“I’ll have to look it up when I get home,” Owen said, gaze still on the screen saver.
Just tell him you drew it! But that would lead to questions, like, “Why are you working at a bar?” and, “Why didn’t you go to school?” and all kinds of things that Chad didn’t want to answer. Because the answer wasn’t some great story, like he’d sacrificed his future for his family or anything. No, it was that Chad partied too much and failed out of college and then had done nothing substantial with his life for the past eight years.
He didn’t want to say that to Owen, a guy who was smart and clearly had his shit together. It only made their differences more glaring, and all the more reason for Chad to keep everything close to his chest. They’d never work out.
Owen’s gaze roamed the apartment, and Chad tried to see it through Owen’s eyes—the clutter, the dirty dishes, the random video game paraphernalia. Owen’s apartment was probably spotless and organized and his closets color coded.
Owen had a great dick. And kissed like a dream. And knew how to make Chad come and come hard. So that was all it’d be. And if there was anything Chad was actually good at, it was keeping things casual.
Chad spun the bowl of salsa. “So, were you paying attention when Austin was talking about what we were supposed to do?”
Owen gave him a sidelong glance. “Of course I was. Weren’t you?”
“Oh, don’t look at me like that. You had me by the balls, literally. I’m not that great at multitasking.”
Owen smiled at that. “This week we’re supposed to scope out some places for the proposal, take notes and pictures, and send them to Austin. He said he sucks at lying and isn’t good at making excuses to leave Marley on a weeknight.”
“So we’re his errand bitches, basically.”
“Basically.”
“I have Tuesday and Wednesday off.”
Owen paused. “Okay, I can do Wednesday night. Austin said he’d email me a list of places, so we can start with those. Sound good?”
“Sure, sounds fine.”
Owen looked like he was going to say something else but then stood up and tugged on his shirt. Chad thought belatedly that maybe he should have at least pulled on his pants so he wasn’t standing in front of Owen in only his boxers. He stood and fluttered his hands awkwardly. “So, uh—”
With a jolt, he was pressed up against a lean, clothed body, and Owen’s blue eyes were staring right into his. Chad was rendered speechless as Owen’s gaze roamed his face, lingering on his lips, before meeting his eyes again. He shook his head as his grip eased up on Chad’s biceps. “How is this going to go?”
Chad blinked. “How’s what going to go?”
“Being around each other while we help Austin.”
Chad shrugged. “What d’ya mean? It’ll go how it’s been going. I’ll snark at you until you take your clothes off, we’ll fuck, since that’s the only time we get along, and then the cycle will start all over again.”
Owen’s face didn’t change. “That’s how it’s going to go then.”
I don’t commit, and you’d never want to put up with a guy like me for long, anyway. “Sure.”
Owen held his gaze for a minute as his hand slipped down to palm Chad’s ass. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Chad’s. “Fine,” he said as he stepped away.
Chad swayed a minute as he regained his balance. “And I’m going to tell Marley that your dick tends to curve a little—”
“Chad!”
He began to laugh, and then Owen was walking out the door, muttering obscenities and then slamming the door behind him. Which made Chad laugh even harder.
After a shower and a hastily made sandwich of turkey, cheese, chips, and pickles, Chad sat down at his computer and stared at his screen saver.
For so long, graphic design had been a hobby, something to do to pass the time or improve his mood. Yes, he’d known it could be a job or a career, but committing to that had felt daunting. But now he tried to look at himself through Owen’s eyes. What did the guy really think of Chad? And why did Chad care?
He didn’t know why, but he did. He wanted to know if Owen thought he was a fuckup. Some bartender that he’d tell his future husband about—yeah, I fooled around with my boss’s brother years ago. Great fuck but total fling material.
It made Chad cringe.
Two hours later, he’d studied his finances and researched initial college costs and he was looking at a big loan. Big. Fucking huge. He had savings because he really didn’t spend much money, but his savings weren’t enough to put a decent dent in tuition costs.