Page 30 of Employing Patience

“Eh, all I need to do is remember you were checking me out between the shelves at the convenience store for my ego to be properly inflated.”

“Only your ego?”

That opening is so tempting. A wily call to flirt while we’re alone and no one else can hear us. Where I can really play chicken with his attempts to bait me. And because it’s so tempting, I ignore it.

“So, what is it?” I ask instead. “Cat? Or a cute little pup?”

He gives me adorable puppy dog eyes and a tiny yap.

“Maybe a horse?”

He brays.

“Or something kinkier.” My smile grows. “A dragon? Do you lay eggs?”

This time, he flips me off and goes back to cleaning.

“What? No fire to breathe? Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get there one day.”

He drops his head back on a groan. “I don’t get it.”

“What?”

“How I can be so attracted to someone so annoying.”

Suddenly, I don’t have a reply.

It’s not what he’s said, because he’s come at me with shit like that loads of times, but it’s how he said it. Like a casual, offhand comment.

Like he means it.

Which goes against literally everything else I’ve been feeding my narrative of denial. That I can’t have him.

Joey’s straight.

Joey’s my employee.

Joey’s queerbaiting me with my favorite brand of lure.

Flirty, witty banter.

I’m eating it up, knowing it means nothing.

Fortified against my want for him by the simple fact it’ll go nowhere.

My defenses worked.

But with one sentence, he’s put a crack in them.

I was supposed to be the one calling his bluff, but now the tables have turned, and I’m struggling to keep up.

“I’m going to go,” I say suddenly.

“What? Why?”

He sounds genuinely surprised, and I take a moment to run my gaze over him. “Because I’m about to do something I’ll regret.”

Then I leave him, finally silent, and lock myself away in my office, begging the universe for a scrap of strength.

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