“You’re great,” Marcus said sincerely. “Seriously. He’d be lucky to have you.”
“Thanks.” Charlie smiled wryly, not sure he should believe that.
“I was lucky to have you,” Marcus added. “And I like you a lot better as a friend than a boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a great catch. If he’s the right person for you, he’ll see that. That’s how it works.”
“You’re such a sweetheart.” Charlie sighed. “How comeyoudon’t have a boyfriend?”
Marcus blushed to the tips of his ears. “I’ve got an eye on someone. Just waiting to make my move.”
“And yet, here you are lecturing me about making a move.” Charlie raised an eyebrow. They were both a little hopeless when it came to risking rejection.
“This is a do as I say, not as I do moment,” Marcus said. “I’ll get there.”
“So will I.” Charlie glanced over at the door, his heart sinking again when it wasn’t Scott coming through it. He didn’t come in every day—or even every other day, or on any schedule Charlie had figured out yet—but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a tiny spark of hope every time the door opened.
Charlie was in deep with Scott already. He couldn’t remember getting so attached to another person so fast.
That probably meant he’d eventually have to say something. Maybe rejection wasn’t so bad.
It still seemed safer to warm him up a little first.
“Your guy would be lucky to have you, too,” Charlie said belatedly. He meant it. Marcus was one of the good ones, they just hadn’t been quite right for each other. The spark had been missing.
The sex had still been fun, and Marcus had been a warm, attentive partner while it lasted. He was a great friend, and Charlie wanted him to be happy.
“You think?” Marcus asked.
“I know. You deserve someone great.”
“Yeah, well,” Marcus shrugged. “So do you.”
Charlie wasn’t necessarily convinced, but he really hoped that was true.
Chapter Six
“Hey,” Dylan paused on his way past where Scott was measuring up windows, a hammer swinging casually in his hand. Of all the people Scott worked with, he felt as though he connected with him the most. They weren’t great friends or anything, but they seemed to have a mutual understanding with each other.
Maybe Scott should have made an attempt to actuallybecomefriends with him, but he wasn’t sure where he stood with any of the guys here. He was still the newest. He still didn’t feel like he fit in.
Dogs were way easier than people.
“Hey,” Scott responded, marking his spot with a pencil and then shoving it back behind his ear. “Something up?”
“Just wondering if you’re coming out tonight. Some of us are heading a few towns over for beer and wings.”
“I can’t,” Scott said automatically. He probably could have, but he wasn’t in the mood to deal with most of his workmates. They seemed like great guys, they just weren’t his kind of people. Aside from Dylan, he didn’t think any of them liked him, either.
Scott had never been very good at being one of the guys. He’d spent most of his life trying to keep his head down.
“I have to go to the library,” he added, realizing that he needed to provide some kind of excuse. Especially since Dylan looked disappointed.
Dylan chuckled. “You spend a lot of time in that library. You got a thing for sexy librarians, or what?”
Scott blushed all the way down his neck at the suggestion. “The librarian’s a guy.”
“So?” Dylan asked.
Scott turned to meet his eyes, confused by that response. He’d expected something different entirely.
