He executed the left turn onto Main Street. “Who broke it off?”
“He did. When I quit. He wanted a corporate boyfriend who could help him get ahead. I wanted dignity and self-respect. In the end, those two opposing forces were incompatible.” Ilaughed—harsh even to my own ears. “He secured my job for himself—quite a promotion.”
“And here you are.”
“And here I am.” I sniffed. “No regrets.”
“You sure?” He stopped at another red light. Traffic was heavy with downtown commuters heading to the suburbs like rats scurrying off a sinking ship. I’d been lucky enough to always live close enough to work so I didn’t have to do the commute rat race. That also meant I’d work late without a second thought—what with work beingjust around the corner. In retrospect, in that corporate job, I’d had very little differentiation between the personal and the professional. Which was probably how Paul slotted himself into my life so easily. His ambition was greater than my own, but I admired that. He didn’t report to me, so us dating wasn’t a big deal. Interesting, though, how he’d suggested we keep it under wraps.
Smart, really.
Because when I took a moral stance on the falsification of data—and had quit—he hadn’t been tainted by association. Instead, he’d stayed toclean up the messand to help the company attempt to rehabilitate its reputation.
None of that impressed me.
Good riddance.“Yes, I’m certain it’s good riddance. He was a mistake—I just didn’t see it at the time. But I do now.”
“Well, better late than never, right?”
“Something like that.” In Paul’s case it would have been better to have never gotten involved with him. Instead to have chosen someone completely outside the corporate realm. Hell, beyond the legal profession would’ve been an even better choice.
Except, if I’d done any of that, then I would likely not be sitting in this SUV, on this particular day, with this amazing man.
Yes, grudgingly I was willing to admit I might’ve been off base in my assumptions about him.
A little bit, anyway.
He still had a way to go before I was willing to admit he was a true believer. “Do you have rehearsal tonight?”
With only the slightest hesitation at the amber light, he ensured oncoming traffic was stopped, and he eased us onto East 2ndand began the slow ascent. He’d cut across Brunswick, shimmy across East 5th, and then take St. Georges Street to East 6th. We’d be at my place in no time at all.
Now or never. “Do you want to come up?”
“Huh?” He executed the next turn smoothly.
I cleared my throat. “Would you like to come up? I mean, it’s not great or anything—”
“Way to temper a guy’s expectations.” He made the next turn.
“And I have a stubborn cat. If you’re, like, allergic or something.”
“I’m not.” He turned onto my street.
“In one hundred meters, your destination will be on your left.”
I let out a long breath. “I’m asking you to come up if you’re interested. If you’re not, then I’m happy to thank you for the ride, grab my bike, and head inside.”
The rain had lessened a bit.
A very little bit.
“What’s your cat’s name?”
“Huh?” I rubbed my forehead. “Oh… Moses.”
He chuckled. “I bet there’s a story behind that name.”
“There is.”
