Page 37 of My Three Roommates

“Cody, aren’t you going to introduce me to your cute friend?” The receptionist beams at us.

Cody freezes. He’s acting like he wants the floor to swallow him up. “Molly, this is Brad. We’ve got to get going.”

“Cody’s never mentioned you,” she says to me. “It’s nice to meet a friend of his, but I really can’t wait to meet his girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” I ask.

“Yes. Kenna. He’s always talking about her. She must be something special if she managed to bag our Cody. Have you met her, Brad?”

“I have,” I say, deadpan. “She’s great.”

“She’s broken a lot of hearts around here, you know, by being the one for Cody. Not me, of course. I’m married.” She holds out her hand, wiggling her ring finger as if she has to prove it.

“I’m glad my friend hasn’t broken yours,” I tell her seriously.

“Let’s go.” Cody insists, steering me forcibly into the elevator and cutting off any further conversation with Molly. I return her wave as the doors close.

“What the hell was that?” I hiss.

The tension radiates off Cody. He refuses to look at me, keeping his eyes straight ahead. “Yeah, that’s just Molly being herself. She’s a little nosy.”

“That’s not what I mean,” I begin, but stop short when the elevator opens up and a couple other men in suits get on.

Neither one of us says another word until we arrive at the busy restaurant. Once we’ve seated ourselves, I have to confront him.

“Okay. Tell me, what the hell was that about? You told her Kenna’s your girlfriend? You mentioned her, but not me or Tanner? What’s up with that?”

Cody rubs at his forehead, letting out a heavy breath before he starts to speak. I figured he’d make a joke, but he’s more uncomfortable that I’ve ever seen him. This isn’t the Cody I know.

“They don’t know I’m into guys,” he says.

I laugh, but he’s obviously unhappy. “Wait, you’re serious? You’ve kept it a secret at the office?”

“Yeah,” he admits reluctantly.

“Why? You always make sure everyone in a 500 mile radius knows.”

Cody stares pointedly out the window. I’m surprised that this is really bothering him.

“Here’s the thing,” he begins. “No one there knows I’ve mostly been into men. I need to keep it that way.”

“What?” I ask him. “You’re the one who wants us to be open. You’re always pushing for it. Look at what Tanner went through with his brother. I know that’s not anything to do with you, but being open can have consequences. How come it’s okay for Tanner and me, but not for you?”

“That’s not what I meant. I’m all for being open. Everywhere but at the office.”

“Why not at work? I figured you meant that being open means being open everywhere. Especially for you, since you’re the one pushing for it.”

Cody keeps his gaze averted. He’s always been the guy with the most carefree attitude, never allowing anything to get the best of him. The way he’s acting now is so uncharacteristic of him, it’s unnerving. “Here’s the thing. I got fired from my last job.”

I frown. “I didn’t know that. Kenna never mentioned anything.”

He shakes his head. “She doesn’t know. I didn’t tell her or anyone else. It was a great company and I liked it a lot. I had no plans to leave. That job was the first one I’ve ever had that I really wanted to work for.”

“What happened?” I ask.

“They found out I was gay. I mean, it wasn’t like I was hiding it or anything, but I never thought it would be an issue. I was wrong. It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but everything snowballed and got way out of control.”

I make a face. “That sucks.”

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