With a sigh, Cayden King reached down and unlocked his door. As disappointment over his lunch with Szymon began to weigh heavily on his mind, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Without thinking, he tossed his stuff on the floor beside the door and shut the door behind him.

Turning toward the living room, he paused as he took in an eyeful of Elijah Montessori laying on his couch sleeping completely naked. His eyes widened with surprise as Elijah stirred to consciousness and glanced over at him.

“Cayden,” he said with a smile from where he was stretched out on the couch with his legs wide open. “You’re home.”

Cayden’s pulse quickened as temptation set in.

***

Szymon Skubisz stepped into his home and shut the door behind him. He glanced around silently. The house seemed quiet. Sammy must have still been at daycare. He walked into the living room and glanced around. Andrea wasn’t home either. No one was home.

In the quiet, empty house, Szymon glanced around until he caught sight of the divorce papers lying on the table in the dining room. They were still unsigned. He walked over to them and stared at them for a moment. He hadn’t been fair to Cayden at lunch. He desperately wanted to kiss him, but something held him back.

He didn’t want to hold back where Cayden was concerned. He wanted to show Cayden and the world how much he really loved him. Signing the papers would be like taking that first step, but every time he tried to sign then, he stopped.

What would a divorce do to Sammy? He was still so young. Would he be able to fully understand why his parents were getting a divorce? Would he understand that his Daddy was in love with another man? What would the kids in school say or do to him if they found out? There were so many variables that he had to consider.

“No,” he said to himself, “I’ll help him understand. I’ll show him that he’s still loved and I’ll teach him how to love and accept other people.” With temptation coursing through his veins, Szymon grabbed the pen, but he paused before he could sign it.

***

When she pressed her lips against his, Jesse Martinez could feel his pulse racing. The warmth of Kathryn’s body against his made his spine tingle with anticipation. He kissed her back and found himself breathless. He wanted more.

Kathryn’s hands found their way to the buttons on his shirt and she undid them slowly, one at a time as they kissed. As she opened his shirt, he felt her soft hands glide across his chest and he gasped slightly at her touch.

She pulled away and stared down at him on the bed. He stared back up at her, unable to say anything as she slowly lifted her shirt above her head. He wanted her. He wanted to be inside of her. She leaned down to kiss him again and he could feel the excitement.

The temptation was all too much. He grabbed her and rolled over so that he could be on top, and she let him. He kissed her passionately, hungrily. By the end of the night, he would know every inch of Kathryn Hayes.

***

Devon James smiled as she finished charging the customer’s items to their credit card. “Thank you for shopping at Q boy,” she said after handing them the credit card. She watched them leave, and saw, with surprise, that Gage Matthews had entered the store.

He was lingering by the men’s underwear, and trying to appear inconspicuous. She pretended not to notice him. He was watching her. She became annoyed. Glancing around the store, she walked around the counter and straight toward him, grabbing his arm and causing him to jump with surprise.

“Devon,” he said, “I didn’t know you worked here.”

“Like hell you didn’t,” she responded as she dragged him toward the dressing room and threw him inside, closing the door behind her. “Why the hell are you stalking me?” She questioned.

“I’m not stalking you,” Gage answered.

“Then why the hell are you here watching me?” Devon demanded.

“I wasn’t . . .” Gage began, but he could tell that Devon wasn’t in the mood for games. “Fine,” he relented. “I did know that you worked here and I was watching you,” he admitted.

“Why?” Devon questioned.

“Because . . . because . . . oh, what the hell,” Gage Matthews said as he gave in to temptation and leaned forward, pressing his lips against Devon’s, and taking her by surprise . . .

“So what did he say?” Devon James asked as she folded the pile of shirts in front her. The bluetooth device from her cell phone was firmly attached to her ear. She glanced at the door as a group of nelly queens entered, and rolled her eyes.

“We have plans for lunch later today,” Cayden responded. “I think he finally realized that being straight is completely disgusting,” he joked.

“You’re so stupid!” Devon exclaimed, causing a nearby customer to turn and glance at her awkwardly. She smiled at him. “Oh, not you honey,” she reassured him before returning to her conversation with Cayden. “I mean, what did he say about his wife and kid?”

“We haven’t spoken about that yet,” Cayden explained.

“Well, does she know about him?” Devon questioned. “You know, that he’s gay . . .”

“I don’t know,” Cayden admitted, “but I think we’re going to talk that over during lunch.”

“You do realize that he could be leading a double life, right? His wife could be completely in the dark about all of this. You’re gonna be his mistress! Oh my God, Cayden, you’re a home-wrecker!”

“I am not a home-wrecker, and I’m not going to be anyone’s mistress!” Cayden responded.

“But, you could be the one to tempt him away from his family. Quiet and shy, my ass. You’re a low down dirty whore,” Devon said as a customer stepped out of the dressing room to check out the too-tight jeans he had just put on.

He paused and glanced down at himself, then back at Devon. “Excuse me?” He questioned.

“I’m sorry,” Devon responded, “I wasn’t talking to you. It’s my friend, he’s getting it on with a married guy,” she said as she pointed to the bluetooth device on her ear.

“Don’t tell people that!” Cayden shrieked at the other end of the line.

“Nice,” the customer said with a smile. He paused and glanced at the mirror. “Do these jeans make my ass look big?” He questioned.

“Sweetie,” Devon said as she turned and gave him her attention. “If your ass looked any bigger, I’d be calling you J-Lo.”

“Good,” the guy said with a smile as he gave his ass a playful smack. “I’m getting them. Oh, and tell your friend that married guys are the best,” he added with a wink.

Devon shook her head and smiled. “Okay,” she said to the guy staring at his ass in the mirror, “it’s confirmed. All gay guys are sluts. You don’t even care that people are married and have children. All you guys wanna do is have sex,” she explained.

“Well duh,” the man said before stepping back into the dressing room.

“I’m not a slut!” Cayden responded.

“What?” Devon questioned, slightly confused. “I wasn’t talking to you, Cayden,” she said. “Don’t be stupid. Meet him for lunch and see what he has to say. I mean, even if it’s just to satisfy your curiosity, you should meet him. Plus, it’s what you’ve been wanting since the first time you saw him, right?”

“Maybe you’re right,” Cayden admitted. “I just . . . don’t know what to say or do.”

“Have some confidence in yourself,” Devon told him, “you’ve been wanting to go out on a date with him for ages. Now is your chance.”

“No,” Cayden explained, “I meant maybe you’re right about the slut part. I’m gonna be so tempted to jump his bones.”

Elijah Montessori stood outside of the student lounge and peered inside at Dominick Perrotti and a group of guys laughing. He shook his head and sighed as he listened to Dominick recount his story once again in graphic detail.

Shaking his head, he turned away and saw Cayden walking down the hall talking on his cell phone. He watched as Cayden paused and smiled. "I'm gonna be so tempted to jump his bones." He heard Cayden say.

Elijah glanced into the student lounge again and panicked. He didn't want Cayden to walk in there unprepared. Turning away from the door, he rushed toward his friend just as Cayden snapped his cell phone shut.

"Cayden," he said.

"Elijah, what's up?" Cayden responded.

"I need to talk to you."

"Cool, I'm just gonna grab something from the vending machine," Cayden explained as he pointed to the student lounge. "What do you need to talk about?"

"Dominick," Elijah answered as he stepped in front of him, blocking him from entering the student lounge. He watched Cayden's face go blank.

"What about Dominick?" He finally questioned.

"Maybe I should wait and tell you later," Elijah said.

"No, whatever it is, I want to know," Cayden assured him, "So tell me."

"Okay, fine . . . Dominick is going around telling everyone how he got you in the sack," Elijah said.

"He's what?" Cayden questioned.

"He said you turned out to be a little freak."

"That asshole! What is he saying?"

"Cayden, let's go to the library," Elijah said.

"Tell me . . ."

"Dominick told everyone about how you wanted to call up a friend so that you guys could have a threesome. He said you tricked him into having sex and hid two people in your apartment so that they could watch."

"Those were my parents!" Cayden yelled.

"You let your parents watch you have sex?" Elijah questioned, slightly confused.

"No! My parents walked in on us. They were going to surprise me for Christmas."

"I bet they were surprised," Elijah commented.

"Don't even get me started on that," Cayden sighed. "I can't believe Dominick would do something like that."

"Dominick is an asshole," Elijah admitted. "I tried to tell you to be careful that night."

"I know, I'm sorry for not listening to you. Thanks for telling me, though," Cayden said. "I really appreciate it."

"Good," Elijah said with a nod as he glanced back at the student lounge once again before turning back to his conversation with Cayden, "because I have a favor to ask you."

"Anything. What do you need?" Cayden questioned.

"I need a place to stay," Elijah admitted.

"You can crash at my place," Cayden offered.

"It's more than that," Elijah said. "I need a place to stay indefinitely. I lied to you, I don't really have a roommate. I live with my brother and his family. I share a room with my nephews. Can I move in with you?" He questioned. "I'll pay half the rent and utilities. I swear, you won't even know that I'm there."

Cayden paused for a moment as he considered his current financial status. He realized that with his parents no longer paying for the apartment, he wouldn't be able to afford the rent on his own.

"Forget about it," Elijah said at Cayden's hesitation. "It was probably a bad idea. You probably need your space."

"No," Cayden responded, "I think it's a good idea. After my Christmas surprise, my parents cut me off," he admitted. "I need to do something in order to get the rent paid."

"So what do you think? I can move in and we can figure out a way to pay the rent together," Elijah explained.

"I think I have a roommate," Cayden smiled.

"Great!" Elijah assured him as he leaned forward and took Cayden by surprise by giving him a great big hug. Elijah breathed in Cayden's delicate scent and smiled. Cayden always smelled so sweet.

When he pulled away, Elijah glanced into Cayden's eyes silently. He wanted to kiss him, he was tempted to kiss him, but he didn't. Cayden was his friend, and as much as he wanted to kiss him, he valued their friendship even more. He resisted the temptation.

"I swear, you won't be disappointed," Elijah said with a smile. "You won't even know that I'm there."

As he stepped into the student lounge, Cayden King immediately locked eyes with Dominick Perrotti. The group of people standing with Dominick turned and looked in Cayden’s direction and started laughing.

Cayden felt his face turn ten different shades of red as he shuffled over to the vending machine and fished around in his pocket for some change. He quickly glanced sideways at the group, then back at the vending machine. Suddenly, he didn’t feel very much like having a snack.

“Have some confidence in yourself,” he heard Devon’s words echo in his head. “Keep it cool,” he told himself. “Get something from the vending machine and sit down and act like everything is okay.”

When he heard the group’s laughter reach a higher volume, he panicked and snatched his change from his pocket, jamming it into the machine. “Forget it,” he told himself, “just grab something and run.”

As he reached down for his Snickers bar, he caught a glimpse of someone pointing at him and laughing. His embarrassment quickly dissipated, replaced by a primal anger. “That’s enough,” he told himself. He had done nothing wrong and yet people were laughing at him like he was the guilty party.

He stared at Dominick with a hateful expression and his anger grew even greater when Dominick smiled and laughed. Holding the Snickers bar in his hand, he squeezed it without realizing, until it was a mushy mess.

“What is he looking at,” he heard someone say.

“Maybe he wants to be gang banged right here,” someone else said, causing the entire group to laugh hysterically.

Cayden dropped the candy bar on the ground and took a step toward the group. “Have some confidence in yourself,” he repeated like a mantra. There were so many things that he wanted to say to Dominick Perrotti, so many thoughts running through his head.

He wanted to ask him why he was such a jerk. He wanted to ask him why he lied. Most of all, he wanted to ask Dominick why he used him like that. He knew he would never get a straight answer from the guy and he shook his head and he stepped in front of him, facing him, with the entire group surrounding them.

“Cayden,” Dominick said with a smile. His group of friends gave him the confidence to be an even bigger asshole. “What do you want?”

It took a split second for Cayden to figure out what he really wanted, and when he realized it, the temptation was much greater than his impulse to control himself. Without saying a word, he reached back and swung his arm, connecting his fist with Dominick Perrotti’s lower jaw.

The impact was jarring and threw Dominick off balance, but the effect it had on Cayden was even greater. He watched with pleasure as Dominick stumbled back and fell onto a couch, his expression filled with surprise and shock.

The people standing around were shocked as well, and they stared at Cayden with disbelief. Shaking out his fist, Cayden stared down at Dominick Perrotti. He was tempted to say something, something that would have made the moment even better, but he resisted the temptation and walked away.

“There you go,” Devon James said as she handed the customer his change. She glanced around the store, shaking her head. “I just folded those shirts,” she sighed when she realized that they had been rummaged through. “Why are people so damned messy?” She said as she stepped around the cash register and headed for the shirts again.

Her cell phone rang and she answered the call, putting her hand up to the bluetooth device on her ear to make sure it was working. “This is Devon,” she said in her usual way as she reached for one of the shirts.

“Hey, what are you doing?” The voice on the other end of the line questioned.

“I’m working,” she responded sarcastically. “Who is this?”

“Um… it’s Gage,” he answered.

“Gage? Why the hell are you calling me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I just wanted to see what you were up to,” he explained. His voice sounded slightly different than what she was used to hearing and she paused before answering.

“I’m folding shirts . . . again,” she responded. “Why?”

“Oh . . . no reason,” Gage answered. “I was just bored.”

“Then get a hobby,” Devon quipped. “Or a bottle of booze.”

“I’m trying to stay away from that stuff,” Gage admitted. “Ever since the corner store, you know. Getting shot has a way of putting things into perspective.”

“Most people don’t need to get shot to realize that,” Devon responded sarcastically. She realized that she was being a little hard on Gage and felt apologetic. “But it’s great that you decided to make a change in your life.”

“Yeah,” Gage agreed, “not as great as being drunk, but at least I can remember the things that I do now. So . . . listen,” he said, his voice getting softer and less inaudible, “what time do you get off of work?”

“At five . . .” Devon responded as she tried to figure out what Gage was up to.

“Okay. What are you going to do after you get off?” Gage questioned.

“I’m going home,” she responded. She could hear Gage fall silent. “What is this all about?” She questioned.

“Nothing,” Gage answered quickly. “I was just wondering.”

“Why? You never wondered before,” Devon pointed out.

“Do you want to get something to eat?” Gage questioned. “I mean, if you’re hungry.”

“You want to eat? With me?” Devon questioned. “What’s going on with you, Gage?” She questioned. “You’ve been acting strange ever since New Years, ever since I . . .” Devon paused, she was about to mention the New Year’s kiss between the two of them.

“Oh hey, I gotta go,” Gage said quickly, and hung up the phone.

“Oh my God,” Devon said to herself. “He was asking me on a date!”

“You punched him in the face?” Szymon questioned with disbelief as he held a slice of pizza in one hand. “Are you serious?”

“It was the first thing that popped into my head,” Cayden admitted. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Well,” Szymon responded, after taking a bite. “For what it’s worth, I don’t blame you . . . but I do think that next time you should probably think twice before assaulting someone like that.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re a police officer,” Cayden teased. “And besides, you punched that guy in the bathroom at the club that one night when he was drunk and harassing me.”

“Oh, well that’s different,” Szymon smiled.

“Why? Because you’re a police officer? You guys get special laws or something?”

“No,” Szymon said as he shook his head. “I punched that guy for you,” he explained.

Cayden paused and smiled, his face blushing red slightly. He glanced down at his slice of pizza.

Szymon noted the embarrassment and it excited him slightly. Cayden looked so cute when he was embarrassed. It was taking everything he had inside of him not to reach across the table and grab him. He decided to change the subject. “I almost thought you weren’t coming,” Szymon said.

“I’m sorry I was late,” Cayden responded. “I helped Elijah move some stuff into the apartment. My parents cut me off when they found out I was gay,” Cayden informed him. ”So now I need a roommate to help pay the bills. I gotta get a job too,” he grumbled.

Szymon paused for a moment at the mention of Elijah Montessori. “You only have one bedroom,” he found himself saying. “What are the sleeping arrangements?”

“He gets the couch,” Cayden responded as he glanced at Szymon. He could see that Szymon was disappointed about something and picked up on it right away. “What’s wrong?” He questioned.

“It’s nothing, I’m just a little jealous of Elijah,” he responded.

“You don’t have anything to worry about,” Cayden assured him. “Elijah and I are just friends. Besides, I’m a little jealous too.”

“About what?” Szymon questioned.

“Andrea,” Cayden said softly as he glanced down at the table.

Szymon nodded and smiled. “Andrea is my best friend,” Szymon informed him. “You have nothing to worry about where she is concerned. She’s a lesbian.”

“She’s a what?” Cayden questioned, thoroughly confused. “But you guys have a kid together. You had sex with a lesbian?”

Szymon began to laugh as he shook his head. “No, Andrea and I have never had sex together,” he explained. “We kissed a few times when we were younger, but that’s something that every kid does,” he admitted with a shrug.

“So how did Sammy come along?” Cayden questioned.

“She wanted a child, and because she’s a lesbian, she didn’t want to have sex with a man. So she figured that since I was her best friend, that I’d help her, and I did.”

“And enter Sammy,” Cayden said with a nod.

“But after Sammy, she got sick and needed an operation and, at the time, the only solution was to marry her so that she could get my benefits, and thank God we did because the operation saved her life. After that, we decided to move in together to raise Sammy in one house. I love Andrea, but I’m not in love with her. We just wanted to raise Sammy in a stable home.”

“Do you think maybe Andrea’s feeling for you have changed?” Cayden questioned. He wanted to make absolutely sure that he wasn’t going to have to fight Andrea Darling for Szymon’s affections.

“No,” Szymon laughed, “Andrea and my partner Cecilia have been together for three years, and I’m free to date whomever I want,” he added with a smile.

“And you chose me?” Cayden questioned, a feeling of relief washing over him as he was finally told the truth. He smiled.

Leaning over, Szymon began to whisper. “God, I’m so tempted to kiss you right now,” he said.

“So do it,” Cayden responded as he leaned forward to give Szymon a kiss.

Moving away from Cayden quickly, Szymon Skubisz glanced around the restaurant quickly. “Not in public,” he said softly as he saw a disappointed expression on Cayden’s face. “I’m not officially out yet,” he explained. “I don’t want to be outed before I’m ready.”

Leaning back in his chair, Cayden nodded. “I understand,” he said softly, feeling a twinge of disappointment at the fact that he couldn’t kiss his boyfriend in public.

“But I have an idea,” Szymon said as he glanced around, “meet me in the bathroom in the last stall.” He got up from his chair and headed in that direction.

Cayden smiled and waited. He was all set to meet Szymon in the bathroom, but a moment later, as he got up from the chair, his smile faded. Suddenly, he didn’t want to hide in the bathroom. He didn’t want to hide the fact that he was gay. He glanced at the bathroom for a very long time. Szymon stood just outside of the door, watching him.

The temptation to go in their and make out with Szymon was strong, but Cayden stared into his eyes and shook his head. He turned and headed out of the restaurant instead.

Jesse Martinez locked his mailbox and glanced down at the junk mail in his hand. He sighed. He was so confuse. He had no idea what was happening or what he should do. As he turned, he caught a glimpse of Cayden King walking into the building. Pausing for a moment, he wondered if he should unload all of his problems on him, and decided against it, but Cayden saw him before he could turn away.

“Jesse,” he said as he stepped up to his mailbox, “how’s it going?” He questioned.

“I have a big problem,” Jesse admitted, decided that he really did need someone to lend and ear.

“Don’t we all?” Cayden questioned after pulling out his mail and going through it. He saw Gage’s name on one of the letters and rolled his eyes. “They keep putting everyone else’s mail in my mailbox,” he sighed as he glanced up at Jesse. “So what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know . . . what Devon said on Christmas has been getting to be. Sometimes I feel like I’m being unfaithful to Julia by spending so much time with Kathryn. All I’ve been able to bring myself to do is kiss her. And when things start to get a little heavier and I find myself tempted to do more, this little voice in the back of my head tells me that what I’m doing is wrong and I just shut down.”

Cayden nodded. “Because you think of Julia,” he explained.

“It’s not fair to Kathryn, but I don’t know what to do,” he admitted. “Kathryn is such a nice person and I feel like I’m hurting her.”

“You know, in a lot of ways what you’re feeling is very natural. You’re still in love with Julia, but it doesn’t mean that you’re betraying her by having feelings for Kathryn. It’s normal to feel a little hesitant when you enter a new relationship.” Cayden paused as he thought about Szymon for a moment. As much as he wanted a relationship with Szymon Skubisz, he didn’t want to keep it a secret and hide in the shadows.

Shaking his head, Cayden tried to smile. “It’ll get easier with time. All you have to do is take it slow. Kathryn will understand.”

Jesse nodded. “Thanks for listening,” he said with a smile. “You know, you should really think about becoming a therapist or writing an advice column, you would do really well.”

“Shut up,” Cayden smiled as he turned to glance at Kathryn Hayes stepping off of the elevator.

“Hey guys,” she said with a smile as she checked her mailbox. After retrieving her mail, she stepped toward them. “Did you hear the good news?” She questioned.

“What good news?” Cayden inquired.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell him,” Kathryn said as she glanced at Jesse and shook her head. “Jesse’s artwork is going to be featured in an art show next week.”

“That’s great!” Cayden responded as he glanced over at Jesse. “How come you didn’t say anything?” He questioned.

“I was embarrassed,” Jesse said with a shrug. “I couldn’t pain anything for a long time, but recently,” he added as he glanced at Kathryn, “I picked up the paintbrush and inspiration just came to me.”

“I just don’t know what the hell to do,” Gage admitted as he sunk deeper into the couch. “I mean, this is crazy. What the hell is going on?” He questioned.

Mason Weber sat on the adjacent couch and stared at him, laughing. “I have no idea what to tell you, man. It’s . . . weird.”

“I know,” Gage groaned, “I’m all screwed up.” He heard a knock on his door and sprung to his feet, staring at Mason. “Who do you think that is? Do you think it’s her?” He questioned.

“Answer it,” Mason laughed, “then you’ll find out.”

Gage crept toward the door and peeked through the hole. “Oh thank God,” he said as he reached down and opened the door.

Cayden King held up a piece of mail and rolled his eyes. “The mail guy is an idiot,” he said. “He keeps putting other people’s mail in my mailbox,” he added as he handed Gage the letter.

Gage grabbed the letter from Cayden, then grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the apartment. Cayden yelped slightly with surprise and caught sight of Mason. “What’s going on?” He questioned.

“It’s an intervention,” Mason responded jokingly. “We think you need a life.”

“Shut up,” Cayden said as he crossed over and sat down on the couch. “What’s really going on?”

“This dude’s got a problem,” Mason said as he motioned to Gage. “He’s having a midlife crisis.”

“Fuck you, I’m not middle aged,” Gage responded.

“Well, whatever the hell age you are, that’s the crisis you’re having,” Mason corrected.

“Guys,” Cayden smiled, “I’m lost.”

“Me too,” Gage admitted, “that’s the problem. Ever since New Year’s Even when Devon kissed me, I got this tingly feeling,” he said as he placed his hand on his stomach. “I don’t get tingly feelings. I give other people tingly feelings,” he expressed.

“So, you got all tingly when Devon kissed you?” Cayden questioned, slightly amused.

“I was even considering buying her something. I never think about buying anyone anything. What’s wrong with me? Do you think I should go to the emergency room?” He questioned.

Cayden laughed and shoo his head. “Gage,” he said as he sat forward on the couch. “The only doctor you need is a love doctor.”

“What are you talking about?” Gage questioned.

“You have feelings for Devon,” Cayden explained. “The way I see it, you can do one of two things. You can act on those feelings and tell Devon the truth, or you can ignore them and hope they go away.”

Gage Matthews nodded his head. "I think I figured out what I'm going to do," he said as he stood up and walked out of the apartment.

“What time is it?” Elijah questioned as he sat up and glanced around. “I ordered a pizza if you want some. It’s on the counter,” he explained as he glanced at the television.

Cayden remained frozen in place as he stared at Elijah.

Elijah glanced over at him. “I hope you don’t mind if I walk around naked,” he said. “I mean, it’s just the two of us here and I feel more relaxed and less burdened without clothes. But if you want me to put something on, I will. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable in your own place,” he explained.

“No,” Cayden responded as he shook his head. “We’re both adults. It’s fine. It was just a big surprise to walk in on that for the first time,” Cayden admitted.

“That’s what everybody says the first time,” Elijah added with a smile.

Cayden laughed and shook his head as he headed for the bedroom. Once he closed the door, he sighed and said, “My boyfriend won’t even kiss me in public, and my roommate walks around naked. I can’t win.” With a sigh, he threw himself on the bed.

***

“Sweetheart,” Andrea Darling said as she walked through the door. “Get your homework from the folder in your backpack and show it to me before you turn on that television,” she called out as she caught sight of Sammy with the remote control in his hand.

Smiling, she rolled her eyes and set her purse down on the table in the dining room. She pushed up her sleeves and started for the kitchen to make Sammy a snack when something caught her eye. She paused and glanced down at the document on the table. Reaching down, Andrea Darling picked it up, her eyes drawn to one spot.

A smile came across her face as Sammy darted into the room. “I want peanut butter and jelly,” he said as he approached his mother. He paused when he saw her face. “Mommy, why are you crying?” He questioned. “Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry that I turned on the t.v.” he apologized.

“Oh, no sweetheart,” she said as she set the document on the table and crouched down to give her son a hug. “I’m not sad, I’m happy,” she said as she hugged him. “And you didn’t do anything wrong,” she added as she pulled away and looked straight into his eyes. “You’re the best son ever,” she admitted. “Mommy’s just happy and sometimes when she’s happy, she cries a little.”

“Okay,” Sammy said as he reached over and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“Now, peanut butter and jelly, that sounds good. I think I’m going to have one too,” she said, causing Sammy to smile and run back into the living room. Standing up, Andrea glanced down at the divorce papers on the table, and at the Szymon’s Skubisz’s signature at the bottom.

***

Jesse Martinez rolled over again so that Kathryn Hayes was on top of him. The softness of her hands as they caressed his chest was putting him over the edge. He held his breath as her fingers inched downward to the waistband of his pants.

Slowly, she undid the button as the top of his button-fly jeans. She stared into his eyes and smiled as she undid the next button and the next. With gentle hands, she slowly reached into his pants and he gasped.

“Stop!” He said as he pushed her off of him and sat up.

“What is it?” She questioned. “What’s wrong?”

“I . . . I . . . can’t,” he responded as he stood up from the bed. “I’m sorry,” he said as he walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him and sat on the toilet with his head in his hands. In that last moment before she slipped her hand into his pants, he thought of Julia Taylor.

***

The kiss took Devon James off guard and her eyes widened as she was pushed into the wall of the dressing room. When Gage Matthews finally pulled away and stared at her, she found herself out of breath and silent.

Reaching over she smacked him across the face. “What the hell was that for?” She questioned with surprise.

Gage reached up to his cheek. “Well, you did it to me!” He responded.

“That was for New Year’s Eve!” Devon responded. “I told you not to get any ideas.”

“I didn’t get any ideas,” Gage responded. “I just wanted to see how you liked it,” he responded, “being taken off-guard like that.”

“Oh please, it was just a kiss,” Devon admitted. “I’m not even interested in you in the slightest,” she explained.

“Yeah, well I have absolutely no attraction to you either,” Gage retorted.

“Good,” Devon said.

“Good!” Gage agreed.

“Then it’s settled,” Devon explained. “We don’t like each other and we’re not going to get involved with one another.”

“Right,” Gage responded.

“Right,” Devon repeated.

Gage paused for a moment and stared at her. “Wanna have sex?” He questioned.

“Yes,” Devon responded as she tore his shirt off.