The yawn that overtakes me is a doozy and it’s so deep and drawn out, I almost pass out from lack of oxygen. I glance over at the clock that sits on my desk and see it’s close to seven PM. It’s now the third day in a row that Matt has not meandered down to my office and tried to make plans to see me.
Not that he’s the only one that has to do so, it’s just… I went to him the last two nights and asked him if he wanted to do something, to which he said he couldn’t because he was swamped with work.
So, do I just go ahead and go home, or do I make my way over to his office yet again to probably get shot down… yet again?
It’s with a heavy heart that I decide to be a glutton for punishment, and I walk down to Matt’s kingdom. His door is open. As I step inside, I see him putting his suit jacket on and picking up his briefcase as if he’s ready to leave. Joy leaps in my heart that he’s not going to work late tonight, so that I can finally have some alone time with him.
When he looks up and sees me standing there, he says, “Hey you… I was just getting ready to come down to your office, so it looks like you saved me a trip.”
I shoot him a radiant grin and then immediately start thinking of how quickly I can get him naked once we step foot in either his apartment or mine. I hope my voice doesn’t sound too salacious when I ask, “So, what do you want to do tonight?”
I expect Matt’s eyes to start a slow burn and fill with lustful promise, but instead he blinks at me and gets a sheepish look on his face. “Um… actually, I was on my way down to your office to tell you that I’m going out with some of the guys to get some drinks.”
Yes, it’s like a wall of cold water hits me, almost knocking the breath out of me. But I’m Mac Dawson, and I have more fortitude than that. “Oh… okay. Well, do you want to come over to my place after?”
Matt’s face turns slightly red, and his head hangs down. “I’m sorry, Mac… but this is kind of one of those nights that I’ll probably be out all night with the boys.”
“The boys?” I ask blankly.
“The boys. You know, Rob, Mike, and Joey from litigation, and Sam in estates. And I think that new guy… Bill’s paralegal is going. The boys.”
“But you never go out with the boys,” I say lamely.
“Sure I do,” he says with confidence.
“No, Matt… you don’t. You even told me once that you couldn’t stand being around a bunch of drunk guys acting like morons.”
I can see the moment that Matt remembers making that statement to me, and he has the grace to look embarrassed. But just like with anyone who gets called on the carpet, he becomes a little defensive. “Look, Mac… if you don’t want me to go, I won’t.”
The tone of his voice is really saying, I feel henpecked to death, and I’ll really be pissed if you don’t let me go out with the boys.
With a sigh, I tell him, “It’s not that I don’t want you to go. I do want you to go out and have fun. It’s just… I haven’t seen you in a while, and I miss you is all.”
Giving me a lazy smile, Matt walks up and kisses me. It’s not deep, it’s not seductive, but it is sweet and caring. “I know,” is all he says, and then he picks up his briefcase.
What the fuck? I get an “I know”? There should have been something else. Maybe an, “I miss you, too,” or even a half-assed attempt for him to cop a feel. But just an “I know,” and he’s walking out?
My eyes narrow in suspicion at him just as he reaches for his doorknob. “Are you doing this to punish me for not having sex with you today in your office?”
Matt turns slowly around to look at me. His face is impassive. “Absolutely not.”