As it turned out, Thom almost couldn't make it. The man was on the threshold of being narcoleptic. I had joked that he had been born on the wrong side of the planet. He overslept. It took a little 'convincing' by Ryker to get him up. Kyra was able to pull through. I had just ended my shift and waited in the lobby. It was a blistering cold day out. The wind chill fell below 20 degrees in fahrenheit.
Ryker was probably the only one underdressed. The man had the body temperature of a heater. Those were Thom's words not mine. Ryker was the one who announced to us all about how Thom liked to put his cold feet on his back. This had caused him to yelp that even Avery woke up out of his sleep and shot out of bed.
Kyra looked like she was dressed for the secret service. She wore a brown overcoat and black sneakers with matching sunglasses. Her dark hair hugged her head. It was tucked in the coat while a few loose locks from the front hung out a bit. I just wore boots, with dark blue jeans and a dark red pea coat. I also had a dark orange scarf that I let hang loose around my neck.
Mr. Priestly AKA Thom walked out of the elevator, the most stylish of us all. He walked like he owned the place with his Gucci belt and scarf. He otherwise looked like he was about to waltz around Antarctica. I wouldn't be surprised if he wore socks over socks.
Maverick arrived shortly after Thom arrived at the lobby, but he was alone. Kyra and I happened to share a look. I think she understood more than I did. He too wore a peacoat but it was black. He wore black jeans and what looked like a black t-shirt underneath with a silver chain. I also hadn't noticed the compass tattoo on the back of his right hand. I might've been caught tilting my head to get a better look at it.
"Hey-" He started to say. He stood just a few short feet away. I could swear, my feet were lined up with his. Had there been less distance, we would literally be toe to toe. I had somehow forgotten how charming he was in person. I could also smell a hint of cologne. Thom was more versed in the different types than I was.
"Yo!" This had come from Ryker. I noticed Kyra cringe and judging from the sudden silence in the lobby, Thom was probably giving his dear husband the look. I found myself trying to look in any other direction.
Maverick didn't seem to mind though. I sort of wanted to ask him something. So I asked him the first question that came to mind. "What cologne is that?"
He didn't look at all surprised that I asked but Kyra answered that. "Thallium Paris. My ex used to wear that." Her nose crinkle confirmed that it didn't bring back the fondest of memories but she wasn't bitter about it.
Maverick turned his attention to her and said, "I'll be sure to put on some Tom Ford next time." He oozed so much charm, I think Kyra was beside herself. She put her game face back on but pushed at her dark red Coach Outlets at the center.
When he held out his arm, she gave him a look I could not discern. "If you really wanna get on my good side, start by putting caffeine and food in this body." She looped her arm through his.
Maverick just smiled over at me and then I almost forgot what gravity was. I just shot him a thumbs up, but with only one thumb. I felt like a total idiot after that. Then I turned to walk beside Thom and Ryker.
"He hasn't lost his charm." Thom said a little off handedly. He was watching Maverick but not like a hawk. That was just Thom's nature.
"Yeah whatever." Ryker jutted out a chin at Mavericks backside.
Thom slowed. "Are you jealous?"
I slowed too and Ryker, confused, did as well. "Wha-"
Then it was my turn to give him a look. I made sure it was a very pointed look. I just hoped he got the point.
He got the point. "Oh! Yes, very jealous. I should take you right here in this lobby in front of everyone. Everyone will have to know you're mine."
I understood that Thom knew better. He was just distracting Ryker, which was working. Ryker did hold Thom a little closer. I also suspected that Thom was bracing himself for the inevitable cold and needed his human heater as close as possible.
We let Kyra and Mav lead the way for a bit. We found ourselves in some hole in the wall shops. There were travel mugs, anything that pertained to coffee was brought to Thom's attention. It was sort of like a scene out of a teen disney movie, but if the cast was older. No one tried anything on besides sunglasses. Thom might have stalled once or twice. I couldn't blame him. The winds were no joke out there.
It was probably after the 3rd shop (Thom and Kyra had both acquired a couple of shopping bags each so far) that I was able to walk beside Maverick. It was time to feed Kyra and Ryker. "They're very protective of you." Maverick said.
"I am, sort of sorry about that? I know they can come across as intense."
"Especially that Ryker fella, he hasn't taken his eyes off me the moment I came to walk beside you."
Right on cue, I turned and sure enough Ryker was almost glaring. Maverick wasn't worried though. He uh, I guess he looked really happy. I found myself smiling with him but it fell. I knew he was watching me.
"You know, there is sort of a reason for that." I started and started to second guess if I wanted to proceed or not. Maverick just kept looking at me with an expression of sympathy. Like he'd understand if I didn't want to. "You see, the last guy I dated turned out to be pretty horrible."
Maverick's eyes shifted away. I could see it on his face. He was drawing his own conclusions. Before he could start getting stormy, I continued.
"He was in the closet for starters. So that caused some issues. What made it hurt so much was that we dated over 7 years when he ghosted me." Maverick looked confused. "I know. That kind of had us all scratching our heads." The stormy expression appeared and I almost winced. "He cheated on me twice. I was willing to forgive and forget."
"What the fuck?"
"Exactly, but take that, he was in the closet. He was also kinda boring. Like trying to talk to him was like trying to pull out teeth. It got aggravating."
"That sounds like his problem and not yours."
"That's what everyone told me." I realized I was slowing down, which likely meant Ryker would be catching up. I turned, worried but I saw Thom had started leading Ryker across the street. If Ryker's head could do a perfect 360, it would have. There were almost daggers. Kyra had to run over and take his other arm. They quietly spirited him away.
I was trying to convey that Maverick was the reason behind my distress.
"I am sorry if this is still too hard for you to talk about you. You don't have to."
"Ah well, I figure if you're going to be my friend, friends do confide in each other. What was that saying? Worries shared are-"
"Worries halved." Maverick was shaking his head along. His expression was a few degrees warmer from before. There was also maybe a sort of sadness that hung in the air between us?
"Besides, as much as the situation sucked, it could have been so much worse."
"Yeah, you could've still been with the jerk." I heard him mutter but pretended not to hear it. He noticed his slip and glanced over at me. "Sorry."
"Nah. You're actually pretty spot on. Where are we going again?" I started to look for my friends.
"The Firm, I think? I heard Thom casually bring it up at least 5 times so far."
Now I started to look for that. It was one of those new chain coffee shops that also opted as something like a library. Books were donated and read by customers. Book swaps were made if they wanted the book currently in stock. Plus their cheesecake was divine and this is coming from a certified cheesecake snob.
It happened to be across the street. I think instinctively, Maverick moved close enough that our shoulders could brush. Only, he was a few inches taller than me. So it was more like our arms brushed. Before crossing the street I felt him brush closer. He was looking left while I was looking right. Just before we started to make a run for it, his arm wrapped around my shoulders and we ran.
He let go the moment we made it safely across. I made no comment about this and neither did he. I still had a bit of a story to finish. "How I found out about him cheating though, his phone was right next to us. We were watching a movie or some shit. I already knew his password because that man would barely part with it. He was almost always on that damned thing. Anyways I wasn't looking for anything in particular. Just unlock it and hand it to him. I remember how he froze and sure enough it was plain as day on the screen. A dirty text message."
Maverick wasn't looking at me, but he looked a bit disgusted.
"As for the ghosting, he had just taken on two jobs and I had just gotten a new job. The current job I have now." I quickly explained. "And I messaged him the good news. It was better pay but more hours. That's when he stopped taking my calls and responding to my text messages. I kept trying to write it off as something else."
Maverick kept a very neutral expression. He wouldn't look at me. This side of the street was busier than the other. I had to watch what I was doing too. The Firm was in sight now. Thom, Ryker and Kyra were nowhere to be seen.
"They're probably already inside." I said out loud. With that, we picked up the pace. I was discreetly on the app making a small order. Two could play this game.
We were near the front doors when Maverick came to a halt. Confused, I stopped to join him, our backs against the wall. He took out a cigarette and a lighter. He had to shield the flame from the wind as he lit it. He took a good pull before he spoke again.
"Since we're sharing sensitive topics, I'll tell you mine." He said. He barely looked at me the entire time when he spoke again. "The reason I left Greenwich was because I had a best friend who committed suicide." He paused. I could tell he wanted to look at me but couldn't bring himself to. He took a longer drag before puffing out the smoke. "He told me he saw me as someone more than a friend. I was told it wasn't solely on the reason. When I said I couldn't return the feelings." He dangled the still lit cigarette to the side. He had one foot flat against the wall of the building. "Maybe that was the final straw." He paused again. "We'll never know."
With that he started to rub out the cigarette until there were no more embers left. He looked troubled. This still haunted him. He also still couldn't bring himself to look at me.
"His name was Sage Williams."
A lot of things started to click into place. The looks of dread on his face in our previous conversations. The most confusing part of all was how in a text message he said he would be bringing along a friend named Sage.
"It wasn't until he died that I finally realized I loved him too." His eyes got a little glassy and a little guarded. There was a war going on in his head. I wanted to reach out and hug him. His head swayed a little as he fought the emotions back. "Not in the same way but I will always consider him more than just a best friend. He was my brother. Sometimes I forget, albeit not too often but it does slip my mind that he's gone."
His foot came off the wall and he kicked lightly at nothing on the ground. I just stayed quiet and found myself looking mostly at the guard until he said, "You could run if you want. I'd understand."
"You know, usually when people say stuff like that, it makes other people do the exact opposite." I said, trying to get him to maybe look at me.
"It's not too late." He finally turned his face towards mine.
I just frowned at him. "Maybe but I think you really should try the cheesecake here. It's almost to die for." Maybe that was a bad pun. "Sorr-"
"It's all good. I understand what you meant. I owe Kyra a full course meal."
My smile might've come across as a little lopsided. He didn't know Kyra was a great con-woman.
When I turned my back to head inside, I heard him say, "He would have liked you."
****
Thom decided to call it a day after our little break. He nearly had to drag Ryker along. Kyra politely thanked Maverick for the meal before she too decided to bow out. I knew what they were doing.
Maverick and I stayed in the booth where we were all originally crowded in. It was amazing we found a seat at all. Even out in Pennsylvania, there was a suburb of some town I couldn't remember, even that place was packed. I was still taking my time with some fancy coffee I couldn't remember the name of. Maverick was almost done with his cheesecake. He didn't seem at all surprised when he found out that I had already ordered everything in advance. He looked at me and said, "Touche."
There was simple low-fi music playing. From where I sat, I could see the large glass window which was right over by the area where the books were stocked. There were a few tables with stools lined up. All seats were taken of course. The snow was coming down heavily. At least the wind wouldn't be blistering my skin. We'd just have to wait and see what the Chicago weather decides to be in the next half hour.
Maverick was curious enough to turn and look over the edge at the view. I watched his body posture turn more relaxed before turning back. I tried not to stare much, but I was still intrigued. I figured now was as good as ever to ask.
"If you don't mind the small talk, what is it that you do?" I had remembered the way he'd been dressed. It had to be something of high stature. Thom would be able to name where each piece of clothing came from. I remember how his tie hadn't just been a regular black tie. It was made of better material.
"I work for Mason Caine." I tried not to gasp. "Have you ever heard of him?" His knowing smirk suggested that he already knew the answer. He waited for my reply anyway.
I held back the cough. The coffee sort of went down the wrong pipe. I held myself together though. "Yeah I know him. That's Thom's ex."
I think he winced a little at that. "Is that a bad thing?"
"No. It's just, what a small world." Like we were bound to collide one way or another. Of course, I wasn't going to tell him that. "Besides, they've managed to stay friends. Like, if Thom and his husbands ever decided to have children, Mason would be their Godfather."
"Coming from someone who works closely with the man, that does sound a bit scary."
"I know right? The man is intense. Could you imagine him holding a toddler?"
"Nope." He sat back, slouched a bit and crossed his arms.
"But I know he'd make a wonderful Godfather. His Godchildren or GodChild has no idea how protected they will be." I changed gears a bit. "So when you say you work closely with him?"
"I'm sort of his current protege."
"Wow. You must have really impressed him. Mason does not take to most people that easily. How on earth did you manage that?"
"I guess we have a lot in common in some areas?"
I could sort of see it. However, Mason wasn't too much of a smiley person, unlike Maverick who was just more laid back. I remember having a real hard time finding ways to be comfortable around him at first. When he noticed my discomfort, he started to warm up. Otherwise, Mason was ice personified.
When Maverick watched me start to think it through, he added, "Neither of us likes a bullshitter." I started to nod. "But honestly, I was just really lucky to run into him. I was kind of in a desperate need for a job. He needed a second receptionist. I got fired on the second day."
"Give me a sec," I reached for my phone, "I'm gonna call Thom to hurt him-"
"He promoted me right after to intern for him. I do mostly errands but I travel with him. The man practically pays for everything."
I put my phone back in my pocket. My pulse was returning to normal. Maverick just looked slightly amused by this. His arms had uncrossed and his hands rested on their sides on the table.
"Shadowing him has taught me a lot." He finished.
"What a small world," I repeated, idly shaking my head a bit. My eyes snapped back to meet his. "I know I don't have to tell you this, but you couldn't be in better hands."
He nodded. "He's a good guy."
"Once you get past that icy exterior, yeah. He's also one of the most giving that I've ever met. Besides Thom of course."
"Of course." He said not mocking me, just agreeing.
I finished my drink while he finished his cheesecake.
"You know, you really were right. This is to die for." He said.
"Yeah, now you understand why Kyra talked you into buying her a whole cheesecake to take home. It's worth every dollar. You know the baker said that just one cake alone is at least a two day project?"
"You're serious?" He was leaving forward now and I caught myself doing the same. This time I did not fight it to avoid the proximity.
"Oh yeah. I happened to catch the guy out back for a smoke break one day. He hand makes the crust and cheesecake portion on the morning of day one. Then he does the lemon topping later that night. Give it a whole 24 hours later and he might start working the whipped cream topping. He says it tastes better as it ages."
"I'd never have the patience for that kind of commitment." He leaned back and I did too. His hands remained outstretched. I couldn't help but wonder what holding them would feel like.
"You really should order yourself a full cake someday. However I have no idea how in the world Kyra managed to get one this late in the day."
"Well she was making eye flutters and an innocent smile at the cashier."
"That explains it. The poor cashier probably had no idea what hit them. It was overkill. I've seen Thom struggle whenever she tries it on him. You literally hear the letter N but then nothing else comes out. He always gave in." Excited, I leaned forward again without realizing it. He did too. "Did I tell you how back in our college years, that girl literally chased down this one dude sucking on a lollipop. I don't know how she did it but when she came back, she had the lollipop in her mouth. The woman is ruthless."
"A woman who knows what she wants and gets it."
I started to laugh and then I just had to ask, "So where do you wanna go next?" I quickly had to correct myself. "That is, if you're still free. Please don't tell me you're missing out on an important dentist appointment."
He just smiled and said, "I have no idea."
I had to think about that and realized he was answering my question.
"To tell you the truth, I think I'm stumped."
He stood and I just continued to sit. I was confused especially when he held his hand out. "Then I guess it's a good thing that I'm not." I almost reached out to take his hand, but I didn't. I didn't want to give him the wrong idea. I still smiled brightly and nodded for him to lead the way.
****
We rented a couple of bikes. Which was something I was familiar with, but like the ice skating rink, I just never tried for myself. I knew that you could rent them for a whole day if you wanted. You could return them to any bike station you wanted. Maverick paid of course. I was too in awe of watching a carriage with a couple of horses gently gallop on by. That wasn't something you saw every day. Maybe before Christmas for a special event but I guess they were still in business.
Maverick took advantage of my weakness. Before I knew it, he was on his bike and started to pedal. He turned his head back with the biggest grin on his face. It was like he turned into a little boy. The little boy in me jumped out too.
As a Christmas special, I guess the bikes were decorated with lights. It's sort of like riding on a Christmas tree. It worked nicely though, because that would make it harder for drivers to not see us. It wasn't anywhere near dark yet but I had a feeling it would be a sight to behold.
I had no idea where we were going. We could have been heading downtown for all I knew. Chicago had so much to offer. We mostly stuck to the sidewalks until they started to get too crowded.
When Maverick took to the street, I followed. It wasn't too hard to keep up but there were times when he'd turn his head to look at me with an impish grin. That's when he'd turn to face forward and speed up. Thankfully, my lungs and heart did not slow me down. I think I was just too exhilarated. The snow was still coming down but not as heavily. It just provided this enchanted kind of feeling.
I managed to slip up beside him when traffic cleared up. That way we could ride side by side. Maybe I could try to figure out what our destination was. Instead I found myself looking at Maverick. He threw his head back and howled. Like a werewolf or some shit. I was pretty sure I looked alarmed. Maverick just grinned widely. I could tell what he was about to do.
I threw back my head and howled too. There were a lot of people looking at us. I almost started to bow my head in shame. Maverick almost bumped his bike into mine. He howled once more. I was a tad reluctant but I howled with him.
What we were doing, it made no sense and yet here we were howling at the sky that was overcast. I felt silly for having gone along with it. My only response was to laugh, which he easily joined in with me. I even noticed some of the onlookers were starting to smile and laugh too. I had forgotten just how contagious laughter was.
We happened to go downtown but Maverick made no show of slowing. He just pedaled a little harder. I had to stand a little to get a better, quicker pump. Thank you Thom for dragging me on all of those indoor bike sessions.
The familiar surround system of music could be heard again. We were going to be right by the skating rink. Surely he wouldn't want to go back there so soon? Maybe he'd been practicing since we last hung out?
We sailed right past it. We ended up right by Lake Michigan. He started to walk his bike by the pathway. I followed, of course.
"I figured you could use a little break." He said before laying his bike down on its side. The snow was barely coming down anymore. I set my bike right next to his.
There was a stone wall that was only a few feet tall. You could dangle your legs over it, just above the water. There were plenty of beaches that went up and down this area. However, that was more of a summer thing.
We sat, both of our legs dangling over the side when I said, "Thanks for this. I hadn't felt like I was 12 in a long time."
He was pretty smiley today. He faced out towards the water with his smile being his only answer for the time being. Until he said, "There's just so much to do out here. You've got the Navy Pier, the Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, The Art museum and the Field museum. So take your pick, where do you wanna go next?"
"Wow. I'm not gonna lie, those options are a bit overwhelming."
"We don't have to hit them all at once." I caught him swinging his legs a bit. He was also leaning a little in my direction. I wondered what it would be like if he wrapped his arm around me here. Like he did earlier when crossing the street to get to The Firm.
"The Field Museum?"
"Was that really a question? Let's go there next."
He didn't move, so then I added, "I haven't been there since I was on a school field trip back in grade school."
That's when he moved. He stood and though he didn't offer his hand to me, he just looked down at me and said, "So what's stopping you?"
That was all the motivation I needed.