Even if it could never be real, because Brenden has a playful energy that would only get zapped out if he was foolish enough to fall for a guy like me.

When his tongue darts out to swipe at the grease on his lip, my eyes track the movement hungrily. “All right,” he finally says. “I’m gonna ask her.”

Well, okay then. I expect him to get up and do it right now, but he doesn’t. Instead we both stay here, finishing our beers.

This day has been a lot. While I’m not used to sharing my feelings with someone, what I am used to is pushing the idea of coming out to my dad to the back of my mind. I haven’t even considered it in so long. I don’t particularly want to consider it now, but Brenden’s quiet presence feels like a safe space, so my mind begins to wander.

It’s true my dad doesn’t seem to have a problem with any of the queer people in town. And it’s been so long since I heard him use the f-slur, that sometimes I almost question my memory and the stuff I heard from him back when I was young.

But then again, there’s also the fact that he’s constantly hounding me, asking when I’m going to find someone and get married. Never mind that my mom left him—and me—when I was little, and he’s been bitter about it for the last twenty-five years. Even though he never bothered to try again, he still pushes all that heteronormative crap on me. At least he hasn’t talked about wanting grandkids.

I haven’t been in a relationship in so long, and I haven’t missed it. But if I had the option to date someone here without hiding it, do I think that’s something I might want at some point?

I don’t really know.

All I know is that if I end up pretending to date Brenden for a week, my dad can’t find out about it. Maybe I could come out to him someday, but I’m not ready to make the decision now. And there’s no point in coming out for a fake relationship anyway.

CHAPTER FIVE

BRENDEN

Looking up from my phone, where I’ve been busy triple and quadruple-checking that everything is ready to go for tomorrow morning’s events at the inn, I realize that May has already scarfed down half of her burger and fries while I was too distracted to even order anything. Day one of the corporate retreat went off without a hitch, but that hasn’t stopped me from sending check-in texts to Danny and Addison every fifteen minutes since I left. I’m not sure I’ll sleep tonight, because I’ll be dreading some sort of emergency call from the night staff.