Page 108 of The Manny

“I’ve flirted with you for years and it went nowhere. How was I supposed to know he’d take me up on my offer?”

“You never should have made an offer to begin with.” I winced. “Maybe you could apologize to him. Grovel a little.”

“I already tried. I texted him twice saying I was hugely sorry. He hasn’t responded.”

“I can only imagine what he’s feeling. He must be so confused.”

“Yes.” He met my gaze. “I want you to know I didn’t force him.”

I frowned. “I didn’t think you did.”

“I just want to be sure you understand that. I don’t give guys blow jobs when they tell me no. No means no, and I respect that. Brody wasn’t saying no. In fact, he was...” Scott swallowed hard. “Eager.”

“I see.”

“If he’d just talk to me, I could explain to him that it doesn’t have to mean anything. Guys experiment sometimes. Maybe what happened was as simple as he was horny, drunk, and I was there. I was just a mouth. Right?”

“That’s possible. I guess. Sexuality is complicated.”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “Maybe he’s bisexual. I thought I was bisexual for a while in college. Then I realized that, while I can form emotional attachments to women, sexually guys do it for me.”

“If he is bisexual, he must be struggling with it. I feel like I should talk to Brody, but I’m afraid he’ll be more embarrassed if he finds out that I know about what happened.”

“Idefinitelyneed to talk to him.”

“I agree. Not sure how to make that happen though. I don’t want to piss him off or make things worse.”

Scott ate a few chips, looking deep in thought. Once he’d swallowed, he said, “Does this mean I’m not welcome at the shop anymore?”

I studied him. “I’m not sure what to do. I can’t lose Brody. He’s my best guy.”

“I understand.” He winced.

“But… you’re my best customer.”

“Yeah?” He brightened.

“However, I feel like I need to make sure Brody is okay with you coming around when he’s there. He has a lot of sway with the other guys. If he leaves, I could lose all my guys. That would be a disaster.”

“Right.”

“But the truth is, that’s not my only reason for being supportive of Brody. He’s not just an employee, he’s also a friend.”

“Since when do you do friends?”

My face warmed and I said curtly, “Since lately.”

He held up his hands. “Okay. That’s fine. Personal growth is important.”

“I guess,” I said gruffly. “Not that I’d really know.”

His gaze was astute. “I think you’re different lately. There was a time when you wouldn’t have cared, or wanted to know what the hell Brody felt.”

I winced. “Was I really that disconnected?”

“Yes. Is that actually a surprise to you?”

“I suppose not. Having Mia around has forced me to change. Whether I wanted to or not.” Thomas had also influenced me hugely, but I wasn’t about to share that with Scott or anyone.

---