Norris wasn’t sure if his Waiting Room Friend was gay or a hipster. (The possibility that he might be a gay hipster, or even a metrosexual had also crossed his mind.) His Waiting Room Friend was short and fat and hairy and always dressed Mod-meets-modern or Peacock Revolution with the Technicolor toned down. Today’s outfit featured a chartreuse turtleneck and several strings of multicolor glass beads. His jacket– brown corduroy, with pointy lapels–was draped over one shapely, skinny-jean-clad thigh. His hair was wavy, tousled and dark. As always, he was stunning, but his clothes gave Norris zero concrete hints as to his sexuality. ... Their introductions had consisted of, “Can I get a light, big guy?” Norris had glanced over, seen nothing, and then looked down. “Oh. Sure.”  Despite his Waiting Room Friend being a foot shorter than him, it felt to Norris like it was the other way around. His presence was magnetic. It compelled him. They didn't even spend a lot of time together– just talking and smoking, leaning against the concrete pillars a little bit down the plaza –but the way he considered anything Norris had to say, however quietly or sporadically he said it, had Norris thinking about him long after they’d parted.

Chapter Five of my ongoing novel project is here! It's a long one! We learn a little about Norris' teenhood, meet his crush, & he & Rufus attempt to start their search for Rufus' apprentice, but run into a magical complication.