“Is that really what you thought?”
“Yeah. Reese was talking to me. Said you’re just quiet, and Iget that. Sorry if I gave you a hard time.”
I’m a little irritated that Reese said anything to him, but alsorelieved. Suddenly I’m seeing Tyler in a different light. He can actually notbe a dickhead? While we continue cleaning up, we get to chatting while we work,and soon he’s talking to me about his wife and kids.
“I’m trying to plan out this birthday celebration for my wife,”he says. “It’s her thirty-fifth birthday. You know, we’ve been together tenyears now.”
“Ten years? That’s fucking impressive.” My record with guys isfar less impressive.
He smiles as though he’s shocked that I’m even interested inhearing about his life. He wipes the back of his arm across his forehead. “Shedeserves something special. We’ve been through a lot of hard times together.And I was just trying to think of something she might enjoy, you know? Not likethe usual dinner-and-a-movie sort of deal. We do that pretty much everyweekend.”
“Have you thought about maybe a surprise party? Invite some ofher friends.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if that’ll really surprise her.”
“Is there anyone she’s good friends with or maybe a close familymember you can talk into flying in for it? That’d surprise the hell out ofher.”
His eyes light up. “She has this friend from college who livesin D. C. now. They talk on the phone all the time. Oh, shit. I guess I shouldhave thought of that. Thanks. That’s a really good idea.”
It’s nice lowering my defenses for a change. I haven’t had achat like that with someone I worked with in a long time.
All that tension from when we fought before has completelydissolved. Maybe Reese chatting with him wasn’t such a bad thing after all.Maybe this new gig is gonna be good for me. Although I know better than tobelieve that. Everywhere seems great in the beginning…until shit starts gettingcomplicated.
Tyler’s not a bad guy. And Reese was right about me findingtrouble everywhere I go. It happens enough that I know I have to be at leastpartly to blame.
Tyler starts talking to me about personal shit about his life.Makes me wish I had a buddy that I could talk to about Reese. Someone I couldconfide in. Of course, there are so many reasons I can’t talk to Tyler about mylife. A shame I can’t shoot the breeze about what’s going on with me the way hecan about his wife.
When lunchtime arrives, I head up to the breakroom. A few of theother guys lounge around, eating their lunches. Reese heads in and approachesthe vending machine, still ignoring me.
Of course he is. I’m just this trashy trick that he doesn’t givea shit about.
“Morgan,” he says with that same military tone in his voice aswhen he ordered me to get on my knees on his bed. My co-worker glances up fromhis ham-and-cheese sandwich.
“Yeah?” he asks.
“Can you swing by my office later to review some orderinginformation with me? I’ve been looking at a couple of other vendors that mightbe a little cheaper, but I want to go through it with you before I make mydecision.”
“You got it, boss.”
A soda bottle hits the bottom of the vending machine. Reesepulls it out and leaves without so much as glancing my way.
My chest aches as I’m filled with disappointment.
Maybe yesterday was all I’m ever going to get from him. Hedoesn’t seem like the sort of guy who opens up much. Reminds me of why I keepeveryone at a distance. Can’t get disappointed if you don’t let people in.
After I finish my lunch, I head back toward the warehouse,passing his office. I consider going in, but I don’t want to make a completeidiot out of myself. Don’t want to seem like this desperate fucker who needshis cock inside me again. Even though that’s kinda true.
As I pass one of our supply closets, I feel someone grab me frombehind, and as I turn, there’s Reese. He practically shoves me into the closet.Before I know it, he’s pushed me so that my back hits and closes the doorbehind me. He kisses me hard, the hairs in his beard pricking at my face.
His firm muscles are tight against my body. I wrap my armsaround him, clinging tightly as this experience offers assurance that mydelusions from earlier were totally unreasonable. His tongue slides between mylips, and I greet it with my own. I rest a hand on the back of his head as hekisses down my face, to my neck. The sort of kisses he gave me yesterday. Wild.Careless. Passionate.
Considering how good it feels and how every muscle in my body relaxes,I would have thought I had gone months without feeling this sort of excitement.Not just a day.
“I’ve missed that hot piece of ass all day,” he whispers so thathis breath slams against my neck. More confirmation that my worries were fornothing.
It’s not that I like him. It’s that I’ve had enough sex to knowthe difference between when it’s good and when it’s a fucking stick of dynamiteexploding, crashing through my trembling nerves.
“I thought you were ignoring me because you were ashamed aboutwhat we did.”
