Just This Once
Title: Just This Once (1/4)
Author: appassionata1
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 2,710
Characters: Noah, Reid, Original Male Character, Original Female Character
Warnings: Graphic Sex, Strong Language
Artwork: appassionata1
Summary: Reid Oliver is an English instructor and an aspiring novelist who’s received one too many rejection letters. Noah Mayer is a successful screenwriter who will do whatever he can to encourage his husband. Out of desperation, Reid tries something new.
Disclaimer: ATWT characters are property of CBS and Telenext media. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: A special thanks to random_nic for hosting the second Neid Lil Bang. I am honored to be given the opportunity to share my work.
It was the final day of classes before summer break at Brighton College. Reid Oliver was in an extremely foul mood and not looking forward to reading the nineteen stories handed in as the final assignment for his Creative Writing class. All that was required from him for that final session was to pick up their manuscripts and give a short lecture about the pitfalls of trying to get your work published, but he had no desire to do even that.
He had checked the mail before he left home that morning and it included a letter from Hammond House Publishing and he had a pretty good idea of what was in that envelope. Reluctant to open it or even let his husband know he had received it, he quickly stuck it his briefcase and rushed out of the house.
Now that his class had ended he had managed to get through it without biting off anyone’s head and had also managed to open the envelope and read the dreaded rejection letter without trashing his classroom.
Another damned rejection letter! Those asinine publishers couldn’t recognize a talented author if one bit them on the ass.
He sat alone, behind his desk staring at the crumpled envelope. It was rejection number thirty-one. Of all the stories and novels and poems he had written, none had been considered worthy of being published. He had received this depressing response from not one but several publishing houses. He felt as if all of his hard work had been an exercise in futility. Was it time for him to just give up and accept the inevitable? To make matters worse National Scribe Magazine was sponsoring a short story contest he considered entering, but was suffering from writer’s block. Just as he was contemplating his woes his bad day got worse when his least favorite student walked into his classroom.
Her name was Kelly McBride and she was as obnoxious as they came. From the start of the semester she acted as though she knew everything there ever was to know about writing, contested every grade she received, and in general never missed the opportunity to get on Reid’s nerves. He raised his head as he heard her stiletto heels clicking across the tile floor.
“Oh good, I’m in luck. You’re still here Mr. Oliver,” she said with a smug grin.
He exhaled loudly and replied, “That I am. I was wondering when you’d finally show up and hand in your assignment.” He looked down at her empty hands. “Where’s your manuscript?”
She flipped her long blonde hair back and snorted. “Sorry I don’t have one.”
“Ms. McBride if you don’t turn in your final assignment I have no alternative but to give you a failing grade. I can allow you until the end of the week to finish it, but that’s it.”
“Until the end of the week… seriously?”
“In all fairness you’ve had the same amount of time as all the other students and-”
“Save your breath Mr. Oliver. I didn’t come here to share anymore of my work with you or anyone else. You see I’ve just been offered a whopper of a contract from Hammond House. You know, the one you said was nearly impossible to get published with. So you won’t be seeing me again, unless of course you come to my book signing.”
Reid had been knocked for a loop. He was so jealous and angry he could have spit fire. Now the evil cow had the nerve to pull an envelope out of her purse and wave it in front of his face.
“They’re mad about my novel An Angel’s Quest. That’s the one you said was cloying and trite, remember?”
Reid replied through gritted teeth, “Yes Kelly I do vividly recall telling you that and I stand by my opinion.”
“Hmm, interesting. Oh, and how many books have you had published?”
That nasty affront dug deep. Reid was the epitome of restraint when he replied, “Ms. McBride I am indeed delighted by your success and I hope your talent takes you far. But please remember this; you’ll go much further if you practice a little humility along the way.” Stacking papers and forcefully stuffing them into his briefcase he continued, “I’m sure you’ve got someplace to be so I won’t keep you any longer. Good day.”
She pressed her shiny heavily glossed lips into an angry thin line and whipped around to leave. She took a few steps and turned back around. “I just thought of an old saying. How does it go? Ah, yes. Those who can do and those who can’t teach. How appropriate, don’t you think?” Then she swept out of the room.
Reid was now seething. She was damned lucky he didn’t throw something at her. That prissy little bitch! She could be lying! Was she lying? She had the letter with her, but you didn’t read it. It could have been a rejection letter. Why didn’t you ask to her to let you read it? Why, and get humiliated even further? She wouldn’t just blow off this class. A passing grade meant too much to her. Oh God, she wasn’t lying. They actually chose her book over mine!
This was the first time Reid had ever felt like throwing in the towel. Could he face the realization that he simply had no talent as a writer? How could he go on believing in himself when he had to stand by and watch every two bit hack’s work get published while his was always deemed unworthy? He often wondered why fate was so damned unkind to him.
It was the complete opposite for Noah. His husband of nearly five years was an incredibly successful screenwriter. Four of his screenplays had been filmed since they had met seven years ago and he was currently in negotiations to film his fifth. Noah’s dream to be a film maker took them to LA where his career flourished. He and Reid lived there for a couple of years; however Reid hated everything associated with the Hollywood scene and constantly complained about living there.
Although Noah believed that living in LA would be better for his career he loved Reid and wanted him to be happy so he didn’t put up a fuss when his discontented husband finally insisted that they move back to New York. Reid secured a job teaching at a community college just to occupy his time and keep his mind off his failures, but he never stopped dreaming of one day having a book on the bestseller list. A sterling accomplishment every ambitious writer dreams of. Despite his many setbacks Reid’s dream had remained strong and pure as if it were a living and breathing entity - that is until today.
*****
As soon as Reid entered the condo he shared with Noah, he dropped his briefcase on a chair in the foyer, kicked off his shoes, and left them where they landed as he headed straight for the liquor cabinet. He opened it, reached in, and grabbed the first bottle he saw which was a full bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Neither he nor Noah was a heavy drinker, but they kept an assortment of liquor on hand for special occasions. To Reid this was one of those special occasions. He wanted to get falling down drunk and erase from his mind everything that happened that day.
Or at least forget about it for a while. So he went to the living room and plopped down on the sofa and got comfortable, stretching out his legs. He opened the bottle of whiskey and took a long swig from it. He winced as the strong liquid stung his throat and burned his sinuses as it went down. He closed his eyes and allowed the warmth of it to overtake his body. After a few more sips he was feeling like he didn’t have a care in the world. Then his husband came home.
Reid didn’t budge when he heard Noah’s key turning in the lock and him opening the door. He didn’t answer when he heard his voice calling his name and him walking into the living room. Noah knew he was home by the shoes he had kicked off and left behind. He was puzzled about why he didn’t answer, but soon found out when he saw him sprawled out on their sofa, half lidded eyes, hugging a half empty bottle of whiskey. He had brought home a large pizza with the works and a six pack of Reid’s favorite beer as a special treat because he was leaving for LA the next morning. Reid smelled the enticing aroma of the pizza coming from the box and that was enough for his eyes to open wide.
“Babe, what’s the matter?” Noah inquired as he set them down on the coffee table. Reid drew up his legs so Noah could sit beside him.
He sighed and mumbled, “I knew you’d want to know but honestly, it’s not worth mentioning.”
“Well… I disagree. Whatever it is has you so upset you’ve gotten wasted and we both know you never-”
Reid opened the box and pulled out a slice of pizza and took a huge bite. Then he said with a mouthful, “Maybe I’m celebrating.”
Noah got up and took the bottle of whiskey off the table along with the beer and headed to the kitchen. He came back with two plates, napkins, and two bottles of water. Reid greeted him with a comical frown when he set a bottle of water down in front of him.
As he took two slices of pizza from the box he said, “Look Reid I don’t want you to leave whatever this thing is festering while I’m gone. Just let me know what it is, ok.”
Reid rolled his eyes and sighed, “Well if you must know. This morning I received another rejection letter. I’ve spared you the gory details so you should be grateful.
Noah placed his hand on his thigh and squeezed it saying, “Aww, babe I’m so sorry.”
Noah was truly affected by the bad news and Reid could hear it in his voice. It felt like déjà vu except all the other times he heard empathy, but this time he could swear he heard pity. Instead of comforting him it crushed him. For the first time he felt ashamed of facing his own husband. Proud man that he was he masked his feelings well and relied heavily on his sarcasm to get him through.
As Noah politely changed the subject Reid still wasn’t drunk enough to not revisit that horrid moment with Kelly or the stinging words of his rejection letter. Its conclusion being, his writing was bland and uninteresting. He didn’t know his audience and he wasn’t skilled enough to give them what they wanted. Reid mistakenly concluded that his writing was bland because he was bland. There was no way he could change that… or was there? He had once heard the advice given to an author Write what you know. If he was to ever write about captivating adventures wouldn’t he have to experience them first?
His train of thought made him come up with the strange query, “Noah, have you ever had the urge to do something that was so out of character you wouldn’t even recognize your own behavior?”
Noah was perplexed by his question. “Um, what exactly are you referring to?”
“Do you think I’m bland in bed?”
Now he was completely mystified. “Bland in bed?!”
“You know what I mean… completely insipid regarding machinations in the boudoir.”
“No Reid I don’t think you’re bland in bed. I think you’re awesome in bed and in the shower and on the kitchen counter and right here on this sofa,” he answered with a smirk.
“Then why isn’t it coming through in my writing? My writing is boring, it sucks, nobody wants to read anything I write!”
“Stop it Reid. You’re a great, no a brilliant writer. Your stories are original, enthralling, mesmerizing…”
“Geez, why couldn’t you be a publisher?”
“I’m serious Reid. Your work is good enough to be published. Anyone of your novels could be a bestseller and anyone who says otherwise has their head up their ass!”
“I appreciate your praise and your encouragement, but you seem to be the only one who thinks that way.”
Then an idea hit Reid like a bolt from the blue. If he ever wanted to recapture the inspiration to write he had to do something drastic. Great authors often lived complicated multi-faceted lives and were never at a loss of topics to write about. He needed to do something to spice up his life. That was the answer!
“Noah, have you ever thought about having a one night stand with somebody?”
“Reid you’re drunker than I thought you were.”
“I’m not that drunk. Well have you?”
“Before or after we were married?”
“At any time in your life.”
“I suppose… it’s crossed my mind,” Noah bashfully confessed.
“Would you ever do it?”
“Reid! Where the hell is this coming from?”
“You know what they say. Experience is the best teacher.”
“What are you saying? That you want to go out and pick up some random guy and get all freaky with him?!” Noah was angered by the mere suggestion that his husband would consider such a thing.
“Of course not. It’s the booze talking. Noah, do you really think I want to do that?”
“If you don’t then why are we talking about it?”
“Noah relax, will you? It’s just a fantasy as old and as common as dirt. Everybody has it. It’s been written about ad infinitum - meeting a total stranger, falling under his spell, succumbing to one’s primal instincts.”
“You mean one’s primal lust.”
“I know you’ve fantasized about it haven’t you? You just admitted you have.”
“No Reid, not since I met you.” Noah’s stare was penetrating, revealing how upset he was by the topic of conversation.
Reid knew it was time to lighten up. “Well I guess you’re a better man than I am Gunga Din.”
Noah was rattled by the direction this conversation was taking. He felt like something was clawing at his insides. He had never seen Reid like this before and he had never heard him suggest something so outlandish. He felt threatened because these thoughts could possibly lead to the end of their marriage. He had to believe that Reid couldn’t possibly be serious. He desperately wanted to help Reid get over his anguish, but he didn’t know how. So he resorted to doing what he always did whenever he found himself in a funk, he put on a movie.
Much to Noah’s dismay as soon as it started playing Reid got up and went to the kitchen for the six pack of beer. The film was one of Noah’s favorites Breakfast at Tiffany’s and one Reid never complained too much about. This time Reid drank his way through it without much interaction with his sympathetic husband. Noah hardly spoke either. He just tenderly held Reid’s hand, feeling every bit of his pain, until the movie had ended.
Still very upset about Reid’s disturbing suggestion, as the credits rolled he turned to him and asked, “Will I have anything to fear while I’m gone?”
“I won’t hang myself from the balcony if that’s what you mean.”
“I suppose that’s good to know. I’m tired, I’m going to bed. Are you coming?”
“No, not yet. I’ll just linger here for a while and continue to drown my sorrows, cheers,” he quipped as he held up a can of beer.
Reid was madly in love with his husband and would never let on that he was the slightest bit envious of his red hot career, but sometimes he couldn’t help feeling that way. Noah had been flying back and forth from their home in New York to LA more than ever recently which had been causing friction in their marriage. Reid had suffered through long lonely separations before but he was dreading this one. There was something very different about this time. They both could feel it.
(Chapter 2)
Author: appassionata1
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 2,710
Characters: Noah, Reid, Original Male Character, Original Female Character
Warnings: Graphic Sex, Strong Language
Artwork: appassionata1
Summary: Reid Oliver is an English instructor and an aspiring novelist who’s received one too many rejection letters. Noah Mayer is a successful screenwriter who will do whatever he can to encourage his husband. Out of desperation, Reid tries something new.
Disclaimer: ATWT characters are property of CBS and Telenext media. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: A special thanks to random_nic for hosting the second Neid Lil Bang. I am honored to be given the opportunity to share my work.
It was the final day of classes before summer break at Brighton College. Reid Oliver was in an extremely foul mood and not looking forward to reading the nineteen stories handed in as the final assignment for his Creative Writing class. All that was required from him for that final session was to pick up their manuscripts and give a short lecture about the pitfalls of trying to get your work published, but he had no desire to do even that.
He had checked the mail before he left home that morning and it included a letter from Hammond House Publishing and he had a pretty good idea of what was in that envelope. Reluctant to open it or even let his husband know he had received it, he quickly stuck it his briefcase and rushed out of the house.
Now that his class had ended he had managed to get through it without biting off anyone’s head and had also managed to open the envelope and read the dreaded rejection letter without trashing his classroom.
Another damned rejection letter! Those asinine publishers couldn’t recognize a talented author if one bit them on the ass.
He sat alone, behind his desk staring at the crumpled envelope. It was rejection number thirty-one. Of all the stories and novels and poems he had written, none had been considered worthy of being published. He had received this depressing response from not one but several publishing houses. He felt as if all of his hard work had been an exercise in futility. Was it time for him to just give up and accept the inevitable? To make matters worse National Scribe Magazine was sponsoring a short story contest he considered entering, but was suffering from writer’s block. Just as he was contemplating his woes his bad day got worse when his least favorite student walked into his classroom.
Her name was Kelly McBride and she was as obnoxious as they came. From the start of the semester she acted as though she knew everything there ever was to know about writing, contested every grade she received, and in general never missed the opportunity to get on Reid’s nerves. He raised his head as he heard her stiletto heels clicking across the tile floor.
“Oh good, I’m in luck. You’re still here Mr. Oliver,” she said with a smug grin.
He exhaled loudly and replied, “That I am. I was wondering when you’d finally show up and hand in your assignment.” He looked down at her empty hands. “Where’s your manuscript?”
She flipped her long blonde hair back and snorted. “Sorry I don’t have one.”
“Ms. McBride if you don’t turn in your final assignment I have no alternative but to give you a failing grade. I can allow you until the end of the week to finish it, but that’s it.”
“Until the end of the week… seriously?”
“In all fairness you’ve had the same amount of time as all the other students and-”
“Save your breath Mr. Oliver. I didn’t come here to share anymore of my work with you or anyone else. You see I’ve just been offered a whopper of a contract from Hammond House. You know, the one you said was nearly impossible to get published with. So you won’t be seeing me again, unless of course you come to my book signing.”
Reid had been knocked for a loop. He was so jealous and angry he could have spit fire. Now the evil cow had the nerve to pull an envelope out of her purse and wave it in front of his face.
“They’re mad about my novel An Angel’s Quest. That’s the one you said was cloying and trite, remember?”
Reid replied through gritted teeth, “Yes Kelly I do vividly recall telling you that and I stand by my opinion.”
“Hmm, interesting. Oh, and how many books have you had published?”
That nasty affront dug deep. Reid was the epitome of restraint when he replied, “Ms. McBride I am indeed delighted by your success and I hope your talent takes you far. But please remember this; you’ll go much further if you practice a little humility along the way.” Stacking papers and forcefully stuffing them into his briefcase he continued, “I’m sure you’ve got someplace to be so I won’t keep you any longer. Good day.”
She pressed her shiny heavily glossed lips into an angry thin line and whipped around to leave. She took a few steps and turned back around. “I just thought of an old saying. How does it go? Ah, yes. Those who can do and those who can’t teach. How appropriate, don’t you think?” Then she swept out of the room.
Reid was now seething. She was damned lucky he didn’t throw something at her. That prissy little bitch! She could be lying! Was she lying? She had the letter with her, but you didn’t read it. It could have been a rejection letter. Why didn’t you ask to her to let you read it? Why, and get humiliated even further? She wouldn’t just blow off this class. A passing grade meant too much to her. Oh God, she wasn’t lying. They actually chose her book over mine!
This was the first time Reid had ever felt like throwing in the towel. Could he face the realization that he simply had no talent as a writer? How could he go on believing in himself when he had to stand by and watch every two bit hack’s work get published while his was always deemed unworthy? He often wondered why fate was so damned unkind to him.
It was the complete opposite for Noah. His husband of nearly five years was an incredibly successful screenwriter. Four of his screenplays had been filmed since they had met seven years ago and he was currently in negotiations to film his fifth. Noah’s dream to be a film maker took them to LA where his career flourished. He and Reid lived there for a couple of years; however Reid hated everything associated with the Hollywood scene and constantly complained about living there.
Although Noah believed that living in LA would be better for his career he loved Reid and wanted him to be happy so he didn’t put up a fuss when his discontented husband finally insisted that they move back to New York. Reid secured a job teaching at a community college just to occupy his time and keep his mind off his failures, but he never stopped dreaming of one day having a book on the bestseller list. A sterling accomplishment every ambitious writer dreams of. Despite his many setbacks Reid’s dream had remained strong and pure as if it were a living and breathing entity - that is until today.
*****
As soon as Reid entered the condo he shared with Noah, he dropped his briefcase on a chair in the foyer, kicked off his shoes, and left them where they landed as he headed straight for the liquor cabinet. He opened it, reached in, and grabbed the first bottle he saw which was a full bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Neither he nor Noah was a heavy drinker, but they kept an assortment of liquor on hand for special occasions. To Reid this was one of those special occasions. He wanted to get falling down drunk and erase from his mind everything that happened that day.
Or at least forget about it for a while. So he went to the living room and plopped down on the sofa and got comfortable, stretching out his legs. He opened the bottle of whiskey and took a long swig from it. He winced as the strong liquid stung his throat and burned his sinuses as it went down. He closed his eyes and allowed the warmth of it to overtake his body. After a few more sips he was feeling like he didn’t have a care in the world. Then his husband came home.
Reid didn’t budge when he heard Noah’s key turning in the lock and him opening the door. He didn’t answer when he heard his voice calling his name and him walking into the living room. Noah knew he was home by the shoes he had kicked off and left behind. He was puzzled about why he didn’t answer, but soon found out when he saw him sprawled out on their sofa, half lidded eyes, hugging a half empty bottle of whiskey. He had brought home a large pizza with the works and a six pack of Reid’s favorite beer as a special treat because he was leaving for LA the next morning. Reid smelled the enticing aroma of the pizza coming from the box and that was enough for his eyes to open wide.
“Babe, what’s the matter?” Noah inquired as he set them down on the coffee table. Reid drew up his legs so Noah could sit beside him.
He sighed and mumbled, “I knew you’d want to know but honestly, it’s not worth mentioning.”
“Well… I disagree. Whatever it is has you so upset you’ve gotten wasted and we both know you never-”
Reid opened the box and pulled out a slice of pizza and took a huge bite. Then he said with a mouthful, “Maybe I’m celebrating.”
Noah got up and took the bottle of whiskey off the table along with the beer and headed to the kitchen. He came back with two plates, napkins, and two bottles of water. Reid greeted him with a comical frown when he set a bottle of water down in front of him.
As he took two slices of pizza from the box he said, “Look Reid I don’t want you to leave whatever this thing is festering while I’m gone. Just let me know what it is, ok.”
Reid rolled his eyes and sighed, “Well if you must know. This morning I received another rejection letter. I’ve spared you the gory details so you should be grateful.
Noah placed his hand on his thigh and squeezed it saying, “Aww, babe I’m so sorry.”
Noah was truly affected by the bad news and Reid could hear it in his voice. It felt like déjà vu except all the other times he heard empathy, but this time he could swear he heard pity. Instead of comforting him it crushed him. For the first time he felt ashamed of facing his own husband. Proud man that he was he masked his feelings well and relied heavily on his sarcasm to get him through.
As Noah politely changed the subject Reid still wasn’t drunk enough to not revisit that horrid moment with Kelly or the stinging words of his rejection letter. Its conclusion being, his writing was bland and uninteresting. He didn’t know his audience and he wasn’t skilled enough to give them what they wanted. Reid mistakenly concluded that his writing was bland because he was bland. There was no way he could change that… or was there? He had once heard the advice given to an author Write what you know. If he was to ever write about captivating adventures wouldn’t he have to experience them first?
His train of thought made him come up with the strange query, “Noah, have you ever had the urge to do something that was so out of character you wouldn’t even recognize your own behavior?”
Noah was perplexed by his question. “Um, what exactly are you referring to?”
“Do you think I’m bland in bed?”
Now he was completely mystified. “Bland in bed?!”
“You know what I mean… completely insipid regarding machinations in the boudoir.”
“No Reid I don’t think you’re bland in bed. I think you’re awesome in bed and in the shower and on the kitchen counter and right here on this sofa,” he answered with a smirk.
“Then why isn’t it coming through in my writing? My writing is boring, it sucks, nobody wants to read anything I write!”
“Stop it Reid. You’re a great, no a brilliant writer. Your stories are original, enthralling, mesmerizing…”
“Geez, why couldn’t you be a publisher?”
“I’m serious Reid. Your work is good enough to be published. Anyone of your novels could be a bestseller and anyone who says otherwise has their head up their ass!”
“I appreciate your praise and your encouragement, but you seem to be the only one who thinks that way.”
Then an idea hit Reid like a bolt from the blue. If he ever wanted to recapture the inspiration to write he had to do something drastic. Great authors often lived complicated multi-faceted lives and were never at a loss of topics to write about. He needed to do something to spice up his life. That was the answer!
“Noah, have you ever thought about having a one night stand with somebody?”
“Reid you’re drunker than I thought you were.”
“I’m not that drunk. Well have you?”
“Before or after we were married?”
“At any time in your life.”
“I suppose… it’s crossed my mind,” Noah bashfully confessed.
“Would you ever do it?”
“Reid! Where the hell is this coming from?”
“You know what they say. Experience is the best teacher.”
“What are you saying? That you want to go out and pick up some random guy and get all freaky with him?!” Noah was angered by the mere suggestion that his husband would consider such a thing.
“Of course not. It’s the booze talking. Noah, do you really think I want to do that?”
“If you don’t then why are we talking about it?”
“Noah relax, will you? It’s just a fantasy as old and as common as dirt. Everybody has it. It’s been written about ad infinitum - meeting a total stranger, falling under his spell, succumbing to one’s primal instincts.”
“You mean one’s primal lust.”
“I know you’ve fantasized about it haven’t you? You just admitted you have.”
“No Reid, not since I met you.” Noah’s stare was penetrating, revealing how upset he was by the topic of conversation.
Reid knew it was time to lighten up. “Well I guess you’re a better man than I am Gunga Din.”
Noah was rattled by the direction this conversation was taking. He felt like something was clawing at his insides. He had never seen Reid like this before and he had never heard him suggest something so outlandish. He felt threatened because these thoughts could possibly lead to the end of their marriage. He had to believe that Reid couldn’t possibly be serious. He desperately wanted to help Reid get over his anguish, but he didn’t know how. So he resorted to doing what he always did whenever he found himself in a funk, he put on a movie.
Much to Noah’s dismay as soon as it started playing Reid got up and went to the kitchen for the six pack of beer. The film was one of Noah’s favorites Breakfast at Tiffany’s and one Reid never complained too much about. This time Reid drank his way through it without much interaction with his sympathetic husband. Noah hardly spoke either. He just tenderly held Reid’s hand, feeling every bit of his pain, until the movie had ended.
Still very upset about Reid’s disturbing suggestion, as the credits rolled he turned to him and asked, “Will I have anything to fear while I’m gone?”
“I won’t hang myself from the balcony if that’s what you mean.”
“I suppose that’s good to know. I’m tired, I’m going to bed. Are you coming?”
“No, not yet. I’ll just linger here for a while and continue to drown my sorrows, cheers,” he quipped as he held up a can of beer.
Reid was madly in love with his husband and would never let on that he was the slightest bit envious of his red hot career, but sometimes he couldn’t help feeling that way. Noah had been flying back and forth from their home in New York to LA more than ever recently which had been causing friction in their marriage. Reid had suffered through long lonely separations before but he was dreading this one. There was something very different about this time. They both could feel it.
(Chapter 2)