least, and she was well aware of the fact. Picking up the phone, I held it to my ear with my shoulder as I pulled on my pants.

"Hello. Todd?"

"Yes."

"Charles Benet, returning your call."

"Oh, hey man. Thanks for the loan this afternoon."

"No need to thank me for that, and no need to repay me either."

"Oh, just trying to get clients."

"What?"

"The card, looking for business."

"Oh, you need a lawyer?"

"Um, no. I was actually hoping you were hitting on me."

"I was. What are you doing tonight?"

"I don’t have anything planned for tonight."

"You know the place on fifth over in Perkinsville?"

"The leather bar?"

"Yeah. Problem?"

"No, well, not exactly. Just I have heard of it, never been there. See, This is my hometown, I am visiting and..."

"You’re not out."

"Yeah. Well, I am sort of. It is complicated. Just don’t want things getting back to my father. He doesn’t approve of things."

"Well, I could pick you up at the convenience store. Come to my house, I’ll make pasta."

"I don’t mean to be a pain."

"No, I understand. So your dad hangs out in leather bars?"

Laughing, "No. Just seems like whenever I am in town, things tend to go wrong."

"Oh, you will have to tell me about that, at seven?"

"Sure, see you in half an hour."

A giggle was clearly heard over the line, then a click.

"What?"

"Oh, sorry, I think someone picked up on the other line, don’t worry about it. Later Charles."

Ok, it takes a lot to make me angry and one thing that can throw me over the edge is someone listening in on my private conversations.
In just my jeans, I flew into the living room.

"Ok, which one of you was listening in on my call?"

"Todd, what are you talking about?"

"Stop with the fucking shit. I heard. Junior high school ended a long time ago, so grow up."

"I’m not gonna be judged by a stupid queer."

"Joan, I may be queer, but I am not stupid." I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door.

"Tell Tessa I won’t be back. If I had known what a bitch you really are, Joan, I would have given you the nice hard spanking you deserved. No, wait, you would probably have enjoyed it. And Joan, for your information… you can’t kiss. " Slamming the door, I left.

I put my bag in my car and drove to the store. I was surprised when Charles pulled up in a Dodge Ram pick up.

"Nice wheels."

"Yours too. Just what is that?"

"63 Ford Mustang. So, it just needs a little work."

"You came all the way from California in that?"

"Haha, yeah. I just rebuilt the engine; runs great. I admit, needs a lot of body work. Give me time."

"You restore cars for a living?"

"No, just for fun. I work on them, keep them a while and end up selling. My dad owns the garage down on Franklin. Worked there since I