Free Lessons in Discovery by Charlie Cochrane

of Orlando retching came
    flooding back, Jonty’s mind’s eye awash with the sight of his
    lover wiping saliva from his chin. He could wait; he would have
    to wait. Orlando seemed to have accepted the nature of their
    previous relationship, but what would he do if faced with
    meaningful physical contact? Jonty returned his attention to
    Christopher Marlowe although he didn’t seem to have the answer,
    either.

    Orlando wandered back to his rooms in a puzzled state. It
    had been another few days of emotional ups and downs. To
    discover that he thought his friend not just handsome but beautiful had been shock enough, although he hadn’t understood its
    significance at the time. To then find out they’d been lovers the best part of this past year had been a severe jolt, yet it explained so much about the changes in himself. He hadn’t really been
    disgusted, his sickness simply due to the shock to his system, and he was grateful that Jonty’s interest in him hadn’t been flushed www.lindenbayromance.com 57
    Charlie Cochrane
    away with the vomit. He’d had to think very hard in the hour
    afterwards, while cleaning himself up.
    We are great friends. He lights up my life like no other. I
    have no inclination towards women. I think Jonty attractive. I must be the sort of man who finds his own sex desirable. We were lovers.
    A thesis about the last twelve months, about his whole life
    up to this point, had begun to form. He knew about the legal
    penalties he and Jonty had risked over the year and was amazed at his own audacity. He ignored the detail that the church frowned
    on such liaisons, although he was puzzled that Jonty, whom he
    had soon established was a great believer, didn’t appear that
    concerned about his unorthodoxy. And Jonty still seemed
    interested in him, not just as a friend—there was a special
    tenderness that had perhaps been evident from that first meeting in the sick bay.
    For the first time he could recall, Orlando counted his
    blessings. He had a friend, he’d had a lover, and maybe one day
    he’d be brave enough to try kissing Jonty. His life was once
    again—as it must have been this last year if he could only damn
    well remember—full of possibilities.
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    www.lindenbayromance.com

Chapter Five
    The birthday cake was magnificent, if unusual. Certainly the
    college kitchen had never been asked to produce an item
    decorated with an image of an ammonite, but it had done Drs.
    Stewart and Coppersmith proud. The resultant creation, displayed proudly on Jonty’s desk, which was—for once—clear of clutter,
    looked just like the intended object in form if not in colour. No bright pink ammonite had ever been found on the fossil hunts
    which Miss Peters had attended. Nevertheless she was delighted
    with the offerings of cake and a tea party, going so far as to kiss both men on the cheek and making Orlando turn the colour of
    beetroot. As he’d predicted, there was no cloud of powder such as Mrs. Stewart emanated although there was a strong fragrance of
    an elegant scent and the merest suggestion of some sort of subtle cosmetic on the lips. Miss Peters was proving to be a dark horse.
    “I’m sorry it’s not a planarian worm, knowing how fond you
    are of the little blighters, but I suspected that a drawing of them might have scared the cook.” Jonty beamed at his companions. He
    was in a contented mood, had been ever since the return of his
    ring had shown him there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
    Miss Peters laughed heartily, like a man. “Now that might
    have been too much of a good thing. Lemuel has already given me
    some marvellous engravings of planaria which is an ample
    sufficiency. Just being out of that sick bay for an hour or two is a delight. Shall I cut the cake?”
    Charlie Cochrane
    “Please do, but no dissection-sized pieces please.” Orlando
    smiled as he spoke. He too seemed all aglow.
    The men might not have glowed quite so much if they’d
    been able to read their