The Boss [LGBT]

Chapter 15

"Lafayette, I - oh. Sorry. I thought he was in here."

I stared flatly at Liam O'Hara. Who the hell did he think he was just barging right into the office? This is not his damn house. This is my house.

"Do you know when he'll be back?" he asked.

"Probably not for thirty minutes," I replied.

He sighed, and I expected him to leave, but he instead plopped onto the couch, the couch I sleep on while Lafayette is at his financial meeting. I really need to stop being jealous, but this guy sleeps with him. I can't help it. I'm a Taurus. Tauruses are jealous. Or so my horoscope says.

"So it's Emerson right?" Liam asked.

I looked up at him and nodded.

"Are you and Lafayette, like, together?"

"What?" I asked. "Of course not."

"Really?"

"Uh - yeah."

"But you two live together right?"

"Yes."

"You should ask him out."

"He said he was taking the year off," I stated flatly.

"From dating?"

"Yeah. Not from sleeping around, though."

"Just ask him out anyway. I'm sure he'd say yes. He says you're cute, funny, smart-"

"He thinks I'm smart?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah. He says you know a lot of random stuff. Just the other day he said you know something about Isaac Asimov and-"

"He's the only author who has a book in every section of the Dewey Decimal system."

"See? How do you know that stuff?"

"I don't know. I watch Jeopardy a lot. When I was in high school and college I remembered all the weird facts and none that were actually going to be on the test. I dunno. I have pretty good memory, too. I just remember hearing about it." I never thought about it, but I guess I did know a lot of stuff. Nothing to do with math of course, but I did have a good memory and so I sort of remembered the stuff I find most interesting. Which is why I remember people that I think are interesting, and that's also why I didn't remember Liam at first because he's not interesting in any way, shape, or form. And you can say that's why I didn't retain much math either.

"He tells me a lot about you, you know? I don't know if he means to, but he'll just be telling me about his day and you're always in his story."

"Well I'm his assistant. I have to be with him everyday."

"Yeah, but the story sort of revolves around you. I think he likes you."

"He doesn't like me," I said, shaking my head.

"Why wouldn't he? He constantly talks about you. He buys you everything. You two are incredible friends. That sounds like something a boyfriend would do. So many people would love to be in your position and yet you aren't even dating. Yet." He smiled at me.

"Well why don't you date him?" I asked.

"He's really not my type. He's just a friend. I'm kind of like his confidante, too." Hm. Maybe Liam is to Lafayette as Owen is to me. "I'm into more earthy, laid-back guys. I like black guys, too." He laughed, and I sort of grew relieved.