Someone to Love Him

Chapter 3-1

Chapter 3

For the next few nights, Jourdain kept track of Luke, being careful not to let him know he was around. In doing so, he began to discover what Luke’s life was really like. Having him tell me and seeing it for myself are two very different things.

What bothered him most was watching Luke go into alleys with men, not once but twice. Jourdain knew why—for money—and he didn’t like it. It should be me, and not in some filth-ridden alley but in my bed. In my…life. Eternally.

Jourdain had been infatuated with beautiful young men before, but only once before had it been like this. This was more than infatuation. Was it love? No. It’s too soon for that. Caring, concern, desire? Yes.

The problem was, how could he convince Luke he wanted, at the very least, to help him have a better life? The young man had made it very clear he didn’t trust Jourdain.

Perhaps it’s time to approach him again. But not so blatantly.

Jourdain chose a warm evening, soon after dark, to set his plan in motion. First, as always, he had to find Luke. That was easily accomplished as the young man was sitting with two companions on the low wall in front of a downtown plaza. Now all Jourdain had to do was wait until they separated—and hope that they did.

He slipped unobtrusively into the doorway of a shop behind the boys. A few minutes later he heard one of them say, “We’re not going to make anything hanging around together. It scares people off.”

“No kidding,” Luke replied, slinging his backpack over one shoulder. “I’m out of here.” He walked up a few blocks—with Jourdain following on the opposite side of the street—finally settling cross-legged against the wall of a building with his sign in his lap.

Jourdain watched as pedestrians walked past Luke, most of them giving him wide berth in the process, as if afraid they’d somehow be contaminated if they came too close to him. A very few paused long enough to toss a coin or two into the cup Luke was holding, before hurriedly moving on.

Finally, Jourdain made his move, going up a block before crossing the street and casually strolling back to where Luke was sitting.