Firewall Read Free Page A

emails, and social media were enough to keep in touch these days.
    I might be able to get some time off soon.
    Calder responded.
    It’d be nice to see Justin after all these years. Calder felt guilty that they had let so much time pass between them. There was really no need for it, but life was like that sometimes.
    There was more to it than that as well—a certain attraction to Justin that he couldn’t deny.
    No, no. Now wasn’t the time to think of Justin like that. Was there even a right time to think about it? Calder had thought about Justin over the years but had tried not to dwell on it. He’d never been interested in men in general.
    But Justin was different.
    Calder had always tried to dismiss his attraction as just being lonely for his best friend’s company. Honestly, Justin was the most important person in his life. He was always eager to hear about his day and share his own—as much as he could without broaching any privacy clauses.
    :) Oh, and I’m actually being sociable today. Some guys from work invited me out.
    Good for you!
    Calder was pleased to learn this. Justin stuck to himself a lot, and the last thing Calder wanted was for Justin to be lonely.
    What are you doing?
    They invited me to a board game café.
    Calder had to smile at the text. It didn’t surprise him at all that Justin’s coworkers were interested in geeky things, too.
    Have fun. Don’t get into too much trouble.
    LOL. I won’t. I’ll catch you later.
    Calder pocketed his phone and leaned back in his chair, staring at the still screens before him. With Justin getting out there and socializing, Calder was reminded of how much he needed to make some changes in his life as well.
    Perhaps a trip to Portland to spend time with Justin was just the thing he needed.

3
Justin
    A t seven , Justin arrived outside The Dragon’s Den. He was a little nervous about spending time with his coworkers outside work. He had only done so now and again when he felt particularly brave—today being one of those days.
    He stepped inside the café and spotted his coworkers in a booth at the back. They already had a war strategy game out with the pieces all sorted. Wallace was chatting it up with a guy named Kyle, while another guy named Elliot was checking over the rules.
    “Hey, look who’s made it!” Wallace grinned as Justin approached the table.
    “I didn’t believe Wallace when he said that you actually agreed to come,” Kyle teased.
    “I have my moments,” Justin lamely responded. Already, the anxiousness was creeping in. It made him more self-conscious than ever but he tried to hold it together.
    “Take a seat. We’re just about ready to begin,” Wallace said, patting the seat next to him.
    Now Justin was put on the spot again. He didn’t want to sit next to Wallace but he was obviously inviting him and it’d be rude to deny him, right?
    Justin swallowed and sat down next to Wallace, although he sat as close to the edge of the seat as possible. He was thankful that they’d be playing the game soon since it was much easier for him to focus on that. He loved games of all kinds.
    “I’ll get us a round of drinks,” Wallace announced as he raised his hand to get the waitress’s attention.
    Justin didn’t care much for drinking, especially since he was such a lightweight, but the pressure to be sociable was there. He had to be in it to win it, right? It wasn’t every day that he went out with these guys, so he had to make it count.
    But Justin hated beer. When he did drink, he preferred lighter, fruitier drinks.
    Still, when the waitress returned with beers, Justin accepted his without complaint. He only intended to have the one.
    Wallace, Elliot, and Kyle chatted up a storm as the game began. Justin listened intently to them talking about the latest superhero movies coming out. While Justin was also interested in superheroes, he wasn’t sure when to speak up and join the conversation. He mostly stayed quiet and tried to look