Page 42 of The Roommate Subtext

Blake laughed. He didn’t need to remind Andrew that the most prevalent use of his English minor right now was writing erotic fiction on the internet. “Sure. And thanks. I’m actually kind of nervous about the gala. Did you know Shontelle told me I should bring a date?” He considered Andrew. “I don’t suppose you’d want to go as my plus-one, right?”

“Hell no,” Andrew said. “It’s Zane’s cousin’s wedding that night. Who are you going to ask?”

“I don’t know.” Blake briefly, weirdly considered asking Rose, but that was a terrible idea. “Maggie, I guess.” He hadn’t even realized he was thinking of her until her name was out of his mouth. “It makes sense, right?” Blake asked, ignoring Andrew’s raised eyebrows. “She’s safe. We get along.”

“Sure.” Andrew looked like he wanted to say something else, but he wisely didn’t. “You think she’ll do it?”

Blake wasn’t sure, but Maggie had mentioned a few times that she liked getting dressed up for fancy parties. “I hope so. She’s a good sport.”

“Right.” Andrew nodded. “You’d better ask her soon. It’s next weekend.”

Blake grimaced. Hopefully, Maggie wouldn’t have plans. “I’ll ask her tonight, if she’s still up.” Maybe he should get some late takeout from India Joy to sweeten the deal. Then something occurred to him. “You don’t think she’ll take it to mean more than I want it to mean, right?” Suddenly, the prospect of asking Maggie felt laden with other baggage.

Andrew blinked, paused, and spooned some bar peanuts onto a cocktail napkin. “What do you want it to mean?” He tossed some of the peanuts into his mouth.

“Friendship. I want to go as friends.”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “What is this, prom? I’m sure she’s not going to think you’re proposing.”

Blake felt silly having even brought it up.

“Although,” Andrew added after a moment, “I do think she’s into you.”

“What? No.” Blake took another sip of beer, his ears warmer than they should be. “What makes you think that?” He tried to sound casual as he asked, even though he did not feel casual.

Andrew shrugged. “The food truck festival last weekend. I got a vibe.”

“You got a vibe.” Blake repeated the words in a flat tone. “I already told you, it’s a bad idea.”

“Right. Unlike taking her to your work gala, which is a great idea.” Andrew mirrored Blake’s flat tone.

Blake flushed. “Well, who should I take if I don’t take Maggie?”

“What about inviting that woman you’re talking with instead?” Andrew asked. “Rose?”

Blake winced. “Oh god, no.” He’d told Andrew a few things about Rose a few days ago when they were doing final board meeting prep, and he should’ve known Andrew would latch on to that possibility. “We barely know each other. And we haven’t met in person yet.” There were other reasons, too, that he didn’t want to say out loud, but Andrew could probably imagine: He’d stopped going to all play parties to allow him to separate his kinky life from his new career. He wasn’t about to bring the current manifestation of that kinky life to a career event.

Andrew raised his eyebrows. “Yet?”

“What?”

“You haven’t met in person yet?” Andrew gave Blake one of the looks he’d been giving him for years, the one that implied he knew more than Blake did about what was going on. “Then you are planning to meet in person.”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“How often have you two been talking?”

Blake thought back. “At the start, once or twice a week, but lately it’s been every night. Just talking, though. Not fooling around.” He’d been enjoying his check-ins with Rose, the vague conversations that managed to avoid personal information while still digging into likes and dislikes, in bed and out.

“Hmm,” Andrew said, but didn’t add anything.

A change of subject was in order. “Zane asked you to a family wedding and you said yes?”

Andrew took another sip. “Yeah. He said he’d be honored if I would join him. He said that: honored.” Andrew’s shy grin warmed something in Blake’s heart. “I think this could be something serious between us.”

Then it was Blake’s turn to raise his eyebrows. “Like serious-serious? It hasn’t been that long.”

“I know I’m being silly.” Andrew waved a hand. “It’s just …” He paused and looked off to one side, his gaze going soft. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been silly about anyone. You know?”