We got almost to Brian’s loft, he had said, when he got a call from his son’s mother. I knew he had a son but didn’t think much about it. His son had tripped while playing and fell off his mothers bed. So instead of going to Brian’s loft and fucking the night away, we were spending it in the ER waiting room. I could tell Brian was worried, it was a different side of him. The father side of him.

After a while, a blonde woman came out into the waiting room. “Brian!” she cried and threw herself into his arms.

“How is he?”

“He broke his arm; he’s got a cast. I’ve never seen one put on a child so little. Come on, he’s been asking for you.”

Brian left without a backwards glance at me. I started to feel very out of place. I shouldn’t be here. It was too late at night to call Daphne; she had a big exam tomorrow. Swallowing my pride, I called the only person I knew would come get me.

“Jesus, Justin, I was sleeping. That’s what people do at 2 in the morning.”

I smiled and looked up at Forbes. When I met Forbes he was one of Ethan’s friends. He also was very different from all of them, he wasn’t a musician or any kind of artist. Forbes majored in business and marketing at Carnegie Mellon. Now he was working in some job he hated that barely had anything to do with his degree. A glorified coffee boy he had told me when he started. Ethan had ended the friendship because he thought Forbes paid too much attention to me. Forbes played football in high school and had not lost his shape. I have to admit, if I was going to cheat on Ethan during our relationship it would have been with Forbes.

“Can you just take me back to Daphne’s,” I begged.

“That’s twenty minutes the other direction from my place. Just come back with me and I’ll drive you back in the morning.”

“My car is behind Woody’s on Liberty Ave.”

“Fine, I’ll take you there in the morning. Let’s go, I’m tired and have to go to work early tomorrow. God, I hate that place.”

I leaned back against the warm seat, my body aching and not from fun but sitting in the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room.

“Want to tell me about it?” Forbes asked after I sighed.

“Did you know Ethan broke up with me. Didn’t even have the courage to do it to my face. Left me a Dear John message on the machine.”

Forbes looked over at me sharply, I couldn’t figure out what the look he was giving me meant. “You should have been the one to leave him. He was a tool, he’s aways been a tool.”

I laughed. “Then why were you his friend?”

“To get closer to you.”

I paused as I was going to start changing radio stations. “What?”

“Remember the first time I met you?”

It had been at a party, one that Ethan actually invited me to. We were sixteen and didn’t even know anyone at the party. Ethan had just heard about it; I didn’t know he wasn’t invited either until we got there.

“You were all over this tall, blond guy with a lip piercing.”

“And what did you ask him?”

“If it rusted in the shower.”

Forbes pulled into a vacant parking lot before shutting off his truck. “From that first moment, I wanted you. But you were only sixteen so very off limits.”

“And I was with Ethan, right?”

“That wouldn’t have stopped me. He was a tool. I only made friends with him because you were such a princess and wouldn’t give me your number.”

“You just said I was too young.”

“I could wait, I did wait.” And without another word he leaned over and kissed me. I froze. So, Ethan had been right about Forbes wanting me.

Finally the need to breath became an issue and we parted. “Wow. Uh, what was that? You’ve never acted like you wanted me before.”

“I have, but you never seemed to share those feelings. While you were Ethan I decided to let you see him for who he really was. When you didn’t I sort of gave up. I won’t let my chance pass by.”

I hesitated; Forbes must have noticed. “Umm…”

“What? I’m too late. You’re already with someone else, right?” Seeing such a strong, sure man look nervous was endearing.

“Well, not really. I was planning on having a one-night-stand with a guy that I’ve had some sexual feelings for. But he’s an ass and I think I’d end up killing him if I had to spend a full day with him. I really did want to have sex with him though. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve blown tons of guys since Ethan left but haven’t found anyone I wanted to have sex with. He’s gorgeous and an asshole, it’s probably something to do with my dad.”

“Gross. I’ve met your dad.”

“I know right.”

“Does that mean he’s older than you? My age?”

Forbes was three year older than me. “He’s twelve years older than me.”

“Does he need a cane to get around with?”

I laughed. “Stop, there is one big reason I shouldn’t sleep with him. He’s my boss.”

“Dude, even if you tell me to fuck off and don’t want to give us a go, do not sleep with him. You’d be giving him too much power over you. Then any time he’s mad at you he’ll use it against you. Take a word from experience, it was the biggest mistake of my life. Why do you think I’m still stuck being a coffee boy?”

“Oh, Forbes,” I said before pulling him into a hug. Maybe Brian’s rush to the hospital had been a good thing. I’m going to be working for Brian, I need to stay a real employee. Anyway, Brian was probably right, I would probably get too attached.

“Let me take you back to my place.”

“That was already the plan.”

“To my bedroom.”

“Oh.” I thought about it for a moment. I knew Forbes, the man is loyal to a fault and every ex he has is still a friend. That has to mean something. Looks like I would be getting laid tonight after all.

“I’d like that.”