"No, not really. Not at all, I mean. I… I'm meeting up with someone."
"With who?"
Of course he would ask. Rhett would have too in his position. "I can't tell you?"
Levar put his bag down again, then crossed his arms. "Okay, babe, what the hell is going on? First you evade my questions about how you spent Thanksgiving weekend, and now you're being mysterious about meeting someone. What's happening?"
He should have known the man who spent his entire day outsmarting the press wouldn't accept a vague answer, especially from his best friend. The problem wasn't even that he didn't want to tell Levar about Calix. If they had told the president, it clearly wasn't a secret. The problem was he didn't want to answer all the questions his best friend would have. Hell, the Spanish Inquisition would be nothing compared to what Levar would put him through.
"I'm willing to tell you, but that doesn't mean you get to subject me to the third degree about it."
"I'm getting more and more worried. Are you involved in something bad? Something illegal?"
Rhett scoffed. "Illegal? Me? You do realize who you're talking to, right? Boy Scouts are sinners compared to me. No, nothing like that."
Levar's expression changed into something far softer. "Of course. I'm sorry for even suggesting it. But, babe, you can trust me. I won't even tell Henley if you don't want me to."
"I don't care if you tell Henley as long as he knows it's not something he can use."
"He knows."
Well, this was it, then. "I spent Thanksgiving with Calix."
Levar's eyes widened. "Calix? As in Chief of Staff Calix?"
"Do we even know another Calix?"
"Oh, wow. I wasn't expecting that. How…? Never mind. I promised I wouldn't ask questions."
And that right there was why he loved Levar so much. The man's tongue had to be practically itching from wanting to know more, but he kept his promise to Rhett and held his questions back. "I cooked dinner for him, and we had a nice day together. And Friday evening, I got invited to have dinner with the president and his family in the residence. And Calix was there too."
"Oh my god. You had dinner in the residence?"
Rhett nodded. "The food was amazing. I've never had anything so delicious in my life. They served a soup that was pure heaven."
"I'm sure it was, but it's not the food I'm most interested in. Can I ask how that happened?"
"I was taking family photos of the first family, and they invited me to stay for dinner."
Levar slowly shook his head. "You know, that one sentence is taunting me to ask so many questions."
"Calix invited me because he'd heard I was alone. He felt sorry for me. I guess we're becoming friends?"
"Babe, I hate to rain on your parade, but you do realize he's your boss, right? And it's not even like in my case where a director of communications stands between me and Calix. He's your direct boss."
Should he tell him about that weird email he'd gotten from the Office of Presidential Personnel? He might as well. Levar would find out sooner or later anyway. "As it turns out, he's no longer my boss."
"What?"
"I got an email today from the OPP that I now report directly to the president."
"You report directly to the president," Levar repeated slowly.
"Yeah. I have no idea why. Calix didn't discuss it with me, so I don't know why he requested that. But it doesn't make much of a difference. Most of what I did was in coordination with the president's office and the social secretary anyway."
"Considering your burgeoning friendship with Calix, I'd say it makes one hell of a difference, but maybe that's me. At least it clears that obstacle."
Rhett shrugged. "We're friends. That's all."
He didn't have to mention what they talked about, right? Or the kiss? No, he shouldn't. The Vegas rule applied.
"Are you guys going out for dinner?"
"No. We're not dating."
"Glad you cleared that up, but it still doesn't explain why you're meeting with him tonight. Because it is Calix you're seeing, right?"
"His neck is bothering him, so I offered to give him a massage."
Levar's mouth dropped open. Then he caught himself. "That's why you were learning how to do proper massages."
Rhett's cheeks heated. "I did it before, and in case he asked me again, I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing. He’s in enough pain as it is, and I don't want to make it worse."
"This explains a lot about why you've been acting weird lately. It felt like you were hiding something from me, and I didn't like it. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I'm not a child and you're not my parent. I know we're best friends and roommates, but that doesn't give you the right to know everything about my life. I get to keep things from you, personal things."
It had come out snappier than he had intended, and he winced at Levar's slacked jaw and wide eyes. "I'm sorry if that was too harsh," he said sheepishly.
"Harsh? No. But it's the first time I've heard you say anything like this, so you'll have to forgive me for being a little shocked. Of course you're entitled to your privacy. You don't have to tell me everything. But you always have, so this is new."
"You always told me everything until you started messing around with Henley. You kept that from me, and I'm sure there's more you're not telling me about what's happening in your life or between the two of you. Isn't that normal?"
Levar sighed. "It is, but, babe, our relationship has never been normal. You've been… You've needed my care for a long time, so I guess I've grown used to you needing me. Hearing you say you're ready to build a life I'm not a part of is… I don't know. I guess this is how parents feel when their kids grow up."
Levar's words hurt, even as Rhett recognized the deep affection that lay underneath. He didn't doubt Levar's sincerity, but his statement only made clear how he saw Rhett. Like a child that needed protection, like someone who couldn't make his own decisions and needed adult supervision. Was that how Calix saw him as well? It didn't feel that way.
"I'm not building a life you're not a part of," he said sharply. "I'm ready to take steps without asking for your opinion. That's something else entirely. And surely, at my age, we can both agree that was long overdue."
"You're right. Absolutely right. And I'm sorry my first reaction wasn't the support you deserve. I guess I didn't see it coming, but this isn't about me or how I feel. This is about you, and I'm excited for you to spread your wings."
Rhett lifted his chin. "I like talking to him. He's nice to me, but at the same time, he makes me feel good about myself. He makes me want to make bold decisions."
Levar held open his arms, and without a second's hesitation, Rhett stepped into his embrace. Tears welled in his eyes, and he sniffled, blinking them away. "Thank you for taking care of me all these years. I know it's been far beyond normal friendship, but I couldn't have gotten this far without you."