The Handyman's Dream Read Online Free PDF Page A

was flirting with him. Any moment now Rod Serling’s gonna walk in here and say, “Ed Stephens doesn’t know it, but a big joke is being played on him in The Twilight Zone. ”
    “I’d certainly know yours anywhere,” Ed managed to say.
    Rick laughed. “Small world, isn’t it? Imagine, running into someone else from Porterfield here.” Rick shifted his eyes from Ed’s face to the floor. “I, uh, I kinda need to get in there,” he said, looking back at Ed, his smile changing into an embarrassed grin.
    “Oh!” Ed moved out of the way.
    “But, hey,” Rick said, reaching for Ed’s arm. “When I come out, could I buy you a drink?”
    A warm tide of relief swept over Ed, washing away his anxiety. He looked at Rick’s hand on his arm, then up at Rick’s face. He laughed suddenly, surprising himself.
    “Actually I’d like that a lot.”
    Ed walked, on legs suddenly weak, back to his spot next to the jukebox. He propped himself against the wall and looked for the drink he had left behind on his trip to the men’s room. It was gone, probably picked up and discarded by a passing waiter. Oh, well, at least I’ll be empty-handed and ready for another when Rick comes back. Rick! The name bounced around his brain in a constant echo. I am not crazy. He really did look at me the way I think he did. Screw the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. I think I just hit the jackpot I really want.
    His thoughts suddenly veered off in another direction. What if, he asked himself, the guy is a creep? Then what? I don’t care how cute he is, I am not dating a creep, and I certainly won’t get naked with one. Ed very much wanted to know if Rick was as hairy as he thought he was, but also realized he didn’t want to know badly enough to risk spending time with someone who might have the personality of dryer lint or who was overly impressed with himself. After all, most of the guys Ed had experienced were all graduates of the Fuck and Ask Questions Later school of thought. He was an average guy, with the average guy’s above-average sex drive, but since the first time he had seen Rick, Ed knew he was looking for something much more than a quick romp.
    Rick walked out of the men’s room and smiled when he saw Ed. Ed couldn’t help but think that even if the guy turned out to be a creep, he had one hell of a nice smile.
    “Hi, again,” Rick said.
    Ed looked into Rick’s eyes, and that same electric charge he’d felt the day before ran through his body.
    “Can I buy you that drink now?” Rick asked.
    “Sure,” Ed said, dropping his eyes, embarrassed at the way he had been staring at Rick.
    “Tell you what, why don’t you grab that last table over in the corner, where it’s quiet, before someone else does?” Rick said, pointing. “I’ll get us something to drink, and meet you there. What’ll you have?”
    “Uh, screwdriver,” Ed said, looking up again.
    Rick’s smile now wasn’t much more than a small grin, but unless someone had slipped something into Ed’s first drink, he could tell Rick was pleased to be with him.
    “You got it. One screwdriver coming up.” Rick’s grin broadened back into his warm smile as he turned to the bar.
    Ed stumbled around the pool table to the small, round table Rick had indicated. He pushed aside some empty beer bottles and an overflowing ashtray, then sat down where he could watch Rick at the bar. Ed saw Russ approach Rick, then Rick smiled and shook his head. Damn! Rick’s blowing off the hottest guy in the bar for me? He found himself shaking his head, as well. At some point very soonI am going to find myself at home, alone in my old double bed, waking up from this dream. He looked around the room. No, Rod Serling still wasn’t in sight.
    Rick brought Ed’s drink and his own beer bottle to the table. He pulled out the beat-up chair on the other side of the table and flopped on it with a sigh.
    “I tell you, it feels good to sit down after a day on my feet!”
    “I can