***Please Note:  This story contains scenes depicting sexual acts between members of the same sex.   If you are under the age of 18, or if it is illegal for you to read such material in your state, please do not read further.  If you are offended by this type of material, again, please do not read further.

This story is completely a work of fiction.  The characters and situations in the story exist solely in the author's imagination.   Any reference the sexual identity of real people is completely fiction.  If you have questions, comments or suggestions regarding this story, please email me.   Flames ignored.

For a list of my other stories, and info about me, go to my Website.

Many celebrities are mentioned in this story, and some of them are even characters in the story.  I am in no way trying to say that I know anything about their personal sexualities by putting them in this story.  Although this story is mainly about a fictional celebrity, I wanted to say that I do not know any of the actual celebrities mentioned in this story.  I am simply borrowing their persona.

"Secrets Of The Morning" is a novel by V.C. Andrews©.  It is not a television show.  The show is only part of this story.

I wrote this story a few years ago.  I've since edited it and changed a few things in it to make it more up to date.  Although I didn't change the beginnings of the story, there are many changes to the original.

EricD.

*Celebrity*

Copyright ©2003 Eric Draven©.

All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 1

    It started out just like any other day for me.  I was walking down the street, looking at all the shop windows and racks that had been set up for side walk sales up and down the street.  I wasn't paying much attention to the people walking down the street around me.  It was always the same preppy college students or older business people with lives and cliques of their very own.  I never fit in with that sort of thing.  I usually kept to myself.

    I was taking a break from studying for my Civics exam that was supposed to be that upcoming Monday, and I was really enjoying the warm California sun.   I had a bottle of Dr. Pepper in one hand, and the other hand held my cell phone.   I was expecting a call from my room mate at any moment.  He was back there studying for his own exam in another subject, but I knew that he'd get stuck and call me.   He always did.

    I saw a large crowd of people gathered around a deli style restaurant up ahead, and at first I wanted to avoid them, but curiosity got the better of me, and I walked on toward them.  I wondered what they were gathered around for.   I thought perhaps that someone had either gotten hurt or was being arrested.   That was the usual thing that drew a crowd around here, so I was shocked to see several men in suits standing around talking to the crowd and passing out what looked like flyers.

    I had decided that I didn't want anything to do with what was going on after all, and I was trying to make my way around the outside of the crowd when a man handed me a flyer.  I stopped and looked at him.  He seemed to be in his middle to late forties with thinning dark hair that was just beginning to turn gray around his ears.  He smiled at me and nodded to the flyer.

    "You look like someone that we might be looking for," he said.  "I'm Milton Drake, and I'm the casting director for 'Secrets Of The Morning.' Why don't you come over to the hotel in the morning and talk to us?"

    Secrets Of The Morning was a prime time soap opera inspired by the novels of V.C. Andrews©.  I'd watched it a few times with my room mate and his girlfriend, but it wasn't a favorite of mine.  However, many of the guys that lived in the dorm would pile up together in the common room to watch the show every Wednesday night.

    "What exactly are you looking for?" I asked, glancing at the flyer.

    "We are looking for the next star," he said, smiling at me.  "Interested?"

    "Gee," I said.  "I don't know. I'm awful busy with school and work already. I don't think I would have time for anything more."

    I didn't know why I said that.  I was between jobs, and school was going really well.  In fact, I was coasting through most of my classes.   Civics was the only one giving me any trouble.  I just didn't really want to even think about talking to them about maybe playing a bit part in one episode of a show that I never watched.

    Acting was no stranger to me.  I'd been in every one of the plays that my high school had put on before graduating.  I'd even had a few lead roles.  However, a degree in business was my goal, and I didn't want to get side tracked by getting my hopes up for nothing.  Acting was fun, but I had to think about real life now.  I was an adult now, and I was positive that I would never make it as an actor.

    "Humor me," he said still smiling at me.   "I think you'd do well. Come by tomorrow."

    With that, he walked back into the crowd and started saying the same things I'd heard him saying when I first walked up.  He told them about parts that were being cast right now for the show, and he could see some really bright faces in the crowd that just might wind up on the screen.  I just folded the flyer and stuffed it into the pocket of my shorts and walked on.

    I went back to the dorm and helped my roommate, Mark, with his studying.  I didn't give what had happened another thought until I was getting ready for bed.  I reached into the pocket of my shorts and pulled the flyer out.  Mark walked over and picked it up.  He looked at it for a few minutes and then looked at me with a puzzled look.

    "What's this?" he asked.

    "Oh, I was walking down the street today, and someone who claims to be the casting director for 'Secrets Of The Morning' gave me that flyer and told me to come to their hotel tomorrow and audition for a role on the show," I said dismissively.

    "That's really cool, Sky," he said, smiling at me.   "You gonna do it?"

    "Mark, you really think that guy was the casting director?" I asked skeptically.  "Come on."

    "Oh, it wouldn't hurt to at least go and see," he said excited.

    He looked so cute standing there in his boxers with that goofy grin on his face.  Mark 5'8" tall with short dark hair and really green eyes.   His body is nice and toned from swimming, and his legs and arms are almost completely hairless.  He has cute dimples, and every time he smiles, I melt.  I guess you could say that I have a thing for my roommate, but I would never act on it.   Mark is definitely straight.

    "Why would I go to this thing?" I asked, turning away from him.  "Even if its legit, I'm nobody."

    "Well you could be somebody!" he cried still excited.

    "I don't even look like someone who belongs on television," I said dismissively.

    "Hey," he said, grabbing my arm and making me turn to face him.  "You are about the best looking guy I know."

    "Whatever," I said, pulling out of his grip and turning back to my bed again.

    "You can't pretend that you don't see the way that everyone looks at you, Sky," he said.  "I mean come on. You've got a killer body, and perfect blonde hair. Your eyes look like they were cut from sapphires. Every girl on campus just about chokes when they see you walk by."

    "Right," I said, pulling back the covers and hopping into bed.

    "I mean it, Sky," he said, walking over to his bed on the other side of the room.  "You are gorgeous."

    "Let it go, Mark," I said, blushing.

    I walked over to my bed and plopped down on it face down.   I buried my face into my pillow as I thought about what Mark had said.  He'd called me gorgeous.  Something about the way he'd looked at me when he was trying to point out what he saw as my good looks nagged at me.  There'd been something in his eyes.  It was something familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

    I silently chastised myself for thinking thoughts about Mark possibly being gay.  He always has a girlfriend, and even though his relationships don't last long doesn't mean that he was trying to hide his sexuality.  I couldn't be so lucky.  Even if he was gay, he'd probably want someone from the swim team.   Like he'd said, my body was very developed.  I worked out whenever I didn't have to study.  I was proud of my body, but I didn't think that my body would attract someone like Mark.

    "Sky, just give it a try," he whispered in my ear.

    I felt my dick starting to grow as his lips softly touched the tip of my ear.  He drove me crazy most of the time.  He had no idea just how sexy he was.  He was always standing or sitting around our room in nothing but his boxers.  What was worse was when he was in his bikini.  That was torture.

    "Alright, I'll go down there," I said, trying not to think about what it would feel like to run my hands over his smooth body.  "If you'll leave me alone about it."

    "YES!" he cried, and I could tell he was jumping up and down like a kid.  "I knew I could talk you into it. I wanna go with you!"

    "Oh no you don't," I cried, springing up from my bed to face him.  "If I'm going to go, I'm going alone."

*

    That had been the night before, and I was now standing in front of the hotel entrance.  There were a bunch of guys about my age getting out of cars and walking past me into the hotel, and I was starting to think that maybe the guy had been legit.  Maybe he really was a casting director.  But if he really was, what chance did I have of landing a part?

    "Are you here for the audition?" asked a male voice from behind me.

    "Yes . . ." I turned around to face Brian Krause.  I was stunned.  If I'd needed any proof that Milton Drake was really a casting director, I had it right in front of me.

    I couldn't take my eyes off of him.  He was just so gorgeous.  His blonde hair was shining in the sun, and his blue eyes were sparkling.  He was smiling that killer smile that I'd seen so many times on the television at me, and I thought I was going to pass out.  I couldn't believe that I was standing in front of Brian Krause!

    "Well, I'll walk you in," he said, grabbing my arm.  "We'd better get going, they're about to start."

    I mentally kicked myself for acting like such a retard as I followed Brian into the hotel.  We rode the elevator together to the top floor, and he asked me questions about myself.  I managed to answer them without stepping on my tongue.  I looked him square in the eye as I talked to him, and I kept telling myself that he was just a man.

    "Well, I have to get in there," he said as he left in a room full of blonde men.  "This time, I get to help decide who gets a role."

    He winked at me, and then he was gone.  I took an empty seat after being handed a piece of paper with my audition lines on it from a big haired woman.  I read over what I was supposed to say, and I noticed that I was auditioning for the part of Logan Cutler.  Mark would be excited to learn that they were finally bringing the much talked about character into the show.

    For those of you who have never watched the show, or read the books its based on, the Cutlers are a family who live in a town named after them in Virginia.  One of the main characters of the show is Dawn Cutler, who was returned to the family after being abducted/sold to another family at birth.  Logan Cutler (never appears in the book series), is her twin brother who was abducted/sold to a different family.

    "Skyler Thomas," called a voice, and I jumped up at the sound of my name.  The voice belonged to Milton himself.  He was poking his head out the door.

    "This is Skyler Thomas," he said when I walked into the room.  "He'll be reading the part of Logan. Brian will be reading the scene with you."

    Brian stood up and walked over to me.  He smiled warmly at me, and I tried really hard not to let my nerves get the better of me.   I did what my drama teacher had always told us to do in high school.  I cleared my mind, blocked out the other people in the room and just read my lines.

    "Just what makes you think you can march into our lives claiming to be our missing brother?" Brian read.

    "First of all," I read.  "I am not claiming to be anyone other than who I am. Your family hired an investigator to find your brother. He is the reason that I am here."

    "Why does he think that you are Logan Cutler?"

    "Look, I'm only here to find out," I read the response.

    "You mean you're here to grab some money," read Brian.

    "I didn't come here for money," I read.   "I came here, because I thought I might be able to get some answers."

    "You want answers," he read.   "You've come to the wrong place. The only answer you'll get here is that we don't cater to money hounds."

    "You can relax," I read.  "I wouldn't want to be a part of your family."

    We stood there, glaring at each other as the scene called for.  Brian played Phillip Cutler, Dawn's older brother.  I'd gotten into the lines, and I hoped that I'd done a good job.  Everyone was quiet for a minute, so I didn't know what to think.  When I looked at Brian, he had a big smile on his face.

    "That was good," said Milton from behind me.  "Do we have your contact information?"

    "I gave it to the receptionist," I said, turning to face him.

    "Great," he said, smiling.   "We'll be in touch."

    The next thing I knew, I was back on the sidewalk, walking back to the dorms.  I couldn't believe that I'd auditioned.  I really didn't believe that anything would come of it.  It would be nice to see the look on Mark's face when I told him which part I'd auditioned for, though.

    He was sitting at the desk in our room when I walked in and slumped into the other chair.  He looked at me expectantly, but I just sighed and tried to draw the moment out for a bit.  I watched as he bit his lip and raised his eyebrows.  I could tell that he was going to explode any moment.

    "Well?" he demanded breathlessly.

    "It was the real deal," I said slowly.

    "What happened?" he asked.   "Come on, Sky."

    "I auditioned for the role of Logan Cutler," I said, watching his eyes grow wide.

    "Logan?" he cried.   "Finally!"

    "Yeah, I guess they'll be adding him to the show soon," I said.

    "Well?" he asked.

    "Well what?"

    "Come on, Sky," he cried.   "What else happened? Who all was there? Were there many other guys auditioning?"

    "Slow down," I said, waving my hand in front of his face.

    "Well tell me something!" he breathed.

    "Alright," I sighed.  "They held the audition in a banquet hall on the top floor. Brian Krause was there, and he read his part while I read for Logan. They said I did a great job and they'd be in touch."

    "Brain Krause was there!" he cried.   "You met him?"

    "Well, we did exchange names and shake hands," I said, smiling at him.

    "Oh My God!" he cried.  "What was he like?"

    "He was nice," I said, shrugging my shoulders.  "I only talked to him for a few minutes before we started reading our lines."

    "I have to call Shelly!" he cried, jumping up and running to the phone.

    Shelly was Mark's current girlfriend and fellow "Secrets Of The Morning" enthusiast.  I heard him telling her about my audition and meeting Brian Krause.  He told her about Logan being added to the show, and then he just kept saying "uh-hu".  I just kept smiling at him.  He was like a kid on Christmas morning.

    Just then, my cell phone began to ring.  I looked at the screen, and saw that it was the hotel's number.  I held my breath as I answered the phone.  I couldn't decide if I thought that getting called this soon was a good thing or a bad thing.  I had no real experience with this sort of thing.

    "Hello?" I said.

    "Skyler?" said Brian's voice on the other end of the line.

    "This is him," I said, still holding my breath.

    "Hey, I'm glad I caught you," he said.   "I was wondering if you'd like to come back to the hotel and talk to us for a few minutes."

    "Sure," I said.  "I'll be there in an hour. I have to walk."

    "No, you don't have to walk," he said, laughing.  "I'm outside your dorm right now. Please don't tell anyone that I'm out here, though. Just come on down, and I'll drive you over to the hotel."

    "See you in a few minutes," I replied.   I pushed the end button on my phone and waited while Mark babbled to Shelly on the room phone.

    "Who was that?" he asked as he hung up the extension.

    "They want me to come back to the hotel for a talk," I said nervously.

    "Wow!" he said.  "You haven't even been back for more than an hour."

    "I know," I said.  "There's a car waiting for me downstairs. I have to go."

    I picked up my phone and walked out the door before he could say anything more.  It was rude, I know, but I didn't want to keep Brian waiting.  I couldn't believe he'd come to get me.  I would have thought that they would have sent a driver to pick me up if they were going to send a car.

    "Hey," he said as I opened the passenger door.

    "Hi," I replied, getting into the car.

    "I'm really glad that you auditioned," he said.  He pulled the car out of the parking lot, and drove back toward the hotel.

    "I wasn't going to," I admitted.   "My room mate wouldn't shut up until I agreed to do it."

    "Does that mean you don't want the part?" he asked quickly.

    "No," I said.  "I just didn't think it was for real. I mean do casting directors usually stop people on the street and tell them that they could be the next prime time soap star?"

    "Is that what Milton said to you?" he laughed.

    "Something like that," I replied.   "I don't remember exactly what he said."

    "Well, no," he said.  "Casting directors don't usually do that. They wanted a fresh face for the part of Logan. Several established actors want the part, but Milton stuck to his guns. He wanted an unknown."

    "Ah," I said, thinking that he wanted someone who wouldn't cost as much money as the "established" actors.

    "Alright," he said.  "I'll warn you now. We're going to offer you the part. That's why I came to get you. What they want is an answer, and then if you say yes, they'll go over your contract and all of that."

    "Don't I need a lawyer?" I asked, holding back my excitement over getting the part.

    "Well, I took the liberty of calling my agent and asking her to represent you for this," he said, glancing at me.  "It will only be this one time, though. Unless the two of you decide to make it a permanent arrangement."

    "That's cool," I replied.  I didn't really know enough about show business to say anything about it.  For all I knew, what he'd done was standard practice.

    "You really did a good job at the audition," he said.  "They've been talking about you ever since you left. Milton even told the other six guys that were there for that particular role that it had been cast."

    "There were a lot more than six other guys there," I said when he finished.

    "Well, yeah," he said.   "They're still looking for someone to play a few other roles. One of them is a bit part, but the other two are going to be regular characters."

    "Oh," I said.

    "You'll get to know everyone pretty quick," he said.  "Kristy's going to love you."

    Kristy Swanson was the star of the show.  She played Dawn Cutler.  I hadn't thought about meeting the other people in the cast until he'd said that.  Suddenly, I was very nervous.  I didn't know why, though.   I'd told myself all my life that if I ever met someone famous, I would be nervous.   I guess I never thought about it enough.

    "Where is the show filmed?" I asked.

    "New York," He said.  "You'll hear all about that stuff in just a few minutes."

    We'd pulled into the parking lot of the hotel.   This was it.  I was about to sign a contract that would begin my acting carrier.  It was funny to me that I'd never even considered a carrier in acting before that moment.  Up until then, all I'd ever wanted to do was get a degree in business and get a good job.

    "Skyler," said Milton when we entered the conference room of the hotel.  "I'm glad you could come back."

    "Thank you," I said, shaking his hand.

    "Let me introduce you to some of the other people here," he said.

    He introduced me to Jack Wellman, one of the writers.  He would be writing most everything that Logan would be saying and doing.   I shook hands with him and smiled.  He looked to be about forty years old with thinning dark hair that was beginning to gray.  He had watery green eyes that were framed by small round glasses.

    Next there was Laura Ullman.  She was Brian's agent.  She was a pretty woman with long wavy dark hair and blue eyes.  She smiled at me and told me that she would be representing me for this "little party."  I smiled back at her, and then I took my seat.  There were two other people there, but I can't for the life of me remember who they were.

    They offered me several different things to drink, then they asked if I was hungry.  I accepted a soda, and then we got down to business.  It was all Greek to me, but Laura did most of the talking on my part.   She stopped to explain certain things to me and asked if I agreed.  Then, I was signing a contract.

    The contract said that I would be playing the part of Logan Cutler for twelve episodes.  When I saw the amount of money that I would be paid for each episode, I nearly choked.  They were going to pay me $275,000 for each episode! I looked up at Laura before I signed.

    "There are six more episodes before the season ends," she said.  "The contract states that you agree to return for the next season. Its only for six more episodes, but if everything goes well, you could become a permanent cast member. You'll be paid for ever episode. I believe the price is higher for the season finale."

    She stopped to look at Milton who nodded his head.   Then she pointed at another figure in the contract, and I know my eyes bulged.   It stated that for the two hour season finale, I would be paid $600,000.  Then it went on to say that when shooting resumed, I would be paid that amount again for the two hour season premiere.  I was stunned.

    "Are the figures not to your liking?" asked Milton when I'd only stared at the contract for a few minutes.  "I can assure you that you are being paid very well for an unknown actor."

    "I only get $500,000 per episode," Brian whispered in my ear.

    "The figures are fine," I replied.   "I was just shocked to see that I would be paid that much."

    They all laughed, and I just kept reading the contract.  When I got to another part, I stopped reading and looked at Laura again.   It said that I would be singing a song in my first episode.  I would be paid for singing the song separate from the price of the episode.  I didn't know if I could sing for people.  Acting was one thing, but singing was quite another.

    "What's wrong?" asked Laura when she saw the look on my face.

    "I have to sing?" I asked.

    "Well, they would like for you to," she said, smiling.  "They want you to record the song in a studio first. Then they'll let you lip sinc on the show. If you can't sing, then they'll just find someone to sing the song and you'll lip sinc to that voice."

    "I haven't sang for people since I was a sophomore in high school," I said.

    "Well, you'll be in the studio next week," she said.  "I'm sure you'll do ok."

    After a few more surprises, I signed the contract.   The other surprises were that they would rent me an apartment in New York for the length of my contract, and I would have a car and driver at my disposal so long as I gave at least an hour's notice.  Laura explained that there would be other perks, but they weren't in the contract.  She said that they were so standard that they never put them in any contracts anymore.

    After the contract was signed, I was congratulated by everyone in the room.  I was also told that we would be leaving for New York in two days, so I'd better get everything settled here tomorrow.  I was a bit overwhelmed.  Brian must have noticed, because he leaned over to me and whispered in my ear.

    "Let's get out of here for a while," he said.

    I just nodded my head.  After they'd all told me what was expected of me for the time being, I was excused to leave with Brian.  I didn't know where we were going, but at that moment, I didn't really care.  I just wanted to be away from the hotel for a while.  I had to think about what I was going to tell everyone in the morning.

    "Well, where do you want to go?" asked Brian as we got into his rental car.

    "I don't know," I replied.  I was numb.  It all felt like a dream.  I didn't know what to do or say.

    "Well, why don't we go back to your dorm, so you can change, and I'll take you out to celebrate your new carrier?" he asked, smiling over at me.

    "Alright," I said, barely registering what he'd said.

    "You're going to love it in New York, Skyler," he said.  "There's so much to do there. We film every morning for four hours, but after that, you are free for the rest of the day. That is unless the studio books publicity stuff for you. They'll probably do a lot of that in the next few weeks, because you are the new cast member."

    "What kind of publicity?" I asked, finally paying attention.

    "Well, there will be photo shoots, personal appearances, maybe a few interviews," he said.  "And they'll want you in the recording studio as soon as you get to New York."

    "I really don't know if I can sing, Brian," I said.

    Sure, I'd sang in some of the musicals that my high school had put on, but that was high school.  Nobody expected anything out of you.  This would be very different.  I was going to have to sing a song that would be recorded and played back on national television.  The idea made me want to vomit.

    "Something tells me that you'll do fine," he chuckled.

    "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, looking at him.

    "Well," he stalled.  "You have a very sexy voice. Don't get the wrong idea here, but when you talk, everyone looks at you. Your voice demands attention. I think that's part of the reason that Milton was so eager to sign you. That and the way that you look."

    "The way I look?" I said.

    "Oh, stop it," he laughed.   "You can't have gone through life for 18 years without someone telling you that you could stop traffic by looking out the window of your dorm room."

    "That's nice to know," I replied.   I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but something about what he said was really bothering me.

    "I think I'm not explaining everything properly," he said after a few minutes of silence.  "You were awesome at the audition. We could all tell that you know how to act. There were so many people there that couldn't even get through half their lines without stumbling. Skyler, you knocked us on our asses."

    "I just want to make sure that I don't become known as Skyler "The Body" Thomas," I said, surprising myself as well as Brian.

    "Oh, Skyler," he said.  "You will be known for that and so much more. You can count on that."

    We pulled into the parking lot of the dorms, and I got out of the car.  Brian followed me up to my room, and when I opened the door, I was surprised that Mark wasn't there.  He was supposed to be studying, but his books were open on the desk, and he was nowhere to be found.

    "I guess my room mate had to run," I said.  "I'll just be a minute."

    I grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom.  The sound of the shower should have stopped me, but I wasn't thinking clearly just then.  I opened the door just as the shower stopped.  Before Mark had a chance to realize that I was in the room, he stepped out of the shower.

    He stood there dripping and naked.  When he saw me standing there, his cheeks colored, and I started to babble about being sorry for walking in on him.  He smiled and turned away from me, but I got a good look at his naked body.  Everything about him was perfect in my eyes.  His toned body glistened, and his short hair was dripping.

    His pubic hair was shaved into a triangle just above his meaty dick.  It hung down over low hanging balls, and I swore that I saw it twitch while I looked at it.  My breath caught for a second, but I recovered in just enough time to drag my eyes away from his manhood before he noticed that I was staring.

    "I just needed to change," I said.   "I'll wait in the room."

    I turned and fled before he could say anything.   Brian was sitting on my bed, looking at one of my text books when I came charging out of the bathroom.  He looked up at me, and a goofy grin spread across his face.   I imagined that I must have looked like a mad man.

    "What's wrong?" he asked.

    "Mark was in the shower," I said.   "He was just getting out when I walked into the room."

    "Embarrassed?" he asked me, smiling.

    "Shut up," I laughed.  "I'll just have to wait until he's dressed and out of the bathroom."

    "You can change right out here, Skyler," said Brian.  "You'd better get used to changing in front of people. You'll be doing enough of it very soon."

    I thought about it for a minute.  When he'd first said that I could change right there, I'd thought maybe he was coming on to me.   Then he'd said that I would be changing in front of people very soon.  I wasn't shy about my body.  In my opinion, I had nothing to be ashamed of.  The idea of changing in front of people didn't bother me as much as it probably should have.

    I pulled my shirt off and was just pushing my pants down my legs when Mark emerged from the bathroom.  He stopped in the doorway and stared at me.  He didn't say anything, but his eyes traveled my body just like, I imagined, mine had traveled his.  He hadn't even noticed Brian yet.

    "Mark, this is Brian Krause," I said as I pulled the other pair of jeans up over my hips and buttoned them.

    The two of them said hello to each other, and Mark told him about how much he liked the show while I fumbled with my shirt.  I didn't know why, but I was suddenly very uncomfortable.  Mark and I had seen each other in boxers countless times, but we'd never looked at each other like that before.  I was sure that Mark had no idea that I was gay, but the way that he'd looked at me was strange.   I'd seen hunger in his eyes.

    "All ready?" asked Brian, dragging me away from my thoughts.

    "Where are you going?" asked Mark when I grabbed my wallet and keys.

    "I got the part," I said, smiling at him.  "Brian is taking me out to celebrate."

    "You got it?" cried Mark, and he was so excited.

    We talked about it for a few minutes, and I was about to ask him to come with us when he said that he really needed to get his studying done for the test.  I promised him that I'd talk to him and tell him all about it when I got home.  He just smiled at me with that excited look in his eyes again.

    When we got back in the car, I noticed Brian looking at me strangely for a minute.  I was about to say something about it when he smiled and started the car.  I wondered just what he'd thought of the show that Mark had put on while watching me change clothes.  It worried me.  I'd been in the closet for so long.

    "Can I ask you something?" asked Brian.   "Its kind of personal."

    "Sure," I said nervously.

    "Is Mark gay?" he asked.

    I started laughing almost hysterically.  Part of it was from relief.  The other part was the idea that Mark could be gay.   Sure, I was beginning to suspect that he was at least curious, but I seriously doubted that he was gay.  Brian must have thought I was crazy.  He just kept looking at me.

    "I'm sorry," I said, trying to stop laughing.  "The question just kind of caught me off guard."

    "There's nothing wrong with it if he is," Brian said quickly.  "I just wondered."

    "No, he's not gay," I replied, still trying not to laugh.

TO BE CONTINUED. . . . .

Well, I hope you liked the first chapter.  I know, I know, there's no sex.   I think its kind of hot to just let your imagination run for a little bit.  Do you think that Mark is gay? Do you think that Mark and Sky will have sex? Do you think that Brian is gay? Do you think that he's interested in Sky? Do you think that he's interested in Mark? See? All kinds of possibilities.

Originally, I had intended to post the entire story all at once.  However, I'm still editing, and I wanted to let you have a preview.  This preview has been on my site for a while now.  I will continue the story, but I don't know if it will continue past the last chapter that is already written.  I'm only editing and bring it up to date.

Christopher's Story will continue very soon.  I'm still working on the next chapter.  Thanks to everyone who has sent positive feedback.  I'm so glad that so many of you like that story.  Its kind of special to me.  I'm back to not knowing when it will end.  It seems that Christopher still has much to say, so I'll let him continue until he runs out of steam.

I'm not sure when Evan's Story will begin, but I do know that I will not write that one at the same time that Christopher's Story is running.  When Christopher stops, Evan will probably begin.

Boys Of Summer will continue just as soon as I can figure out what I want to say in the story now.  I had my mind made up when the story started as to how it would end and what would happen between, but now I'm not so sure.  I'll let everyone know when I have another installment of the story ready.

My eGroup is finally up and running.  You can join the group by clicking here.  The group is really just a place for me to post pics of the guys that inspire my characters.   I'll probably send info about stories, future chapters, and chat dates through the group as well as my notify list.  Check out my website to join the notify list.   I always send an announcement through the notify list when I post a story or chapter to either my site or Nifty.

Ok, I want to say a little something to a few particular readers who send me email, and then I will shut up.  K.T. Menays Thank you for all of your encouragement.  It's nice to read mail that lets me know just how much my writing is appreciated.  Kip Parker What can I say, Kipper? You are a great friend, and I'm glad that we got to know a little about each other.  I hope that some day we can meet in person and have coffee or something. YOU ROCK! Justin Case Thank you for all of your advice about my life's messy little problems.   You gave me much to think about, and I want you to know that I made my decision based on a few things that you said.  THANK YOU!

Eric Draven©