Page 119 of Outcast
He deserved better than that.
“Yeah.” I wet my lips and cast a nervous look at Gray. “But it’s complicated.”
“I guess it would be,” Marty said. “Damn, and I was feeling sorry for myself over Sasha avoiding my calls. I guess I have it easy in comparison.”
“Why isn’t she taking your calls? Did something happen?”
Marty shrugged and shuffled his feet. Gray caught the hint and cleared his throat. “I’ll go get your paperwork ready so you can take your car.”
Marty pulled out his wallet and handed over his bank card. “Here. Thanks.”
Gray headed for Holden’s office. When he was gone, Marty broke into an embarrassed grin.
“We kissed.”
“No shit?”
His smile dropped. “Yeah, but then she got cagey the next day. I really thought she was into it too. I don’t know.”
“Tell me everything.”
While Gray was in the office, Marty gave me the rundown of bumping into Sasha at the grocery store, helping her carry stuff to her car, getting an impromptu dinner invite, cooking with her and meeting her kids, and then the spontaneous kiss at her door when he left.
“I don’t know what came over me, but I actually made a move.” He shrugged. “Maybe it was all your advice to have more confidence.”
“I’m proud of you.”
He smirked. “Me kissing a girl I’ve liked since high school seems like nothing compared to…” He waved his hand toward the office, where Gray was probably lingering to give us a few minutes to talk alone. “Unless… Were you into Gray in high school? Are you gay or?—”
“I’m bi,” I said. “I never really figured it out until after college. Or maybe I did, but I ignored it. I dated women, and that was easier, you know? But there was all this pressure when Allison came home. It just started to make me feel trapped in a way I never had before. The desire to figure out what this side of me was, how it would feel to be with a guy, just kept growing. And then I ran into Gray…”
Marty shot a look at the office. “Gotta admit. He’s not the kind of guy I’d have imagined for you.”
“Really? Who would you imagine for me?”
“I don’t know. Someone more like you, I guess. A lawyer or an accountant or?—”
“So someone boring?”
Marty laughed. “I didn’t mean it like that. Just someone more from our social circle.”
“Gray is such a great guy. I hate the way people write him off because he was a foster kid and likes tattoos. So what? I like his ink. It’s sexy. He’s so hot and sweet, Marty. How could I not be into him?”
Marty nodded slowly. “I’ll have to take your word for that.”
“Come on. You can admit he’s gorgeous, even if you’re not into dudes.”
Marty’s gaze tracked Gray as he came toward us in grease-stained jeans, a dark T-shirt molded over his shoulders and pecs, his dark hair falling in waves around his face.
“I guess I can see it,” Marty mumbled.
“Hey, Gray,” I called. “Marty thinks you’re hot.”
Gray’s eyebrows went up, a smile tugging at his lips. Marty slugged my shoulder. “Shut up. That’s not what I said. I have no interest in guys.”
Gray reached us and held out Marty’s credit card, a receipt, and a key fob. “Don’t worry, Marty. I’m only interested in golden boy here.”
Marty took his belongings from Gray. “Golden boy?”
