“Would you pay attention?” Cayden King questioned as he stood behind Elijah Montessori in front of the stove. “You let it burn!”

Elijah Montessori shook his head and groaned. “Why do I have to learn how to cook?” He inquired.

“Because you need to eat something that doesn’t come out of a Hungry Man box.”

“Hey, don’t hate on Hungry Man. It’s good food.”

“Don’t you want to learn how to cook and make different things?” Cayden questioned.

“Let’s be serious. My cooking skills consist of tossing a T.V. dinner into the microwave and setting it for three minutes. You honestly think I’m gonna start whipping up five course meals in the next couple of minutes?”

“Probably not,” Cayden responded. “Move out of the way,” he said as he grabbed the pan and Threw its burnt contents into the trash as the phone rang.

“I got it,” Elijah said as he ran out of the kitchen.

“You think you’re slick,” Cayden laughed, “you just don’t want to cook anymore.”

Elijah returned to the kitchen a moment later with a big smile on his face. “Guess what?” He questioned with excitement.

Cayden glanced at him and smiled. “You have a hot date?” He questioned.

“Nope,” Elijah said as he shook his head. “That was Inside OUT Magazine. They want me!” He shouted as he pointed to himself. “They want to hire me for the movie reviewer job.”

“Are you serious?” Cayden questioned.

“Yeah. They want me to go down there immediately and fill out some more paperwork.”

“That’s great,” Cayden responded, feeling slightly saddened that he didn’t get the job. He smiled, despite his disappointment because he didn’t want to make Elijah feel bad for getting the job.

“Nicolae from Human Resources called me personally,” he explained. “I think he wants another ride on the Montessori Machine,” he said with a wink. “So, I’m sorry, but I can’t stick around and burn any more food because I gotta go,” he said as he turned to grab his jacket and head for the door.

“Congratulations!” Cayden called out after him as Elijah pulled open the door and catapulted into the hallway, almost knocking over Devon James in the process.

“Excuse you!” Devon yelled after him as he shot down the hall like a lightning bolt. She shook her head and stepped into Cayden’s apartment. “What’s his deal?” She questioned.

“He got the job at the magazine,” Cayden answered.

“Fucking jerk,” Devon said, shaking her head. “He probably doesn’t even feel sorry for sleeping with that guy to get the job, right?”

“Nope,” Cayden said, “but it’s okay. At least one of us has a job, right?”

“Yeah, whatever,” Devon said as she shut the door and walked over to the couch and sat down with a sign.

“What’s wrong now?” Cayden questioned.

“What do you mean? Why does something have to be wrong? I can’t just come visit my best friend and not have anything wrong?” Devon retorted.

“Devon, you slammed the door, pouted and threw yourself on the couch. Something has to be wrong,” Cayden remarked.

“Fine. Something is wrong,” Devon responded, “I have a problem.”

“I think we’ve already established that,“ Cayden chided. He glanced over at Devon and she stared back at him with a look of death. “Okay, fine,” he said as he sat down beside her. “What is the problem?”

“Gage is acting really funny around me. I don’t know what’s going on, but lately I’ve been thinking about that oversexed creep and I can’t think of anything else.”

Cayden smiled and shook his head. “You guys are so cute,” he admitted. “He likes you and, if I’m not mistaken, you’re starting to like him. It’s natural between a guy and a girl . . . well, for straight people anyway,” he added with a smile.

“I can’t like Gage. He’s disgusting. He has sex with anything that has two legs. He dresses funny and drinks until he passes out. I’m not attracted to men like that. He needs to stop buying me things . . . and confusing me . . . and making me have dreams about him coming into my bedroom and fucking me senseless in the middle of the night.” She paused for a moment and glanced at Cayden. “Forget that I said that last part,” she added.

Cayden laughed and shook his head.

“This sucks,” Devon sighed. “I like Gage Matthews.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Cayden questioned.

“I’m going to go over there right now,” she said as she stood up and walked over to the door, pulling it open.. “I’m going to tell Gage to go to hell and stop being nice to me because I’ll never have sex with him again in a million years.”

“Good luck,” Cayden said as he watched Devon march out into the hall and glance at Gage’s door before darting into her own apartment and slamming the door shut.

“Oh my God, these are so cute,” Kathryn Hayes said as she held up a pair of Jesse Martinez’s underwear and laughed.

“Hey, give me those,” Jesse said as he tried to snatch them away. Kathryn laughed and pulled them out of his reach. He laughed and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her in close and kissing her.

Kathryn kissed him back and shut her eyes as she found herself lost in his embrace. They pulled away and Jesse smiled as he stared into her eyes. “I tricked you,” he said softly as he snatched the underwear from her hand.

“Hey! That’s not fair!” Kathryn laughed. “You blindsided me with a kiss!”

“All’s fair in war and underwear,” Jesse responded.

Cayden King stepped into the laundry room and laughed. “Do I even want to know what’s going on here?” he asked as he marched over to the washing machine with his laundry.

“No, you don’t,” Jesse chuckled as the dryer stopped.

“I’ll get it,” Kathryn said as she grabbed the basket and rushed over toward the dryer.

“Hey,” Cayden said to Jesse. “Are you okay?”

Jesse glanced back at him and nodded. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I realized the night of the art show that Julia is really gone. It’s time to move on,” he added. “I think I’m ready to take the next step with Kathryn.”

Cayden smiled. “That’s cool. I think it’s great that you can finally find some happiness.”

“I think so too,” Jesse said with a nod.

“Hey,” Kathryn said as she stepped over toward them. “What’s with the whispering? Are you guys talking junk about me?” She teased.

“Of course we are,” Cayden teased, glancing toward the laundry room door as Sarah Mulberry stepped in holding a laundry basket. “Hey,” he said, causing both Jesse and Kathryn to turn in Sarah’s direction.

Sarah’s eyes lit up as she saw them standing there. “Hey guys, I guess we all had the same idea,” she said as she motioned to her laundry basket. “Gotta have clean clothes,” she said as she stepped over to an empty washing machine.

“Clean clothes won’t mask the smell of a skank,” Kathryn muttered under her breath. Cayden heard her though and realized quickly that he was the only one. He shot Kathryn a glare and she glared back at him and rolled her eyes.

“So what’s going on?” Sarah questioned. “I mean, it’s Valentine’s Day. What are you guys gonna do?”

“My boyfriend and I are going out. We’re going to have a romantic dinner,” Cayden smiled.

“That sounds sweet,” Sarah smiled. “What are you guys doing?” She questioned as she turned toward Jesse and Kathryn.

“It’s a surprise,” Jesse said as he glanced at Cayden and smiled. Cayden smiled back and nodded.

"So this chick from internal affairs is lying there, with her legs spread open and moaning. She was beautiful," Detective Patrick O'Leary explained, "Tits likes you wouldn't believe. And she's begging me to do her, I mean begging! So I get between her legs and I slam it right in there and she's screaming like a banshee," he explained.

"Nice," Officer Lester remarked as he pulled off his shirt and tossed it into his locker. "I hope you gave it to her good. She thinks she's tough, walks around here like she's better than us guys," he explained.

Patrick glanced over at Officer Lester. "That bitch ain't gonna do much walking now, I made her bow-legged," he cracked as he slipped off his underwear and reached for a new pair. Glancing at the showers, he stiffened up. "Hide your cocks," he called out, "it's the fag."

Szymon Skubisz stepped out of the shower with a white towel wrapped around his waist. He glanced at all of the faces in the locker room of the police station and saw them staring back at him. Glancing aside, he walked toward his locker and opened it silently.

“O’Leary caught him kissing a guy . . .” he heard someone whisper.

“No kidding, Skubisz is a fag?” Someone questioned.

“Shit, I was just in the shower with him,” a third man whispered.

He heard every word that they were saying as he pulled off his towel and chucked it onto the bench. Szymon Skubisz’s face turned bright red. All he wanted to do was get dressed and get the hell out of there. For years he had kept his sexuality a secret, always wanting to let everyone know the truth, but now that his secret was out, all he wanted to do was hide.

“I can’t believe he’s getting naked in front of everybody,” Lester said with disgust.

“Why the hell not?” Cecilia Nakamura said as she stepped up behind them. “It’s a fucking locker room, isn’t it?” She questioned as she pushed past them toward her own locker.

“But he’s a fucking queer,” O’Leary retorted as he pointed the Szymon.

Szymon remained quiet. Normally, he would have stepped over to O’Leary and punched him in the face, but the embarrassment of his situation kept him timid. He pulled on his underwear in silence.

“Fuck off, O’Leary,” Cici responded. “What business is it of yours anyway?”

“The guy’s a fucking queer,” O’Leary repeated. “We work with him every day. Hell, we take showers with him, and the whole time he’s checking us out. It’s sick, giving it to some guy in his ass. You and your kind should be put to death," he explained. "Bunch of ass-backwards mental cases.”

Szymon Skubisz had reached his boiling point. He leapt toward O’Leary and threw him against the wall. “I swear to God,” he said as he stared him down. “If you so much as make another comment, I will kick your sorry ass up and down this locker room,” he threatened.

"Get the fuck off of me, you goddamned queer!" O'Leary said as he ripped Szymon’s arms away from him. "You all saw it," he said as he glanced around the room. "You all saw him grab me while I was naked," He explained.

“That’s enough!” Cecilia yelled as she stepped between the two of them. “If anyone has anything to say about Szymon, you come to me first,” she threatened, “and we’ll discuss it. “I’ll kick every one of your asses, and you know I can do it,” she added menacingly.

Patrick O’Leary stared at Szymon Skubisz in disgust, then glanced at Cecilia and shook his head. “Whatever,” he grumbled. “It figures he’s a fag, he has a dyke protecting him,” he said over his shoulder as he grabbed his clothes and slammed his locker shut, walking toward the other side of the room to finish getting dressed.

Cecilia stared him down for a moment before turning toward Szymon. “I’m sorry about that,” she said softly as she checked to make sure that he was okay.

“Don’t worry about it,” Szymon responded, “It’s not your fault. They were going to find out sooner or later and it’s time that I stopped lying about it.” He finished getting dressed and closed his locker. He walked to the center of the locker room and glanced around at everyone.

“I’m gay,” Szymon Skubisz said aloud, causing everyone to stop and turn at him and stare. “So now you know,” he said with a shrug. “I’m gay and I have a boyfriend and I’m proud of it. If any one of you has a problem with it, then I’ll kick your ass.”

Cecilia Nakamura smiled. She was so proud of her friend for finally being brave enough to say those words. She stepped up beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “You’ll have to fight me too,” she said aloud.

“Hey,” someone called out, “whatever floats your boat, man. Who the fuck cares what you do on your own time?” Several other people in the locker room nodded their heads in agreement. Szymon Skubisz smiled slightly, feeling so much better now that his secret was out in the open.

"Gage, wait up!" Sarah Mulberry called out as she entered the lobby holding a bag of groceries. Gage was standing the mailbox and he glanced at her and waved as she approached.

"What's up?" He asked when she got to his side.

"Please tell me that you don't have plans tonight. There has to be someone in this building that's not going crazy over this sappy holiday," she said as she set her groceries on the floor and checked the mailbox.

"I'm not sure," Gage responded.

"Then I'll take that as a no," Sarah said, "because if you had definite plans, then you would have said so. I was thinking that maybe we could go out and have a few drinks."

"I don't know," Gage said as he shook his head. "I think I'm gonna do something with Devon."

"With Devon? Is she your girlfriend."

"No," Gage answered, shaking his head. "I mean yes, I mean . . . maybe." He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" She questioned. "Either she's your girlfriend or she isn't. Which is it?" She inquired, siding up to him and smiling.

"She's . . . my friend," Gage explained. "But I don't know if she's my girlfriend yet," he responded.

"You need to make up your mind," Sarah said. "She's crazy if she's not into you. I mean, look at you," Sarah said as she reached forward and grabbed his arms and groped his chest. "You're hot. There are plenty of girls that would kill to have a guy like you."

"Thanks," Gage responded as he took a step back, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Normally, he would have welcomed the hands of a beautiful woman touching him, but something about this felt wrong. All he could think of was Devon.

"You look like the kind of guy that knows how to have fun," she said. "I'm the kind of girl that likes a lot of fun," she explained. "If you put the two of us together, I'm sure we could come up with some very fun things to do for hours," she added with a wink.

"I don't doubt that," Gage said as he glanced at her body, then mentally chastised himself for being such a pig.

"So, make a decision," Sarah said. "You can either sit around and wait until Devon makes up her mind about you, or you can come out with me and have a great time. Think about it," she said as she leaned in close. "I'm a sure thing."

Gage stared into Sarah's eyes and tilted his head slightly. He wanted to go with her. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to go with her. He took a step back. "I'm sorry," he said as he shook his head.

"Come on," Sarah said as she leaned in even closer so that he could feel her breath on his neck. "I'll let you decide what we do and where we do it," she smiled.

"I can't," Gage reaffirmed. "I'm sorry."

"It's a shame, it could have been great," Sarah said with a sigh as grabbed her bag of groceries and ran toward the elevator, calling out for the occupant to hold the doors open for her. Gage sighed inwardly as he turned away. He froze as he came face to face with Devon James. She stood there, at the entrance to the building, watching him in silence.

"Devon, did you get the painting . . ." he asked as he took a step forward.

"Don't talk to me," Devon said as she walked past him.

"Devon, wait," he said as he went to grab her by the arm to stop her.

Devon wrenched her arm from his grasp and turned toward him. "Just don't," she said as she pulled away and started for the elevator. Just as she pressed the button, the lights in the building flickered and then went out.

"Dammit!" She swore as she slammed her fist against the elevator.

Gage ran up behind her. "Can we talk?" He asked.

"I don't have anything to say to you," Devon said. "I already told you how I feel about Sarah."

"But how do you feel about me?" Gage questioned. "Because, honestly . . . I don't know what's happening here between the two of us . . ."

"Just . . . leave me alone," Devon said as she turned and walked toward the stairs. Gage Matthew could only sigh with frustration and watch her go.

“Hold the doors!” Sarah Mulberry called out as she ran toward the elevator, juggling a grocery bag in one hand and her purse in the other.

Jesse Martinez stepped forward and held the doors open for her. “Whoa,” he said with a smile, “are you feeding an army?”

“My grandmother’s making a lasagna and she sent me to get all the stuff,” Sarah said as she stepped onto the elevator. She glanced at Jesse’s hand and saw him holding a bottle of wine.

“Is that your surprise? You’re gonna get Kathryn drunk?” She teased.

Jesse glanced down at the bottle and smile as he shook his head. “No,” he responded. “Kathryn and I like to share a bottle of wine and stand out on the fire escape to look at the stars,” he explained. “It’s a weekly ritual,” he said as the elevator doors closed.

“So your big surprise is that you’re going to do the same thing you do every other week?” Sarah questioned. “Sounds like fun.”

Jesse smiled. “No, my big surprise for Kathryn is something really big,” he explained.

“Oh really?” Sarah questioned. “So . . . how big is it?” She asked as she glanced downward playfully, then smiled and looked up into his eyes.

Jesse’s face turned red and he smiled awkwardly. “Oh . . . um . . .” He trailed off, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the fact that he was standing in an elevator with a beautiful young woman that was staring at his crotch and making innuendoes about the size of his penis. Despite the fact that he was devoted to Kathryn, Sarah had the unfortunate effect of arousing him, and he moved the wine bottle closer to the front of his pants to hide the fact.

“Relax,” Sarah said, “I was just teasing you. God, if you get this embarrassed just talking about sex, imagine how you’d get if you actually had to have it,” she joked as the elevator jerked slightly and she was thrown against him.

“Are you okay?” Jesse questioned as the elevator came to a screeching halt. He glanced around as the lights flickered.

“I think so,” Sarah said as she glanced around the tiny elevator. “What happened?”

“The power went out again,” Jesse said. “It happens some times. It’ll be back on in a bit.”

“So we’re stuck in this elevator?” Sarah questioned.

“I’m afraid so,” Jesse admitted.

“Well, as long as I’m not stuck in here alone,” Sarah noted. “I would freak out.”

“Then it’s a good thing that I’m here,” Jesse said.

“Speaking of which,” Sarah Mulberry said with a smirk. “I think I just got an answer to my question.”

“What question?” Jesse inquired.

“It’s pretty big . . . unless I’m mistaken and that’s just your wine bottle,” she smiled.

Gage Matthews got up from the couch and opened the door to find Devon James standing there. "Hey," he said awkwardly as Devon stepped into his apartment, causing him to get flustered. He closed the door and followed her into the living room.

"Did you like the painting?" He questioned. "I saw you looking at it and . . ."

"Asshole!" Devon said as she spun around and slapped him.

Gage's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What did I do?" He questioned with surprise as his arms instinctively went up to protect his face from another assault.

"So now you're trying to get into Sarah Mulberry's pants? What did I tell you about her?" She questioned as she tried to slap him again and caught him on the arm.

"She was trying to get into my pants, not the other way around," Gage admitted. "I told her I didn't want her!"

"Bullshit. Don't lie to me," Devon threatened.

"I'm not lying," Gage explained. "I swear!"

"I could kill her! I could kill you!" She said as she slapped him on the arm again. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting my ass kicked," Gage responded from behind the safety of his arms, "but I don't know why. What did I do?" He questioned.

"You bought me a painting," Devon said.

"And that's how you say thank you?" Gage asked.

"You're not my boyfriend!" Devon exclaimed.

"No, I'm the guy protecting his face," Gage joked.

"I'm being serious here," Devon said as she whacked him again, causing Gage to jump away.

"Okay, okay!" He said as he retreated to the corner. "I won't buy you anything ever again. I'll treat you like shit and spit on you."

"Don't be a dumb ass," Devon sighed. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Why did you buy it for me?" She questioned.

Gage paused for a moment and stared at her. "Because it made you smile," he responded softly. "and I . . . I like when you smile. Because . . . because I like you. There, I said it," he said as he shrugged his shoulders. "I like you. You can kick my ass if you want, but it's true."

Devon stared at Gage in silence and shook her head. "Why?" She questioned.

"Why not?" Gage retorted. "I never met anyone like you. You tell me exactly what you think and you don't hold anything back. You're not afraid to call me on all of the stupid shit that I do. You're . . . you," he said softly.

"This isn't right, you know," she said as she shook her head. "We're not supposed to like each other. I'm not supposed to have feelings for you," she added as she turned away.

Gage slowly stepped away from the corner and walked toward Devon. "Devon," he whispered softly, but she shook her head and chose not to look at him. "Devon," he whispered again as he reached for her arm. She pulled away and shook her head again.

"No," she said softly.

"Devon, please look at me," he pleaded as he stood before her. Slowly, she lifted her gaze from the floor and stared into his eyes. He smiled at her. "You have feelings for me?" He questioned.

Devon nodded her head slowly in response and Gage smiled. "Wow," he beamed, "that must have been hard for you to admit," he said as he reached over and pulled her into a hug.

"Shut up," she said as she whacked him on the chest. "I'm scared . . ." she whispered.

"It's okay," Gage Matthews said soothingly. "I'm scared too."

"But I know one thing," Devon said, her voice getting serious, "if I ever catch you talking to Sarah Mulberry again, I swear to God . . ."

Realizing that Sarah still had her backside pressed against him, Jesse freaked out and stepped to the side. “Oh . . . that was the wine bottle,” he said, lying.

“It’s okay,” Sarah laughed. “I won’t tell anyone that you popped a boner in the elevator and pressed it against my ass.”

“Oh my God . . .” Jesse groaned as he shook his head with shame.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Sarah said. “You’re a guy, it happens all the time. Plus, it’s a really nice ass, isn’t it?” She questioned seductively.

“Sarah . . .” Jesse pleaded, wanting her to drop the subject..

“I’m just joking. Don’t take it seriously. It’s just a boner.”

“It shouldn’t happen,” Jesse responded.

“Why not?” Sarah questioned.

“Because I’m with Kathryn.”

“So what?” Sarah stated. “I just proves that you’re not as into Kathryn as you thought you were,” she said with a shrug.

“That’s not true,” Jesse responded.

“It’s not?” Sarah questioned as she set her bag of groceries on the floor.

“Oh really?”

“Yes, really. Kathryn is the only person that I want to be with,” Jesse explained. “She was there for me when I was at my worst and she’s still here for me. I would do anything for her. I’m not interested in other girls,” he explained.

“So you won’t mind if I test that theory?” Sarah questioned as she reached over and grabbed his crotch. Jesse jumped slightly with surprise.

“Sarah . . .” he said, unsure of what she was doing. It both excited and horrified him that she was grabbing him down there. “Stop . . .” he said.

“Hmm . . . looks like you’re not as into Kathryn as you thought you were,” Sarah noted as she leaned over and kissed him on the mouth.

“Sarah, stop,” Jesse said as he tried to back away. What Sarah was doing was wrong and he wanted it to stop. He didn’t want her to continue, but there was no place for him to go.

“Just let yourself go,” Sarah whispered. “Just give in, you know you want to,” she said as she tried to kiss him again. The lights in the elevator flickered on and the opened.

Kathryn Hayes stood in the hall staring at Sarah and Jesse in the elevator. “Sarah, I said stop!” Jesse yelled as he pushed Sarah away and turned to get off of the elevator. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Kathryn.

“Kathryn . . . I . . .” Jesse said, unable to find the words to use to explain what Kathryn had just seen.

Kathryn Hayes was unresponsive. Instead, she stared past Jesse, her eyes fixed on Sarah Mulberry.

“Oh thank God,” Sarah Mulberry said as she reached down to grab her groceries. “I thought I was going to be trapped in there forever,” she added as she stepped off of the elevator and walked past Kathryn, smiling.

"Kathryn, wait!" Jesse called out as he followed her down the hall. "You don't understand. I wasn't doing anything with her, I swear," he said. Kathryn shook her head and unlocked her door and tried to slam it shut, but Jesse pushed it open and stepped into her apartment.

"Get out!" She yelled as she picked up a book and threw it at him.

Jesse ducked and shut the door behind him. "Calm down," he said. "Nothing happened."

"Nothing happened?" Kathryn questioned. "She was kissing you and feeling on your crotch!" Kathryn exclaimed.

"She was trying to have sex with me," Jesse explained.

"Well, that much was obvious. I could kill her!" Kathryn exclaimed. "How could you do this to me? After everything I've done for you, how could you just throw me to the side like this?" She asked.

"I'm not! I didn't," Jesse tried to explained. "I asked her to stop. I didn't want to kiss her, I was trying to get her off of me, but . . . she had my . . . thing in her hand," he explained. "I was afraid she would squeeze it."

"Are you kidding me?" Kathryn questioned. "I'm not stupid Jesse. I have eyes. I can see, and I saw the two of you."

"What you saw was a jealous woman trying to ruin a relationship because she's all alone and has nobody," Jesse explained. "But I tried to tell her that I have somebody . . . I have you," he said as he took a step forward, "and you have me. Don't let her insecurities ruin what we have here," he pleaded.

Kathryn stared at him silently, and turned away. "I don't know what to think," she said as she shook her head and sighed.

"Then don't think," Jesse said as he stepped up behind her and encircled her with his arms. "Feel. Feel me," he said softly. "Feel my arms around you. These arms are your arms. It's where you fit . . . it's where you belong."

Kathryn turned to face him. "Do you swear that you weren't kissing her back?" She questioned. "Don't lie to me," she said. "I don't know what I'd do if I found out you were lying to me," she sighed.

"I swear. I'm not lying. I did not kiss her back. I wouldn't do that to you," he said softly as he stared into her eyes. Kathryn stared back and shook her head, smiling.

"I believe you," she said as she leaned forward and kissed him.

"I'm sorry that I worried you," Jesse said once they pulled away from the kiss.

"It's not your fault," Kathryn responded. "I blame her . . . that slut. She thinks she can just move in and do whatever she wants. I hate her," she admitted.

"Don't worry about Sarah," Jesse said. "I don't want her, I want you."

Kathryn smiled at Jesse kissed him again. "I won't," she said, "as far as I'm concerned, Sarah Mulberry doesn't exist."

Cayden checked the clock on the wall for the third time and sighed. When he heard a knock on the door, he jumped up from the couch and ran over to the door, throwing it open. With a smile on his face, he catapulted forward and threw his arms around Szymon Skubisz.

"Whoa," Szymon said once he had Cayden in his arms, "that's a pretty nice welcome."

"I missed you," Cayden said once he pulled away.

Szymon smiled and lifted a single rose into view. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said softly. "I've come to take you out on a date."

"A date?" Cayden questioned playfully as he grabbed the rose and gingerly lifted it to his nose to inhale the sweet scent. "Where are we going?" He questioned.

"We're going on a real date," Szymon explained. "We can hold hands and kiss and everything. I'm tired of hiding who I really am," he said. "I want to be with you and I want everyone to know."

Surprised, Cayden glanced into Szymon's eyes. "But . . . I thought you wanted to take it slow," he said.

"I finally came out of the closet. I mean really out of the closet. I told everyone at work. I told everyone I know," he explained. "I don't care what people think, I just want to be able to show you that I love you."

Cayden smiled and hugged Szymon again, pulling him in close. "I'm so proud of you," he said softly.

"Come on," Szymon said, "get your coat. I'm taking you out on the town and I'm going to show you off."

With a smile on his face, Cayden lifted the rose to his nose once more and reached out to grab Szymon's hand. "I think I'd rather stay in," Cayden said softly.

Szymon paused and stared at him for a moment. "Are you sure?" He questioned hesitantly. "I mean . . . is this what you want?"

"It's what I want," Cayden responded with a nod.

Szymon smiled and stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind him. "Okay then," he said as he leaned in for a kiss. Cayden shut his eyes and kissed him fully, exploring Szymon's mouth with his tongue. He felt a tingle rush down his spine.

Szymon pulled away and lifted Cayden into his arms and carried him into the bedroom. Slowly, he set Cayden down on the bad and got on top of him. He looked into Cayden's eyes and smiled. "Look at you," he said softly.

"What?" Cayden questioned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Szymon said as he shook his head. "You're perfect."

"Well, you're not so bad yourself," Cayden smiled as he leaned up to kiss Szymon once again.

Kathryn Hayes smiled as she stared down at Jesse Martinez while he lay naked in her bed. Gingerly, she ran her fingers through his hair and watched as he sighed and smiled and turned onto his side.

She watched him in silence. He looked like an angel and she didn’t want to wake him. A think sheen of sweat lightly coated his body and ran her hands across his belly. He stirred. She quieted. Slowly, she got up from the bed and reached for her robe to clothe her naked body. The moonlight filtered through the curtains and cast her shadow across the bed. She moved to the door.

“Where are you going?” Jesse questioned, causing her to pause and glance back over her shoulder.

“I need a drink of water,” she said softly. “I’ll be right back.”

Jesse smiled and reached down to rub his hand over his belly. “Don’t be too long, or I’ll miss you,” he whispered.

“I’ll just be a few minutes,” Kathryn said, “it won’t be long enough for you to miss me.”

“I miss you already. I want to do it again,” he said with a smile.

“Then I’ll be right back,” Kathryn said with a wink.

***

Gage Matthews lay in his bed with Devon James. He had a smile on his face. His arms were wrapped around the young woman and he held her tightly, their naked bodies pressed against each other. He breathed in deeply and exhaled, then laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Devon questioned.

“Nothing,” Gage responded. “I just never thought in a million years that I’d be right here with you,” he explained, “but now that I am, there’s no place else that I want to be.”

Devon sighed as she pulled away from him and sat up on the edge of the bed. “What’s wrong?” Gage questioned, slightly concerned. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

Devon turned toward him. She could see the concern in his eyes. “No,” she said as she shook her head and smiled. She reached over and placed her hand on his chest. “There’s no where else I’d rather be either,” she admitted.

“Then where are you going?” Gage questioned.

“To the kitchen,” Devon explained. “I’m thirsty.”

Gage smiled and shook his head. “Okay, but you come right back, my arms are empty. I don’t like that,” he said softly.

***

Cayden King felt complete as he lay in Szymon Skubisz’s arms. There was a smile on his face that spoke of solace and contentment. He was happy. “That was great,” he said softly, his chest still heaving from their passionate love-making.

“The best,” Szymon admitted as he pulled Cayden into his arms even tighter. “I don’t ever want to let you go,” he said.

“So don’t,” Cayden responded. “Just hold me.”

“Forever and ever,” Szymon whispered. He reached down to his hand and slid off a ring.

“What are you doing?” Cayden questioned as Szymon grabbed his hand.

“I want you to have this,” Szymon said softly as he slid the ring onto Cayden’s finger.

“You want me to wear your ring?” Cayden questioned. He could feel the excitement building within him.

“I do,” Szymon responded.

“Then I’ll wear it,” Cayden said with a smile. The ring was too large and fell off, but Cayden grabbed it and slipped it on again. “It’s too big,” he said, “but I’ll wear it anyway, just because you gave it to me.”

“Good,” Szymon beamed. “You know what else is big?” He questioned.

“What?” Cayden questioned.

Szymon didn’t respond. Instead, he threw the sheets to the side and pointed downward. Cayden laughed and shook his head. “Well, would you look at that . . .” he said with a smirk.