Page 10 of His Surrender
With one last glance toward Remi—who seemed way too focused on his piano—I left the warmth of the bar and walked outside. The cold night air assaulted my exposed skin, making me growl in annoyance as I headed for my car parked along the street. It had felt great before I’d gone inside. Stupid unpredictable weather.
I couldn’t wait for spring.
It was close to ten o’clock on a Friday night. I didn’t want to go home. Not alone anyway. Yet, I couldn’t find the motivation to do anything about it. The rejection bothered the hell out of me, and it was hard to figure out why. I wasn’t so arrogant to believe every gay man wanted me—even if most of them did.
Had I misread the signsthatbad? Maybe I really wasn’t Remi’s type. It was going to drive me crazy.
I should forget about this Mr. Barnett and spend my time more productively, like calling the sexy fitness trainer again and having a repeat of the amazing sex from earlier that week.
I called Emery instead.
“Hey, Foley,” he answered on the fifth ring. He must’ve been preoccupied with a certain nineteen-year-old.
“You think I’m hot, right?” I unlocked my car and slid inside before starting it and cranking up the heater.
“Um. Is this a trick question?”
“No, Cross. It’s a simple one, actually.” My car idled in the parking lot as I gave it time to heat up. I also didn’t know where I wanted to go just yet.
“Jay, you’re a fucking god,” Cason said from the background. “You’re, like, worship-the-ground-you-walk-on kind of hot.”
Emery chuckled, and I heard what sounded like a kiss before, “I think the better question is, why the hell are you asking? You don’t exactly lack anything in the confidence department.”
“Is that your way of calling me an arrogant ass?”
“So you do have a brain. I always wondered that.”
“Fuck you,” I said with a laugh. “This is serious. A guy rejected me and I think I’m having a mental breakdown.”
“Someone actually rejected you?” Emery asked, shock clear in his tone. “Wow. Guess it happens to everyone at least once.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t happen to me.” God, I really did sound like an arrogant ass. I sharply exhaled and slapped the steering wheel in frustration. “Pizdets!”
“I don’t speak Russian, but I’m pretty sure I understand that one,” Emery said. “Listen, Foley. It happens. I’ve been rejected a few times too. Yes, it sucks, but you can’t sit and dwell on it.”
He was right. But if I was being honest with myself, it wasn’t just the rejection that had my head so messed up in that moment. It waswhorejected me. I’d been lusting after the pianist for months, having to muster all the self-control I had not to approach him because he was Foster’s teacher. Then I’d saidscrew itthat night and finally went for it… only to be shut down.
My ego was shattered.
“I think it’s karma,” I muttered, putting the car in reverse and backing out of the parking spot. “I’ve left behind a trail of broken hearts in my life and turned down people left and right. Now the universe is getting back at me.”
“Are you going to tell me who this guy is?” Emery asked, before softly sighing. There was a low murmuring on his end of the phone, and I picked out the wordbehavefollowed by Cason lightly laughing. “It’s not like you to get so hung up on one guy. Wait… is it piano man?”
“His name is Remington notpiano man,” I said and then pressed my lips into a line. I’d given myself away.
“Since when did you care enough about a guy to actually learn—and remember—his name? I think that shocks me more than you being rejected.”
“I don’tcareabout him,” I said, turning right on the street. Toward home. Goddammit.
“You specifically told me months ago that the dude wasn’t your type. You really are a lawyer. Lyin’ bastard.”
“Takes one to know one, darlin’.”
Emery responded with an amused scoff before he asked, “Where are you now?”
“On my way home. Why, you worried about me?” I grinned at his rumbling chuckle.
“Good night, Foley.”
