Rock Bay 2 - Letting Go (4 page)

“No, seriously. I heard it from Parker, the butcher at the grocery store. I guess he’s been trying to find a job all day, and people are being assholes about hiring him. I’d hire him to work at the dealership if he came by. I think it’s rad that he’s back.”

“Did you just say rad?” Drew had to hold back a derisive snort.

“Yeah, so? Don’t be such a fucking accountant, MacAuliffe. I swear you’re so dorky sometimes. So, what are we getting for lunch?”

Drew had been planning on having a sandwich and an apple at his desk for lunch. He had shit to do, and lunch with Brock usually ended up being a big meal with drinks and way more time than he had.

He was starting a new account at the hospital in Astoria in a few weeks, and he had to clear up the rest of his clients to get ready for the new workload. He supposed he had to be grateful. It was work that had nothing to do with Brock, and he’d gotten in all on his own. That was something. It was also work that wouldn’t be taken away from him if he and Brock ever got into it—which he thought they might someday soon. It was getting really hard to constantly put up with the drinking and his bullshit. He’d been at Drew’s house again all weekend. Lindsay had called, worried out of her mind, but Brock didn’t even want to talk to her. “Bitch is always on my jock,” was the only think he’d say, like they were still in high school, and she was just some geeky girl who had a crush on one of the golden gods. Too bad high school was a long damn time ago.

“Brock, I really don’t have time for lunch. I’ve got to get these accounts all set up for the work that I’m doing down at the hospital. It’s starting pretty soon here, and I don’t want to look like an amateur when I walk in the door. It’s a big deal that they hired someone local instead of a big firm from Portland.”

“Whatever, dude. Do that shit this afternoon.”

“You mean when you’re drunk and passed out on my couch again?” Drew hadn’t meant to say it out loud. Brock shot him a glare.

“Oh, fuck off. You’ve been in a pissy mood ever since I walked in. You must be PMSing or something. I’m so outta here.”
Go home to your wife for a change.
“I can’t fucking wait till I run into Tally again. Maybe things will be back to the way they should be then. Fuck.”

He said the last part with a bit of a growl and kicked the doorframe on his way out like a fucking fourth grader. Drew shook his head. What did Brock think—the reappearance of Tally was going to bring back the glory days?

Not likely.

 

Chapter Three

 

I
T WAS
Friday, and Drew was working late. He’d been in his office since seven that morning, clearing up old files and tying loose knots in a row or whatever. At the moment, his brain was so fried that he could barely string together a coherent sentence, let alone a decent idiom.
He was starting his work at Columbia Memorial on Monday. Mainly taking care of payroll and filing all of the necessary payroll taxes. It was a big job for a building with that many employees. It would probably take up a few days out of his week, but it was getting him away from Brock and away from needing Brock, and that was a start. It would probably be at least a couple years until he could say fuck off to all of the country club clients he’d gotten through his drunken frenemy. Brock hadn’t been around as much the past few weeks. Maybe that little argument had annoyed him enough that he was bugging Rick for a change. Rick’s wife had to love that.

He was starting to pile his folders away and get ready for a much-needed weekend of rest when his phone vibrated on his desk. Drew looked at the number and tried to hold in a groan. He flipped his phone open, resigned to the fact that if he didn’t answer his father would keep calling until he did.

“Hey, Dad. What’s up?”
“What are you doing, son?”

Drew did let out a sigh, as silently as he could. “Getting some of my current clients in order. I start work down at the hospital on Monday.”

“That’s great.” His father did sound genuinely pleased. “Get you away from that Brock boy.”

That’s the idea.
“Yeah.” He was too tired to answer much further than that. “I’m cleaning up to go home, Dad. Can I help you with anything?”

“Your mother would like for you to come over for dinner. We haven’t seen you in nearly a month.”

He hated driving all the way out to the golf course where his parents lived. Hated the golf course and all the people he worked for. Most of the time he wished he wasn’t one of the people from that world. He’d far rather be from the neighborhood down by the quarry where Lex Barry’s family lived. At least those people were honest and not so damn pretentious.

“I’m really tired. Can we postpone for another weekend?”

 

“Drew.”

“Is there something you guys wanted to talk to me about?”
Might as well get it out in the open.
“We heard what happened at that last city council meeting.”
“Oh.” Of course they did.
His father cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Son, don’t you think it’s a bad idea to be with Brock when he’s acting a fool like that?”
“You know most of my business comes from him still.”
“Your mother would still like to talk to you. Please be at the house in an hour.”
“Okay.”

Drew wondered what his problem was. He was always so afraid to ruffle feathers that half the time he went along with plans that he hated just to not piss anyone off. When had he become such a fucking pushover? Drew snorted. When was he ever
not
a pushover?

The files he’d been working on were stowed neatly away, his jacket folded over the back of his ergonomically correct desk chair. Drew yanked his tie off and unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt. It wasn’t really a long drive out to his parents’ house at the country club. It wasn’t a long drive to anywhere in Rock Bay. It just felt like every time he went there he couldn’t breathe. They cared. He knew they did. But it seemed like they, along with Brock and everyone else, were running his life.

And he never did anything about it.

 

“
H
EY
, Mase! How was your weekend?”

His “weekend” had really been half of Tuesday and Wednesday, but Mason wasn’t complaining. He’d collapsed on his bed Tuesday afternoon with a book and had woken up the next morning with his face stuck to the same page he’d opened to right when he lay down. The rest of the day was spent reading and eating takeout that he’d dragged himself out of bed to get. Basically perfect as far as Mason was concerned.

“It was nice. I just relaxed. I was so tired from last week.”
Amy nodded sympathetically. “It’ll get easier. It’s only been three weeks, right?”
Mason shook his head. “A little over a month, actually.”
“Really?”

“Yeah. And I am getting used to the schedule, it’s just that double shift killed me last week. I was more than ready to crash all weekend.”

“And we’ve got another double coming up next week!” Amy gave him a sunny smile.

“Noooo,” Mason whined. He smiled anyway, so Amy would know he was kind of kidding— even if doubles really sucked.

“Hey, Mason, have I ever told you about my best friend, Lex?”
Mason sighed. He knew that look. “Um, Amy, I know we haven’t really talked about it, but I’m not….” He cringed. “Well, I’m not straight.” He thought she wasn’t either, but it still wasn’t his favorite topic to broach with near strangers.

Amy giggled. “I’m not stupid, hon. Lex is a
guy
.”

“
Oh
….” Mason didn’t know what to say. “Well, the thing is, I’m not really dating. I got way too involved with this man in Seattle and—”

“I’m not asking you to exchange promise rings with him. It’s just that he’s got this employee that I know he has a thing for, and I’d rather he had a thing for someone else, you know?”

Mason raised his eyebrow. “And how do you think he’s going to like knowing that his best friend manipulated him?”

“I’m not—” She sighed. “It’s just that this guy totally bullied him in high school, and now Lex is convinced that he’s different. He hasn’t admitted to me that he’s into him, but I know the signs.”

“How old is Lex?”
“Twenty-eight, why?”

“Just asking.” Mason tried to imagine himself in seven more years falling for Kyle Butler, asshole and bully. It had been nearly three years since high school, and he wasn’t sure if he was over being pissed yet. There was no way in hell he’d do that… or let someone else make that mistake.

“Okay. I’ll call him. I’m not looking for anything serious, though.”
Amy grinned. “Lex is really hot—and you know you can believe that, since I never look at guys that way.”
Mason pinched her arm. “I told you I’d give him a call, I don’t need the sales pitch. Just talk to him first, and don’t make it into some big thing. I know how girls get.”

“I’m
not
going to make it into a big thing.

Jeez.”
“What are you going to say?” Mason was
worried he’d end up looking like an idiot when it
wasn’t even his idea in the first place.
“Are we in middle school? I’m going to say,
will you go on a date with Mason? Check yes or

no.” She laughed.
Laughed
. Mason thought he was the one doing her a favor by distracting her friend.

“Alright, missy. You’re about to be minus one very reluctant blind dater if you keep teasing me.” “You love it.”
“Not particularly. I can call Logan if I want

someone to give me shit.”

 

Amy looked concerned. “He’s not your boyfriend or anything, is he?”

“You should see your face.” Mason chuckled. “He’s my very straight very best friend. We’ve known each other practically since birth.”

“Ahhh, the bromance. Where is he?” “At UW. He hates that I’m down here. I got the ‘why are you deserting me?’ speech like three times before I left.”
“That’s adorable. I might throw up.” Amy made a mocking face.
“I’ll make sure to let him know you said so. I swear you two were separated at birth.” She flashed him a quick smile. “Hey, are you taking Dolores today or you want me to?”
They had a few constant ER guests, and

Dolores, the older woman who was regularly at the brink of death (at least in her head), was one of them.

Amy rolled her eyes. “It is so your turn. I’ll go out and grab us dinner.”

“I want subs—and Fritos. I’ve been craving those all day.”
“Mason, Mason… what about your carb intake?”
He gave her a smile and said the thing that pissed most of his female friends off. “I’m a twenty-year-old guy. I don’t have to worry about it.”
“Oh, screw you.” Amy said it with a smile, so he knew she wasn’t really all that serious. “Besides, you’re almost twenty-one.”
“Almost.” Mason rubbed his hands together like he was anticipating it. Honestly, it didn’t make much difference. It wasn’t like he was going to be trekking to Portland every weekend to hit the gay clubs. Amy smiled and nudged him with her shoulder.
“It’s really okay if I hook you up with Lexie?”
“Do I have to call him that?”

She laughed. “He’d probably kill you. I’m the only one who gets to.”
“Okay, then, yeah it’s fine—as long as he’s clear that I’m not really dating. It’s just a friend thing.”
“Yeah, it’s just a friend thing.” Amy rolled her eyes, like as soon as he saw sex god Lex the friend thing would turn into hot, sweaty, jungle love. Wasn’t happening.

Mason wished he could take it all back a week or so later when, come Friday, he was sitting in the most romantic restaurant in Astoria waiting for Amy’s mystery best friend to show up. Dating really wasn’t his thing at the moment. He should’ve said no. Mason had actually been the one to call finally, at Amy’s prodding, but the whole night had come with some major mental foot dragging. Lex had sounded nice enough on the phone and maybe even a little cute, but after Todd, Mason really wasn’t interested in cute and nice. He wasn’t interested in anything.

He was about to text Lex and say “never mind, let’s not do this” when he got an attack of conscience. It was likely that Lex was nearly there and it would be really rude to make him turn around. So instead he let Lex know he was there and seated. Not too long after that a guy with sandy highlighted hair, who was admittedly pretty hot, walked into the restaurant. He looked just as unsure as Mason about the whole thing. Mason waved him over.

“Hi, I’m Lex.” The introduction came with a friendly handshake and a smile. Mason knew exactly what the other guy was thinking. He agreed.

Yeah, we’re going to be great friends. “So, I know this whole thing was Amy’s idea,” Mason started.

 

Lex blushed. “Yeah, she—”

 

“Wants to get you away from that other guy, right?”

Lex choked on his water. “You don’t hold back much, do you?”
Mason shrugged. “What’s the point?”
“So when you agreed to go out with me?”

“I was kind of trying to get Amy off my back, and kind of trying to help her with her plan to rescue you from the evil bully.” He smiled at Lex, who looked kind of embarrassed.

“He’s not like that.” Lex’s face got this really dreamy, goofy expression on it. Mason had a hard time not laughing.

“You are so totally into him.”

That statement made the blush explode. Lex seemed to think for a minute, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess I am. Sorry.”