Page 106 of Counterpoint
The pause was a long one. Adrian looked up and started walking toward Battery Park. Part of him still wanted to catch a train up to their studio. No one knew who he was. With his suit, they might even take him for a lawyer or...something. Someone other than the strange role he’d found himself in: Domino Grinder’s secret boyfriend.
Lie low for me. I don’t want you tangled up in this shit. OMG, Adrian. I don’t know what I’m gonna do.
He didn’t like the sound of that. Because it almost sounded like...regret.
We’ll think of something, babe. Hang in there. When things blow over, we’ll talk.
He didn’t get another reply, so he strode down to the water. Halfway there, he was sweating too much and vaguely sick to his stomach. He tore off his suit jacket and swallowed the worry. Dominic was with his friends—his family.
Adrian should be there, too. Except—except he wasn’t. He was in Battery Park walking with enough force that tourists parted to make way. When he reached the water, there still wasn’t a reply from Dominic. He loosened his tie, sat down on a bench, and started rolling up his sleeves.
How much would it cost to walk up there? How angry would Dominic be?
His phone buzzed.
It’s not gonna blow over. Ever.
A second later another text.
I’m sorry, Adrian.
Adrian stared at the screen, and the heat of the day vanished. His fingers flew across the screen.We’ll work something out. Together.
There wasn’t a reply. Not even after Adrian wrenched himself up and stormed up the promenade, then back down to near the subway entrance.
He tried again.Babe, talk to me.
He took the walk back to the office slower than he’d come, mostly because his heart was beating too fast to power through the other pedestrians.
Not a word from Dominic. He cursed under his breath, and tried calling.
Come on. Pick up.But no, it clicked right over to an automated voice intoning Dominic’s number. After the beep sounded, Adrian spoke. “Babe, don’t do this to me. Not like this. Not now. Not after everything.” He struggled to find other words, and failed. “Please call me back.” There wasn’t anything else he could do but hang up.
On the way back to his cube, he ducked into the bathroom to straighten out his suit and tie. Go back to looking corporate and cool and calm, even as his insides twisted and pinched and threatened to strangle every part of him.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of code and meetings. If he was quieter than normal, no one remarked on it, thank god. William was probably pleased. Jackson, though, gave him one or two worried looks. Adrian rode the train back to Brooklyn, clutching his phone in his hand, just in case it vibrated, but there was nothing—nothing.
At home, he stripped off his suit and replaced it with a T-shirt and shorts. Normal summer clothes for a day that was anything but normal.
Dominic was leaving him. Dumping him.
Fuck that. He was out the door and heading toward Dominic’s place before he could even think. Didn’t take him too long, given his pace, but he came to a halt a block away.
Because the sidewalk in front of Dominic’s was crammed with a horde of people, and a whole bunch of them had cameras. Well,shit.
At least in his shorts and tee, he looked like any other gawking neighbor and not...not Dominic Bradley’s boyfriend come to ream him a new one for trying to dump him. Adrian pushed out air and rolled his shoulders. Heneededto calm down. Being an ass wasn’t going to fix the situation. Last time, it had only caused Dominic pain.
Right. Maybe a beer might be a plan.
He swung back down the street and headed for Poet and Whiskey. Rather than take a table, he seated himself at the bar. Wasn’t too crowded—Monday evening and all—but there were still a bunch of folks Adrian recognized as locals. The bartender, the self-same Greg who had served him and Dominic a few times, was behind the bar.
He lifted his eyebrows when he spotted Adrian and slid a coaster out. “What can I get you?” His gaze darted behind Adrian—probably checking out the crowd—then back to Adrian. “Beer, cocktail, wine?”
He’d ordered all of those at one point or another. Part of him wanted to slug back whiskey, but the more prudent part reminded him he had to work tomorrow, so he ordered one of the local microbrews they had on tap.
When Greg placed the glass on Adrian’s coaster, he leaned in. “All alone tonight?”
There was something about the question that gave Adrian pause, because it wasn’tquiteflirting, but damned if he could put a finger on it. He shrugged his shoulders and kept an eye on Greg. “My boyfriend’s busy. I’m just here for a beer.” If Greg was feeling him out somehow, that should put an end to it.
