Bitter rage flashes through his expression before he carefully schools it again.
Interesting.
“No. I’ve lived with Mimi since I was twelve. I flew to Florida to spend summer vacation with her and never went home. I came out to my parents just before I got on the airplane. They didn’t want a gay son, and I didn’t want to live in New York any longer.”
“Yikes. Sorry.”
He shrugs and takes another sip of coffee. I’m trying not to stare at his fingers but they’re long and gorgeous. “Mimi was the first person I came out to. She loved me unconditionally.” Another wistful smile. “She paid my college tuition, and I have a small nest egg that will pay for my graduate degree, as long as I’m careful. I owe everything to her.” His smile fades. “I just wish she was here to see this. She’d be so proud of me.” He slowly nods. “If she was still alive, you’d better believe she’d be my date to the balls, because she always had my back.”
“Any siblings?”
“Only child, thankfully. I have no excuse to talk to my parents. Mimi told me once that she didn’t want my parents even knowing she died, unless they’d reconciled with me before that point. So unless someone else told them, they probably don’t even know she died.”
Wow. That’s…cold, but I also respect him for that. For standing his ground. That takes a strength few have later in life, much less when they’re as young as Jordan.
“You?” he asks. “Where are you from?”
“California.” We slide into a lighter conversational while awaiting our food.
Then he asks it. “What does your significant other think about your current job?”
From the way his brows are delicately arched behind his glasses, it makes my heart throb and I want to scoop him into my arms again. He’s steadily meeting my gaze, though. Deliberately.
He knows what he’s asking me.
Because he deliberately used the phrase “significant other.”
I meet his gaze long enough pink rises in his cheeks, making my sadist purr with pleasure and sending a jolt of energy to my cock. Because I don’t want to lie to him.
I also don’t want to spill all my secrets to him, NDA or not.
“It’s complicated,” I finally say, mirroring his expression. “I’m not actively dating right now.”
The world’s fading away around us, which is unusual for me. Situational awareness, yo. Kind of instinct, at this point in my life.
The corner of his mouth quirks up a little. “Not dating any guys right now because of work, or something else?”
Damn. He’s good. I hadn’t admitted I’m gay yet.
What the hell, why not push the envelope? I want to see how deep he’ll fish. “Mostly because of work.” That’s not a lie at all, actually.
Elliotispart of my job, in some ways.
And his job is the biggest reason we can’t be open.
I mean, it’s the main excuse he uses about why we can’t be open.
He cocks his head a little to the right. It exposes the side of his neck, the tendons and muscles, and I want to nibble from his collar to his ear. “Sounds like there’s a story.”
I pick up my coffee mug and sip. “There is. Icandate right now. But work’s pretty busy.”
“But it’s complicated.”
I slowly nod. “It is.”
He tips his head to the other side and studies me. I see a flicker of something watchful and cunning float to the surface before it’s gone nearly as fast. Or maybe I imagined it.
Maybe I wanted to see it because it interests the sadist.
