Noah's New Plan - 1. Chapter 1

As Noah Anderson pulled his toothbrush from the fancy glass holder on his bathroom vanity, he gave pause. Still sitting next to his purple toothbrush was Derek's red-handled brush. The ends were frayed and bent out ever-so-slightly, a testament to the way the man scrubbed much too hard.

Noah had no idea why he kept the red toothbrush, nor did he know why Derek didn't take it with him. Derek had left six months ago and he wasn't coming back.

After applying his special sensitive toothpaste to the bristles, Noah set about cleaning his teeth. He stared at his reflection in the mirror as he did so, wondering where the time went.

The blond dye in his naturally brown hair was nearly all the way grown out now. One more haircut would take care of it. As he grew older, his hair had darkened and he regularly had it colored to match his younger shade. But ever since Derek left, he couldn't afford to get it dyed and styled at the expensive salon downtown.

That wasn't the only change over the past six months. His vision fading, he was reduced to wearing progressive lenses in his glasses. Glasses he never would have dared to wear when he was with Derek. Derek didn't like the way they hid his light brown eyes and insisted on contact lenses.

Derek wouldn't have approved of the fine hair that had grown back on his chest and around his dick either. Not that it mattered. It had been so long since Derek had even looked at him naked, let alone touched him.

Noah was still in nice shape for his age. Regular workouts on the treadmill and endless salads kept his figure nice and slim. And thanks to his mom's fabulous genes, he could pass for several years younger than his true age.

He did a lot to keep Derek happy. But what was the point of it now?

Noah had to face the facts. He was no longer a cute young twink who could turn someone like Derek Pepper's eye. He was forty-one years old.

He was single and starting over.

The only man he had ever loved, the only man he had ever had made love with, had left him. Twenty years Noah gave him. And Derek left him for a stupid twink. Some twenty-something law clerk. Some slut who came in and shook his ass at the firm's senior partner.

Of course, twenty years ago, Noah was the twink that caught Derek's eye.

Noah would never forget the first time he saw Derek Pepper. The older man was so suave and sophisticated. He walked into the library like he owned the place. He was the most handsome man Noah had ever seen. At thirty-one years old, Derek was already a successful attorney at his firm, ruthless and ambitious. Back then, Noah was a twenty-one year old library clerk. That Derek wanted anything to do with a shy geek like Noah absolutely floored him.

But when Derek Pepper wanted something, he got it. And for some reason, he wanted Noah. Derek swept Noah off his feet and he never looked back.

Fast forward to now.

Derek had recently turned fifty. He was still a stud though, and he only got better with age. He kept in fantastic shape. His hair was more salt than pepper these days, but it only made him look more handsome and distinguished. More than once, Noah had heard people compare him to George Clooney in the looks department, and there was something of a resemblance. Not only in his looks, but in the attitude as well. As a senior partner at his law firm, he was successful and well-off. It shouldn't have been a surprise that others would try to steal him.

But Noah was secure in their relationship. So secure that he had blinders on. He ignored all of the signs. The late nights at work. The reluctance to discuss marriage even though it was now legal here. The mysterious phone calls that he needed to take in another room. The condoms in his gym bag. The forgotten twenty-year anniversary dinner, complete with a beef wellington that totally dried out while sitting in the oven.

Well, Noah didn't exactly ignore the last sign so much. Noah had worked so hard on that dinner, making sure everything was perfect. He had prepared Derek's favorite meal, groomed himself to perfection. After the candlelit dinner, Derek would make love to him. Instead, Derek strolled in at midnight. The ensuing argument was what triggered the announcement that Derek was leaving.

At least Derek had let him stay in the house. He wouldn't have been able to afford the mortgage otherwise, surely not on a public library director's salary.

Noah had no idea how he was supposed to start over, but he was going to have to get on with his life. If Dorothy Zbornak could do it, so could he.

He just needed a new plan.

And he was starting right now with step one.

He picked up the frayed red toothbrush and tossed it. It bounced off the toilet bowl and plopped into the trashcan with a clink.