.
“Call me when you make your first million.”
David felt the breath rush out of him. He hadn’t thought Rodney would be like that. In fact, Rodney’s rudeness to him the time before had convinced him that Rodney wasn’t the type to be swayed by money. Apparently, he was wrong.
“Right.” He could hear the stiffness in his voice but he no longer cared. “Guess you’ll have to take a raincheck on that, huh?”
He was halfway back to the door when he heard Rodney call out to him. “David. Wait.”
He glanced back over his shoulder, where he could just make out the shape of someone standing in the shadow of the exhaust vent for the cooling system. The dim light must be playing some weird trick on his eyes, because the guy looked huge, much taller than David expected, with broad shoulders like a weight lifter and a body that seemed to taper to an unexpectedly narrow waist. He turned completely to face Rodney’s direction. Rodney seemed to melt into the shadows as he did so, merging once again with the upright ducts on the rooftop.
“It’s not what you think, okay?” Rodney’s voice was pleading, and David could hear a different kind of longing there. “I can’t. ”
“Hey, it’s cool by me if you don’t drink,” David said, relieved that he’d misinterpreted the situation. “We can get a sandwich instead.”
He sensed that Rodney was shaking his head. “There’s nothing I’d like more. But I can’t go out with you. I can’t be seen with you. I’m… different.”
“Different how?” David frowned, taking a step forward. There was a whisper of sound, which suggested to David that Rodney had retreated even farther away.
“I can’t explain. Trust me on this one, though.”
“I don’t care about appearances, Rodney. I’ve been living for appearances my whole life.”
“Easy for you to say, gorgeous.” Rodney’s voice was dry. “You’re easily the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
David felt heat rush into his face. “Now who’s talking crap? I don’t see why….” His cell phone went off. Frowning, David pulled it out. “Oh, hey,” he said, seeing that it was from Richard. “I need to take this call. We haven’t finished here, though. Will I find you here if I come back again?” He peered into the shadows, trying to see where Rodney was standing.
“I’m here most nights.” Rodney definitely sounded as though he’d moved farther away and was on the other side of the roof now.
“Right.” David picked up the call, walking back to the door as he spoke. “Richard. Thanks for returning my call so late tonight. Listen, I had this idea that you might find interesting…. Hang on a second, I’m on the roof, and it’s windy up here. Let me get back inside where I can hear you better.”
He paused at the door to look back at the alien landscape of shadows on the roof. There was no sign of Rodney. It was as if he didn’t exist.
Rodney stretched and yawned before moving off of his pedestal, only to feel a slight give to the base when he did so. He hurriedly swung over the wall to the rooftop, breathing heavily as a jolt of adrenaline coursed through him. Cautiously, afraid of what he might find, he crawled back out over the railing, clinging upside down to the wall to get a closer look at the crack in the base. He’d waited longer to move tonight, making certain that the sun had completely set
“Look at you, the big spender. Don’t you think you’d better hold onto your cash until you find a job?” The grumpy quality was back in Rodney’s voice, and David found that much easier to bear. It seemed right somehow.
“I think I can spring for a beer.” He wished Rodney would come out where he could see him. The disembodied voice, no matter how deep and seductive it sounded, was starting to feel a little creepy.
“Call me when you make your first million.”
David felt the breath rush out of him. He hadn’t thought Rodney would be like that. In fact, Rodney’s rudeness to him the time before had convinced him that Rodney wasn’t the type to be swayed by money. Apparently, he was wrong.
“Right.” He could hear the stiffness in his voice but he no longer cared. “Guess you’ll have to take a raincheck on that, huh?”
He was halfway back to the door when he heard Rodney call out to him. “David. Wait.”
He glanced back over his shoulder, where he could just make out the shape of someone standing in the shadow of the exhaust vent for the cooling system. The dim light must be playing some weird trick on his eyes, because the guy looked huge, much taller than David expected, with broad shoulders like a weight lifter and a body that seemed to taper to an unexpectedly narrow waist. He turned completely to face Rodney’s direction. Rodney seemed to melt into the shadows as he did so, merging once again with the upright ducts on the rooftop.
“It’s not what you think, okay?” Rodney’s voice was pleading, and David could hear a different kind of longing there. “I can’t. ”
“Hey, it’s cool by me if you don’t drink,” David said, relieved that he’d misinterpreted the situation. “We can get a sandwich instead.”
He sensed that Rodney was shaking his head. “There’s nothing I’d like more. But I can’t go out with you. I can’t be seen with you. I’m… different.”
“Different how?” David frowned, taking a step forward. There was a whisper of sound, which suggested to David that Rodney had retreated even farther away.
“I can’t explain. Trust me on this one, though.”
“I don’t care about appearances, Rodney. I’ve been living for appearances my whole life.”
“Easy for you to say, gorgeous.” Rodney’s voice was dry. “You’re easily the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
David felt heat rush into his face. “Now who’s talking crap? I don’t see why….” His cell phone went off. Frowning, David pulled it out. “Oh, hey,” he said, seeing that it was from Richard. “I need to take this call. We haven’t finished here, though. Will I find you here if I come back again?” He peered into the shadows, trying to see where Rodney was standing.
“I’m here most nights.” Rodney definitely sounded as though he’d moved farther away and was on the other side of the roof now.
“Right.” David picked up the call, walking back to the door as he spoke. “Richard. Thanks for returning my call so late tonight. Listen, I had this idea that you might find interesting…. Hang on a second, I’m on the roof, and it’s windy up here. Let me get back inside where I can hear you better.”
He paused at the door to look back at the alien landscape of shadows on the roof. There was no sign of Rodney. It was as if he didn’t exist.
Rodney stretched and yawned before moving off of his pedestal, only to feel a slight give to the base when he did so. He hurriedly swung over the wall to the rooftop, breathing heavily as a jolt of adrenaline coursed through him. Cautiously, afraid of what he might find, he crawled back out over the railing, clinging upside down to the wall to get a closer look at the crack in the base. He’d waited longer to move tonight, making certain that the sun had completely set
Similar Books
Baby Love
Maureen Carter
Dreams at Silver Spires
Ann Bryant
Communion Town
Sam Thompson
The Husband List -2
Victoria Alexander
Promising Angela
Kim Vogel Sawyer
The Choir Boats
Daniel Rabuzzi
Chaos Theory
M Evonne Dobson
The Afterlife
Gary Soto
The Godless One
J. Clayton Rogers