Page 93 of Coming Out at Crofton Hall

“You said you were going to talk to Dorian, what were you going to say?”

The alcohol was making his brain slosh about. He took several sips of coffee. “That maybe we could try continuing what we were doing but without the contract. Seeing as we were getting on so well. But that was before he decided to date the director.”

Karl pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’re heading into circular reference territory as we’ve just ascertained that the date with Jez did not go well, so strike that as a variable. You need to approach this as you would keeping Ben in line.”

“What’s to stop him just working down his list for the next one?”

“List?”

“I helped create a spreadsheet for future dates with their pros and cons.”

“Are you on it?” Karl asked.

“Of course not, that would be terribly crass and desperate.”

“Well, as I see it, you have two options. The first is to add yourself to the list, if he is using it then he can see you there and you’ll know if he acts on it. Or unfortunately, as these things do tend to happen, that document got corrupted and will no longer open and the backup copies have been lost in the cloud.”

“The first might be a bit too subtle for Dorian. But the second could work, he’ll remember the names though still.”

“We could combine the two. Can the original version and create a second but with only you in?”

Alex thought the idea had merit but Dorian wasn’t the biggest fan of spreadsheets so it would be leaving a lot to him deciding to open up a document he was already convinced he was going to delete by accident. “I think we’re expecting Dorian to be more technologically competent than he is.”

“There’s always the direct approach. What are the current plans for Saturday?”

“We’ll head to London, have dinner, then one of the places he likes for drinks after and either stay at his flat or come back here. I need to confirm that part—the rest is all arranged.”

“So you’re travelling in together?”

“Yes, there’s a car booked.”

“Then I think we need a little change. Is there any way to arrange things so you don’t see or speak to Dorian before Saturday?”

He didn’t have any time in his agenda with Dorian for the next couple of days but Dorian often just wandered in on the chance he was free. “If I can keep him out of my office when I’m not with Ben, I should be able to keep my distance. Or I could work downstairs with Chris and Dara, I’ve a new project with them.”

“Excellent. What I think you should do is meet him at the restaurant. And ask for it to be a real date. One final evening together and see where it goes. Hopefully, he’ll be a bit Alex-starved if he’s not seen you for a couple of days, which will help.”

That was a good plan. “Can someone run me to the train station on Saturday afternoon?”

“I’ll ask Val. I’ve a wedding.”

“I need to sober up. I don’t usually let myself get so emotional over this sort of thing.”

Karl handed him his handkerchief. “There’s nothing wrong with being emotional, and it shows that this is important to you. We spend so much of ourselves making sure other people have everything they require, we shouldn’t forget about our own needs.”

“Good advice. Thank you.”

Alex had spent years always putting someone else first. Now, he was going to take Karl’s advice to heart and make sure he got what he wanted. Dorian wouldn’t know what hit him.

CHAPTER35

Ben had always considered himself to be a chap’s chap, the sort of man who could be depended on in a crisis, but now he wished he was a cad of the highest order and he could run to the hills and not give a damn, because he was in the clutches of the Countess of Malsberry and there could be no escape.

“But, Mel, darling, I’m not even a bachelor any more. It all seems a bit on the dishonest side.”

Mel snorted, her nostrils flaring and her piercing stare getting more pointed by the second. “Nonsense, Ben. It’s not like you’d have been marrying any of them anyway. It’s not 1824, which is a relief, as I’d look frightful in an empire line gown.”

He thought he might try another tack. “I didn’t want to bring it up, but I have had a few none too positive column inches in the press of late—all lies of course—about a little liaison from my youth reoccurring now, perhaps the association wouldn’t be the greatest for the charity.”

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