Chapter 20 #3
“Hey, Zane, are you ready to go?” Grant calls out from his office.
I worked the early shift at the restaurant today and came over to the brewery after to help them out.
The Halloween party launch is coming together well but trying to be budget-conscious for an event like that is difficult.
We’re also trying to make sure we have enough staff hired and working by then, so we’ve all been going through applications.
I look at the stack of résumés in front of me that were all rejected, and I know that more effort tonight is useless, so I shout back, “Yeah, we can go whenever!”
He walks up, already behind me. “Thanks again for driving me home today. I knew I’d need a new battery soon, but I haven’t had the time or motivation to spend the money on a new one.”
“No worries, man.” I shrug. Eric drove him this morning but left like an hour ago, so I volunteered.
We talk about some of the more ridiculous applications we’ve come across as we get into my car, and I turn it on as I’m describing one that was left almost entirely blank. “Like, did they think the rest of the questions were optiona—”
“Look at your tight little hole squeezing around my thick cock like you were made for me to fuck you,” blares throughout the car as my Bluetooth connects to my phone, resuming the audiobook I’d been listening to on the way to work.
“Fuck!” I yell, only partially drowning out the response of “Just wait until your cum is dripping out of my ass, sir,” as the book continues to play while I scramble to pull my phone out of my pocket.
My face feels like it’s on fire when I’m finally able to pause the audio, and I stare straight ahead, unable to face Grant.
He’s quiet for a moment before he snorts a short laugh as though he’d been trying to hold it back. “Dude, were you listening to gay porn?”
“No!” I immediately snap, finally turning to look at him. “It’s a book.”
There’s a huge grin on his face, so at least he wasn’t immediately disgusted, but I have no idea what to say to him.
“What the fuck kind of book is that?”
“It’s a romance book,” I finally mutter after another awkward pause. “This guy I met at the restaurant is obsessed with them, and he wouldn’t shut up about how great they are, so I was curious.”
He glances at the display, which clearly shows the cover of two shirtless men embracing. Fuck, why did it have to be that cover?
“Is this a coworker, or…” He trails off before sitting up straighter and turning his whole upper half to face me. “Holy shit. Is that who you’ve been seeing? Is your mystery girlfriend actually a boyfriend? Is that why you haven’t told me anything about them?”
My heart is racing, and I stare at him with my mouth hanging open.
I have no idea how much I should tell him.
So far, I’ve been lucky with how often we see each other at the brewery that Grant hasn’t been overly pushy about hanging out.
Especially since he knows I’m doing my best managing the brewery with my other job, and he’s still seeing the same girl.
But he’s my best friend; maybe I should just go along with what he’s suggesting, that I have a boyfriend.
I wouldn’t necessarily have to say who, and they wouldn’t have to meet.
Fuck, why does someone else knowing I have a claim over Mason sound so appealing when there’s no way I could do that?
No matter how much fun we’ve been having with Mason as my “pet,” he’s still my literal prisoner for a reason.
He could still send me to jail for the rest of my life if he talked to anyone.
Grant lets out a big sigh, sitting back in the seat.
“Wow, that makes me feel so much better.” Apparently he took my lack of response as confirmation.
“I was starting to get worried I’d done something wrong or you were embarrassed by me.
I’ve been talking about Georgia so much, hoping it would encourage you to open up about the girl you were seeing.
I had no idea you were hesitating because you were in the closet.
Wait, fuck. Sorry if you weren’t ready to come out to me, man.
I hope you know I don’t care who you’re attracted to. ”
Wow, I was not expecting any of this today.
I somehow regain control over my jaw and finally shut it. It takes a few more seconds for me to remember how to speak. “Um, thanks. I think? I don’t really know how to respond to all of that. It’s all still very new for me.”
He reaches out to squeeze my shoulder. “Good for you, Zane. Sorry if you felt like I was pressuring you before. I’ll back off. Whenever you’re ready, I’d love to meet him.”
I would love that too. But there’s no way that can happen, so I shake my head as I finally shift gears and pull out of the parking lot to drive us home.
“It’s not serious.” The words taste bitter on my tongue as I lie to my oldest friend.
It’s for the best, though. I can’t complicate things any more than they already are.
Still, it feels surprisingly good to have him know that I’m hooking up with a man, and that he’s supportive. I’ve been hiding so much of myself lately, holding so much back, that even this small truth being out in the open is a huge relief.
Maybe it’s time to stop holding back with Mason too.