Page 9 of The Talk Around Town
“Just an orange juice thanks, Max,” she murmured. She couldn’t hold his gaze while she waited for her drink, her gaze wandering over the mirrored back wall of the bar.
“Emma, I just want to be clear that—” Gabe started.
“It’s okay, really. I’m flattered,” she interrupted. “It’s not every day you overhear a good-looking man say you’re pretty. It’s sweet. At least I know you’re not on that stupid list.”
Sweet?
“Ah… no. I’m not on the list. But how did you know that?”
She finally looked at him, her blue eyes friendly if a little embarrassed. “Well it’s not hard to guess, is it? You’d hardly be on it, considering. I’m glad, because it’s a little off-putting. I feel like a horse at an auction.”
Considering what?“You’ve lost me, Emma. Why would you think I wouldn’t be on it?”
“Darby explained everything earlier. So, I understand.” She placed her warm hand on his forearm. Electric energy crackled from just that small touch.
Gabe frowned at her, trying hard to ignore his body’s all-consuming reaction. Even thinking was a problem with her so close. “What are you talking about? What exactly did she tell you?”
Gabe noticed a few people listening while waiting for their drinks at the bar. If Darby had tattled his private business, he was going to have her head on a pike.
“You don’t need to hide being gay from me,” Emma said, glancing around them at the sudden noise in the room. Their small audience had grown.
All the blood drained from his brain in a rush, leaving him breathless and unable to think. If he wasn’t crazy, she’d just told him she thought he was gay.
“What did you say?” he whispered.
Emma smiled and squeezed his arm where her hand rested on it. He couldn’t look away from that smile. It didn’t help his focus any.
“I know heaps of gay guys back home. It really isn’t an issue.”
“Gabe’s gay?”
Ryan started laughing so hard Gabe thought he’d hurt himself. Ryan slapped him hard on his shoulder, making him stumble.
“Mate, this is too good!”
Gabe’s blood returned and superheated his body in a matter of moments. He let out what he thought was a genuine laugh, although it sounded a little hollow to his ears.
“I’m not gay.”
Everyone there in the bar knew that. He honestly didn’t give a damn what they thought, and if ithadbeen the truth he would’ve been out and proud, but Emma was new in town.
He couldn’t let her think the wrong thing. Not that he was interested, because he wasn’t.
“I knew it! I knew there was somethin’ you were hidin’, Gabe. Does your mother know yet?” Mick Pierson’s voice rang out over the swelling laughter and comments. “I hope you don’t want me, ’cause I’m not interested.”
Gabe shot him a dirty look. “You’re not my type, Mick, so you’re out of luck.”
Mick had been a pain in his ass since high school. He was always trying to find a way to wind him up. This would only make the guy ten times worse.
*
Peals of laughterechoed around them. Emma’s gaze flew to Max and Simon, who looked so shell-shocked that her stomach took a nosedive toward the floor. She waited until Gabe turned toward her.
“I thought they all knew,” she whispered.
She felt sick to her stomach. Small towns were notorious for being conservative and here she’d just outed one of their most eligible men.
The smile left Gabe’s face. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m not gay, Emma.”