“Huh,” Connor said when Graham was done. “Well, I guess I know why you asked about Viv and me a while back.”
“Yeah,” Graham said.
“Did you two work it out? As friends, I mean.”
Graham nodded. “Yeah, we grabbed dinner recently. It was nice.”
Connor chuckled. “I suppose it’s a little easier when you haven’t been together for long.”
“Yeah, and we didn’t have kids together,” Graham pointed out.
“Amen to that.” Connor held up his glass again.
Graham gestured with his empty glass and a moment later, it was plucked from his fingers and another drink appeared in its place. He glanced over to see Jesse grinning. His lipstick was a little smeared, but otherwise he still looked like a very seductive cartoon.
And there’s a phrase I never thought I’d say in my life, he thought with a rueful laugh as he took a sip.
“So,” Jesse said cheerfully. “When I ran into you at HCI, what were you and Thad up to?”
Graham flushed. “Uhh. Don’t ask.”
“Oh no,” Jesse said, his eyes gleaming. “Dotell.”
“Hey, leave him be,” Connor said gruffly.
But Jesse ignored him. “And mini golf was a date, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Graham admitted.
“Ha! I knew it.” Jesse smiled smugly at Connor. “Andyouthought they were just buddies.”
“Well, I wasn’t gonna assume?—”
“Fucking goalie stares,” Graham muttered, walking away as Jesse and Connor good-naturedly bickered.
Graham immediately got sucked into conversation with someone else, then another person came up to congratulate him. For a while, he got passed around from person to person until he stood in front of his general manager.
His boyfriend’s brother. Fuck, thatwaskinda weird.
“Can we talk?” Gavin asked.
“Uhh, sure,” Graham said. He still wasn’t entirely sure what had happened out here between Gavin and Thad, but Gavin had come inside, told him congratulations on the relationship, and suggested he go out to be with Thad, so Graham assumed he was cool with them being together.
Still, it was a little stressful.
They stepped off to the side of the group of guys congregated around the firepit, and Gavin let out a big sigh. “I want to apologize for my behavior earlier. It was unprofessional and I am ashamed I let my complicated relationship with Thad cloud my head. I never should have behaved that way and I am especially sorry I forced you to out yourself. That is unconscionable.”
Graham nodded, accepting the apology. “Thank you,” he said. “This wasn’t how I would have done it, really, but I guess it isa relief now that it’s over. For what it’s worth, if Thad and I hadn’t been worried about your reaction, we would have come out sooner.”
Gavin nodded. “I’m glad, but still. Coming out about your sexuality and the relationship should have been on your terms.”
“Thank you.” Graham swallowed. “Can you help me understand why you were so pissed though?”
“There’s some context for our relationship that Thad will have to give you when he’s ready,” Gavin said. “But in short, I was worried about both of you. I—mistakenly—thought Thad was screwing around with you. And I was pissed he was behaving irresponsibly and worried he’d break your heart.”
“I appreciate you looking out for me, but I’m a big boy,” Graham said. “I can handle myself. And give your brother some credit. He’s a smart, talented man and he takes this job seriously. He takes ourrelationshipseriously. So whatever ideas you’ve previously had about who he is, maybe you need to get to know the man he is now. Because I think you’ll be surprised. And impressed.”
He closed his mouth before he crossed the line and said something rude.
