won't? Alex nodded anyway. “Fair enough.” He lay back and let Thomas slowly gather his wits and get dressed.
Thomas moved jerkily, as if anxious about something. His eyes kept roving back to Alex. He smiled every time, but there was something else going on behind those deep eyes. Maybe he'd say what it was someday; maybe not.
“I'll walk you to my apartment door, at least,” Alex murmured. He pushed himself up, surprised to find Thomas taking him by the hand for their short walk down the hall.
When they reached the front door, Thomas turned to him and leaned in to press a quick kiss to his lips. “I'll see you soon.”
That sounded like a promise – and a genuine one. Alex knew he'd lit up, but he couldn't play cool now. “Great. See you soon.” He pecked Thomas's lips in return, then ran a hand over his shoulder affectionately before dropping it.
Thomas smiled back at him and let himself out as Alex watched. When the door was closed, Alex shook his head.
That was it, then. Whether Thomas was panicking about falling for his ex again or having to come out, Alex would have to deal with it and help him through it. There was no other choice, because Alex was stuck on this man.
Chapter 19
Thomas
“You wanted to talk to me?”
Thomas's palms were sweating, so he pressed them against his trousers before folding his hands behind his back. “If possible, yes,” he addressed his boss with a polite nod.
Irma Davidson was a legend in the bank: she'd been working as a teller since she was fourteen, and all she'd say was that she was “considerably older” now. She looked past retirement age, but she clearly loved her work. She was the favorite of all the customers who knew her from years ago, and she was polite but firm with all the new hires.
Thomas had gotten on instantly with her, probably because she respected his work ethic. He didn't fiddle around on Facebook as much as the other young tellers, and he tried to see opportunities to jump in and help.
“Come on in.” Irma invited Thomas into her office, holding open the door for him before crossing the room to sit behind her desk.
Thomas closed the door, then sat opposite her and folded his hands. “I... wasn't sure about saying this, but I've been thinking about it, and...”
“All right, young man,” Irma nodded, and Thomas's shoulders sank a little with relief. She wasn't rushing him. “What's going on?”
“I think I saw... inappropriate... conduct,” was the best way Thomas could put it. “And it's by someone more senior, so I felt like it's tattling.”
“No, I'm glad you reported this. When was this?”
“Last Thursday afternoon.”
“What did you see?”
Thomas recited what he'd so carefully practiced: “I was walking by the offices to guide a customer back to his seat when I spotted, er... a blind ajar in Anna's office. I looked through. Not, you know, spying. Just accidentally. And Anna was... er, engaged with one of her clients.”
“One of our mortgage clients?”
Thomas nodded. He'd watched the man walk out twenty minutes later looking cool as a cucumber, and he'd definitely spotted that wedding ring again. After a quick word with Maggie, he'd found out the rest of the story. He was Darren, he was supposedly sweet and charming, and Anna was helping him buy his first house with his wife, an adorable young IT pro.
“Do you know if this was one of her clients specifically?”
“Yes, it was. His name's Darren, but I don't know anything else except that he and his wife are her clients for their first mortgage. The ethics code...”
“I know what the ethics code says,” Irma informed him tartly and he blushed. Her voice softened as she added, “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll bring this to the proper channels. Anything else?”
“N-No, that's it.” That was it? No interrogation? He'd been dreading having to repeat his story to all the managers, or being dragged into a room with Anna to tell her what
Thomas moved jerkily, as if anxious about something. His eyes kept roving back to Alex. He smiled every time, but there was something else going on behind those deep eyes. Maybe he'd say what it was someday; maybe not.
“I'll walk you to my apartment door, at least,” Alex murmured. He pushed himself up, surprised to find Thomas taking him by the hand for their short walk down the hall.
When they reached the front door, Thomas turned to him and leaned in to press a quick kiss to his lips. “I'll see you soon.”
That sounded like a promise – and a genuine one. Alex knew he'd lit up, but he couldn't play cool now. “Great. See you soon.” He pecked Thomas's lips in return, then ran a hand over his shoulder affectionately before dropping it.
Thomas smiled back at him and let himself out as Alex watched. When the door was closed, Alex shook his head.
That was it, then. Whether Thomas was panicking about falling for his ex again or having to come out, Alex would have to deal with it and help him through it. There was no other choice, because Alex was stuck on this man.
Chapter 19
Thomas
“You wanted to talk to me?”
Thomas's palms were sweating, so he pressed them against his trousers before folding his hands behind his back. “If possible, yes,” he addressed his boss with a polite nod.
Irma Davidson was a legend in the bank: she'd been working as a teller since she was fourteen, and all she'd say was that she was “considerably older” now. She looked past retirement age, but she clearly loved her work. She was the favorite of all the customers who knew her from years ago, and she was polite but firm with all the new hires.
Thomas had gotten on instantly with her, probably because she respected his work ethic. He didn't fiddle around on Facebook as much as the other young tellers, and he tried to see opportunities to jump in and help.
“Come on in.” Irma invited Thomas into her office, holding open the door for him before crossing the room to sit behind her desk.
Thomas closed the door, then sat opposite her and folded his hands. “I... wasn't sure about saying this, but I've been thinking about it, and...”
“All right, young man,” Irma nodded, and Thomas's shoulders sank a little with relief. She wasn't rushing him. “What's going on?”
“I think I saw... inappropriate... conduct,” was the best way Thomas could put it. “And it's by someone more senior, so I felt like it's tattling.”
“No, I'm glad you reported this. When was this?”
“Last Thursday afternoon.”
“What did you see?”
Thomas recited what he'd so carefully practiced: “I was walking by the offices to guide a customer back to his seat when I spotted, er... a blind ajar in Anna's office. I looked through. Not, you know, spying. Just accidentally. And Anna was... er, engaged with one of her clients.”
“One of our mortgage clients?”
Thomas nodded. He'd watched the man walk out twenty minutes later looking cool as a cucumber, and he'd definitely spotted that wedding ring again. After a quick word with Maggie, he'd found out the rest of the story. He was Darren, he was supposedly sweet and charming, and Anna was helping him buy his first house with his wife, an adorable young IT pro.
“Do you know if this was one of her clients specifically?”
“Yes, it was. His name's Darren, but I don't know anything else except that he and his wife are her clients for their first mortgage. The ethics code...”
“I know what the ethics code says,” Irma informed him tartly and he blushed. Her voice softened as she added, “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll bring this to the proper channels. Anything else?”
“N-No, that's it.” That was it? No interrogation? He'd been dreading having to repeat his story to all the managers, or being dragged into a room with Anna to tell her what
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