"Excellent! Matt, you're wonderful. Our client's going to flip for this. What would I ever do without you?"
Matt let the warmth of the praise spread through his chest. “I'm sure you'd manage,” he said humbly, toying with the mouse. The program he'd written for Wolfe was good. Even he could see that. It was better than any of the other applications he'd tweaked and fixed in the time he'd been working for Wolfe, and this was the first one he'd written from the ground up, so it was even more special.
"Nonsense. I couldn't have done it without you. You are a workhorse. You've got to let me reward you for this."
Matt smiled. “Bonus?” Not that he needed it. Wolfe paid him plenty for his meager necessities and then some.
A chuckle. “For certain. But I was thinking something a little more immediate. Let me take you out to dinner. To celebrate."
Matt's blood ran cold. His erection deflated. “There's nothing to celebrate yet. They haven't seen the final product."
"They'll love it. I guarantee it. So, what do you say? I know a fabulous seafood restaurant right on the beach."
Matt stared unseeing at the papers and notes strewn across the desktop between him and the two LCD monitors. “I ... No."
"No?"
"I mean, thanks. Really. Thank you. But I can't."
"Why not?"
"I..."
"We don't have to do it tonight ... if you have a hot date?"
He snorted. “You know I don't."
"Yes, I know you don't. You don't ever go out. Why is that?"
Matt bristled. “Wolfe, you're my boss. I don't have to tell you anything about my private life.” Especially when the truth was so very odd.
"You don't have to, but I wish you would. I'd like to think we're friends."
He sat back in his chair, staring at the phone. “We're sort of friends."
Chuckle. “I'd like to get rid of the ‘sort of’ part."
Matt picked at a hole in his jeans. Truthfully, he'd like to get rid of the “sort of” part too.
"Two years."
"Huh?"
"Two years you've worked for me, and we've never even met. That's a shame."
Tell me about it.
So the time that he had both dreaded and anticipated had finally come. “Has it been two years?” He'd figured that Wolfe would want to meet him someday and was, frankly, surprised it had taken this long. Wolfe had hired him sight unseen for the unconventional programming job on the recommendation of one of Matt's counselors from tech school. Without questioning it, Wolfe had had all the HR paperwork sent via express mail to Matt. They had a completely electronic relationship, working together through email, instant messaging, and phone calls. Yet, to this day, Wolfe had never suggested they meet.
Two years? Matt thought back. Yeah, it must have been fall, because it had been a few months after that night.
No, don't think about that.
"Yes. It's been two years. And you've done amazing things to help me grow a small idea into a reality. I couldn't have come this far without you. It's beyond time that I take you out for a celebratory dinner."
He squirmed. “You don't have to do that."
"I want to.” A little bit of a growl in that voice just did weird things to Matt's chest.
"I...” Matt swallowed, caught between desire and terror. He wanted to be with Wolfe, wanted to spend more time with him. But ... “How about lunch?"
"Lunch?"
"Yeah. A celebratory lunch."
"It's not quite the same thing."
"It's plenty. You've done a lot for me too, you know."
"It's not plenty."
"But..."
"Tell me why you won't let me take you to dinner."
Matt bit his lip, thinking. He couldn't tell the truth. He knew better. It was nothing but trouble to tell anyone why he refused to go out at night.
"Did you find out that I'm gay?"
Matt's heart soared. He'd already suspected as much from looking the man up on the Internet, but to hear it blurted out like that...
"Look, Matt, it's not like I'm going to jump you or turn you gay or anything like that—"
No? Why the hell not?
"—I promise to be a good boy and not make any untoward advances."
"No. That's not it. I-I'm gay too."
Silence. “You are?"
Matt winced. Smooth move. But it was out now and probably better for it. “Yes."
"Well, I still won't make any untoward advances.” Except that his voice had gone all warm again, like it did when he was amused. “Unless you ask nicely."
Matt swallowed. Had he just said that?!
Wolfe continued as though he hadn't just flirted, however minimally. “The fact remains that I'd like to take you out to dinner."
"I can't go out at night."
"Why not?"
"I can't tell you."
"Why?"
"I just ... can't.” It would sound stupid, and you'd either never talk to me again or you'd call someone to have me committed. Neither seemed a desirable option.
Wolfe sighed. “All right, Matt. I can't very well force you."
Images flashed through Matt's mind of Wolfe holding him face down on a mattress, pinning him as his cock stabbed Matt's willing ass. There was something to be said about force.
Which was odd because, other than certain fantasies he entertained about Wolfe, force was not his thing. Especially since...
Don't go there. He stared mournfully at the phone. “I'm sorry."
"So am I. I was looking forward to getting to know you better."
Why did that sound like an ending?
"Wolfe...?"
"All right.” He spoke as though Matt hadn't said anything, his voice now brisk and efficient. “You're going to upload your changes so we can get a new compile?"
"Yeah. Wolfe—"
"Good. I'll tell Greg to expect it. Let him know if you're not ready to compile by five, yeah?"
It felt like the train with everything he'd ever wanted was leaving the station, with him still standing on the platform. “Okay. Hey, Wolfe—"
"Talk to you later, Matt. I'll be sure to put a juicy bonus in your next paycheck."
Matt opened his mouth to repeat the man's name yet again,
