A Month of Sundays: Chapter 23 (Final)
Summary: Jack Twist is a professional sign language interpreter who is unhappy in his job. Ennis Del Mar is a pastry chef who owns his own business and teaches classes at a culinary center. Can Ennis help Jack find the ingredient that is missing in his life?
Disclaimer: Brokeback Mountain and the original characters of Jack, Ennis, Lureen and Alma were created by and belong to Annie Proulx. No money is being made from this- I’m just taking them out for a spin!
Feedback: Please tip your waitress!
A/N: I always knew we would get here someday! This is the last chapter, and I just want to say thank you to all those who stuck with this story for a very long time. Maybe I will revisit these guys from time to time if the mood strikes, but we’ll see. There are several one-shots already posted that give us a peek into the guys’ future.
Thanks to Judy for her wonderful beta work, even through my long silences with this story. Thanks to Jane for her edits and for sticking with me just as long. And thanks to Camilla, my partner in writing and everything else, for keeping on me to get this damn story finished - it may not have happened otherwise!
There should be a Golden Boy update before too long, and I will also be turning my attention back to Going Left. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and thanks again for reading!
jill
Chapter 23
Ennis awoke Monday morning feeling a lot less nervous than he had anticipated. Maybe it was still afterglow from the day before with Jack, or maybe he was actually looking forward - at least on some level - to taking some positive steps to straighten out his life. Either way, he felt good as he showered and dressed, taking the time to put on a nice pair of jeans and a light green button-down shirt. He hoped the outfit hit the mark somewhere around “neat and respectful” without being overdressed. He made some coffee and popped a bagel in the toaster. When it sprang up, he covered it with a thin layer of cream cheese and ate standing up at the kitchen counter. After setting his dishes in the sink, he glanced at the clock: ten-thirty. That was plenty of time for the folks on the business end of the culinary center to be in their offices, and he knew from word of mouth that Clinton Beers was not one to arrive anywhere late, so he grabbed his car keys and headed out the door, determined to put the situation with Alma to rest once and for all.
He made the short drive to the center, parked in his usual spot in the staff parking area, and made his way up the walk to the rear entrance. He kept his head down and walked quickly, hoping he looked serious enough that no one would try to stop and chat with him. He pulled open the heavy metal door and stepped inside. Mondays were usually fairly quiet days at the culinary center after busy, crowd-filled weekends, and today was no exception. He didn’t see anyone in the hallway and the only sound he could hear was the faint rattle of dishes and voices in the kitchen. He zipped down the hall, through the doors into the kitchen where he usually taught, and out into the lobby.
He glanced up and gave a quick smile to the girl behind the front desk when she said, “Good morning, Chef Del Mar,” and kept on his way through the lobby and to the stairs at the opposite end that led to the administrative offices on the second floor. He jogged up the stairs, slowing as he reached the top so he wouldn’t look hurried when he entered the office. He paused just outside of the frosted glass doors, ran a hand through his hair, smoothed the front of his shirt, then pulled open the doors and stepped inside. He’d only been in the administrative offices a handful of times, and each time the quiet, library-like feel struck him since it was such a sharp contrast to the frequent chaos of the kitchen downstairs.
He smiled as he approached Ginny, the executive assistant who manned the front desk. He cleared his throat. “Hi, Ginny,” he said, careful not to mumble or shove his hands in his pockets.
She looked up and smiled as she tucked a strand of silver-grey hair behind her ear. “Well, hello, Chef Del Mar! We never see you up in these parts!”
He laughed nervously. “It’s been a while, I guess.”
“What can we do for you?” she asked.
“Uh, I was hoping Mr. Beers might have a couple minutes to talk to me,” he said.
She furrowed her brow and glanced down at the complicated-looking phone that took up one corner of her desk. “He’s here, but he’s on a conference call right now. I don’t think he should be too much longer, though, so if you could wait a few minutes…?”
“Sure,” Ennis answered quickly. “No problem.” He started to wander over to the few chairs that lined one wall when she called him back.
“Chef?” she said quietly. He turned to look at her and she waved him back toward her desk. When he stood in front of her, she leaned forward and whispered, “Just between you and me, he was in a rotten mood at the end of last week and he didn’t seem much better when he came in today. Just a heads-up.”
Shit, Ennis thought, then nodded. “Okay. Thanks.” He headed back over to the waiting area, sat down in a chair and immediately began contemplating aborting his mission. He was already unsure of how the whole scene was going to play out, and if Beers was already pissed off, he didn’t feel good about the outcome of his particular situation. He rubbed his damp palms over his knees and, just as he decided to cut his losses and come back another time, Ginny set down the phone and called his name.
“Ennis? Mr. Beers is free now. You can go on in.”
“Oh. Uh, yeah. Yes. Okay,” he said, rising from his seat. No turning back now, he thought. Ginny smiled as he passed by her desk and made his way down the short hallway to Mr. Beers’s corner office.
He knocked on the door and a loud voice boomed from inside, “Come in!” Ennis opened the door and stepped inside the large office. He was momentarily stunned by the view - the wall behind Clinton Beers was all windows that looked directly out onto the lake behind the culinary center. Mr. Beers must’ve noticed where his gaze had landed because he stretched back in his chair and gave a chuckle. “I could look at it all day,” he said.
Ennis brought his attention back and nodded. “It’s a beautiful view,” he agreed.
“Have a seat,” Mr. Beers said, gesturing to the two black leather upholstered chairs across from his desk. Ennis walked the rest of the way into the office, his steps soundless on the plush carpet, and sat in the chair closest to him.
“Thank you for seeing me, sir,” Ennis began.
Mr. Beers waved away Ennis’s words and smiled. “Of course, of course! I‘ll always make time for my rising star!”
Ennis gave him a quizzical look. Mr. Beers certainly didn’t seem to be in the mood Ginny had warned him about. If anything, he seemed a little too cheerful, his hands fidgeting nervously with the pen on his desk. “Uh, thank you,” Ennis said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “I enjoy my work.”
“I think it’s a little more than that!” Mr. Beers said, slapping a palm on his desk for emphasis. He was a loud, barrel-chested man with thinning grey hair, tall enough to be imposing even while seated, but he certainly seemed fond of Ennis, much to Ennis’s surprise. “You get some of the highest ratings we’ve ever had on almost every class you teach! And our surveys from the International Food Festival last weekend, well… folks loved your workshops, your food, said you were easy to follow and understand. We even got a couple of comments about what a looker you are!” he finished with a laugh.
Ennis felt his face flush red hot. “Uh, well….” He said, trailing off and squirming some more.
“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Mr. Beers said with a dismissive wave. “We get a lot of the lonely-housewife-types here. They come to learn something, but the food isn’t the only thing that catches their eye. Not a big deal. We just need to make sure we keep you around!” He laughed again and gave Ennis a wink as he sat back in his chair.
Ennis took a deep breath. Now or never, he thought. “Uh, about that, sir….”
Mr. Beers’s jovial façade faltered for a split second. “You’re not here to give your notice, are you, Ennis?”
“No… that’s not it,” Ennis said cautiously. “But I do have a bit of a problem.”
“Oh. Oh! Well, we can’t have that,” Mr. Beers said, recovering his cheer. “Tell me. What’s the problem?” He leaned forward and folded his hands on his desk, his gaze intense and interested.
“Well. Uh….” Ennis shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to say it. “There’s… an issue… with a co-worker,” he said finally.
He saw Mr. Beers’s adam’s apple bob up and down in his throat as he swallowed nervously. “Go on,” Mr. Beers said.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble,” Ennis continued. “I just want to make sure that… I mean, it’s been kind of difficult since….” He took a deep breath and started again. “You see, a while back, Alma tried -” Ennis stopped mid-sentence as Beers dropped his chin to his chest and raised his hand. When he didn’t say anything after a few seconds, Ennis cleared his throat and said, “Uh, sir?”
Mr. Beers let out a huge gust of a sigh and rubbed a hand over his eyes. “Just leave me your attorney’s contact information,” he said wearily, all pretense of cheer gone in an instant. “I’ll have our counsel get in touch and we’ll work something out.”
“Attorney?” Ennis asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. “I don’t - what are you talking about?”
Mr. Beers gave a dry, humorless chuckle. “Let’s not beat around the bush,” he said sharply. “I already had Chef Dennis in here last week throwing around words like stalking and harassment, saying he wasn’t the only one that she…. I could kill that brother of mine for making me hire her on. That girl isn’t right,” he grumbled more to himself than Ennis. Ennis opened his mouth to speak, but Mr. Beers kept going. “Alma is no longer employed here,” he stated in an official tone. “I apologize for any difficulties she may have caused, and I assure you we’ll do whatever we can to settle any matters outside of the court system.” He sounded like he was reading words from a script.
Ennis leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and squinted at Mr. Beers as though it would help him understand what the hell was going on. “Sir, I don’t have an attorney, and I’m not suing anybody,” Ennis said. “I just wanted - well, I guess if she doesn’t work here, that pretty much solves my problem. You mean, there were other people here who she -”
Mr. Beers shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to discuss issues involving any other employees. But I can assure you that she no longer works here.”
“Okay,” Ennis said as he stood up. “Thank you for your time.”
Mr. Beers stood and gave him a ghost of a smile, sticking out his hand. “No problem. Keep up the good work,” he said as they shook.
Ennis turned to go, feeling unsatisfied and vaguely disappointed. While he was glad he wouldn’t have to contend with Alma anymore - and it sounded like she was in a shitload of trouble - he had geared himself up to stand up for himself, who he was and who he loved, but he hadn’t gotten to do any of that. Without thinking about it, he took a breath then turned around and walked back toward Mr. Beers’s desk. “Sir?” he said, stopping at the chair he been sitting in moments before.
Mr. Beers had sat back down, and he turned away from his computer and looked up at Ennis. “Yes?” he said.
Ennis glanced down and tapped the leather back of the chair with his finger. “I came in here because… I mean, yes, there was an issue, but that’s not - I wanted to… I was trying -” He cleared his throat and looked up to meet Mr. Beers’s gaze. “What I wanted to say, is that… I’m gay.”
Mr. Beers studied him for a few long moments, and then a slow smile spread across his face. “Well,” he said, “welcome to the club, son.”
Ennis stared blankly until Mr. Beers’s meaning sunk in. Finally, he grinned back, nodded and turned and left the office.
*****
Jack craned his neck to look toward the door of the diner, tapping his foot impatiently. He glanced at his watch again and saw that it was only five minutes to noon. Lureen wasn’t even late; he was just on pins and needles, wanting to know what the hell was going on with Ennis over at the culinary center, but he had to sit tight. He wanted to call and see how things were going, find out if Ennis had talked to the big boss yet, but he knew that wasn’t the best course of action. Not only because he didn’t want to be a pain in the ass, but also because he wanted Ennis to come to him. It had been Ennis’s decision to handle the matter, and even though the two of them had found their way to starting over, it was important to Jack that Ennis see this through on his own terms. It felt like some kind of assurance that things had really changed for the better.
Jack had suspected he’d need a distraction today, so he’d texted Lureen the night before and they’d made plans to meet for lunch. Besides, he had a couple questions for her, too. He took a sip of his water and flipped aimlessly through the menu until he heard a set of heels clicking toward his table. He looked up to see Lureen, looking perfectly put together in neat black dress pants and dark green blouse taking her purse off her shoulder as she slid into the booth across from him.
“Hey, handsome,” she said with a smile. “Waiting long?”
“Nah, not too long. I was a little early,” Jack said, closing his menu. Lureen nodded and eyed him expectantly. Jack folded his hands in front of him and gave her a deliberately unreadable smile. He bet that she wouldn’t be able to hold out for more than thirty seconds, and he was right. She raised her eyebrows, tapped her nails on the table and said, “Well?”
“Well what?” Jack asked innocently.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Well, isn’t there anything that you have to tell me?”
“Hmm, I can’t think of anything,” he said thoughtfully, scratching his chin for dramatic effect. “Unless you want to talk about this friend I have who hangs around my ex-boyfriend’s job playing matchmaker.”
Lureen’s face fell. “You mean he’s still your ex-boyfriend?”
“I’m not saying that, but -”
“So you guys worked things out?!” she asked excitedly, bouncing in her seat.
Jack couldn’t help smiling, but he raised his hand to slow her down. “Before we even talk about that, I gotta know, what the hell were you doing at the culinary center on Saturday? Did you drive there or ride in on your white horse to avenge my honor?”
Lureen groaned. “Jeez. It wasn’t like that,” she grumbled.
“Well, what was it like then?”
“I got a call from the agency, last minute. It was for the Donovans - you know them - and they wanted to go to some food festival. Krista was on the phones and she knew I had worked with them like a million times, so she thought I might take the job. I did, of course, and it was only after that that I found out where it was.”
“Uh-huh,” Jack said, gesturing for her to keep going.
“I didn’t even know if I was gonna see him there - Chef Hottie, I mean - but there I was, right in the front of his class at the end of the day. The Donovans left and he was still there, cleaning up or whatever, and I couldn’t not say something! I mean, c’mon, that’s like a total sign!”
Just then the waitress came over so they put the conversation on hold and gave their orders. After the girl thanked them and headed for the back, Jack continued. “So it was a sign,” he said, and Lureen nodded vigorously. “And so you…?”
“Now don’t worry; I wasn’t scary or anything. I just introduced myself, asked him if we could talk for a minute, and told him he was a complete idiot for letting you go. I think he’d already figured that out though.”
“Yeah, I think he did,” Jack said, glancing down, a shy smile on his face.
“So you guys made up?!” Lureen asked, excited all over again.
“Yeah. We did,” Jack said. Their lunches arrived and he proceeded to bring her up to date on everything that had happened with Ennis, all the way to the current unknown state of affairs over at the culinary center.
When he finished, Lureen sat wide-eyed with a grin plastered on her face. “So he’s over there right now, outing himself and trying to get that wench fired?”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going on, exactly. I’m just gonna wait until I hear from him.”
“Good plan,” she agreed. “Let him handle it on his own like a big boy. It’s about time, anyway.”
“I know,” Jack said, then glanced at his watch. “I have to get going. I’m supposed to be in some board meeting at two, and it’s all the way downtown.”
“Okay,” Lureen said and slid out of the booth. Jack grabbed the check and took it up to the register to pay.
Once they were outside, Jack pulled her into a tight hug. “Thanks. For everything,” he said.
She squeezed him back. “No problem. I’m just glad it worked out. Hopefully we’ll get a break from all the drama now,” she said as she let him go.
Jack laughed. “I’m pretty sure it’s safe to stable your white horse,” he said with a wink.
She smiled and swatted his arm. “Hey, I was just doing my best friend-ly duty! Call me when you get a chance - let me know what happens.”
“I will,” Jack said. He waved as he headed in the direction of his car, crossing his fingers that he’d have something good to report in the not-too-distant future.
*****
“You’re fucking kidding me!” Jack said with a laugh, shoving Ennis on his bare shoulder. Ennis had called earlier and said that everything went well and that he’d be over around seven with dinner. Jack had had every intention of getting the full story as soon as he arrived, but Ennis had walked in the door, put dinner in the fridge and dragged Jack to the bedroom. It was only now, after a very athletic hour, that Jack was getting the details of Ennis’s morning.
“So this Mr. Beers guy is gay too?” Jack asked, rolling onto his side in the bed and propping his head on his hand.
“Guess so,” Ennis said with a grin.
“Jesus.” Jack shook his head in amazement. “Well, as long as that loony Alma is history, I’m happy.”
Ennis rolled onto his side, facing Jack. He brought his hand to Jack’s cheek and stroked his thumb over the day’s-worth of stubble there. “Are you?” he asked seriously. “Happy, I mean.”
Jack smiled, then leaned forward and brushed his lips over Ennis’s. “Yes. I am very happy.” Ennis smiled, looking slightly relieved, and Jack continued. “Of course I’ll be even happier once you make an honest man of me, buy me that five-bedroom house on the lake I’ve been eyeing, make me a partner in Heathen Sweets - oh, and I’m hoping we can adopt in a year or so - maybe twins….” He stopped talking when he couldn’t keep a straight face any longer, watching Ennis’s eyes get bigger and bigger as his jaw dropped lower and lower. “Relax!” Jack said through his laughter. “I’m just messing with you.”
Ennis dropped onto his back and let out a long sigh. “Asshole,” he muttered. They were silent for a few seconds, then Ennis turned to look at Jack. “You think we might, though?” Jack furrowed his brow in question and Ennis added, “Do that stuff. Well, maybe not all of it, but… some of it?”
Jack smiled and scooted closer, settling himself on Ennis’s chest. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I think we’ll get there. It’ll be quite an adventure.”
Ennis chuckled. “My favorite,” he said. “Can’t wait.”
“Me, too,” Jack said and lifted his head to occupy Ennis with a long, slow kiss. He was beginning to think they were headed for round two when his stomach let out an embarrassingly loud growl.
Ennis laughed against Jack’s lips and pulled his head back. “That, on the other hand,” he said, poking a finger at Jack’s stomach, “is something I can take care of right now. C’mon. I’ll heat up the food.” He swung his legs over the bed, swatted Jack’s ass, then stood and pulled on his boxers.
He flashed Jack a quick grin as he headed for the kitchen, and Jack watched him walk out of the bedroom, his long, lean legs moving slow and easy, looking really comfortable in his own skin for the first time that Jack could remember. Jack smiled, marveling a little at how far they’d come, and how he couldn’t quite believe they’d actually made it here. He had a thousand questions that probably only God or the universe or whoever could answer, but he hopped out of bed, pulled on his own boxers and trotted out of the room and down the hall to ask the only one that really mattered at that moment.
“So, what are we having?”
The End
today
yesterday
Disclaimer: Brokeback Mountain and the original characters of Jack, Ennis, Lureen and Alma were created by and belong to Annie Proulx. No money is being made from this- I’m just taking them out for a spin!
Feedback: Please tip your waitress!
A/N: I always knew we would get here someday! This is the last chapter, and I just want to say thank you to all those who stuck with this story for a very long time. Maybe I will revisit these guys from time to time if the mood strikes, but we’ll see. There are several one-shots already posted that give us a peek into the guys’ future.
Thanks to Judy for her wonderful beta work, even through my long silences with this story. Thanks to Jane for her edits and for sticking with me just as long. And thanks to Camilla, my partner in writing and everything else, for keeping on me to get this damn story finished - it may not have happened otherwise!
There should be a Golden Boy update before too long, and I will also be turning my attention back to Going Left. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and thanks again for reading!
jill
Chapter 23
Ennis awoke Monday morning feeling a lot less nervous than he had anticipated. Maybe it was still afterglow from the day before with Jack, or maybe he was actually looking forward - at least on some level - to taking some positive steps to straighten out his life. Either way, he felt good as he showered and dressed, taking the time to put on a nice pair of jeans and a light green button-down shirt. He hoped the outfit hit the mark somewhere around “neat and respectful” without being overdressed. He made some coffee and popped a bagel in the toaster. When it sprang up, he covered it with a thin layer of cream cheese and ate standing up at the kitchen counter. After setting his dishes in the sink, he glanced at the clock: ten-thirty. That was plenty of time for the folks on the business end of the culinary center to be in their offices, and he knew from word of mouth that Clinton Beers was not one to arrive anywhere late, so he grabbed his car keys and headed out the door, determined to put the situation with Alma to rest once and for all.
He made the short drive to the center, parked in his usual spot in the staff parking area, and made his way up the walk to the rear entrance. He kept his head down and walked quickly, hoping he looked serious enough that no one would try to stop and chat with him. He pulled open the heavy metal door and stepped inside. Mondays were usually fairly quiet days at the culinary center after busy, crowd-filled weekends, and today was no exception. He didn’t see anyone in the hallway and the only sound he could hear was the faint rattle of dishes and voices in the kitchen. He zipped down the hall, through the doors into the kitchen where he usually taught, and out into the lobby.
He glanced up and gave a quick smile to the girl behind the front desk when she said, “Good morning, Chef Del Mar,” and kept on his way through the lobby and to the stairs at the opposite end that led to the administrative offices on the second floor. He jogged up the stairs, slowing as he reached the top so he wouldn’t look hurried when he entered the office. He paused just outside of the frosted glass doors, ran a hand through his hair, smoothed the front of his shirt, then pulled open the doors and stepped inside. He’d only been in the administrative offices a handful of times, and each time the quiet, library-like feel struck him since it was such a sharp contrast to the frequent chaos of the kitchen downstairs.
He smiled as he approached Ginny, the executive assistant who manned the front desk. He cleared his throat. “Hi, Ginny,” he said, careful not to mumble or shove his hands in his pockets.
She looked up and smiled as she tucked a strand of silver-grey hair behind her ear. “Well, hello, Chef Del Mar! We never see you up in these parts!”
He laughed nervously. “It’s been a while, I guess.”
“What can we do for you?” she asked.
“Uh, I was hoping Mr. Beers might have a couple minutes to talk to me,” he said.
She furrowed her brow and glanced down at the complicated-looking phone that took up one corner of her desk. “He’s here, but he’s on a conference call right now. I don’t think he should be too much longer, though, so if you could wait a few minutes…?”
“Sure,” Ennis answered quickly. “No problem.” He started to wander over to the few chairs that lined one wall when she called him back.
“Chef?” she said quietly. He turned to look at her and she waved him back toward her desk. When he stood in front of her, she leaned forward and whispered, “Just between you and me, he was in a rotten mood at the end of last week and he didn’t seem much better when he came in today. Just a heads-up.”
Shit, Ennis thought, then nodded. “Okay. Thanks.” He headed back over to the waiting area, sat down in a chair and immediately began contemplating aborting his mission. He was already unsure of how the whole scene was going to play out, and if Beers was already pissed off, he didn’t feel good about the outcome of his particular situation. He rubbed his damp palms over his knees and, just as he decided to cut his losses and come back another time, Ginny set down the phone and called his name.
“Ennis? Mr. Beers is free now. You can go on in.”
“Oh. Uh, yeah. Yes. Okay,” he said, rising from his seat. No turning back now, he thought. Ginny smiled as he passed by her desk and made his way down the short hallway to Mr. Beers’s corner office.
He knocked on the door and a loud voice boomed from inside, “Come in!” Ennis opened the door and stepped inside the large office. He was momentarily stunned by the view - the wall behind Clinton Beers was all windows that looked directly out onto the lake behind the culinary center. Mr. Beers must’ve noticed where his gaze had landed because he stretched back in his chair and gave a chuckle. “I could look at it all day,” he said.
Ennis brought his attention back and nodded. “It’s a beautiful view,” he agreed.
“Have a seat,” Mr. Beers said, gesturing to the two black leather upholstered chairs across from his desk. Ennis walked the rest of the way into the office, his steps soundless on the plush carpet, and sat in the chair closest to him.
“Thank you for seeing me, sir,” Ennis began.
Mr. Beers waved away Ennis’s words and smiled. “Of course, of course! I‘ll always make time for my rising star!”
Ennis gave him a quizzical look. Mr. Beers certainly didn’t seem to be in the mood Ginny had warned him about. If anything, he seemed a little too cheerful, his hands fidgeting nervously with the pen on his desk. “Uh, thank you,” Ennis said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “I enjoy my work.”
“I think it’s a little more than that!” Mr. Beers said, slapping a palm on his desk for emphasis. He was a loud, barrel-chested man with thinning grey hair, tall enough to be imposing even while seated, but he certainly seemed fond of Ennis, much to Ennis’s surprise. “You get some of the highest ratings we’ve ever had on almost every class you teach! And our surveys from the International Food Festival last weekend, well… folks loved your workshops, your food, said you were easy to follow and understand. We even got a couple of comments about what a looker you are!” he finished with a laugh.
Ennis felt his face flush red hot. “Uh, well….” He said, trailing off and squirming some more.
“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Mr. Beers said with a dismissive wave. “We get a lot of the lonely-housewife-types here. They come to learn something, but the food isn’t the only thing that catches their eye. Not a big deal. We just need to make sure we keep you around!” He laughed again and gave Ennis a wink as he sat back in his chair.
Ennis took a deep breath. Now or never, he thought. “Uh, about that, sir….”
Mr. Beers’s jovial façade faltered for a split second. “You’re not here to give your notice, are you, Ennis?”
“No… that’s not it,” Ennis said cautiously. “But I do have a bit of a problem.”
“Oh. Oh! Well, we can’t have that,” Mr. Beers said, recovering his cheer. “Tell me. What’s the problem?” He leaned forward and folded his hands on his desk, his gaze intense and interested.
“Well. Uh….” Ennis shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to say it. “There’s… an issue… with a co-worker,” he said finally.
He saw Mr. Beers’s adam’s apple bob up and down in his throat as he swallowed nervously. “Go on,” Mr. Beers said.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble,” Ennis continued. “I just want to make sure that… I mean, it’s been kind of difficult since….” He took a deep breath and started again. “You see, a while back, Alma tried -” Ennis stopped mid-sentence as Beers dropped his chin to his chest and raised his hand. When he didn’t say anything after a few seconds, Ennis cleared his throat and said, “Uh, sir?”
Mr. Beers let out a huge gust of a sigh and rubbed a hand over his eyes. “Just leave me your attorney’s contact information,” he said wearily, all pretense of cheer gone in an instant. “I’ll have our counsel get in touch and we’ll work something out.”
“Attorney?” Ennis asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. “I don’t - what are you talking about?”
Mr. Beers gave a dry, humorless chuckle. “Let’s not beat around the bush,” he said sharply. “I already had Chef Dennis in here last week throwing around words like stalking and harassment, saying he wasn’t the only one that she…. I could kill that brother of mine for making me hire her on. That girl isn’t right,” he grumbled more to himself than Ennis. Ennis opened his mouth to speak, but Mr. Beers kept going. “Alma is no longer employed here,” he stated in an official tone. “I apologize for any difficulties she may have caused, and I assure you we’ll do whatever we can to settle any matters outside of the court system.” He sounded like he was reading words from a script.
Ennis leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and squinted at Mr. Beers as though it would help him understand what the hell was going on. “Sir, I don’t have an attorney, and I’m not suing anybody,” Ennis said. “I just wanted - well, I guess if she doesn’t work here, that pretty much solves my problem. You mean, there were other people here who she -”
Mr. Beers shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to discuss issues involving any other employees. But I can assure you that she no longer works here.”
“Okay,” Ennis said as he stood up. “Thank you for your time.”
Mr. Beers stood and gave him a ghost of a smile, sticking out his hand. “No problem. Keep up the good work,” he said as they shook.
Ennis turned to go, feeling unsatisfied and vaguely disappointed. While he was glad he wouldn’t have to contend with Alma anymore - and it sounded like she was in a shitload of trouble - he had geared himself up to stand up for himself, who he was and who he loved, but he hadn’t gotten to do any of that. Without thinking about it, he took a breath then turned around and walked back toward Mr. Beers’s desk. “Sir?” he said, stopping at the chair he been sitting in moments before.
Mr. Beers had sat back down, and he turned away from his computer and looked up at Ennis. “Yes?” he said.
Ennis glanced down and tapped the leather back of the chair with his finger. “I came in here because… I mean, yes, there was an issue, but that’s not - I wanted to… I was trying -” He cleared his throat and looked up to meet Mr. Beers’s gaze. “What I wanted to say, is that… I’m gay.”
Mr. Beers studied him for a few long moments, and then a slow smile spread across his face. “Well,” he said, “welcome to the club, son.”
Ennis stared blankly until Mr. Beers’s meaning sunk in. Finally, he grinned back, nodded and turned and left the office.
*****
Jack craned his neck to look toward the door of the diner, tapping his foot impatiently. He glanced at his watch again and saw that it was only five minutes to noon. Lureen wasn’t even late; he was just on pins and needles, wanting to know what the hell was going on with Ennis over at the culinary center, but he had to sit tight. He wanted to call and see how things were going, find out if Ennis had talked to the big boss yet, but he knew that wasn’t the best course of action. Not only because he didn’t want to be a pain in the ass, but also because he wanted Ennis to come to him. It had been Ennis’s decision to handle the matter, and even though the two of them had found their way to starting over, it was important to Jack that Ennis see this through on his own terms. It felt like some kind of assurance that things had really changed for the better.
Jack had suspected he’d need a distraction today, so he’d texted Lureen the night before and they’d made plans to meet for lunch. Besides, he had a couple questions for her, too. He took a sip of his water and flipped aimlessly through the menu until he heard a set of heels clicking toward his table. He looked up to see Lureen, looking perfectly put together in neat black dress pants and dark green blouse taking her purse off her shoulder as she slid into the booth across from him.
“Hey, handsome,” she said with a smile. “Waiting long?”
“Nah, not too long. I was a little early,” Jack said, closing his menu. Lureen nodded and eyed him expectantly. Jack folded his hands in front of him and gave her a deliberately unreadable smile. He bet that she wouldn’t be able to hold out for more than thirty seconds, and he was right. She raised her eyebrows, tapped her nails on the table and said, “Well?”
“Well what?” Jack asked innocently.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Well, isn’t there anything that you have to tell me?”
“Hmm, I can’t think of anything,” he said thoughtfully, scratching his chin for dramatic effect. “Unless you want to talk about this friend I have who hangs around my ex-boyfriend’s job playing matchmaker.”
Lureen’s face fell. “You mean he’s still your ex-boyfriend?”
“I’m not saying that, but -”
“So you guys worked things out?!” she asked excitedly, bouncing in her seat.
Jack couldn’t help smiling, but he raised his hand to slow her down. “Before we even talk about that, I gotta know, what the hell were you doing at the culinary center on Saturday? Did you drive there or ride in on your white horse to avenge my honor?”
Lureen groaned. “Jeez. It wasn’t like that,” she grumbled.
“Well, what was it like then?”
“I got a call from the agency, last minute. It was for the Donovans - you know them - and they wanted to go to some food festival. Krista was on the phones and she knew I had worked with them like a million times, so she thought I might take the job. I did, of course, and it was only after that that I found out where it was.”
“Uh-huh,” Jack said, gesturing for her to keep going.
“I didn’t even know if I was gonna see him there - Chef Hottie, I mean - but there I was, right in the front of his class at the end of the day. The Donovans left and he was still there, cleaning up or whatever, and I couldn’t not say something! I mean, c’mon, that’s like a total sign!”
Just then the waitress came over so they put the conversation on hold and gave their orders. After the girl thanked them and headed for the back, Jack continued. “So it was a sign,” he said, and Lureen nodded vigorously. “And so you…?”
“Now don’t worry; I wasn’t scary or anything. I just introduced myself, asked him if we could talk for a minute, and told him he was a complete idiot for letting you go. I think he’d already figured that out though.”
“Yeah, I think he did,” Jack said, glancing down, a shy smile on his face.
“So you guys made up?!” Lureen asked, excited all over again.
“Yeah. We did,” Jack said. Their lunches arrived and he proceeded to bring her up to date on everything that had happened with Ennis, all the way to the current unknown state of affairs over at the culinary center.
When he finished, Lureen sat wide-eyed with a grin plastered on her face. “So he’s over there right now, outing himself and trying to get that wench fired?”
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going on, exactly. I’m just gonna wait until I hear from him.”
“Good plan,” she agreed. “Let him handle it on his own like a big boy. It’s about time, anyway.”
“I know,” Jack said, then glanced at his watch. “I have to get going. I’m supposed to be in some board meeting at two, and it’s all the way downtown.”
“Okay,” Lureen said and slid out of the booth. Jack grabbed the check and took it up to the register to pay.
Once they were outside, Jack pulled her into a tight hug. “Thanks. For everything,” he said.
She squeezed him back. “No problem. I’m just glad it worked out. Hopefully we’ll get a break from all the drama now,” she said as she let him go.
Jack laughed. “I’m pretty sure it’s safe to stable your white horse,” he said with a wink.
She smiled and swatted his arm. “Hey, I was just doing my best friend-ly duty! Call me when you get a chance - let me know what happens.”
“I will,” Jack said. He waved as he headed in the direction of his car, crossing his fingers that he’d have something good to report in the not-too-distant future.
*****
“You’re fucking kidding me!” Jack said with a laugh, shoving Ennis on his bare shoulder. Ennis had called earlier and said that everything went well and that he’d be over around seven with dinner. Jack had had every intention of getting the full story as soon as he arrived, but Ennis had walked in the door, put dinner in the fridge and dragged Jack to the bedroom. It was only now, after a very athletic hour, that Jack was getting the details of Ennis’s morning.
“So this Mr. Beers guy is gay too?” Jack asked, rolling onto his side in the bed and propping his head on his hand.
“Guess so,” Ennis said with a grin.
“Jesus.” Jack shook his head in amazement. “Well, as long as that loony Alma is history, I’m happy.”
Ennis rolled onto his side, facing Jack. He brought his hand to Jack’s cheek and stroked his thumb over the day’s-worth of stubble there. “Are you?” he asked seriously. “Happy, I mean.”
Jack smiled, then leaned forward and brushed his lips over Ennis’s. “Yes. I am very happy.” Ennis smiled, looking slightly relieved, and Jack continued. “Of course I’ll be even happier once you make an honest man of me, buy me that five-bedroom house on the lake I’ve been eyeing, make me a partner in Heathen Sweets - oh, and I’m hoping we can adopt in a year or so - maybe twins….” He stopped talking when he couldn’t keep a straight face any longer, watching Ennis’s eyes get bigger and bigger as his jaw dropped lower and lower. “Relax!” Jack said through his laughter. “I’m just messing with you.”
Ennis dropped onto his back and let out a long sigh. “Asshole,” he muttered. They were silent for a few seconds, then Ennis turned to look at Jack. “You think we might, though?” Jack furrowed his brow in question and Ennis added, “Do that stuff. Well, maybe not all of it, but… some of it?”
Jack smiled and scooted closer, settling himself on Ennis’s chest. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I think we’ll get there. It’ll be quite an adventure.”
Ennis chuckled. “My favorite,” he said. “Can’t wait.”
“Me, too,” Jack said and lifted his head to occupy Ennis with a long, slow kiss. He was beginning to think they were headed for round two when his stomach let out an embarrassingly loud growl.
Ennis laughed against Jack’s lips and pulled his head back. “That, on the other hand,” he said, poking a finger at Jack’s stomach, “is something I can take care of right now. C’mon. I’ll heat up the food.” He swung his legs over the bed, swatted Jack’s ass, then stood and pulled on his boxers.
He flashed Jack a quick grin as he headed for the kitchen, and Jack watched him walk out of the bedroom, his long, lean legs moving slow and easy, looking really comfortable in his own skin for the first time that Jack could remember. Jack smiled, marveling a little at how far they’d come, and how he couldn’t quite believe they’d actually made it here. He had a thousand questions that probably only God or the universe or whoever could answer, but he hopped out of bed, pulled on his own boxers and trotted out of the room and down the hall to ask the only one that really mattered at that moment.
“So, what are we having?”
The End
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