Campus Visit

Chapter 1-3

Sitting at his kitchen counter, Damian tried to read the assigned chapter of his organic agriculture text, but failed to grasp a word. He closed the book and moved to the corner of his living room that served as a mini-studio away from campus. Picking up a charcoal pencil, he tried to sketch a few more preliminary lines of his intended painting for an art class—his other major, besides agriculture. But his hand shook and his eyes were unable to comprehend the big picture. He chucked the pencil back onto the easel’s tray. Taking out his phone, he checked his email again, but of course Alex hadn’t answered yet. It had only been half an hour.

Damian left his apartment to walk around the block, his phone tucked into the back pocket of his jeans. The April sunshine warmed his feet through his black canvas sneakers, bright enough to make him squint. A mild valley scent of traffic emissions and flowering citrus infused the breeze, but he couldn’t relax and enjoy the weather. His mind was obsessed with the possibility that he had just sabotaged his favorite friendship.

And what about his parents, back home at the orange orchard in Rancho Amantes, barely two hours away? What would they think if they found out? Jesus.

Exactly, he thought. Jesus was who they’d think of. In their view, God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit all got sick to their stomachs at homosexual behavior. Damian loved his modest, blue-eyed mom and passionate, hard-working dad, but their lack of comprehension about modern s****l standards frustrated him. It had to be partly their fault in the first place he’d fought his bi inclinations this long.

They were paying for half his college tuition; and the post-graduation plan for Damian, understood by both himself and his parents, was that he’d return to the farm and help them out, likely for the remainder of his days. He was welcome to get married and bring his wife there to work, too, and raise their children, but Damian suspected there wasn’t going to be a lot of opportunity for gay s*x in Rancho Amantes even if he went looking for some.

However, he was a grown man, and his parents never had to know what he did in bed. Especially if he asked a trusted friend for this favor, not just any guy.

But what was Alex going to say?

As he crossed a busy street on the edge of campus, his phone rang, jangling him into a renewed panic. He leaped onto the sidewalk, stepped into the shade of a palm near someone’s house, and pulled out the phone.

Alex, flashed the screen.

A call. Not even an answering email or text. s**t. Was that good or bad?

Damian cleared his throat and answered. “Hi.”

“Wow. Damian.” Alex sounded impressed, though possibly was only stunned. Damian couldn’t tell.

Bowing his head, Damian stuffed his free hand in his pocket and turned to face the palm tree. “Yeah. Um, sorry about that. Surprise, huh?”

“Big surprise.”

“Like I said, it’s fine if you’re not interested. I just had to ask. But—”

“Damian,” Alex interrupted. Now he sounded amused. Damian heard a laugh filter through the syllables. “Calm down. Take a deep breath.”

Damian obeyed, pulling in and releasing the breath audibly. “Right.”

“Now.” Alex’s voice dropped to a rich, sexy purr. “How soon can you get over here?”