Learning-to-Feel by N.R. Walker Page A

surprised by this. "Oh."
    "It’s a symbol of sexual preference, as a way to make it known to other gay guys," he explained.
    "But it’s on your hip. How do guys see it?"
    Oh. I realized they’d see it when he was naked with them…
    He smiled and explained, "I don’t advertise my sexuality, Nathan, but I also don’t hide it. I’m not embarrassed and have nothing to be ashamed of," he said simply. "This symbol is more of a badge I wear to remind myself to always be true to who I am."
    "I like that," I told him honestly. "It takes courage to wear your heart on your sleeve, so to speak. It’s commendable."
    It was quiet after that but not uncomfortable, and we were soon in Boston. I wove through traffic as Trent took in the sights. I pointed out things of interest, which he was probably not too interested in, but I explained that while I was born in Chicago, I grew up in Boston. I told him how much I loved this city.
    "Then why'd you leave?" he asked, a fair question.
    I sighed. I didn’t know how I felt about divulging the truth to him. "I'd just worked a thirty-six hour shift without a day off in about two months. I was running myself into the ground. I think my boss was ready to sideline me, and I saw that Belfast County General was in need of a doctor…"
    Trent nodded contemplatively. "Pretty big change of scene," he noted.
    "What?" I said with a smile, "You mean Belfast County General isn't like Boston General Emergency?"
    Trent rolled his eyes at me then looked out the window. "Why'd we stop?"
    I pointed to his left. "That’s my place."
    "You live here?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.
    "No," I grinned at him. "I live in Belfast."
    I got out of the car, and he joined me. I grabbed the bags, and he took care of Bentley. My apartment, technically a townhouse, was one of a row of joined cobblestones that someone with foresight had the brains and finances to develop in the nineties. I'd loved this place from the moment I first saw it two years ago, made an offer that same day, signed the paperwork three days later, and I'd secured my own private slice of Boston real estate.
    I opened and held the door, allowing Trent and Bentley to walk in first. I followed them down the short hall and into the open kitchen-living area, where I put the bags down and flicked on some lights.
    I could tell Trent was taking in the dark wooden floors, white rugs and the expensive furniture, but what hit me, like a ton of bricks, was how… bare it looked.
    Everything was just as I left it. There wasn’t a thing out of place. Yes, it looked bare, but there was something else. I just couldn’t define what the difference was.
    "Something wrong?" Trent asked me.
    "No," I answered quickly. "No, no, it’s all good. Come on, I'll show Bentley his ensuite."
    I opened the back doors, and my once ample courtyard looked tiny. There was a patio that covered half of it, and the rest was grass. The outdoor setting was pulled to one side and was covered, but it looked so small compared to the yard at Belfast. God, had it only been two weeks?
    Bentley was quickly bounded outside, sniffing and exploring, then peeing on the large pot that sat in the corner. Trent looked at his urinating dog, then at me, and shrugged. "Bentley owns that one now. It’s got his name on it."
    I laughed, and we left the back door open and went upstairs. "There are two bedrooms upstairs and the bathroom," I said as we got to the door of my room. I walked in and dumped both of our bags on my bed.
    "A little presumptuous, aren't you?" he asked, looking at his bag on my bed.
    "You can have the spare bed if you like," I told him, as nonchalantly as I could, and opened the curtains.
    "Oh, shut up," he said, rolling his eyes. "You know I’m gonna end up in here anyway."
    I grinned, and he chuckled at me then changed the topic completely, "Now, you said you had a surprise for me this afternoon?"
    "Yes," I told him. "Lunch first though, I’m starving." I walked back down the