“I would really like that,” he says. “More than like that.” Hechuckles. Seems like a nervous reaction as his eyes water.
“I’m going to go to HR tomorrow, just to get ahead of this.They’re gonna need us both to sign something about our relationship to covertheir asses legally, but they’ll keep it confidential.”
“Oh, wow. I thought you said you needed to step outside yourcomfort zone. Not wave a flag about it around the office.”
“Don’t worry. Like I said, it’s confidential. Everyone won’tknow right away. But I want to do this. I think we’re worth it.”
He looks so much more relaxed than he did before. “You’d do allthat for us?”
“I’m going to do it.”
He kisses me again. Our passion takes us to the bedroom, as italways does, and we share another night.
24
Jay
It was a lot for me to ask Reese to be totally cool with beingout to his employees after being together for such a short time, but lastnight, his words assured me that all this time together hasn’t been fornothing. That he wants to move toward something more.
This morning, he went to HR, and they called me in to sign thepaperwork that he was talking about. It was just to keep the company from beingliable if anything goes south between us. Feels like a big step. Huge. Here weare just now using the term boyfriends, but we’re already having to sign formsabout it. But I wanted to do it. Better that than to do something that wouldget Reese into trouble.
That was a big step, and I don’t need him to scream about ourrelationship to everyone in the office. I can be patient and give him some timeto find a way to bring me into his life in a way that’s comfortable for him. Itwasn’t that I wanted him to be in an awkward position at work. I just wanted toknow I wasn’t going to spend months…or years keeping us this secret that Icould never share. I couldn’t do that. But what am I even thinking? Years withhim? How can I already be imagining spending that much time with someone I’mjust getting to know?
After our fight, I realized I was telling myself that there wassomething wrong so that I’d try to get out of it. Because I’m not used tohaving something actually working out for me, especially with a guy. And itreally does scare me. As I open up to him and build trust in him, I know he canhurt me. That he can break my heart into pieces and leave me even worse offthan before I met him, and that terrifies me.
I step along a row of shipments, inspecting the pallets to seewhich ones need extra securing. We’ve had to be super-careful after all the damageswe’ve been dealing with lately. Most of the other guys are on the other side ofthe warehouse, unpacking some of the raw materials that just came in.
Reese rounds a corner, coming around some of the packed boxeswe’re shipping out tomorrow. He has a clipboard in hand and a stern look on hisface like he’s been dealing with some pretty serious shit all morning long. Theblack button-up he wears fits snugly, and having seen all those muscles,memorized them, I resent that his clothes are covering up all my favorite partsof him.
“Mr. Hinson, could I talk to you for a second?” he asks, hisexpression lit up with amusement.
“Feeling playful today, Mr. Kline?”
He leans against a box beside me. “I was just going to see ifyou might be interested in doing something a little different tonight.”
“Cosplay?” I tease.
He smirks. “Not exactly. I was thinking we would go out. Catch amovie. You know, like you mentioned last night.”
“Really?”
His smile is warm as he says, “I just bought tickets for us foreight o’clock. Some new Ashley Judd movie with Kristen Stewart and ScarlettJohansson.”
“I think the fact that you called it an Ashley Judd movie letsme know exactly how old you are.”
He laughs. “Whatever.”
“What’s it about?”
“Ashley Judd blackmails Kristen Stewart into working for herfootball-player nephew as his bodyguard, but his ex, Scarlett Johansson, istrying to weasel her way back into his life.”
“Really? Who’s the football-player nephew?”
“Zac Efron?”
“That’s who you lead with! If I thought I was going to bewatching Kristen Stewart and Scarlett Johansson duking it out for two hours,I’d be like hell no, but just the possibility of seeing Zac Efron take hisshirt off, and I’m fucking in.”
He beams. “Good. I figure we can grab something to eat on theway.”
