Chapter Three

Richmond

I paced the floor next to the front door, waiting for Gavin to arrive. It had only been a week since I saw him last, but it felt like much longer. I'd found myself thinking about him constantly, and wishing to spend time with him. Fortunately, I'd been too busy with work to contemplate why. I didn't think I was ready for the answer.

I was touched that Gavin offered to pick me up for the party. I couldn't remember the last time a man picked me up for a date. Not that this was a date; I had to keep reminding myself of that fact, even though it gave me heartburn. This was simply an outing to help Gavin with his career.

Still, any time I went anywhere with a man, he always expected me to drive, and to pay. Whether it was because of my age, income, or "fatherly vibe" (as I'd heard I gave off) I couldn't be sure, but the outcome was almost always the same; men expected me to take the lead.

It had been that way as long as I could remember, even when I was much younger and just coming into my identity. In my early twenties, I was still living life as a straight man. Even though I was questioning myself, I struck up a relationship with Wade's mother. She ended up falling pregnant, and that's when everything fell apart.

We disagreed about what to do with the pregnancy; she wanted to terminate, but I wanted to keep the baby. I begged her to allow me to take custody, and promised there would be no hard feelings if she didn't want to be in the child's life. She agreed, and signed Wade over to me after his birth. I raised him as a single father and loved every minute of it.

When he was very young, I was too busy chasing him around to date, though I did take time to figure out my needs. I realized I was gay before he entered grade school, and I worried my coming out may make his life more difficult. But when I had the conversation with him during his middle school years, he told me that I was a great dad and that's all that mattered. He didn't care who I loved; he would always love me.

Shortly after that, I met his new friend Gavin. He was a shy, quiet kid at first. But in spite of this, and his lack of confidence, he knew who he was. He figured things out a hell of a lot quicker than I had, and I admired that about him.

There was a lot to admire about Gavin; like the way he paid on the house costs. I didn"t expect it, and I had no plans of cashing the check, but I respected the hell out of him for writing it. He took care of business without ever taking the easy way out.

Beyond his reliability, Gavin was kind, funny, smart, gorgeous…dammit. I needed to reverse that train of thought right back into the station.

A knock sounded on the door and the distraction made me breathe a sigh of relief…until I opened the door and found Gavin on my front step. If I thought he was gorgeous before, he was downright stunning now.

He was dressed in a fitted gray suit. The fabric hugged his curves perfectly, stretching over his sleek form. A black satin tie gave him a classy, sophisticated look.

"Wow," I blurted out stupidly, my jaw hanging open.

Gavin's answering smile was the perfect compliment to his attire. "You look pretty wow yourself."

I was in the same old black suit I always wore to the office. I left the top buttons of my white dress shirt undone, forgoing a tie for a little breathing room. I had to wear one to work, but I skipped it any chance I could.

"Thanks," I mumbled when I realized I hadn"t answered him, instead still raking my gaze over his body. I needed to stop, but I knew trying was useless. Maybe I could just make my ogling less obvious.

"Shall we?" he asked, offering me his elbow. My heart skipped a beat as I wrapped my fingers around his arm. I"d never been escorted before.

But Gavin's chivalry didn"t stop there. He opened the passenger door of his car for me, and then closed it behind me once I was settled in. He drove a twelve year old Accord which had seen better days, but I knew how proud he was of the ride, since he"d saved up from his high school job and paid for it himself.

He was a bright man and a hard worker, so I was sure one day he"d be able to afford a fancy car. Not that it was an important thing to have in life. It was his choice, but I wanted him to have everything he desired.

The drive to the convention center was light and fun. Gavin played his radio loudly and we sang along badly. He made my inhibitions fly away, leaving me feeling free and young, which was quite the feat.

When we parked, I recognized several of the cars in the lot, and watched several of my co-workers entering the building. When Gavin and I walked inside, I was disappointed that he didn"t offer me his elbow again, which was completely idiotic.

"Whoa," Gavin whispered when we entered the reception hall. "You guys must have closed one hell of a deal."

Everyone in attendance was dressed to the nines, making me wish I"d worn a tie, even though I hated the damn things. Waiters strolled through the room wearing tuxedos and carrying trays of champagne and hors d"oeuvres.

Tables along the walls were packed with fancy foods. What caught my eye the most was a watermelon carved to look like a bloomed rose. It was beautiful, but I didn"t know how the hell anyone could eat it. I was starving. I didn"t need an artistic watermelon. I"d be happier with chicken nuggets.

"Richmond," sounded from behind me, and I turned to find my boss, Mr. Seagraves. He was twenty years my senior, and every last year was etched across his face. Every day, I waited for the announcement of his retirement, but it was yet to come. "I"m so glad you made it."

I bet he was. The old fart flirted with me every chance he got. I never made a fuss, since he never got handsy or anything. In a way, it was flattering, and I figured it was never a bad idea to be in the boss"s good graces.

"I"m glad to be here," I replied before shaking his outstretched hand. Mr. Seagraves held the gesture a little too long, and smiled a little too widely. I was grateful for Gavin clearing his throat and distracting my boss…until Mr. Seagraves' attention shifted, and his grin widened even more, becoming damn near predatory.

"And who is this?"

"This is my friend Gavin," I replied after a moment"s pause. Calling him ‘my son"s friend' felt wrong. He was much more to me than that. Even myfriend left a sour taste in my mouth, but I swallowed down the flavor and feeling to add, "Gavin, this is the CEO of our company, Mr. Seagraves."

"It's nice to meet you," Gavin replied, nodding his head instead of offering his hand.

"It is indeed. So, just a friend, eh?" Mr. Seagraves replied, nearly salivating as he leaned closer to Gavin. "So you are single, then?"

My heart surprisingly sank into my stomach when Gavin answered, "I wouldn"t say that." He told me that he hadn"t met anyone special in college, but I hadn"t asked any other questions. It shouldn"t matter. It didn"t matter. So why did it feel an awful lot like it mattered?

A sigh of relief left my lips when Gavin added, "I"m in a long term relationship with my student loans." His joke was cute, but it didn't garner Mr. Seagraves' reaction. He laughed out loud as he clutched his stomach. Gavin was charming the pants right off of him. Hopefully not literally, because nobody needed to see that.

"I love a man who can make me laugh," my boss gushed, stepping closer to Gavin. "Tell me; what did you study in school?"

"Marketing and business."

"You don't say! Our Chief Marketing Officer, Sheryl, is due to retire soon." I wasn't surprised to hear it; Sheryl was even older than Mr. Seagraves. "Everyone will shift upwards, and we will have an entry level position opening up. Maybe I can put in a good word for you; I know the boss," he winked as he referenced himself. Mr. Seagraves wrapped his arm around Gavin's shoulders, and I got the sudden urge to kick him in his wrinkly balls. "I have a feeling you and I could make something beautiful together. What do you say?"

"I have to politely decline," Gavin answered, stepping out of my boss's hold. Both my and Mr. Seagraves' eyes widened. This was a great opportunity, especially for someone just starting their career.

"Decline?" Mr. Seagraves repeated, sounding shocked. "But why?"

"To be honest, sir, your offer makes me uncomfortable. You asked nothing about my studies or credentials, so you know nothing about my abilities. That along with your touch tells me there may be ulterior motives at play - no offense. I know I can earn my way up the corporate ladder on merit and hard work. Settling for anything else is a disservice to myself."

Well, I'll be damned. I'd put up with Mr. Seagraves' slight creep factor for years; even seeing it as commending at times. But Gavin stood strong, respectfully but clearly drawing a line in the sand. He put his integrity above his career, and I was insanely proud of him.

I was unsure how Mr. Seagraves would react to Gavin calling him out. I couldn't tell if the expression on his face read as anger or embarrassment. My boss had a lot of pull in the business world, even outside of our company. He could easily help or hinder Gavin.

But whatever happened, I would stand by Gavin's side, both figuratively and literally. I side-stepped to be closer to him. I stopped myself from placing my hand on his back. It would be an innocent touch of solidarity, but I didn't want to cross any boundaries as my boss had done.

Mr. Seagraves' appearance finally softened. "Forgive me for stepping out of line. You seem like an upstanding young man who will be an asset to any company you join. Tell you what; next week, bring your resume to my office and I'll look it over. Now, if you two will excuse me, I have to make my rounds." He gave a dip of his head and disappeared into the crowd.

I blinked as I tried wrapping my mind around what just happened. "That was amazing." Gavin was amazing. There was no way in hell I would have been so brave at his age; especially when dealing with an authority figure. He certainly wasn't a meek kid anymore.

"Guys like that will take a mile if you give them an inch." He looked at me and asked, "He's never tried anything with you, has he?" The iciness in his gaze and stiffness of his jaw gave me a little thrill.

"No, nothing like that. He's just made borderline inappropriate comments every now and then. To be fair, I've never told him to stop; I just ignore it." Gavin nodded and I asked curiously, "Are you going to take in your resume?" Even though Mr. Seagraves made a shitty first impression, the company was great. If I had any qualms about Gavin's safety, I'd tell him to run for the hills.

"I'll think about it."

It was fair; as much as I would like Gavin to join my company and potentially my team, the most important things were his comfort and needs. Whatever direction he wanted his career to go, I wanted to help.

So, I guided Gavin around the room and introduced him to my coworkers. A few of them asked if he was my son, which made sense, given that he was the same age as Wade. It was strange, though; the more time I spent with Gavin, the less I noticed our age gap. I chalked it up to his maturity and charm. All I knew was that I greatly enjoyed being near him.

And speaking of his charm, it was on display for everyone we met. He had each person either in stitches or hanging onto every word he said. We even found ourselves talking to a group of people which included Mr. Seagraves again. He behaved himself this time and he and Gavin held an actual conversation.

When Mr. Seagraves asked what he was looking for in his career, Gavin told him he was looking to work in a collaborative environment. He enjoyed brainstorming with both clients and colleagues to build the best campaign possible. He said it was important to capture the client"s vision while applying design expertise.

His answer impressed more than just my boss and myself. Several of my colleagues told him about job openings they knew of around town, while others encouraged Mr. Seagraves to ‘snatch Gavin up' before our competitors could. With the positive buzz going around, I had a feeling there would be a bidding war for him before he finally settled somewhere.

"Are you hungry?" I asked when we finally broke away from a chatty group.

"I"m starving."

I led him to the long table which was filled with goodies. We each grabbed a plate and began loading up. Gavin arranged some fruit onto his dish before eyeing the watermelon. "How the hell is anyone supposed to eat this?" I chuckled at the same question I"d asked myself earlier as we went down the line.

"You don"t want those," I warned Gavin as he used a pair of tongs to reach for an egg roll. "They"ve served them to us before," I explained at his curious look. "They"ve got crab meat in them."

A sweet smile crossed his lips. "You remembered my shellfish allergy."

"Of course I remember," I shrugged. For years, I"d double checked menus and groceries to ensure his safety, and I was happy to do it.

Gavin reached out and rested his hand on my arm. "Well, I think it"s very sweet." The longer his hand lingered, the faster my heart raced. This was unlike any touch we"d shared; it felt more than friendly, especially since it was paired with a heated gaze. Unsure what to do, I just stood there staring back at him until he removed his hand, leaving my arm feeling cold. He went back to filling his plate, but it took a few moments for me to snap out of my trance and move again.

After we"d skillfully stacked leaning piles of snacks, we made our way to an empty corner to eat. Gavin snagged us a couple of glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, and we sipped and munched on all the deliciousness until everything was empty.

"Oh, you"ve got a little…" Gavin didn"t finish his thought, or point anything out as I would expect. Instead, he lifted his hand and gently grazed his thumb across my bottom lip. It should not have been erotic; he was wiping food off my face for fuck"s sake. But something about the effortless care he gave me sent a shiver down my spine.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice called, drawing everyone"s attention to the front of the room. There stood a DJ behind his deck, which was surrounded by stacks of speakers. Until this point, he"d only played gentle tunes and had yet to speak.

"On behalf of Mr. Barron Seagraves and the Holzer Group, I"d like to officially welcome you to the festivities this evening. Now that everyone has had a chance to say hello and get something to eat, let"s really get this party started!"

The DJ turned up the music, which was now a faster song with a thumping bass line. I"d never heard it before; I didn"t listen to much current music. But this particular song had a good beat, and I nodded my head along to it.

"You gonna show me your moves?" Gavin asked as he motioned his head towards the dance floor.

"Are you gonna drive me to the hospital when I throw my back out?" He laughed even though I was only half joking. This was the first time I truly felt our age difference. Based on the stories I"d heard from Wade, he and Gavin went out dancing at bars or clubs often. I"d put all that behind me years ago. "Why don"t you show me your moves?"

He gave me a sly smile. "My moves aren"t appropriate for this crowd; especially if I might be working with some of them one day."

My mouth went dry. Was he only joking, or was his dancing so salacious it would shock the crowd? There wasn't much I wouldn't give to find out. As the songs thumped on, I pictured him tearing up the dance floor; his slim hips gyrating to the beat, and his pert ass swishing from side to side.

I swiped another drink from a passing tray and downed it to cool off. I let the mental images continue in my mind, but I didn't focus on them too closely. I didn't know how much my suit pants would hide if something suddenly came up beneath them.

Imaginary Gavin was the only one dancing. The DJ apparently didn't know his audience. Most of the people here were stuffy corporate types, not party animals. Some attendees were giving the DJ side-eyes, while some were actually holding their hands over their ears.

It didn't take long for him to turn down the funky beats and choose a slower, more peaceful song. It worked like a charm; several couples shuffled to the dance floor and swayed in one another's arms.

"This song wouldn't require a trip to the hospital," Gavin pointed out. Just as I was piecing together his meaning, he asked, "Would you like to dance?"

I should have declined. Given the things I was imagining about him, and how much I was enjoying his company, it was dangerous to agree. My head knew it. My heart knew it. My mouth didn't cooperate. The bastard answered, "I'd love to," before I could stop it.

But any ill will faded away when Gavin once again offered me his elbow. I took it happily and walked with him to the middle of the dance floor. I took one of his hands in mine and placed the other on his hip. His fingers gripped my hip as well, so that neither of us was leading the other. We were on equal ground and totally in sync.

Some couples around us were breaking out the fancy moves, making intricate circles or full-on waltzing. But we kept it simple, slowly rocking back and forth. We were practically the same height, and it was easy to look into Gavin's eyes. They were warm and inviting, and didn't skitter away from my gaze. He looked right back into mine so intently, as if looking into me.

I wondered what he was thinking, but I was too afraid to ask. I feared he would find the moment between us awkward, or that he was enjoying it as much as I was. I didn't know which thought worried me more.

Though we were barely moving, and our hands rested on acceptable places, this dance was just as intimate as the one I was picturing earlier. We were close enough that I could feel the rise and fall of Gavin's chest every time he breathed. His body was firm against my softness, and our curves fit together like a puzzle. And his beautiful chocolate eyes never budged from mine.

A noise to my left caught my attention, and my brain pieced together that someone was speaking to me, though I didn't catch their words, as I was too enthralled by my dance partner.

I forced my gaze away to find an older lady with white puffy hair, dancing with a man of a similar age. I didn't recognize either of them; it was a big company, even larger now after the merger, so I didn't know all of my coworkers.

"I'm sorry," I said, giving her my attention. "I didn't catch that."

"I said you two make a lovely couple," she told me with a kind smile before she twirled away with her man. I was too stunned to answer. It wasn't a leap as to why she assumed Gavin and I were together. What shocked me was how my heart fluttered at the suggestion. I swallowed hard and looked back at him to judge his reaction.

"You know, I don't think anyone has ever called me lovely before," he chuckled.

I worried his joke was to cover up embarrassment. "I hope she didn't make you uncomfortable."

All humor left his face as he looked me in the eyes. "Absolutely not." There was something hidden in his voice; hope? Pride?

Whatever it was, I didn't know what to do with it, and I didn't trust myself to speculate as I held him in my arms. Having him so close was spurring wild thoughts. As much as I hated it, I needed some breathing room to clear my head.

I took a step back and reluctantly moved my hand away from his hip. "As much fun as I'm having, I think my old butt is getting partied out." It wasn't entirely untrue; on any other night, I'd be settling in for the evening. I didn't want to make any decisions for him, though, so I added, "If you'd like to stay, I'm happy to take an Uber home."

Gavin shook his head with a smile. "I think I'm ready to head out too. Thank you so much for inviting me; I had a great time with you."

"So did I." It was a wonderful, yet confusing, evening. And as we walked outside to Gavin's car, my thoughts only spun faster.