Just to be safe.
“After I get a job, I want to take you on a date,” Wesley said, like he’d had a whole argument in his mind and was only giving voice to the outcome of it.
“You shouldn’t waste your money.”
“It wouldn’t be a waste. I know you’re going to insist on paying for breakfast. Is that a waste?” he pushed.
“No.”
“Then don’t say shit like that.”
“Alright.” The concession was easy, and I turned my attention back to my pancakes. “I know it’s come up more than you’d like lately, but have you thought at all about what you want to do for work?”
“I don’t want to do anything with finance or business,” he was quick to answer.
“Is that what you were in school for?”
“Thanks to my dear and doting brother.”
I shook my head, stretching my legs out beneath the table until the tips of my sneakers bumped Wesley’s feet.
“You’d be miserable at a place like where we work,” I said.
“Oh, I know. But honestly…” He trailed off, like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to say the next part out loud. I didn’t want to push him if it was something he wasn’t comfortable with, so I kept eating while he decided what he was comfortable with.
I liked that he felt safe enough to think it through before speaking. It reminded me of the rest of our relationship. The conversation always came easy, even if the topics were heavy.
“I know you said it in jest, but I was thinking it might be cool to be a doorman,” he finally said, staring down at his plate the whole time. He’d made good work of the avocado toast, only a crust remaining.
“Really?”
“I don’t know a lot about it, but it seems like a cool job, and I’d get to talk to people all day which wouldn’t suck.”
It sounded like a nightmare to me, but Wesley and I were opposites in that regard.
“I think that sounds great.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” I gave him a dismissive wave. “If it makes you happy, why wouldn’t it?”
“I don’t know.” He laughed nervously. “I know Henny won’t like it.”
“He doesn’t have to. It’s not his job.”
“He’s not gonna like me and you either.” Wesley dared a glance up through the thick fan of his lashes.
“He doesn’t have to,” I repeated the same sentiment as before, but hoping it carried more meaning the second time. “I’m not his boyfriend.”
That earned a small smile, but Wesley’s shoulders didn’t quite rise back to their normal height.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I’m good with this being a secret for now,” he said, slowly and carefully, “but for how long? We’re both kind of in the closet and you’re friends with my older brother…”
“He’s not going to like it,” I said. “There’s no way around that. But I think if things between me and you are solid and lasting, that hewillget used to it.”
“So we should wait,” he mumbled. “Until we’re sure.”
