Page 9 of The Boss (Straight Men #2)

The following morning, I took the elevator up to our floor with a knot in my stomach.

The day before had dragged by in a haze of overthinking, running on autopilot at the gym, and fighting the urge to check my phone every five minutes. I told myself nothing had changed, that I’d see Isaac today and things would go back to normal. That we’d joke around like always, that he’d call me a dumbass in that dry, amused way of his, that I wouldn’t have to sit at my desk analyzing every word I said to him. But as I stepped into the office, I wasn’t so sure.

I made it to my desk and went through the motions—powering on my computer, skimming emails, flipping through my notes from yesterday. But the whole time, my focus was stretched thin, straining toward Isaac’s office.

He wasn’t there yet.

Fine. Cool. No big deal. It wasn’t like I was waiting for him.

When I heard the elevator ding and his familiar footsteps crossed the threshold, my whole body tensed. Isaac walked past my desk without a glance. Not a nod, not a morning greeting, not even the usual half-smirk that said he’d barely slept but was ready to bulldoze through the day anyway.

My stomach dropped. So that was how it was gonna be.

I swallowed hard and forced my eyes back to my screen, my fingers tight around my coffee mug. This was fine. I could handle this. I could handle a little awkwardness, even if it gnawed at my nerves. I could—

Isaac’s footsteps stopped. For a second, nothing happened.

Then, just as I started to turn my head, I saw him backtrack in my peripheral vision. He came to a stop beside my desk, shifting his weight. I looked up, trying to keep my expression neutral.

His eyes flicked to mine, then away. “Okay,” he said, scratching his beard. “This is dumb.”

I blinked. “Uh… what?”

He released a frustrated sigh, shaking his head like he was annoyed with himself. “This whole thing. I’ve been acting like an idiot.”

I let out a slow breath, the tension inside me finally lifting. “So… you’re saying you don’t hate me?”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “I’m saying I was weird about it, and I shouldn’t have been. It was all my fault, anyway.” He finally looked at me then, and his expression softened just enough to smooth out any remaining tightness in my chest. “We’re good, yeah?”

I studied him for a beat, then nodded. “Yeah.”

Isaac nodded too, like we’d just shaken on some unspoken agreement. “Good.” Then, as if to cement it, he added, “You still suck at sparring, by the way.”

A grin broke across my face before I could stop it. “And you still grunt like a goddamn caveman when you lift, so I guess we’re even.”

His smirk was brief but real. “Get back to work, Landry.”

He turned and walked into his office, and just like that, the knot in my stomach unraveled. Things were back to normal.

At least, on the surface.

Because as I sat there, staring at my screen with a stupid smile, something heavier settled in my chest. I liked Isaac. A bit too much, to be honest. Not in the casual, easy way I had before. Not just as a friend, or a guy I admired, or even a straight dude I found attractive but could keep at a safe emotional distance.

No, it was worse than that. I’d seen another side of him—heard it, felt it through the phone. And now, every time I looked at him, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. About the way his voice had dropped, rough and wanting. About how he’d let down his guard and welcomed what I had to give.

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing a hand over my face.

Normal. That’s what I needed. To focus on work, on our routine, on whatever made things feel easy again. I could do that. Even if, deep down, part of me wasn’t sure I wanted to.

* * *

Lying on my bed, I stared at the ceiling, phone in hand, debating whether to hit call. It wasn’t like Tyler would ignore me—he never did—but I felt stupid for needing this conversation in the first place.

I’d been in Providence for almost two months now, but outside of work, I hadn’t made any real friends yet. My coworkers were friendly enough, but there was a difference between office camaraderie and the kind of friendship where you could confess, “Hey, I think I might be falling for my boss, and it’s a fucking disaster.”

Tyler was the only person I could talk to about this. He’d been in a similar situation last year, crushing on his coach, and now they were living together, happily in love. If anyone would get it, it was him. We texted all the time and he was already aware of my situation, but sometimes, I needed an actual voice, not just words on a screen.

With a sigh, I tapped the Facetime icon, and a moment later, Tyler’s face popped up on the screen, grinning wide. “C-man! What’s up, my dude?”

I stretched, cracking my neck. “Not much, just hanging… in all the right places.”

Tyler let out a cute chuckle. “Two months in the corporate world, and you’re still using every opportunity to make dick jokes. I’m proud.”

I chuckled too. “You walked right into that one, T-bag.”

“Yeah, yeah. One day you’ll have to grow up.”

“Doubt it. Where’s the fun in that?”

Tyler leaned back against his headboard, arms crossed. “So, how’s living in the real world? Finally learned how to use a spreadsheet?”

I scoffed. “Please. I could build you a spreadsheet that tracks every time you’ve been pinned this season.”

His jaw dropped in mock offense. “Excuse you, I’m undefeated this semester.”

“Seriously? Guess the competition must be trash this year.”

“Asshole,” he muttered, but he was grinning. “How about you? Still hitting the gym, or did you trade in your muscles for an office chair and a dad bod?”

I turned the camera slightly, flexing my arm. “You wish. I still lift more than you.”

Tyler snorted. “Right. Keep telling yourself that, desk jockey.”

The easy banter eased something in me, like stretching out a stiff muscle. But then Tyler’s grin softened into something more knowing, and he tilted his head. “So, are we just gonna talk about my winning streak, or are you finally gonna spill whatever’s eating you?”

I hesitated, rolling onto my side. “There’s been some progress with Zac. We talked it out, and things are back to normal. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.”

Tyler squinted. “Uh-huh. That sounds suspiciously like bullshit. Start from the beginning.”

So I did. I told him about the awkward tension after the Dick Pic Fiasco, how I wasn’t sure if Isaac and I could go back to the way things were. About my relief when we did. And about the problem that still lingered beneath it all.

Tyler listened without interrupting, nodding here and there. When I finally stopped talking, he released a slow breath. “Damn, dude. That’s rough.”

“No shit.”

“But let’s be real—you like him.”

I scratched my chin, making a face at him. “I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. I know the symptoms. Trust me.”

He wasn’t wrong. He went through it. I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. “I don’t want to.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you do.” He changed the angle of his camera, like he was shifting in bed. “Do you think he likes you back?”

I frowned at the screen, thinking of the way Isaac looked at me sometimes—too long, too intense. But he was like that with everyone, those ice-blue eyes piercing through the person on the other end like an arrow. “I don’t think so,” I admitted. “He’s in a relationship, and he’s straight.”

Tyler huffed. “You sure about that last part?”

“I was. Now?” I exhaled. “I have no fucking idea.”

Tyler hummed, thoughtful. “I mean, look at me and Blake. He never thought he was into guys, and it took him a while to accept that he wanted me like that. Now he can’t keep his hands off me. And he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

A small, bitter laugh escaped me. “This isn’t like you and Blake,” I said.

“I didn’t say it was.” His tone was gentler now. “But… just be honest with yourself, bro. If you’re into him, pretending you’re not won’t make it go away.”

I closed my eyes. “Yeah, well. Doesn’t matter. He’s unavailable. End of story.”

Tyler was quiet for a second. “I’m just saying,” he said, then. “You’re the only guy I know who’s had phone sex with a straight dude.”

I snorted despite myself. “That was a fluke. It won’t happen again.”

“Not with that attitude, it won’t.”

I rolled my eyes, but a small smile tugged at my lips. It was just like Tyler to be optimistic even when I couldn’t be.

We talked for a while longer—about his training, my job, the usual bullshit—before he yawned and said, “Oh! I almost forgot. I’ll be in Providence for Christmas.”

That got my attention. “For real?”

“Yeah, spending it with my mom this year. Figured I’d give you a heads-up so we can finally hang out in person.”

“I’m supposed to go back to Maine for a week and spend holidays with my family, but I’ll be back here right after New Year’s.”

“That’s fine. I’ll probably stay at my mom’s place for the entire winter break. Plenty of time to catch up.” He grinned. “You still look like the same cocky fuck who beat me at the regionals, by the way.”

I smiled. “And you’re still as easy on the eye as ever. Happiness suits you.”

Tyler’s smile widened. “It’ll be good to see you, man.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, meaning it. “You too.”

After we hung up, I lay there for a moment, staring at my phone screen. Hearing from Tyler did make me feel better. It reminded me of who I am. And I didn’t do pining. I didn’t do moping. I was a sexy motherfucker in my prime, and any guy would be lucky to score with me. This thing with Isaac? It was bound to fizzle out eventually. It was just a little crush, and once I got out of my head, I’d realize I was making a big deal out of nothing.

So, I’d let it be what it’d be. Not like we had a date with destiny.