OC’s: Kadyn and Friends
It was dusk when Kadyn swung off the main highway. He was soon driving down the Main Street; the familiar sights causing a flutter of excitement to race through his stomach. He was finally home.
He slowed down, not wanting to miss any of the changes that might have taken place over the last several months. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that the name printed on the book store windows had been changed from ’The Book Market’ to “Brain Enhancements’. He smiled when he saw the paint work; glad to see his friend, Rene, finally had the chance to do his thing.
Next he noticed the new signage on his mother’s old hair salon. Gone were the faded words ‘Choice Cuts’. They had been replaced with big bright lettering that read ‘Curl Up & Dye’. He chuckled at both signs, liking the modern-day messages they seemed to impart even when one was surrounded by caricatures from gone-by days.
Turning into the alleyway between the salon and his father’s variety store, Kadyn slowed to a stop in one of the vacant spots behind the two buildings. He shut off the motor and took a moment to get off a couple of text messages. “We’re home, Bandit!” he announced, startling his pet out of a sound sleep. “Let’s get upstairs. I can clean out the car later.”
Taking the stairs two at a time, he excitedly raced his four-legged companion into the apartment he’d grown up in. “Mom! Dad! We’re here!” he declared unnecessarily, his joyful laughter having heralded his arrival.
Hugs and kisses were exchanged before Kadyn found himself seated at the kitchen table and a warmed-up supper placed in front of him.
“Haven’t had anything this good in a very long time, Mom,” Kadyn praised around a mouthful of roasted potato. He continued eating without saying anything more until his plate was empty. Pushing back his chair, he felt his stomach and grinned. “I’m pretty sure I have room for dessert if there’s any.”
“As if there wouldn’t be,” his father teased as his wife got up to cut their son a large piece of chocolate cake.
“So,” Kadyn spoke once he’d finished. “Guess this will be all mine when you get your new place.” He waved his arm and glanced around the familiar surroundings.
“That’s going to be sooner than we originally anticipated,” Samuel informed him.
“How so? You were only assessed a little over a week ago and put on the waiting list. I figured with a bit of luck it might still take up to a year to get a unit in the Senior‘s Complex.”
“Well the list doesn’t use a first-come method,” Mariah began. “Health factors and present living conditions have a lot to do with it.”
“And between your mother’s failing strength in her legs and the stairs leading up to this apartment, we were moved to the top of the list; not that it was a very long one to begin with. The number of seniors in Jade Heights hardly rivals that in Kelowna or other cities.”
“We got a call this past Friday telling us about a lady who was moving into a nursing home located in Kamloops to be nearer her daughter, and asking if we’d be interested in her unit.” Mariah’s eyes were sparkling; so very much like her son’s often did.
“Naturally we jumped on it,” Samuel declared. “We take up occupancy in three weeks’ time on the fifteen of May. That will give the managers plenty of time to renovate.”
“They’re painting the entire place and laying new carpets,” Mariah continued when her husband paused for a moment. “We have the movers already lined up.”
“Just leave me a bed to sleep in,” Kadyn laughed as he got to his feet. “I’m going down to get my belongings out of the car. It shouldn’t take long; a couple of trips should do it.”
“Can you use some help?” Samuel inquired, standing up with intentions of lending a hand.
“Nah, I can handle it. Thanks anyway, Dad.” Kadyn turned to leave and then changed his mind. “By the way, Dad, how come your car isn’t parked inside?”
“We don’t own the garage anymore; sold it with the hair salon.” Samuel chuckled at the questioning expression on his son’s face. “You’ll understand the reasoning behind it when you get a load of Logan’s fancy red sports car.”
“If you say so,” Kadyn replied with a shrug and headed for the back door once again. “Be right back.”
“You’ll probably want to make a few phone calls before hitting the hay, son,” Samuel suggested.
“Your father’s right. Several of your friends have been asking about your return. One in particular is getting a little impatient. Rene’s called at least twice today. I overheard his partner in the background…”
“Husband,” Kadyn corrected.
“Pardon me, dear?”
“Zack is Rene’s husband.”
“Oh, right. Well I heard him telling Rene to stop bothering people; that you’d let him know when you got here.”
“I’ve already text-messaged him and Kyler. God knows, in this small town others will find out soon enough.” Kadyn’s laughter could be heard as he ran out the door.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kadyn had spent his first day home helping his dad mark down the leftover Easter candy and visiting with the town folks who dropped by to see if the fast spreading rumour of his being home was really true. He was looking forward to a more relaxing afternoon talking over old times and catching up on the latest news with his best friend, Rene.
The aroma of fresh brewed coffee filled the air as he checked the small table, smiling at his mother’s thoughtfulness in providing a plate of sandwiches and another of sweets for him to offer to his guest. He had not seen Rene since last October. Half a year was a long time and he was cheerfully looking forward to picking up where he‘d left off.
Kadyn looked up at the clock as the tiny bell on the front door jingled to announce Rene’s arrival. He was wearing an ear-to-ear grin when he ran out to greet his best friend.
Rene had missed Kadyn so much these last six months and had also been worried about his friend. He knew something of being alone on the road alone after the end of a relationship and he was very glad Kadyn had returned home to his family and friends. Though Rene had formed a lot of friendships since moving to Jade Heights, Kadyn was his first and best friend; well, besides Zack of course.
He’d felt so bad for Kadyn when he’d first heard the news about Vincent leaving him. He’d also been very angry with Vincent and it had taken Zack a long time to get Rene to understand the circumstances behind it. Now he was past all of that and just anxious for them to catch up with all the happenings in their lives.
The smell of coffee filled his nostrils as he opened the door to the convenience store. There was no doubt Kadyn was home!
Kadyn raced down the short aisle and past their long-time employee, Ben, who was standing at the cash register with a silly grin on his somewhat weathered face that rivalled the one on Kadyn’s.
“It’s so good to see you again, Rene!” Kadyn greeted enthusiastically, throwing his arms around his friend and giving him a hug that almost crushed the other man.
Rene returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. “It’s great to see you too, K. I’ve really missed you.”
“Come on, come on. I’ve got lunch set up in the back room and Ben says he can mind the store on his own. I’m so glad you got the rest of the afternoon off. Man, have we got a lot to talk about.” Kadyn gently shoved his friend along in front of him and then into one of the chairs next to the table. “Have a seat and dig in.”
“This looks great,” Rene replied as he picked up a sandwich. “I want to hear all about your trip back home. You can’t imagine how happy I was when I got your last email to say you were on your way.”
“It was a great trip even if it seemed really long and boring in spots; the Prairies especially. I think I spent a week in Saskatchewan one afternoon; did it twice in fact, once going east and again coming home. By the time I got to the Alberta border on the way back, I was ready to slit my throat out of sheer boredom. Thank goodness I spotted that small group of buffalo to break up the monotony. Mind you it gave me a lot of time to think, which is what I needed most when I left here.” Kadyn paused to scoff down a sandwich.
“When I finally arrived on the Rock; that’s what they call Newfoundland, I found work almost immediately in a fish plant. I eventually even got a chance to work on a trawler. Sure is different there compared to here. Weather is a lot harsher though. It’s good to be back where it’s warmer. They‘re really having a shitty Spring in Atlantic Canada.”
“So now that you’re home, what are your plans for the future?” Rene enquired.
“Well, as you may already know, my mom has retired and my dad is about to. So this now becomes all mine!” Kadyn excitedly announced, holding out his arms and waving them about to include the entire building. “When I was growing up, I was forever asking my dad to make this just a candy store and get rid of a lot of the groceries that take up so much space. He always repeated the same words: ‘someday when all this is yours, you can do whatever you want, but for now it will stay as it is’. Well, ‘someday’ has finally arrived!” Kadyn was practically bouncing in his chair. “And man, do I have a lot of changes in mind.”
Rene smiled. It was good to hear the sound of enthusiasm return to his friend’s voice. “What kind of changes are you thinking about?”
“First, I am getting rid of all the stuff I will no longer be selling. I figure I can donate most of it to the food bank or something. Next, the whole place is getting a face-lift. I am going to install a walk-in freezer and turn this place into an old-fashion ice-cream parlour. I’m gonna have one whole wall a candy display with containers filled with every sweet imaginable. I want to order in special treats like the kind I got for your wedding.” Leaning closer to his friend, Kadyn confided, “This will allow me to change the hours I’m open. I’ll be able to cut back in the winter when things are slower. Ben will be happy too because he’s been hinting at working a shorter week. I think he’s got a new lady friend. It still means I need to hire some extra staff; at least one person to begin with. Kyler’s gonna take over the bookkeeping for me like he did with my ceramic shop before it burned to the ground.”
“Wow, Kadyn, you’ve really thought this out and it sounds like a great plan. Jade Heights could use a place like that.”
“Yeah, but it’s going to take a few weeks to get it all done up the way I want. I think it’ll be worth all the work and expense though. Good thing I got in the habit of sleeping less. I’ve turned into a bit of a night owl. Will you be available to paint new pictures on the window to match the changes?”
“For sure, I could even do up signage for you. You know boards listing the ice cream flavours with some coordinating images of sundaes, milk shakes, etc. I have three afternoons when I’m off from the nursery school and I could probably talk Zack into letting me work a couple of evenings.”
“Man, that’ll be great! It will be during this time that I will also be helping my parents move into the Seniors Complex. They got a place just a few doors down from Kyler’s in-laws and they’re really thrilled about it. That will leave me with the apartment upstairs all to myself.” Kyler’s grin turned mischievous as he thought of all the fun he could have living on his own. “So now that I’ve told you my plans, how about bringing me up-to-date on all that’s been going on around this fair town of ours?”
“Well, Emily Davison was really sad to lose her job at the book store. The new owners, Justin and Winnie Ramsay, just don’t have need of an employee. Between them and their teenage kids, they have more than enough coverage for the store. They have a set of twins; Jeffery and Judith. Meanwhile, Emily is working at the Maple Grill. Boy, waitressing is just not her happy place. Todd was complaining about her service being kinda poor, but we always try to give her a generous tip anyway because she has her daughter to support.”
“Maybe Emily will like to work for me?”
“I bet she would. You should ask her,” Rene encouraged. “I guess the bank told you the Ramsay’s are the ones who bought your house. They’ve been doing some renovations on the place so it’s looking pretty good.”
“Mr. Hudson from the bank emailed me to ask how I wanted the balance of sale handled. I had him deposit all proceeds in Vincent’s account because I didn’t want any of it. It was really Vince’s house; I just lived there.” A hint of sadness appeared on Kadyn’s face at the mention of the home he had shared with Vincent. He quickly tried to cover up, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Have you heard from him?” Rene asked quietly.
There was a moment or two of silence as Kadyn uncharacteristically thought over his response. He nodded slowly and quietly replied, “Yeah, we’ve exchanged a couple of emails. Like I suspected, he’d gone home to his parents in Vancouver while undergoing his treatments. I could have gone after him but was too hurt and then too pissed off. Logically, I understand he wasn’t capable of making rational decisions when he first got sick; but at the time I really just wanted to get away from everything and lick my wounds.”
Kadyn paused and took another long swallow of his drink before adding, “Vince apologized for leaving like he did, even though I now know it wasn’t his fault. He would never have deliberately hurt me; he just wasn’t thinking straight. Although, he still tires easily and sometimes has trouble remembering details, he is recovering nicely.”
“Are you and he…well, I mean, is it over for sure? No chance you’ll reconcile?”
Kadyn vigorously shook his head. “No chance at all. You know, there were people who didn’t mind commenting on our age difference; kinda hinting at it possibly becoming a problem. Maybe they had a good point. I think if I’d have been older and possibly more experienced, I might have better understood the radical mood swings and signs of depression that now in hindsight stand out so clearly. Vince was dealing with an inner demon of sorts and wasn’t able to share it with me. Anyway, I told him it might be better for both of us to think of starting fresh and hopefully one day falling in love with someone closer to our own ages. A few days later, he emailed me back and said that after some serious reflecting, he agreed with me. So we’ve kind of decided to go our separate ways with no hard feelings on either side….just a lot of very fond memories.”
“I’m sorry, K. But as my mom always says, ‘what’s meant to be will be’. I’m sure you will find someone else; you just need to give it some time.” Rene hesitated before asking what had been on his mind for some time. “Have you thought about being in another discipline relationship; of having another Top?”
“Oh yeah,” Kadyn nodded. “I’ve often thought about it. I truly miss the structure and having someone in my life who cares enough to watch out for me when I get too impulsive to do the job myself. Man, I was involved in some really wild schemes when I was on the Rock. I used to hang out with some of the guys I worked with at the fish plant. Every Friday night I’d go home with Austin and his mom would serve up the most delicious moose meat stew with homemade biscuits. Once we finished pigging-out there we’d meet up with the others and party. That ‘screech’ made us crazy. Later, when we’d been blessed enough to survive our foolishness. I’d find myself wishing there had been someone to have stopped us. We were damn lucky never to have caused ourselves a serious injury, or worse.”
“You’re home now, Kadyn. I can’t see you behaving like that here. But I do understand you wanting another Top. It’s kinda habit forming, having someone there for you all the time.” Rene chuckled. “And the feeling you get from being able to let go and let your partner take charge is pretty great.”
“But Tops just don’t fall out of the trees, Rene,” Kadyn laughed. “Besides, it won’t be easy finding someone willing to take me on. And then there is another issue to be considered: am I able to trust again?”
“I think when the right person comes along you’ll know it and trust them. You’ll just have to give yourself the chance.”
Hoping a change of subject might help, Rene came up with something else. “Oh, and Suzie Jackson at the bank had a baby boy last month.” Rene helped himself to another sandwich as he went on to fill Kadyn in on the last of the local gossip. “Anyway, I think that’s about all the happenings in and around Jade Heights,” he finished up several minutes later.
“Except the sale of my Mom’s hairdressing place,” Kadyn teased his friend at the forgetting of that one piece of news. He got up to put on a third pot of fresh coffee after refilling their cups and draining the last out of the second pot. “Mom told me a guy bought it, and Dad was mentioning something about him also buying our garage to store his fancy car in. You didn’t happen to see it, did you?”
“Oh yeah, I saw it. Everyone in town has noticed it; a red hot, two-seater Beamer convertible.”
Kadyn whistled. “Must have money,” he commented with a shrug. “Guess I’ll be seeing him around sooner or later. My folks were telling me about all the changes he’s made to the old shop. He even renovated the upstairs apartment my mom used to rent out, to expand the services offered and now he lives at one end in a small bed-sitter of sorts. But being single probably means he doesn’t need a lot of room. He is single, right?” Kadyn was getting a little nosey.
“Yes, he’s single. And Mrs. Smythe told me he plays for our team,” Rene answered with a grin. “And he’s even hotter looking than his car.”
Kaydn burst out laughing. “You wouldn’t be trying your hand at matchmaking, would you, Rene?”
“Now would I do that?”
“You sure as hell would,” Kadyn returned the friendly banter.
Just then Ben called out for assistance from the front of the store. Kadyn and Rene had been talking over old times and just plain catching up with each other for almost three hours. But now with school out for the day, business was picking up as it usually did at this time every afternoon.
The two young men worked as a team to swiftly tidy up the little room and say their good-byes with plans to meet up again in a couple of days.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Logan softly chuckled at the sound of the little bell ringing to announce his arrival. It gave one a sense of welcome. He’d been coming in daily since the grand opening to treat himself to an ice cream cone, and had been unequivocally impressed with the transformation that had taken place in what had once been a convenience store but was now a sweet-tooth owner’s delight. Gone were the old shelves containing food goods, the magazine racks, and the old checkout counter; in their place were display cases of every imaginable confectionery available. And to Logan, the ice cream choices were to die for. He enjoyed walking along the cooler and trying to decide what flavour he would have on any given day.
After having his order filled by Emily, he sat down on a stool and glanced around the shop. He smiled at the senior couple sitting in one of the three booths, sharing a banana split. He wondered if they were reminiscing about having done the same thing when they were teenagers. The entire décor was a reproduction of soda fountains in days gone by and the music coming from the old-fashion jukebox in the far corner was certainly conducive for remembering the past as the tunes it played were from the fifties and sixties, and still cost only twenty-five cents for three songs. Ben had informed Logan that all the proceeds went to the food bank.
The place was quickly becoming a hangout of sorts for the older crowd. Logan found this fascinating. He’d heard a lot about the town since arriving in Jade Heights and opening his beauty salon. His clients went out of their way to keep him informed of all the goings-on; not only past and present, but sometimes prophecies for the future. He’d been told enough about a certain young man’s antics to warrant him shrinking from the unavoidable prospect of eventually running into him. After all, they were next door neighbours.
Logan’s family had been far from being a conventional one. His parents were rather bohemian and had spent their lives chasing dreams; many of which had come true and those that hadn’t had been philosophically shrugged off as never meant to be. Justin and Miriam Walsh had fallen madly in love and still were. Unfortunately, their deep devotion to each other excluded almost everyone else, including their children. Logan had mostly been raised by his older sister, Eve. It was her influence that ultimately directed his professional choice in cosmetology.
He had never been aware of having a sexual preference different than his parents. He had not clued into being uninterested in girls, probably because he hadn’t been overly attracted to boys either. But that was until Simon had come into his life.
Simon, who had started out as a client but ended up as a mentor, benefactor and lover. A man well over twenty-five years Logan’s senior; a man who had taken Logan under his wing and taught him to embrace who and what he was instead of ignoring both; a man who had died much too soon as far as his many friends and protégé would have wanted had they been given a choice. Logan had met this wonderful person when he was only twenty-one and they’d spent several extremely happy years together until Simon’s passing just over a year ago.
It was Simon who had introduced the topic of discipline relationships. Although Logan refused to accept the truth of it, Simon had patiently maintained that the young man was a Top and needed someone who he could cherish and give direction to. Logan insisted he wasn’t cut out to handle a Brat; he lacked the time and the inclination.
Simon had always ended such discussion with ‘we’ll just have to wait and see if you get lucky or not’. His eyes would twinkle as if he knew something Logan didn’t.
Logan was pulled from his musing by a baffling clamour coming from overhead. He looked quizzically at Ben who rolled his eyes and humourless answered the unspoken question.
“It’s Kadyn; he found old roller skates while helping his parents pack.” Ben figured that one sentence explained everything. “Unfortunately, he also found the dang key,” he grumbled seconds before loud thumping and banging was heard from near the back of the building.
Logan followed Emily and Ben as they raced towards the storage room to find Kadyn sprawled at the bottom of a flight of stairs and laughing at the dog licking his face.
“Are you hurt?” Emily frantically inquired, bending down to check.
“No. I’m fine. Honest! It’s good!” Kadyn declared a little breathlessly.
“God Almighty!” Ben swore under his breath and walked out of the room in a bit of a huff.
Assured no injury had occurred, Emily slowly shook her head and turned to follow her co-worker.
Logan squatted down and glared at the young man, taking in the tousled hair, sparkling blue eyes and mischievous grin.
“Do you really consider roller-skating on stairs a safe activity?” he asked through gritted teeth. He was trying hard to present a stern attitude and keep his amusement hidden while removing the metal object dangling from Kadyn’s left ankle.
“Hmm, probably not; cause these don’t stay tight enough on sneakers. I wasn’t actually skating down the stairs; I was trying to walk down and kinda slipped. Maybe rollerblades will work better.” The comment caught Logan off-guard and left him dumbfounded, especially when the young man’s smile just widened.
Kadyn undid the strap on the second skate and taking the other one from Logan, hung them over the banister. “Thanks for your help though. I’ve been busy and haven’t been around to visit, but I know you’re the guy who bought my Mom’s shop, aren’t you? ”
“Yes, I am. And if I’m not mistaken, you’re Jade Heights’ very own holy terror.” It was a statement, not a question, and resulted in both men laughing.
Kadyn liked what he saw in this man. Besides being one of the hottest specimens he’d seen in a long time, he also had a sense of humour. Becoming conscious of an attraction developing, Kadyn immediately backed off. He had rushed in one time before and had been lucky at the time. It was no one’s fault that the relationship hadn’t lasted. He had promised himself he’d take it slower if and when there was a next time.
Logan easily picked up on Kadyn’s wariness and understood where it might be coming from. He just didn’t know how to set the younger man’s mind at ease; how to tell him they were neighbours and nothing more. So he opted for pretending he hadn’t noticed the stiffening of Kadyn’s body or the guardedness appearing in his eyes.
“Well, I better be getting back to the salon. I have customers waiting. See you around, kid. And no more mixing skates and stairs, okay?” Logan walked through the main part of the candy store and waved goodbye to Ben and Emily on his way out. He smiled when he overheard the sigh of relief emanating from Kadyn’s lips.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was only a week later when Logan discovered that Kadyn had his own secret way into his garage. He had opened the large doors with the intent of backing his car out in preparations for running a few errands. He was somewhat taken back to see his neighbour already there and checking out his BMW.
“How the hell did you get in here?” he demanded, blocking the exit and preventing the intruder from running away.
“Through the back wall,” Kadyn replied, jerking his thumb towards an area where two loose boards could be seen. “Lucky for me I’m skinny enough to squeeze in between this building and the one behind it. I’ve known about that opening for years now. Don’t worry though, cause I’m the only one who does.” He stared up at the older man, working hard not to shrink in the face of Logan’s displeasure. “Ah, I’d heard about your fancy car and just wanted to see it.”
“If that’s the case, why didn’t you just ask me?” The only reply that inquiry earned was a slight shrug and a cheeky grin. Logan felt like grinding his teeth. “I’ll be getting that boarded up as soon as possible to prevent you sneaking in here again.”
“Like I’d bother!” Kadyn heatedly retorted as he made his way outside. “And it wasn’t always yours anyway,” he added in a quieter voice. As he passed the bigger man, his arm was grabbed. No matter how hard he tugged, Kadyn was unable to break Logan’s hold on him, so he just glared up at the man as if daring him to push the matter any further.
Seeing the flash of anger in Kadyn’s eyes swiftly replaced with one of sadness and loss, Logan instantly regretted his somewhat harsh handling of the situation. He knew the young man had lost a lot over the last several months, and with good reason might be finding all the changes a bit overwhelming. Logan also suspected the loft in this old building was once used as a boy’s clubhouse because of the discarded worn or broken toys and torn comics he’d discovered when clearing out the place.
Where he had originally found himself sorely tempted to land a few hard swats on the seat of Kadyn’s jeans, the present attitude of false bravado had him changing course. “I’m going out for a short spin. Would you like to come along?”
“Honest?” Kadyn blinked in disbelief. Then his young face lit up. “I’d love to!” He stepped aside to allow Logan to open the passenger’s door and invite him to take a seat.
The next hour flew by with unbelievable speed as both men enjoyed the rush of wind in their hair and warm sun beating down on them. The exhilarating ride left little chance for talking, but words didn’t seem necessary. They quickly recognized a common love for fast moving sport cars.
They slowly started making a more conscious effort to bump into each other, although neither would openly admit to the need they felt to do so. Both found their curiosity getting the better of them and a growing desire to learn more about one another. Then an opportunity presented itself at the monthly meeting of the Jade Heights’ Chamber of Commerce. It was the first time Logan would be attending, while Kadyn had attended a few times before he’d left town last fall.
The meeting/mixer was coming to a close but some of the attendees, who were inspired by the lecturer’s subject about cross-promotion, decided to keep the discussion going over a cup of coffee at the Maple Grill.
Kadyn, Logan, and Zack Pierce along with Justin and Winnie Ramsay were excited about the prospects of working together. After their orders were taken and while waiting for the coffee and scones to arrive, Logan pulled out a notepad and began the discussion.
“I took a few notes at the meeting and if you like, we can discuss some of them.” He glanced around the table waiting for a reply. His eyes lingered a few seconds longer on his neighbour, Kadyn. Although his first impression of this young man was that of an immature and chaotic Brat whom he wanted nothing to do with, over time that impression was slowly changing. Logan couldn’t help but be impressed by how the kid carried himself at the mixer. Kadyn had been polite, friendly, and humorous, and he’d submitted several well-thought out suggestions during the discussion period.
‘Maybe there is more to this lad than I was led to believe,’ Logan thought.
Mrs. Ramsay attracted his attention when she opened the conversation with, “I was very intrigued by the thought of a few businesses working together to promote each other, and I was wondering, Kadyn, if the bookstore was to sponsor a book club, would you be willing to donate a few coupons for a free ice cream cone to be awarded to any individual meeting the goal of reading a certain number of books each month?”
All eyes turned to Kadyn as everyone waited for his reply.
“That’s an awesome idea! I’d be more than happy to do it. I’ll also hand out pamphlets to encourage people to join your club.” Kadyn bounced in his seat as his excitement at the prospect grew.
“That’s great, Kadyn,” Logan spoke up. “And Mrs. Ramsay, I was thinking of setting up a reading corner in my shop. If you donate some books for this, I’ll hold a contest where a ballot for every book purchase receipt from your store will entitle the bearer to enter a draw to win a spa day at the salon.”
“What a wonderful plan!” Zack enthusiastically joined in just as the coffee and scones arrived. “Another initiative I’d like to promote is to advertise that the candy store carries sugar-free treats and frozen yogurt for my health conscious clients. I’d even consider carrying a few samples of the candies at my place as well as posters with the various yogurt flavours.”
“Hey, I like it! In fact I like it so much that to help get you started, I’ll donate the first box of samples.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that, Kadyn.” Zack immediately stated his objections.
“But I really want to. I know someone who is diabetic and I know what they go through to satisfy their sweet tooth. As a matter of fact, that’s why I started carrying my sugar-free line.”
Zack graciously thanked the young man, smiling when Kadyn licked at a blob of jam to prevent it from falling off his biscuit.
Kadyn found himself watching Logan. His few encounters with this gorgeous man had stirred some inner longing he couldn’t fully explain. Even though he’d sworn to take things slower next time around, he knew he needed to further examine his feelings. So before he could stop himself, he turned to the older man and suggested, “Uh Logan, you know that committee I volunteered to sit on? The one responsible for putting together plans for a street fair this summer? Well, I’m really intrigued by some of your proposals. I think they fit in with mine quite nicely. Anyway, I was wondering if you could be persuaded to put your name forward and become part the team. That’s if you can spare a couple of hours one evening a week.”
Logan pretended to be mulling it over in his mind when in reality he’d been hoping for more occasions to spend time in Kadyn’s company. He needed to explore and figure out the intensifying emotions that were pulling at his heartstrings and causing his body to betray him. Each time he had been near the young man, he’d felt himself becoming aroused just by looking into those beautiful blue eyes and visions of kissing those pouty lips kept bombarding his brain.
“You know, Kadyn, I’d be honoured to work with you and the others in preparing for that special event. Here’s my email address so you can let me know the time and place of the first meeting as well as the agenda.” Logan handed Kadyn his business card before addressing everyone sitting around the table. “Well, I think we have a great start on our cross-promotion plans. What do you say we all meet here again at the end of the week to keep each other in the loop as to how our ideas are progressing?”
Everyone agreed to Logan’s suggestion as they reached for their separate bills. Logan couldn’t help but smile to himself at the sight of Kadyn’s cheeks turning a slight pink when he slipped the paper with Logan’s email address into his pocket. Logan hoped the blush was indicative of Kadyn being as attracted to him as he was to this enchanting neighbor of his. Only time would tell.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Over the next few weeks, Logan and Kadyn’s lives continue to weave together. Not that they actually spent any amount of private time in each other’s company; it was just that neither of them was ever totally out of the other’s mind.
It was an extremely hot evening in mid-July when their casual friendship suddenly made a major change. Summer had come on with a vengeance and most folks were trying just about anything to cool off.
Logan was sitting on his veranda and enjoying each little breeze that blew over his semi-nude body while he waited in silence. Tonight he was determined to find out what, besides the heat, had been disturbing his sleep the last few nights.
Kadyn was restless. Sleeping through the night had become a long-lost habit. During his travels, he’d turned into quite a night-owl and hadn’t a clue as to how to reverse the pattern. He wandered around his apartment for some time before ending out on the porch leading to the outside staircase. Lately, he’d found some relief by reverting back to an old habit. He cautiously swung himself up onto the roof and after taking a short run, jumped over the narrow alley between him and the building next door. He landed with a soft thud on top of the hair salon and began running towards the book store on the other side. He’d been pulling this stunt since his early teens and had only ceased doing it at Vincent’s insistence. There was no one to stop him now.
“Ah-ha,” Logan muttered as faint footsteps made their way above his head. Stepping out from under the overhang, he wasn’t at all surprised to see his rapscallion of a neighbour up there. “Get down!” he growled.
Kadyn came to an abrupt halt. He was startled enough by the unexpected order to obey instantly. Arms reached up to assist him and in a matter of seconds, he found himself face to face with a moderately perturbed Logan.
“Dammit to hell, Kadyn, you’re bound to kill yourself, aren’t you?”
The two men worked at out-starring each other, with neither of them breaking eye contact. Suddenly, Logan smiled. Kadyn didn’t know what to make of that, so he just tentatively smiled back.
“Hey, I like the boxers. Nicer than cartoon ones I usually wear. Black silk looks good on you.” Although bold enough to verbalize the observation, Kadyn wasn’t quite brash enough to reach out and touch the way he’d have liked to.
“You, my lad, are in desperate need of a Top!” Logan stated with some reservation, but also with a good bit of resignation.
“And would you be applying for the job?” The feisty comeback was not unexpected.
Logan’s heart shouted a resounding ‘Yes!’ His mind an unequivocal ‘No!’ His heart won!
Taking Kadyn’s hand in his, Logan led him over to the chaise-lounge and tugged him down to straddle his lap.
“If you were mine, I’d kiss these lips of yours every chance I got.” Logan proceeded to follow up his words with action.
Several moments later, he huskily murmured, “If you were mine, I’d taste your sweet mouth at least once a day.” His lips parted Kadyn’s and his tongue slipped inside as his hands began a slow sensual exploration of Kadyn’s body.
Logan eventually moved lower and softly nibbled on Kadyn’s hardening nipples. “If you were mine, I’d give serious consideration to having these pierced.” His large hands roamed over Kadyn’s back and then slid beneath the waist band of his shorts to squeeze the firm globes. Long fingers caressed along the cleft nestled between the nicely rounded mounds of flesh and gently teased at the rosebud opening. All the while tiny bites, cooling licks and hot kisses were covering Kadyn’s chest, shoulders, neck and face.
They were both panting heavily when Logan pulled back. “I want to make love to you, Kadyn. If you don’t want me to, this is the last chance you’ll get to say no.”
“Please,” came the breathless plea. “I want you to.”
Scooping the younger man up in his arms as he got to his feet, Logan carried him into the bedroom and deposited him on the bed. He quickly removed Kadyn’s one article of clothing and while removing his own, enjoyed the sight of moonlight streaming in the doorway and highlighting the beautiful flushed face of this man he was falling for.
Logan reached for the condoms and lube he kept in his night table as he fell across Kadyn. He took his time preparing them both for his invasion of Kadyn’s delectable body, kissing the entire length of it and paying special attention to the proud-standing erection.
“If you were mine, I’d keep this area clean-shaven.” Logan smiled when the shaft he was fondling seemed to spasm its’ agreement.
Kadyn had been with two other men, but neither had sported a beard. This felt different; a lot more arousing and he relished the sensations it engendered. He thought he’d explode before Logan even had a chance to enter him. Fortunately he managed to hang in there.
Their first climaxes together happened simultaneously and were so incredibly overwhelming, Kadyn briefly lost consciousness.
Once their breathing evened out and heartbeats returned to almost normal, Logan patiently coerced a still dazed Kadyn into the shower and gently washed him. As he rubbed the soapy cloth over the younger man’s torso, Logan thought of how to introduce the discussion he knew was necessary in order to discover if they both wanted what was started here tonight to go any further.
“We’ve got a lot of talking to do,” Logan brought up while drying Kadyn’s curly blond hair. With a gentle push, he sent his guest back to the only other room in his small apartment.
“But not tonight,” Kadyn yawned. Locating his shorts on the floor by the bed, he pulled them up and tightened the string at the waist.
“How about first thing in the morning then, while I’m making breakfast for you?” Logan suggested as he slipped on the silk sleep pants he’d taken out of his dresser.
Any remaining euphoria vanished when it suddenly hit Kadyn that things were moving faster than he was prepared for. He started backing towards the door. “Look man, the sex was great but I really should be getting home.”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Logan reached out and snagged Kadyn’s arm to prevent him from bolting. He steered his guest over to a lazy-boy in the corner. “We’re having this badly needed conversation right now. Talking to me is your only ticket out of here, kid.”
The tension in Kadyn’s body made sharing the large recliner uncomfortable for both of them, so Logan carefully began the task of calming the skittish man.
“I figure now might be a good time to share a bit about ourselves. What do you think, Kadyn?”
“Depends on what do you want to know?”
“Okay. How’s this for starters? When did you first realize you were gay?”
Kadyn shrugged. “Hmm, I don’t recall there ever being a ‘light bulb’ moment. It seemed to be part of who I was; to be accepted like having curly hair, always being shorter than I’d have liked, and just preferring guys over gals. No one ever questioned why I wasn’t dating when some of my friends started, so I didn’t bother about it either. And my family was never inclined to get up-tight about stuff. We all just kinda went with the flow.” He glanced up at the man beside him and decided a fair request for one was equally fair for the other. “When did you know?”
“Come to think of it, I guess I did have a ‘light bulb’ moment of sorts. I knew a large number of people, both genders of course, and never gave any thought to not being overly interested in a specific someone. My preferences ended up being pointed out to me by a man who would become a very dear mentor, friend and eventually lover.”
“Well, are you gonna share details?” Kadyn inquired when there was a pause. He was getting impatient to learn more.
Logan nodded when he felt the younger man showing definite signs of relaxing as apprehension quickly changed to inquisitiveness.
“One afternoon a regular client came into the salon I was employed at. The owner of the shop habitually served him, but she was absent that day and he ended up in my chair. I’d never really paid attention to him in the past but this particular time it hit me that I’d seen him somewhere before. His memory proved much better than mine as he immediately told me he’d frequently watched me when I worked in the theatre where my sister was one of the actors. It was usually so hectic behind the scenes, I only concentrated on what I was doing and didn’t bother with much else. Simon was a patron of the arts, especially the theatre. I’m pretty sure lots would consider him kind of a hoity-toity, society snob, but he was rather down to earth for someone so wealthy; someone who exuded a mega amount of poise and self-assurance. From that day on, he requested me whenever he came into the salon.” Logan smiled when he realized Kadyn was hanging on to his every word. He dropped a light kiss on Kadyn’s forehead and then continued his tale.
“Over a period of time, a very close friendship developed as we talked almost non-stop of our common interests. Then we began seeing each other away from the shop; not exactly dating, just enjoying time spent together. I was in my early twenties and Simon in his late forties. Almost thirty years was a rather vast age spread by some standards; particularly when the two people involved were falling in love.”
“Yeah, I know where you’re coming from. What happened to him? Where is he now?” Kadyn momentarily wished he hadn’t asked that question when he witnessed a brief moment of sadness in Logan’s eyes. But he was relieved when it passed swiftly and Logan answered.
“He passed away after a lengthy illness almost a year ago. We’d had six wonderful years together and even knowing it would not last forever; I’d do it again in a heartbeat. And it is because of Simon that I am the proud owner of a salon in this beautiful area of BC. Although most his wealth was bequeathed to the arts he loved so much, he did leave me enough to follow my dream and go into business for myself. He also left me his BMW sports car. He loved to drive and we did so every chance we got, and he drove fast, real fast. Breaking speed limits didn’t bother him in the least. Give him an open highway and it was pedal to the metal every time. I honestly have to make an effort not to do the same.”
“How come you ended up here in Jade Heights? I’d have thought you’d prefer city life.”
“Simon brought me up here to visit some friends who had relocated after retiring. Hayden Pierce had been Simon’s lawyer for years and both of us answered to Todd if we didn’t care for our teeth properly. Let me tell you, that man can be a hard task master when it comes to oral hygiene. We would have attended their son’s wedding had Simon been well enough to do so. Anyway, to make a long story short, I fell in love with this town the first time I laid eyes on it. I knew it was where I was meant to be. I just didn’t fully realize why. But now I think I’m beginning to understand the 'why'.”
Logan just smiled when Kadyn looked at him somewhat quizzically.
“You see, Simon had no qualms about repeatedly pointing out to me right from the start that I was gay and should be embracing who I was instead of ignoring it, consciously or not. He also insisted I was a dominant who had certain needs regarding a partner in order to become who I was meant to be. That was not a subject we saw eye to eye on, but I do have to admit that I like to take charge. You may have noticed that, huh?”
“Oh yeah!” Kadyn rolled his eyes and laughed at the expression of feigned outrage on Logan’s handsome face. “Hey, you asked.”
“Do you think that would be a deterrent for us establishing a relationship?”
“Not at all!” Kadyn adamantly shook his head. “But I’m kinda curious…” He pouted when Logan’s burst of laughter indicated the older man considered that an understatement. “Okay, so maybe I get a little nosey sometimes.” He punched Logan’s arm when he laughed even louder. “Come on, man; pay attention. I got questions.”
“Shoot!” Logan worked hard at containing his mirth, but was unable to extinguish the sparkle of humour in his eyes.
“Did you mean what you said earlier about if I was yours? Would you really pierce my nipples?”
“Yes, if you’d allow it. The initial piercing would be painless as I’d freeze the area, but there would be some tenderness for a few days following. Could you handle that?”
“Uh-huh,” Kadyn nodded somewhat wide-eyed. “And were you serious about shaving my private parts?”
“Oh, yeah; you wanna believe it.” Logan’s grin widened. “You’ll love the sensations it creates,” he murmured sexily as he leaned in to nibble on Kadyn’s ear.
Kadyn giggled and pushed Logan away before they ended up back in bed without finishing their conversation. “Don’t you got any questions?”
The older man’s countenance turned serious. “Yes, I’d liked some clarification on rumours I’ve overheard. One thing about a beauty salon, it is a breeding ground for gossip. But I do believe some of it is based on what was originally truth.”
“You wanna know about Vincent, huh?”
“Eventually; first, I’d like to hear a bit more about how you came to be the proud possessor of these scars on your face.” Logan tenderly stroked each of the three small marks near Kadyn’s eyes.
“It was at a party,” Kadyn started somewhat reluctantly, but went on to tell the whole sordid event. “Since then, Vincent wouldn’t let me go to a social gathering of any size without him accompanying me.”
“And how did you feel about that decision?”
“I was okay with it; made me feel safe and cared for.”
“Do you want another Top, Kadyn?” Logan knew who and what he was, but never thought of himself as being able or willing to handle a Brat that required a lot of time-consuming energy. Even Simon’s forthright encouragement to seek out such a life-partner hadn’t deterred him from pre-determining he’d steer clear of them. He was uninterested in putting in the time and work involved in meeting their transparent attention-seeking tactics. But since encountering Kadyn, that resolve was steadily dispersing. Although Kadyn’s needs are not constant or blatant, Logan could only imagine that in full Brat-mode Kadyn would be a bit of work. But for some reason that was no longer bothering him. Had he simply come to the conclusion that the man he’d fallen in love with would forever be a teenager at heart? Or could it be he’d never been conscious of the fact that being in love would make all the difference in the world and therefore a needier Brat now held an appeal?
Kadyn chewed on his lower lip as a blush of embarrassment infused his cheeks. “Vincent was the one who taught me about discipline relationships. I had never heard of such a thing before but sure came to appreciate how good it could work. At least between me and Vince it worked all right. I want those boundaries again. I really miss the safety net they provided. I often get too wrapped up in life to take the time to think things through. I’m just not sure if I’m ready yet to give it another try.”
“Well, I’d sure like an opportunity to give it a try. I’m applying for the position, Kadyn,” Logan declared, a little teasingly, but definitely with a serious overtone. “How about you taking some time to think it over; even if it isn’t necessarily your forte?”
Kadyn earnestly nodded his willingness to give it his best shot. “Just one more thing before I go,” he ventured, his eyes sparkling. “Can you bake cookies?” With that, the young man was up and running out the back door.
Logan would never fully comprehend the significance behind that unexpected query. But for some unfathomable reason, he felt certain it was a deal maker or breaker.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kadyn put some serious time, thought and effort into making a decision. After talking it over at length with family and a couple of close friends, and weighting all the pros and cons, he daringly decided to take another chance on a new relationship.
It proved to be possibly the longest two and a half months of Logan’s life before his unwavering conviction in it all working out was rewarded. He grinned ecstatically at the hand-written note he was holding. It was an invitation to meet Kadyn at his home over the candy store to further discuss the prospect of them committing to what he hoped would be a life-long love affair.
Just before seven, Logan checked his appearance in the full-length mirror. He couldn’t remember ever being this apprehensive about an interview of any kind before; but then his life’s happiness had never before rested on the outcome. He opened the box he laid out on the dresser and contemplated the object inside, doing a final check of the additional work he had commissioned.
Time seemed to stand still as he waited for the appointed hour before knocking on Kadyn’s door. It was an anxious young man who greeted him and stepped back to let him enter.
Offering his guest a seat on the sofa, Kadyn sat down and excitedly bounced beside him. “I did it!” he declared without preamble. “I thought it all over and the job’s yours if you still want it.”
“You sure as hell can’t be accused of beating around the bush, can you?” Logan laughed. He was surprised at the sense of relief he felt and he finally relaxed enough to let go of the breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding in. “Oh, and by the way, in a pinch I can bake cookies if store-bought won’t suffice.”
“They won’t,” Kadyn assured him with a sassy grin. “Guess ya just gotta tell me about the rules and stuff right?”
“Well there is one thing I definitely want to make perfectly clear. Just so you know, Kadyn; I take endangering oneself very seriously. For instance, if you should continue roof hopping, you’ll quickly find out how much you took sitting for granted. Got it?”
“Uh-huh!” Kadyn was momentarily stilled as the promise sank in; but didn’t remain motionless for long.
“In the meantime, maybe we can refer to the rules as guidelines and expectations, okay?” Logan inquired.
“Hmm, sounds better but means the same,” Kadyn cheekily responded as he continued to bounce. “Not that it matters a great deal.” He suddenly turned sombre as he uncertainly toyed with the worn spot on the knee of his jeans. “I mean, I trust you to do right by me. I don’t always have to be involved in the decision making. In fact, I’d rather not be. I just wanna feel loved enough to make all the work involved in developing a new relationship worthwhile.”
“You will be, my precious Brat. That I can promise you,” Logan vowed as he smoothly encouraged his new partner to straddle his lap.
“I came very close to changing my mind and backing down at the last minute,” Kadyn softly admitted. “It was just a year ago that…” he didn’t complete the sentence. “I got scared,” he whispered not quite inaudibly.
Logan knew exactly where the hesitation stemmed from and certainly couldn’t fault the man. “Kadyn, listen to me. You are an adult, albeit a very young one. But nevertheless, a full-grown man whom I will always treat as such. There will be no secrets in our relationship. I will never keep pertinent information from you, especially where my physical or mental condition is concerned. My medical records have been transferred here and Dr. Dean is now my physician just as he is yours. I will be requesting a letter placed in my file stating that you are to be kept informed of any and all health problems, should any occur. We will stay abreast of each other’s well-being at all times, starting with my yearly physical which is scheduled for next week. You will be accompanying me to that appointment. Is this acceptable?”
“Yes. Thank you. Guess I did okay in making this particular decision, huh?” A mixture of relief, happiness and determination shone from Kadyn’s eyes.
“Right on the money, sweetheart,” Logan assured him.
At the moment, more words seemed irrelevant. The older man preferred action to speaking and so proceeded to demonstrate with his mouth and hands just how much Kadyn was cherished.
It was a rather amused Top and dazed Brat who pulled back several minutes later to gaze at one another.
“You wore another man’s collar at one time, didn’t you, Kadyn?” Logan softly asked. When he got an affirmative reply, he inquired, “Would you wear another?” A second energetic nod followed and Logan took the flat jewellery box out of his jacket pocket. The item inside had been designed by him. It had cost a small fortune, but was worth every penny as far as Logan was concerned. In fact, he now considered it priceless.
He opened the velvet box to reveal a beautifully handcrafted collar of gold with three jewels embedded in it. There was a heart-shaped diamond accompanied by a sapphire on each side. “Several months before Simon passed away, he insisted I have this made. It was never intended to be worn by me. He vowed a day would come when I would want to give it to the man meant just for me.” He showed Kadyn the engraving inside of both their names. “And since our birthdays are in September, love; there was a last-minute change to be made concerning one of the stones.” He reverently placed the collar around Kadyn’s neck and snapped it shut. “You now belong to me and only me. You’ll not be able to remove this collar yourself. It can only be opened by this miniature remote control which will be kept exclusively in my possession.”
Kadyn ran his fingers over the surface of the collar and relished the warmth left behind from Logan’s handling of it. He gently probed at the three stones as he sighed out his contentment. His eyes filled as he glanced up at this man he had just pledged himself to. This was where he belonged and he knew that with every fibre of his being.
The End
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