"Life Drawing" by Michael Grumley

This is how it feels like falling with someone.

Enjoy reading this excerpt from "Life Drawing" by Michael Grumley from Men on Men Best New Gay Fiction, edited by George Stambolian.

We slept next to the boiler that night, and nothing we said could be heard over its clanking, the repeated stanzas of iron grating against iron. I woke up once and saw James watching me—we weren't very far apart, one bunk space between us. He offered me a drink from a little silver flask he carried in his jacket, and I took it from him just so I could touch his skin. I couldn't go back to sleep then; we both were half-sitting up, with the early morning light slipping in, and as long as he was looking at me I was looking at him—like we were both laughing, but neither of us was even smiling. The boiler chugged on, leaving no room for words; I sat up all the way and leaned across to him to hand back the flask. He took it, and kept hold of my hand with it, and the current ran through both of us until we bounced toward each other, and that was that.