Page 76 of Poolside

Finally Tommy’s brain decided to come back online. “I changed my mind,” he said, squeezing Chuck’s hand. “Is that going to be a problem?”

Rick waved the question away with a chuckle, and beckoned to an attractive older woman with a manicured blonde bob and lips painted bright red. “Sweetheart, which room did you put Littleton in?”

The woman immediately replied. “The Southeast Nautical single.”

Rick turned back to the men, ignoring the woman who stood next to them. “In that case, I hope you two are good buddies, because your room only has a double bed.” He let out a loud, booming laugh that grated against Tommy’s ears. “We’ve all had to bunk up with a teammate over the years, haven’t we, Littleton?”

Tommy blinked at Rick, at the way the tan skin on his face looked like worn leather, at the discerning glint in his eyes as he looked directly at Tommy.

There was an unspoken challenge there. His boss was giving him an out, a way to brush off whatever Chuck was to him, to claim him as nothing but a buddy who had come along for a fun weekend. But Tommy had no interest in playing that game. He knew what Chuck was to him, and wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.

“Sharing a bed won’t be a problem,” Tommy said, staring right at Rick. “Chuck is here with me because he’s my boyfriend.”

Rick’s thinning brows shot up, but before he could reply, Tommy turned to the woman who still stood beside him, and extended a hand. “We haven’t met,” he said, summoning a genuine smile. “I’m Tommy Littleton, and this is my boyfriend, Chuck McCormac.”

The woman’s smile was kind as she placed her slender hand in his. Her handshake was as soft as her skin. “It’s lovely to meet you both. I’m Marcy, Rick’s wife.”

“Alrighty then,” Rick said. “Let’s let them get a drink and something to eat.” He shot an indecipherable look at Tommy. “Glad you made it, Littleton,” he said, and then turned away to mingle with the other guests.

Tommy rolled his neck, loosening his tight muscles. With a deep breath, he looked over at Chuck. “You okay?”

A tender smile spread on Chuck’s face. His freckles had darkened in the few days they’d spent in the sun, and Tommy was struck by just how attractive he found him. It was hard to believe he’d spent years looking at Chuck’s face and body without feeling anything beyond platonic fondness. Now? Now he couldn’t look at him without his whole body lighting up.

Chuck gently knocked his elbow into Tommy’s side. “I’m good, T. Let’s go get a drink.”

The afternoon passed in a blur of greetings and small talk, and Tommy’s face ached from having to maintain a friendly smile.

All of the big-wigs from Venture Car Rental were there: the risk manager, the company controller, the HR manager, and all of the upper management who oversaw their corporate operations. Tommy always enjoyed catching up with Blake Robertson, the head of the vehicle resale division. Blake had also been a college athlete, and he easily wove Chuck into the conversation when he learned that he was not only an ex-athlete but a collegiate coach as well.

Deanna Taylor, who had been Tommy’s area manager when he was managing his first branch, gave him a huge hug and greeted Chuck with a warm smile and handshake. Deanna had been one of Tommy’s first champions at Venture, and even though she was now heading their corporate HR and he rarely got to see her, he always made sure to thank her for the role she’d played in his career. She’d been the one to put a word in with their general manager at the time and suggest Tommy’s name for an open area manager spot.

Tommy had just opened his second beer when he and Chuck found Deb and her wife sitting away from the group on a bench beside the pristine, rectangular pool.

Deb wore a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt with a nondescript baseball cap, and Mei Lin looked beautiful in a sundress and round sunglasses.

“Deb,” Tommy said, nodding in her direction. “Good to see you again, Mei Lin.” He placed a hand on the small of Chuck’s back. “This is my boyfriend, Chuck.”

Mei Lin stood up and shook Chuck’s hand, but Tommy was watching Deb, who looked at Chuck with an amused smirk on her face. She glanced up at Tommy, shading her eyes from the sun with one of her hands. “You brought a boyfriend, Littleton.”

Tommy rocked back on his heels. “Yep. It’s new.”

“Good for you.” After a moment she added, “I think you almost gave Rick a heart attack.”

Tommy barked out a laugh. “Yeah, I kind of blindsided him with that one.”

“Honestly, it made this whole weekend worth it,” Deb said, taking a sip of whatever was in her glass. “Well, that and kicking your ass.”

“In your dreams, Deb,” he said, but he couldn’t keep the smile from his face.

“For what it’s worth, Littleton, you look happy.” The look she gave him was one he’d never seen from her before. It was understanding—kind, even.

Something had changed between them. He noticed that as the ground shifted under him and he opened himself up to his feelings for Chuck, other changes rippled out into the rest of his life: the way his boss looked at him, and into his relationship with Deb.

Maybe in all of the years they’d worked together, Deb had assumed Tommy was just another homophobic asshole like Rick. He felt a hot wave of shame, realizing he probably hadn’t given her a reason to see him any other way. He’d walked in Rick’s shadow, had laughed along with whatever he’d said, desperate for the man’s approval. He’d coveted Rick’s laughter and hard pats on the back like maybe it would fill the gaping emptiness he’d felt in the wake of his divorce.

Now, as Tommy sat there on the stone terrace of the house he’d only heard about from past colleagues who had gotten promoted at Venture, the reality of the moment felt a hell of a lot different than what he’d imagined in his head.

When he’d thought about being at Rick’s for the Fourth of July, he’d seen himself at the center of it all, holding court and cracking jokes that had everyone around him laughing. He’d been confident and sharp, ready with a quick response as he mingled with the people he wanted to impress.

---