“Did I mention that Myles and Jason work for Rubicon?” I asked casually.
“Wu-ba-cawn?” He coughed toast crumbs onto the counter and struggled to swallow his last bite. “I mean,Rubicon? As in… as in… the company that creates applications for half the Fortune 500 companies? The one that, along with Seaver Technologies, has been voted the best tech company to work for in Boston for the last five years? The one that won the Safe Transportation grant for improving railway safetyandwon a Stevie for creating the OneUS voter education app?” His voice hummed with excitement.
Whatever the hell a Stevie was.
“Probably? They’re a huge company, and the headquarters is in Cambridge. Myles works in finance there, and Jason works the tech side. And if the networking’s not enough to convince you, Myles throws great parties, catered by the best restaurants in the North End. Tons of Italian food.”
“Damn. You’re speaking my love language.” Gage bit his lip.
“And there’ll be dancing, probably.”
I wasn’t sure why I was trying so hard to convince him. I didn’t particularly want to drive down to Boston again so soon. These last few weekends of the season would be packed at theorchard, and Webb probably needed the extra help. And frankly, I hadn’t been in the mood for socializing since last spring.
But for some reason, I wanted to do this for him. I wanted to be the one to help him, even if he didn’t really need my help.
“Dancing. So, like.” He shot a look at me from under his lashes. “There’ll be guys? Good-looking, single men?”
Oh.Wow.
No good deed went unpunished, huh?
“I… guess? It’s a party, so there’ll be all sorts of people. Men, women if you’re into that.”
“Which you are.” He said it as a statement, but the look he gave me made it sound like a question.
“Sometimes,” I agreed, though I hadn’t been attracted to a woman in… Damn, had it really beenmonths?
And double damn, how long had it been since I’d been attracted to anyone but Goodman?
I cleared my throat. “You know, the more I think about it, we don’t need to go to this party. I can just ask Jason to?—”
“Nah. Let’s go.”
“What?”
“We should go to the party. I’m game. And we can get separate hotel rooms this time. For privacy.”
“Oh.” My fingers twitched to touch him. “Yeah. Okay.”
Remember he’s a billion years younger than you, idiot.
He’s barely figured himself out.
He’s starting his career, and you’re trying to cling to yours.
He’s hot, you’re horny, that’s all this is.
Remember all the reasons you put a stop to this weeks ago.
But the words of reason refused to sink in.
“You can see if Myles or one of your other acceptable fuck buddies is free tonight. Because, I’m telling you as your friend, you totally need to get laid, Knox—” Gage laid a sympathetichand on my bicep, and it sent a bolt of lust to my balls so sweetly painful I had to grip the counter.
I snorted. He had no idea.
“—and so do I.”
Oh.
