Scratch the Matchmaker

By Austin Daniels

Jay is a grad student at Arizona State. After discovering that David, his regular weekend boyfriend, moved out of state without telling him, Jay is prepared for a weekend of drunken self-pity. Before his pity party has a chance to get started, Jay is unexpectedly rescued by a stray dog named Scratch.
While obtaining the necessary food and dog care items Jay is introduced to Richard, who is studying veterinary medicine. Jay’s ability to function around Richard has him a little confused. Richard keeps looking at him in a way that makes Jay feel like he is scanning his soul.
Richard sees something in Jay that he rarely sees in others. Once he learns that Jay has never owned a dog, he gets an idea. He offers to meet him later to discuss the things he needs to know about caring for a dog.
The attraction is undeniable, but when Jay tells Richard he believes he is worth pursuing but doesn’t want to screw it up by having sex before they even know each other, Richard sees something in Jay he appreciates. Taking the time with Jay gives him the opportunity to delve into his true nature. Richard establishes his domination of Jay in steps. He begins by establishing a set of rules for their relationship.
By the end of the day, Jay is telling his best friend Logan about his new boyfriend.
Over time, Richard experiments with Jay’s deepest passions. When Jay realizes he is totally ready to take that step, Richard advises him that he has assumed responsibility for when and where their first session will take place.
Inexplicably Jay’s family is discovering that they are meeting that once in a lifetime special person of their very own. The only thing these meetings all have in common is that none of the meetings would have taken place had it not been for Scratch.
When Logan puts together the common denominator, Jay is skeptical but willing to test the theory. Logan proposes they use Scratch to find the perfect partners for very wealthy customers.
Logan’s new boyfriend surprisingly turns out to be Jay’s older brother Finch who he has distrusted since childhood. In the course of supporting his best friend Logan, Jay gets to know who his brother Finch really is.
The new boyfriend of Jay’s twin is about to inherit a failing restaurant. Finch’s big goal is to run his own restaurant. In a moment of impending doom, the family pulls together to make the best of an otherwise impossible situation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Daniels
• Release date: Dec 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463992067

Austin Daniels

I was born in the Midwest but raised in Arizona. I graduated from ASU and worked for years in advertising. When I left that field I started working with troubled children. After moving to Palm Springs I spent more time writing. 'Scratch the Matchmaker' is my way of introducing my readers to the world of loving BDSM. 'An Extended Family' is my novel about Preston, a college student who knows he is ready to "come out" but realizes that he is a born submissive. After much research he finally meets his a Dom. Neither have time to pursue a relationship and agree to be 'regulars.' Before long they not only find they are a couple whether they like it or not, but a third loving person is waiting in the wings.

Book preview

Scratch

the Matchmaker

Scratch the Matchmaker

By Austin Daniels

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher, except for the purpose of reviews.

This book is a work of fiction and all names, characters, places, and incidents are fictional or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is coincidental.

First Edition September 2017

Copyright © 2017 by Austin Daniels

Printed in the United States of America

This novel is dedicated to all the boys everywhere who are left to walk the streets after being asked to leave the only homes they have ever known after telling their parents who they really are

Scratch

the Matchmaker

Austin Daniels

Chapter One

Jay

I thought David was everything I wanted in a guy. At least he seemed so at the time. Looking back, it's easy to see he wasn't at all what I really wanted and not close to what I needed. I realize now how seeing him only on weekends should have triggered some kind of alarm telling me something wasn't right. It was all just so convenient. After a hard week's work, sex came to my door about dinnertime. Every Friday he arrived about five thirty. He worked in a big hotel and had odd hours, but he had every weekend off. He had an apartment in Phoenix he shared with someone. Phoenix is the big city next to Tempe where I live.

The first time we met was at a party. He was someone else's date, but so was I. A month later I was having a beer with my friend Logan in a local cowboy bar, the Nu Towne Saloon. It was the closest gay bar to Tempe. As we sat at the bar, I felt painfully single, a feeling I intensely disliked. Some people have a blast being single. I'm the kind of guy who just wants to feel like I belong to the guy I'm with. I understood that knowing someone I cared about who felt the same way about me would be just about the biggest joy in the world, but I had no experience with what that was.

I was on the hunt that night. Dressed to accentuate my best qualities, I walked into the bar looking good, sporting thick straight brown hair, a strong jaw, and good cheekbones. My eyes were honey colored, a sort of hazel. I was thin without being skinny and average height. History had shown me that when I wanted to attract men, they were attracted to me. I wanted someone special, but I really had no idea what that meant. I had imaginary pictures in my head, but they were just that. In reality, I had no idea what I needed.

That second time I met David, I spotted him as soon as he walked into the bar. Logan was saying something to me, but his words never reached me.

Someone I sort of know is over at the bar, I said, hardly paying attention to Logan anymore. Would you excuse me a minute? I want to go say hi.

Go get 'em Jay, he whispered as he watched me heading across the bar. I hoped he didn't feel abandoned. At the same time I realized that when two guys sit together guys tend to assume they're a couple. Maybe being alone isn't a bad thing, I thought.

Walking across the bar, I was standing right behind David as he turned around with his beer. He took a step before he realized someone was there and walked right into me, spilling the top of his draft beer down my shirt. Startled, he stepped back and grabbed a handful of napkins off the bar. Before I could react, he'd begun to pat me down, reaching down my shirt to dry me off. I looked up to see he was already looking directly into my eyes. He didn't seem to have recognized me. I froze, watching him give me a beer bath with a wad of napkins. He didn't take his eyes off mine while he reached down the front of my shirt pretending to soak up all the beer.

As he withdrew his hand from my shirt, he reached around with his other hand, putting it around my waist. Are you here with that guy from the party tonight?

I was thrilled to see that he recognized me. No. That didn't really go anywhere. I'm here with my friend Logan.

Looking me over he said, You can't stand here in a beer-soaked shirt all night. Why don't we go to your place and get you something dry?

My apartment is over the hill there in Tempe. I'm finishing up my masters at ASU.

That's not so far. Let's go.

Sure. But maybe we can just visit there for a bit. I mean, why don't you follow me there?

Perfect.

I need to talk to Logan. I might need to drop him off on the way.

Go for it.

Wandering back over to Logan, I worked on my story. Somehow, I needed to get his permission to abandon him, ending his evening out with me just as it was getting started. I headed back over to Logan to explain what had happened.

I can see. He's hot. Don't worry about me; I know lots of the guys here. With any luck I'll be going home with one of them. If not, I'll call a cab.

I was so relieved knowing he'd saved me the humiliation of having to beg. Are you sure?

Yeah, but you're telling me all about it tomorrow.

So, that's how David and I started seeing each other. He swept me off my feet in a bar. Not terribly romantic, but sometimes it isn't. After getting me home, he took off my shirt and didn't stop there. He took that first kiss all the way to the bedroom. After making love to me like he'd been doing it for months, he rolled me over and held me close to him as he headed off to sleep.

I was completely smitten, smiling as I lay there in his arms. I was so immersed in afterglow it didn't occur to me that I knew nothing about him.

After about three months of regular weekends together, I still knew little about him. I'd concentrated on my studies. He never talked about himself, which made me think he was being humble. He didn't seem to be very introspective. I'd learned he was from Indiana and he'd had a boyfriend there. After their breakup he moved to Arizona. How or why they'd broken up was never mentioned. I had no idea why Arizona was his destination. He had no family here. There were so many more exciting places for a gay man to live.

That particular Friday, as it got to be about six o'clock, I began to worry. Dinner was ready to cook, and while it could wait, David's not being here was throwing me off. He didn't work on Fridays and I wasn't supposed to call his house. Should I put dinner in the oven without knowing when he's going to arrive? I wondered. I'd planned on starting it when he got here. We'd have a little time that way to unwind and visit awhile before we ate. If he was going to be really late shouldn't he call? Was he even still coming?

When seven rolled around, my patience was finally over. I called his cell phone only to discover the service had been disconnected. When it got to be eight, I got in my car and headed into Phoenix stopping at the hotel where he worked. One of the girls who worked with him occasionally was on duty. I'd met her a time or two when we were out on the town. Hi, Jay, she said. What can I do for you?

I dropped in to see if David was working. I tried calling him, but his phone's out.

Her face fell and I just had this feeling… Honey he hasn't worked here since last Friday. We had a little going away party for him on Monday. Right after the party he headed out to the airport. He was moving back to Indiana.

He was at my house last weekend.

Maybe he left right after. You mean… he never told you?

No... I didn't know what else to say. I kept repeating in my mind: My boyfriend left his job before coming over to my place last weekend and somehow failed to bring it up? He left me on Monday, apparently forever, but he didn't get around to mentioning that either.

I went home and sat in the living room. I put dinner in the freezer, then sat down and looked at the wall.

Chapter Two

Jay

I didn't simply stare at the wall the whole night. I grabbed my keys and headed to the market. A few minutes later, I was the proud owner of a bottle of twelve year old Scotch—the good stuff. If I was going to drink, I wanted to do it right. Upon returning home, I went into my kitchen, grabbed a glass, and filled it with ice. In my apartment, I still made ice the old fashioned way. I filled little blue trays from one of those everything-costs-a-dollar stores and put them in the freezer. After wrestling with the tray, I finally had a glassful.

My kitchen opens into a large space meant to be a dining room. In my apartment, it serves as an office. It's the place I study and do my writing. I like the location because having the kitchen nearby makes snack interruptions easy. Standing in the kitchen and looking toward my office, there's a large hall-like opening leading to a small living room. Along the left wall as you enter the living room is a stairwell going up to my bedroom. At the bottom of those stairs is the front door. There's another bedroom upstairs as well. At present I didn't have a roommate, something I heard about often from Johnny, sort of my adoptive father, who was paying for all this.

I was about to open the bottle when I heard a strange noise. I stopped what I was doing and listened. It sounded like a rodent scratching wood. I remained frozen. Waiting a good ten seconds and not hearing anything, I reached for the bottle and began to tighten my grip around the cap when I heard it again. This time I was sure of it. It sounded like the noise was coming from the front room.

I didn't recognize it at first. Nobody ever used the front door, because the parking lot is in the back. My guests arrived by the sliding glass door into the dining area.

As I walked into the living room, I listened again, waiting. Maybe a lizard got in again. I should rescue it before I get sloshed and step on it, I thought. I stood in the center of the room, hearing nothing. Turning to head back into the kitchen, I heard it one more time. Something outside was scratching at the front door. I was relieved that I wasn't going to have to chase anything down.

Approaching the door, I looked out the peep hole, but there was nothing there. I opened the door a few inches. Seeing no one there, I opened it a little further to step out and look around when a dark flash ran between my legs. I was wearing shorts and sandals. I felt hair against my legs. Spinning around, I saw a little dog sitting on the floor with his tongue hanging out.

The dog was a little odd looking, but cute. He was longer than he should have been and short. He was about the size of a large cat. The fur on his face appeared to be naturally short, but the hair on his body was much longer. He was black and white and had a tail he waved straight up in the air when he walked around. The fur on his tail was long, and he waved it like a flag when he walked. His legs were short and he had the facial markings of a springer spaniel, but with smaller ears that lay back against his head.

I walked over and cautiously offered him my hand. He licked it. It was fairly obvious this little dog didn't have a mean bone in his body. I carefully picked him up and examined him. I could see from his teeth he was full grown. You must belong to someone around here. I'd never seen him before, but I almost never used the front door. He could've played out front all day and I wouldn't have ever seen him.

While I was searching around his neck, he licked my cheek. He had a little collar on him hidden in the fur around his neck. It felt too tight, so I found the clip and snapped it off to adjust it. When the collar came off in my hand, the little dog went haywire. I had to set him down while I made the size adjustment and he jumped against me repeatedly begging to get it back. It's his only possession, I thought. Losing the only thing he owned was just too much for the little guy. I thought for a moment about David and the scotch waiting for me in the kitchen, but this time the thoughts didn't linger.

I quickly adjusted his little collar. Dangling from a ring on the collar was a little metal tag with writing on it. It said 'Scratch,' but there was no other information. Who would go to the trouble to have a name tag made for their dog and not put their address or phone number on it?

So, you're Scratch, I said while I re-clipped his collar. I went to my junk drawer and found a piece of cotton cord. It'll have to do, I thought. Scratch, you and I are going on a walk. I have to find your parents.

Locking the door behind me, I walked Scratch through the development. He must have lived nearby. I knew that periodically, there were people out in front, but today it was empty—until Marty came around the corner.

Marty was a good friend of mine. He was another part of my little gang of three that included Marty, Logan, and me. I met Marty when I first came to ASU. He was in my introduction to Psychology class. He sat right in front of me. Over the first few weeks we talked quite a bit while waiting for class to start, and when we were given a research project we teamed up. Not long after that, I saw him at after-hours. Realizing we were both gay, we became close friends. It worked for us because I wasn't his type and he wasn't mine.

Marty was about five foot six and went to the gym every day. He had light blond hair and blue eyes. At the bar he wore tight t-shirts to show off his muscles. Being short didn't slow him down one bit.

Oh, you found the little dog!

You know him? That's great. I'm trying to find his owner. You know where he's from?

Marty shook his head. Can't help you there. I saw him yesterday. You think he's been loose since then.?

God I hope not.

Well, he was running around and came right to me. There was a guy chasing after him. I grabbed the little dog and the guy stopped running. I started to hand him over and the guy took my hand at the same time. I thought he was so hot.

So if you had the dog yesterday what happened?

I'm getting there. Well the guy introduced himself as Alex White. He's like huge, a good head taller than me, shaves his head, and has tattoos all down one arm.

Okay, Marty, what did you do? I said with a sneaky smile spreading my face.

Marty had that proud expression he only got after a major conquest. I saw that sudden glow in his eyes and couldn't wait for the story. Well, it turns out he was chasing the dog to rescue it. He figured the dog was a runaway and just wanted to help. When we checked the collar and there was no ID, we were going to take him to the shelter, but he wiggled loose and took off like there was no tomorrow.

Yeah, well apparently he was making his way to my house. He just scratched on the door, but sadly he didn't bring any men with him.

Too bad, Marty agreed. I took the guy to my apartment. Let me tell you what happened…

Chapter Three

Marty

When the dog wiggled loose, we chased him for a bit, but soon gave up. There wasn't much point in continuing to chase him. That dog can run. Alex was looking at me and he said I looked familiar. I was wearing a t-shirt like the one I wear sometimes when I go dancing. He started asking me if I'd ever been to one gay bar and then another. It sounded like he was fishing, so I fessed up and told him I'd been to all of them. His face lit up like you wouldn't believe.

We started strolling through the park