“Sixty bucks! That’s more than I’d make offering my services to bar patrons.”

Dustin choked on his nonalcoholic fruit punch and checked to see if any of his coworkers were listening to Leo. Nobody looked around, thankfully. “Don’t sell yourself short. How do you know the going rate, anyway?”

Leo waggled his brows. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

As Dustin cracked up, he grew aware that his cheeks hurt. He hadn’t smiled and laughed so much in a weekend. Leo had been his charismatic self all throughout the cake auction, and Dustin had drifted in his wake, enjoying listening in.

“Sixty bucks is pretty good, though,” Dustin admitted once he’d calmed down again. “For a cake I decorated last-minute.”

“The checkered thing was really good considering my lack of actual supplies,” Leo praised.

“Yeah, I like how it came out.” Dustin was still glowing from hearing everyone’s comments on how cool the cake looked. He’d decorated a few birthday cakes for his brothers before, but only a few times a year and never with so much pressure or so few supplies. “I’m just glad it came out well, considering the cause.”

“We don’t get to taste it, though,” Leo complained.

Dustin patted his arm, careful not to hold the touch for too long. “I can make another one for you.”

Leo grinned. “Fuck yeah. I like this deal. I give you a kitchen, you use it.”

“You give me a bedroom, I use it,” Dustin added in an undertone with an innocent smile.

It was Leo’s turn to blush and quickly look around. He didn’t answer, just awkwardly smiled and headed for the drinks table.

Dustin took the hint. No more flirting at work. Fair enough.

It looked like the auction was wrapping up. They’d already bought—and shared with the other partygoers—a smaller cake each to fulfil their social obligations. Dustin had made small talk with coworkers he didn’t really know and wasn’t keen on socializing with until he was about ready to explode.

It was a burst of relief when Leo approached him again and asked, “Celebratory drinks?”

“To celebrate our very successful cake?” Dustin nodded, smiling broadly. “Yeah. Sure. Where?”

“At the bar where we met?”

Dustin laughed. “Are you sure?” I’m never really sure what to make of him. Is he really just that comfortable with his new discovery?

Leo winked. “Seems fitting. If you’re up for it.”

“Of course I am.” Dustin followed Leo to the coat room and grabbed his jacket. “I think we’ve earned a little celebration.”

Not that the weekend hadn’t already been awesome. Holy fuck, had it ever. Fooling around with Leo in between baking, staying over at his place, and then going to a boring-ass work party and finding it suddenly much less boring than it should have been…

He hadn’t wanted the weekend to end. Luckily for him, it looked like it wasn’t over just yet.

“Hey, you bouncing early?” A guy Dustin vaguely recognized—they usually weren’t on the same shift rotation—came up to Leo and slapped him on the back like they were old friends.

“Oh, hey, Victor. Yeah. We’re just heading for a drink to celebrate putting our heads together to bake a successful cake.” Leo jerked his thumb at Dustin, who instantly felt uncomfortable under Victor’s gaze.

Right. Victor. From school. He recognized the same mean, narrow eyes, but it didn’t look like Victor recognized him. In any case, Victor laughed at Leo. “Careful what you get yourself into.”

“Oh, I can hold my own,” Leo assured him.

“That’s what I mean. Don’t want anyone else doing it for you. Huh?” Victor grinned at Dustin.

Dustin smiled noncommittally like he had somewhere more important to be and headed for the coat room. Before he had his jacket on, Leo had joined him.

“Sorry about him,” Leo muttered. “I didn’t know he was… well.”

“This bad? Yeah.” Dustin resisted the urge to add, You wouldn’t. Leo had been lucky enough to hide from that crowd—in that crowd—growing up. He was going to be in for a nasty shock as soon as he told the rest of the world about his sexuality.

If he even does, Dustin reminded himself. A lot of people didn’t unless they had a long-term relationship, and they weren’t there yet… if they ever got there. If Dustin even wanted them to.

That was a lot of ifs to think about, so Dustin put them aside and shrugged. “We heading out?”

“Yeah. Let’s get out of here.” Leo led the way, striding ahead to his car while Dustin tried to keep up.

It felt distinctly like Leo was running away from something, someone, or perhaps himself… but whether or not he knew it, Dustin wasn’t sure.

* * *

“Heh, nice catch.”

He was the third regular at the bar to congratulate Dustin with a high-five or shoulder slap… on his supposed new relationship or hot date.

With each one, Dustin tried his hardest to brush them off quickly and apologize to Leo, but so far, Leo had just looked amused and waved it off each time.

“I’m starting to think you’re a lot more popular than you claim. Introvert, my ass,” Leo commented in his ear.

Dustin wanted the floor to swallow him whole. As the guy grabbed his beer and headed back to the dance floor, he turned back to Leo. “No, but…”

“It’s not a bad thing.” Leo grinned and held up his palms as if showing Dustin he meant no harm.

Dustin still blushed furiously. He resisted the urge to press his own drink against his cheeks for a brief, welcome chill. “Yeah, well. I guess I’m here more than I think.”

“Do you come here with, uh, the brothers you mentioned?”

“No, there’s a dive around the corner. Well, that’s not fair. It’s not that bad. It’s just… more…”

“Straight?” Leo teased, starting to grin again. “Less trendy?”

Dustin laughed. “Shut up. But yes.” He clutched his beer like a lifeline, but it wasn’t helping very much. “I come here after work sometimes. Especially when I stay late, and I’ve grabbed delivery or hit up some fast food on the way home. Not always to pick up guys, either. Just to hang out.”

“It’s like a living room,” Leo said with an observant glance around. “For a different kind of family, a chosen one. No wonder they’re happy for you—whatever assumptions they’re making.”

Dustin was stunned into silence for a moment before he nodded. “That’s actually a good analogy.” His embarrassment dwindled, replaced by gratitude. “You have a wise head.”

“Oh? I’m usually told big head. I like that one more.”

Dustin grinned. “It’s in proportion to the rest of the shaft.”

Leo burst out laughing. His laugh was always loud and unashamed, reminding Dustin of his other friends. He was shy sometimes—less so in their company—but they weren’t. He liked that bold attitude.

“I like the idea of hanging out here, though,” Leo said when he’d caught his breath. His hand found Dustin’s, and their fingers tangled for a moment on the countertop. “It seems less lonely that way.”

Dustin winced. The word hurt, but it was accurate. He didn’t want to bring down the mood, though, so he just smiled. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind you hanging out here. Especially since you’re more available than I thought.”

Leo chuckled and glanced away, seemingly having his own moment not wanting to talk about it.

Dustin drained his beer and checked his watch. “Getting late for a Sunday night. I should probably head home.”

“I was thinking the same.” Leo chugged the rest of his bottle in a few gulps and set it down. “Let me call you an Uber.”

“What a gentleman,” Dustin teased to hide the moment of excitement. It was actually nice to be treated like this. But he couldn’t take it as an indicator of anything more between them. Maybe Leo was like this to everyone… maybe he’d get bored… there were a hundred maybes that told him to be cautious.

They were soon standing outside the bar for the second time in chilly evening air, his shoulder pressing against Leo’s as he watched the progress of the car on the app.

“This was a great weekend,” Dustin murmured. “Thanks.”

“No, thank you,” Leo answered, his hand in the small of Dustin’s back. “I learned a lot.”

“Like how to decorate cakes? Or suck cocks?”

“Both,” Leo snorted and grinned. He looked worried for a moment, and then the frown line between his brows disappeared. “As long as you had a good time.”

“I did.”

The car was pulling up, and Dustin’s heart ached. Is this it? “So, I’ll see you around at work.” Please don’t ignore me there just because Victor might see us. I think my heart might break. But it could go either way with a straight guy, or one who’d thought he was—he knew that very well.

Leo’s expression was inscrutable. He let go of Dustin and clapped his shoulder, then tucked his hands in his pockets.

“Good night,” he wished Dustin, and shut the car door. He was still smiling slightly as the car pulled away and Dustin looked after him.

If ever a man in business casual could look like the Mona Lisa—a tiny smile of nostalgia, but sad eyes—it was Leo right then. The sight was etched into Dustin’s memory instantly, and then he was gone and the sidewalk blurred and he was heading home.

Alone again.