“You should leave me alone now before I say something I’ll regret and hurt your feelings.”
A warm, calloused hand rested on top of his, and surprised, Rico raised his eyes to meet Dale’s, grimacing at the sympathy he saw residing there.
“Why? Because you know I’m saying the truth? Listen, my friend. For the past year I’ve seen you come here, get drunk, and leave with any number of guys, none of whom you’d probably remember in the morning. I don’t know your story, but Adam? That guy was the real deal.”
“You don’t think I know exactly who he is?” Rico stood, threw a few twenties on the bar, and left without another word. The street appeared hazy and the sound muted as he walked up the block, his carefully placed steps jarring the headache already blossoming inside his skull. Rico knew who Adam was. Too damn good for him.
Chapter Fourteen
With the startof summer came the usual calls to put out barbecues that flamed out of control or sparks from tossed cigarettes that caught the dry grass in parks. Adam and his fellow firefighters had been lucky; the overnight had been quiet, only a few minor calls, and one of his favorite things—a cat stuck in a tree. The sultry night air had many homeowners leaving their windows open, giving Fluffy the cat a perfect opportunity to scamper out and get into trouble.
After returning to the firehouse and enduring the teasing of the others calling him “Pussy-bait,” Adam tried to catch a couple of hours of sleep but found himself staring up at the ceiling, thinking about the brush-off from Rico. He’d never met such a walled-up, frustrating person in his life.
Not for one second did Adam believe Rico pushed him away because he was too busy. They were always busy; they lived in New York, for fuck’s sake. Who wasn’t doing fifteen things at once? No, there was another reason, and that’s what drove him crazy. It was like an unanswered question left hanging. A person didn’t fly halfway across the country to be there because they thought you were hurting, then dump you a month or so later because you got too close.
Something was going on inside that head of Rico’s, and Adam was determined to find out what it was. In the end Rico might tell him to go to hell, but in his mind, that would be better than living with what-ifs. God only knew he’d spent enough of his life doing that.
The next afternoon found him outside Rico’s storefront, inexplicably nervous despite his decision the night before to talk to Rico. The easy-going time they’d had together in Texas, even for only those few days, had given him hope for something more tangible and long-lasting, and now that Rico had pushed him away, Adam was even more confused and uncertain. Emotions he disliked.
Bells jangled, and Gideon stuck his head out the front door. “I’ve been watching you for the past five minutes. Are you planning on citing us for a fire-code violation, or do you want to come in?”
The cocky grin on Rico’s best friend’s face relaxed Adam; he really liked Gideon, and perhaps getting to know him better would help him understand Rico as well. Knowing he’d had a physical relationship with Rico no longer upset Adam; he’d seen enough of Gideon with his fiancé, Jonah, to know how much in love the two of them were.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” He passed by Gideon into the warmth of the store, where the smell of roasting meat set his stomach growling.
“Wow. I heard that from over here.” The cashier, Sean, gave him a wave and a grin. “Want your usual brisket?”
About to respond, Adam found himself cut off by Gideon. “Put a little of everything on a plate for him and bring it to the back. We’ll be in my office.” Gideon put a hand on his shoulder, steering him past the counter. “Let’s chat.”
A bit wary but inordinately curious, Adam walked with Gideon to his office and sat down in the chair in front of Gideon’s desk. He said nothing, waiting for the reason Gideon brought him there.
“Rico’s out scouting new vendors. He does that because with my dyslexia it’s almost impossible for me to read and understand the contracts in the short time frame, so he vets them all so we can then go over everything and decide.”
“Okay.”
“I figured with him out of the office it would be a perfect time to talk—get to know each other better.”
Apparently Rico didn’t keep his best friends as up-to-date on his personal life as he thought.
“Uh…”
“You don’t have to be so shy. I mean, he did hightail it off to Texas to see you. I can’t even get him to come to my apartment for dinner.”
There was no reason for him to let Rico hide the truth from his friends. Obviously Gideon knew certain details, but Adam would be damned if he’d help Rico keep their breakup or whatever the hell it was a secret. Too damn bad. That was his issue, not Adam’s.
“We’re not seeing each other anymore.”
Gideon seemed less surprised than resigned and let out a disappointed sigh. “Shit. I’m sorry.” He hesitated for a second, then seemed to make a decision and leaned forward. “Don’t give up on him.”
Was he kidding? “Um, I know you’re Rico’s friend and everything, but he can handle his life.”
A fierce expression settled on Gideon’s face, wiping away any earlier signs of joking. “No, he can’t. That’s the point. He can’t handle his life. And it’s killing him. I’m trying to help, but you know him—he’s impossible to reach sometimes.”
“That’s putting it mildly.” Adam scrubbed his face with his hands. “Look, I’m not running after a guy who’s not interested. I wasn’t interested in running after any guy. I’m fine like I was before—”
“Before you fell in love with him?”
Adam gaped at Gideon. Damn, the guy had balls. They hardly knew each other. And yet…
