By the Numbers by Chris Owen and Tory Temple
Authors: Chris Owen and Tory Temple
Tags: gay romance
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the cutest guys Trey had seen in a long time.
Trey opened the door before he realized he was still wearing an oven mitt on his left hand. A black one with red flames on it, to be exact. He hid that hand behind his back and smiled. "Hi. Find it okay?"
"No problem at all." Deuce held up his phone. "GPS navigator and bus schedule," he added with a grin. "And, as promised, my favorite white and my favorite red. Thus the bus -- I didn't want to wind up leaving my car here, so I'm walking the quarter mile back to the bus later." He patted his flat stomach. "I'm pretending that counts as working out."
"Cool." Trey stood back to let him in. "Can I see one of the wines?" He reached forward with the hand that was black and red flame-covered before he remembered.
Deuce grinned and held tight to both bottles. "Nice glove. Way better than any I've ever had."
Trey could feel his cheeks grow hot, and he rolled his eyes. "I'll get you one. They sold them at the department's picnic last summer. Come on in; can I get you something to drink?"
"Depends on how long until we eat. If it's soon, I'll open the wine. If it'll be a while, I'll take a beer. Nice place."
"Thanks. I was lucky to find it when Holly and I separated. At the time I thought it would be too much space, but I like having three bedrooms." Trey led the way into the kitchen and handed Deuce a cold beer from the refrigerator. "Fifteen minutes to chow. Want a tour?"
Deuce opened the bottle and nodded. "Yeah, show all the important parts -- the bathroom and my room. Now that I know where the kitchen is, that's all I need."
Trey almost, almost replied "And my bedroom," but luckily his brain kicked in in time to restrain his tongue. Deuce wasn't moving in to be Trey's new playmate, although Trey had to be honest with himself and admit that the idea had merit.
"Down the hall." Trey gestured with his chin and then headed that way, but not before remembering to drop the oven mitt on the kitchen counter. He opened the first door on the left. "Here's the guest bedroom. It's smaller than Lacey's -- she's next to me -- but you have the attached bath."
"Oh, I like that." Deuce went and looked around. "Is this the east side?" He went to look out the window.
"Uh-huh." Trey leaned against the door jamb and watch Deuce explore the room. "Make sure the blinds are drawn in the morning, trust me."
"Cool. I like it. I like the color." He went to the bathroom and looked in. "Oh, sweet. Storage, even." He grinned at Trey and said, "It's a good thing you already invited me to move in. Show me the rest? Well, aside from Lacey's space, of course."
"You can see her room; neither of us care," Trey laughed. He pushed off the doorway and turned to the room across the hall. He opened Lacey's door to reveal the periwinkle-colored room with puffy white clouds painted across the ceiling and small blue flowers drawn in one corner. "See? It belongs to a seven-year-old." He indicated the full bookshelves next to the bed. "Told you she likes to read."
"That's awesome. I do, too. As you know, library card kidnapper." He looked around and then peered at the bookshelves again. "I think she has more books than me, though. I got her beat on the DVD count, and I bet I can interest you more in those than the princess books. Maybe."
Trey closed her door again and sighed. "Yeah, those princess books are too hard for her, so guess who gets to read them to her at night? And she's always got a new one each time she comes over. But you're right, when I'm home, I watch movies." He moved farther down the hallway and into his own bedroom. "Here's me. My slider leads to the back patio, but you can get there from the kitchen too." Trey glanced around his bedroom, glad that he'd cleaned it up but self-conscious about how simple it really was.
"I'll do my very best not to spy in at you." Deuce smiled, and Trey wasn't sure if he was serious or not. "You might want to make sure your blinds are closed, too. Or not."
Trey
Trey opened the door before he realized he was still wearing an oven mitt on his left hand. A black one with red flames on it, to be exact. He hid that hand behind his back and smiled. "Hi. Find it okay?"
"No problem at all." Deuce held up his phone. "GPS navigator and bus schedule," he added with a grin. "And, as promised, my favorite white and my favorite red. Thus the bus -- I didn't want to wind up leaving my car here, so I'm walking the quarter mile back to the bus later." He patted his flat stomach. "I'm pretending that counts as working out."
"Cool." Trey stood back to let him in. "Can I see one of the wines?" He reached forward with the hand that was black and red flame-covered before he remembered.
Deuce grinned and held tight to both bottles. "Nice glove. Way better than any I've ever had."
Trey could feel his cheeks grow hot, and he rolled his eyes. "I'll get you one. They sold them at the department's picnic last summer. Come on in; can I get you something to drink?"
"Depends on how long until we eat. If it's soon, I'll open the wine. If it'll be a while, I'll take a beer. Nice place."
"Thanks. I was lucky to find it when Holly and I separated. At the time I thought it would be too much space, but I like having three bedrooms." Trey led the way into the kitchen and handed Deuce a cold beer from the refrigerator. "Fifteen minutes to chow. Want a tour?"
Deuce opened the bottle and nodded. "Yeah, show all the important parts -- the bathroom and my room. Now that I know where the kitchen is, that's all I need."
Trey almost, almost replied "And my bedroom," but luckily his brain kicked in in time to restrain his tongue. Deuce wasn't moving in to be Trey's new playmate, although Trey had to be honest with himself and admit that the idea had merit.
"Down the hall." Trey gestured with his chin and then headed that way, but not before remembering to drop the oven mitt on the kitchen counter. He opened the first door on the left. "Here's the guest bedroom. It's smaller than Lacey's -- she's next to me -- but you have the attached bath."
"Oh, I like that." Deuce went and looked around. "Is this the east side?" He went to look out the window.
"Uh-huh." Trey leaned against the door jamb and watch Deuce explore the room. "Make sure the blinds are drawn in the morning, trust me."
"Cool. I like it. I like the color." He went to the bathroom and looked in. "Oh, sweet. Storage, even." He grinned at Trey and said, "It's a good thing you already invited me to move in. Show me the rest? Well, aside from Lacey's space, of course."
"You can see her room; neither of us care," Trey laughed. He pushed off the doorway and turned to the room across the hall. He opened Lacey's door to reveal the periwinkle-colored room with puffy white clouds painted across the ceiling and small blue flowers drawn in one corner. "See? It belongs to a seven-year-old." He indicated the full bookshelves next to the bed. "Told you she likes to read."
"That's awesome. I do, too. As you know, library card kidnapper." He looked around and then peered at the bookshelves again. "I think she has more books than me, though. I got her beat on the DVD count, and I bet I can interest you more in those than the princess books. Maybe."
Trey closed her door again and sighed. "Yeah, those princess books are too hard for her, so guess who gets to read them to her at night? And she's always got a new one each time she comes over. But you're right, when I'm home, I watch movies." He moved farther down the hallway and into his own bedroom. "Here's me. My slider leads to the back patio, but you can get there from the kitchen too." Trey glanced around his bedroom, glad that he'd cleaned it up but self-conscious about how simple it really was.
"I'll do my very best not to spy in at you." Deuce smiled, and Trey wasn't sure if he was serious or not. "You might want to make sure your blinds are closed, too. Or not."
Trey
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