Free Happy World by Kiernan Kelly, Tory Temple Page A

asked again.
    “I asked a couple of the other guys if anyone knew where you lived. Said you forgot your cell phone, and I was going to drop it off to you.”
    “So... you lied.”
    Rory nonchalantly lifted a shoulder as he walked past Kyle into the living room, just as if Kyle had asked him in. “Sort of, I guess, if you want to get technical. But if you didn’t run off like you did, I wouldn’t have had to track you down. Nice place, by the way. You gonna ask me to sit down?”
    “What do you want, Rory?” Kyle was in no mood to be hospitable. He was still angry at himself, and more than a little annoyed at Rory for following him home. He was also feeling embarrassed over his earlier outburst, and from leaving work early. Nice example you set for the new guy.
    Rory turned to face Kyle and the full effect of Rory’s handsome face and gray eyes stopped Kyle cold. Somehow, while at work at Happy World, with Kyle’s mind consumed by the rules and regulations, he’d been more or less oblivious to the fact that Rory was gorgeous. In the small confines of his apartment, with nothing to distract him, Kyle was suddenly keenly aware of Rory’s good looks. He felt a stab of desire rip through him that went balls deep.
    His annoyance forgotten, and embarrassed by his body’s reaction, Kyle tore his eyes away and looked toward the kitchen in an effort to distract himself. “So sit,” he said. “Do you want a glass of water? Soda? I have tuna salad.” He knew he was rambling, and bit his lip to stop himself.
    Rory laughed, and the sound did funny things to pit of Kyle’s stomach. “Okay, a one-eighty. I can live with that. Water is good, and tuna salad sounds fabulous. I haven’t eaten anything since lunch, and I’m feeling a little funky.”
    Funky? Kyle remembered Rory’s medical alert bracelet and diabetic condition. The last thing he needed after the day he’d had was Rory going into shock or whatever it was that diabetics did when their sugar dropped, especially not in the middle of his living room. “Are you okay? What can I do?”
    “Feed me, Seymour,” Rory said.
    Kyle was momentarily surprised by the quote from Little Shop of Horrors, one of his favorite movies. He wouldn’t have thought somebody like Rory would’ve seen the movie, let alone quote from it. “Sure. Come in the kitchen. Sit.” He hustled to the counter and finished whipping together the tuna salad, slapping a couple of white bread sandwiches together. He tossed a few potato chips on two plates, and poured them each a glass of water.
    Placing a plate in front of Rory, he took the seat opposite him at the small table. He played with the chips on his plate, unwilling to look at Rory, still feeling self-conscious about his strong attraction to Rory. “So, why did you come here?” he asked.
    Rory took a bite of his sandwich and answered around a mouthful of tuna. “I was worried about you. It’s not like you to leave work like you did, in the middle of a shift. I figured you were really pissed off at me.”
    Kyle looked up, surprised that Rory would’ve given him a second thought. He was certain no one else would’ve bothered. “I was. Well, not really. I was more pissed off at myself,” Kyle confessed. “I should’ve been the one to say something to Charlie. You shouldn’t have had to do it.”
    “Yeah, well, he’s an asshole, and he really got under my skin. I guess I stepped over the line... again. I shouldn’t have started anything in front of the guests, right?”
    “Technically, you shouldn’t have started anything at all, but yeah, especially not in front of guests.”
    “I know, but he shouldn’t have said the things he did to you, Kyle. You’re a good guy, even if you are a little, er, rigid when it comes to the rules. And the lies he told the managers about me... he’s an asshole of the first degree.” Rory polished off the rest of his sandwich in silence, then turned those smoky gray eyes on Kyle again. “I