Fanfic: My Only Piece of You | 2 of 3
Title: My Only Piece of You
Type: AU
Rated: R
**
“So, the hottie likes you,” Megan whispered into his ear.
Kris stumbled as they were walking, “Wait, what?”
Megan grabbed the nearly empty wineglass from his hand and started to giggle. “Honestly, Kristopher. How oblivious can one be?” She twirled as she swapped the empty glass with a full one as a waiter passed by.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kris whispered back furiously.
“Oh, sweetie,” Megan nodded to other guests as they moved along the gallery. “The way he looked at you earlier, and the way he keeps looking over at you now? And, if I’m not mistaken, there’s mutual attraction-a-brewin’.”
Kris felt a blush creep up his neck.
“You really don’t know?”
He shook his head vigorously. Megan stopped them and looked at him in awe. Rolling his eyes, Kris looked at everything except Megan’s face, “What? No, seriously?”
“Seriously, Kris.” She took him by his elbow and started edging them closer to where Adam was leaning against a column. “You should talk to him. You’ve started living a normal life. And, I think it’s high time you found someone to live it with you, instead of the random hook-ups at seedy bars and clubs.”
“How did…you…” Kris choked. “You knew about that?”
Megan smiled slyly, “I was your wife and partner in crime, literally, for two years. Of course I knew dumbass.” As they neared Adam, she kissed him on the cheek and pushed him forward. “Go forth and conquer my dear.” With that she turned on her heels and walked away.
Kris realized Adam had witnessed the last few seconds of the exchange, though he was pretty sure they were out of ear-shot. He approached slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Hey,” he said nervously.
“Hey, yourself.”
“Uh, so, you’re in security consulting, huh? Applegate isn’t a bad client to have on the roster.”
Adam nodded, “Yeah, a buddy and I started the company a couple of years ago. And, uh, Niko’s not a client yet. Just here checking everything out.”
“I’m sure you’ll land them.”
“Thanks, I hope so.”
There was a moment of awkward silence, neither knowing what to say next. Kris tried not to stare at him, looking around at the other guests milling about.
“How’s Maddie?” Kris asked at the same time Adam stated, “Your wife is beautiful.”
Kris looked up at Adam’s eyes, startled. “What?”
“Megan. Your wife?”
Kris looked at his feet and coughed to clear his throat, buy himself some time. “Actually, uh, ex-wife.”
“Oh,” Adam said, obviously confused. “I thought…well, the way you two…uh, your ring…” Adam stammered. “Shit, sorry.”
Kris shook his head and chuckled, “We’re good friends. It just…it just didn’t work out. We still get along, but it’s better this way.” Kris nervously played with the ring on his finger, “This…yeah, well, uh. This is more just a good-luck charm? I guess? Had it for a while, and I couldn’t bring myself to take it off. It’s just comforting now, in a way.”
“Sorry.”
“For what?”
“The divorce. I know it’s a hard thing to go through…my parents, some friends.”
Kris licked his lips, “Yeah. But, it’s been a few years. And, it wasn’t too painful, so I guess that says something, doesn’t it?”
“Can I, uh, did you want a drink?” Adam asked.
“I’m, um,” Kris scrunched his face. “No, I can’t. I’m a bit of a lightweight, and besides, I drove. But, thanks.”
Adam nodded. Kris was unnerved at the way he was looking at him. He felt if he gazed into Adam’s eyes, that the world around him would disappear, and he couldn’t do that. Not here, not now. But, something…something kept pushing in the corner of his brain…was familiar about his man. His presence, his body, him.
“What do you think about the collection?” Kris asked, trying to defray his nerves.
Adam shrugged, “It’s beautiful, but I’m not too familiar with it.”
“Well, come on then,” he motioned to Adam to follow. “I’ll give you a new appreciation of it.”
Kris tried to ignore the fluidity of how Adam peeled away from the column, drink in hand; his body moving smoothly next to him.
“Correia glass,” Kris started to explain. “They still use the freehand blowing technique. So combined with some of today’s technologies, they can make these exceptional pieces that seem old-school yet so modern.
“Freehand blowing?” Adam asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kris tamped down his blush and ignored the double entendre. Continuing as if Adam didn’t say anything, “They take a mix of sand and various minerals and precious metal, then pull the liquid glass from a furnace that’s at 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit onto long stainless steel pipes. The artists blow and twirl the pipe and start to shape it. Correia artists never paint on the designs, the pieces are garnet-etched into the surface of the glass, making them totally unique.”
“Wow,” Adam whistled.
“Yeah, it’s amazing work. Their pieces are in all the major museums around the country, and they’ve lent pieces to various executives, royal families and art institutes around the world.”
“I mean, you know a lot about the background.”
“Oh. Yeah, well, being married to Megan, I picked up a lot of things over the years,” Kris mumbled.
“I’m impressed that you actually paid attention,” Adam remarked.
“Beautiful things intrigue me,” he said as he looked at Adam’s face.
Adam’s face froze for the briefest of moments at the remark, then he smiled shyly. Kris internally slapped himself upside the head after realizing what he said and where he looked as he said it.
Adam opened his mouth to say something when he phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and scanned the screen quickly. Mumbling a quick apology, he left Kris’s side.
Kris blew out a breath and went to the bar for a glass of water.
“So?” Megan asked, suddenly appearing by his side.
“I don’t think I can do this,” Kris said softly.
“Why not?”
“I don’t think I’m ready. Especially with someone like him.”
Megan punched his arm, “Again, why not?”
“He’s a security consultant!” Kris argued. “That means he’s got a background in law enforcement or something. What if he finds out about me? About you?”
She pulled Kris away from the bar, “I’m not saying you have to marry him. I said try to live! That means flirting and dating and seeing what’s out there in the normal world.”
“I need to leave.”
Megan rolled her eyes, “Fine. Let me say good-bye to Niko. I’ll meet you outside.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re lucky I’m still fond of you.”
**
Adam finished his call and saw Megan give Niko a hug and air-kiss before stepping out of the gallery doors. He looked around for Kris, but knew he was gone. Story of his life.
He did a final walk-through of the gallery’s main showroom, and went to find Niko to say his good-byes. As soon as he hit the sidewalk, he tugged off his tie, stuffed in into his coat, and then pulled the coat off with disgust.
His phone rang again, and he answered without even looking at the screen, “What.”
“Well, good evening to you, too, Mr. Warm and Fuzzy,” Tommy pouted into the phone.
“I’m in a shitty mood, Tommy. What do you want?”
“You don’t say.”
“Seriously, what is it? Because, I need to get home, finish the RPF and get disgustingly drunk before starting another long-ass day tomorrow.”
“Well, I guess I won’t be inviting you over for a last-minute poker game.”
Adam pulled the phone away to check the time. Only eight pm. “What time? And how much alcohol will you have?”
“Everyone’s heading over around ten, so any time after that. And, really dude? You’re asking about alcohol?”
“Let me finish up with work, stuff some clothes in a bag, and I’ll be over. I’ll only be joining the drinking part.”
“I’ll get the extra room ready for you to crash,” Tommy said blithely. “And you can tell me all about your shitty evening when you get here.”
Adam had finished up the RFP in record time and sent the file to Mike to double-check. He grabbed his duffel bag and broke speed limits getting to Tommy’s house in Culver City.
Now, he was lying on the couch, barely paying attention to Tommy, Monte, Isaac and Charles play poker. Tommy thought he would be funny and lined up the bottles of vodka and scotch along the table in front of the couch. Adam, on the other hand, thought it was a genius move…he didn’t need to make his way to the kitchen to refill his glass all night.
“And, why exactly are we drinking to get shitfaced tonight, Adam?” Monte asked as he studied his cards.
“A bad evening,” Adam grunted.
Tommy tilted back his chair onto the back legs and craned his neck to look over at Adam, “I don’t think that’s it. The way he’s drinking right now?” He righted the chair, “It’s boy trouble.”
Charles leaned over and moved his eyes over Adam’s prone body and nodded, “Yeah, it’s a guy. A cute guy that disappeared on him or blew him off.”
Adam put his drink onto the table and lifted himself up onto his elbows, “Really? You guys can tell what kind of trouble I’m having with how I’m drinking.” He shook his head and plopped himself back down onto the couch. “Unfuckinbelievable. I have friends that are fucking clairvoyants now. Oh, Great Karnak, please tell me my future.”
Isaac snorted, “Are you even old enough to know about Johnny Carson’s Great Karnak bits?”
“Only that he was a shitty fortune teller…just like you assholes.”
Charles placed a hand over his heart, “Ouch, babe. Why you gotta call us fortune tellers?”
Adam shook his head, “Play your fucking game and leave me alone to drink.”
“Who is he?” Monte asked. “Name, rank and serial number, please.”
“Nun-ya and just play. I’ve got more drinking to do.”
“Wait, ‘nun-ya’?” Isaac whispered. “What the hell does that mean?”
“None ya business,” Charles explained. “Adam thinks he’s street when he talks like that, and usually does that when he’s drinking. Wait a bit, and it’ll get even funnier, as he’s only a wee bit buzzed right now.”
“Fuck. You. All.” Adam stated flatly. “I should have just stayed at home and gotten blitzed by myself without a bunch of know-it-all-bitties whispering and giving me shit.”
“Oh, you know you love us and we love you,” Charles laughed and started to sing the Barney song until Monte slapped his cards onto the table. “Hey!”
“You obviously need to get this, whatever this is, out of your system,” Tommy said patiently. “Keep on with your drinking. We’ll be here to listen to you bitch, whine and moan later when you can’t keep it in anymore.” He motioned to the rest of the guys, “Come on, I got money to win.”
Adam let the sound of his friends playing poker lull him into a zone. He stared up at the ceiling, watching the shadows from the living room lights pulse as he alternated closing one eye then the other, making the edges of the shadow shapes blend into each other. Struggling to sit up, he tottered over the edge of the couch to fix the emptiness of his glass.
“You know, the shittiest part is he didn’t even say good-bye, you know?” Adam said. He took a giant gulp of the scotch and grimaced as it raced down his throat. “I thought he was finally showing interest, flirting a bit. Then I get a fucking phone call from a client, which took way longer than it should have, I turn around, and boom, he’s gone. I bet, no hope, that his gorgeous ex-wife gave him a beating for leaving her behind, too.”
His friends stopped talking and playing. Isaac and Charles were mid-drink, hands frozen half-way to their mouths. Adam propped his elbows onto the table and laughed at them. Four pairs of eyes turned to him.
“Um, ex-wife?” Monte asked first.
“Tommy and Liz couldn’t find out shit about him,” Adam said as he knocked back last bit of scotch in his glass. “Turned out, he still has the wedding ring on. I knew I didn’t imagine it.” Adam pushed himself back onto the couch and fixed a cushion under his head. “Gives him comfort, he said.”
Charles, Monte and Isaac looked to Tommy for an explanation. Tommy scowled and put his hands out, motioning for them to let Adam talk, that he’d explain later.
“She’s gorgeous, too. Petite little blond thing with a killer body, showing it off in one of those bandage Herve Leger numbers. If I didn’t prefer penis, I could see the appeal. Loved her shoes…tan platform stilettos, Louboutins, of course. She was so nice, too. The bitch.”
Adam sighed and closed his eyes. “I could have sworn she was pushing him to talk to me, and I mean that literally and figuratively. She physically pushed him towards me, to where I was standing. If I didn’t see it, I would have thought I imagined it.” Adam frowned, “But, did I see it? I might have had too much to drink. I mean, seeing him walk through the door, and seeing her on his arm.”
“Who’s he talking about Tommy?” Charles asked, tired of waiting.
“Kris Allen.”
“Who’s that?” Monte asked.
Tommy scrubbed his face and twisted in his chair to look at Adam. Adam was still rambling, not caring that they had stopped playing and were listening and talking about him. Tommy sighed and explained, “A teacher at Brentwood School. He’s the music director there, started about two years ago. Adam met him when he took Maddie to the fundraiser when Liz and I couldn’t go.”
“Wasn’t that was back in March?” Charles asked.
“Yup.”
“So…”
“So, nothing,” Tommy muttered, leaning over to grab a beer from the cooler on the floor next to the table. “He said the guy was cute. Naturally Liz got excited, hell, even I did since he’s been moping around and has just been working his ass off the last couple of years. We tried to get some information and got squat for our troubles. I thought he actually forgot about Kris. I guess not.”
Monte nodded sagely, “You know how he gets.”
Charles picked at the edges of his now-forgotten cards, “He was like this after Cayman, too.”
“What happened in Cayman?” Isaac asked. He was the new guy, Midnight Life’s new drummer.
Charles slumped down in his chair and patted his stomach, “Don’t know. Adam never talked about it. We just know something happened there. One day he’s chasing tail all over LA, then we ship him off for a much-needed vacation, and he comes back this morose, miserable ass. Just glad he’s got Sarver and his work so he can lose himself in something.”
“Question now is, how do we fix this?” Monte asked looking at his friends at the table. “I don’t want another two years of this. I don’t think he,” Monte pointed his chin to Adam on the couch, “can take any more of this.”
**
Soft music was playing in the background, waiters bustling around him, the sounds of the workers on the cooking line drifting into the dining room. Adam looked at his watch again, and started to tap out a message on his phone, elbows on his knees and head down, when brightly painted toes in strappy sandals entered his vision. He hit send and looked up.
“Adam, right?” Megan smiled.
“Megan, hi,” Adam said in return. He stood up and extended his hand to the empty chair next to him at the table. “Please, have a seat. I’m waiting for a client, but it seems like they’re running late.”
Megan placed her purse on the table and unfolded the napkin into her lap, “Actually, that’d be me.”
“Oh?” Adam pulled up his phone to look at his calendar, “You’re Ronny Wilcox?”
“Had to make sure you made time for me,” she said casually. “Wasn’t sure how you’d react or if you’d send one of your people instead since it’s been a couple of months since we met at the gallery. And, even then, we barely spoke. Plus, I like the element of surprise. You know, showing up in a dress.”
Adam had to laugh, “Okay. That makes no sense whatsoever, but I’ll go with it. What can SLC do for you?”
“Honey,” she said reaching across the table to pat his hand. “I’m not here for your help. I’m here to help you.”
Adam raised an eyebrow, “And what exactly do I need help with?”
“My flight takes off in a couple of hours, so I’m short on time,” she said with a brisk tone. “I’ll cut to the chase. I’m here to help with you with Kris.”
Adam was in the middle of taking a sip of water and choked on it. “Excuse me?”
“Kris Allen? My ex-husband?” Megan scooted her seat forward and lowered her voice. “I saw the way you looked at him that night, and Kris has been, oh, I don’t know, distracted lately.”
“I don’t see how…”
Megan held up her hand, “I’ve known him for almost a decade, and I know when I see a certain look in a man’s eyes. You had it, he had it. So, I’m here to fix it…or rather fix you two up.”
“And he agreed to this?” Adam asked incredulously.
Megan scoffed, “Please, he’d kill me if he knew I was here. He doesn’t even know I’m in town right now.”
Adam placed his hands on the table to move his chair back and get up. “Listen, Megan. You’re sweet, but this…”
“I wouldn’t think about leaving this table right now, Adam,” Megan said in a low menacing tone. “Your partner is meeting with one of my clients for a three million dollar contract right now. I’d hate to make a call and say that I changed my mind and recommended another firm. I’m sure it would suck to lose a potential client like that, no?”
Adam froze halfway standing. She smiled serenely at him like she hadn’t just said those words.
“Did you just threaten me?”
Megan waved a hand, “Oh, darling. That wasn’t a threat, it’s just how I do business.” She played with the silverware and ran her finger along the knife, “Now if you hurt Kris or do anything that breaks his heart? You won’t even have to think about my verbal threats. You’ll just be in permanent pain.” She smiled and waved to the waiter hovering near them. “Let’s order something and chat, shall we? I hate airplane food.”
Adam went through the motions of eating and drinking his ice tea as Megan chatted amiably. About what, he couldn’t say. He just nodded and replied automatically, thoughts racing around in his brain as to what her motive was with him…and with Kris.
Kris Allen. The hot, mild-mannered teacher with the unruly hair and crooked smile. Adam was sure he had never seen such wide, russet-colored eyes in his life. He also wore glasses, which hid, yet oddly, at the same time emphasized the beauty of those eyes. Adam never found glasses on a person sexy, except maybe sunglasses, but on Kris, all Adam could think was how he’d get those glasses off.
“…but I see all this is boring you,” Megan was saying.
Adam snapped his attention back to the woman sitting across from him. She was playing with her dessert, making swirls on the plate with the raspberry glaze with the fork. He blushed when she winked and smirked at him.
“I guess I should talk about Kris so I can have your complete attention. A girl’s ego can only handle so much.” She put her fork down, pushed the plate forward and crossed her arms on the table. “So, what would you like to know?” She lifted a hand, “Just so you know, I’ll only answer so many questions about him. You’ll have to ask him directly if I won’t spill, got it?”
Adam could only nod. He rested an elbow on the table and leaned his face into his palm, “I guess my main question is, why do you think there’s interest in me? I mean, you two were married. I’m obviously not a woman.”
“But, you’re just as gorgeous,” Megan said. “But, okay. See…the truth? We got married because it was just something you did after you dated a while. We’re both from a small town in the South, we ‘dated,’ but were mostly just hanging out together. To offset rumors about Kris being, well…” she paused. “It was more of a convenience thing for both of us. As for interest? Believe me, there is.”
“Is that why he disappeared from the gallery so quickly that night?” Adam said, trying to level his voice. It still bugged him, no matter what he told anyone. “I mean, I was only gone for a few minutes.”
Megan quirked her lips, “Yeah, sorry about that. Kris is usually not that bad-mannered.”
She stopped and examined Adam’s face. Adam suddenly found the breadcrumbs on the table to be fascinating, and he played with them with his thumb.
“Well, damn.”
“What?”
“If I knew you were that hurt, I would have dragged his ass back into the gallery,” she whispered.
“I’m not hurt,” Adam lied. “I just thought it was rude.”
“You have a thing…something happened to you,” Megan said softly, tilting her head. “Someone hurt you by leaving without saying good-bye. It affected you here,” she said touching her hand to her heart. “You liked him, and he left. You’ve had no closure.”
Adam turned his face and stared out the window, blinking rapidly trying to keep the tears that formed in his eyes from falling. He breathed in and exhaled slowly, getting his bearings and pasted a plastic smile on his face before turning to Megan again.
She reached over, her hand warm on his wrist. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged, “I’ll get over it eventually.”
Megan looked like she was debating something. She bit her lip and shook her head, as if making a decision. She flicked her wrist and checked the time, “Let’s take a walk.” The chair scraped the floor as she moved the chair back.
“The check,” Adam said confused.
“I took care of it.” She stood up and adjusted her skirt. “Shall we?”
**
Adam peered in through the classroom window and watched as Kris took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes with the knuckles of both hands. Adam didn’t take his eyes of Kris’s hands, as he grabbed folders and notebooks, and then dug around his desk drawer for what looked like car keys.
Adam decided it was now or never. He moved to knock on the door, but his feet crashed into a trashcan, which tipped over, creating a loud noise down the empty hall. He cursed loudly. Straightening the trash can, he started to knock on the door when it flew open.
“Shit, sorry!” Adam said and quickly withdrew his hand. He opened his fist and gave a weak wave, “Uh, hi Kris.”
“What…” Kris took a step back. “Adam? What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to…um…Okay. This is totally weird, but I wanted to see if you wanted to grab a drink.”
Kris stepped further back into his classroom, and nearly tripped over a box. Adam moved quickly and reached out to grab him before he fell over. He pulled Kris up and they were standing chest-to-chest. Looking down, he saw soft brown eyes that were unsure of what to do or what to say. Adam breathed in, taking in Kris’s scent; his body radiated heat that went straight to Adam’s stomach. For some reason, he got a sense of déjà-vu, and it made him breathless and dizzy.
Adam loosened his grip when he felt Kris pull back. He didn’t take his eyes off him, as he walked back to the desk to grab his glasses. “Drinks? I…I don’t know. It’s the first week of school, and I have a ton…”
“It’s only four, Kris.” Adam said. “I promise to have you home in a few hours. Just one drink?”
“How’d you find me? My classroom?” Kris asked, picking through the papers on his desk.
Adam started to wander around the classroom, absently touching sheets of music on the students’ desks so he wouldn’t stare at Kris, “Huh? Oh, Liz, Madeline’s mother…” He sat in one of the small desks and played with the metronome. “So, what do you say?”
“I generally don’t drink on weekdays…”
Adam smiled, “Then we can grab coffee.”
Kris laughed as if he couldn’t help himself, “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
Adam approached the desk slowly, “Nope. Literati Café on Bundy and Wilshire…it’s down the street.”
Kris nodded, “I know it.” He finally looked at Adam. “Uh, I’ll meet you there. Fifteen minutes?”
Adam squinted an eye, “You’re not going to ditch me, are you?”
“No,” Kris rolled his eyes. “I’ll even walk out with you, and you can see me get in my car.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
While he was driving, Adam thought back to his conversation with Megan a few weeks ago. His instincts were right when he thought she was debating how much and what to tell Adam that day. He took her hand into the crook of his arm as they walked down street and onto the pathway and boardwalk off Ocean Ave.
“Kris isn’t…” Megan paused as if trying to figure out how exactly to explain things. “Kris hasn’t had many relationships. His work has kept him from…he’s. It’s been hard for him.”
“And you two?” he asked.
Megan leaned her head against his shoulder, “It became a business arrangement, like I said. We’ve known each other for a while, and it just kind of made sense in terms of work. I needed a husband to keep creeps away, he wasn’t seeing anyone…”
“And why didn’t you stay together?”
“We just looked at each other one day and knew time was up. I love him to death, and I know he loves me, but we were using each other as crutches. We were so busy with work, we never lived our lives.”
“And now?”
“And now…” Megan sighed. “After our divorce, we went after our dreams, I guess. We went our separate ways for a while. I guess we needed to get away from each other, you know? I went back to art school; Kris wandered the world doing volunteer work. And now, I’m finding and bringing beautiful masterpieces to the masses. Kris is teaching and playing music.”
“And he hasn’t been in a relationship since you?”
Megan shook her head, “No. And it makes me sad. Kris has so much love to give, but he holds himself back.”
“But you think that I…”
“Oh, I know that you would be good for him. He just doesn’t know it yet.” She drew her head back and studied his face. “I don’t think you know it yet either.”
“And what am I supposed to do with this information?”
“Go after him. Prove to him that you’ll be good for him and he’ll be good for you.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“Let’s see. You retired from the FBI three years ago after a botched up case,” she stated as they headed back to the restaurant. “You started SLC with Mike Sarver, who also quit six months after you, over the same case. You’ve had two serious, long-term relationships which imploded; five boyfriends, and I’m just counting the ones that have lasted longer than three months. Your parents are divorced; younger brother lives in New York and is trying to make it as a writer in politics. You sing for fun, your closest friends are in various bands and three of the four of them are married.”
Adam stiffened under her arms, “How do you? Where did you?”
Megan shrugged, “My line of business, I need to know what my clients do, what they want and their likes and dislikes. I looked into you. Believe me, I could dig further, but I stopped.”
“You’re a scary woman. Beautiful, but scary.”
“Aww, you think I’m beautiful?”
Adam snorted, “You know you are. Don’t go fishing for compliments when you don’t need them.”
“Find Kris and ask him out, will you?”
Adam kept looking at his rearview mirror to make sure Kris didn’t turn down another street and disappear on him. He knew Kris was coming along reluctantly, but it was a start.
**
Kris fretted quietly in the car as he drove out of the parking lot. He shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t be socializing like this, especially with Adam.
When Adam held his arms in the room, Kris held in a gasp. He was taken back to the night in Grand Cayman, the way the stranger had gripped his arm and rubbed them slowly, intimately, how their bodies were just inches apart, heat coursing between them. Kris shivered as he remembered how he felt…how he’s wanted to feel again. It frightened him that Adam would be the one to trigger these feelings in him.
It was definitely a bad idea to be alone with him.
He turned into the parking lot and saw Adam waiting at the door.
“Hey,” Adam smiled nervously. “I thought you might change your mind.”
“I…I did think about it,” Kris admitted. “But, I’m here. Shall we?”
Kris found his eyes straying to study Adam’s back. Swallowing, he jerked his eyes back up as he followed Adam to a table in the corner.
“Did you just want coffee?”
“Oh, uh, I think I’ll just have green tea.”
“Tea?”
“I don’t want to stay up all night from the caffeine.”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Kris raked his hands through his hair as he tried to settle his nerves. It’s just coffee. It’s not a date, he repeated to himself. It’s no big deal.
Adam sat down and placed the numbered placard at the edge of the table. He set a plate of cookies and napkins in front of Kris and his thoughts flew out of his head as he felt Adam’s steady stare, blue eyes boring into him.
“What?” Kris asked.
“Nothing,” Adam said and broke the spell. “I figured we should have a little something to nosh on. Hope you don’t mind. It won’t ruin your dinner, will it?”
Kris shook his head, “No. And, thanks.”
“How have you been?”
“Good. Good.” Kris took a bite of a cookie. “I…I need to apologize.”
Man, Megan had chewed him out for the entire drive back to her hotel. He didn’t realize what kind of potty mouth she had until that night. And he promised that next time he saw Adam that he would apologize.
“Uh…”
“For how I left…at the gallery? I shouldn’t have just taken off like that.”
“Oh. That, yeah.” Adam stopped looking at him and picked at a cookie.
But, Kris saw the flash of hurt in his eyes. He started to speak when the waiter approached. He waited until their mugs were set down.
“So, I’m sorry,” Kris said. He tentatively reached out to cover Adam’s hand. Adam looked like he wasn’t sure if he should draw back or accept Kris’s touch. Kris pulled back quickly and picked up his mug.
Adam nodded and stirred sugar into his cup. They sat in silence, taking in the ambient noise of the cappuccino makers being run behind the counter, UCLA students typing on their laptops, retirees reading newspapers.
“Um, how’s business? Did you land the gallery contract?” Kris inquired breaking the silence.
“We did, yeah. And, actually, thanks to your ex, we actually signed on a big client last week,” Adam answered. He peeked up from his coffee to gauge Kris’s reaction.
Kris’s eyes got wide with surprise. “Megan?” Kris’s brows furrowed. “I didn’t realize you two talked.”
“She reached out a couple weeks ago with a referral. I sent her a basket of cupcakes.”
Kris laughed, “Red velvet?”
“A mix, actually.”
“She probably appreciated that.”
“She did,” he replied smoothly.
Kris didn’t like the sound of that. There was no way a conversation with Megan was limited to “thank you” and “you’re welcome.” And why was Megan reaching out to Adam. It wasn’t just for a referral.
“What did she tell you?”
Kris saw how Adam tried to hide his surprise at the question. Obviously not expecting Kris to ask him point blank what Megan said. “What are you talking about?”
“I know her. There was more than just a referral.”
Adam put his cup down and looked at Kris, a direct look. “She thinks we need to get to know each other. She gave me background on the two of you, what your relationship was like and a little about you.”
“And, yet you’re here?”
“And yet I’m here.” Adam replied softly, “I’m hoping I at least get a good-bye this time.”
**
Adam reached around Kris to stop his shaking hands as he tried to unlock the door. Adam eased the keys out of Kris’s hand and with his free hand rubbed his back soothingly. When Kris laid out the offer for a small bite at his place, Adam didn’t hesitate. He followed Kris’s car through Westside traffic toward Venice. The tree-filled residential street in Kris’s neighborhood was about a mile from the beach. But, right now, seeing how nervous Kris was, Adam changed his mind.
“I think we should grab dinner another night,” he said in a low voice.
Kris shook his head, “No, I said I’d cook a little something.” He kept his head down, but took the keys back from Adam’s fingers.
He slid the keys into the locks and with a slight push, got the door open. Adam stood a bit to the side as Kris punched in his security code.
“It’s not much…”
“It’s nice,” Adam said walking in. He kicked off his shoes, taking Kris’s lead, leaving them on the small rug by the door. He watched as Kris tossed his keys on a small table and dropped his messenger bag unceremoniously on the floor next to it.
The sun had set, the last of its brilliant rays filtering through the large windows of the condo. Kris busied himself turning on lights, opening windows and removing stray bits of papers and empty bottles as he walked into the open kitchen area.
“Did you want water or juice or soda?” he asked, opening the refrigerator.
“Water’s fine.”
Adam tried not to stare, but with no walls separating the living room and kitchen, nothing except a granite-topped counter, it was hard not to peek over at Kris bending over. Adam turned away right before Kris popped up and approached with two bottles of water in his hand. He placed one on the coffee table and handed the second to Adam.
“I’ll get the pasta started. Is that okay?”
Adam smiled, “Perfect and thanks.”
“Uh, the remote is there for the TV or if you want music, it’s the smaller remote on the corner. Make, um, make yourself at home,” he said heading back to the kitchen.
“Do you prefer television or music when you’re cooking?”
“Oh, uh, I usually have the TV on mute and listen to music.”
“Let’s do that, then.”
“Sure,” Kris replied distractedly, as he pulled out pots and pans.
Adam pushed the buttons on the remote and nodded with a smile as music filled the condo. He held his bottle of water close as he wandered around the living room, looking at the books and CD sleeves stuffed haphazardly into non-matching bookshelves along one wall. Eclectic frames housed pictures of smiling faces dotted the surfaces of the bookshelves. The walls were lined with paintings and sketches, a mix of bright and dark.
“These are nice, but I don’t think I recognize any of the pieces,” Adam said as Kris walked out of the kitchen.
“They’re original pieces by local artists.”
“From Venice?”
“No, just from my travels.”
“Megan mentioned you traveled a lot and that you two worked together, but never said what.”
Kris bit the corner of his lips, pushing the fullness out to one side. Adam gripped his bottle tighter and took a slight step back as if to study a painting more thoroughly.
“We…it’s kind of hard to explain, but I guess we played middleman between buyers and sellers. Kind of like brokers, I guess? Paintings, sculptures, jewelry.”
“But Megan’s still doing that.”
Kris nodded, “She loves it, and she’s good at it.”
“You stopped,” Adam stated.
Kris moved his head in a half-shrug, “I got tired of it. Still admire artwork, but wasn’t feeling it anymore, I guess.”
“You wanted to settle down?”
Kris looked away and shuffled back into the kitchen, giving Adam his back. “Something like that.”
“Is this one of those Correia pieces?” Adam asked, quickly changing the subject. He held a small black paperweight in the palm of his hand.
Kris looked up from the stove and smiled. He nodded, “Yeah. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“I don’t think I remember this one on display,” Adam said.
“We, uh, Megan and I got it a few years back. I got, uh, possession of it in the divorce,” Kris laughed lightly.
“Did you need help with anything?” Adam asked, standing next to Kris.
“What?” Kris squeaked, surprise tensing his body. He moved away from the stove and opened a cabinet. “No. I’m good, almost done, in fact.” He then opened a drawer, “Just, um, here,” and shoved a couple of forks and napkins into Adam’s hands.
Adam smiled to himself as he set the utensils and napkins on the counter. After he finished, he went around to the other side pulled a stool out so he could watch Kris.
Kris set out the plates and the large bowl of pasta, some warmed up bread and a salad. Adam declined the offer of wine, noting that Kris wasn’t drinking. They shared the meal in companionable silence.
After the meal, Adam found himself with hands wet with dishwater and bubbles as Kris smiled and laughed with him, drying the dishes.
“How do you like living in LA? How’d you pick Venice?” Adam asked.
“It’s nice. Always loved it when I was here before, even though the trips were too short,” Kris replied. “As for Venice, I don’t know. The neighborhood, the eclectic-ness of the people who live here, everyone is just free to be who they want and don’t care about the past or the future. Just seemed to fit.”
Adam nodded, understanding a little more about this man who intrigued him...a lot more than he cared to admit. A man who brought back memories of the dark corner in the dark club, which made his heart hurt and his body ache, wanting those stolen moments back.
“You okay?” Kris asked, bumping into his shoulder.
“Yeah, sorry, just thinking,” Adam mumbled.
“About?”
Adam finished rinsing off the last plate, hand under the flowing water to douse the sink of the remaining suds. His mouth tugged up in a small smile, “Nothing really. Just something from a couple years ago when I was in Grand Cayman.”
Kris’s hands faltered, dropping the fork in his hand. The clang of it on the hardwood floor echoed in the room. Adam stooped to pick it up, “Everything okay?” He washed it again and put it on the dish rack.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Kris started to put the dishes away. “So, when were you in Grand Cayman?”
Adam wiped his hands on the hand towel Kris left for him. “Wow, two years ago now. It was great. Beautiful island.” He looked to Kris who was now aligning the cups and plates, shadows of the kitchen lights playing off his arms and face. Adam leaned his back against the counter. “Have you been?”
The back of Kris’s head bobbed with a slight nod. “A few times. Lovely people and food.”
Adam felt himself gravitating towards Kris, something unknown moving him, memories of his night at the club assaulting him. Using the counter, he braced his arms around Kris, effectively caging him in. “When was the last time you were there?” he whispered, lowering his lips to Kris’s ear.
Kris unconsciously shifted his body, backing into Adam’s warm embrace. “Why?” Kris asked, voice low.
“I met someone there one night. At a club. We barely spoke, it was so loud in there. I didn’t even get his name, but I spent my last two days on the island searching for him.”
Adam repositioned his body, his hands stirring, moving from counter to Kris’s hands. He pulled them away from the cabinet, and threaded his fingers between his. He felt Kris’s breathing grow shallow, matching his own.
“I never found him,” Adam continued, brushing his lips over Kris’s temple, the soft tufts of hair tickling his nose. “It killed me when he disappeared on me.”
Adam crossed their arms together over Kris’s body, hugging him tight. He felt the distinct speeding of Kris’s heartbeat. “I haven’t stopped thinking about him,” Adam whispered. He slid his mouth down, nudging Kris’s head. “Haven’t been able to. But, now I’m wondering…”
“Wo…wonder…wondering about what?” Kris’s voice cracked.
“If, maybe, I finally found him.” Adam said. He squeezed them tighter and pressed his mouth to Kris’s neck.
“Ad…Adam,” Kris groaned. “I…oh god.”
Adam released his grip of Kris, and turned him around to face him. Kris’s eyes were dark, glazed-over as he looked back into Adam’s eyes. Adam raised his fingers and darted them over Kris’s face. “You were there, weren’t you?” He tilted Kris’s chin up, thumb running along his lower lip. Adam shivered when the tip of Kris’s tongue touched it. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
Kris lowered his eyes and gave the slightest of nods.
“You,” Adam growled. “Are not allowed to disappear on me again,” he brought Kris’s face up, cupping his jaw, thumbs running across his cheeks. “Not now, now that I finally found you.” Adam kissed him, slanted his mouth over Kris’s, giving him no room to move, no choice but to kiss back, breathe him in the same as Adam.
**
As Adam left the kitchen, he grabbed his drink from the counter before joining Tommy in the living room.
“Okay, spill,” Tommy said as he picked up toys off the floor.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve been cheery and happy and shit. Like you’re pleased with yourself or something.”
“I found him,” Adam said, falling onto Tommy’s couch.
“Take your stinking shoes off, man. Liz will kill you,” Tommy replied, removing a doll before sitting on his recliner. As Adam’s shoes hit the floor, Tommy leaned back and stretched his arms over his head, “Found who?”
“Him. Kris. Kris Allen.”
“Didn’t know he was lost.”
“He was the guy…Cayman Islands,” Adam yawned. “That night…looked all over…two years.”
Tommy sat up, “You wanna speak in complete sentences so that I know what the fuck you’re talking about?”
“I…” Adam sighed and turned on his side so he could see Tommy. “I met someone there. Or I thought I did.”
“You hooked up with someone, but it didn’t work out. And?”
Adam tucked his head on his arm as he shook it. “No, it wasn’t like that. I went to a club one night. I saw him and tried to talk to him, but it was too loud. He moved, and I grabbed his arm. I started to talk, and he was nodding. I realized later that he couldn’t hear me. But, something about him and that night.”
“What does this have to do with Kris? You’re talking about Kris, the teacher, right? Maddie’s teacher at Brentwood School. That Kris Allen?”
“Yes. But listen, I’m trying to tell you. So, I’m at this club. I see a cute guy. I’m talking and he’s nodding, so I think we’re,” he shrugs. “I don’t know, but instead we’ve moved into a corner and we’re making out.” Adam returns to his position on his back. “Oh my god, it was hot. Like still remember it hot, you know? I told him I was going to the restroom, and by the time I got back, this guy disappeared. I ran around the club looking for him, but he was gone.”
“This…that night…is what had you all weird the last couple of years? Making out with a stranger in a club? You do that all the time,”
Adam threw his arm over his head, “It wasn’t like that.” He sat up and pleaded with Tommy with his eyes to understand. “Something had me going to that club that night, something drew me to him. I mean,” Adam ran his fingers through his hair. “I still remember him, but not what he looked like, just vague images and snapshots in my head. And I never got his name or any information about him.”
“And this guy was Kris?”
“Yes!” Adam jumped up off the couch excitedly. “It was him. Isn’t that amazing?”
“And how do you know this?”
“Last week, I kind of cornered him in the classroom,” Adam said sheepishly.
“You what?” Tommy yelled. “You went to the school like a creeper?”
“I didn’t know what else to do, okay?” Adam started pacing. “I mean, I wanted to see him again. You and Liz weren’t really getting anywhere. I haven’t stopped thinking about him since the gallery thing…”
“Mostly because you were pissed he didn’t say good-bye to you,” Tommy grumbled.
“That was part of it, but I liked him…like him. And, it bugged me, but mostly because we were talking, flirting. I thought we were connecting, but when he left.” He shrugged a shoulder. “It just felt wrong, like he shouldn’t have left me like that.”
Tommy uncrossed his legs and slid in his recliner, holding his head in his hand. “Okay, wait. Let me see if I get this. You meet a guy in the Caymans, guy disappears on you. You mope after this unknown guy for last two years. Pretty much becoming a monk and a bitch in the process. Kris comes into the picture, you’re interested, forget about Cayman guy, even if it’s just for a moment. Nothing happens with Kris. You run into Kris, but he, too, leaves you stranded, without saying good-bye, and this triggers memories of Cayman guy. You pout and sulk. Then you decide to sneak onto campus where you have no business being and corner Kris.”
Tommy looked at Adam, who nodded. “Okay,” Tommy continued. “So then, I’m guessing you coerced…” Tommy holds up a hand at Adam’s scowl. “Okay, fine, you got him to agree,” Adam grinned. “…to grab drinks or coffee or something. You two started to talk about vacations and beaches and the Cayman Islands came up and boom, hey, look at that! Boy meets boy again.”
Adam stopped his pacing and sat back at the edge of the couch, legs bouncing. “Something like that, yeah.” He leaned over and placed his hands on the table in front of him. “But that isn’t the point, Tommy. It’s that I found him, after all this time! How amazing is that?”
“What happens next?”
“We’re going out to dinner next Friday.”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”
Adam slid back in his seat and beamed, “I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter, I found him. It’ll work out.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“It will.”
**
Finally | part III...
And, Part I again (if you need it) Part I
Type: AU
Rated: R
**
“So, the hottie likes you,” Megan whispered into his ear.
Kris stumbled as they were walking, “Wait, what?”
Megan grabbed the nearly empty wineglass from his hand and started to giggle. “Honestly, Kristopher. How oblivious can one be?” She twirled as she swapped the empty glass with a full one as a waiter passed by.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kris whispered back furiously.
“Oh, sweetie,” Megan nodded to other guests as they moved along the gallery. “The way he looked at you earlier, and the way he keeps looking over at you now? And, if I’m not mistaken, there’s mutual attraction-a-brewin’.”
Kris felt a blush creep up his neck.
“You really don’t know?”
He shook his head vigorously. Megan stopped them and looked at him in awe. Rolling his eyes, Kris looked at everything except Megan’s face, “What? No, seriously?”
“Seriously, Kris.” She took him by his elbow and started edging them closer to where Adam was leaning against a column. “You should talk to him. You’ve started living a normal life. And, I think it’s high time you found someone to live it with you, instead of the random hook-ups at seedy bars and clubs.”
“How did…you…” Kris choked. “You knew about that?”
Megan smiled slyly, “I was your wife and partner in crime, literally, for two years. Of course I knew dumbass.” As they neared Adam, she kissed him on the cheek and pushed him forward. “Go forth and conquer my dear.” With that she turned on her heels and walked away.
Kris realized Adam had witnessed the last few seconds of the exchange, though he was pretty sure they were out of ear-shot. He approached slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Hey,” he said nervously.
“Hey, yourself.”
“Uh, so, you’re in security consulting, huh? Applegate isn’t a bad client to have on the roster.”
Adam nodded, “Yeah, a buddy and I started the company a couple of years ago. And, uh, Niko’s not a client yet. Just here checking everything out.”
“I’m sure you’ll land them.”
“Thanks, I hope so.”
There was a moment of awkward silence, neither knowing what to say next. Kris tried not to stare at him, looking around at the other guests milling about.
“How’s Maddie?” Kris asked at the same time Adam stated, “Your wife is beautiful.”
Kris looked up at Adam’s eyes, startled. “What?”
“Megan. Your wife?”
Kris looked at his feet and coughed to clear his throat, buy himself some time. “Actually, uh, ex-wife.”
“Oh,” Adam said, obviously confused. “I thought…well, the way you two…uh, your ring…” Adam stammered. “Shit, sorry.”
Kris shook his head and chuckled, “We’re good friends. It just…it just didn’t work out. We still get along, but it’s better this way.” Kris nervously played with the ring on his finger, “This…yeah, well, uh. This is more just a good-luck charm? I guess? Had it for a while, and I couldn’t bring myself to take it off. It’s just comforting now, in a way.”
“Sorry.”
“For what?”
“The divorce. I know it’s a hard thing to go through…my parents, some friends.”
Kris licked his lips, “Yeah. But, it’s been a few years. And, it wasn’t too painful, so I guess that says something, doesn’t it?”
“Can I, uh, did you want a drink?” Adam asked.
“I’m, um,” Kris scrunched his face. “No, I can’t. I’m a bit of a lightweight, and besides, I drove. But, thanks.”
Adam nodded. Kris was unnerved at the way he was looking at him. He felt if he gazed into Adam’s eyes, that the world around him would disappear, and he couldn’t do that. Not here, not now. But, something…something kept pushing in the corner of his brain…was familiar about his man. His presence, his body, him.
“What do you think about the collection?” Kris asked, trying to defray his nerves.
Adam shrugged, “It’s beautiful, but I’m not too familiar with it.”
“Well, come on then,” he motioned to Adam to follow. “I’ll give you a new appreciation of it.”
Kris tried to ignore the fluidity of how Adam peeled away from the column, drink in hand; his body moving smoothly next to him.
“Correia glass,” Kris started to explain. “They still use the freehand blowing technique. So combined with some of today’s technologies, they can make these exceptional pieces that seem old-school yet so modern.
“Freehand blowing?” Adam asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kris tamped down his blush and ignored the double entendre. Continuing as if Adam didn’t say anything, “They take a mix of sand and various minerals and precious metal, then pull the liquid glass from a furnace that’s at 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit onto long stainless steel pipes. The artists blow and twirl the pipe and start to shape it. Correia artists never paint on the designs, the pieces are garnet-etched into the surface of the glass, making them totally unique.”
“Wow,” Adam whistled.
“Yeah, it’s amazing work. Their pieces are in all the major museums around the country, and they’ve lent pieces to various executives, royal families and art institutes around the world.”
“I mean, you know a lot about the background.”
“Oh. Yeah, well, being married to Megan, I picked up a lot of things over the years,” Kris mumbled.
“I’m impressed that you actually paid attention,” Adam remarked.
“Beautiful things intrigue me,” he said as he looked at Adam’s face.
Adam’s face froze for the briefest of moments at the remark, then he smiled shyly. Kris internally slapped himself upside the head after realizing what he said and where he looked as he said it.
Adam opened his mouth to say something when he phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and scanned the screen quickly. Mumbling a quick apology, he left Kris’s side.
Kris blew out a breath and went to the bar for a glass of water.
“So?” Megan asked, suddenly appearing by his side.
“I don’t think I can do this,” Kris said softly.
“Why not?”
“I don’t think I’m ready. Especially with someone like him.”
Megan punched his arm, “Again, why not?”
“He’s a security consultant!” Kris argued. “That means he’s got a background in law enforcement or something. What if he finds out about me? About you?”
She pulled Kris away from the bar, “I’m not saying you have to marry him. I said try to live! That means flirting and dating and seeing what’s out there in the normal world.”
“I need to leave.”
Megan rolled her eyes, “Fine. Let me say good-bye to Niko. I’ll meet you outside.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re lucky I’m still fond of you.”
**
Adam finished his call and saw Megan give Niko a hug and air-kiss before stepping out of the gallery doors. He looked around for Kris, but knew he was gone. Story of his life.
He did a final walk-through of the gallery’s main showroom, and went to find Niko to say his good-byes. As soon as he hit the sidewalk, he tugged off his tie, stuffed in into his coat, and then pulled the coat off with disgust.
His phone rang again, and he answered without even looking at the screen, “What.”
“Well, good evening to you, too, Mr. Warm and Fuzzy,” Tommy pouted into the phone.
“I’m in a shitty mood, Tommy. What do you want?”
“You don’t say.”
“Seriously, what is it? Because, I need to get home, finish the RPF and get disgustingly drunk before starting another long-ass day tomorrow.”
“Well, I guess I won’t be inviting you over for a last-minute poker game.”
Adam pulled the phone away to check the time. Only eight pm. “What time? And how much alcohol will you have?”
“Everyone’s heading over around ten, so any time after that. And, really dude? You’re asking about alcohol?”
“Let me finish up with work, stuff some clothes in a bag, and I’ll be over. I’ll only be joining the drinking part.”
“I’ll get the extra room ready for you to crash,” Tommy said blithely. “And you can tell me all about your shitty evening when you get here.”
Adam had finished up the RFP in record time and sent the file to Mike to double-check. He grabbed his duffel bag and broke speed limits getting to Tommy’s house in Culver City.
Now, he was lying on the couch, barely paying attention to Tommy, Monte, Isaac and Charles play poker. Tommy thought he would be funny and lined up the bottles of vodka and scotch along the table in front of the couch. Adam, on the other hand, thought it was a genius move…he didn’t need to make his way to the kitchen to refill his glass all night.
“And, why exactly are we drinking to get shitfaced tonight, Adam?” Monte asked as he studied his cards.
“A bad evening,” Adam grunted.
Tommy tilted back his chair onto the back legs and craned his neck to look over at Adam, “I don’t think that’s it. The way he’s drinking right now?” He righted the chair, “It’s boy trouble.”
Charles leaned over and moved his eyes over Adam’s prone body and nodded, “Yeah, it’s a guy. A cute guy that disappeared on him or blew him off.”
Adam put his drink onto the table and lifted himself up onto his elbows, “Really? You guys can tell what kind of trouble I’m having with how I’m drinking.” He shook his head and plopped himself back down onto the couch. “Unfuckinbelievable. I have friends that are fucking clairvoyants now. Oh, Great Karnak, please tell me my future.”
Isaac snorted, “Are you even old enough to know about Johnny Carson’s Great Karnak bits?”
“Only that he was a shitty fortune teller…just like you assholes.”
Charles placed a hand over his heart, “Ouch, babe. Why you gotta call us fortune tellers?”
Adam shook his head, “Play your fucking game and leave me alone to drink.”
“Who is he?” Monte asked. “Name, rank and serial number, please.”
“Nun-ya and just play. I’ve got more drinking to do.”
“Wait, ‘nun-ya’?” Isaac whispered. “What the hell does that mean?”
“None ya business,” Charles explained. “Adam thinks he’s street when he talks like that, and usually does that when he’s drinking. Wait a bit, and it’ll get even funnier, as he’s only a wee bit buzzed right now.”
“Fuck. You. All.” Adam stated flatly. “I should have just stayed at home and gotten blitzed by myself without a bunch of know-it-all-bitties whispering and giving me shit.”
“Oh, you know you love us and we love you,” Charles laughed and started to sing the Barney song until Monte slapped his cards onto the table. “Hey!”
“You obviously need to get this, whatever this is, out of your system,” Tommy said patiently. “Keep on with your drinking. We’ll be here to listen to you bitch, whine and moan later when you can’t keep it in anymore.” He motioned to the rest of the guys, “Come on, I got money to win.”
Adam let the sound of his friends playing poker lull him into a zone. He stared up at the ceiling, watching the shadows from the living room lights pulse as he alternated closing one eye then the other, making the edges of the shadow shapes blend into each other. Struggling to sit up, he tottered over the edge of the couch to fix the emptiness of his glass.
“You know, the shittiest part is he didn’t even say good-bye, you know?” Adam said. He took a giant gulp of the scotch and grimaced as it raced down his throat. “I thought he was finally showing interest, flirting a bit. Then I get a fucking phone call from a client, which took way longer than it should have, I turn around, and boom, he’s gone. I bet, no hope, that his gorgeous ex-wife gave him a beating for leaving her behind, too.”
His friends stopped talking and playing. Isaac and Charles were mid-drink, hands frozen half-way to their mouths. Adam propped his elbows onto the table and laughed at them. Four pairs of eyes turned to him.
“Um, ex-wife?” Monte asked first.
“Tommy and Liz couldn’t find out shit about him,” Adam said as he knocked back last bit of scotch in his glass. “Turned out, he still has the wedding ring on. I knew I didn’t imagine it.” Adam pushed himself back onto the couch and fixed a cushion under his head. “Gives him comfort, he said.”
Charles, Monte and Isaac looked to Tommy for an explanation. Tommy scowled and put his hands out, motioning for them to let Adam talk, that he’d explain later.
“She’s gorgeous, too. Petite little blond thing with a killer body, showing it off in one of those bandage Herve Leger numbers. If I didn’t prefer penis, I could see the appeal. Loved her shoes…tan platform stilettos, Louboutins, of course. She was so nice, too. The bitch.”
Adam sighed and closed his eyes. “I could have sworn she was pushing him to talk to me, and I mean that literally and figuratively. She physically pushed him towards me, to where I was standing. If I didn’t see it, I would have thought I imagined it.” Adam frowned, “But, did I see it? I might have had too much to drink. I mean, seeing him walk through the door, and seeing her on his arm.”
“Who’s he talking about Tommy?” Charles asked, tired of waiting.
“Kris Allen.”
“Who’s that?” Monte asked.
Tommy scrubbed his face and twisted in his chair to look at Adam. Adam was still rambling, not caring that they had stopped playing and were listening and talking about him. Tommy sighed and explained, “A teacher at Brentwood School. He’s the music director there, started about two years ago. Adam met him when he took Maddie to the fundraiser when Liz and I couldn’t go.”
“Wasn’t that was back in March?” Charles asked.
“Yup.”
“So…”
“So, nothing,” Tommy muttered, leaning over to grab a beer from the cooler on the floor next to the table. “He said the guy was cute. Naturally Liz got excited, hell, even I did since he’s been moping around and has just been working his ass off the last couple of years. We tried to get some information and got squat for our troubles. I thought he actually forgot about Kris. I guess not.”
Monte nodded sagely, “You know how he gets.”
Charles picked at the edges of his now-forgotten cards, “He was like this after Cayman, too.”
“What happened in Cayman?” Isaac asked. He was the new guy, Midnight Life’s new drummer.
Charles slumped down in his chair and patted his stomach, “Don’t know. Adam never talked about it. We just know something happened there. One day he’s chasing tail all over LA, then we ship him off for a much-needed vacation, and he comes back this morose, miserable ass. Just glad he’s got Sarver and his work so he can lose himself in something.”
“Question now is, how do we fix this?” Monte asked looking at his friends at the table. “I don’t want another two years of this. I don’t think he,” Monte pointed his chin to Adam on the couch, “can take any more of this.”
**
Soft music was playing in the background, waiters bustling around him, the sounds of the workers on the cooking line drifting into the dining room. Adam looked at his watch again, and started to tap out a message on his phone, elbows on his knees and head down, when brightly painted toes in strappy sandals entered his vision. He hit send and looked up.
“Adam, right?” Megan smiled.
“Megan, hi,” Adam said in return. He stood up and extended his hand to the empty chair next to him at the table. “Please, have a seat. I’m waiting for a client, but it seems like they’re running late.”
Megan placed her purse on the table and unfolded the napkin into her lap, “Actually, that’d be me.”
“Oh?” Adam pulled up his phone to look at his calendar, “You’re Ronny Wilcox?”
“Had to make sure you made time for me,” she said casually. “Wasn’t sure how you’d react or if you’d send one of your people instead since it’s been a couple of months since we met at the gallery. And, even then, we barely spoke. Plus, I like the element of surprise. You know, showing up in a dress.”
Adam had to laugh, “Okay. That makes no sense whatsoever, but I’ll go with it. What can SLC do for you?”
“Honey,” she said reaching across the table to pat his hand. “I’m not here for your help. I’m here to help you.”
Adam raised an eyebrow, “And what exactly do I need help with?”
“My flight takes off in a couple of hours, so I’m short on time,” she said with a brisk tone. “I’ll cut to the chase. I’m here to help with you with Kris.”
Adam was in the middle of taking a sip of water and choked on it. “Excuse me?”
“Kris Allen? My ex-husband?” Megan scooted her seat forward and lowered her voice. “I saw the way you looked at him that night, and Kris has been, oh, I don’t know, distracted lately.”
“I don’t see how…”
Megan held up her hand, “I’ve known him for almost a decade, and I know when I see a certain look in a man’s eyes. You had it, he had it. So, I’m here to fix it…or rather fix you two up.”
“And he agreed to this?” Adam asked incredulously.
Megan scoffed, “Please, he’d kill me if he knew I was here. He doesn’t even know I’m in town right now.”
Adam placed his hands on the table to move his chair back and get up. “Listen, Megan. You’re sweet, but this…”
“I wouldn’t think about leaving this table right now, Adam,” Megan said in a low menacing tone. “Your partner is meeting with one of my clients for a three million dollar contract right now. I’d hate to make a call and say that I changed my mind and recommended another firm. I’m sure it would suck to lose a potential client like that, no?”
Adam froze halfway standing. She smiled serenely at him like she hadn’t just said those words.
“Did you just threaten me?”
Megan waved a hand, “Oh, darling. That wasn’t a threat, it’s just how I do business.” She played with the silverware and ran her finger along the knife, “Now if you hurt Kris or do anything that breaks his heart? You won’t even have to think about my verbal threats. You’ll just be in permanent pain.” She smiled and waved to the waiter hovering near them. “Let’s order something and chat, shall we? I hate airplane food.”
Adam went through the motions of eating and drinking his ice tea as Megan chatted amiably. About what, he couldn’t say. He just nodded and replied automatically, thoughts racing around in his brain as to what her motive was with him…and with Kris.
Kris Allen. The hot, mild-mannered teacher with the unruly hair and crooked smile. Adam was sure he had never seen such wide, russet-colored eyes in his life. He also wore glasses, which hid, yet oddly, at the same time emphasized the beauty of those eyes. Adam never found glasses on a person sexy, except maybe sunglasses, but on Kris, all Adam could think was how he’d get those glasses off.
“…but I see all this is boring you,” Megan was saying.
Adam snapped his attention back to the woman sitting across from him. She was playing with her dessert, making swirls on the plate with the raspberry glaze with the fork. He blushed when she winked and smirked at him.
“I guess I should talk about Kris so I can have your complete attention. A girl’s ego can only handle so much.” She put her fork down, pushed the plate forward and crossed her arms on the table. “So, what would you like to know?” She lifted a hand, “Just so you know, I’ll only answer so many questions about him. You’ll have to ask him directly if I won’t spill, got it?”
Adam could only nod. He rested an elbow on the table and leaned his face into his palm, “I guess my main question is, why do you think there’s interest in me? I mean, you two were married. I’m obviously not a woman.”
“But, you’re just as gorgeous,” Megan said. “But, okay. See…the truth? We got married because it was just something you did after you dated a while. We’re both from a small town in the South, we ‘dated,’ but were mostly just hanging out together. To offset rumors about Kris being, well…” she paused. “It was more of a convenience thing for both of us. As for interest? Believe me, there is.”
“Is that why he disappeared from the gallery so quickly that night?” Adam said, trying to level his voice. It still bugged him, no matter what he told anyone. “I mean, I was only gone for a few minutes.”
Megan quirked her lips, “Yeah, sorry about that. Kris is usually not that bad-mannered.”
She stopped and examined Adam’s face. Adam suddenly found the breadcrumbs on the table to be fascinating, and he played with them with his thumb.
“Well, damn.”
“What?”
“If I knew you were that hurt, I would have dragged his ass back into the gallery,” she whispered.
“I’m not hurt,” Adam lied. “I just thought it was rude.”
“You have a thing…something happened to you,” Megan said softly, tilting her head. “Someone hurt you by leaving without saying good-bye. It affected you here,” she said touching her hand to her heart. “You liked him, and he left. You’ve had no closure.”
Adam turned his face and stared out the window, blinking rapidly trying to keep the tears that formed in his eyes from falling. He breathed in and exhaled slowly, getting his bearings and pasted a plastic smile on his face before turning to Megan again.
She reached over, her hand warm on his wrist. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged, “I’ll get over it eventually.”
Megan looked like she was debating something. She bit her lip and shook her head, as if making a decision. She flicked her wrist and checked the time, “Let’s take a walk.” The chair scraped the floor as she moved the chair back.
“The check,” Adam said confused.
“I took care of it.” She stood up and adjusted her skirt. “Shall we?”
**
Adam peered in through the classroom window and watched as Kris took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes with the knuckles of both hands. Adam didn’t take his eyes of Kris’s hands, as he grabbed folders and notebooks, and then dug around his desk drawer for what looked like car keys.
Adam decided it was now or never. He moved to knock on the door, but his feet crashed into a trashcan, which tipped over, creating a loud noise down the empty hall. He cursed loudly. Straightening the trash can, he started to knock on the door when it flew open.
“Shit, sorry!” Adam said and quickly withdrew his hand. He opened his fist and gave a weak wave, “Uh, hi Kris.”
“What…” Kris took a step back. “Adam? What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to…um…Okay. This is totally weird, but I wanted to see if you wanted to grab a drink.”
Kris stepped further back into his classroom, and nearly tripped over a box. Adam moved quickly and reached out to grab him before he fell over. He pulled Kris up and they were standing chest-to-chest. Looking down, he saw soft brown eyes that were unsure of what to do or what to say. Adam breathed in, taking in Kris’s scent; his body radiated heat that went straight to Adam’s stomach. For some reason, he got a sense of déjà-vu, and it made him breathless and dizzy.
Adam loosened his grip when he felt Kris pull back. He didn’t take his eyes off him, as he walked back to the desk to grab his glasses. “Drinks? I…I don’t know. It’s the first week of school, and I have a ton…”
“It’s only four, Kris.” Adam said. “I promise to have you home in a few hours. Just one drink?”
“How’d you find me? My classroom?” Kris asked, picking through the papers on his desk.
Adam started to wander around the classroom, absently touching sheets of music on the students’ desks so he wouldn’t stare at Kris, “Huh? Oh, Liz, Madeline’s mother…” He sat in one of the small desks and played with the metronome. “So, what do you say?”
“I generally don’t drink on weekdays…”
Adam smiled, “Then we can grab coffee.”
Kris laughed as if he couldn’t help himself, “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
Adam approached the desk slowly, “Nope. Literati Café on Bundy and Wilshire…it’s down the street.”
Kris nodded, “I know it.” He finally looked at Adam. “Uh, I’ll meet you there. Fifteen minutes?”
Adam squinted an eye, “You’re not going to ditch me, are you?”
“No,” Kris rolled his eyes. “I’ll even walk out with you, and you can see me get in my car.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
While he was driving, Adam thought back to his conversation with Megan a few weeks ago. His instincts were right when he thought she was debating how much and what to tell Adam that day. He took her hand into the crook of his arm as they walked down street and onto the pathway and boardwalk off Ocean Ave.
“Kris isn’t…” Megan paused as if trying to figure out how exactly to explain things. “Kris hasn’t had many relationships. His work has kept him from…he’s. It’s been hard for him.”
“And you two?” he asked.
Megan leaned her head against his shoulder, “It became a business arrangement, like I said. We’ve known each other for a while, and it just kind of made sense in terms of work. I needed a husband to keep creeps away, he wasn’t seeing anyone…”
“And why didn’t you stay together?”
“We just looked at each other one day and knew time was up. I love him to death, and I know he loves me, but we were using each other as crutches. We were so busy with work, we never lived our lives.”
“And now?”
“And now…” Megan sighed. “After our divorce, we went after our dreams, I guess. We went our separate ways for a while. I guess we needed to get away from each other, you know? I went back to art school; Kris wandered the world doing volunteer work. And now, I’m finding and bringing beautiful masterpieces to the masses. Kris is teaching and playing music.”
“And he hasn’t been in a relationship since you?”
Megan shook her head, “No. And it makes me sad. Kris has so much love to give, but he holds himself back.”
“But you think that I…”
“Oh, I know that you would be good for him. He just doesn’t know it yet.” She drew her head back and studied his face. “I don’t think you know it yet either.”
“And what am I supposed to do with this information?”
“Go after him. Prove to him that you’ll be good for him and he’ll be good for you.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“Let’s see. You retired from the FBI three years ago after a botched up case,” she stated as they headed back to the restaurant. “You started SLC with Mike Sarver, who also quit six months after you, over the same case. You’ve had two serious, long-term relationships which imploded; five boyfriends, and I’m just counting the ones that have lasted longer than three months. Your parents are divorced; younger brother lives in New York and is trying to make it as a writer in politics. You sing for fun, your closest friends are in various bands and three of the four of them are married.”
Adam stiffened under her arms, “How do you? Where did you?”
Megan shrugged, “My line of business, I need to know what my clients do, what they want and their likes and dislikes. I looked into you. Believe me, I could dig further, but I stopped.”
“You’re a scary woman. Beautiful, but scary.”
“Aww, you think I’m beautiful?”
Adam snorted, “You know you are. Don’t go fishing for compliments when you don’t need them.”
“Find Kris and ask him out, will you?”
Adam kept looking at his rearview mirror to make sure Kris didn’t turn down another street and disappear on him. He knew Kris was coming along reluctantly, but it was a start.
**
Kris fretted quietly in the car as he drove out of the parking lot. He shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t be socializing like this, especially with Adam.
When Adam held his arms in the room, Kris held in a gasp. He was taken back to the night in Grand Cayman, the way the stranger had gripped his arm and rubbed them slowly, intimately, how their bodies were just inches apart, heat coursing between them. Kris shivered as he remembered how he felt…how he’s wanted to feel again. It frightened him that Adam would be the one to trigger these feelings in him.
It was definitely a bad idea to be alone with him.
He turned into the parking lot and saw Adam waiting at the door.
“Hey,” Adam smiled nervously. “I thought you might change your mind.”
“I…I did think about it,” Kris admitted. “But, I’m here. Shall we?”
Kris found his eyes straying to study Adam’s back. Swallowing, he jerked his eyes back up as he followed Adam to a table in the corner.
“Did you just want coffee?”
“Oh, uh, I think I’ll just have green tea.”
“Tea?”
“I don’t want to stay up all night from the caffeine.”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Kris raked his hands through his hair as he tried to settle his nerves. It’s just coffee. It’s not a date, he repeated to himself. It’s no big deal.
Adam sat down and placed the numbered placard at the edge of the table. He set a plate of cookies and napkins in front of Kris and his thoughts flew out of his head as he felt Adam’s steady stare, blue eyes boring into him.
“What?” Kris asked.
“Nothing,” Adam said and broke the spell. “I figured we should have a little something to nosh on. Hope you don’t mind. It won’t ruin your dinner, will it?”
Kris shook his head, “No. And, thanks.”
“How have you been?”
“Good. Good.” Kris took a bite of a cookie. “I…I need to apologize.”
Man, Megan had chewed him out for the entire drive back to her hotel. He didn’t realize what kind of potty mouth she had until that night. And he promised that next time he saw Adam that he would apologize.
“Uh…”
“For how I left…at the gallery? I shouldn’t have just taken off like that.”
“Oh. That, yeah.” Adam stopped looking at him and picked at a cookie.
But, Kris saw the flash of hurt in his eyes. He started to speak when the waiter approached. He waited until their mugs were set down.
“So, I’m sorry,” Kris said. He tentatively reached out to cover Adam’s hand. Adam looked like he wasn’t sure if he should draw back or accept Kris’s touch. Kris pulled back quickly and picked up his mug.
Adam nodded and stirred sugar into his cup. They sat in silence, taking in the ambient noise of the cappuccino makers being run behind the counter, UCLA students typing on their laptops, retirees reading newspapers.
“Um, how’s business? Did you land the gallery contract?” Kris inquired breaking the silence.
“We did, yeah. And, actually, thanks to your ex, we actually signed on a big client last week,” Adam answered. He peeked up from his coffee to gauge Kris’s reaction.
Kris’s eyes got wide with surprise. “Megan?” Kris’s brows furrowed. “I didn’t realize you two talked.”
“She reached out a couple weeks ago with a referral. I sent her a basket of cupcakes.”
Kris laughed, “Red velvet?”
“A mix, actually.”
“She probably appreciated that.”
“She did,” he replied smoothly.
Kris didn’t like the sound of that. There was no way a conversation with Megan was limited to “thank you” and “you’re welcome.” And why was Megan reaching out to Adam. It wasn’t just for a referral.
“What did she tell you?”
Kris saw how Adam tried to hide his surprise at the question. Obviously not expecting Kris to ask him point blank what Megan said. “What are you talking about?”
“I know her. There was more than just a referral.”
Adam put his cup down and looked at Kris, a direct look. “She thinks we need to get to know each other. She gave me background on the two of you, what your relationship was like and a little about you.”
“And, yet you’re here?”
“And yet I’m here.” Adam replied softly, “I’m hoping I at least get a good-bye this time.”
**
Adam reached around Kris to stop his shaking hands as he tried to unlock the door. Adam eased the keys out of Kris’s hand and with his free hand rubbed his back soothingly. When Kris laid out the offer for a small bite at his place, Adam didn’t hesitate. He followed Kris’s car through Westside traffic toward Venice. The tree-filled residential street in Kris’s neighborhood was about a mile from the beach. But, right now, seeing how nervous Kris was, Adam changed his mind.
“I think we should grab dinner another night,” he said in a low voice.
Kris shook his head, “No, I said I’d cook a little something.” He kept his head down, but took the keys back from Adam’s fingers.
He slid the keys into the locks and with a slight push, got the door open. Adam stood a bit to the side as Kris punched in his security code.
“It’s not much…”
“It’s nice,” Adam said walking in. He kicked off his shoes, taking Kris’s lead, leaving them on the small rug by the door. He watched as Kris tossed his keys on a small table and dropped his messenger bag unceremoniously on the floor next to it.
The sun had set, the last of its brilliant rays filtering through the large windows of the condo. Kris busied himself turning on lights, opening windows and removing stray bits of papers and empty bottles as he walked into the open kitchen area.
“Did you want water or juice or soda?” he asked, opening the refrigerator.
“Water’s fine.”
Adam tried not to stare, but with no walls separating the living room and kitchen, nothing except a granite-topped counter, it was hard not to peek over at Kris bending over. Adam turned away right before Kris popped up and approached with two bottles of water in his hand. He placed one on the coffee table and handed the second to Adam.
“I’ll get the pasta started. Is that okay?”
Adam smiled, “Perfect and thanks.”
“Uh, the remote is there for the TV or if you want music, it’s the smaller remote on the corner. Make, um, make yourself at home,” he said heading back to the kitchen.
“Do you prefer television or music when you’re cooking?”
“Oh, uh, I usually have the TV on mute and listen to music.”
“Let’s do that, then.”
“Sure,” Kris replied distractedly, as he pulled out pots and pans.
Adam pushed the buttons on the remote and nodded with a smile as music filled the condo. He held his bottle of water close as he wandered around the living room, looking at the books and CD sleeves stuffed haphazardly into non-matching bookshelves along one wall. Eclectic frames housed pictures of smiling faces dotted the surfaces of the bookshelves. The walls were lined with paintings and sketches, a mix of bright and dark.
“These are nice, but I don’t think I recognize any of the pieces,” Adam said as Kris walked out of the kitchen.
“They’re original pieces by local artists.”
“From Venice?”
“No, just from my travels.”
“Megan mentioned you traveled a lot and that you two worked together, but never said what.”
Kris bit the corner of his lips, pushing the fullness out to one side. Adam gripped his bottle tighter and took a slight step back as if to study a painting more thoroughly.
“We…it’s kind of hard to explain, but I guess we played middleman between buyers and sellers. Kind of like brokers, I guess? Paintings, sculptures, jewelry.”
“But Megan’s still doing that.”
Kris nodded, “She loves it, and she’s good at it.”
“You stopped,” Adam stated.
Kris moved his head in a half-shrug, “I got tired of it. Still admire artwork, but wasn’t feeling it anymore, I guess.”
“You wanted to settle down?”
Kris looked away and shuffled back into the kitchen, giving Adam his back. “Something like that.”
“Is this one of those Correia pieces?” Adam asked, quickly changing the subject. He held a small black paperweight in the palm of his hand.
Kris looked up from the stove and smiled. He nodded, “Yeah. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“I don’t think I remember this one on display,” Adam said.
“We, uh, Megan and I got it a few years back. I got, uh, possession of it in the divorce,” Kris laughed lightly.
“Did you need help with anything?” Adam asked, standing next to Kris.
“What?” Kris squeaked, surprise tensing his body. He moved away from the stove and opened a cabinet. “No. I’m good, almost done, in fact.” He then opened a drawer, “Just, um, here,” and shoved a couple of forks and napkins into Adam’s hands.
Adam smiled to himself as he set the utensils and napkins on the counter. After he finished, he went around to the other side pulled a stool out so he could watch Kris.
Kris set out the plates and the large bowl of pasta, some warmed up bread and a salad. Adam declined the offer of wine, noting that Kris wasn’t drinking. They shared the meal in companionable silence.
After the meal, Adam found himself with hands wet with dishwater and bubbles as Kris smiled and laughed with him, drying the dishes.
“How do you like living in LA? How’d you pick Venice?” Adam asked.
“It’s nice. Always loved it when I was here before, even though the trips were too short,” Kris replied. “As for Venice, I don’t know. The neighborhood, the eclectic-ness of the people who live here, everyone is just free to be who they want and don’t care about the past or the future. Just seemed to fit.”
Adam nodded, understanding a little more about this man who intrigued him...a lot more than he cared to admit. A man who brought back memories of the dark corner in the dark club, which made his heart hurt and his body ache, wanting those stolen moments back.
“You okay?” Kris asked, bumping into his shoulder.
“Yeah, sorry, just thinking,” Adam mumbled.
“About?”
Adam finished rinsing off the last plate, hand under the flowing water to douse the sink of the remaining suds. His mouth tugged up in a small smile, “Nothing really. Just something from a couple years ago when I was in Grand Cayman.”
Kris’s hands faltered, dropping the fork in his hand. The clang of it on the hardwood floor echoed in the room. Adam stooped to pick it up, “Everything okay?” He washed it again and put it on the dish rack.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Kris started to put the dishes away. “So, when were you in Grand Cayman?”
Adam wiped his hands on the hand towel Kris left for him. “Wow, two years ago now. It was great. Beautiful island.” He looked to Kris who was now aligning the cups and plates, shadows of the kitchen lights playing off his arms and face. Adam leaned his back against the counter. “Have you been?”
The back of Kris’s head bobbed with a slight nod. “A few times. Lovely people and food.”
Adam felt himself gravitating towards Kris, something unknown moving him, memories of his night at the club assaulting him. Using the counter, he braced his arms around Kris, effectively caging him in. “When was the last time you were there?” he whispered, lowering his lips to Kris’s ear.
Kris unconsciously shifted his body, backing into Adam’s warm embrace. “Why?” Kris asked, voice low.
“I met someone there one night. At a club. We barely spoke, it was so loud in there. I didn’t even get his name, but I spent my last two days on the island searching for him.”
Adam repositioned his body, his hands stirring, moving from counter to Kris’s hands. He pulled them away from the cabinet, and threaded his fingers between his. He felt Kris’s breathing grow shallow, matching his own.
“I never found him,” Adam continued, brushing his lips over Kris’s temple, the soft tufts of hair tickling his nose. “It killed me when he disappeared on me.”
Adam crossed their arms together over Kris’s body, hugging him tight. He felt the distinct speeding of Kris’s heartbeat. “I haven’t stopped thinking about him,” Adam whispered. He slid his mouth down, nudging Kris’s head. “Haven’t been able to. But, now I’m wondering…”
“Wo…wonder…wondering about what?” Kris’s voice cracked.
“If, maybe, I finally found him.” Adam said. He squeezed them tighter and pressed his mouth to Kris’s neck.
“Ad…Adam,” Kris groaned. “I…oh god.”
Adam released his grip of Kris, and turned him around to face him. Kris’s eyes were dark, glazed-over as he looked back into Adam’s eyes. Adam raised his fingers and darted them over Kris’s face. “You were there, weren’t you?” He tilted Kris’s chin up, thumb running along his lower lip. Adam shivered when the tip of Kris’s tongue touched it. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
Kris lowered his eyes and gave the slightest of nods.
“You,” Adam growled. “Are not allowed to disappear on me again,” he brought Kris’s face up, cupping his jaw, thumbs running across his cheeks. “Not now, now that I finally found you.” Adam kissed him, slanted his mouth over Kris’s, giving him no room to move, no choice but to kiss back, breathe him in the same as Adam.
**
As Adam left the kitchen, he grabbed his drink from the counter before joining Tommy in the living room.
“Okay, spill,” Tommy said as he picked up toys off the floor.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve been cheery and happy and shit. Like you’re pleased with yourself or something.”
“I found him,” Adam said, falling onto Tommy’s couch.
“Take your stinking shoes off, man. Liz will kill you,” Tommy replied, removing a doll before sitting on his recliner. As Adam’s shoes hit the floor, Tommy leaned back and stretched his arms over his head, “Found who?”
“Him. Kris. Kris Allen.”
“Didn’t know he was lost.”
“He was the guy…Cayman Islands,” Adam yawned. “That night…looked all over…two years.”
Tommy sat up, “You wanna speak in complete sentences so that I know what the fuck you’re talking about?”
“I…” Adam sighed and turned on his side so he could see Tommy. “I met someone there. Or I thought I did.”
“You hooked up with someone, but it didn’t work out. And?”
Adam tucked his head on his arm as he shook it. “No, it wasn’t like that. I went to a club one night. I saw him and tried to talk to him, but it was too loud. He moved, and I grabbed his arm. I started to talk, and he was nodding. I realized later that he couldn’t hear me. But, something about him and that night.”
“What does this have to do with Kris? You’re talking about Kris, the teacher, right? Maddie’s teacher at Brentwood School. That Kris Allen?”
“Yes. But listen, I’m trying to tell you. So, I’m at this club. I see a cute guy. I’m talking and he’s nodding, so I think we’re,” he shrugs. “I don’t know, but instead we’ve moved into a corner and we’re making out.” Adam returns to his position on his back. “Oh my god, it was hot. Like still remember it hot, you know? I told him I was going to the restroom, and by the time I got back, this guy disappeared. I ran around the club looking for him, but he was gone.”
“This…that night…is what had you all weird the last couple of years? Making out with a stranger in a club? You do that all the time,”
Adam threw his arm over his head, “It wasn’t like that.” He sat up and pleaded with Tommy with his eyes to understand. “Something had me going to that club that night, something drew me to him. I mean,” Adam ran his fingers through his hair. “I still remember him, but not what he looked like, just vague images and snapshots in my head. And I never got his name or any information about him.”
“And this guy was Kris?”
“Yes!” Adam jumped up off the couch excitedly. “It was him. Isn’t that amazing?”
“And how do you know this?”
“Last week, I kind of cornered him in the classroom,” Adam said sheepishly.
“You what?” Tommy yelled. “You went to the school like a creeper?”
“I didn’t know what else to do, okay?” Adam started pacing. “I mean, I wanted to see him again. You and Liz weren’t really getting anywhere. I haven’t stopped thinking about him since the gallery thing…”
“Mostly because you were pissed he didn’t say good-bye to you,” Tommy grumbled.
“That was part of it, but I liked him…like him. And, it bugged me, but mostly because we were talking, flirting. I thought we were connecting, but when he left.” He shrugged a shoulder. “It just felt wrong, like he shouldn’t have left me like that.”
Tommy uncrossed his legs and slid in his recliner, holding his head in his hand. “Okay, wait. Let me see if I get this. You meet a guy in the Caymans, guy disappears on you. You mope after this unknown guy for last two years. Pretty much becoming a monk and a bitch in the process. Kris comes into the picture, you’re interested, forget about Cayman guy, even if it’s just for a moment. Nothing happens with Kris. You run into Kris, but he, too, leaves you stranded, without saying good-bye, and this triggers memories of Cayman guy. You pout and sulk. Then you decide to sneak onto campus where you have no business being and corner Kris.”
Tommy looked at Adam, who nodded. “Okay,” Tommy continued. “So then, I’m guessing you coerced…” Tommy holds up a hand at Adam’s scowl. “Okay, fine, you got him to agree,” Adam grinned. “…to grab drinks or coffee or something. You two started to talk about vacations and beaches and the Cayman Islands came up and boom, hey, look at that! Boy meets boy again.”
Adam stopped his pacing and sat back at the edge of the couch, legs bouncing. “Something like that, yeah.” He leaned over and placed his hands on the table in front of him. “But that isn’t the point, Tommy. It’s that I found him, after all this time! How amazing is that?”
“What happens next?”
“We’re going out to dinner next Friday.”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”
Adam slid back in his seat and beamed, “I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter, I found him. It’ll work out.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“It will.”
**
Finally | part III...
And, Part I again (if you need it) Part I