Jake pulled out his phone when it buzzed, then looked at the screen nodded. “Yeah. That’s no problem at all.”
He showed them to Evander, who gave a thumbs up. “I like it. We can hit the lumber yard today so we can find the right stuff to work with. Anything I need to keep an eye on for electrical nonsense?”
Aras rolled his eyes. “I can work with whatever you decide on. Because I’m good at my job.”
Ev sighed and shook his head, but didn’t rise to the bait. Probably for the best. He and Jake headed out…which meant it was just Aras and Dane alone in a room full of carnival glass. And no cameras.
Dane took a step closer. It wasn’t as if they had a ton of space to begin with, but he closed off what little distance they’d had to work with. “So about last night?”
Aras nodded. “I’m sorry.”
Chapter seventeen
Dane
Danebitbackthesurge of panic at that. “Sorry for what?” Had it really been that bad? Dane had a great time, so if the sex was bad for Aras…well, Aras wouldn’t be the one to blame for that, would he?
“I know it isn’t cool to play around with work like that. I shouldn’t be jeopardizing either of our jobs.”
It sure as hellsoundedlike an excuse, but as Dane looked up at him, he saw nothing but sincerity. A lot more sincerity than he’d gotten used to seeing on Aras’s face, and a lot more than he’d shown when he was surrounded by the other guys from the crew. In point of fact, he always acted more sincere when Dane was talking to him.Or I’m seeing what I want from my crush.Felt weird to still call him a crush after last night, but it would have been ever weirder to call him anything else. Even in his own head.
Dane steeled himself and kept eye contact. “I’m not worried about work.”
“Well you should be. I’m talent. You said so. That puts me in a position above you because of some stupid hierarchical bullshit. As if the production crew doesn’t have just as much skill as any of us.” He rolled his eyes, fingers rolling into taut fists at his sides.
Dane couldn’t let the innuendo pass, both because of his twelve year old brain, and the fact that this conversation felt like it needed to lighten up. “I’d like to point out, you were in a position above me for anentirelydifferent reason last night.”
Aras blew out a low breath, and he was pretty plainly trying to keep a firm expression, but Dane saw a smile punch through. Briefly, but he saw it. Then Aras shook his head. “You know what I mean. Also, you were above me.”
“I do know what you mean.” Dane sighed and did his best to keep the smile from his face. It might look too pitying or mocking. “How mad are you going to get if I tell you that’s a stupid thing to worry about?”
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t think worrying about you is stupid.”
Worrying about me. Dane’s belly danced and tingled around that idea. “My job is not in jeopardy if we make out a few times.”
“I don’t remember any making out.” That time, Aras actually smiled. It faded too fast. “But the point is, it’s a big deal.”
“Suddenly people finding each other on this show is beyond the pale? I remember—”
“It’s different with us. We’re both working here. I…if this was a different situation, I’d try. But I don’t think it’s wise.”
Dane’s stomach dropped, and when Aras stepped back, it was like a chain attached to his gut pulled taut. It was ridiculous, after one night together, but he hated even the suggestion of growing distance. So Dane stepped forward again, even as they were running out of room, as the backs of Aras’s knees were getting close to the boxes against the wall.
“We can’t do this.” Aras pressed his hands forward, resting them against Dane’s shoulders. “I want to. But that’s what makes it so damn dangerous to even try.” He looked up at the ceiling, and when he lowered his gaze again, his eyes were those same lit coals from the night before, burning their way forward into Dane. “I’d want to try and make this into something, see if it works.”
“Me too.”
“Yeah. And that’s not a good plan.”
Dane had the urge to smack him. Maybe it would knock a little sense into him. He wouldn’t do that, obviously, but he did grab Aras’s hands where they rested on his shoulders. He didn’t pull in closer, in spite of the overwhelming desire, but he kept his grip on them. “I like the plan.”
Aras groaned, but he didn’t try to get his hands back. “God damn it, so do I. And I loved last night. But I also loved it the last time I took shrooms, and I’m not so keen on following that up with a repeat performance. I like driving twenty miles over the speed limit, but that’s not a good idea.”
“You like buying expensive glass that you need to teach me about. And you like working with super dangerous electricity, but that seems like a great idea. Got you here.” Dane finally released Aras’s hands, but he didn’t step back. That would have been too torturous. “I’ve worked on shows before.” Not many, but enough, as far as he was concerned. “No one’s going to care if we hook up a few times.” That felt like a lot safer bet than suggesting a relationship. Hell, as far as Dane knew, they would hang out for a while and find out that this wasn’t viable at all, outside of sex.
Okay, so Dane couldn’t convince himself that was even a real possibility. They seemed like they just got along too well for any of that. But he also knew he should temper his own expectations. If it made Aras feel better about this at the same time, all the better.
Aras chewed on his lower lip. When he did speak again, it was soft. “You don’t want to learn about carnival glass.”
