Page 40 of Hello Forever
“Nothing.” I’d been grumpy all day. The emails from Cax weren’thelping.
Boz pushed back from his desk and then spun his office chair. “You’re in a mood. I’d ask you if you were having womantroublesbut…”
“It’s possible to have man troubles,youknow.”
“I suppose. But I refuse to believe that guys are tough to get along with. I mean…it’s tempting to go gay just to get away from femaledrama.”
I laughed for the first time all day. “Not sure you’re right about that. But it would be an interesting experiment. Can Iwatch?”
Boz crumpled up a piece of paper and threw itatme.
“Is thatano?”
He spun the chair again, and I was getting dizzy just watching. “So, whoever he is—just go talk to him. Bring beer. Play a gory video game. Problemsolved.”
“If only it were thatsimple.”
“It probably is, though.I’mthat simple,anyway.”
“Let’s not print that on your businesscards.”
Boz laughed. “You really know what to say to a guy. You want to show me the work you’ve done on the subscribers’ list before the dayisover?”
“Sure.”
* * *
Ididn’t getany emails from Cax the following day. That made megrumpy.
The next night found me bumping around my apartment, alone again. It was December, so the sun had set at five o’clock. It was dark and cold, and my mood wasbleak.
My gaze kept landing on the Barmuth sweatshirt hanging by my door. It belonged to Cax and I still hadn’t returned it. Thinking it was mine, I’d grabbed it off the backseat of his car when he’d dropped me off at the team hotel inMerryline.
Andmaybein a weak moment Imighthave given it a little sniff, to see if it smelledlikehim.
It did. And that only made me misshimmore.
What’s worse, I was pining for someone who’d never been, and who never could be, really mine. Maybe I was some kind of masochist to keep thinking about him, but we had so much potential as a couple. The chemistry between us was off the charts. And we’d been friends since we wereeight. When I was sixteen, I’d realized Ilovedhim.
I still loved him. Not that Cax wanted tohearit.
I stared at his sweatshirt. It would give me an excuse to see his face, if only for aminute.
I put it in my backpack when I walked to work the following morning. As I sat at my desk, thinking about taking it to him on a break or at lunch, I began to wonder if Cax would want me near his apartment building. He was so worried about the world knowing who hereallywas…
Fuck. Could he not even have a gay friend without casting suspicion onhimself?
Axeldental to Caxtastrophe:I happen to have your Barmuthsweatshirt.
Caxtastrophe to Axeldental:I wondered wherethatwent.
Axeldental to Caxtastrophe:Okay if I drop by later andreturnit?
There was a pause before he answered, and it made me feel like apariah.
Caxtastrophe to Axeldental:You can swing by, but I might be outrunning.
Axeldental to Caxtastrophe:Fine. If you’re not there I’ll leave it in a bag atyourdoor.
