Page 133 of Stabby Little

Grant shrugs. "I don't discuss it much. Since Linda left, my only friend has been my coworker who takes me on hunting trips. I rarely feel the need to explain what I do to strangers."

Strangers. The fact that this word falls so freely from Grant's lips unsettles me. Last Sunday, he never called me a stranger. A wall has risen between us, one that disrupts the connection we were building.

I follow my bite of pasta with another sip of wine. "Tell me more about this friend. Are you close? Or are you work friends who hang out together outside the office but probably wouldn't speak if you hadn't met during your shifts?"

Grant cracks a smile for the first time tonight. "Why do you ask?"

"You mentioned you hunt together. That seems like a lot of time sharing a tent with a guy."

"If you're asking if we've hooked up, no." Grant lets out a snort. "Men can be friends without sex."

"I wasn't asking that." I lift my hands to demonstrate my innocence. "I was wondering if you two were close. You haven't told me much about your personal life."

Grant shakes his head. "We're friends, but not friends with benefits. And even if we were friends with benefits, I probably wouldn't tell you."

I set my wineglass down. "Why not?"

"You're my son's best friend." Grant's dark eyes lock on mine. "I wouldn't discuss this information with Miles."

"I'm not Miles," I say, pouting. "You don't need to treat me like your son."

"It doesn't matter. It's not appropriate to discuss with you."

I let out a sigh. "Well, I'm gay. I'm not sure why I feel the need to say that, but I must get it off my chest."

Grant directs another nod my way. "I knew that, Ollie."

"How did you know?"

"Miles told me you enjoyed playing truth or dare with him at sleepovers a little too much. He chose truth, but you always chose dare—and begged him to pick wild ones."

I let out a groan and wipe my forehead. "I hope I didn't make him uncomfortable. That wasn't my intention."

Grant chuckles. "There's nothing shameful about discovering your sexuality as a boy. Hell, when I was your age, I had a friend in the neighborhood I experimented with. We snuck into my backyard tree house and played spin the bottle. I forgot about it until Linda helped me explore my bisexuality with other men. When she did, the memories returned in full force."

I pick up a buttery roll from a nearby basket. "I… thought you were straight."

At least I did until last Sunday. Sporting an erection when your son's best friend cuddles with you on the sofa doesn't fit my definition of straight. Bisexual? Sure. Curious? Maybe. But straight? That's like... there's no way in hell.

"My sexuality exists on a spectrum. For most of my life, I've only been with women."

"That makes sense," I say, nodding. "You were with Linda for as long as I can remember."

"It changed when Linda wanted to explore other options and I offered to join her. She was surprised at my willingness, but she decided to oblige me. We invited partners into our marriage, sometimes women, mostly men. I enjoyed spending time with them and it awakened desires that'd remained latent in me. By the time we separated, I'd been playing with men for years in my marriage. Occasionally, they were friends from the country club we belonged to who also enjoyed swinging. Other times, we hired younger men to service Linda while I did other things to them."

My jaw tumbles to my lap. "Mr. Barrett." I take a bite of my buttery roll. "I never would've guessed."

"That's why I said my sexuality lies on a spectrum. I would've describe myself as straight up until a decade ago, but now I'm bisexual."

"What about pansexual?" I suggest. "Have you considered that?"

"I'm not sure what that means."

"It means you're attracted to people regardless of their parts. You don't let genitals get in the way of your feelings."

Grant smirks. "No, I'm definitely bisexual. It's not that I simply look past genitals when it comes to attraction. I'm really, really attracted to cock."

My dick grows in my briefs. I stare at Grant, this noble man I've been in love with for such a long time. I try to fight the feelings bubbling up within me. Of course, I already knew he was into men, or least attracted to me, because of his erection on the couch. But hearing his truth come out of his lips isn't bad.

---