Unaware of everything happening in the mind, heart, and body of the new doctor in White Shore, Brad Lipski calmly crossed the threshold of his house and flinched in surprise when he saw his niece's serious gaze fixed on him.
"Olivia, why aren't you asleep yet?"
The girl stood in the entrance to the living room, her expression resembling that of a forty-year-old mother rather than a fifteen-year-old student.
"We have a history test next week, so I was studying. Did you get into trouble again?" she asked, looking at his hand.
"Uh, no…" he smiled, feigning innocence. He ruffled his hair energetically and raised his bandaged hand as if to show how small the dressing was. "It's nothing. Seriously. Dr. Stone already took care of me. The police don't have any complaints either…"
"The police…"
Oops, he probably shouldn't have mentioned that. His mistake.
"Seriously, there's nothing to worry about," he assured her enthusiastically. "Olivia, I swear, I didn't get into any trouble…"
She didn't believe him. He could see it in her eyes. She was too young to pretend she believed men's lies. But in Brad's case, it was the truth. More or less. Damn, what a great guardian he was!
The girl, however, seemed to decide to believe him. She sighed and walked into the living room. Brad saw books and notebooks spread out on the table. Olivia never lied. If she said she was studying, that's exactly what she had been doing.
"It was just a regular bar fight," Brad explained, following her. He felt like he needed to clarify everything. "And it was self-defense, so there's no problem…"
"But this afternoon, you had a bandage on your forehead, and you arrived in Stacy's car. I didn't ask anything because you were with the doctor, but you had an accident, didn't you?"
Her voice trembled, and Brad froze in place. God, he hadn't thought about that!
"That?" he asked nonchalantly, though his heart clenched with guilt. "Tomorrow at school, you'll hear that your uncle is a real hero! I saved a bus from crashing. The driver had a heart attack and died at the wheel, so when the bus was speeding out of control…"
Oh crap, he'd said too much again.
Olivia looked at him, bravely trying to hold back her tears. There was admiration in her eyes, sure, but also a lot more worry and sadness.
Great, hero. Now you're going to make the kid cry.
"I know my limits," he said in a much more serious tone. "I'm the best driver you know. Hey, I'm probably the best driver in the whole country. That's why I can assess my capabilities…"
He got the feeling that wasn't helping. Damn, what was he supposed to do?
Salvation came in the form of Olivia herself, who sniffled, quickly wiped her eyes, and straightened up with a smile.
"You know, I think our new doctor is a very handsome guy. You should ask him out."
"WHAT?" he asked, staring at her wide-eyed.
"What? Don't you think he's handsome?"
"Well, he is," he admitted, and suddenly, Colin Stone's face appeared in his mind. Quite nice-looking, still young, though that light beard made it hard to tell exactly how much. He was definitely easy on the eyes. "Though he'd look better without that ridiculous beard."
"I think you two would be a great match," Olivia declared confidently.
"Oh, come on," he smiled, heading to the kitchen. "Not every handsome guy is gay…"
"He is," she followed him.
"Olivia, I know you like reading your yaoi, but…"
"Uncle, I'm not a fujoshi. Not every guy seems gay to me. Principal Preston definitely isn't. Neither is Councilman Nivicky. But Dr. Stone is. I'm sure of it."
"And what makes you think that?" Brad smirked. He should be better at sensing who was gay and who wasn't.
"General vibe. And how uncomfortable he was around you."
"A lot of men feel uncomfortable around me, and most of them are definitely not gay." Just thinking about tonight's events… probably every guy in that bar would rather not have anything to do with him in any way. Especially not in an erotic way.
"That's not the kind of discomfort I mean!" she insisted. "He thinks you're hot!"
"Hey, hey, young lady!"
"Alright, fine—handsome."
"Because I'm objectively handsome, to put it simply. Guys can also appreciate the beauty of another man."
"Seriously, Uncle, you're hopeless," Olivia assessed with resignation, shaking her head as she returned to the living room. "You really should be more attuned to these vibes," she muttered, more to herself than to him, while gathering her notebooks and books. "I'm going to bed. Good night!"
"Good night!"
He responded almost mechanically, as for some reason, his thoughts wandered to Dr. Colin Stone.
The doc is gay? Impossible.
Brad gave a crooked smile, reaching for the carton of milk in the fridge.
The doc? Gay?
Judging by its weight and the way the liquid sloshed inside, there was barely a glass of milk left in the carton. So, Brad put it back. He made a mental note to buy more, though he wouldn't have time before the kids left for school. But the shopping list wasn't what filled his thoughts at the moment.
The doc is gay? Seriously?
No, Olivia must have read some new manga and was still under its influence. He had seen a few volumes and wasn't surprised that after reading that kind of stuff, girls could start imagining practically any guy as gay. But come on, not everyone was, and Brad knew that damn well. Otherwise, he wouldn't be spending his evenings alone or flipping pancakes for his nieces.
But, theoretically speaking, Colin Stone could be gay. And if he actually was?
Brad's hand withdrew before he could grab the orange juice carton. Mindlessly, he shut the fridge and sat down at the kitchen table. He gazed out the window, where the driveway and Stacy's parked car were visible. The city lights made it impossible to see the stars, but he still looked up at the sky.
How long had it been since he was last in a relationship? He pondered. Two. Two years since he had last felt someone's affectionate touch. Ever since he left his old life behind and took on raising the twins, he hadn't had the time or energy to look for a partner. It wasn't like there weren't men in the area—or even in White Shore itself—who were openly or occasionally interested in the same sex, but Brad simply didn't feel any attraction toward them. What had once burned bright had long since burned out, and no new flame had sparked among the people he had known for so long. They were more like beer buddies than potential lovers.
That was probably one of the biggest downsides of living in a small town. Fresh faces were rare, and so were new snacks to sink his teeth into.
Someone like Dr. Stone would be a delicacy here. Handsome, even in a somewhat charming way—blond hair, light eyes. A medical doctor, a professional, and with an intriguing personality to boot. If he turned out to be gay, he'd be in high demand. Maybe even Brad would be interested? Sure, why not?
But no, Brad shook his head and stood up. The doc was definitely not gay. It was simply impossible.
Why? Hmm, well… Brad couldn't quite put his finger on it. He just didn't sense those vibes Olivia was talking about. Poor girl really wanted her uncle to find someone. Unfortunately, she was still too young to understand that it wasn't that easy.
Love wasn't easy.
Life wasn't easy.
Damn, I must be turning into a grumpy old man, Brad sighed as he trudged upstairs. He was frustrated and lonely.
It would be better if Colin Stone wasn't gay. Because if he was, Brad would have a hard time resisting the sinful temptation of indulging in the pleasures of the flesh with the golden-haired doctor.