Short Stories [Man on Man]

Not His to Keep [3]

Weeks later, as he mulled over another case, sipping black coffee that really didn't taste like anything, Sean heard a knock on his office door. It was Sophie; he could tell by the outline of her body. She never knocked, though.

“Sean?” she asked, quietly. “Can I come in?”

He set his mug down. “Sure.”

Between glances at his computer, he watched as she came in, head down, a folder in hand. Sophie looked skittish, something completely unlike her. She sat down in one of the chairs across his mahogany desk, hugging the folder to her chest.

“So, how are you doing?”

“Good.” He shrugged. “You?”

She looked up at him and narrowed her eyes. “Well, that was easy. I guess you aren't as obsessed as I thought.”

“Wait. What?”

“Didn't you hear?” Sophie took a deep breath and blurted, “Beau Gallagher's apparently touring the building today. He's thinking about getting a job here.”

His heart came to a stop. He couldn't breathe. Holy fuck, he couldn't breathe. It was like his entire body absolutely refused to listen to him as his brain sent distress signals. He'd never had an anxiety attack, but he was sure this was what it felt like.

“What?” he finally managed to gasp. “Why the hell...Why didn't they ask me!?”

“You've been here for two years, Sean. You wouldn't have had a say anyway.”

“But I was his fucking-”

Sean bit the inside of his cheek so hard that he almost drew blood. He wanted to hit something, wanted to scream. But for the most part, Sean just wanted to run and hide.

Why, out of all the other law firms in the United States, would he pick to come to fucking Detroit? The city had gone bankrupt a little while back. It wasn't too prosperous. He'd picked it simply because it was was a little more than two thousand miles away from Los Angeles, making the chances of he and Beau ever “accidentally” running into each other a very firm zero.

He looked out his doors. Nobody could see in. He could see a little ways out, but the glass was blurred. If Beau came on this floor – which was to be expected considering there were only two floors in Habish – Sean didn't know what he would do.

He wanted to hide, but he was twenty-seven for crying out loud. The words “too much of a kid” rang through his head over and over again. He wasn't a kid. How often had he had to force himself out of bed every morning after that night to go to school then his other job, busing tables? He was strong.

If – more like when – Beau Gallagher came onto this floor, he'd do what he usually did. He'd work his ass off, be the easygoing guy he was, grow up and deal with it. He didn't have to talk to Beau. The guy was just going to be touring through. No big deal.

And even if he did meet Beau, he'd show indifference. Because that was how he felt, dammit! It had been five years. He was over the guy. Fucking bring it.

“Actually,” he took in a large breath, “that's okay. It's okay, Soph. Really, it is. And he probably has other stuff to worry about anyway. Divorces can get pretty ugly.”

She laughed, but it sounded fake, and he knew exactly why. She'd seen him breakdown a little more than a year ago. He'd been drinking too much and had looked up everything to do with Beau Gallagher. That was how he'd ended up sleeping on her couch as she and Marcus took care of him.

“I'm heading downstairs,” Sophie said as she stood up and smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt. “Want me to get you anything?”

He shook his head. “Brought my own lunch today, but thanks. And Sophie, it's just a normal day. Remember that.”