My face went instantly hot, and immediately my brain started firing through a thousand different excuses for why I was getting out of a car this early on a Sunday morning, very obviously still wearing yesterday’s clothes, on a residential street several blocks from where I was staying.
Nothing came to mind as my mouth opened and then closed.
David’s gaze tracked from me to Taylor’s car idling at the curb, lingering for a beat on the driver’s side where Taylor sat frozen, then back to me. I watched surprise cross his face, followed by a moment of confusion. Then his features settled into something that looked a lot like understanding.
Shame flooded through me, hot and immediate. My hands began to shake, so I shoved them into my pockets, hoping he wouldn’t see.
The other man looked between us, his expression open and friendly. “Oh, you’re David’s new colleague.” He stepped forward and extended his hand. “I’m Marius, David’s partner.”
“Hi, um. Yes. Hello. Sebastian Carruthers.” I shook his hand and then took a step back, colliding with the door.
“Nice to meet you,” Marcus replied warmly. “David didn’t tell me you live around here.”
“Oh, no. I don’t,” I said, my face burning. “I was just?—”
“Out for a morning walk before the madness later?” David offered smoothly, his eyes holding mine.
My shoulders sagged in relief at the plausible excuse. “Yeah. Figured I’d get some air before we lock ourselves in for the rest of the day.”
“Same here.” David looked past me at the car, then back, the corner of his mouth lifting. “I totally understand.”
The long pause that followed felt deliberate.
“Last week was brutal,” he continued, his tone carefully neutral. “I’m not surprised you wanted to take some time for yourself.”
It was an out. An excuse. A way for both of us to pretend he hadn’t seen what he'd obviously seen.
“But nothing I can’t handle,” I managed.
Code:This isn’t my first rodeo—with a difficult campaign or hiding my sexuality.
Marius’s phone dinged, and he pulled it out of his jacket pocket. Smiling down at the screen, he nudged David’s arm with his elbow. “Food’s ready. Want me to run ahead and get it?”
David nodded and smiled at his boyfriend. “That’d be great. Thank you.”
Marius turned to me. “Nice to meet you, Sebastian. You should come over some night when you’re not both chained to your desks.”
“Nice meeting you, too.”
I didn't acknowledge the invitation.
Marius took the leash from David and started down the street.
A beat passed before David said, “We’re grabbing dinner at that Thai place on Congress tomorrow night if you and your …” He left the statement hanging, an invitation for me to fill in the blank.
“Best friend.”
He smiled slightly, though it looked a bit sad. “Right. Well, if you and your best friend want to join us, the invitation is open.”
Shame churned in my gut. Taylor was sittingright there, hearing me deny what he really was, while David stood there offering us a chance to be open the way we were with Bell and Ethan. Two more people we could be real with.
But I didn’t know David all that well. Certainly not like Taylor knew Bell. Ifeltlike I could trust him, but until I knew for sure, this wasn’t a risk I could take.
“Thanks, uh. Maybe next time.”
He shrugged. “Sure.” He turned to go, but then paused. “See you at the office?”
I nodded. “Yeah. See you there.”
