Going Left Around the World: Chapter 66
Title: Going Left Around the World
Author: mrs-spamlad
Pairing: Jack/Ennis
Rating: R
Feedback: have at it!
Disclaimer: Brokeback Mountain and the original characters of Jack and Ennis were created by and belong to Annie Proulx. No money is being made from this- I’m just taking them out for a spin!
A/N: So it seems this story has a fan, deevah2 , who’s been wondering what comes next in this saga. I received a nice little nudge and, what few people know is - whenever possible - ask and you shall receive. I’ve been sick so this is the first chance I’ve had to post an update, so I hope you didn’t wait too long.
Endless thank-yous to Jen for her feedback on this story! Her enthusiasm for it helps keep mine going at times when I think, "Nah, it's easier to let it sit." Thanks as always to Judy for her careful beta work on this story - she's been with me since the beginning and has never missed a chapter. And thanks to Camilla who is GOING to help me figure out the correct/best last line for this monster of a story. Haha. No, seriously, she is.
Let’s see what becomes of Brad, and if Jack and Ennis get any closer to a reunion….
Thanks for sticking with the story - happy reading!
jill
Chapter 66
I glanced over at the passenger seat where Brad sat, oddly quiet, watching the darkness whiz past the window. I let him sit until we were about halfway home, then I turned the radio on to one of his favorite stations. I knew something was definitely up when, after a few minutes, he reached over and lowered the volume so we could barely hear it.
“Everything all right?” I asked.
He sighed. “Was that him?” he asked.
I shot him a puzzled glance. “What? Who?”
He shifted toward me in his seat. “Don’t play dumb.”
“Okay.”
“That guy at the end of the night - was that him? The reason you didn’t want to go back there?”
I blew out a long breath. “Yeah. That was him.” I braced myself, unsure of the reaction I was in for.
“What happened?” Brad asked, leaning in a little closer.
That caught me off guard. Brad could be dramatic, snarky, funny, shallow…but rarely had I seen serious. “The condensed version? We grew up together, best friends forever. Then, in college, it turned into something more. We both fell pretty hard, but he wasn’t out and didn’t want to be. He went away for grad school and we couldn’t deal. Crashed and burned pretty hard.”
“Shit,” he said softly. “And you guys just broke up? After…. Jesus, it must’ve been years, not even counting the best friends part!”
“Yes. Look, I don’t want to rehash the whole thing, but it got to the point where I couldn’t deal anymore. I felt like I was holding the whole thing together and he wasn’t even showing up. I broke it off.”
“Just like that?”
I nodded. “Just like that. Doesn’t mean it was easy. It messed me up good for a long time.”
“Maybe it still is,” Brad murmured.
“What?” I said more sharply than I had intended.
“C’mon, Jack. It’s been - what? - ten years? And you’re still freaking out about going back to where you lived with him or whatever? That’s major.” I couldn’t deny it, that’s for damn sure. “Does he want to see you?”
“Why do you ask?”
He rolled his eyes. “The vibes between you guys were pretty intense when I found you. And then you flew out the door after him….”
I snorted a laugh. “There was no romantic reunion in the parking lot if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Maybe there should’ve been,” he said.
I couldn’t process that and focus on navigating the dark country road so I pulled over and turned toward him. “Wait, what? What the hell does that mean?”
He snagged my hand and entwined our fingers. “That’s just a lot to walk away from, you know? A lot of history. And you’re both older now - it’s not the same as when you were in school. He obviously still has some hold on you. Maybe you owe it to both of you to hear him out. Even if nothing comes of it, maybe you’ll have some more closure.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. The guy I’d pegged as immature and superficial had just read me more clearly than I thought possible. “Damn,” I said. “Sounds like you’re trying to get rid of me,” I teased, going for humorous.
Brad met my gaze head on. “It’s not that. I mean, you and I aren’t exactly a match made in heaven. Did you honestly expect it to last more than a night or two?”
I couldn’t bring myself to answer, so he kept going. “Fine. Well, I didn’t. It’s been fun, but we’re so different, and in different places. Like, in life, you know?”
I nodded. “So you’re dumping me?” I asked with a ghost of a smile.
“Not dumping, sweetie. I’m just saying what we’ve both been thinking. Except maybe in bed.” He waggled his eyebrows and I laughed.
“No complaints there,” I said.
“I know,” he said, his usual flair back in place. “Now get us home. I need my beauty sleep.”
I reached across and pulled him to me and kissed him on the cheek. “Yes, sir.”
I steered back onto the road. We didn’t say much the rest of the way home, but the silence felt comfortable. He kissed me outside his apartment building and said goodnight.
“I’m sure I’ll see you around,” he said with a wink as he got out of the car.
“You will.” I put the car in gear, ready to head home for real, but he turned back and pulled the passenger door open.
“Talk to him. At least think about it, okay?” he said.
I nodded. “I will.”
Josh took a swig of his beer and set the bottle down on the pub table. Between Ennis and Brad, Friday night had me upside down, so I’d called him 911 to see when we could meet up. Luckily, he’d been free on Sunday so we met at our usual restaurant, halfway between Kenton and Corning, where I’d set up shop.
“So, what’s the emergency?” Josh asked. “Did Brad threaten to jump off your roof when you broke up with him?”
Brad had been so cool about the whole thing between us, I felt a little protective of him. “No, actually. He dumped me.”
Josh stared at me for a few seconds and I could almost see his wheels turning as he tried to put the pieces together. “Okay. That’s a surprise, I admit. Are you all right with that? I’m sorry, but I’m still not getting the crisis.”
“Yeah, I’m okay with it. He was really cool about it actually, which I needed considering that Ennis came and found me at Kenton Hill right after you left.”
Josh’s jaw dropped at that one. “No fucking way. That’s impossible. He wasn’t there!”
“Unless Brad and I both hallucinated him, yes, he was.”
“He met Brad?” he asked, his eyes bugging out of his head.
I sighed. “Yep. Ennis had just found me and then Brad came waltzing up, ready to go.” I filled him in on their short interaction, and then my conversation with Ennis in the parking lot. “It took Brad about thirty seconds to peg what me and Ennis were to each other. On the drive home, he called it quits with us - he said he knew it was just fun - and he said I should at least hear Ennis out.”
“Oh, my god,” Josh said, still staring.
“Yeah. That’s pretty much where I’m at.”
Josh took a long swallow from his bottle. “So, what are you going to do?”
My hand stopped with my drink halfway to my mouth. “Are you serious? I have no fucking clue! Why do you think we’re sitting here on a Sunday afternoon?”
He blew out a long breath that ruffled the hair that fell over his forehead. “Jesus, I don’t know. That’s tough.” I nodded. “Let’s start with the easy stuff: you’re sure you’re okay with the Brad situation?”
“Yes. You knew I was planning to end it anyway. He probably did a better job of it than I would have.”
“All right. That’s good. So… Ennis.”
“Yeah. Ennis.”
“The fact that we’re here at all tells me you’re not sure you want to tell him to fuck off,” Josh said.
“Yes. No. I mean, I don’t know. It was so weird, you know? When I thought of Ennis - before Friday, anyway - he was the guy I knew back in grad school. How he looked then, how he acted -”
“What he did to you,” Josh interjected.
“Yeah, that too. Of course it did stop hurting so fucking much after a while, once I was able to move on.”
“You’re welcome,” Josh said with a smirk.
“Shut up. You know what I mean: time heals all wounds or whatever. Except it doesn’t. It’s all still in here somewhere.” I tapped the side of my head. “But seeing him - he wasn’t that guy. I mean, he was, but… different. Maybe it’s just that we’re older and time has passed, but he felt different to me, if that makes any sense.”
“At the very least you have to wonder how he goes from being so deep in the closet he needed mothballs to saying, ‘I’m gay’.”
“Yes! What the fuck is that? How did that happen? I want to know. If what we had couldn’t make him say that, then what the hell did?” I could hear the thinly veiled hurt in my voice.
“You can’t take it personally, Jack. He was nowhere near admitting it when you guys split up. I’m sure it took a lot of time.”
“And a lot of other guys,” I grumbled.
“Is that jealousy I hear?” Josh asked, cupping a hand to his ear. I flipped him off. “Even if it was other guys, you really can’t judge. You haven’t been celibate all this time.”
“I know,” I said with a sigh. “God, I’m so lame. Over ten years go by, and ten minutes with him has me feeling like I did when I was twenty years old.”
“Do you? Feel good about him?” Josh asked.
I stared out the window and thought for a moment. “I wouldn’t say good. I definitely still have some hurt rattling around inside, but I’m also curious. It was only a few minutes but he looked good. Comfortable in his skin. I don’t remember seeing that before.”
“Well, maybe there’s your answer. Talk to him. Satisfy your curiosity. He sure as hell can’t hurt you any worse than he already did.”
“Is that jealousy I hear?” I mocked and he flipped me off.
“No, not jealousy. He makes me nervous, though. He fucked you up really bad. I was there and I can’t just forget it.”
“Fair enough. You did clean up the mess. So, the verdict is I call him?”
Josh shook his head. “Email. It’s less personal and lets you control exactly what you say. Gives you time to think about it.”
I raised my bottle to him and smiled. “Good call. That’s why I pay you the big bucks.”
Josh snorted and downed the rest of his beer. “Right. I’ve got to head out, but give it a few days. Think about what you want to say.”
I set my unfinished beer on the table and grabbed my car keys to follow him out. “I will.” We parted with a guy-hug and went our separate ways, my brain already buzzing with how I wanted to approach New Ennis.
Two nights later, on my third draft of the Ennis email, I set my laptop aside before I hurled it through a window, and got up to get a bottle of water.
“Christ,” I grumbled and dragged myself back to the couch in the living room. It shouldn’t be so fucking hard: just a short, impersonal email that says, “Hey, I don’t hate you and let’s get together sometime.”
I sucked it up and picked up the laptop again, determined to send whatever came out that time.
Ennis,
It was good to see you the other night. I’m glad you found me. I’d like to get together to talk too. Let me know what might work for you and we’ll go from there.
Best,
Jack
I reread it and decided it wasn’t going to get any better. I picked up the business card he’d given me and typed in his personal email address, which he’d hand-written on the back. Before I could change my mind, I clicked send and let out a breath. I flipped the card over between my fingers: Vice President of Finance for Albany Medical Center. It sounded important and Albany was a good three hours away, so I assumed I’d have a while before I’d be face to face with him again. I assumed wrong.
The next morning, I had myself situated at my desk, Starbucks Black Eye in hand, ready to tackle the presentation I had to put together for the upcoming conference for the Western New York Historical Preservation Society. I’d decided to put Ennis and the email out of my head until he responded and I had to deal with it, and that meant I had a whole three minutes until my computer booted up and I opened my email. His response was right there at the top of the list.
Jack,
I’m glad you got in touch. I was really hoping we’d have an opportunity to talk last weekend, but better later than not at all. I heard you’re out in Corning. I can come to you, it’s not a problem. I know it’s soon, but I could be there this weekend if that works for you. Let me know.
Ennis
Fuck. So much for worry about it later. I tried to put the email in the back of my mind and get some work done on the presentation, but I was only running at about fifty-percent efficiency because the other half was thinking about Ennis. About seeing Ennis. Doing other things to Ennis. I forced myself to power through until lunch, but when I got back, I opened up his email and hit Reply.
Wow, I didn’t expect you to be able to come back this way so soon. This weekend works for me - give me a call later and let me know what you have in mind.
Jack
Right before I hit send I remembered he didn’t have my phone number - at least not that I knew of - so I tacked it on to the end of the message. Judging by the response time to my first email, I had a feeling I’d be getting a call that evening.
Once that was out of the way, I was pretty productive for the rest of the day. When I got home, I heated up leftovers and plopped myself on the couch, eating and channel surfing with my phone tossed on the cushion next to me. It was a little after eight o’clock when it finally rang.
“Hello.”
“Jack? It’s me. Uh, Ennis.”
“Hey. How’s everything?” I said lamely, caught off guard by how awkward I felt talking to him.
“Things are good. Work is busy as usual.”
“Yeah, VP of Finance? That sounds like a pretty big deal.”
He chuckled. “Trust me, it’s not as glamourous as it sounds. So, about this weekend….”
“Yes. I was surprised you’re able to hit the road again so soon.”
He sighed. “Look, I’m not going to bullshit here. Seeing you last weekend was the best thing that’s happened to me in a while. Something I’ve been hoping…. Anyway, if you’re free, I’m there because I really want to see you.”
Shit. I didn’t know how to say no to that, and I didn’t really want to. “Okay. Yeah, I’m free.”
“Great.” He sounded genuinely relieved. “I’m thinking I’ll drive up after work on Friday, so I’ll get in a little bit late. Probably by eight-thirty or so. Maybe we could meet for a drink? I’ll probably grab a room at the Radisson. I’m not sure how far that is from where you live.”
He’d obviously given this some thought already. I took a breath and forged ahead. “It’s not far. Sounds good. I’ll wait to hear from you when you get in.”
“All right. And, Jack, thanks for being willing to get together. You’d have every right to tell me to go to hell.”
I laughed quietly. “I thought about it. I’d like to see you, though. Really.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me, too.” There was a pause and the line disconnected. I looked at the phone for a few seconds, then set it down. I felt a whirl of anticipation run through me. I wouldn’t let myself call it a date; for my own sanity, it couldn’t be a date. But it sure as hell felt like one.
today
yesterday
Author: mrs-spamlad
Pairing: Jack/Ennis
Rating: R
Feedback: have at it!
Disclaimer: Brokeback Mountain and the original characters of Jack and Ennis were created by and belong to Annie Proulx. No money is being made from this- I’m just taking them out for a spin!
A/N: So it seems this story has a fan, deevah2 , who’s been wondering what comes next in this saga. I received a nice little nudge and, what few people know is - whenever possible - ask and you shall receive. I’ve been sick so this is the first chance I’ve had to post an update, so I hope you didn’t wait too long.
Endless thank-yous to Jen for her feedback on this story! Her enthusiasm for it helps keep mine going at times when I think, "Nah, it's easier to let it sit." Thanks as always to Judy for her careful beta work on this story - she's been with me since the beginning and has never missed a chapter. And thanks to Camilla who is GOING to help me figure out the correct/best last line for this monster of a story. Haha. No, seriously, she is.
Let’s see what becomes of Brad, and if Jack and Ennis get any closer to a reunion….
Thanks for sticking with the story - happy reading!
jill
Chapter 66
I glanced over at the passenger seat where Brad sat, oddly quiet, watching the darkness whiz past the window. I let him sit until we were about halfway home, then I turned the radio on to one of his favorite stations. I knew something was definitely up when, after a few minutes, he reached over and lowered the volume so we could barely hear it.
“Everything all right?” I asked.
He sighed. “Was that him?” he asked.
I shot him a puzzled glance. “What? Who?”
He shifted toward me in his seat. “Don’t play dumb.”
“Okay.”
“That guy at the end of the night - was that him? The reason you didn’t want to go back there?”
I blew out a long breath. “Yeah. That was him.” I braced myself, unsure of the reaction I was in for.
“What happened?” Brad asked, leaning in a little closer.
That caught me off guard. Brad could be dramatic, snarky, funny, shallow…but rarely had I seen serious. “The condensed version? We grew up together, best friends forever. Then, in college, it turned into something more. We both fell pretty hard, but he wasn’t out and didn’t want to be. He went away for grad school and we couldn’t deal. Crashed and burned pretty hard.”
“Shit,” he said softly. “And you guys just broke up? After…. Jesus, it must’ve been years, not even counting the best friends part!”
“Yes. Look, I don’t want to rehash the whole thing, but it got to the point where I couldn’t deal anymore. I felt like I was holding the whole thing together and he wasn’t even showing up. I broke it off.”
“Just like that?”
I nodded. “Just like that. Doesn’t mean it was easy. It messed me up good for a long time.”
“Maybe it still is,” Brad murmured.
“What?” I said more sharply than I had intended.
“C’mon, Jack. It’s been - what? - ten years? And you’re still freaking out about going back to where you lived with him or whatever? That’s major.” I couldn’t deny it, that’s for damn sure. “Does he want to see you?”
“Why do you ask?”
He rolled his eyes. “The vibes between you guys were pretty intense when I found you. And then you flew out the door after him….”
I snorted a laugh. “There was no romantic reunion in the parking lot if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Maybe there should’ve been,” he said.
I couldn’t process that and focus on navigating the dark country road so I pulled over and turned toward him. “Wait, what? What the hell does that mean?”
He snagged my hand and entwined our fingers. “That’s just a lot to walk away from, you know? A lot of history. And you’re both older now - it’s not the same as when you were in school. He obviously still has some hold on you. Maybe you owe it to both of you to hear him out. Even if nothing comes of it, maybe you’ll have some more closure.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. The guy I’d pegged as immature and superficial had just read me more clearly than I thought possible. “Damn,” I said. “Sounds like you’re trying to get rid of me,” I teased, going for humorous.
Brad met my gaze head on. “It’s not that. I mean, you and I aren’t exactly a match made in heaven. Did you honestly expect it to last more than a night or two?”
I couldn’t bring myself to answer, so he kept going. “Fine. Well, I didn’t. It’s been fun, but we’re so different, and in different places. Like, in life, you know?”
I nodded. “So you’re dumping me?” I asked with a ghost of a smile.
“Not dumping, sweetie. I’m just saying what we’ve both been thinking. Except maybe in bed.” He waggled his eyebrows and I laughed.
“No complaints there,” I said.
“I know,” he said, his usual flair back in place. “Now get us home. I need my beauty sleep.”
I reached across and pulled him to me and kissed him on the cheek. “Yes, sir.”
I steered back onto the road. We didn’t say much the rest of the way home, but the silence felt comfortable. He kissed me outside his apartment building and said goodnight.
“I’m sure I’ll see you around,” he said with a wink as he got out of the car.
“You will.” I put the car in gear, ready to head home for real, but he turned back and pulled the passenger door open.
“Talk to him. At least think about it, okay?” he said.
I nodded. “I will.”
Josh took a swig of his beer and set the bottle down on the pub table. Between Ennis and Brad, Friday night had me upside down, so I’d called him 911 to see when we could meet up. Luckily, he’d been free on Sunday so we met at our usual restaurant, halfway between Kenton and Corning, where I’d set up shop.
“So, what’s the emergency?” Josh asked. “Did Brad threaten to jump off your roof when you broke up with him?”
Brad had been so cool about the whole thing between us, I felt a little protective of him. “No, actually. He dumped me.”
Josh stared at me for a few seconds and I could almost see his wheels turning as he tried to put the pieces together. “Okay. That’s a surprise, I admit. Are you all right with that? I’m sorry, but I’m still not getting the crisis.”
“Yeah, I’m okay with it. He was really cool about it actually, which I needed considering that Ennis came and found me at Kenton Hill right after you left.”
Josh’s jaw dropped at that one. “No fucking way. That’s impossible. He wasn’t there!”
“Unless Brad and I both hallucinated him, yes, he was.”
“He met Brad?” he asked, his eyes bugging out of his head.
I sighed. “Yep. Ennis had just found me and then Brad came waltzing up, ready to go.” I filled him in on their short interaction, and then my conversation with Ennis in the parking lot. “It took Brad about thirty seconds to peg what me and Ennis were to each other. On the drive home, he called it quits with us - he said he knew it was just fun - and he said I should at least hear Ennis out.”
“Oh, my god,” Josh said, still staring.
“Yeah. That’s pretty much where I’m at.”
Josh took a long swallow from his bottle. “So, what are you going to do?”
My hand stopped with my drink halfway to my mouth. “Are you serious? I have no fucking clue! Why do you think we’re sitting here on a Sunday afternoon?”
He blew out a long breath that ruffled the hair that fell over his forehead. “Jesus, I don’t know. That’s tough.” I nodded. “Let’s start with the easy stuff: you’re sure you’re okay with the Brad situation?”
“Yes. You knew I was planning to end it anyway. He probably did a better job of it than I would have.”
“All right. That’s good. So… Ennis.”
“Yeah. Ennis.”
“The fact that we’re here at all tells me you’re not sure you want to tell him to fuck off,” Josh said.
“Yes. No. I mean, I don’t know. It was so weird, you know? When I thought of Ennis - before Friday, anyway - he was the guy I knew back in grad school. How he looked then, how he acted -”
“What he did to you,” Josh interjected.
“Yeah, that too. Of course it did stop hurting so fucking much after a while, once I was able to move on.”
“You’re welcome,” Josh said with a smirk.
“Shut up. You know what I mean: time heals all wounds or whatever. Except it doesn’t. It’s all still in here somewhere.” I tapped the side of my head. “But seeing him - he wasn’t that guy. I mean, he was, but… different. Maybe it’s just that we’re older and time has passed, but he felt different to me, if that makes any sense.”
“At the very least you have to wonder how he goes from being so deep in the closet he needed mothballs to saying, ‘I’m gay’.”
“Yes! What the fuck is that? How did that happen? I want to know. If what we had couldn’t make him say that, then what the hell did?” I could hear the thinly veiled hurt in my voice.
“You can’t take it personally, Jack. He was nowhere near admitting it when you guys split up. I’m sure it took a lot of time.”
“And a lot of other guys,” I grumbled.
“Is that jealousy I hear?” Josh asked, cupping a hand to his ear. I flipped him off. “Even if it was other guys, you really can’t judge. You haven’t been celibate all this time.”
“I know,” I said with a sigh. “God, I’m so lame. Over ten years go by, and ten minutes with him has me feeling like I did when I was twenty years old.”
“Do you? Feel good about him?” Josh asked.
I stared out the window and thought for a moment. “I wouldn’t say good. I definitely still have some hurt rattling around inside, but I’m also curious. It was only a few minutes but he looked good. Comfortable in his skin. I don’t remember seeing that before.”
“Well, maybe there’s your answer. Talk to him. Satisfy your curiosity. He sure as hell can’t hurt you any worse than he already did.”
“Is that jealousy I hear?” I mocked and he flipped me off.
“No, not jealousy. He makes me nervous, though. He fucked you up really bad. I was there and I can’t just forget it.”
“Fair enough. You did clean up the mess. So, the verdict is I call him?”
Josh shook his head. “Email. It’s less personal and lets you control exactly what you say. Gives you time to think about it.”
I raised my bottle to him and smiled. “Good call. That’s why I pay you the big bucks.”
Josh snorted and downed the rest of his beer. “Right. I’ve got to head out, but give it a few days. Think about what you want to say.”
I set my unfinished beer on the table and grabbed my car keys to follow him out. “I will.” We parted with a guy-hug and went our separate ways, my brain already buzzing with how I wanted to approach New Ennis.
Two nights later, on my third draft of the Ennis email, I set my laptop aside before I hurled it through a window, and got up to get a bottle of water.
“Christ,” I grumbled and dragged myself back to the couch in the living room. It shouldn’t be so fucking hard: just a short, impersonal email that says, “Hey, I don’t hate you and let’s get together sometime.”
I sucked it up and picked up the laptop again, determined to send whatever came out that time.
Ennis,
It was good to see you the other night. I’m glad you found me. I’d like to get together to talk too. Let me know what might work for you and we’ll go from there.
Best,
Jack
I reread it and decided it wasn’t going to get any better. I picked up the business card he’d given me and typed in his personal email address, which he’d hand-written on the back. Before I could change my mind, I clicked send and let out a breath. I flipped the card over between my fingers: Vice President of Finance for Albany Medical Center. It sounded important and Albany was a good three hours away, so I assumed I’d have a while before I’d be face to face with him again. I assumed wrong.
The next morning, I had myself situated at my desk, Starbucks Black Eye in hand, ready to tackle the presentation I had to put together for the upcoming conference for the Western New York Historical Preservation Society. I’d decided to put Ennis and the email out of my head until he responded and I had to deal with it, and that meant I had a whole three minutes until my computer booted up and I opened my email. His response was right there at the top of the list.
Jack,
I’m glad you got in touch. I was really hoping we’d have an opportunity to talk last weekend, but better later than not at all. I heard you’re out in Corning. I can come to you, it’s not a problem. I know it’s soon, but I could be there this weekend if that works for you. Let me know.
Ennis
Fuck. So much for worry about it later. I tried to put the email in the back of my mind and get some work done on the presentation, but I was only running at about fifty-percent efficiency because the other half was thinking about Ennis. About seeing Ennis. Doing other things to Ennis. I forced myself to power through until lunch, but when I got back, I opened up his email and hit Reply.
Wow, I didn’t expect you to be able to come back this way so soon. This weekend works for me - give me a call later and let me know what you have in mind.
Jack
Right before I hit send I remembered he didn’t have my phone number - at least not that I knew of - so I tacked it on to the end of the message. Judging by the response time to my first email, I had a feeling I’d be getting a call that evening.
Once that was out of the way, I was pretty productive for the rest of the day. When I got home, I heated up leftovers and plopped myself on the couch, eating and channel surfing with my phone tossed on the cushion next to me. It was a little after eight o’clock when it finally rang.
“Hello.”
“Jack? It’s me. Uh, Ennis.”
“Hey. How’s everything?” I said lamely, caught off guard by how awkward I felt talking to him.
“Things are good. Work is busy as usual.”
“Yeah, VP of Finance? That sounds like a pretty big deal.”
He chuckled. “Trust me, it’s not as glamourous as it sounds. So, about this weekend….”
“Yes. I was surprised you’re able to hit the road again so soon.”
He sighed. “Look, I’m not going to bullshit here. Seeing you last weekend was the best thing that’s happened to me in a while. Something I’ve been hoping…. Anyway, if you’re free, I’m there because I really want to see you.”
Shit. I didn’t know how to say no to that, and I didn’t really want to. “Okay. Yeah, I’m free.”
“Great.” He sounded genuinely relieved. “I’m thinking I’ll drive up after work on Friday, so I’ll get in a little bit late. Probably by eight-thirty or so. Maybe we could meet for a drink? I’ll probably grab a room at the Radisson. I’m not sure how far that is from where you live.”
He’d obviously given this some thought already. I took a breath and forged ahead. “It’s not far. Sounds good. I’ll wait to hear from you when you get in.”
“All right. And, Jack, thanks for being willing to get together. You’d have every right to tell me to go to hell.”
I laughed quietly. “I thought about it. I’d like to see you, though. Really.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me, too.” There was a pause and the line disconnected. I looked at the phone for a few seconds, then set it down. I felt a whirl of anticipation run through me. I wouldn’t let myself call it a date; for my own sanity, it couldn’t be a date. But it sure as hell felt like one.
today
yesterday