Page 4 of Masked Love

“Preston Logistics,” he finished for me with wide eyes.

“I’m impressed.”

“Who doesn’t know him? His trucks are all over the highway.”

“Yes, well, Grandfather believes we would make an ideal match since Matthew is also gay, and on paper, we would be perfect. In reality, not so much. He’s a pompous ass. Okay, so I’m no Prince Charming, but really, he’s a jerk. I want nothing to do with him, but Grandfather is… persistent. And Matthew will be there tonight at the Halloween party. No doubt my grandfather’s doing. In fact, he’d called me last week to tell me to ‘make an effort with Matthew while at this party.’”

Greyson finished his wine in two more gulps with shaking hands, but he did his best to hide it. I topped off his glass to help calm his nerves. “I see. So, I need to be your date for the night.”

“No, not my date. My boyfriend.”

His eyes bugged out of his head, and his jaw dropped. “Uh, okay. So… there’s a lot to unpack here.”

“No unpacking. It’s only for one night, Mr. Everett… Greyson.”

“I’m sorry, but this is where I have to say no. I don’t have many boundaries, but when I do, they’re pretty thick lines. While I appreciate your situation, you should be honest with your grandfather and… I’m just your assistant. This is beyond my job requirements.”

Now,he learned the word no. But he wasn’t wrong. It was highly inappropriate. “I had a date set up for this, but they had to cancel, as I said. You were my next choice for last-minute arrangements. You’re very handsome, and you would make a good choice for me should someone ask. Although you’re not wealthy, that was never part of the deal, so Grandfather can get over it. Not that we’re really together.”

When he tossed back the entire glass of wine, I took it from his hand and put it aside. “Look, I realize this is highly irregular, but I need you, and I’m willing to pay you a hefty bonus for your help.”

“You… think I’m handsome?”

I held back my laugh and gave him a solemn nod. I loved how that was his first concern over the money. It said a lot about the young man. “Very much so.”

“God, I think you’re handsome, too.”

My face started to burn as I looked away from him. People have given me a lot of compliments over the years, but this was the first time it felt real. That he meant what he said, and it wasn’t out of any sense of placating me or kissing my ass. His words felt genuine.

Or he was a lightweight who couldn’t handle his wine, which was more likely.

“Thank you. Now focus. How does a two-thousand-dollar bonus sound?”

His jaw dropped. “Are you serious?” Then he snapped his mouth shut. “Look, I’m here now, but I wish you’d been more honest with me and less ‘I’m Boss, and you do as I say.’”

I suppose the voice he was trying to emulate was mine. Yep, the wine was getting to him because he was usually more professional than this. Still, I held back my smile. He really was a delight, on top of his other qualities. His personality was refreshing. Real. None of that pretentious shit.

“Fair enough,” I said. “But you’ll still get the bonus.”

He sat back in the seat and stared out the window. We were almost there despite the heavy traffic. “How did we meet?” he asked.

“Hmm, how about at my favorite coffee shop? You spilled coffee on me and tried to clean my shirt with napkins.”

He waved a dismissive hand at me. “Ugh. Please. That trope has been done to death.”

I huffed a laugh. Seriously, I was going to give him wine more often. “And what would you suggest?”

“Let’s keep it relatively realistic and almost the truth since it will be easier to remember the lie.”

“Good at lying, are we?”

He smirked and leaned closer to me. “Did you just make a joke?”

“I never joke.” Which was also a lie.

“Anyway! Let’s say I applied to Nomadology, and you found me so hot and irresistible that I swept you off your feet, and you refused to hire me so you could date me.”

For the first time since I could remember, I barked out a laugh and enjoyed watching his cheeks tinge pink in the dim light.

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