Fortunately, he had found a payphone and had managed to call his lover to apologize. Booker had taken it well and had even agreed to cancel their dinner plans so they could spend a quiet night in listening to music and talking. It was one of the many things Tom adored about his lover; not only was he intelligent, funny and gorgeous, he could also be extremely nurturing. Not that any of their co-workers would have believed it because Booker had a knack of coming across as smug, egotistical and insensitive. But Tom knew better. Dennis put up defenses to protect himself from the cruelties of the world. He had suffered constant bullying at high school because of his sexuality, and therefore, he had developed an I don’t give a shit tough guy persona just to survive. But it was all a façade. Scratch the surface of his bristly exterior, and underneath lay a heart of gold. For Tom, being one of the few people to know the real Dennis Booker was a privilege, and he thanked the universe every day for bringing them