Dirty Laundry: A Tucker Springs Novel #3 by Heidi Cullinan Page B

up hanging out with him at the door, assuming he was straight because he was stacked. That was always a good time, because eventually Denver would hit on them and make them freak out.
    Though every now and again, he got laid that way. He wasn’t sure if there were more gay men per square inch now in the younger generations, or if they were just curious.
    He had a few fish on his line: a bi-curious tagalong to one of the frats and a sweet, bubble-butt, dark-haired twink who normally would have had his crank going hard—but Denver kept holding out hope that Adam would show up, and no way was he having hamburger when he could have steak. Adam stayed away, though, and he didn’t text or phone, either. So on Friday morning after a late breakfast but before his workout, he did something he’d never done before, not since leaving Oklahoma City.
    Denver called first.
    He considered texting, but he couldn’t figure out what the hell to say. Dirty come-ons were the only thing he could think of, and something about that didn’t feel right. Well, they felt right, yeah, but not yet. Not now.
    Not something. Something else was supposed to happen right now, but Denver didn’t know what the hell it was, so he called. Thankfully, Adam answered, so he didn’t have to leave a message.
    “This is Denver,” he said, when Adam answered with a hesitant hello. “How you doing?”
    “Hey.” Denver relaxed at the brightness in Adam’s tone. “I’m good. What about you?”
    “Not bad. About to go work out here in a bit, but thought I’d check up on you. Busy with moths, are you?”
    “Yeah. A project is due this afternoon. I was all set to be done last night, but the data got corrupted.”
    He sounded frustrated and a little anxious. “Well, don’t let me keep you if you’re busy. Just shooting the shit is all.”
    “Oh no, it’s fine, really. I need to take a break or I’ll go nuts.”
    A pause stretched out, and Denver wasn’t sure how to fill it. “Well, good,” he ventured after a minute.
    “So. What are you doing today?” Adam asked.
    “Hitting the gym here in a bit. Then laundry late this afternoon, unless El wants to come and we go after he closes the shop. Then work at nine.”
    “Laundry. I wanted to go this morning, but I’m stuck here now. And I don’t want to run into those frat boys again.”
    “Come when I go,” Denver offered. An innuendo rose to his lips, but he let it pass. He wasn’t sure quite why, either.
    “God, you have no idea how much I’d love to, and not just because you’re starting to make all utility tables erotic. But I don’t know when I’ll be done.”
    “Well, I can go tomorrow too. No big.”
    “Except tomorrow I have to work in the insectary.” He sighed. “It’s okay. I’ll just rinse out some shorts in my sink.”
    Denver thought furiously. “How about I bring you some dinner before I head to work? I’ll text about six to see where you are and come by with some takeout at seven.”
    “Oh gosh. That would be awesome, but I don’t want to put you out.”
    Denver rolled his eyes at the ceiling. “It ain’t putting me out. I gotta eat too, you know. Besides. I want to see you.”
    He panicked a little at that, thinking it sounded too needy or weird, but it must have been good, because Adam went all soft and gooey. “You do? You want to see me?”
    “Well, yeah. I been dying to hear how the moth stuff turns out.”
    Adam laughed. “I bet you are. Okay, I’ll look for your text at six. That ought to motivate me to get my crap done, if anything will.”
    “Sounds good. Talk to you then.”
    When Denver hung up, he was grinning from ear to ear, and when he got to the gym, he still was.

    The worst part of having to redo the data he’d lost was that it meant Adam had to spend the day with Brad.
    He didn’t want to be one of those in their group, one of the exes who made everything difficult by refusing to be in the room with his old boyfriend, and he’d been