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“I already had the storefront,” he said. “Well, Sawyer did. He’d leased it the moment it came available, because he was thinking about putting a Sawyer MacNeil’s here. But then one of the penny-pinching stiffs on his payroll convinced him this is too close to his flagship U.S. location, which is about three blocks from here. Bollocks if you ask me, not that anyone did. He’d make a bloody fortune in this location. Long story short, before Sawyer could put it back on the market I came along and offered to sublet it from him. All the paperwork became nice and final just this morning, so here we are, mate.”
“Damn it, Roger, Gabriel specifically asked not to involve Sawyer and his husband!”
“And I haven’t! I just told them I was investing in a business venture, that’s it. I know Gabriel didn’t want to feel like he was taking advantage of their friendship, so no worries there because they’ve not been bothered.”
I muttered, “I can only imagine what it’s costing you to sublet this place, and I hope you can get your money back.”
“I signed a year’s lease, but I’m not worried. As soon as Gabriel calms down, he’ll be thanking both of us for what we’ve done for him.”
“Don’t you mean he’ll be thanking you? Gabriel knows I’m broke,” I said. “I couldn’t afford a shop like this in a million years, so he’s going to figure out pretty quickly that you’re trying to buy his affection. Joke’s on you though, because the last thing he wants is a sugar daddy.”
Roger scowled at me and said, “This wasn’t some elaborate scheme to undermine your relationship or get back in his good graces. I’m just not that cunning, mate.”
“Aren’t you? Because from where I’m standing, it looks a hell of a lot like you just pulled the rug out from under me.”
His expression softened, and he said, “I know you’re scared of losing Gabriel, so I’m not going to take offense at whatever you have to say right now. Look, take this.” He grabbed my hand and pushed a set of keys into it. “When he calms down, bring him here and show him the shop. Give him a chance to fall in love with it. He’s not going to stay angry forever.”
“The thing is, he’s not just angry. He’s hurt, and there’s absolutely no excuse for hurting him.”
“I never meant to hurt him. You know that, right?”
“Neither did I, but it happened anyway.”
He looked upset as he blurted, “But we were trying to do something good! We wanted to help him, and give him a company he could be proud of.”
“But maybe he wanted to do it himself. Or maybe he didn’t want to do it at all! When did he ever say he wanted a storefront in San Francisco, or anywhere else for that matter? Let’s face it, we both treated him like a child when we went behind his back and made decisions for him. He trusted me, and I betrayed that trust by meeting with you after he specifically told me not to. And I get it now. It’s not just that he knew you’d totally get carried away, although,” I waved my hands at the storefront.
Then I continued, “Whether we meant to or not, we just sent the message that we don’t think he’s a strong, capable adult who can do things for himself. What he needs more than anything—way more than a damn company—is to believe in himself and to know we believe in him, too. He’s had such a long, hard road with his recovery, and the only way he can keep moving forward is by believing he’s strong enough.” I sighed and muttered, “Damn it, I really should have realized this sooner, and I never should have gone to you for help.”
“But you meant well, mate. We both did.” Roger was never going to get it. That was becoming perfectly clear. I just nodded and turned to stare at that gorgeous, totally inappropriate poster. After a few moments, he told me, “Like I said, bring him back and show him this place. I’m sure he’ll forgive us both when he sees what we’re trying to do here. Keep those keys, I have another set.”
I murmured, “Yeah, okay,” because I’d officially given up on trying to make Roger understand just how profoundly we’d fucked up.
“Alright then, I’m going to head out. Go in and take a look at the place, then be sure to lock up before you leave. I’d planned to spruce it up a bit and make it more his style before showing it to Gabriel. The previous owners were a bit stodgy.” He started to leave, but then he turned back to me and said, “He’ll forgive you and take you back. Don’t worry, Riley.”
