Page 33 of Hot Set

I blurted, “I think I might be gay, Or potentially something else. But I’m now sure I like men.”

“Oh! Congratulations!” Seth exclaimed, sounding legitimately thrilled.

I started the car and pulled away from the curb. “Thank you,” I replied, “But the thing is I’m not entirely sure this guy likes me back.”

“Well, if he does, he’s got good taste,” Seth said. “If not, I think he’s an ass and not worth your time.”

“For me to know for sure, I’d have to ask him.”

“Yeah, eventually,” Seth replied. “Look; no matter how good you are at reading people, it’s hard to tell things like that. Asking is a sure-fire way to know if he likes you. Well, mostly.”

“Okay,” I said, pulling into the traffic, “But let’s say I don’t want to ask him yet.”

“Then, you’ll have to give it your best guess. Who is it, anyway? Is it someone I know?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“It’s Brandon,” I replied.

For a long second, that name seemed suspended in the air, like some sacred thing.

“I like Brandon,” I said. “I think IloveBrandon.”

“Okay,” Seth replied. “I can see the appeal.”

I frowned, catching uncertainty in his tone. Maybe I should’ve expected some reservation about the declaration, but it was hard to think about anything logically when my insides were all warm and fluttery thinking of Brandon.

Seth was right. The only way to really know how Brandon felt about me would be to ask. I tried to imagine that. I couldn’t just barge in and declare my love like some cheesy romantic comedy. And even if I could, there was still the FBI to think about. Mydream jobwas on the line. Even if Brandon liked me the same way I liked him, if even he was head over heels in love with me, I couldn’t ask him to abandon Bluehaven and follow me to Washington D.C.

“I realize I’m the sort of person who jumps first and asks questions later,” Seth said. “You need to be careful with this one.”

My heart sank. I sighed and fixed my gaze on the approaching rear of a Toyota Land Cruiser stopped in front of me. I’d caught a red light, which meant I’d catch every stop light in town.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because it’s not usually a good idea to date a coworker, especially your boss,” Seth replied. “That just makes for workplace drama, especially if Brandon doesn’t reciprocate.”

That was true, and we couldn’t afford any more drama. We were barely managing with the number of unexpected problems we had, and the last thing either of us needed was relationship issues.

“You’re right,” I admitted.

Although I felt like I might be sick just agreeing that he was. It all felt horribly unfair, though. My wonderful, warm revelation had just careened straight into the ground. Even if I’d discovered my feelings for Brandon, I couldn’t tell him. Even if he liked me back, I still couldn’t tell him.

“But you know,” Seth said, “Filming is going to wrap up. Then you can seize your opportunity.”

“Yeah, sure,” I replied, forcing as much cheer as I could into my voice.

That seemed so far away, and even if Ididwant to seize the opportunity, there was still the FBI to worry about. I’d wanted to join the art forgery team forever, and if they invited me to join, could I really refuse?

“I’ll see you on set,” I said.

“Sure!” Seth replied. “Sometime today.”

The call ended with a click. I slouched in my seat. This just wasn’t fair. This had been a great revelation. For a few seconds, I’d had awonderfulfeeling of knowing who I was and what I wanted. Then reality set in, and it all came crashing down.

Maybe it was for the best. I’d be joining the FBI and moving anyway, assuming I got the job. And if I didn’t… then what? Was a relationship with Brandon even more likely then? I tried to imagine it, waking up beside him instead of in my childhood bedroom in my mom’s house. But I had no idea what wakingup beside Brandon would be like. The one time I’d had the opportunity to experience that, I’d left.

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