Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“A big old video rental store, right?” I said. “Our parents never took us here as kids.”
“I’ll tell you why they didn’t,” Rush said. “There was a porn counter behind the curtain in the back. I used to come in and run for the back of the store, hoping I’d see something illicit before my dad yanked me away from it. Store closed down before I could really see anything.”
“So our offices are in a former porn video store?” Nathan asked. “Christ, I’m never letting Maddy in here again.”
“Right back there,” Rush said, pointing to the back where we had desks set up with computers for architectural and construction design software. “That’s where it was.”
“So we do all our planning where weirdos used to rent movies for their jerk-off sessions,” I said.
“Hey,” Rush said. “Watch who you’re calling weirdos. The moment I turned eighteen and was in San Francisco, I hit up a couple of those places all the time.”
“Why on Earth would you do that when the Internet exists?” I asked.
Rush shrugged. “Call me crazy,” he said. “My dick knows no bounds when it comes to the cornucopia of different options of how to get off.”
“Well, if you need to jerk off here in our offices, we just ask that you do it in the bathroom,” Nathan said. “We just re-did the sink in there a few months back.”
“Don’t listen to him,” I told Rush, and Nathan cackled.
Rush snorted. “Promise I’ll keep it PG-13 in here,” he said, still glancing around. “You guys really have made this place into something incredible, though. You’d never know what it used to look like.”
“We renovated it all from the ground up,” I said. “We’ve got our meeting rooms here up front with the big windows that look out on the trees. Clients are more likely to feel comfortable making deals while looking at a nice view.”
“They’ve always got a nice view, looking at you guys and your contractors,” Rush said with a wink.
“Schmoozer,” Nathan said, giving him a slap on the back. “Over here, there are a few small offices in the back that our guys can use anytime they need space for paperwork or contracts. And then around the back across from the computers, there’s my office, Shawn’s, and a little drafting workshop.”
“I met a guy a couple of nights ago who said he used Fixer Brothers for his bathroom reno job,” Rush said. “Jacob. Forget his last name.”
“Jacob Olsen,” I said with a nod. “That was a great project. One of the easier ones.”
“He sure sounded happy with the results,” Rush said.
“You sweet talk Jacob yet?” Nathan asked Rush in a teasing voice.
I bit the inside of my cheek, glancing at Rush to gauge his reaction. It was true that Jacob was one of the few other openly gay guys within our small town, and I’d even gone on a date with him once before we realized we were much better as just friends.
“We shared a couple of drinks,” Rush said.
“You haven’t had time for your usual prowl here in town I guess,” Nathan said. “Speaking of which, let’s head over to the bar. Charlie’s probably there, and I know you liked how he looked in his hardhat.”
The little root of jealousy was still curling itself around my chest, even though it was pointless.
Of course Rush was going to end up dating other people here in town. Flirting with other dudes. Fucking them, probably sooner rather than later. Just because we’d had a little moment the other night probably didn’t mean much to him, even though I’d thought about it every day since.
For all I knew, Rush had “moments” like that all of the time. Hell, he could have had one with Jacob Olsen.
The sooner I could quit it with my hopeless crush, the better off I’d be. No matter how often the image of his skin on mine flashed into my memory.
No matter how stupidly good it had felt.
The three of us meandered across Spruce Street over to Jade Brewery. The sun had set, and the brewery was in its peak beautiful form, looking like a big cabin decorated with glowy lights.
We passed Hazel’s Diner and Nathan stopped to snap a photo of a wayward duck that had somehow made its way out of the river, up the little bridge, and over onto the sidewalk in front of Pat’s candle shop.
After we’d crossed over into the side parking lot of Jade Brewery, a pickup truck hauling a bunch of landscaping gear was pulling out of a parking space while Rush was lost in a conversation with Nathan.
“Rush,” I said, a little too quietly as the truck made a wide turn out of the spot. “Rush, watch out—”
The truck was going to hit him. It was dark, visibility wasn’t great, and there wasn’t much time to do anything other than react on instinct. I lunged forward, shoving Rush out of harm’s way as the truck screeched to a halt.