Friday

MARK HAD TOLD Gabe he wasn’t going to the office, but that had to be his car. Gabe swore it was the same sleek, black sedan. There weren’t many like it on the morning commute. Well, there were some around the airport, but he was way past that exit.

Mark’s car changed lanes to exit. At the same exit for the cafe they went to yesterday morning.

Gabe flipped on his turn signal to follow without realizing what he was doing. It wasn’t stalking if you were going to get a cup of coffee. Going to get a cup of coffee at a place you’d sworn you’d never go to again. It had been close to twenty-four hours. No one would recognize him as the guy who snuck out of the bathroom after a ridiculously long time, holding the hand of an incredibly handsome man the day before.

Maybe it happened every day, and no one would remember.

Gabe pulled into the parking lot. Mark’s car was parked in front of the cafe, but Gabe didn’t see another open space nearby.

The car door opened, and Gabe’s heart clenched. A tall, strikingly beautiful woman got out of the driver’s seat. She wore a black dress stopping right above the knees and gold jewelry around her wrists and neck. Her sensible heels made the outfit appropriate for work. She was exactly the kind of person who’d look amazing standing next to Mark.

He was sure it was Mark’s car. He’d spent the past two days checking for it whenever he was on the road.

Gabe drove past without stopping; he might have slunk down in his seat so this gorgeous woman wouldn’t see his scruffy face and wrinkled dress shirt through the window of his beat-up old car.

It was stupid to think Mark was single. And if he was single, a guy who looked like him wouldn’t need to use apps to meet someone. He could get into anyone’s pants.

Gabe had been stupid. Married guys, in the closet or out, used apps to hookup on the downlow all the time. When he’d been more active on them, he’d made sure to at least ask if a guy was single. Gabe knew a lot lied about it, but it was the best he could do.

He hadn’t asked Mark. He’d been too caught up in how exciting it was to meet someone who actually communicated and was hot as hell. Stupid.

Gabe pulled out of the parking lot and merged quickly onto the highway. He clenched his jaw so hard it hurt.

At least Maggie would be happy he wasn’t going to see Mark again.