by Marie Medina
Alec opened his mouth to reply, but then the realtor opened the back door, calling out to them. He mouthed the word later and turned to meet her at the door. He and Christian didn’t say anything else until they arrived at the next house, and even then they only talked to the realtor, not each other. As they were walking around the yard checking the lawn for holes and uneven patches, Christian’s phone went off again. He yanked it out, glanced at it, and turned it off. Remaining silent, Christian took Alec’s hand and kissed it before leading them around the rest of the yard.
Alec had no idea what Christian was thinking, so he squeezed his lover’s hand and focused on that connection.
Christian had trouble concentrating as he reviewed the tutoring log from the week before. What do I want in a house? All I care about is having Alec in it. He would be thirty in just a couple of years, but he had no idea what he would want in a home. Everything that came to mind revolved around Alec. He wanted a nice, big kitchen so Alec could throw dinner parties and continue teaching him to cook without the two of them constantly knocking into each other. He wanted a bathroom with a tub big enough for them to both fit in. He smiled, as he hadn’t actually said anything about that desire yet, though Alec had eyed him with a knowing smirk on his face when Christian had gone into raptures about a particularly luxurious bathroom on Saturday. He wanted a one level house because Alec said two level houses were harder to heat and cool efficiently. All of those were good things, but they all had something to do with Alec.
That doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Nevertheless, he wanted to determine at least one thing he wanted all on his own so he could share that with Alec. He knew he didn’t have to prove anything to Alec, but he wanted to show Alec that he hadn’t completely lost the ability to think of himself. A pool? A place for a garden? Christian’s mother had enjoyed gardening while she was alive, and his father still maintained one. Christian hadn’t spoken to his dad for a few months. They’d talked briefly at his grandmother’s funeral. Christian’s father had no problem with anyone being gay, but he had never seemed thrilled about his only child being gay. It wasn’t even because of a desire for grandchildren, as his father didn’t care for children much. He simply wasn’t comfortable thinking about it. Or so Christian thought. No one in his family liked to address personal issues in a straightforward manner. He sighed. That part of his upbringing had made opening up to others hard his entire life.
A knock pulled Christian out of his thoughts. He knew it was Noel before he even looked up. Noel’s shift was over, so now he would want to talk about how all of his sessions had gone.
“Hey, Noel,” Christian said, filing the tutoring logs away.
“Hey. How was your weekend?” Noel asked as he sat down.
“It was good. Hectic, but good. We were house hunting.”
“Find anything?”
Christian shook his head. “No. We’re still feeling out what we want.”
Noel gave a slow, thoughtful nod. “You can leave at five, right? I know you tend to stay, but you can go now, if you want?”
Christian looked at the clock, which read two minutes until five. “Yes, I can. I try to hang around in case any of the evening people need to see me.”
“I thought we could get a beer or something. Alec has labs in the evening on Mondays, right?”
Christian raised his eyebrows. He knew he talked about Alec a lot, but the fact that Noel had remembered this detail sent warning flags up. Was Alec right about Noel? Christian knew Noel had a girlfriend. At least, he’d had one when he was hired. She’d dropped him off for his final interview. “Well, I’m your boss. We can grab a coffee, but no beer.”
Noel gave another slow nod and pushed his shaggy blond hair over his ears. “That works, too. You need a minute?”
“No, I can go now. Just let me shut everything down here.”
Noel hopped up out of his seat. “Cool. I’ll be outside.”
As Noel left, Christian could hear Alec’s words echoing in his head. You make sure he knows you’re mine. While he didn’t like distressing Alec in any way, the idea of Alec being jealous warmed him inside. No guy had ever been possessive or territorial with him, and in an odd way it made him feel loved. He shook his head, realizing lots of people would think that was weird. However, he was going to do exactly as Alec had demanded. Straight or not, Noel needed to understand that Christian was in a relationship and needed some space in his personal life. Now would be a good chance to discuss the constant texts and emails. Logging out of his email and shutting down the computer, Christian sighed. The conversation he was about to have wouldn’t be fun, but he had to set things straight now before the situation got any worse.
Christian struggled to keep his seat. He glanced around to see if anyone was looking at them, if anyone had heard. Had Noel really said what Christian thought he’d said? Had one of his employees really just asked him if he were willing to “fool around some night”?
Noel broke the silence eventually. “So, I just made a fool of myself, huh?”
Christian looked up. “Noel, number one, I’m your boss. And number two, I am not single.”
“But if you were single? If you weren’t my boss?” Noel sounded hopeful, his youth and inexperience really showing on his face in that moment. Noel was only twenty-three, and tutoring for the community college was his first job not related to food service. Christian didn’t want to get him in trouble or ruin this opportunity for him, but he had to think of his own position and responsibilities here. He had to be very firm.
“I probably shouldn’t answer that question, but I will. No, I would not go out with you even if I was single and you weren’t my employee. I’ve never liked younger guys at all, and you aren’t really my type. I like you, but not that way.”
Noel stared down into his coffee. “One time. That’s all I want. I want to find out what it’s like with a guy, but not just any guy. I can’t even fuck my girlfriend without thinking of you now.”
“Noel, this conversation has gone too far. It needs to end here. If you stop right now, I can let this go. But, if you keep on, I’ll have to report this.”
Noel jerked his head up. “They’d fire me!”
“I know, so please stop.”
“I think about you all the time,” he said softly. “Being with you is so nice.”
Nice? “Why? Because I’m mentoring you? Because I’m older? You don’t turn gay overnight. You either are or you aren’t. Sometimes it takes time to figure it out, but it’s not something you simply decide to try.”
Noel scowled. “I’m not confused simply because I’m young.”
“I never said you were.”
“I did like a guy, once. But I didn’t say anything because I knew he’d beat the shit out of me. He was that kind of guy. I’d bet money he’d kill a man for being gay if he thought he could get away with it.”
Christian swallowed. “I’m sorry to hear that, but listen to me, okay?”
Noel hesitated. “Okay. What?”
“Regardless of all other circumstances, I’m in love with Alec. We’ve made it through a lot because, no matter what, we truly love each other. I won’t let anyone or anything interfere with what we have.”
“Does he get mad when I text you?”
“He’s not crazy about it, but it has to stop from this point on. I’ll keep mentoring you, but only if we can close this subject now.”
“That’s very generous, but I’m not sure I can do that.” Noel stood up, his eyes on the table. “I’m off tomorrow. I’ll make up my mind and be in your office first thing Wednesday.” He looked down at Christian. “Okay?”
Noel looked hurt, and Christian wanted to be kinder to him. He knew he couldn’t though, as they both had a lot to potentially lose. Christian nodded. “Please think carefully. You just got your degree a few months ago, and you have your entire career ahead of you. All right?”
Noel nodded and rushed away, bumping into tables a couple of times as he made
his way out of the coffee shop.
Christian sighed heavily. He knew he needed to tell Alec everything, even though it would upset him. Not telling him would be even worse if more came of this. Alec would be angry that Christian hadn’t disclosed everything from the start. Alec had always been the one attracting men right, left, and center without even trying. Noel’s confession and request had really floored him.
Is he just confused? Is it something I did? Could it be some deeper problem with his girlfriend? Christian wasn’t the one to help him though. Talking about such things would only make Noel cling to him more in the end.
Christian finished his coffee and headed for his car, rehearsing how he was going to bring up the awkward subject of the surreal conversation he’d just had.
Chapter 3
Alec eyed the blond guy in the blue car as he headed for the mailboxes. Why was this kid following him? He tried to think if he had ever seen the car or the guy before, but nothing rang a bell. He looked young, yet he was a little too old to be one of Alec’s students, though he was just about the right age for a graduate student. Nothing about him was familiar. Alec made sure he got a good look at both him and the car, just in case. The guy hadn’t exactly followed him home. He’d been sitting in the student lot across from the lot where Alec parked, and he’d pulled out as soon as Alec had left campus. He’d followed him halfway home and then kept going when Alec stopped at the grocery store. Alec knew he didn’t live in the complex, which was very small, so it was a big coincidence that he’d ended up parked in front of Alec’s building right underneath Alec and Christian’s bedroom window.
Once upstairs, Alec threw one last glance over the railing of the open-air walkway and then went into the apartment. He waited almost five minutes before going into the bedroom to peek outside. He kept the lights off and peered from the side, angling his head enough to see through both the curtains and the blinds. The car was gone.
Alec considered this. Maybe the guy was a friend or relative of a student who lived in this complex. He sighed, shaking his head. And maybe, just maybe, it was a coincidence. The guy hadn’t done anything except sit in his car, so it wasn’t fair to assume he’d been doing anything wrong simply because Alec had seen him in two separate places. Besides, the stranger had gotten to the complex before Alec had, so unless he’d followed Alec before, his arrival in the parking lot didn’t mean much. Alec shook his head again and pushed the paranoia away. He’d been working far too hard lately, and they hadn’t relaxed much over the weekend. A nice, quiet evening in front of the TV with Christian was exactly what he needed.
Alec almost had dinner ready when Christian came home. He hadn’t been too concerned that Christian was a bit later than usual, but one look at Christian’s face told Alec there might be a reason for his tardiness. They always ate late on Mondays because Alec had late labs, but most of the time Christian arrived home first.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Alec asked as he switched the oven off and went to Christian.
“Something happened at work. It’s a delicate matter, and I’m worried how to handle it.”
Alec pulled Christian into a hug. Christian loved his job, so Alec hoped whatever had happened wasn’t too serious. “I’m sorry, baby. Sit down. Dinner’ll keep.”
They moved to the couch and sat down. Christian looked very uncomfortable. Alec reached out and squeezed his hand. “Is it something you did? A mistake? You seem really upset, baby.”
“I haven’t done anything, but I do have a very big decision to make. Like I said, it’s delicate. I have to be sure I handle it the right way.”
“Tell me.”
Christian looked at him and let his breath out on a sigh. “You were right about Noel’s behavior being … inappropriate.” Christian tightened his grip on Alec’s hand. “He does like me. He told me so today.”
Anger surged through Alec, but he tamped it down. The look on Christian’s face told him Christian had been worried most about telling Alec about the event. Alec raised Christian’s hand and kissed it. “I don’t blame him one bit, but he’s out of luck. Did he make a pass at you?”
Christian shook his head, looking a little bit relieved. “He didn’t touch me. He came around for his usual chat and asked me to go for a beer.”
A beer? What a sneaky little shit! “And he didn’t see that was inappropriate?”
“Apparently not. I said we could have coffee because I’m his boss. He just went along with it. Once we were seated in the coffee shop, he made small talk, and then he just blurted out his,” Christian swallowed, “invitation.”
Invitation? This kid better be glad I don’t know where he lives. The guy in the blue car came to mind. Was Noel blond? Had Christian ever said? Alec couldn’t remember, but that could wait. “Tell me what he said.”
Christian looked down, blushing. “He asked if I would be interested in fooling around some night. He said he thinks about me all the time. He even said he couldn’t fuck his girlfriend without thinking of me.”
“Christian, you need to report him. This situation could come back to bite you in the ass. You have to tell your boss first thing in the morning.”
“This is Noel’s first job out of college that doesn’t involve French fries. What if they fire him?”
“What if they fire you? What if he gets mad about being rejected and lies about things you’ve done?” Alec rubbed Christian’s hand between his. “Baby, you have worked so hard. Your resume doesn’t need another hit. You could be the one serving up French fries if you aren’t careful.”
“I know, but I’m not good at being the bad guy.”
Alec couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Christian, reporting this incident is the right thing to do. That’s not being the bad guy. You can’t constantly run from things. When we argue, I don’t let you retreat. I make you stay and keep talking, keep listening. And that’s worked out better, hasn’t it?”
Christian nodded. “Yes, but this is a different situation. Waiting is not the same as running away.”
“Waiting is like hiding, which is still not facing the issue at hand.”
Christian rubbed his forehead and then scrubbed his hand down his face. “I made it very clear that what he’d said to me was inappropriate. I told him it had to stop. He’s off tomorrow, and I told him to think very carefully about his future and how this job is part of that.”
“Okay, that sounds reasonable, but I don’t want this to come back on you in any way.” Alec worked to get his thoughts in order. “This guy has a girlfriend, right?”
Christian nodded.
“He has a girlfriend, and he’s pursuing—or at least propositioning—someone else who is also in a relationship. That someone is not only a gay male but also his boss. This guy sounds pretty confused and, to be honest, kind of reckless. Him approaching you was unprofessional, and I would say unethical and even immoral, given that you saying yes would result in two people being unfaithful. I don’t like it, Christian. I’m sorry if he’s having issues, but I don’t trust this guy.”
“I feel bad for him.”
“Do you trust him? Do you think he’ll man up and act like a professional and let all of this go?”
Christian hesitated a long time.
“I can’t make your decision for you, but I had to make it clear what I think. I’m not angry with you, Christian.” Alec caressed his cheek and leaned forward to kiss his temple.
“I know you aren’t. I don’t want to let you down, but I have to do what I think is right. I told him we would talk Wednesday morning. To me, it feels wrong to take any kind of action tomorrow. I would be breaking my word to him.”
“All right. It’s your life and your job, but I won’t pretend I’m not worried.”
“Alec, he was humiliated. I doubt he wants people to know about this. I’m going to wait and see what he has to say.”
“Then I won’t keep arguing.” Alec rose and extended his hand. “Come on. Let’s eat.”
; “I’m not too hungry.”
“But you need to eat. You’ll feel queasy later if you don’t eat something.”
Christian took Alec’s hand and pulled himself up. Before Alec could move away, Christian had him in his arms. “And just so you know, I did make it very clear that I’m yours.”
Alec managed a slight smile. “Good. My obliviousness must have rubbed off on you a bit. I didn’t even have to meet this guy to know he was hot for you.”
Christian shook his head. “I feel stupid now.”
Alec caught Christian’s face in his hands. “It’s easy not to notice the affections of another when you’re hopelessly in love.” Alec kissed him softly. “It’s why I never believed it every time you said someone was into me.”
Christian kissed him back. “I was right every damn time.”
Alec smirked. “I guess.” He gave Christian another quick kiss. “Come on. You need to eat and rest. We’ve both had a long day.”
“Okay.”
Alec pulled Christian to the table and pushed him down into his chair. His mind raced as he kept thinking about the guy he’d seen earlier. So Noel was off tomorrow? Alec would certainly be on the lookout for that blue car again. He wasn’t about to let anyone fuck with Christian’s dreams or their life together.
Christian opened his eyes when he felt Alec’s hand drift over his chest. It rested over Christian’s heart, and Alec sighed. Christian liked the extra space of the king size bed, but he loved how Alec still reached out for him in the night. He almost always woke up with Alec touching him in some way. Though he felt bad for worrying Alec, he was glad they’d talked. He didn’t agree with Alec’s opinion, but Christian still understood his concern. He also admired how Alec hadn’t forced his opinion. Christian didn’t think he could have stayed as calm and rational if a colleague had tried this kind of thing with Alec.
Frowning, Christian looked up at the ceiling. He didn’t want Alec stressing out because of this, but what could he do? He’d said he would give Noel a second chance, so he had to stick by that. If they couldn’t work it out on Wednesday morning, Christian would take the appropriate steps. Christian rested his hand over Alec’s and felt his own heart pounding. He still had issues handling stress, but Alec had been very patient and understanding. More than anything, Alec calmed him and made him feel grounded. An idea came to him just as he was about to close his eyes. Alec had said the other day that he wanted to build things in their new home, and Christian found himself thinking of the arbor and swing his mother had loved so much. He smiled at the warm, fond memories of her rocking him in the swing and reading to him.