GENRE: Gay Spicy Romance
LENGTH: 10,095 words
RATING:

Sonny Bonhomie is happy by nature. Nothing ever stops him from going after what he wants, which is how he ends up in bed with the very sexy Noah Stiles. They spend a great night together and all is roses, until Sonny catches Noah kissing the stern CFO, Bridges Barfield -- Sonny’s boss.

When Sonny accuses Noah of cheating, Noah readily admits to an open relationship with Bridges. Then Sonny finds out the real reason why Noah slept with him in the first place. Licking his wounds, Sonny needs a change of scene and ends up at a new LGBT bookstore. There he comes face to face with Bruce, a bartender from his old club. They hit it off, and something unexpected grows between them.

Can Sonny navigate all the upheaval in his life and still manage not to fall into the sunshine blues?

EXCERPT:
Note: may contain sexually explicit scenes of a homoerotic nature.

That evening, I went to my new favorite haunt because there was a reading by an author I had recently discovered. She had written a very moving memoir about coming out to her parents and the difficulties she endured over the years following that confession.

While listening to her speak, I glanced around me and was surprised to see Bruce, the bartender from Johnny’s Hole, sitting two rows in front of me. He looked good in the overhead lighting, his green eyes bright, skin healthy and brown hair gelled into a striking style.

When the presentation was over, I wanted to say hello, but he was already surrounded by men who wanted to get to know him better, in every way possible. I caught his gaze and he smiled, apparently pleased to see me. He excused himself from the limpet-like crowd and headed over to where I stood.

“Hey, Sonny,” he greeted me and gave me a hug, which was surprising. “I haven’t seen you at the club in a while. You okay, man?”

“Oh sure. Decided I needed something different and discovered this place. It’s not bad. I don’t get laid as often, but hey, I remembered that there was more to life than sex. It makes a nice change.”

Bruce laughed. “I come here a few times a week when I’m not on shift. I don’t live far away, and I like to support independent booksellers. They have cool programs here, too.”

“Yeah, I found that out.”

He became serious. “I’m real sorry about what that jerk Noah and his buddies did to you. I thought you handled the whole thing really well, and I don’t blame you if you never come back. Though I’ll miss the sight of your hot body, frenetically dancing to the tunes.”

I pretended to be shocked. “Frenetic? Me?”

“Please. You know you are. I’m the complete opposite of that, but it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy watching people let themselves go.”

“So why work at a bar?” I asked, curious.

“It keeps me from becoming a hermit. I prefer places like this, usually, but I can’t argue with the tips I get, all because I wear a tight shirt that showcases my nipples.”

We laughed together at that. Tonight, he wore a simple Polo shirt and jeans, nothing fancy. It didn’t matter, though. Men were attracted to him like flies. Even as we stood there talking, there were guys watching him, waiting for their chance to bust in and make him theirs for the night, if they could.

“Well, to be honest,” I said, “it doesn’t matter what you wear. You’d be hot in a burlap sack.” I shrugged. “Sucks to be you.”

He poked me in the ribs. “Funny. Hey, what are you doing the rest of the night?”

“I have work tomorrow, and a spin class first thing, so I should be heading home.”

He seemed disappointed, which I didn’t expect. “Well, I’ll be here again on Thursday night. So maybe I’ll see you?”

“Sure. For now, I’ll leave you to your adoring public.” I winked at him and he snorted.

“Whatever. Have a good night, Sonny. It was really nice to see you. You’re a great guy and didn’t deserve the way you were treated.” He looked like he meant it.

“I appreciate that, Bruce.”