Page 7 of A Night With You

"But I felt it." He lets his hands fall onto the bar, palms up. "Sparks. Whatever you want to call them. I felt it when she came into the office last night. It's not over between us and I can’t let some gossip and busy bodies get between us. I need to make this right with her."

"So you want me to take the fall for kissing your wife?"

"We're separated," he repeats back to me. "It wouldn't be the end of the world if--you know…” he trails off. The poor guy is stuck between a rock and a hard spot. “If the town thought it was you and Bree and they stayed out of our business..."

Steve looks desperate, and I feel for him.

I just…

I can't agree to this. The town talking about Bree and spreading gossip that I don’t think she’d be comfortable with … it’s not just me who would have to agree.

Steve's right about one thing. It is complicated. He's the one who offered me the job and helped move me back to town. I owe him for that at the very least. I don't want to let him down and I know he still loves his wife. And I know how this town can be. But what I feel for Bree is real and I can’t risk hurting the only chance I might ever have with her.

If it were anything else within reason, I'd be the first in line to help him.

"I don't do hookups in the back of bars," I tell him.

"Bennet, it's not like your boss is going to fire you."

I shoot him a look. "Isn't that a safety hazard, anyway?"

"I was in the office, for fuck's sake." Steve's phone lights up on the bar, and he checks it with a nervous twitch in his hands. "I'm afraid it'll be too much for her if the town starts talking and puts two and two together. You know how people like to play detective and give their opinion on everything. I’ve messed up Bennet. Putting this bar before her. Working our lives away and not being there for her when I should have been. She wants to give it another shot but without the judgment and all that shit."

It’s harder to have trouble in your marriage when you know that everybody and their brother is going to be gossiping. I don't know everything about Steve's marriage, but I have to imagine the stress of the bar and a small business could weigh on anyone. I feel bad for Steve. I really do. If he has a chance with his wife, then I want that for him, but it's not Steve and his wife everybody will be talking about.

It's Aubrey.

And there is just no way I'm doing that to her.

I can't. I won't.

"I'm sorry, Steve." I look him dead in the eyes. "I can’t lie; you know I’m a bad liar.”

"No, no--you don't have to lie. Just don't say anything."

I huff and look away, not liking any of this. A lie of omission is as good as the real thing. I'm not going to lie about Aubrey, even through keeping my mouth shut. Protectiveness shoots across my chest like fire, which only makes me empathize harder with Steve. He's trying to protect his wife, too, but he's going to have to find another way.

"If it was just me, then fine. I don't care. But Aubrey was with me last night."

“Bree isn’t even interested in dating. They’d never believe it and if they did, hell, they’d probably be happy she was getting some action.”

A flare of disbelief and even a hint of anger run through me. People would run away with that rumor about Bree. They'd never shut up about it. He needs to be more careful with what he says, or–

Or what? One kiss doesn't mean I'm dating Aubrey. I inhale a deep breath and steady myself. It doesn't mean I have any claim on her. I can't shut Steve down right now, or he'll think I've lost my mind.

Blowing up at Steve over an off-handed comment, as much as I hate it, would probably get around town, too, and it would have the same result. People would talk about Aubrey. They'd make all kinds of assumptions about her private life, and nobody needs to be doing that.

Not when she's–

Mine.

It sounds clear in my head. Right. She's mine. I know she's not. I know that whatever was between us last night, it doesn't mean I can speak for her in the light of day.

The best move is to keep things focused on Steve and his wife, because that's what this is about. Not me and Aubrey.

I dry off another glass. "You need to come clean, Steve. That's the only thing there is to do. If you and your wife want privacy, you can ask for it. But I can’t let people think Aubrey and I slept together when we didn’t."

Steve runs his hand over his face and leans back in his barstool. It creaks behind him, and I wonder when the last time it was that he had a full night off. Maybe if he had more time to spend with his wife, they wouldn't be in any kind of situation right now.