JAMES
"So... he's not your boyfriend?" Charmaine Van Chopin tilted her head and her waves of pink hair fell across her right shoulder. She wore a silk blue robe with a high feathered collar that only barely cover her lacey undergarments.
Charmaine was enjoying brunch on the balcony when James arrived.
In front of them both sat a little plate of heart shaped waffles, bacon, and toast and while her plate had been reduced to crumbs, his food had gone cold. At least the coffee was still warm. He sat the mug down with a sigh.
"No Charmaine," he had to tell her for the hundredth time. "Eric isn't my boyfriend."
"No need to get huffy," she pouted, slouching in her seat. "You have to understand my confusion!" She threw her hands up and shouted so maybe the whole city could hear her, "He crashed a car to get to you!"
"I'm sorry about that again."
"No! No!" Charmaine insisted, sitting upright again as her eyes sparkled. She folded her fingers together as if in prayer to rest her chin. "I think it's so wonderfully romantic. If a guy crashed into a car to save me, I would-"
"But I didn't need saving," James reminded her. He didn't mean to come off so cross. Maybe it was the tissue paper shoved up his nose to stop the bleeding or maybe it was the crick in his neck, but James' temper felt short. Everything was making him angry. The clear sky, the towering skyscrapers around them and especially Charmaine's fancy hotel room was annoying. Just being inside the Grand Mystic Hotel again was like revisiting a nightmare.
To think, he almost considered Eric Silva. He almost agreed to go on a date with a werewolf. Well, he dodged that bullet. He was reinstating his golden rule right now. He'll tattoo it to his arm, over his heart or across his forehead, whatever he needed to do to remind himself that he should not date werewolves!
Smiling, Charmaine fell back into her chair and played with the ends of her hair. There were hearts in her eyes as she said, "If someone did that for me, I'd tell everyone he was my boyfriend. Even if it wasn't official, I'd tell the whole world he was mine."
James shifted as his chest shrunk. He couldn't quite get a deep enough breath, not when he felt so hot. Not when Charmaine's eyes ripped right through him. James sighed again and took another swig of his coffee. Setting it down, he forced a customer smile, "We're not here for me. We're here for you."
He reached across the table with opened hands. Charmaine giggled and quickly adjusted herself. "Now," she made clear, "I just want a hint. I have two parties to go to this weekend and I can't decide on which."
James couldn't tell her. He knew she didn't want to know who her true love was exactly. She liked the chase. She liked meeting a guy and having a whirlwind of an affair, but she always craved a deeper love. She didn't want to admit she wanted something more stable. It would ruin the bad reputation she loved so much.
But James wished he could tell her she's already met her true love.
Charles Roth was a sweet man, but a shy man and he had only spoken to her once. He admired her from afar and because she glowed so bright, he feared getting burned. Maybe they're not ready to meet. Hopefully, one day Charmaine will realize James keeps sending her to parties that Charles attends.
After taking her hands, James went through both parties and through her nights. Suddenly, James was hit by the notion of a third party, one Charmaine hadn't mentioned. Her mother requested her at a charity function, but Charmaine had already refused. James jumped into that party and found Charles sitting at the table behind Charmaine.
James smiled, "Go to your mother's charity auction."
That was obviously not what Charmaine wanted to hear. She grimaced, losing all the pink from her cheeks. She said, "but I hate those stuffy events. No one is any fun." She drew back into her chair and crossed her arms.
"You asked and I gave you an answer," James shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "Do with it what you'd like."
They finished their brunch and spoke briefly about Julia's wedding, which Charmaine didn't have time to attend. However, it was hard to talk about a wedding he hardly attended either.
Finally, James managed to excuse himself and walked through the Grand Mystic hotel that had completely changed since the wedding. It was back to polite employees who avoided eye contact. No more candelabras. No silk hiding the mirrors. Mortals filled the lobbies and all the windows were opened. He glared at the same woman at the front desk, who sold him out to Eric and wished Shed break a nail today or lose her car keys.
He stepped outside, putting his blazer back on. He quickly found Eric sitting at the bottom of the hotel's steps and James sighed. He glanced back, admiring the golden hotel. It was just as grand in the daylight as it was at night. The hotel was like a castle in fairy tales, what he dreamed about back in the orphanage. He always did aim a little too high.
Just when he was ready to start an awkward conversation, James' phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a number he didn't recognize, but today couldn't get any worse, so James decided to answer. "Hello?"
"Ah, James," a voice James vaguely recognized answered. The warm smile on the other end wrapped around James and made his skin jitter. "I'm happy you answered."
"Mr. Baines? Wow, I thought I'd never hear from you again." James' brow scrunched. He looked around as if it was a joke. If he remembered correctly, Elias Baines met a crazy person at Julia's wedding. Crazy people don't get called by charming gentlemen.
"Now why's that? You were lovely at the wedding."
"I think you're thinking of someone else. I'm sorry Mr. Baines."
"Please James, call me Elias and be easy on my heart. I can't take it..."
James' cheesed like a school boy again, absentmindedly walking backwards into the wall. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered nervously, burning their little wings until his face was red. "I'm so sorry, Elias. How can I make it up to you?"
"I believe dinner should do the trick."
"Dinner?"
"Oh yes, dinner. It'll be terribly romantic and you'll feel an aggravating urge to kiss me by the end of it. Gosh, we might even have to go out again. It'll be such a hassle, my apologies."
"I'm dreading it."
"That's what I thought. Imagine me kissing your cheek again, would you? It's really the only logical way of saying goodbye to you, James Connolly." Every time he said James' full name, it was like Elias was reciting a sonnet.
James wasn't even sure he said goodbye back or if he just wistfully sighed. He leaned deeper into the wall, soaking in its cold until he calmed down. Still, sitting at the bottom of the steps was another guy he met at the wedding. James sighed once again. He was going to be deflated within the hour like the saddest balloon at a Birthday Party.
These boys were going to be the end of him.
James slowly walked down the stairs, wondering what he could possibly say. You're a dick for crashing the car, but you did it because you thought you were helping me, so thanks? That didn't exactly roll off the tongue.
He sat beside Eric, who immediately straightened up. Eric opened his mouth as if he was ready. He must have been thinking about what to say too. James decided to ask, "Are you okay?" And quickly, he blushed, remembering this was a werewolf he was talking to. He corrected himself. "Never mind, you probably heal faster than it takes for me to take a pain pill."
Eric nodded, rubbing his hands. He looked chastised already with a big dunce cap on his head. James couldn't help but laugh. "That was so stupid, I can't believe you," he laughed a little harder and shook his head.
Eric hid his face in his hands. "I feel like such a tool." He looked up, waving his hands. "I go with my gut. I usually think before I just... I don't know what came over me." He shook his head. James smiled, knowing he stopped talking because when it came to his words, he cared about what he said. Every word was important, and he didn't waste his breath on drivel. He wouldn't lie either, this guy. He has a lot of integrity.
"What are we doing?" James looked up at the buildings across from them. He wondered if anyone was looking down and watching them too. He glanced at Eric, who was boring holes into his head. His eyes caught James, keeping him still and silent. Heat rose from James' chest into his cheeks. He didn't realize how close they were.
He could almost press their knees together or lay their hands next to each other on the steps. James swallowed, desperate for Eric to say something, anything to clear this dizzying tension. Eric told James, "I've realized, there's two sides to me. One part of me can't honestly see us together. We're too different. We clash too much..."
James nodded, his chest clenching. James didn't understand why that hurt so much, but he suddenly wanted the conversation to stop.
Eric went on, refusing to look away from James, whose eyes dropped to his shoes. Just in the corner of James' eye, he could see Eric smile and his chest tightened. Suddenly, he knew why Eric kept that thing locked away. It was blinding. Eric whispered, "And then, the other half of me is filled with thoughts of you."
That captured James' attention again. He leaned in closer, drawn in by every word. Eric's smooth voice was a sweet caress that took James' breath away. "I want to keep you by my side because not knowing where you are or who you're with drives me crazy. I want to throttle you as much as I want to kiss you again, because I have never felt so fulfilled as I did when your lips were on mine."
It was like Eric tied a string around James' heart and yanked him forward. James glanced at Eric's lips on the word and salivated. He remembered that night and that kiss. He remembered Eric's strong hand holding his neck and cheeks and James thought he was going to melt on the steps.
Eric finally turned. "I have to also admit that when we kissed, a vision passed through me and I discovered your golden rule."
James looked down. Hearing someone else say it, Eric specifically was like a slap in the face. He did not like to talk about the reason for his rule. He didn't like to talk about Brendan or the fall that landed him in the hospital. A chill spilled into James' veins. He pulled away from Eric, putting up a wall between them slowly, brick by brick. James still didn't know what to say.
"I'm sorry that happened to you," Eric said just like everyone else did. What else was there to say? Someone James loved threw him out a window. Love almost killed him, literally. Not poetically.
Eric shook his head. "I wish I could convince you wolves aren't that bad that- that guy was a psycho. I wish I could show you how brilliant and how amazing wolves can be."
James perked up. He watched Eric become more and more animated as he spoke about his pack. "I bet you'd never see something as magnificent as the first hunt in the summer. If you could just see us run through the woods, it'd take your breath away, I swear-"
"Oh, I get it," James realized and he couldn't stop himself from saying, "You're disappointed." Lowering his stature, Eric's brow scrunched together. An overwhelming sadness washed over James. "You were expecting your..." He still couldn't say the 'm' word. Instead, he said and he knew Eric would understand, "You expected a werewolf to be the one."
"Well, you expect anyone but..."
"I'm so sorry. I got so wrapped up in my rule that I didn't think, I didn't consider-" James couldn't place the words. He didn't want to tell Eric that James hadn't seen him as a sexual creature until that kiss. There was not a match imaginable for Eric to James. Eric didn't seem like the dating type, but he was still a man. A man with a burning hot stare and James almost missed it. James said, "I'm sorry."
"We're two pretty sorry guys, aren't we?" He chuckled and James couldn't laugh because he was too surprised the great Eric Silva made a joke.
Eric stood, fixing his blazer and pants back to perfection. "At least let me drive you back to your office."
"Okay," James exhaled, letting Eric walk a little ahead. James quickly fixed his hair and check his shirt and blazer, smoothing it all out before hurrying to Eric's side.
Without a word, Eric walked around, switching places to walk beside the road. James resisted rolling his eyes. That was so him, it hurt. James chuckled. "I can't believe you wrecked that car. I know you thought you were helping me, but Eric you crashed into the car I was in! You could have killed me."
"Admittedly, it was not my best idea," Eric grumbled before a sigh.
James laughed again, seeing Eric's car and its smashed grill and the broken lights. Eric walked to the driver's seat. "It's not the only humiliating thing I did today so..." He said it so quietly, James could barely hear him.
James raised his brow, pausing when he had his hand around the handle. What did he... then, it hit James and his heart didn't just skip a beat, it stopped all together. He closed his eyes and he took a moment to gather his thoughts. He meant the flour, James realized, I made an Alpha wolf embarrassed. He's flustered because he tried to flirt with me.
James actually kind of liked that.
He smiled softly.
With a chuckle, he quickly jumped into the passenger seat. His smiled made Eric's brow raise. Still, he put the car into drive and slipped seamlessly into traffic. James posed, "Why don't we try being friends?" That didn't sound so bad. Sure, Eric was too serious and completely frustrating, but he was a good guy under all the grimacing.
After a beat, Eric asked, "How old are you? Ten? Am I going to get a friendship bracelet next?"
"No, because that would mean you'd have to make me one and we both know you wouldn't."
"No, I wouldn't."
"Wouldn't be bothered."
"Nope," Eric chuckled. His chuckles were quiet, breathless and they made James wish they went on longer. It was such a nice sound. He hoped he'd get to hear him laugh more. Sinking into the seat, he couldn't help but watch Eric, watching the way he moved with such elegance and ease. It was like he moved through water. Even as tall as he was with wide shoulders, he seemed perfectly comfortable.
"What's your schedule like today?" Eric suddenly asked and James snapped his eyes back onto the road, his face flushing a dangerous shade of red.
"Uh, I'm uh," James swallowed and forced himself to form words into a sentence. "I should be finished with work by six. Delphine is leaving early to go on a date."
"I'll still be around the city then," Eric said, slowly reaching his point. He was rightly hesitant. An arrow of guilt hit a bull's-eye in James' chest. Eric suggested in his deep, endless voice that raised goose bumps over James' skin. "I could give you a ride home."
James and Delphine didn't drive. There was no need to even own a car. In the back of the office, the coat closet was also a portal to their apartment on the other side of town that was connected to another coat closet. Delphine was actually getting picked up at home, funny enough. If Eric drove him home, it'd be one hundred percent longer than usual.
But Eric didn't know any of that.
James smiled, "Yeah that would help me out a lot."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Who likes that slow burn? I know I do. I'll try not to burn your eyes with the sexy idea of ~car pool buddies~ Remember to vote on the chapter and tell me what you think!
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