In Bed With The Boss Page 0,51
weekend and the snow storm had taken everyone by surprise; it would take longer to clear the streets and sidewalks. So he turned and faced Richie. “I don’t feel comfortable seeing you leave in this weather. You’re not even wearing heavy boots. You’d better wait until the snow lets up a little.” The last thing Toby wanted to do was entertain one of Brad Lindsay’s many boyfriends. But he couldn’t let the poor guy go all the way back to The Bronx in weather like this.
Richie waved his arm. His large brown eyes sparkled beneath the cheap kitchen light fixture. “I’m good. I’m not afraid of the snow. Don’t worry about me.”
Toby pointed to the window. “You’d better check this out first.”
Richie crossed the room and glanced down at the street. When he saw a police car that was turned sideways, in the middle of the street, stuck in a deep pile of snow, he rubbed his jaw and said, “I didn’t think it was that bad out.” “And it’s only supposed to get worse later tonight,” Toby said. “You’d better spend the night here.” Then he walked back to the kitchen for another cup of coffee, wondering how in earth he was going to suffer through the night with a virtual stranger.
Before Toby reached the kitchen, Richie said, “I hate to be a bother. I could just take my chances and go.” Toby filled his coffee cup and smiled. Then he sighed and said, “I’m sure we’ll figure out something to get us through the long night.”
“I’d just like to make one thing very clear,” Richie said.
His tone grew serious and his eyebrows furrowed. “What’s that?”
“Just because I’m spending the night here doesn’t mean I’m going todoanything with you. So if you have any plans in that department, I’ll leave right now. I’m completely devoted to Brad and I don’t play around behind his back. We’re in love.”
Toby rolled his eyes and turned to face him. He almost choked on his coffee. Evidently Richie didn’t seem to mind the fact that good old Brad was cheating on his wife. “You don’t have to worry aboutthat,” Toby said. “Trust me; I have nointention of doinganythingwith you either.”
When he said this, Richie’s face fell and he flung him look. “What’s wrong with me? I’m not good enough for you because I work in maintenance?”
“Oh brother,” Toby said. “I didn’t mean it like that. Calm down, big boy. I just meant that I’m not interested in sleeping with anyone tonight. So you don’t have to worry.” He hadn’t expected Richie to react this way, and with such an insecure, defeated expression. He’d pictured Richie to be the clueless, insensitive type…the type who knew he was young, drop-dead gorgeous, and took advantage of it as much as he could. He looked like one of those guys who spit on the sidewalk, smoked cigarettes, and opened beer bottles with his teeth, while everyone drooled and waited for him to look in their direction.
Richie removed his gloves and scarf and shoved them back into his pockets. “Well, I just wanted to make that clear in case you were thinking of trying anything. Brad and I have something special. We’re completely devoted to each other and I wouldn’t do anything to ruin it.”
When Toby realized that Richie had no idea Brad Lindsay was fooling around with other men behind his back, he felt a tug in his chest. Then he wondered if all the other guys Brad was playing around with thought Brad was just as devoted to them. Toby could see by the expression on Richie’s face that Richie truly believed he had something special with Brad. He honestly thought he had a future with the bastard. And Toby didn’t want to be the one to crush Richie’s dream. So he smiled and said, “Why don’t you take off your coat and we’ll watch some TV. Maybe there’s an old movie on.”
They watched a western with John Wayne for the first two hours, and then they watched and old Bette Davis movie that almost put Toby to sleep. Toby had stretched out on the sofa at some point; Richie sat on an orange Danish modern side chair with his stocking feet resting on the coffee table. They didn’t speak much; Toby wasn’t sure what to say. And Richie seemed a little nervous. He didn’t know where to put his hands. His feet were crossed and he kept jiggling them.
At the end of the second movie,