Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Leon didn’t speak for a moment. He sat there staring at me, or maybe not even at me. His gaze was penetrating my soul, and I shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he was going to fire me or tell me to quit fucking Jameson. He didn’t say either of those things. Instead, he told me, “The more you work for me, the more I like you, son. We’re having dinner at my house tomorrow night. My kids will be there and a couple of people from the office. I’d like you to come.”
I froze. My first thought was, I didn’t know Jameson was having dinner at his parents’ the next night. Then I realized that made me sound like a dick because he didn’t have to tell me everything he did, and that thought was just a distraction from the real truth that I was freaking the fuck out over this invitation. I wanted to go. I wanted to go as Leon’s employee and as the person he called son, but I also wanted to go as Jameson’s boyfriend. I wanted Leon to know we were together and to accept us. For him to put his arm around me and say he was happy for us, that he didn’t care if I worked for Crane, and for him to tell Jameson how great he was. And to keep telling my professor that until he believed it.
I just sat there like an idiot, though, all these thoughts raining down on me and nothing coming out of my mouth. How was I supposed to hide this if I spent time with Leon and Jameson together? Then I really would be betraying Leon’s trust even worse, but I wanted this. I wanted to stomp my feet and pout because I deserved this, didn’t I?
Jameson and I both did.
Still, I answered with, “Thank you, but I couldn’t do that. I don’t want to intrude.”
“You’re not. Like I said, Tiberius and Amy will be there. You’re part of the Crane family.”
Even if I’m boinking your son? If I’m maybe, probably, totally falling in love with him?
“I insist,” Leon said, and I told myself that meant I had to go. He was my boss, and he’d insisted! So I’d say yes, and then if Jameson freaked out, I’d make up an excuse to cancel.
“Um…yeah, okay. Sure.”
“Good man. How does six sound?”
“Perfect.” My pulse was going so fast, I was afraid I might stroke out and die. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was nervous or excited.
“Now let’s eat. We have a busy afternoon ahead of us.”
I nodded, trying to keep the goofy, happy smile off my face.
The rest of the workday sped by, and then instead of going home, I went straight to Jameson’s like I’d done all week.
I knocked, and he yelled for me to come in.
“I told you, you don’t have to knock,” he said, sitting at his table with books spread out in front of him.
“Baby, it’s Friday and summertime. You’re not in classes. Why are you studying?”
He looked up at me. “Do you know me at all? School starts in a month. I like to prepare.”
Ugh. And it was cute. Why was everything he did so cute? I walked over and kissed him, trying to savor the cute because as soon as I told him what I had to say, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he’d have a meltdown.
“So…this one time, my boss, who was the father of my secret boyfriend, invited me into his office and asked me to go to dinner at his house the next day. I tried to say no, but he insisted, so…surprise?”
“Wait. What?”
“Surprise!” I said again.
“I heard that part!”
“Oh, I just said that my boss, who is the father of…well, I think you know the rest.” I straddled him on the chair. It creaked beneath our weight, but neither of us moved. “I didn’t know you were going home for dinner tomorrow, not that you have to tell me.”
“My mom just told me today. I would have.”
That helped. God, I was needy when it came to him. “Okay…should I cancel? I can make something up.” But I didn’t want to. I was setting myself up for this to all blow up in my face, yet I couldn’t seem to stop myself. It was so weird being vulnerable to Jameson. He was the only one I didn’t keep my insecurities from. “That makes me an asshole, doesn’t it? Shit. I wasn’t even thinking about you. That means you’ll have to lie to your parents’ face, and…it’s weird for you. Me working for your dad. I’ll cancel.”
But this was something we would need to figure out sooner or later. We’d just decided to be boyfriends last weekend and said we’d take it slow and see how it went, and things were already getting awkward.