his too.
“Oh look, there’s Jess.” Justin caught sight of his friend waving from a table. “Looks like she’s saved us some seats.”
They made their way over to where Jess was sitting with Kieran and a couple of the other younger employees from their department.
Kieran gave Justin a bright smile, but it dimmed a little when he noticed Sean beside him.
“Hi,” Justin greeted his co-workers. “This is Sean. Sean this is Jess, Kieran, Meera, James, and Theresa.”
A couple of them had partners with them, so there were more introductions and names that Justin didn’t manage to commit to memory. They took the spare seats that Jess had saved for them. Justin was glad she’d kept two next to each other. That would make their mission much easier to accomplish.
“So,” Jess said loudly. “This is your new mystery man. It’s nice to meet you, Sean. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Sean glanced sidelong at Justin. “Oh, really?”
“Don’t worry, Justin only told me good things.” She beamed at them both from across the table and gave Justin a wink she probably thought was subtle. But after two glasses of whatever had been provided free on arrival, it really wasn’t.
“Well, that’s a relief.” Sean put his hand on Justin’s where it lay on the table.
“Yeah. I’ve never seen him so goofy over anyone,” Jess continued. “It’s so romantic that you two were friends for so long and then it suddenly turned into more. It must be amazing falling for your best friend.”
She was laying it on really thick, but the others seemed to be lapping it up. The other women were listening fondly, the straight guys were looking slightly uncomfortable, and poor Kieran looked as though he might cry. Justin felt a pang of guilt, but he wasn’t interested in Kieran anyway, so it was probably for the best that Kieran thought Justin was madly in love with Sean. It would be like ripping off a Band-Aid.
“It is,” Justin smiled at Sean. “It makes all those years I spent pining over him as a teenager totally worth it.”
Sean tightened his fingers on Justin’s hand, and something flitted through his eyes that looked like recognition, or regret. But it was gone before Justin could be sure what it meant. Did he know?
“And you never knew I felt the same,” Sean said.
Justin’s heart skipped a beat and then started up again at what felt like double time. He stared at Sean, searching those dark eyes for a hint of teasing, a reminder that he was playing a part. But all he could see was sincerity. Sean was way too good at this.
“Oh my God!” Jess brought up a hand to cover her heart. “That’s so adorable. Well, better late than never, I suppose.”
“Absolutely.” Justin somehow managed to get the word out. “I’ll drink to that.” He raised his glass. More alcohol was definitely required.
Once he’d finished what was in his glass, he offered to go to the bar. “Anyone else want anything?”
Some of the others were still sipping at the fizzy stuff, but Jess requested a vodka and tonic and Kieran asked for a pint of lager.
“And what do you want, babe?” Justin asked Sean.
“Lager for me too, but I’ll come and help you carry them.”
As they approached the bar, they met Andy and his partner leaving it, carrying drinks in their hands. Justin squared his shoulders. With Sean by his side and a couple of glasses of wine inside him, he was ready for the confrontation.
Andy glanced their way but made no effort to greet them. But Justin wasn’t going to let him pass without comment.
“Hi, Andy.” Justin kept his voice smooth and passive-aggressively polite. “How are you?”
Andy looked surprised to have such a civil greeting from Justin. The last time they’d spoken had been a muttered exchange about a project when communication had been unavoidable. Apart from that, Justin had completely blanked him since the day the shit had hit the fan and he finished telling him what a lying, cheating
“Oh look, there’s Jess.” Justin caught sight of his friend waving from a table. “Looks like she’s saved us some seats.”
They made their way over to where Jess was sitting with Kieran and a couple of the other younger employees from their department.
Kieran gave Justin a bright smile, but it dimmed a little when he noticed Sean beside him.
“Hi,” Justin greeted his co-workers. “This is Sean. Sean this is Jess, Kieran, Meera, James, and Theresa.”
A couple of them had partners with them, so there were more introductions and names that Justin didn’t manage to commit to memory. They took the spare seats that Jess had saved for them. Justin was glad she’d kept two next to each other. That would make their mission much easier to accomplish.
“So,” Jess said loudly. “This is your new mystery man. It’s nice to meet you, Sean. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Sean glanced sidelong at Justin. “Oh, really?”
“Don’t worry, Justin only told me good things.” She beamed at them both from across the table and gave Justin a wink she probably thought was subtle. But after two glasses of whatever had been provided free on arrival, it really wasn’t.
“Well, that’s a relief.” Sean put his hand on Justin’s where it lay on the table.
“Yeah. I’ve never seen him so goofy over anyone,” Jess continued. “It’s so romantic that you two were friends for so long and then it suddenly turned into more. It must be amazing falling for your best friend.”
She was laying it on really thick, but the others seemed to be lapping it up. The other women were listening fondly, the straight guys were looking slightly uncomfortable, and poor Kieran looked as though he might cry. Justin felt a pang of guilt, but he wasn’t interested in Kieran anyway, so it was probably for the best that Kieran thought Justin was madly in love with Sean. It would be like ripping off a Band-Aid.
“It is,” Justin smiled at Sean. “It makes all those years I spent pining over him as a teenager totally worth it.”
Sean tightened his fingers on Justin’s hand, and something flitted through his eyes that looked like recognition, or regret. But it was gone before Justin could be sure what it meant. Did he know?
“And you never knew I felt the same,” Sean said.
Justin’s heart skipped a beat and then started up again at what felt like double time. He stared at Sean, searching those dark eyes for a hint of teasing, a reminder that he was playing a part. But all he could see was sincerity. Sean was way too good at this.
“Oh my God!” Jess brought up a hand to cover her heart. “That’s so adorable. Well, better late than never, I suppose.”
“Absolutely.” Justin somehow managed to get the word out. “I’ll drink to that.” He raised his glass. More alcohol was definitely required.
Once he’d finished what was in his glass, he offered to go to the bar. “Anyone else want anything?”
Some of the others were still sipping at the fizzy stuff, but Jess requested a vodka and tonic and Kieran asked for a pint of lager.
“And what do you want, babe?” Justin asked Sean.
“Lager for me too, but I’ll come and help you carry them.”
As they approached the bar, they met Andy and his partner leaving it, carrying drinks in their hands. Justin squared his shoulders. With Sean by his side and a couple of glasses of wine inside him, he was ready for the confrontation.
Andy glanced their way but made no effort to greet them. But Justin wasn’t going to let him pass without comment.
“Hi, Andy.” Justin kept his voice smooth and passive-aggressively polite. “How are you?”
Andy looked surprised to have such a civil greeting from Justin. The last time they’d spoken had been a muttered exchange about a project when communication had been unavoidable. Apart from that, Justin had completely blanked him since the day the shit had hit the fan and he finished telling him what a lying, cheating
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