Noah's New Plan - 5. Chapter 5

Noah's fake date with Eli started out a complete and utter disaster. He was so damned embarrassed. It was like he couldn't get his mouth or even his brain to work. He wasn't surprised when the other man finally lost patience with him.

But then something happened. Noah stopped worrying about what to do, what to say, what to think. It wasn't like he had to impress Eli. It wasn't a real date. The man was simply buying Noah dinner to apologize.

The other man ended up surprising Noah with his charm and they had spent the rest of the date talking and laughing over dessert.

Noah didn't plan on seeing Eli again, but the two men had traded phone numbers. Even though Eli wasn't Noah's type, it was good practice for a real date.

The sound of tinkling chimes snapped Noah out of his daydreams.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The name on the screen was the last he expected to see.

Derek Pepper.

Why on earth would the man be calling him now? Was he calling to say that he had made a mistake? Would Noah even take him back?

Sliding his finger across the screen at the last possible second, Noah answered the call. "Hello?"

"Noah?" The man's voice sounded so smooth.

"Hi, Derek." Noah's heart was in his throat. He hoped that his voice came across as calm.

"I'd like to talk to you. It's important. Can we meet tonight?"

Noah swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yes."

"I'll see you at the house at six."

"All right. Bye, Derek."

He hung up the phone and looked at the calendar under his desk blotter. He tapped his fingers on the calendar months, backwards starting from today.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

That was the night that Derek walked out. The day after their twentieth anniversary. That night Derek packed a bag and left. The bastard didn't even look back.

Tonight Noah would make him grovel a little bit before he decided if he would even forgive him.

* * * *

As soon as his shift ended, Noah hurried home and jumped into the shower. He made sure he was nice and clean and well-groomed. He didn't have time to manscape, though. Not that Derek would be getting the opportunity to see any of that. He would have to earn that right. But Noah did splash on a bit of the cologne Derek bought him last Christmas.

When Derek arrived at six o'clock on the dot, he walked right into the house without knocking.

It was strange. Noah was slightly taken aback by seeing the man come in like that. He acted like he had never left. In a way it was comforting, but in the back of Noah's head, it just seemed... wrong.

"Hello, Derek," Noah greeted him with a smile. "It's good to see you."

"You, too, Noah." Derek looked Noah up and down and then smiled. "How have you been?"

Why did that smile make Noah's heart flutter just like it did all those years ago? "I've been fine. I haven't had time to make dinner yet. If you're hungry, maybe we could go out?"

"I don't really have time," Derek said as he glanced at his BlackBerry. "Listen. I needed to come by to tell you that I decided to put the house on the market. So, I'll need you to make sure you keep it presentable, and to be available on the realtor's schedule."

To say that he was shocked was an understatement. Noah grabbed the back of the love seat to steady himself. "You're selling our home?"

"Technically it's my home."

"Oh." Noah felt the tears welling up. "So you didn't want..." He took a breath and shook his head. "Never mind."

"You'll have some time to get your things in order. You understand, don't you? You had to know that this wasn't permanent."

No, he didn't know. And he didn't understand. "What? Oh. Yeah. Of course."

"All right. I need to go. Regan is waiting for me in the car."

Ah, yes. The twenty-something twink. How did Noah forget about him? "Regan? Is that his name? We certainly can't keep him waiting."

Derek sighed impatiently. "Noah."

Noah shrugged. "I'm just saying. Who names their kid Regan? Didn't his parents see The Exorcist?" Noah scoffed. "Well, I suppose the name fits." Seeing how the little homewrecking slut was a demon from hell.

"It's Reagan with an 'A'. His parents are staunch republicans."

"Same thing."

"I'm not going to talk to you when you're like this."

Derek turned and walked out. And like last time, he didn't look back.

* * * *

Another draw.

Noah had played eight games of Solitaire in a row. He wasn't going to stop until he won, but now he didn't even care. In his hurt and anger, he just wasn't able to concentrate. He thought that playing the game on his laptop would keep him from thinking about what happened earlier in the evening. If he thought about it too hard, he would spend the rest of the night crying his eyes out. He had shed more than enough tears for Derek Pepper.

Maybe the kids at work were right. Maybe what he needed was to meet someone and have a little fun. Cross off that first item on his list.

Noah slammed the lid of his laptop shut and got up from his sofa.

He was going out.

Standing in his closet, he flipped through the hanging clothes searching for the right outfit to wear to a gay bar. Somewhere he could meet a hot guy. A guy who would look at Noah like he was sexy, not toss him aside like trash, all for some young piece of ass. Someone who couldn't keep their hands off Noah.

Maybe he could meet that someone at a place like the Buckle...