Page 31 of Built to Last

Angela looked surprised. “Is it a secret?” she asked just as quietly.

“Well….” I clamped my mouth shut and blinked as I considered it. “I guess not.”

Angela’s expression softened to something like sympathy. “Oh, sweetie. I didn’t know. It just seemed so obvious to us all. To me at least.”

“Is it?” Worry slithered through me. “I thought I kept things professional.”

“I work in your home, Kyle,” she said, resting a hand on my arm. “You leave things around sometimes.” My face went hot so fast I was sure it would stop traffic because they thought I was a red light. “Nothing like that,” Angela corrected herself quickly, then laughed. “Nothing seedy. Just, like, a napkin from that gay bar in Philly with a phone number on it and the application for membership in the LGBTQ Business Association of Philadelphia. I think you should join that, by the way. I’m sure they have great connections.”

“I—” I had no idea what to say. This whole time, I thought I’d been so secretive. But Angela was right. She worked in my home, and as careful as I was, she was bound to see things. “And the crew knows, too?” I asked, voicing my worst fear.

“They’ve known for ages,” Angela said. “Or at least guessed. You never talk about women and no one has ever seen you out with one. Darius caught you checking out that sprinkler fitter a few years ago. You remember? The one with an ass that put peaches to shame?”

I blushed even harder. That guy had been gorgeous. I’d almost tried for something with him until his girlfriend brought him lunch on site one day.

“And aside from that, Gordy Cross apparently saw you out at some gay club back in the spring,” Angela continued. “That’s why he’s been such a pill to work with. He told everyone about it, expecting they’d leave you in disgust. That’s when most of the crew put two and two together, but the only thing that came of it was the lot of them asking Gordy why he’d been at a gay club. Nasty little closet case, that one.”

I would have laughed, but I was far too stunned. All this time, my crew had known. The thing I’d feared the most was a non-starter. Although looking back, I could see how a few rumors might have been behind the contractors who’d refused to work with me in the last few years. I’d never understood why guys I’d had no problems with for one job turned me down for others with gruff refusals that had no substance.

Basically, I’d been experiencing homophobia in the workplace without being a hundred percent aware of it, but I’d also had a loyal and supportive crew backing me up the whole time, also without knowing it.

I really did suck when it came to perceptiveness about people.

Which didn’t bode well for trying to have a romantic relationship with one of them.

I’d come too far and made too much progress to back out of that attempt at a relationship now. I owed it to myself and to Gilbert to push forward with things, even though I had no idea what I was doing.

The inspection went fabulously. Marco arrived to witness the whole thing, and once the state inspectors arrived, we went over the building with a fine-tooth comb. I knew everything was in order from my own checks, but I always got nervous for formal inspections.

When we passed with flying colors, Marco offered to take me and Angela out for supper. “It’ll be my treat,” he said. “I want to finally try Closed Mondays, since everyone raves about it.”

“I’m in,” Angela said, smiling and glancing to me.

We were on the curb in front of the strip of shops. It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was well on its way to going down. The dusky twilight that covered everything was just romantic enough to inspire me.

“You two go ahead,” I said, eyes fixed on Common Grounds’ door. “I’ve got something I need to take care of.”

“I’m still in,” Angela quickly told Marco. “I’d rather have dinner with a cute, young guy than go home to my empty apartment.”

“It’s a date, then,” Marco said, laughing.

We all said goodbye, the two of them headed off to walk the short distance to Closed Mondays, and I took a deep breath before heading into Common Grounds.

It was one of those rare nights when the café didn’t have any evening activities taking place. Games nights were on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the only open mic nights at the moment were closer to the weekends. The afternoon crew was well into the process of cleaning and closing up when I walked through the door and looked around for Gilbert.

Chase spotted me from behind the counter and smiled. “He’s in the office,” he said, gesturing with his thumb.

“Thanks.” I nodded, wondering who else had figured out what I’d tried so hard not to make obvious.

Everyone, it seemed. As I walked to the office, Chase and Emily both watched me with giddy grins.

The office door was open. I knocked anyhow, then couldn’t help but smile when Gilbert glanced up at me from his desk.

“Hey,” he said, smiling, too.

“Hey,” I replied, unable to keep my dopey look in check.

“How did everything go?” Gilbert asked, closing his laptop and standing.