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Edward Robinson is a failure, nervous, frightened, bullied, and unemployed. Basil King, a flamboyantly gay interior designer, sees the man behind the pain. He has designs on Ed. Basil is one of the owners of The Paint Store, along with Cuthbert, Roland, and Max, and he offers Ed a job there. As Ed settles in and enjoys the work, Basil invites him out to a gay bar for a drink.
Ed has tried so hard to fit in, to be invisible, to be ignored. Someone who looks and dresses as outrageously as Basil, yet without being hated, is an inspiration to him. Not that he could ever look or act like that. But maybe working for Basil and his friends will help him get some self-confidence so he can begin to reclaim his life and his self-respect. When Basil wants to date him he can’t believe anyone would care for a person like him. But he accepts the date anyway.
Buy link: http://www.bookstrand.com/sunshine-yellow-days
STORY EXCERPT
Ed was up early the next morning, his lunch made and in a brown paper bag and his uniform on long before he needed to leave. At seven thirty he was too excited to wait any longer and put a coat over the uniform for the drive to work. As the staff had been told to do, he parked in the very back row of the parking lot, and stepped out of the car. Still wearing his coat he walked around to the back door of the store and punched his personal code into the security system. It beeped and the door opened. There were two other cars already in the parking lot so he knew he wasn’t first, but just as a practice he locked the door behind him and went to the security box on the wall, checking the lights were green, not flashing red.
He, Robyn, and Ainsley each had a code to use to enter the store. He supposed the four owners did as well. The other staff would be at the back door ten minutes before eight and Robyn was assigned to let them in. Then they would all be lined up across the front of the store to welcome the first customers when the ribbon was cut and the store officially opened.
Ed had never been at the opening of a building before, and was surprised how excited he felt. Not nervous, just excited. Although if people kept asking him questions he couldn’t answer he’d likely get scared soon enough. But they’d been told yesterday what to say if they needed help. “I can’t answer that question myself, but I’ll refer your request to my supervisor.” Then one of the four owners would deal with the question.
Ed put his lunch and his coat in his locker and stared at himself in the mirror in the change room. He really didn’t look like himself at all. He looked younger, more carefree, happy even. The uniform was a long-sleeved bright yellow shirt worn under the same bright yellow overalls. The overalls had huge splotches of lurid colors all over them, mimicking paint splatters, and across the center back, in big red letters was “The Paint Store.”
But the outfit suited the store. It was very modern, very bright, very eye-catching. And so was the store. Ed could hear movement and talking, then laughter and the sound of cars. Before he knew it the staff had all arrived, every one of them in uniform and with smiling faces. As instructed, they lined up across the front of the store and watched through the huge windows as crowds gathered, the mayor spoke, the ribbon was cut, and the door opened.
Before the customers could flood into the store a lot of photographs were taken, including some with all the staff, and then people entered, laughing and talking.
It was like a holiday, Ed thought. Everyone was so carefree. People were laughing, joyous. Nothing was too much trouble. Ten people in line ahead of them? No problem, they just chattered gaily to everyone in line with them. The store sold so many rollers and paint trays he had to go out to the store room and restock the shelves. Then he handed a note to Robyn for her to order in more. By the end of the day more displays had been depleted and he was busy restocking a lot more shelves. That had to be good news for the company.
It was late when he finished, with all the displays neatly tidied and fully restocked. But he was thrilled about how the store looked and all the sales they’d made.
Basil met him in the locker room. “Well done, Edward. You did great!”
Unlike the other three owners, Basil was wearing a uniform as well. It looked even better on him than it did on anyone else, especially with his bright red boots and green and purple hair. Ed had first noticed his voice, a light tenor that tingled up Ed’s spine and sent sexy shivers running through his body. Now he noticed the frank look of sexual appreciation in his gaze as well.
Ed gulped. Surely this owner couldn’t be interested in him. Obviously they were both gay, but still…
“Thank you, sir.”
“Now the store is officially opened I won’t be around as much anymore. We’ll be in and out for the next few days, but after that you people will be managing it from day to day yourselves. Then I won’t be your boss as such any more. So, next week, will you come out for a drink with me?”
“A drink?”
Basil’s mouth said a drink but Ed could read much more in his gaze. His dick hardened at the thought. Basil intrigued him. The man was everything he wasn’t. Cool, confident, successful. But he was interested in him. How could that have happened? Ed wasn’t sure whether what he felt was hero worship or not, but there was lust bound up in it, just as there was lust in Basil’s eyes.
“Yes, I’d like that very much.”
“Why don’t we meet at noon on Sunday in Pinky’s?”
Ed smiled. Pinky’s was a gay bar. “I’ll see you there.”
Wow! A date. He had a date. Ed was filled with happiness. His life had taken the most incredible turn and he could hardly wait for Sunday.
Buy link: http://www.bookstrand.com/sunshine-yellow-days
Berengaria
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