Rowan ran his thumb along the edge of his cell. What he was thinking in light of last night was probably ridiculous, and he would understand if Gideon shot him down instantly but…
I want to see him smile.
“In that case, let’s do it.”
“Do what?” Gideon questioned.
“Spend Christmas with me. Come home with me to Maine.”
What am I doing?
Gideon rolled his head forward and wore a confused expression. “What?”
“That way it wouldn’t be a lie.”
“How much did you drink yesterday?” Gideon shook his head. “Because you must still be drunk.”
“I’m not drunk. Not this time.” He cleared his throat. “I’m serious.” He stepped closer.
“I’m not doing that.”
Ah. As I expected. But still, I don’t like seeing him like this. I just need to give him a reason, right?
“Then, how about we make it a work thing so it’s official?” Rowan countered.
Gideon was looking at him as if he was a mad man. “You want to take the accounts to Maine?”
“No.” Rowan thought about the recent text message. Bring someone. “I want to take a friend, companion, whatever, home. I’ll hire you to do it.”
I am an actual mad man.
“So, how about it?” Rowan asked. “Let me hire you. For a discount of course.”
Gideon laughed. “You’re serious?”
“Yes.” Rowan rested his hand on his hip. “You hate lying to them, don’t you? This way you won’t be lying.”
“And you? Why do you need a friend?” Gideon continued his questions.
Rowan’s heart clenched as Gideon emphasized the word. Friends. Just friends. I want to keep working for him so that is all there can be between us. But this wasn’t just for Gideon. Nor for himself.
“Because it’ll make my moms happy.” He dropped his head and answered with heartfelt words. “And maybe they can stop worrying that I don’t have friends in the city, and that I’m wasting away. I hate it, hate myself because I’m the one worrying them, and it’s over something stupid, trivial, and untrue. They think I’m lonely.”
In a soft tone, Gideon suggested, “There must be someone better suited for this. A real friend who could help you out?”
He’s going to think I’m pathetic and lonely as well. But I’m not.
“To be honest, I don’t have that many close friends. You know how it is, you grow up, do your own thing, meet other people. I would have asked Darcy, but he’s a little busy this year, obvs.” He laughed. “And before you have a pity party on my behalf, I am quite content with the socializing I do in this place to then go home and enjoy my own company.”
Silence fell between them as Gideon seemed to scrutinize Rowan, his stance, his face. Was he searching for cracks? Wondering if Rowan’s words were fake?
“Just as friends?” Gideon tapped his finger on his desk. “I don’t have to—”
Please don’t say anything about yesterday.
“No. No. God, no. Just be a friend. And if they suggest otherwise, tell them you’re my boss, that should shut them up.” That’s right, he’s my boss. I don’t want to lose my place at his side. He put his hands together. Who am I doing this for again? Gideon, my moms, myself? “Please, will you help me out?” This is such a flimsy plan. I say it’s for me, for my moms, but I want to ease his mind, his guilt about lying to his family. He’ll see right through me.
“I guess it would mean I wasn’t actually lying to my parents,” Gideon thought out loud.
“Exactly.”
And at the same time, I can ease my own guilt about the kiss. Let me make it up to you, let me share your burden.
Gideon huffed a defeated breath. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Excellent.” Rowan perked up and turned on his heel to head for the door. “Oh, and just one more thing.”
“What?”
“How are you with dogs?”
Four
Gideon
“Yes! Found it!” Rowan yelled and thumped his hand on the steering wheel, scaring the shit out of Gideon, who’d slipped into a state of hypnosis as he watched the road outside the window.
“Fuck!” Gideon yelped and clutched his chest before having to hold on for his life as Rowan made his way across the lanes to the exit.
They’d passed five burger chain outlets in the past hour, but none of them had been the perfect one according to Rowan. Finally, he finds one and scares me to death? I knew we should have flown.
His heart was still beating fast when they pulled into the parking lot and Rowan confidently backed into the furthest space from the restaurant as he could find.
“Are you okay?” Rowan asked and patted Gideon’s arm as if he had absolutely nothing to worry about at all.
“You just…you…” Gideon thumbed behind them to the freeway, lost for words. His super organized, calm, efficient PA had morphed into something completely terrifying when he got behind the wheel of his beautiful Lotus. He was a good driver, but fast, and that didn’t make the exiting of the freeway any less adrenaline inducing.
“I know. Cool driving, right?” Rowan said and pushed open his door, climbed out and disappeared for a moment before popping his head back in. “Coming?”
Gideon managed to get out, grabbing his coat and slipping it on before taking in his surroundings. This wasn’t a chain outlet. It was a diner, a sparkling pink and white train car with a neon sign proclaiming it was Jen’s Place.
There were so many questions Gideon wanted to ask at that moment. Why did Rowan have a cramped Lotus? Why was it canary yellow? Why did he drive on the edge of the speed limit the entire time and switch lanes so much? But mostly, why stop here at Jen’s Place? He shut the door and took his time to get the questions in order. This morning Rowan had announced that they wouldn’t be taking Gideon’s BMW on the long drive up the coast to Maine.
His excuses ranged from that he loved driving to that it was his turn since Gideon drove to Darcy’s wedding, and the fact he was hiring Gideon so therefore he was the boss, and Gideon should shut up and do as he was told. Particularly as it was snowing. Gideon had been too wrapped up in the reasoning to even question why the snow was an issue, but he got an answer for that as well. “I’ve been driving cars in the snow since I was ten,” he’d announced and that had ended the conversation because Gideon didn’t even want to know. “Things like that happen in a small town you know,” he’d added as if that explained why he was driving at ten. How in the hell had ten-year-old Rowan even managed to reach the pedals?
When they left New York, there’d been a sprinkling of snow, a suggestion of a later storm, but the farther north they headed, hugging the ocean, there were fewer signs of snow, although it seemed just as cold to Gideon.
“Why Jen’s Place?”
Rowan clapped his gloved hands together and huffed out an icy breath. “Kev was sick here,” he said and then shook his head fondly. “Good times.”