Page 43 of Cade

He didn’t have to say it. I knew exactly what he meant. People are always going to make assumptions of you, gay, straight, pan, bi, ace... and those assumptions and limitations can wear you down or they can give you the best drive, the best revenge. The need to say I told you so can be a great motivator in life for some people, and I guess I’d subscribed to it myself. I understood Cade with the utmost sympathy and empathy.

It’s hard enough being gay on a good day, let alone when you have no support from others around you, when you already feel isolated and lonely.

“I made it my goal to have the house with the white picket fence and a perfect job with wonderful coworkers,” he said, his lips turning up into a smile.

It was clear he did love his job, a sentiment I couldn’t relate to. I’d never loved any job I’d been at, but I came close at Men’s Warehouse. I did genuinely enjoy fitting people for suits and talking fashion. My coworkers were awesome too.

The sparkle in his eyes dissolved as he continued though, but he didn’t look at me. Rather, he gripped his beer, picking at the waterlogged label.

“But I’m still coming up short,” he said.

I frowned.

“How so?” I asked, feeling the innate desire to soothe his troubles like he did for me.

“Because none of it matters if I don’t have anyone to share it with,” he said, his voice cracking.

I didn’t think twice about setting my hand on his, as his words struck a chord within my damn soul.

I didn’t have anyone to share my life with either. Every time I thought I had found someone, someone good, they turned out to be just as selfish and materialistic as the person before. Lording things over me to get what they wanted, peacing out when they’d had their fill of cock and expensive gifts.

When the next Sugar Daddy came along with gifts far better than mine.

More than anything I’d wanted the very same thing Cade did.

Someone to go to the French Riviera with on holiday, who I could come home and curl up on the couch with to Netflix and chill, who I could bake fucking cookies with during a snowstorm and fuck senseless till the wee hours of the morning.

Someone to wake up with and have breakfast, who wouldn’t walk out on me when the energy of the moment wore off.

Cade looked at my hand and then at me. His cheeks reddened a bit, his lips betraying him, showing the ghost of a smile on his face.

Why does he hold back?

I asked myself this, wondering if I was holding back too.

“Some things are just better with another person,” I said, feeling my heart in my throat.

Cade swallowed, flipping his hand so that our fingers intertwined. He studied the sight for a moment, before nodding in agreement.

“I suppose they are,” he said before letting go.

“I should, uh, we should probably head out soon. The presentation must have gone well, because my boss told me we’re to set up for another fundraiser tomorrow over in Deer Park around noon, so...”

My eyes widened a bit.

That was fast... my father must have really liked Cade’s presentation, and the event must have made a decent amount for him to consider moving so quickly.

Suddenly, I feel a sting of guilt. Maybe that’s what he wanted to discuss. The fundraiser. I’d been at the last one, and it only made sense, that if I was home under his watchful forced eye to learn about the philanthropic side of the business, he’d want me at the next one.

But if I’d stayed in that house I surely would have popped my cap, and I certainly wouldn’t have run into Cade...

Instinctively, I pulled my phone out of my pocket, readying to que up a driver, but Cade reached out, his hand blocking my screen as he pushed it down. I looked up, to meet his gaze, full of empathy and something else.

Desire.

“Don’t worry about calling for a ride. I’ll, uh... I’ll drive you back to the hotel.”

“Okay,” I agreed, draining the last of my drink and tossing some bills on the counter for tip, even though I’d already paid and closed the tab.

---