There was a thick stack of papers that needed signatures in triplicate sitting on Aaron’s desk. With a little more than a month to go before the event, he needed those participating to sign off on the official paperwork. It was cutting it a little close for his liking, but with the time he’d been given and the breadth of the event he’d been asked to plan, it was the best he could do. Working for Prescott may have meant stable work with good pay and benefits, but it also meant that everything had to be on the up and up, everything had to be planned to the smallest detail. Aaron would need to adjust. But first, he needed Vance to sign off on all the paperwork, locking himself into the deal.

Only, Vance hadn’t called him since the last time they’d met up, and Aaron was too nervous to try to reach out to him. He didn’t know what to think anymore. He was weak for Vance, and after Vance had taken him to bed and made love to him, he’d been willing to admit that he had feelings for him. He was even willing to act on those feelings — he’d invited Vance out, figuring that if Vance cared that much about him to share such an intimate moment, that he’d jump at the chance.

He’d been wrong.

Vance had turned him down, and it had turned Aaron upside down. He had no idea what to think anymore. Vance’s affection ran so hot and cold that Aaron was left shell-shocked.

He wondered if he could return the paperwork to the city and text Vance to ask him to go in and sign it. That would have been fine for him emotionally, but Aaron knew it wouldn’t leave a good impression on the man he was trying to impress.

“Fuck,” Aaron muttered. He sank down onto his desk and folded his arms, resting his chin on them. “I’ve got to call him, don’t I?”

He already knew that there was no way around it, and he couldn’t put off having Vance sign the paperwork for much longer. The event was rapidly approaching, and he needed to make sure that everything was set in order well in advance.

He dragged his phone across the desk, dialed Vance, and set it on speakerphone so he could remain deflated on the desk. The phone rang a few times. It was close to going to voicemail when Vance answered.

“Hey, Aaron?”

He’s not calling me babe or baby. He definitely doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore.

“Hey,” Aaron said. “I’m sorry to bug you. I’ve got a stack of documents I need you to sign for the event. Pretty much it’s to make sure you get paid, and that if you happen to do something like throw yourself into the audience or hotwire the sound system to electrocute you, it’s on you, not us.”

“Sounds standard,” Vance said.

“Do you want to meet somewhere in public to sign them?” Aaron asked. A part of him was hopeful that Vance would turn him down and ask to meet him at home, because even when he felt like shit, he couldn’t help the attraction he felt toward him. But it seemed like Vance wasn’t thinking the same way he was.

“We can meet for coffee,” Vance said. “Are you good to go now? I can be there before too long.”

“Yeah. I’ll head over now and meet you there.”

“See you soon.”

The call ended, and Aaron picked himself up from the desk and got ready to meet Vance.

* * *

Vance made it to the shop after Aaron had already arrived. Aaron had the stack of paperwork set out in front of him, a coffee clutched in his hand. He sipped at it nervously when Vance locked eyes with him, knowing that as soon as Vance grabbed a drink, he’d be forced to confront the reality that he’d been dodging since that afternoon they’d shared together.

“Hey,” Vance said once he had his coffee and had taken his seat at the table. “So, what’s with all the forms I’ve got to fill out? Is this an attempt at getting my autograph? Because you, of all people, don’t need to beg for that.”

It looked like Vance was no less cocky than usual. Aaron rolled his eyes. “No. I need you to go through this stack and sign wherever you see the line marked with yellow highlight. We’re putting the finishing touches on the summer event, and this will lock in your performance and allow us to pay you.”

“Sounds good to me.” Vance slid the paperwork toward him. “Do you have a pen?”

Aaron did. He handed it to Vance and watched as Vance made his way through the paperwork, signing where necessary. He waited until Vance had cleared the pile and given the pen back before he spoke again. “I wanted to apologize for before.”

“Apologize?’

“For… what I said. I overstepped my boundaries, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Vance smiled. “You didn’t overstep anything. You’re fine. It’s no big deal.”

Aaron prickled a little. “It’s not a big deal? Listen… I’m confused, and I need to sort things out before I go crazy. It’s obvious that we like each other. Why do you keep turning things around so that it’s not… it’s not anything? You’re giving me so many mixed signals I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to untangle them.”

Vance’s expression lost its shine. He looked across the cafe. There were a few other people there, and the shop wasn’t all that big. “Can we not talk about this in public, please?”

“Should we go, then?” Aaron asked. He didn’t want to come across as hysterical, but the way Vance was leading him on had to stop. Either they were something to each other, or they weren’t. There was nothing in between. “We can go back to my place if you want.”

Vance stood. Aaron thought he was going to invite him out the door, but instead, he locked eyes with Aaron. He set his hands on the table. The stance wasn’t particularly aggressive, but it was closed off. “No. Look… Aaron… I like you. You have no idea how much I like you. But you’ve got your life here, and you’re devoted to your job. I get that. I really do. For a while, that’s what I was like, too… and now that I’m trying to get back in the saddle, that’s what I’m going to try to be like again.”

Aaron wasn’t sure he understood what he was hearing. “You like me?”

“Of course I do. But we’ve both got a lot going on right now. This whole thing may be good for us, but that doesn’t make us good for each other right now. Do you get what I’m saying?”

Aaron nodded. He didn’t trust himself to speak.

Vance smiled at him. It was the cruelest thing he could have done. “I’m glad that we’re on the same page. I think that keeping it simple is better for both of us right now. We’ve got to focus on our careers.”

“Yeah,” Aaron whispered. He hated how weak he felt.

“So, I’ve signed your papers, and I’m going to get going. I’m sure you’ve got a lot to talk about. If you’re feeling lonely, give me a call or send me a text, okay? I like spending time with you.”

Vance hasn’t changed at all. Why did I ever think that he could? He convinced me to give him a shot, took me to his bed, made me feel like I was someone special, and then pushed me away once he got what he wanted. He never wanted me to begin with.

“Sure,” Aaron murmured.

There was silence. It was awkward and uncomfortable.

“I’ll be going, then. Thanks for coming out to see me.” Vance smiled at him again, then left. His coffee remained, untouched, on the table.

Aaron pulled himself together long enough to finish his drink, bus the table, and carry his documents back to the car. He put them in a box in the back, then settled down behind the wheel and slammed his fists against its outer edges.

“Fuck you, Vance,” he hissed. “Fuck you for making me care about you!”

But as Aaron settled down and reflected on what had happened, he started to believe that maybe it was for the best. Vance had done him wrong. He didn’t need a person like that in his life. All he’d ever needed was his career — he didn’t need a man interfering with that.

He had A Stiff One for his loneliest nights. Uncomplicated hookups were better than complex, emotionally draining relationships.

Aaron started the car and drove back home. He’d gotten the papers signed, but there was still other work yet to be done.