Going Left Around the World: Chapter 65
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: Happy New Year! I’m hoping LJ cooperates and lets me post this with minimal difficulty. We’re moving a little further along into the present, and finally, we see a familiar face (briefly).
Going Left is now complete, pending approval from various sources (Camilla, Jen, Judy etc). I’ve been writing these guys for I don’t know how many years now, so it’s strange to think that they’ve come to their stopping point. I have other projects I have to move on to though, and I’m anxious to get started on those.
Thanks to Jen for her feedback, and to Judy for her beta work, and to Camilla for saying, “It’s good,” to shut me up. And thank all of you who still read this endless saga that now has an end. It continues to amaze me that anyone even remembers this story!
Thank you, and happy reading,
jill
Chapter 65
I flicked my eyes away from the road just long enough to find the dial and shut off the goddamn radio that was blaring some screechy pop song.
“Hey!” Brad exclaimed. “That’s one of my favorites.”
“Sorry. I don’t remember exactly how to get there so I need to pay attention.” I groaned inwardly because I remembered my mom saying almost the exact same thing to me and Ennis in high school. And it was a total lie - I knew exactly where we were. I was just taking my time getting there. We entered the village of Kenton Hill and I knew we were only a few minutes out.
“So, who are you hoping to see?” Brad asked, shifting toward me in his seat.
“Uh, Josh, I guess, since this is his thing.”
“Uh-uh, honey,” he said, and wagged a finger at me. “You look smoking hot - and I didn’t even help you, you’re about to jump out of your skin, and you’re driving ten miles an hour under the speed limit. I can’t tell if you’re excited or hating it, though.”
I shot him a look that, to most people, would’ve clearly said, “Shut the fuck up” but not in Brad’s world.
“Plus, I heard you on the phone with Josh,” he continued. “All hush-hush about ‘I don’t think I can go back there, that’s where we lived’, blah blah. So who was he?”
I actually laughed. There was no way I was having that conversation with him. “There’s no one. And even if there was a ‘he’, if I wanted to talk about it, I would.”
“I see.” He nodded knowingly. “I’ll just have to have a look around myself then. Size up the competition.”
I turned my Mini Cooper onto the Kenton Hill campus without comment and my nerves ratcheted up another notch. If Ennis were there, Brad wouldn’t have a prayer. But I’d taken extra precautions, so I knew I didn’t have to worry about that ridiculous face-off. Just the past knocking around in my head.
I parked and we headed toward the student union, Brad’s hand hooked at the crook of my elbow. We made our way inside and I found the room for the reception. We were pretty early, and I spotted Josh giving instructions to some catering guys right away. I casually separated myself from Brad and went up to him.
“Professional schmoozer at your service,” I said. “Early, as directed. How’s it going?”
He turned around, a completely freaked-out look on his face. “Not awesome,” he said and ran a hand through his hair.
“What’s up?” I asked, my brow furrowed. It takes a lot to rattle Josh, so I knew it wasn’t good. “Can I help?”
He stared at me for a second and then said, “Yes.” I’d regret that offer in about two minutes.
He grabbed my elbow and guided me out of the room, calling, “Hey, Brad! Got to borrow Jack,” as we passed him. He propelled me down the hall and into another event room. This one was mostly full and there was a long table raised up at the front of the room.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I need you to be a panel member,” he said.
“What?”
“Two of our alumni panel members started celebrating too early and they’re drunk as shit! Please, Jack. You just have to sit there - they probably won’t even ask you anything.”
“Fucking hell,” I muttered.
“I know you’re already doing me a favor, but this was totally unplanned. And you’re a great talker! And you’re…pretty.”
“Pretty?” I repeated.
“Hot, sorry. Gorgeous. You’re whatever I need to say to get your ass in that chair.”
He looked desperate and, as much as I didn’t want to do it, I was already there. And he was right; it would be pretty easy for me.
“Fine,” I said with a sigh.
“Thank you!” he exclaimed and smacked me right on the lips. “Just grab that seat on the end with the panel and I’ll give the moderator a quick bio for you. This overlaps a little with the reception, so just head over there when you’re done.”
I nodded and headed for the platform.
An hour later, I was sick of hearing myself talk, along with the other five panel members. It was mostly me and some woman who graduated a few years after me and was Lord of a Bank or something. At least she could answer questions and tell stories without wetting herself, which is more than I could say for the other three panelists. Josh wasn’t kidding when he said he was desperate.
The question was, “What activities did you participate in at Kenton Hill that you feel have helped you in your career?” Bank Lady had a laundry list of them, and when she got to her sorority, we took a major detour. I peeked at the time on my phone and wondered how much longer this could go on; it was getting late and the crowd had definitely thinned since the panel started. I spared a second to wonder where Brad might have gotten off to, and then began the enthralling task of counting speckles in the tablecloth.
Just as I was about to go cross-eyed, I glanced out to the audience and stopped breathing. There, in the second row from the back, sat Ennis. An older, more filled-out, shorter-haired Ennis, but no mistake - it was Ennis. I stared and it was like he looked all the way into me, just like he used to, and I couldn’t hide a thing. I shifted my gaze down, took a deep breath and a big gulp from my glass of water. I squeezed my eyes shut, struggling not to lose my shit right there in front of everyone, when the moderator abruptly brought me back to the moment.
“Mr. Twist?”
I stared at her blankly. “Uh, yes. I’m sorry, could you repeat the question?”
“Just to wrap up, is there any advice you have for students, or new alumni as they merge their college experience with the work world?”
I sputtered something about studying hard, and working hard. I may have even said, “Don’t do drugs” like McGruff the Crime Dog. I had no fucking clue. All I know is that when I finally got the guts to move my eyes back to the aisle seat in the second-to-last row, he was gone.
I gave a brief smile and a wave as the moderator ended the panel discussion, and I was up out of my seat before she finished her closing. I flew out into the hall, looking left and right. Nothing. I walked double-time back to the room where Josh’s event was happening and scanned the room from the doorway for his tall frame. I spotted him and hustled over, skidding to a stop next to him and the old guy he was talking to.
“I need to talk to you,” I said quietly but with clear urgency.
He shot me a “WTF?” look, then gave me his party smile and said, “Sure. In just a moment.”
I tugged on the sleeve of his suit jacket like an insistent five-year-old. “No. This moment.”
The old guy shot me an annoyed look, but said, “It’s fine, Joshua. Please go handle your… problem.”
Josh apologized and grabbed me by the arm and directed me toward a corner. “Joshua? Who the hell calls you Joshua?” I asked, momentarily distracted.
“Dr. Ames, that’s who! What the hell, Jack? He’s a Professor Emeritus from -”
“I don’t give a shit if he the fucking Pope! He’s here! I saw him.”
Josh furrowed his brow. “Who’s here? Have you been drinking?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, I’ve been answering dumbass questions on your emergency panel! Until I looked up and saw fucking Ennis sitting in the audience. What the fuck? What happened to ‘I double-checked’?”
Josh shook his head. “He can’t be here. And I did double-check! He didn’t RSVP, he wasn’t invited to participate in any events….”
“But it’s basically open to the public, right? I mean, no one checked my ID or gave me a bracelet for super-secret access when I came in.”
“I guess, but I really don’t think he’d just show up. What for? He wasn’t at the reunion, and I haven’t heard anything about him in a few years.”
“I don’t fucking know,” I said, rubbing a hand over my face.
“Maybe it wasn’t even him. How would you even know what he looks like now? It’s been ten years.”
I didn’t bother trying to explain to Josh that there are some people you’d know anywhere, no matter how much time had passed, with just a glimpse, or by a laugh in the background. I sighed. “All right. What do you need me to do here?”
Josh’s shoulders relaxed and relief flooded his face. “Exactly what I told you before - hang out, have some appetizers, chat with the students.” I nodded and he brought a hand up to rest on my cheek. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. It just freaked me out. I’ll live.”
“Go grab a drink,” he said, gesturing at the small bar. “And maybe avoid Dr. Ames.”
I laughed. “Can do.”
I hit the bar, got a glass of white wine and put my party face back on as I ventured out into the crowd. As the alcohol eased its way into my system and I found a couple students who were actually into history to talk to, I started to relax. Every once in a while, I’d sweep the room, searching for anyone Ennis-like, but came up with nothing. Which was fine, I told myself; I’d done everything I could to ensure I wouldn’t run into him tonight. But then why did I feel disappointed? It had been such a rush when I thought I saw him sitting there, his gaze fixed on me. I sighed, disgusted with myself. All that time passed and his doppelganger could still have an effect on me. I turned around just as another small group of students approached, and I slapped on my smile and got ready to talk about how awesome my life was.
“Does the Landmark Society offer internships, Mr. Twist?” a blue-eyed blonde girl asked as she batted enhanced lashes at me.
I smiled back, just about out of politeness for the evening. “You know, that’s a good question. I’m not sure. I can find out, though.”
She lit up like a Christmas tree. “That would be wonderful! Do you have a business card so I can, you know, follow up?”
Even her two friends rolled their eyes at that one. “Sure,” I said as I took out my wallet. I snapped out a card and handed it to her. “Give me a few days to look into it, and then I should be able to direct you to the person responsible for interns.”
After a few thank-yous, they took off and I was alone. I blew out a long breath and slipped my phone out of my pocket to check the time: ten minutes and I’d be off the clock. As I glanced around at the few remaining guests, I felt strong hands on my shoulders.
“Have I told you how much you saved my ass tonight?” Josh said next to my ear.
I grinned and turned around. “I may have heard something about it. You owe me, man. For real.”
He nodded. “I know. Any time. It looks like everyone has pretty much left, so you can head out. I’m on my way out now - I’ve been here all damn day.”
“Okay,” I said. “I have no idea where Brad ended up, so I’ll just text him and then we’re out of here.”
“All right. Drive safe,” Josh said, and gave me his usual hug and peck on the cheek. “And go easy on him when you break it off. I think he’s kind of into you.”
“I know. I will. I’ll let you know how it goes.” Josh headed for the door and I took my phone out again and sent a quick text to Brad letting him know where I was and that it was time to go. I clicked on my email to kill time, but just as I opened the first one, I heard a voice behind me.
“Uh, Jack?”
I paused. I knew the voice, but in the slew of voices I’d listened to that evening, my tired brain didn’t work very hard to place it. I turned around, smile on, and found myself face to face with the guy from the second-to-last row in the panel discussion. And, up close and personal, there was no mistaking him: it was Ennis.
My smile faltered and I just stared, mouth slightly ajar, as I took inventory of the man before me: he seemed taller, broader shoulders, same lean build, slightly shorter hair - a little darker than I remembered, dressed in a crisp white shirt and a dark grey jacket and dress pants. “Uh, hello. Hi,” I said.
I saw him let out a breath and he smiled a little. “Hi. I hope this is all right. It’s just - I couldn’t leave without at least saying hi. You look - wow. You look great.”
“Thanks,” I said, running a hand through my hair. My last functioning brain cell kicked me in the ass, reminding me to hold up my end of the conversation. “So do you. You’re…tall.”
He laughed. “Not much different from the last time I saw you,” he said. Neither of us was ready to revisit that, so he cleared his throat and changed the subject. “I see Josh is still around.”
I nodded. “Yeah. He kind of roped me in to helping out tonight. He’s still really involved with the Alumni stuff and they were short some bodies, so here I am.”
“Well, who can you count on if not your better half, right?” He smiled when he said it but he looked like he’d just stepped on a shard of glass.
“Better half?” I repeated, confused. “Oh! Josh and I - we’re not together. He’s married, actually. Real nice guy named David.”
“Oh, I see. I saw him kiss you earlier, so I thought….”
He trailed off and I searched my memory for when the hell Josh had kissed me in full view of other people. Right: when I agreed to join the panel. I waved it off. “Oh, that was nothing. I agreed to sit on that panel and…. Have you been watching me tonight?”
He flushed pink and shifted his gaze to the floor. “Some. I ran into some other people, too. But I was hoping to talk to you… you know, just for a few minutes. You’re hard to pin down.”
I shrugged, resolutely ignoring the little flutter I felt in my stomach. “I was on duty.” I glanced around him. “Are you here by yourself?” I asked, and he nodded. “Your wife couldn’t make it?” I added, unable to keep the acid out of the word “wife”.
He grinned for real this time. “No. I don’t have a wife. Or girlfriend.”
I gave him a quizzical look. “That’s a surprise. If I remember right, you pretty much had to peel girls off of you. I thought for sure you’d be hooked up by now.”
He took a step toward me and cupped a hand around my elbow. He leaned in, his lips next to my ear, and I felt his breath ghost across my skin as he whispered, “Don’t tell anyone, but… I’m gay.”
He pulled back, still grinning. “No shit,” I whispered, trying like hell to ignore the fact that I was half hard from that ten-second contact. We stood, staring at each other, a gulf of years between us alongside a feeling that no time had passed at all. I’d like to say I had the perfect response that got us exactly where we needed to be right then, but I’ll never know.
At that moment, Brad trotted up and threw his arms around my neck. “I missed you, sweetie!” he said and kissed my cheek. “I barely saw you all night.” I spared him a quick glance and saw he was doing that pout that drove me nuts.
I untangled myself from him and put a little space between us. “I told you I’d be working,” I said.
Brad turned his attention to Ennis, who was watching us with a surprised look on his face. “And who is this gorgeous man?” Brad asked.
Love-of-my-life, meet boy-toy. Fuck. “Uh, Brad, this is Ennis. Ennis, Brad,” I said, my face on fire.
Ennis snapped his jaw shut and stuck his hand out to shake. “Nice to meet you,” he mumbled.
Brad gave him a girly shake and smiled. “So, how do you two know each other?”
“Ennis and I go way back,” I said, aiming for vague. “We were real good friends.”
My voice cracked a little on the word “friends” and that was all Brad needed. He latched onto Ennis’s arm and smiled wickedly. “Oh, I know what that means! Now, tell me, are you the guy who broke poor Jack’s heart and ruined him for the rest of us?”
I should’ve just saved us all from this god-awful situation and dumped Brad right then and there.
Ennis pulled away from Brad. “That sounds like a question for Jack,” he said. He turned his gaze to me. “Jack, it was really good to see you again. Good night.”
He made a beeline out of the room and, even after all those years, I only had one instinct: follow him. I turned to Brad, put my hands on his shoulders and planted him in a spot. “I need you to stay right here,” I said seriously. Before he could answer, I bolted out the door after Ennis.
I finally caught up to him in the parking lot. “Ennis!” I called as he clicked his key fob and the lights flashed on a shiny black car. He turned and waited for me to catch up. “Look,” I said, “I’m sorry about that in there. He doesn’t always think. He’s….”
“Young,” Ennis supplied.
“Yes. He is. I just wanted to apologize. That was…awkward, and he shouldn’t….” I sighed. “He shouldn’t even be here,” I murmured.
Ennis nodded. With a quick motion, he retrieved something from his pocket and held it out to me. “My card,” he said, and I took it. “I’d like to talk to you, Jack. I mean really talk. But I don’t want to make anything more complicated for you. When your situation is… sorted, give me a call. Or email. Or text. If you want, of course. I’d like to see you.”
I nodded dumbly and he flashed me a shy smile. I stood there in the parking lot, in the chilly drizzle and watched him hop into his car and drive away, a scene that felt way too familiar, but at the same time, totally different.
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: Happy New Year! I’m hoping LJ cooperates and lets me post this with minimal difficulty. We’re moving a little further along into the present, and finally, we see a familiar face (briefly).
Going Left is now complete, pending approval from various sources (Camilla, Jen, Judy etc). I’ve been writing these guys for I don’t know how many years now, so it’s strange to think that they’ve come to their stopping point. I have other projects I have to move on to though, and I’m anxious to get started on those.
Thanks to Jen for her feedback, and to Judy for her beta work, and to Camilla for saying, “It’s good,” to shut me up. And thank all of you who still read this endless saga that now has an end. It continues to amaze me that anyone even remembers this story!
Thank you, and happy reading,
jill
Chapter 65
I flicked my eyes away from the road just long enough to find the dial and shut off the goddamn radio that was blaring some screechy pop song.
“Hey!” Brad exclaimed. “That’s one of my favorites.”
“Sorry. I don’t remember exactly how to get there so I need to pay attention.” I groaned inwardly because I remembered my mom saying almost the exact same thing to me and Ennis in high school. And it was a total lie - I knew exactly where we were. I was just taking my time getting there. We entered the village of Kenton Hill and I knew we were only a few minutes out.
“So, who are you hoping to see?” Brad asked, shifting toward me in his seat.
“Uh, Josh, I guess, since this is his thing.”
“Uh-uh, honey,” he said, and wagged a finger at me. “You look smoking hot - and I didn’t even help you, you’re about to jump out of your skin, and you’re driving ten miles an hour under the speed limit. I can’t tell if you’re excited or hating it, though.”
I shot him a look that, to most people, would’ve clearly said, “Shut the fuck up” but not in Brad’s world.
“Plus, I heard you on the phone with Josh,” he continued. “All hush-hush about ‘I don’t think I can go back there, that’s where we lived’, blah blah. So who was he?”
I actually laughed. There was no way I was having that conversation with him. “There’s no one. And even if there was a ‘he’, if I wanted to talk about it, I would.”
“I see.” He nodded knowingly. “I’ll just have to have a look around myself then. Size up the competition.”
I turned my Mini Cooper onto the Kenton Hill campus without comment and my nerves ratcheted up another notch. If Ennis were there, Brad wouldn’t have a prayer. But I’d taken extra precautions, so I knew I didn’t have to worry about that ridiculous face-off. Just the past knocking around in my head.
I parked and we headed toward the student union, Brad’s hand hooked at the crook of my elbow. We made our way inside and I found the room for the reception. We were pretty early, and I spotted Josh giving instructions to some catering guys right away. I casually separated myself from Brad and went up to him.
“Professional schmoozer at your service,” I said. “Early, as directed. How’s it going?”
He turned around, a completely freaked-out look on his face. “Not awesome,” he said and ran a hand through his hair.
“What’s up?” I asked, my brow furrowed. It takes a lot to rattle Josh, so I knew it wasn’t good. “Can I help?”
He stared at me for a second and then said, “Yes.” I’d regret that offer in about two minutes.
He grabbed my elbow and guided me out of the room, calling, “Hey, Brad! Got to borrow Jack,” as we passed him. He propelled me down the hall and into another event room. This one was mostly full and there was a long table raised up at the front of the room.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I need you to be a panel member,” he said.
“What?”
“Two of our alumni panel members started celebrating too early and they’re drunk as shit! Please, Jack. You just have to sit there - they probably won’t even ask you anything.”
“Fucking hell,” I muttered.
“I know you’re already doing me a favor, but this was totally unplanned. And you’re a great talker! And you’re…pretty.”
“Pretty?” I repeated.
“Hot, sorry. Gorgeous. You’re whatever I need to say to get your ass in that chair.”
He looked desperate and, as much as I didn’t want to do it, I was already there. And he was right; it would be pretty easy for me.
“Fine,” I said with a sigh.
“Thank you!” he exclaimed and smacked me right on the lips. “Just grab that seat on the end with the panel and I’ll give the moderator a quick bio for you. This overlaps a little with the reception, so just head over there when you’re done.”
I nodded and headed for the platform.
An hour later, I was sick of hearing myself talk, along with the other five panel members. It was mostly me and some woman who graduated a few years after me and was Lord of a Bank or something. At least she could answer questions and tell stories without wetting herself, which is more than I could say for the other three panelists. Josh wasn’t kidding when he said he was desperate.
The question was, “What activities did you participate in at Kenton Hill that you feel have helped you in your career?” Bank Lady had a laundry list of them, and when she got to her sorority, we took a major detour. I peeked at the time on my phone and wondered how much longer this could go on; it was getting late and the crowd had definitely thinned since the panel started. I spared a second to wonder where Brad might have gotten off to, and then began the enthralling task of counting speckles in the tablecloth.
Just as I was about to go cross-eyed, I glanced out to the audience and stopped breathing. There, in the second row from the back, sat Ennis. An older, more filled-out, shorter-haired Ennis, but no mistake - it was Ennis. I stared and it was like he looked all the way into me, just like he used to, and I couldn’t hide a thing. I shifted my gaze down, took a deep breath and a big gulp from my glass of water. I squeezed my eyes shut, struggling not to lose my shit right there in front of everyone, when the moderator abruptly brought me back to the moment.
“Mr. Twist?”
I stared at her blankly. “Uh, yes. I’m sorry, could you repeat the question?”
“Just to wrap up, is there any advice you have for students, or new alumni as they merge their college experience with the work world?”
I sputtered something about studying hard, and working hard. I may have even said, “Don’t do drugs” like McGruff the Crime Dog. I had no fucking clue. All I know is that when I finally got the guts to move my eyes back to the aisle seat in the second-to-last row, he was gone.
I gave a brief smile and a wave as the moderator ended the panel discussion, and I was up out of my seat before she finished her closing. I flew out into the hall, looking left and right. Nothing. I walked double-time back to the room where Josh’s event was happening and scanned the room from the doorway for his tall frame. I spotted him and hustled over, skidding to a stop next to him and the old guy he was talking to.
“I need to talk to you,” I said quietly but with clear urgency.
He shot me a “WTF?” look, then gave me his party smile and said, “Sure. In just a moment.”
I tugged on the sleeve of his suit jacket like an insistent five-year-old. “No. This moment.”
The old guy shot me an annoyed look, but said, “It’s fine, Joshua. Please go handle your… problem.”
Josh apologized and grabbed me by the arm and directed me toward a corner. “Joshua? Who the hell calls you Joshua?” I asked, momentarily distracted.
“Dr. Ames, that’s who! What the hell, Jack? He’s a Professor Emeritus from -”
“I don’t give a shit if he the fucking Pope! He’s here! I saw him.”
Josh furrowed his brow. “Who’s here? Have you been drinking?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, I’ve been answering dumbass questions on your emergency panel! Until I looked up and saw fucking Ennis sitting in the audience. What the fuck? What happened to ‘I double-checked’?”
Josh shook his head. “He can’t be here. And I did double-check! He didn’t RSVP, he wasn’t invited to participate in any events….”
“But it’s basically open to the public, right? I mean, no one checked my ID or gave me a bracelet for super-secret access when I came in.”
“I guess, but I really don’t think he’d just show up. What for? He wasn’t at the reunion, and I haven’t heard anything about him in a few years.”
“I don’t fucking know,” I said, rubbing a hand over my face.
“Maybe it wasn’t even him. How would you even know what he looks like now? It’s been ten years.”
I didn’t bother trying to explain to Josh that there are some people you’d know anywhere, no matter how much time had passed, with just a glimpse, or by a laugh in the background. I sighed. “All right. What do you need me to do here?”
Josh’s shoulders relaxed and relief flooded his face. “Exactly what I told you before - hang out, have some appetizers, chat with the students.” I nodded and he brought a hand up to rest on my cheek. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. It just freaked me out. I’ll live.”
“Go grab a drink,” he said, gesturing at the small bar. “And maybe avoid Dr. Ames.”
I laughed. “Can do.”
I hit the bar, got a glass of white wine and put my party face back on as I ventured out into the crowd. As the alcohol eased its way into my system and I found a couple students who were actually into history to talk to, I started to relax. Every once in a while, I’d sweep the room, searching for anyone Ennis-like, but came up with nothing. Which was fine, I told myself; I’d done everything I could to ensure I wouldn’t run into him tonight. But then why did I feel disappointed? It had been such a rush when I thought I saw him sitting there, his gaze fixed on me. I sighed, disgusted with myself. All that time passed and his doppelganger could still have an effect on me. I turned around just as another small group of students approached, and I slapped on my smile and got ready to talk about how awesome my life was.
“Does the Landmark Society offer internships, Mr. Twist?” a blue-eyed blonde girl asked as she batted enhanced lashes at me.
I smiled back, just about out of politeness for the evening. “You know, that’s a good question. I’m not sure. I can find out, though.”
She lit up like a Christmas tree. “That would be wonderful! Do you have a business card so I can, you know, follow up?”
Even her two friends rolled their eyes at that one. “Sure,” I said as I took out my wallet. I snapped out a card and handed it to her. “Give me a few days to look into it, and then I should be able to direct you to the person responsible for interns.”
After a few thank-yous, they took off and I was alone. I blew out a long breath and slipped my phone out of my pocket to check the time: ten minutes and I’d be off the clock. As I glanced around at the few remaining guests, I felt strong hands on my shoulders.
“Have I told you how much you saved my ass tonight?” Josh said next to my ear.
I grinned and turned around. “I may have heard something about it. You owe me, man. For real.”
He nodded. “I know. Any time. It looks like everyone has pretty much left, so you can head out. I’m on my way out now - I’ve been here all damn day.”
“Okay,” I said. “I have no idea where Brad ended up, so I’ll just text him and then we’re out of here.”
“All right. Drive safe,” Josh said, and gave me his usual hug and peck on the cheek. “And go easy on him when you break it off. I think he’s kind of into you.”
“I know. I will. I’ll let you know how it goes.” Josh headed for the door and I took my phone out again and sent a quick text to Brad letting him know where I was and that it was time to go. I clicked on my email to kill time, but just as I opened the first one, I heard a voice behind me.
“Uh, Jack?”
I paused. I knew the voice, but in the slew of voices I’d listened to that evening, my tired brain didn’t work very hard to place it. I turned around, smile on, and found myself face to face with the guy from the second-to-last row in the panel discussion. And, up close and personal, there was no mistaking him: it was Ennis.
My smile faltered and I just stared, mouth slightly ajar, as I took inventory of the man before me: he seemed taller, broader shoulders, same lean build, slightly shorter hair - a little darker than I remembered, dressed in a crisp white shirt and a dark grey jacket and dress pants. “Uh, hello. Hi,” I said.
I saw him let out a breath and he smiled a little. “Hi. I hope this is all right. It’s just - I couldn’t leave without at least saying hi. You look - wow. You look great.”
“Thanks,” I said, running a hand through my hair. My last functioning brain cell kicked me in the ass, reminding me to hold up my end of the conversation. “So do you. You’re…tall.”
He laughed. “Not much different from the last time I saw you,” he said. Neither of us was ready to revisit that, so he cleared his throat and changed the subject. “I see Josh is still around.”
I nodded. “Yeah. He kind of roped me in to helping out tonight. He’s still really involved with the Alumni stuff and they were short some bodies, so here I am.”
“Well, who can you count on if not your better half, right?” He smiled when he said it but he looked like he’d just stepped on a shard of glass.
“Better half?” I repeated, confused. “Oh! Josh and I - we’re not together. He’s married, actually. Real nice guy named David.”
“Oh, I see. I saw him kiss you earlier, so I thought….”
He trailed off and I searched my memory for when the hell Josh had kissed me in full view of other people. Right: when I agreed to join the panel. I waved it off. “Oh, that was nothing. I agreed to sit on that panel and…. Have you been watching me tonight?”
He flushed pink and shifted his gaze to the floor. “Some. I ran into some other people, too. But I was hoping to talk to you… you know, just for a few minutes. You’re hard to pin down.”
I shrugged, resolutely ignoring the little flutter I felt in my stomach. “I was on duty.” I glanced around him. “Are you here by yourself?” I asked, and he nodded. “Your wife couldn’t make it?” I added, unable to keep the acid out of the word “wife”.
He grinned for real this time. “No. I don’t have a wife. Or girlfriend.”
I gave him a quizzical look. “That’s a surprise. If I remember right, you pretty much had to peel girls off of you. I thought for sure you’d be hooked up by now.”
He took a step toward me and cupped a hand around my elbow. He leaned in, his lips next to my ear, and I felt his breath ghost across my skin as he whispered, “Don’t tell anyone, but… I’m gay.”
He pulled back, still grinning. “No shit,” I whispered, trying like hell to ignore the fact that I was half hard from that ten-second contact. We stood, staring at each other, a gulf of years between us alongside a feeling that no time had passed at all. I’d like to say I had the perfect response that got us exactly where we needed to be right then, but I’ll never know.
At that moment, Brad trotted up and threw his arms around my neck. “I missed you, sweetie!” he said and kissed my cheek. “I barely saw you all night.” I spared him a quick glance and saw he was doing that pout that drove me nuts.
I untangled myself from him and put a little space between us. “I told you I’d be working,” I said.
Brad turned his attention to Ennis, who was watching us with a surprised look on his face. “And who is this gorgeous man?” Brad asked.
Love-of-my-life, meet boy-toy. Fuck. “Uh, Brad, this is Ennis. Ennis, Brad,” I said, my face on fire.
Ennis snapped his jaw shut and stuck his hand out to shake. “Nice to meet you,” he mumbled.
Brad gave him a girly shake and smiled. “So, how do you two know each other?”
“Ennis and I go way back,” I said, aiming for vague. “We were real good friends.”
My voice cracked a little on the word “friends” and that was all Brad needed. He latched onto Ennis’s arm and smiled wickedly. “Oh, I know what that means! Now, tell me, are you the guy who broke poor Jack’s heart and ruined him for the rest of us?”
I should’ve just saved us all from this god-awful situation and dumped Brad right then and there.
Ennis pulled away from Brad. “That sounds like a question for Jack,” he said. He turned his gaze to me. “Jack, it was really good to see you again. Good night.”
He made a beeline out of the room and, even after all those years, I only had one instinct: follow him. I turned to Brad, put my hands on his shoulders and planted him in a spot. “I need you to stay right here,” I said seriously. Before he could answer, I bolted out the door after Ennis.
I finally caught up to him in the parking lot. “Ennis!” I called as he clicked his key fob and the lights flashed on a shiny black car. He turned and waited for me to catch up. “Look,” I said, “I’m sorry about that in there. He doesn’t always think. He’s….”
“Young,” Ennis supplied.
“Yes. He is. I just wanted to apologize. That was…awkward, and he shouldn’t….” I sighed. “He shouldn’t even be here,” I murmured.
Ennis nodded. With a quick motion, he retrieved something from his pocket and held it out to me. “My card,” he said, and I took it. “I’d like to talk to you, Jack. I mean really talk. But I don’t want to make anything more complicated for you. When your situation is… sorted, give me a call. Or email. Or text. If you want, of course. I’d like to see you.”
I nodded dumbly and he flashed me a shy smile. I stood there in the parking lot, in the chilly drizzle and watched him hop into his car and drive away, a scene that felt way too familiar, but at the same time, totally different.
today
yesterday