A/N: Reviews, pretty please? :) -DL
Chapter 2
Riley entered the trailer, scowling a little when he saw Keith sitting at his desk. Somehow, he blamed what had happened last night on the secretary. Keith had bewitched him! Had put some kind of gay spell on him! That was the only answer as to why a straight guy had not only slept with another man(He supposed that he could understand a drunken one-night stand, considering how plastered he'd been), but now couldn't get that same gay guy out of his head!
Keith looked up when the door opened. When he saw Riley standing in the doorway scowling blackly at him, his brows drew down over his blue-grey eyes. But all he said was: "Good morning, Mr. O'Shea," in a voice so cold it could have frozen an active volcano.
"Morning," Riley grunted. He turned away to get a cup of coffee, resisting the urge to snap at the secretary. While he might have wild fantasies about Keith having used some kind of gay mojo on him, he wasn't stupid. Whatever was making him think constantly about Keith Hendrickson, especially in bed, logically he knew it had nothing to do with the man himself. No matter how much he'd like to believe that.
He poured himself a Styrofoam cup full of hot coffee. He had to grudgingly admit that Keith made very good coffee. And he definitely needed it this morning. He added two sugars and some cream, then sipped at it with his back still turned to Keith. He could hear the secretary moving around behind him, and papers rustling. Finally, he heard an aggravated sigh, and Keith spoke: "Mr. O'Shea?"
He spoke without turning around. "Yeah?"
"I know that it's awkward, me working here after we...you know. But I haven't done anything these past few weeks to remind you of that, have I? Or said anything? I've just come in and done my job. And done it pretty well, too, I think. So it's pretty frustrating when the person I have to deal with the most - the foreman of the construction crew - treats me like a leper, or spends all of his time glaring at me. It's not fair, Mr. O'Shea," he added angrily.
Riley sighed. "No, it's not," he agreed, finally turning around. Keith was sitting at his desk, looking tense and unhappy. "And I'm sorry. It's just..." he ran a hand through his hair, "I'm having a really hard time separating my personal life from my work," he explained. "Especially when I have to see you every day, and it reminds me of the fact that I did something I've never done before. I've never even LOOKED at another guy before this! It's too weird! I don't get it!" his voice was rising, and he shut up rather than start shouting.
Keith studied his face thoughtfully. "Never?" he asked after a moment.
Riley shook his head. "Never, ever. I like women. So when I woke up naked next to you, I freaked out so bad! I thought for sure that you'd seduced me when I was drunk, but I had to believe you when you insisted that I'd seduced YOU. And that was even weirder. That made no sense at all. To be perfectly honest, the whole thing scares me shitless!"
Keith nodded. "I suppose it would scare me, too, if I'd woken up next to a naked woman after I got drunk the night before. I get why you're upset, but I'd really like it if you stopped taking it out on me. All I did was take a cute guy up on his offer and spend the night with him. I didn't force him into anything, I didn't tie him up and put a gun to his head to make him sleep with me." He looked steadily at Riley as he spoke, and he felt a spurt of shame go through him.
"I'm really sorry," he said. He rubbed at the side of his face. "I'll try not to take it out on you anymore, I swear."
Keith nodded. "That's all I'm asking for," he remarked. "A professional relationship, that's it."
"I'll try," he repeated. "I promise."
Keith nodded in acceptance of his words. "All right. I'll hold you to that promise. Now, I spoke to the plumbing company who were supposed to start laying the pipes Monday, and they said that they're being held up on another job and won't be able to start until Wednesday. Do you need me to try to find somebody else, or will Wednesday be okay?"
"Wednesday will be fine. We'll just move some things around. Thanks."
Keith nodded again. Riley stared at his face, and felt an unholy urge that wouldn't be quelled. "Hey," he said tentatively. "Would you want to...get a drink with me tonight?"
Keith blinked, a look of surprise flashing over his face. "You want to get a drink with ME?" he repeated cautiously.
"Yeah," Riley sighed. "Look," he added, seeing the expression on Keith's face, " I know I've been a dick, and I've been avoiding you since...that night...but I'd like to sort of...you know...make it up to you or something. I know buying you a drink isn't much, but it's a start, right?"
"A sort of peace offering," Keith mused. "Is that what this is?"
He nodded. "A way for me to say 'I'm sorry'. With alcohol," he went on with a crooked grin. "I want to show you that I'm not normally a bad guy, just a really confused one right now."
Keith considered his proposition, then shrugged. "Why not? I can't turn down a free drink. Just as long as you know that you can't buy my affections with a single drink. That's take AT LEAST six," he added, his blue-grey eyes gleaming.
Riley found himself laughing, and relaxing more than he had any time during the last two weeks. "I gotcha," he replied. "How about after work? You can follow me to this bar I like to go to."
Keith's brows lifted a little. "A working man's bar? Are my kind allowed there?" he asked skeptically.
"Err.." Riley hadn't really considered that.
Keith folded his hands on top of his desk. "How about a compromise? You buy the drinks, and I pick the bar. I promise you won't catch gay cooties," he said, making an x over his own heart with a slender finger.
Riley wasn't sure that he wanted to go to a gay bar, but the alternative might be a bar fight at his favorite watering hole if he brought an obviously gay guy into it.
"Okay," he said reluctantly.
Keith smiled. It was a very pretty smile, Riley noticed distantly. And oh, Lord, he felt a peculiar stirring in his abdomen(and parts lower, if he would have admitted it, which he wasn't going to) at the sight of that beautiful smile. "Great," he said happily. "I promise you a good time, Mr. O'Shea. But not TOO good a time, if you know what I mean!" he added with a saucy wink.
"Umm, maybe you should call me Riley," he said.
Keith shook his head. "Not at work. Tonight, when we go to the bar, I'll call you Riley. But at work, you're my boss so you're Mr. O'Shea."
Keith was definitely a professional. Riley had to like him for that. "All right. I've gotta get on the job, I'll see you later."
Riley was feeling horribly nervous as he followed Keith's little car to the bar that the secretary had chosen for them to get a drink at. His fingers kept drumming on the steering wheel of his truck, and he felt sweat beading on his forehead. He had to get a hold of himself! He was just going to a gay bar, for Chrissakes! What did he think was going to happen? That the entire bar would mob him, wrestle him to the floor, rip his clothes off, and take turns having their wicked way with him?
Well, actually he wasn't sure about that one way or another. It wasn't as though he hung out with gay guys all of the time. Who knew what they were like when they were together in a large group? Well, he'd find out one way or another soon. Because they were turning into a parking lot, and he was parking his truck right next to Keith's little car...
He got slowly out of his truck. Keith had already emerged from his car, and walked over to Riley. "Are you ready, Riley?" he asked.
"Sure," he said through lips that felt rather stiff.
Keith gave him a sympathetic look. "I swear, Riley, they won't eat you," he said soothingly. "You might get hit on, that's true; you're a good-looking guy. But if you turn them down firmly, they'll leave you alone. Gay guys are generally like straight guys - we don't want to be with somebody who doesn't want to be with US. Some are jerk-offs who won't take no for an answer, but they're rare. You'll be fine."
He nodded. "Okay, let's do this," he said.
Keith smiled at him. "That's the spirit," he encouraged Riley, leading the way toward the front door of the bar.
Inside, they paused by the door. Riley looked the place over, and was surprised that it looked just like any other bar. No glittering disco ball on the ceiling, no naked guys dancing on the top of the bar, no cages or guys having sex with each other right out in public. Just men(and a few women) mingling and talking and drinking together. Seeing his expression, Keith giggled. "I know what you're thinking," he said to Riley. "Where's the debauchery? The public orgies? The drugs and sex and naked guys? Right?"
Embarrassed, he shrugged helplessly. Keith grinned. "There are plenty of places like that in this town," he told Riley. "But I don't go to them. Any more than you'd probably go to a straight version of that, would you?"
He shook his head in distaste. Keith nodded. "That's right. I don't like that kind of scene. This place is much better. This is where gay guys - and a few lesbians - come to meet other gay guys or lesbians who're looking for a real relationship, or just to make friends and hang out together after work. It's the Cheers of the gay world," he went on with a gamin grin.
Riley found himself smiling a little. He felt better already. "Come on, let's get a drink," Keith said, leading him over to the bar. He was greeted by a few of the people sitting at the bar, and Riley found himself the center of some appreciative glances and a few whistles. He tried not to stiffen, but it helped that nobody made a move toward him.
"Hey, Keith. Who's this? Your new guy? He's fabulous!" trilled a light voice, as the man behind the bar caught sight of them. He ogled Riley openly, which made him feel decidedly uncomfortable.
"Hey, Drake. No, this is a co-worker of mine. His name is Riley, and he's straight," Keith explained. "I just brought him to get a drink. Nothing more than that."
The bartender formed his mouth into a disappointed moue. "A breeder? So not fair!" He cried.
"I know," Keith said commiserating. "But life's never fair, is it? Believe me, I was disappointed too when I found out he was straight," he added, his eyes flashing to Riley's face as he said this. The sardonic smile on his face made Riley squirm a little.
"Oh, well. We can still make him feel welcome. What can I get you, Gorgeous?" he asked Riley brightly.
"Uh, a beer would be good," Riley said.
He made a face. "Beer? Yeah, you're definitely a breeder," he drawled. "You want your usual, Keith?"
"Yep. Bring it on, Drake," Keith said cheerfully, perching on a bar stool.
Riley sat down next to him, glad that there were at least two empty stools between him and the next guy at the bar. While he felt less nervous now, he still wasn't quite ready to relax just yet...
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Chapter 2
Riley entered the trailer, scowling a little when he saw Keith sitting at his desk. Somehow, he blamed what had happened last night on the secretary. Keith had bewitched him! Had put some kind of gay spell on him! That was the only answer as to why a straight guy had not only slept with another man(He supposed that he could understand a drunken one-night stand, considering how plastered he'd been), but now couldn't get that same gay guy out of his head!
Keith looked up when the door opened. When he saw Riley standing in the doorway scowling blackly at him, his brows drew down over his blue-grey eyes. But all he said was: "Good morning, Mr. O'Shea," in a voice so cold it could have frozen an active volcano.
"Morning," Riley grunted. He turned away to get a cup of coffee, resisting the urge to snap at the secretary. While he might have wild fantasies about Keith having used some kind of gay mojo on him, he wasn't stupid. Whatever was making him think constantly about Keith Hendrickson, especially in bed, logically he knew it had nothing to do with the man himself. No matter how much he'd like to believe that.
He poured himself a Styrofoam cup full of hot coffee. He had to grudgingly admit that Keith made very good coffee. And he definitely needed it this morning. He added two sugars and some cream, then sipped at it with his back still turned to Keith. He could hear the secretary moving around behind him, and papers rustling. Finally, he heard an aggravated sigh, and Keith spoke: "Mr. O'Shea?"
He spoke without turning around. "Yeah?"
"I know that it's awkward, me working here after we...you know. But I haven't done anything these past few weeks to remind you of that, have I? Or said anything? I've just come in and done my job. And done it pretty well, too, I think. So it's pretty frustrating when the person I have to deal with the most - the foreman of the construction crew - treats me like a leper, or spends all of his time glaring at me. It's not fair, Mr. O'Shea," he added angrily.
Riley sighed. "No, it's not," he agreed, finally turning around. Keith was sitting at his desk, looking tense and unhappy. "And I'm sorry. It's just..." he ran a hand through his hair, "I'm having a really hard time separating my personal life from my work," he explained. "Especially when I have to see you every day, and it reminds me of the fact that I did something I've never done before. I've never even LOOKED at another guy before this! It's too weird! I don't get it!" his voice was rising, and he shut up rather than start shouting.
Keith studied his face thoughtfully. "Never?" he asked after a moment.
Riley shook his head. "Never, ever. I like women. So when I woke up naked next to you, I freaked out so bad! I thought for sure that you'd seduced me when I was drunk, but I had to believe you when you insisted that I'd seduced YOU. And that was even weirder. That made no sense at all. To be perfectly honest, the whole thing scares me shitless!"
Keith nodded. "I suppose it would scare me, too, if I'd woken up next to a naked woman after I got drunk the night before. I get why you're upset, but I'd really like it if you stopped taking it out on me. All I did was take a cute guy up on his offer and spend the night with him. I didn't force him into anything, I didn't tie him up and put a gun to his head to make him sleep with me." He looked steadily at Riley as he spoke, and he felt a spurt of shame go through him.
"I'm really sorry," he said. He rubbed at the side of his face. "I'll try not to take it out on you anymore, I swear."
Keith nodded. "That's all I'm asking for," he remarked. "A professional relationship, that's it."
"I'll try," he repeated. "I promise."
Keith nodded in acceptance of his words. "All right. I'll hold you to that promise. Now, I spoke to the plumbing company who were supposed to start laying the pipes Monday, and they said that they're being held up on another job and won't be able to start until Wednesday. Do you need me to try to find somebody else, or will Wednesday be okay?"
"Wednesday will be fine. We'll just move some things around. Thanks."
Keith nodded again. Riley stared at his face, and felt an unholy urge that wouldn't be quelled. "Hey," he said tentatively. "Would you want to...get a drink with me tonight?"
Keith blinked, a look of surprise flashing over his face. "You want to get a drink with ME?" he repeated cautiously.
"Yeah," Riley sighed. "Look," he added, seeing the expression on Keith's face, " I know I've been a dick, and I've been avoiding you since...that night...but I'd like to sort of...you know...make it up to you or something. I know buying you a drink isn't much, but it's a start, right?"
"A sort of peace offering," Keith mused. "Is that what this is?"
He nodded. "A way for me to say 'I'm sorry'. With alcohol," he went on with a crooked grin. "I want to show you that I'm not normally a bad guy, just a really confused one right now."
Keith considered his proposition, then shrugged. "Why not? I can't turn down a free drink. Just as long as you know that you can't buy my affections with a single drink. That's take AT LEAST six," he added, his blue-grey eyes gleaming.
Riley found himself laughing, and relaxing more than he had any time during the last two weeks. "I gotcha," he replied. "How about after work? You can follow me to this bar I like to go to."
Keith's brows lifted a little. "A working man's bar? Are my kind allowed there?" he asked skeptically.
"Err.." Riley hadn't really considered that.
Keith folded his hands on top of his desk. "How about a compromise? You buy the drinks, and I pick the bar. I promise you won't catch gay cooties," he said, making an x over his own heart with a slender finger.
Riley wasn't sure that he wanted to go to a gay bar, but the alternative might be a bar fight at his favorite watering hole if he brought an obviously gay guy into it.
"Okay," he said reluctantly.
Keith smiled. It was a very pretty smile, Riley noticed distantly. And oh, Lord, he felt a peculiar stirring in his abdomen(and parts lower, if he would have admitted it, which he wasn't going to) at the sight of that beautiful smile. "Great," he said happily. "I promise you a good time, Mr. O'Shea. But not TOO good a time, if you know what I mean!" he added with a saucy wink.
"Umm, maybe you should call me Riley," he said.
Keith shook his head. "Not at work. Tonight, when we go to the bar, I'll call you Riley. But at work, you're my boss so you're Mr. O'Shea."
Keith was definitely a professional. Riley had to like him for that. "All right. I've gotta get on the job, I'll see you later."
Riley was feeling horribly nervous as he followed Keith's little car to the bar that the secretary had chosen for them to get a drink at. His fingers kept drumming on the steering wheel of his truck, and he felt sweat beading on his forehead. He had to get a hold of himself! He was just going to a gay bar, for Chrissakes! What did he think was going to happen? That the entire bar would mob him, wrestle him to the floor, rip his clothes off, and take turns having their wicked way with him?
Well, actually he wasn't sure about that one way or another. It wasn't as though he hung out with gay guys all of the time. Who knew what they were like when they were together in a large group? Well, he'd find out one way or another soon. Because they were turning into a parking lot, and he was parking his truck right next to Keith's little car...
He got slowly out of his truck. Keith had already emerged from his car, and walked over to Riley. "Are you ready, Riley?" he asked.
"Sure," he said through lips that felt rather stiff.
Keith gave him a sympathetic look. "I swear, Riley, they won't eat you," he said soothingly. "You might get hit on, that's true; you're a good-looking guy. But if you turn them down firmly, they'll leave you alone. Gay guys are generally like straight guys - we don't want to be with somebody who doesn't want to be with US. Some are jerk-offs who won't take no for an answer, but they're rare. You'll be fine."
He nodded. "Okay, let's do this," he said.
Keith smiled at him. "That's the spirit," he encouraged Riley, leading the way toward the front door of the bar.
Inside, they paused by the door. Riley looked the place over, and was surprised that it looked just like any other bar. No glittering disco ball on the ceiling, no naked guys dancing on the top of the bar, no cages or guys having sex with each other right out in public. Just men(and a few women) mingling and talking and drinking together. Seeing his expression, Keith giggled. "I know what you're thinking," he said to Riley. "Where's the debauchery? The public orgies? The drugs and sex and naked guys? Right?"
Embarrassed, he shrugged helplessly. Keith grinned. "There are plenty of places like that in this town," he told Riley. "But I don't go to them. Any more than you'd probably go to a straight version of that, would you?"
He shook his head in distaste. Keith nodded. "That's right. I don't like that kind of scene. This place is much better. This is where gay guys - and a few lesbians - come to meet other gay guys or lesbians who're looking for a real relationship, or just to make friends and hang out together after work. It's the Cheers of the gay world," he went on with a gamin grin.
Riley found himself smiling a little. He felt better already. "Come on, let's get a drink," Keith said, leading him over to the bar. He was greeted by a few of the people sitting at the bar, and Riley found himself the center of some appreciative glances and a few whistles. He tried not to stiffen, but it helped that nobody made a move toward him.
"Hey, Keith. Who's this? Your new guy? He's fabulous!" trilled a light voice, as the man behind the bar caught sight of them. He ogled Riley openly, which made him feel decidedly uncomfortable.
"Hey, Drake. No, this is a co-worker of mine. His name is Riley, and he's straight," Keith explained. "I just brought him to get a drink. Nothing more than that."
The bartender formed his mouth into a disappointed moue. "A breeder? So not fair!" He cried.
"I know," Keith said commiserating. "But life's never fair, is it? Believe me, I was disappointed too when I found out he was straight," he added, his eyes flashing to Riley's face as he said this. The sardonic smile on his face made Riley squirm a little.
"Oh, well. We can still make him feel welcome. What can I get you, Gorgeous?" he asked Riley brightly.
"Uh, a beer would be good," Riley said.
He made a face. "Beer? Yeah, you're definitely a breeder," he drawled. "You want your usual, Keith?"
"Yep. Bring it on, Drake," Keith said cheerfully, perching on a bar stool.
Riley sat down next to him, glad that there were at least two empty stools between him and the next guy at the bar. While he felt less nervous now, he still wasn't quite ready to relax just yet...
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