Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 00:59:43 -0400 (EDT)
From: sliders21@iname.com
Subject: ordinary-love-7 (adult-friends)

*************
Ordinary Love
*************
Chapter 7
*************

	Drew was waiting for the elevator to open when he felt someone
tapping his shoulder. He looked behind his back and saw Clint giving him a
huge smile. "Hey! Glad I met you here. I was going to go to your office
later and ask you if you're busy tonight."

	"I'm free," Drew said slowly as Clint stepped besides him. "Why?"

	"There's this dinner thing later and I wondered if you'd like to be
my date," Clint flashed Drew a smile.

	"I...I don't know," Drew said with uncertainty in his voice.

	"Come on Drew. I promise you you'll have a terrific time not to
mention help out the homeless. It's a charity thing that my mom's club is
throwing."

	"That's pretty low," Drew looked at Clint in amusement. "Of course
now, I can't refuse. With the dinner being for charity and all."

	"Great!" Clint casually put an arm around Drew's shoulder. "I'll
see you at lunch. Let's talk about the details then." Drew looked at Clint
in surprise. He didn't only have a dinner date with him now; they're also
going to have lunch together.

*************

	"Did you hear anything I've said?" Lisa looked at Nick
worriedly. She, Nick, Joey and Drew were having a meeting in Nick's office
just before lunch.

	"Yeah," Nick said but he didn't look at her. He continued to look
out the window. "I can't do this right now. Let's just talk later."

	"If you say so," Joey said slowly as he stood up. Lisa and Drew
also stood up.

	"Drew," Nick swiveled his chair and faced them. "I'd appreciate it
if you can stay for a while. I need to talk to you."

	"Ok---ay," Drew said slowly. Lisa and Joey looked at Nick and Drew
suspiciously before leaving the office. Drew sat back down on a chair and
stared at Nick passively.

	"I really had a good time with you last week," Nick said softly as
he stood up and walked to the window. "And I'm not just talking about the
picnic or the time we spent in Dayton. I like talking to you in the hotel
and in the plane. Minus the meetings we had with our clients, I'd say that
it was the best vacation I ever had."


	"Nick, I---" Drew sighed out as he stood up also and looked at
Nick.

	"I know I'm asking a lot from you," Nick cut him off as he faced
him. "Coming out from the closet will turn my whole world upside down.  I'd
gladly do that for you Drew. But I can't just pick up the phone and call
everyone I know and tell them I'm gay and I'm in love with you. You can
wait for me to work out the courage to do that, can't you?"

	"I could Nick," Drew said softly.

	"Will you? Will you wait for me?"

	"Clint asked me out on a date tonight," Drew avoided looking at
Nick's eyes. "He's charming, witty, handsome. And he won't mind kissing me
in public or holding my hands in front of his friends."

	"I..I can do that," Nick said in a feeble voice. "But not now."

	"You know what I'd always dream about?" Drew said as he turned
around. "I'd dream of walking along the beach with a guy. We'd stand in the
shore, him holding me in his arms tightly as we watch the moon. He'd nibble
my ears every now and then, whispering 'I love you' to me."

	"I'm just afraid that I'd wait forever before we can do that Nick,"
Drew walked to the door and reached for the knob. "But for what's it worth,
If I was just a little bit braver and a little bit crazier, I know I'll try
to work things out with you. And while I'm crazy, I'm just not that
brave. Sorry Nick."

      Drew quickly opened the door with a jerk and walked towards the men's
room. He was trying to hold back his tears. He quickly barged in the men's
room and headed straight for the sink. He opened the faucet and washed his
face with cold water. Then he grabbed some paper towels and dried his face.

	"You guys have been acting weird," A voice behind him said. Drew
looked up at the mirror and saw Joey walking up to him. Joey stood besides
him and began to wash his hands. "You okay?"

	"Yeah," Drew forced a smile as he looked at him through the
mirror. "Just tired, I guess."

	"Nick was very happy when you came back but now he's--preoccupied,"
Joey said warily. "Lisa and I are worried about him. He's never acted this
way before. He's always calm and collected and unemotional when it comes to
work. The only time he ever gets emotional is when his mom visits him."

	"Why are you telling me this?" Drew tensed a little bit.

	"I was hoping that you might know something," Joey shrugged his
shoulders.

	"Nope," Drew shook his head. "Don't know anything. Excuse me." He
got out of the men's room hurriedly and proceeded back to his desk. He was
kinda surprised to see Clint seeing in his chair.

	"Hey!" Clint stood up and smiled at Drew broadly. "Ready?"

	"Yeah," Drew nodded his head at him. "Come on."

	"You don't mind if we drop by in Nick's room for a second, do you?"
Clint said to Drew as he grabbed his hand and led him towards Nick's
office. Drew didn't answer as Clint told Nick's secretary he wanted to see
him. They were buzzed in a few seconds later.

	When Drew stepped into the office, he saw Nick still standing by
the window. Clint meanwhile walked towards Nick. Nick faced them and he
could see the surprise in Nick's face when Nick saw him inside the room.

	"Nick!" Clint hugged his sister's boyfriend. "How you doing? You
going to mom's dinner thing tonight?"

	"Uhhh....no, got some stuff to finish at home," Nick said slowly as
he looked at Clint then at Drew.

	"Too bad," Clint stepped back a little as Drew walked towards
them. "Drew and I were hoping to see you there, right Drew?"

	"Yeah," Drew responded half-heartedly.

	"Huh?" Nick looked at them, lost.

	"Drew agreed to me my date tonight," Nick slipped an arm around
Drew's waist. "Hope you don't mind me dating one of your employees Nick."

	"No," Nick responded quickly at him. "Why should I mind?"

	"I hope you change your mind and come to the dinner party," Clint
said to Nick. "Drew and I will leave you now. I got us a reservation at
Cyril's and you know how it is at that place. You have to be on time or
they cancel your reservation."

	"Cyril's?" Drew looked at Clint in surprise. "Wait a minute
Clint. When you said lunch, I thought we'd go down to the cafeteria or to
the deli around the block or something. Cyril's is a little too expensive."

	"I'm buying lunch remember?" Clint smiled at Drew. "Don't worry
about it."

	"I'm sorry but I can't help but worry about it, okay?" Drew didn't
return his smile. "I don't want you spending that much money on me. I'd be
perfectly happy having ham on rye with you down at the cafeteria than
having some French food that I can't even pronounce right at Cyril's. I
couldn't care less about the food. What I want is the company."

	"I definitely have to get Rinoa something for setting me up on a
date with you," Clint said as he gave Drew a quick hug. Then he pulled away
and looked at Nick, "Bye Nick. And thanks for hiring such a wonderful guy."

	"Stop that Clint," Drew said, as he became beet-red. Drew grabbed
Clint's hand and led him out of the office.

**************

	"What the fuck is going on with you?!" Lisa almost screamed at Nick
but Nick was still just looking out the window of his office, staring at
the clouds floating in the sky. Lisa and Joey got back from lunch and they
still found their friend depressed.

	"I don't want to marry Fiona," Nick said softly.

	"Duh?!" Lisa said sarcastically. "You have been saying that to us
for years now!"

	"I didn't want to marry her before because we were just forced into
it by our parents and I didn't really love her," Nick sighed out as he
faced them.

	"And now?" Joey asked him quizzically.

	"Now, I don't want to marry her because I'm in love with another
person," Nick hung his head.

	"What?!" Joey looked at him in shock.

	"I knew it!" Lisa exclaimed out suddenly. "It's Drew, isn't it?"

	"How did---?" Nick looked at her in shock and fear.

	"Puh-leaze," Lisa looked at him sarcastically. "I've known you for
far too long not to notice that. I mean, when Drew first came on board, you
were a little hostile to him but then you suddenly warmed up to him. Then
you made up that position for him and made him accompany you to
Boston. Either this guy put a spell over you or you love him. Since I don't
believe in magic then it has to be love."

	"What's the matter then?" Joey looked Nick bewilderingly as he
listened to Lisa and agreed with everything she said. "Don't tell me Drew
doesn't like you. He'd be crazy not to fall for you."

	"You...you're not disgusted at me?" Nick looked at them in
disbelief.

	"We've been friends for far too long for us to do that," Lisa
walked over to Nick and gave him a hug. "And to tell you frankly the truth,
we're not that surprised by what you told us."

	"Yeah," Joey nodded his head. "I mean, come on. Fiona is one hot
babe. The only reason we can think of why you don't like her is because
you're gay."

	"Thanks guys," Nick smiled at them weakly. "I really appreciate
this."

	"Now, what's wrong between you and Drew?" Lisa stepped back and
looked at him quizzically. "And we want some straight answers this time."

	"He said that he didn't want to be with me," Nick said in a
whisper.

	"I can't believe that!" Lisa shook her head vigorously. "I'm a
lesbian but I find you extremely sexy Nick. Either Drew is straight or
something is wrong with him."

	"He said that he didn't want to hide our relationship from
everyone," Nick faced the window again.

	"Ohhh," Joey nodded his head in understanding. "Ummm..are you
willing to come out Nick?"

	"Yeah," Nick said softly. "But I can't do it right away. Fuck! Why
can't he understand what I'm feeling right now?!"

	"Can you understand what he is feeling?" Lisa touched Nick's
shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "We saw him and Clint downstairs and they
look so happy together."

	"We were happy together too," Nick said with a hint of doubt in his
voice. "We talked for hours on end back in Boston. He seemed to really like
my company then."

	"You want us to help you get Drew?" Joey walked over to them.

	"What?" Nick faced him and gave him a weird look.

	"Let us handle this, okay?" Lisa grinned at Nick. "We'll make
Mr. Matthews fall head over heels in love with you before the week in
through." Nick began to laugh in amusement as he looked at his friends.

	"What?" Joey looked at him bewilderingly.

	"I just remembered what Drew told me," Nick said to them. "People
around here call you guys my posse. I guess it's true." Then on a much
softer voice he said, "Maybe I should tell my family the truth. You guys
are okay with it."

	"That's not such a good idea," Lisa shook her head. "You're our
friend and you mean a lot to us. But they're your family Drew. I don't
think they'd accept your news as well as we had."

	"You're right," Nick said slowly. "God! I hate this!"

	"Worry about them later," Joey tried to sound cheerful. "Let's plan
on where you and loverboy is going on your first official date."

	"Don't we have to worry about if he'd agree to go out on the date
first?" Nick said to him.

	"He will," Lisa said to him optimistically. "He'd be the stupidest
guy on the planet if he gives you up."


***************
To be continued
***************


All comments and suggestions are welcome:

Email: sliders21@iname.com