Staccato (Magnum Opus #2) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,75

Seth into the room and out of the way.

“Mr. Mandroux,” the woman said, her eyes falling on Adam and her sneer deepening. “May I ask what the meaning of this is?”

“The meaning of what?” Nik countered, his voice showing a bare restraint. “I’m on my lunch hour.”

“In an elementary school,” she said, her voice like a low hiss. “What if a child had walked in on you?”

“They’re all being supervised at recess, and the children at this school are taught basic manners. Like knocking on a closed classroom door.”

At that, Seth looked sheepish. “I’m so sorry,” he started, but the woman’s withering stare shut him up.

“I would like a word. In private.”

Adam stood up, ready to defend Nik, but he remembered this was his job, and she could very well be his boss. “I’ll…head out?”

“Pick me up after, if you don’t have a shift,” Nik told him pointedly.

Adam squared his shoulders. “I don’t.” That was a lie. He did have one, he needed one if he was going to make rent on a new apartment, but he was going to do this for Nik who never, ever asked for back-up.

“Then I’ll see you later.” Nik leaned in, and Adam kissed him without thinking until the woman cleared her throat again. “Seth, will you please show my boyfriend the way out?”

Seth nodded, then flushed harder. “I mean, yes. Yeah. Of course. Um…”

Adam grabbed what was left of their lunch, bagged it, then headed out without giving in to his urge to look behind him. The door shut, and he gave himself just a second’s pause to hear the woman’s voice rise before he made himself walk after the other man.

“I’m so sorry about that,” Seth told him once they were near the doors.

Adam waved him off. “It wasn’t your fault. Nik and I both knew it was a bad idea.”

At that, Seth let out a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I mean maybe. But I don’t think she would have said anything if he’d been kissing a woman.”

Adam didn’t need Seth to remind him, but it was obvious the guy was trying. “True. And I appreciate that Nik has an ally here.”

“Oh,” Seth said, his steps faltering. “I’m not…I mean, I am. I’m…” His voice lowered to a low murmur. “I’m gay.”

It made sense suddenly, and Adam would have realized earlier, but he’d spent a lot of his life trying not to assume. “Are you out?”

“I’m not…in?” Seth said, like it was a question. “My last job was working at this Catholic school, and they found out and…” He stopped and shrugged, shoving one hand into his pocket like it was a nervous habit. “I got a job here. It’s close to where my sister’s going to college. It’s nice, I just…I wasn’t sure.”

“I can’t vouch for this school,” Adam told him honestly, “but I know that a lot of the town is nice. I mean, they stare”—he gestured to his face—“but not because we’re gay.”

Seth let out a small giggle, and Adam felt a slight pang of jealousy he had no business feeling. Seth was cute, and he was sweet. He’d be a good fit for Nik in all the places where Adam had sharp corners and awkward angles. But Nik wants you, he reminded himself, and the moment passed.

“He said he has a good group of people here who make it easy to deal with small-town life,” Seth told him as they rounded the corner toward the exit. “It made me feel better.”

“If it helps,” Adam said and reached for the handle on the gate, “I’m new here too, and it was terrifying to give up a big city for some place where everyone’s in each other’s business. But it’s not so bad.”

Seth’s grin softened. “Thanks.”

Adam hesitated, then said, “When you see Nik later, tell him I said to get your number—you know, if you ever want to hang out. We do movie nights sometimes when things get really shi—crappy,” he amended in case of small, wandering ears.

Seth laughed again and nodded. “That might actually be nice.”

“Most of our friends are straight, but…”

Seth shook his head. “Better that way. I’m just getting out of a marriage and…” He blew out a puff of air. “I need the reprieve. I’m not the jump on Grindr to forget what his dick tastes like kind of guy.” He slapped his hand over his mouth, then looked around and relaxed when he saw they were alone. “Sorry, god.