Rome never would have been forever for me, and without Max coming back for him and without this job offer in California, who knew how long we would have kept trying to make square pegs fit into round holes.
In hindsight, I knew it was all for the better. Everything I’d shared with him a learning experience, obviously designed to prepare me for managing a relationship with a man like Miles. The worry was always there that at some point the difference in our ages would become an issue, but I did my best to bury that someplace that made it really hard to reach.
My screen went black and I tapped it awake, eyes focusing again on the last message he’d sent me.
Tomorrow, I want to make sure you know exactly who is coming inside of you.
The comment had caused my brain to misfire, my immediate reaction to respond to him with an affirmativeYes, Sir.That was one of the things we hadn’t discussed. And now…now we had and now I could. A wholly unexpected and new feeling washed over me, making my shoulder blades feel like wings, ready to carry me straight out of the office and directly to the health clinic.
A knock on my door snapped my attention back to the present. I looked up, finding another relatively new hire hovering just behind the threshold.
“Colin, right?” I asked, sliding my phone toward my mouse so it wasn’t as obvious that I hadn’t been working.
“Right.”
Colin was probably my age or a couple years older. His hair sprinkled with more gray than mine, but his body longer and leaner than mine had ever been. He’d been recruited with the same batch of folks they’d caught me up with, but Colin was local. A southern California native.
He gave me a tight smile. “Well, you’ve been here for a few months and I haven’t seen anyone offer to take you down the street to the deli.”
“Should they have?”
“No, it’s just…” He gave me a small shrug. “Camaraderie in the office isn’t what it used to be when I was younger. You’re not from here, are you?”
“Nope. Just moved for work,” I said.
“Have you gotten out much since you moved?”
“Not as much as someone half my age would have.” I laughed, leaning back a little in my chair.
“The deli down the street has some of the best sandwiches in town, if you wanted to come for lunch with me. I like to go on Fridays,” Colin said. He checked his watch, and I reflexively checked mine. It was far too early for lunch, but we were both ready for it to be lunch time.
“I’d love to, but I have plans today.” Shoving my mouse around my desk, I clicked open my calendar, scrolling down to the following week. “But I can do next Friday if you want.”
“It’s a date!” Colin’s entire face turned red as a strawberry, and he raised his hands like he was trying to back down. “Not a date. Not a…that’s not how I meant it.”
“Even if it was how you meant it, it’s fine.” I laughed quietly. “I mean, it’s not fine because I’m seeing someone, but it’s not a big deal. He is, but what you said isn’t.”
Realizing I wasn’t making anything better by my talking, I snapped my mouth closed. Colin’s face was still flushed, even as the color had quickly faded to only his cheeks.
“You’re gay?” he asked, his hands clenched at his sides like he was ready to throw a punch.
It had been years since I’d gotten into a fistfight with someone over my orientation, and I’d thought those times were far in the past.
“Is it a problem?”
Colin shook his head, an aborted movement that barely registered. “No.”
“Next Friday then?” I asked. “Is twelve okay?”
“Quarter til is better,” Colin muttered.
“Sounds good.” I glanced back down at the clock on my screen. “I’m about to hop on a call. Can you close the door when you leave?”
Another jerky movement of his head, and Colin pulled the door closed as he stepped out. Relief washed through me and I sagged in my chair, letting my eyes close. I didn’t know what his deal was, but I made a mental note to give him a chance to get out of lunch again before next Friday. Even though I was of the opinion my sexuality shouldn’t matter to people I wasn’t sleeping with, I understood fully that wasn’t the case. If he had a problem with me, then he could have it at his own desk on his own time.
I would deal with all of that next week, though. It was ten on Friday and the only things that needed to matter were getting tested, getting through my work day, and seeing Miles on Saturday night.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
