1

Ian

The rain was coming down hard that spring morning and I was soaked through and through.

I didn't know if it was a bad omen, but I did know that I would be chilled to the bone if I didn't run the remaining block to my work. I crossed the street with alacrity and ran carefully until I reached the library where I worked.

"Ian, you're soaking wet,” Henry, the doorman, said with concern. “I think there are towels in stock and something you can use to change your clothes.”

I sighed in relief and Henry smiled at me.

He was an old man who cared about everyone and who, like few others in Veltonne, treated me with great care because of my history. For that, I respected him a lot.

“Thank you, Henry,” I said before taking off my jacket.

I shook it out a bit and walked into the library waving to everyone.

The cold was chilling my skin a bit, so I went straight to the bathroom to get some hot coffee. On the way there, however, I didn't expect to find Carol, my best friend, trying to see our boss's office through the copy center window. She looked like a demented stalker and I held back laughter.

“What are you doing here?” I asked her quietly as I stood next to her.

Carol held back a scream and her black curls jumped with her.

“You scared me!” whispered Carol and held her hand to her chest histrionically.

“What are you doing?”

“I'm trying to see the new librarian,” she said smugly and I was startled.

“Was the new librarian arriving today?” I asked in confusion. “I thought Connie's understudy was coming in when she retired and that's going to happen in two months.”

“The chief mentioned that they need to train someone new because the government is asking him to fill the position quickly. So apparently, they already sent someone,” Carol said and I nodded, then she frowned as she looked at me from head to toe. “Why are you soaked?”

“It started pouring rain; I need to dry off and change.”

“There must be clothes in the storeroom; God knows how many people lose jackets, sweaters, and miscellaneous nonsense in this library,” Carol said indignantly, and I laughed.

“I'm going to get coffee first; I need to warm up my body.”

She nodded but remained in her spy position, so I went to the break room and poured myself a large cup of hot coffee. The warmth flooded my system quickly, which made me sigh in bliss and after that I went to the storeroom.

The Veltonne Regional Library was one of the most modest in the country, yet it was a regional repository, so it had one of the largest subway storage facilities of all. The place was as big as four whole blocks, so a novice could easily get lost. However, I knew this place like the back of my hand because my mother had worked as a book curator.

I went straight to the lost and found towels. I grabbed one and dried off as much as I could until I started looking through the racks for a sweater. Everything was feminine, but I found a simple blue sweater. As I took off my wet shirt to change, a throat clearance made me turn around.

Rob, my boss, was standing with his arms crossed next to a man I had never seen before.

The man was tall, imposing, and olive-skinned, with thick black hair and green eyes that looked like emeralds. He was very handsome, so handsome that I was breathless. He didn't take his eyes off me and I felt my body heat up immediately.

Rob cleared his throat again and I finished pulling my sweater on in embarrassment.

“Ian, this is Archer Coleman,” Rob told me calmly. “He'll be your new section mate. You need to train him to adapt quickly to the job, so you're in charge of him.”

I nodded and Archer held out his hand.

It was a very large hand, but I kept my posture calm and gave it a light shake.

I wasn't prepared to feel the electricity between us, so I pulled my hand away in bewilderment. Archer's expression was one of astonishment, one he hid when Bob whistled.

“At the end of the shift, I want a report,” Rob said before walking off and leaving me alone with the new librarian.

“Are you okay?” asked Archer and his voice gave me chills.

I nodded and he smiled.

His smile made me open and close my mouth several times.

I shook at that and had the strength to speak.

“I'm fine,” I told him firmly. “Give me a few minutes to put my clothes out to dry and I'll give you a tour of the warehouse. Then I'll show you the section you'll be working in and the categorization of the books, as well as the library's recognition and fingering program.”

Archer frowned for a moment.

“Okay,” he said and I nodded.

I grabbed a bag and stuffed the wet shirt in it, then carried it over to the drying room, a place the curators used to restore books. It had fans and lights that would dry my shirt quickly.

My every move was being watched by Archer and it felt strange.

I liked men; that had been a truth I had dealt with forever and I took to it easily. My family was very supportive in that regard and the community didn't usually meddle in my affairs. However, I wasn't ready for someone to see me with that intensity, much less a man as handsome as Archer.

“Do you have a lot of time working in the library?” he asked and I nodded as I turned to look at him.

“Yes,” I said confidently. “My mother worked all her life at this library, so you could say I helped out a lot here. That's why I studied to be a librarian and since I graduated very young, I earned a job at the library three years ago. I have enough time to know the complete running of the library, so if you have questions about anything, I'm the ideal person to answer them.”

“How old are you?” asked Archer and my eyebrows went up.

“I'm 23. Why do you ask?”

“It's just that you look so young; you don't look like a typical librarian,” Archer replied and I smiled.

People used to have the same conclusion he did.

“Let's just say I had certain privileges because I like to read,” I said calmly. “And how old are you and how long have you been a librarian?”

I saw him frown again.

“I'm 28,” Archer said, and I wasn't surprised. “I recently took a specialization course, so let's just say I'm a complete novice at this book thing.”

The way he expressed himself was a bit disconcerting to me.

“Well, don't worry about a thing; I'll teach you everything you need to know,” I said calmly. “Rob showed you all the main places?”

“I don't know where I can eat,” Archer said seriously and I laughed.

“Come on, I'll take you to the break room,” I said and we walked in silence.

I showed him around and offered Archer a coffee; he accepted, but it was a bathroom break. It wasn't even a minute before Carol came running into the break room with excitement.

“I just saw a new librarian!” said Carol with delight. “That man is handsome; he's divine; he looks like he was carved by the gods.”

I laughed with her.

“I know.”

“How do you know?” asked Carol curiously. “At what point did you see him? You were in the warehouse.”

“Rob took him with me; I'm responsible for training him,” I said and she sighed sadly.

“Just my fucking luck,” she said reproachfully and I laughed. “I get the chance to be with one of the most beautiful men I've ever seen and my gay friend gets to keep that perk. It's unbelievable!”

“He's not going to be interested in me; a lot of men like him are usually very straight, so don't worry about that nonsense,” I said and Carol folded her arms.

“Ian, you're very good-looking; you just don't think that's so,” Carol said firmly and just then Archer came over. “Any man who has doubts about his sexuality would fall at your feet. I would fall at your feet, but you're too gay to ram me against a wall fiercely, as if you were a beast thirsting for passion.”

Archer smiled and I wanted to be swallowed up by the earth.

“Why are you blushing?” asked Carol and then grinned like the Cheshire cat. "Would you like that delicious He-Man to pound you, or would you like to pound him?" I'd pay my annual salary to see them like that. It would be a good cause for BL mistresses.”

I was going to kill my best friend.

“No, I wouldn't care for that and I recommend you limit your imagination to safe spaces,” I mumbled and Carol spun around.

She opened her mouth in embarrassment at the sight of Archer and then smiled flirtatiously, which made me shake my head.

“I'm Archer,” Archer said and held out his hand. “Although you seem to have called me He-Man delicious.”

“In my defense, I'll just say you're very handsome,” Carol said shamelessly and Archer laughed a very amused laugh.

Archer's laughter made my skin crawl.

At that moment, I knew Archer Coleman was trouble.