Read Sleepless in San Francisco for Free Online Page A

said.
     
“Everything seems ready to go. And don’t worry. I’m actually excited about this now.”
     
Jonathan let go of his hand and said, “I really want this to go smoothly for you. I
     
don’t want you to have any stress because of the show. I know firsthand, after doing so
     
many of these home renovations with other people, how stressful the construction can be
     
sometimes.”
     
Ed smiled again and invited him inside for coffee. They hadn’t spoken since the
     
day Ed had signed the contracts a month earlier. At first, Jonathan seemed reluctant, as if
     
he were imposing on a school night. But when Ed told him Noah and Tucker would be
     
living in a rented guest house with Lisa during the project, his shoulders relaxed and he
     
agreed to go inside. They went back to the kitchen, where Ed made two fast cups of
     
coffee in an expensive coffee maker he’d just ordered on the Internet. Jonathan sat on one
     
side of the center island, and Ed sat on the other. They laughed about the old-fashioned l970s wallpaper that would soon be gone. Ed said he couldn’t wait to see them haul out
     
the olive green kitchen appliances.
     
Jonathan leaned forward and laughed, then took a sip of coffee and said, “There’s
     
one thing I’m really curious about.”
     
“What’s that?”
     
“In Noah’s letter he mentioned something about a hole in the bathroom,” he said,
     
“Is there really a hole?”
     
Ed stood from his stool and put down the coffee mug. He was wearing a black T
     
shirt, baggy jeans, and white running shoes. His head jerked to the back staircase and he
     
said, “Follow me.”
     
He jogged up the stairs and Jonathan followed him to the second floor. Then they
     
went down a long hallway to the last door on the right. Ed led him into the master
     
bedroom and turned left. When he reached another door, he pulled a set of keys from his
     
pocket and unlocked a dead bolt. Then he pushed the door open, extended his right arm,
     
and said, “See for yourself.”
     
When Jonathan stepped into the master bathroom and looked down at the floor,
     
his eyebrows went up and he put his hand over his mouth. “This is unbelievable,” he said.
     
He was staring down at a huge, gaping hole in the center of the bathroom floor.
     
Ed stood behind him and looked over his shoulder. He didn’t want to get too close
     
to the hole. Heights made his balls tighten and his stomach curl. “There was a small fire
     
here a few years back. The former owner was an older woman. She forgot she’d left a
     
candle burning. It was lucky she smelled smoke and called 9-1-1 when she did. They were able to contain the fire to this room and the room below it, which is the library. And
     
there wasn’t any structural damage to the house.”
     
“Very lucky,” Jonathan said, still shaking his head.
     
“This room is off limits,” Ed said. He didn’t mention his fear of heights. “I know
     
Noah made it sound as if we actually use this bathroom, but I keep it locked at all times
     
and use the bathroom down the hall.”
     
Jonathan smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. I couldn’t stop thinking about this hole.”
     
Then Ed leaned forward slightly and took a deep breath. The only hole Ed had
     
been thinking about for a month was between Jonathan’s legs. It had been soft and warm
     
and tight. His neck smelled so fresh and clean. And his aftershave reminded him of
     
cinnamon and cloves. He looked so damn good in that black sport jacket and those beige
     
jeans. It would have been such a shame to rip them off his back, throw him down on the
     
floor, and spread his soft legs as wide as they would go. Ed clenched his fists and took a
     
step back. This was wrong. Jonathan was a decent guy, and Ed had a filthy mind. Besides,
     
he’d been the one who’d said their relationship could never be anything more than
     
platonic.
     
Jonathan laughed. “This is a first for me,” he