Chapter 1

Joey Goldman laughed as he watched Kevin Lawrence, the office nerd, getting drenched as he stood on the kerb waiting to cross the road.

Once he??d parked his lorry, however, Joey was beginning to regret his amusement at the guy??s expense. Better go and see if he??s all right, he thought jumping from his cab and running across the car park, head bent against the torrential rain.

??Sorry, mate,?? Joey said, once he??d reached the half-drowned man. ??I didn??t see you ??til it was too late.?? This wasn??t exactly true. Joey could have driven around the puddle, but he knew the timid office worker wouldn??t make a fuss.

??No, it was my fault for standing there.??

??Okay, then.?? Joey turned toward the office building.

??Um.??

??Yeah, mate??? Joey turned back to face a pensive-looking Kevin.

??I??ve got a few minutes before my bus is due, um, I could, um, sort of???? Kevin ground to a halt, his cheeks had turned a bright shade of red, or at least what Joey could see of them. Kevin??s gaze seemed fixed on his shoes.

??I??d appreciate a hand with the paperwork, if you don??t mind.??

??No problem.??

Joey ran for the main building, Kevin unsuccessfully trying to keep up. Joey couldn??t help mulling over their conversation. It was the most they??d ever said to each other in the couple of years that Kevin had worked for the haulage company.

Once inside, Joey made a bee-line for the toilets. Heavy rain always seemed to stimulate his bladder.

??Fuck!?? he sighed as he let loose with his stream. A long piss was almost as good as getting off. He??d been stuck in his cab all day, the constant vibration of the diesel engine leaving him with a half-hard. ??God, I could use a good shag tonight,?? he said, tucking himself back in and buttoning up his Levi??s.

Pulling out a comb from his back pocket, Joey moved to the wash hand basin and checked his reflection in the mirror. ??I can??t be arsed going out to the bars in this lot.??

He smiled when he remembered swaggering into The Black Bear the previous weekend. Once he??d pushed his way to the bar, he??d put his hand on the shoulder of a bloke sat on one of the high barstools. ??Go and get your coat, mate. You??ve pulled.?? Joey??s smile widened into a grin. He??d only meant his chat up line as a load of macho bullshit, but the poor bastard had almost come in his panties when he turned to face him. The night hadn??t lived up to its promising start, though. The guy had been a lousy fuck. Joey liked his bed partners to have a bit of fight in them. All the guy had done was lie back and presumably think of England.

Exiting the toilets, Joey walked into the office where Kevin awaited him, paperwork set out neatly on the desk. All he had to do was fill in the final mileage and sign on the dotted line.

??Thanks, mate. That was a big help,?? Joey said, handing Kevin the forms.

??That??s okay.?? As usual Kevin couldn??t meet Joey??s eyes when he spoke to him.

The pair made their way out of the office and down the corridor to the exit. Once outside, Joey looked up to see the lighted windows of a double-decker moving down the street. ??Isn??t that your bus???

??Oh, no!?? Kevin said, breaking into a run, but Joey could see he wasn??t going to make it.

Joey watched as Kevin skidded in a patch of motor oil, his legs going from under him, as he none too gracefully hit the tarmac. Kevin??s spectacles flew from his nose and skated along the asphalt, stopping a couple of feet from the spread-eagled figure.

Joey ran to help. ??You okay???

??Think so,?? Kevin said, wincing as he tried to stand.

??Here, let me help you up.??

Joey put his arms under Kevin??s shoulders and lifted him to his feet. To his surprise Kevin seemed to weigh almost nothing, little more than his eight-year-old nephew in fact. Joey could feel the small man trembling. Was he also crying? It was difficult to tell because of the rain.

??Hey, mate, sor-right. Let me just pick up your specs, then we??ll sort you out.??

Joey scooped the glasses from the ground and hooked them around Kevin??s?? ears. Tilting the smaller man??s head so the glow from one of the perimeter lights shone on his face, Joey looked directly into Kevin??s liquid brown eyes, blinking through the scratched lenses at him. Kevin??s eyes reminded Joey of Bertie, a Basset hound he used to own as a kid. Knowing the glasses were now useless, Joey pulled them from Kevin??s face, revealing a set of high cheekbones and a pair of long full eye lashes which blinked nervously.

??Um, I think you need a new pair of specs.??

Kevin grimaced, but on him it looked kind of cute. Cute? Joey asked himself.

??Look, it was my fault your glasses got broke. I??ll buy you a new pair.??

??No, it??s okay, you don??t need to.??

??Rubbish. If you hadn??t come back in with me, you??d not have had to run for your bus.??

As they stood side-by-side in the rain, Joey??s six feet three inch frame dwarfing that of Kevin??s five feet two inches, Joey couldn??t resist wrapping a protective arm around Kevin??s shoulder. It was the first time he??d ever had any prolonged physical contact with the slightly built man.