Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 2

him is accurate, considering he and Rafe have spoken more in the last week than all the rest of Connor's time at IMK, but he's not going to tell Julian that. "A year."
    "I'm surprised he hasn't mentioned you."
    "Why would he?"
    Julian smiles. The amused glint is back. "Oh, I think I would have." His eyes flick to the side, caught by something, and Connor's instinctively follow their path.
    Rafe. He's on the stairs, taking the final two then navigating the maze of desks toward them. "Julian," he says, the greeting as cool as the day before. "I thought we were meeting at the restaurant."
    "I haven't been by here in a while," Julian says. "Just thought I'd poke my head in. Check everything out." His gaze drifts to Connor on that last sentence, and the back of Connor's neck heats. He's pretty sure the guy's just screwing around with him, so it's surprising to see Rafe's jaw tighten at the remark.
    Then Rafe sees the drawings in front of Julian. "You've already seen them?" Connor tenses, but he doesn't detect any reproach in his voice. "They're just preliminary."
    "They look good, Rafe," Julian says, and Connor can tell he means it sincerely. He comments on one of the room's layout and Rafe answers, their body language shifting into something easy and familiar. Two peers discussing their work, meeting on equal footing. It makes Connor feel like a voyeur, intruding on that shared connection.
    It's not like he can go anywhere to avoid it; it's his desk. He must make some movement or sound, because he feels both sets of eyes on him. "I'll meet you outside," Rafe says to Julian, who answers with a raised eyebrow and a shrug but leaves them for the elevators. Rafe picks up one of the drawings where Julian left them and fingers the edge of it. "I may be out of the office for a few days."
    "Oh." It's none of his business, but he finds himself asking, "For work?"
    "No," Rafe says after a moment. "Just something unavoidable." Connor's gaze flicks to the path Julian took. Unavoidable is one word for it.
    "Anyway," Rafe says, clearing his throat. He seems to realize he's still holding the drawing and drops it back on the pile. "I'd like to send Walter some models next week. Will they be ready, or do you need more time?"
    "That shouldn't be a problem."
    "Thanks." Rafe hesitates a moment before adding, "We'll talk when I get back, then."
    Connor watches him leave, wondering if Rafe had been about to say something else. Probably just wishful thinking.
    He retrieves the drawings from where Julian left them, shuffling through until he finds the one he left off with.
    ****
    Connor's parents moved to Chestnut Hill when he went to college, which surprised him at the time; he always figured them for city dwellers. They seem happy enough with the suburban life, but he's still getting used to the place. It's strange calling a house he didn't grow up in home. His mom calls one of the guest bedrooms his because it's the one he happens to sleep in if he stays over, but most of his things pre-college are still in boxes in the basement.
    But with suburbia comes an actual backyard, which is nice on days when the air holds the first hint of summer's warmth, the sun showing cheerfully through the trees.
    He finds his mother at the grill. "Your father's attempting to put together Gabby's bike," she says with a roll of her eyes as Connor leans in for the obligatory cheek kiss. Her dark hair is just starting to show a few grey streaks. "And Janey's trying to help him. So I suggest staying out of the mudroom for a while."
    "I'm surprised it's still standing," Connor says. "Where's Gabby?"
    "With Shawn. They should be here soon, actually."
    "Can I do anything?"
    "You can set the table," his mom says, which is what Connor expected. None of his family is willing to trust a twenty-four-year-old with actual food.
    He finds what he needs in the kitchen after a quick poke into the mudroom for an exchange of distracted greetings with Janey and his dad, the bike still in pieces around them. He sets the patio table then returns to the kitchen for a couple of beers, pouring his mom's in a glass.
    She thanks him when he hands it to her. "How is work?"
    Connor shrugs. "Good. We started a new project." Rafe still hasn't returned from whatever took him away from the office. Actually, he never returned from lunch with Julian. Connor lifts the beer to his mouth to wash out the sour taste that leaves.
    "Are you still enjoying it?"
    Connor takes another sip, buying some