About Euphorbia
by Glyn Soitino
107 pages / 23500 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-092-3
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Mark is a self-employed gardener who has never recovered from a painful
break-up several years ago. He lives with only a tank-full of fish for
company and fills the emptiness inside him by reading romantic gay fiction.
Colin is a writer who recently moved to the countryside, disillusioned with
the shallowness of life in London. He's looking for Mr. Right, and dares to
hope he's found him in the form of the man Colin has hired to take care of
his garden.
Too bad Mark isn't interested in having a relationship. But gardening can be
a hazardous occupation, and when Mark is injured by Colin's euphorbia plant,
he has no choice but to let down his defenses and accept Colin's help.
Review
Kiernen Kelly, Author of In Their Own Skins novels, writes: His ex-lover has hurt Mark Keeble so badly that Mark makes the decision to reinvent his life. Giving up his lucrative career, he moves to a small village and starts his own landscaping business. He tries to content himself with his work, protecting his heart by seeking sex only in nameless, no-strings-attached trysts when necessary.
Colin Templeton is a bestselling author of murder mysteries, who writes hot gay romance under a different pen name. Colin, fed up with life in the big city, has moved to a country house away from the shallow people he knew in London. His new estate is in desperate need of a gardener, and when he hires Mark, he begins a campaign to break through Mark's defenses.
Have you ever read a story you didn't want to see end? I felt that way
about Soitino's Euphorbia. I loved the characters of Mark and Colin, as
well as the storyline. Soitino bares the men's souls to the readers,
showcasing the all-too-human defenses people sometimes use to mend and
shield a broken heart, as well as the perseverance and cleverness we are
all capable of finding if the situation warrants. I can only hope Glyn
Soitino continues their story!
Sample
"I said, the subject is closed!" Mark got to his feet,
shoving the chair back so hard it toppled over, and stood glaring down at
Colin. He looked so angry that for a moment, Colin was afraid Mark was going
to hit him.
"I'm sorry," Colin said softly, his eyes meeting Mark's. "I didn't mean to
upset you. You're right. It's none of my business."
Mark took a deep breath and let it out slowly, the tension visibly draining
from his body as he did so. "And I didn't mean to yell at you," he offered,
righting the chair, and gave Colin a strained smile. "Let's forget this
conversation ever happened and just carry on as before, okay?"
"Okay." With a sigh of relief, Colin gathered up the empty plates and took
them to the sink while Mark busied himself making coffee. The usual Friday
post-lunch routine. With any luck, Colin thought, their nascent friendship
would come out of this mess unscathed. "So," he said as he washed the
plates. "What are you planning to do this afternoon?"
Mark placed the coffee cups on the table and looked across at Colin. "I
think it's time I dealt with the euphorbia." He slipped out the back door,
returning moments later with a large canvas bag, from which he proceeded to
draw out various items of clothing and set them on the chair.
Colin put the plates in the rack to drain, then dried his hands and reseated
himself at the table. Sipping his coffee, he watched Mark dress. First to go
on were the sturdy work boots Mark had left on the doormat when he'd come in
for lunch. Next was a waterproof jacket, which he zipped right up to the
neck.
"You'll be roasting in that," Colin observed.
Mark grinned, looking like his old self again. "Remember what I told you
about the sap? I'd rather roast than burn. And these," he said, putting on a
pair of long rubber gloves and pulling the sleeves up inside those of the
jacket, "are my special euphorbia gloves. Last year, I was working on one
with my normal gloves, and got burned around the wrists where the gloves and
the coat sleeves didn't meet. This time, I'm all prepared."
"Forward into battle, hey?"
"You got that right." Mark took his coffee cup in both gloved hands and
drained it in one go. "See you later."
"Be careful with that thing!" Colin called after him as he headed off up the
garden, armed with pruning clippers and a ball of string.
Though Colin usually kept Mark company while he worked, he decided to leave
Mark in peace for the afternoon so the man could concentrate all his
attention on the big bad plant. He poured himself another cup of coffee and
settled himself at the kitchen table to work on the handwritten notes he was
making for a future murder mystery, leaving the door open so he'd hear if
Mark called him for anything.
After maybe an hour or so, he found himself hesitating over the suitability
of his murderer's choice of weapon, and made a note to remind himself to
search the internet for the relevant information. Taking advantage of the
interruption, he thought back over the conversation with Mark -- like a jury
being told to strike a witness' testimony from their minds, it was
impossible to just forget what had been said -- and was satisfied that he'd
been right to broach the subject after all. At least he now knew where he
stood, even if it wasn't where he'd hoped it would be. And he still had a
gardener.
A sudden roar from the garden jerked Colin from his thoughts.
"Fuck!" Mark yelled. "Jesus fucking Christ!"
Colin was up and out of the kitchen in an instant. He raced toward Mark, who
was sitting back on the grass next to the euphorbia, waving his hands in
front of his face.
"What is it, Mark?" Colin dropped down beside him and grabbed his wrists.
"What happened?"
Mark turned toward him, tears streaming down his face. "The sap," he said,
and hitched in a ragged breath. "I've got fucking euphorbia sap in my eye!"