I wanted the promotion he’d dangled in front of me when he’d hired me. If I could get the vice president title, I could check off one of my biggest goals. In order to do that, I had to stay focused on my job.
“Speaking of my brother…” Cait began in a teasing tone.
I just stared at her and kept my mouth shut. She tilted her head to study me. “Did something happen on your tour today?”
“Why do you ask that?” I asked, my voice going just a bit too high.
“Because he volunteered for the most dreadful delivery run we do.”
Volunteered? I’d assumed it was part of his job.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. After our tour, the woman at the front desk said he was off on a delivery route, but as far as I knew, that was normal for him.”
“He hates deliveries, especially to Waterford.”
“Why Waterford?” I couldn’t help but ask.
Her lips pursed. “Shitty ex-boyfriend lives there. Pat works for our largest customer in Waterford and always makes the delivery hell on Charlie.”
Prickles of unease assaulted my skin. “Like how?”
She shrugged and took a sip of my soda without asking. “Sometimes it’s little annoyances like saying he’s too busy to take delivery during the afternoon, so he makes Charlie come back at midnight. Sometimes it’s more personal than that. He touches him without asking, cries about wanting Charlie back. One time, Pat told Charlie to come into his office for some paperwork, and when they got to the office, Pat had some guy naked on the sofa where they’d clearly just been fucking. Drives Charlie bonkers.”
I winced at her straightforward language and the image of Charlie being put in those uncomfortable situations. My nostrils flared and my fingernails bit into the skin of my palms as my hands fisted. The urge to rush out of there and find a ride to Waterford was like a living thing beneath my skin.
“Why does he do it, then? Why not get someone else to deliver to Waterford?” My voice was grumblier than normal, and I realized belatedly this was affecting me more than it should. I didn’t really know any of these people.
“He did. That’s what I’m saying. He came home from that one and said never again. So why the fuck would he volunteer to do it? Did he make a pass at you and get rejected or something?”
My heart thumped faster in my chest. “What? No.”
Not exactly.
I felt like I owed her more than that. “I’m… I’m straight.”
She snorted. “Yeah, right.”
Now I was annoyed. “Why do you both think I’m gay? I’m not.”
Cait held her hands up. “Calm down, Hudson. No need to get all bent out of shape. It’s just clear to me, and most likely Charlie too, that you’re attracted to him. If you’re worried about him wanting more than a quick hookup, don’t be. He’s sworn off relationships. They always seem to bite him in the arse, Pat being just one of many.”
That angered me even more. Charlie was a sweet and fun guy. He deserved to find someone to spend his life with instead of settling for a quick fuck. Dammit, just the thought of him fucking random guys made me want to kick something.
I looked around at the historic pub, realizing it couldn’t be easy for a gay man to find true love in the middle of nowhere on the Irish coast. “Has he ever thought about moving to a bigger city?”
“He’d hate the city. Needs to be near sheep. He’s a successful breeder and trainer for trial dogs. It’s a side business we keep trying to get him to pursue full-time. But he can’t leave the pub. The man’s loyalty is as big as his heart. He’s not just a bartender though. He’s the fix-it man around here. Does what needs doing, regardless of what it is. Honestly, Dev would be lost without him, and Charlie knows that.”
I wondered, not for the first time, if Charlie knew his boss was attempting to sell half the business. I tried reminding myself it was none of my concern. Why did I even care? Perhaps it was just the need to have a conversation with another human being rather than sitting and eating dinner in silence.
The rest of our shared dinner was spent in lighter conversation, though I had to admit it was hard to keep my thoughts from straying to Charlie. Cait told me about her time at college, her boyfriend, Donny, and his plans to move them to Cork, and her hope of finding a job there in corporate marketing. I told her the comedic version of Darci and the messed-up accidental proposal, and we laughed at the similarities and differences between our two cultures. It was a nice, comfortable dinner, and I enjoyed the easy company.