Strong Enough

By contrast, he did not look happy to see me. He washed the glasses with a stony look on his face, and then came over to me. “Derek.”

“Maxim.” I held out my hand, and he shook it across the bar. “Good to see you.”

He nodded shortly. “You too.”

“Got a minute to talk outside?” Fuck. What was I doing?

“Not really.”

“Oh. Well, how are things going?”

“Fine.”

“Like your new place?”

“Yeah.”

“And the job is still good?”

“Yeah.”

This was not going smoothly. If I could just get him alone… “What time are you off tonight? I thought maybe we could catch up a little. Want to come by the house?” I didn’t even care if anyone heard me.

“Sorry. I can’t.”

I frowned. It had taken a lot for me to come in here tonight, and to ask him to come over when any number of people around me could have heard. Why did he have to be so stubborn?

We stared at each other for a long, tense moment before he spoke. “I have to get back to work.”

“Okay. See you.” I gripped the beer bottle so hard I was surprised it didn’t shatter.

When Ellen brought my food a little later, I asked how he’d seemed the last couple weeks.

“Fine, just fine,” she said airily before walking away.

It pissed me off. How could he be fine? Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smiling at someone at the end of the bar. Leaning way out of my seat to see who it was, I felt fire shoot through my veins when I saw it was another guy. Tall, dark hair, bearded, thin but muscular. Obviously attracted to Maxim, judging by the way he touched his arm and laughed at something he’d said.

I fumed, my nostrils flaring. It was one thing to watch women flirt with him, but it was another thing altogether when a man did it. I wanted to break that guy’s hand for touching Maxim.

I turned my attention back to my plate and ate, but I couldn’t have even told you what it was.

I’d never been so miserable. Had I fucked everything up? What if I’d made a mistake?

I needed to talk to someone, but who?

The next day was Saturday, and after a grueling workout at the gym, I came home, showered, and went out for breakfast. I hated eating alone in my kitchen now. Sitting by myself at a table for two, I ordered eggs, bacon, and potatoes, and tried not to feel sad about the empty chair across from me. Two women passed by my table on their way to the door, and one of them stopped.

“Hey, Derek.”

I looked up and saw Carolyn. “Oh, hi.”

“Here by yourself?”

“Yeah.” I must have looked pretty downhearted about it, because her brow wrinkled with concern.

“Want some company?”

I shrugged. “Sure.”