I dialed the number and Ian’s phone rang three times before Blake answered it. Breathless, I asked “Blake, where’s Ian?”
Blake said, “He’s working late on a client’s accounting portfolio. He has a deadline to meet, so he can’t really answer the phone. Can I do anything?”
I said, “I don’t know. I’m here at my house, and Lowell is pounding on the door. I’m not sure what to do. Ian told me that he stole money from the Toolbox.”
“Oh, fuck,” said Blake. Then there was silence.
I asked, “Oh, fuck? What? Blake…what’s going on.”
Blake said, “I guess Ian forgot to call you back, and I didn’t know that you knew anything.”
“Call me back?” I asked.
The pounding started again, and I heard Lowell’s deep-throated voice yell, “Sven!”
Blake said, “Yeah, we caught the guy who stole the money. It was another customer. We caught him red-handed earlier tonight in the office. He tried to run, and Claw grabbed him. We had to call the cops and everything.”
I suddenly felt a heavy weight lift off my shoulders, but then I heard Lowell yelling, “Sven!” again.
I said, “Fuck, Blake, I’ve got to get off the phone. I need to talk to him. I don’t think he knows, and he’s going crazy out there.”
I hung up the phone and tossed it down on the couch. There was silence outside, and I thought perhaps Lowell was gone. I approached the living room and pulled the curtains all the way open. His car was still there, and I saw no sign of Lowell inside.
Racing to the kitchen, I pulled the door open, and he was still standing on the doorstep. The only thing I could think to do was shout, “Lowell!” I reached out to embrace him and he fell into my arms. His body was shuddering, and he was choking back sobs.
24
Lowell
With one last shout of, “Sven!” I thought that I had failed. He didn’t want anything to do with me. I was convinced that he heard the story from Blake somehow, and he believed that it was true. I started to slink away from the kitchen door when it opened.
Turning back toward the sound, I saw Sven’s face, and he shouted, “Lowell!”
I stepped forward and nearly collapsed into his arms. I choked back the sobs and buried my face in his shoulder while he hugged me tight.
He said, “Get the fuck in here, Lowell. I think I’ve got some news that you haven’t heard.”
I was shuddering as Sven held me tight and kicked the kitchen door closed. I asked, “News? Don’t believe it, Sven. I didn’t do it. Really, I didn’t.”
He was silent for a moment, and I pulled my head back from his shoulder to look into his eyes. I reached up to wipe away tears so that I could see clearly. He shook his head slightly and then said, “I just talked to Blake on the phone.”
I desperately pleaded, “They’re wrong, Sven. I hope you understand.”
Sven said, “They caught the thief.”
I blinked and then said, “They…what?”
Sven nodded and said, “Blake told me. They caught the thief red-handed. He said they had to call the cops and everything. I expect that Sally has been too busy to call you.”
I started to ask, “Did you believe…” and then I cut myself off. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that Sven was holding me in his arms. The thief was caught, and the suspicion of me as the culprit was lifted.
Sven reached a hand around the back of my head and leaned forward for a kiss. His lips were gentle and comforting. I felt like I was melting into his arms. The shaking of my body was slowing down, and he led me into the living room where we settled on the couch.
I said, “It’s been a horrible evening, Sven.”
He responded, “It’s been a horrible day.”
I asked, “Someone told you. When did they tell you? What did they say?”
He said, “First, they made a big mistake. In this case, it was a really big mistake, but I hope we can both forgive them. Blake is a really good friend, and Sally runs a great business.”
I nestled my head into Sven’s chest and said, “If I can have you, Sven, I can forgive almost anyone of anything.”
He slowly rubbed the top of my head and said, “Ian told me. He called to have lunch. Apparently, Blake and Claw talked to Sally in the morning to try and figure out what to do.”
“I bet he said awful…”
Sven cut me off. He said, “Ian wanted to talk to me, because he cares about us. He cares about both of us. He didn’t want me to just hear the news from someone I didn’t know or worse yet from the cops or something.”
Exhaling, I said, “Yeah, I guess so. That makes sense.” Then I thought about Sven not answering my calls, and I wanted to ask, but I decided it was irrelevant, too. It was most important that he knew that I wasn’t a thief, and I got caught up in something that had nothing to do with me.
Sven placed his hand over my chest and said, “Your heart is still pounding, Lowell. It’s okay. It’s over.” Then he looked into my eyes. “It is over, isn’t it?”
I slowly nodded and said, “Yeah, I got really upset, but I didn’t do anything crazy. I was just hanging out in a bar up on the East Side drowning my sorrows in a glass of Jack Daniels.”
He chuckled softly and said, “I guess random shit really does happen, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, it does, Sven, but there’s a point to staying confident and knowing that those who really care about you are going to be there, and they will figure it out.” I slipped a hand up inside Sven’s T-Shirt to feel the warm skin.
Sven sighed and said, “It really has been a crazy day.” His phone rang, and I watched him look at the screen. He said, “It’s Ian. Is it okay if I answer it?”
I asked, “Can you put it on speaker so we can both talk to him?”
With a grin on his face, Sven said, “Of course. Yeah, I can do that.”
The next thing I heard was Ian’s voice asking, “Sven, are you okay? Have you talked to Lowell? Where is he?”
I said, “I’m right here, Ian.” Then I added, “Boy, you and Blake really fucked up this time.” I tried to sound stern, but then I followed it up with a little laugh.
Ian said, “Oh, fuck, yeah. I’m so incredibly sorry, and Blake said he feels like hiding for a week. You have our biggest apologies ever, Lowell.” Then there was a pause, and he added, “But you’re with Sven. Does that mean the two of you are okay with each other?”
Sven looked at me, and then he answered, “More than okay, I think.” He inclined his head and kissed me on the cheek.
I asked, “So how did you catch the guy? I’m imagining Claw shoving him up against a wall while Blake called the cops.”
Ian said, “Here, I’ll put him on speaker.”
The next thing we heard was Blake speaking in an unusually soft voice. He said, “I’m so fucking embarrassed, but yeah, that’s sort of the way it happened. Except as soon as he was caught, he knew he couldn’t get away, so he cooperated until the cops arrived.”
“You got the money back?” I asked.
Blake said, “He had almost $1,000 bucks this time, so we got that back immediately. Sally is likely to get the rest eventually. The important thing is we got it stopped, and we learned some lessons about keeping the money secured in the future. Sally said she’s going to install a safe.”
Ian spoke on the phone again and said, “We’ll let you two go for tonight. I’m just really happy this is cleared up and you’re with each other. We’ll see you at the next softball practice, and, please, accept our apologies.”
Sven and I spoke in unison, “Apologies accepted.”
As soon as he hung up the phone, Sven asked, “Are you staying the night?”
I smiled and said, “I hope so. I think this is a good enough reason to take the day off from work tomorrow. What about you?”
Sven said, “I’ll drop Anita a note that I won’t be in until noon tomorrow. Are you ready to go up to bed?”
I sighed heavily and s
aid, “Definitely. I’m exhausted.”
I followed Sven up the staircase and into his bedroom. He gestured toward the bed and said, “Sit.”
Then he sat beside me and slowly began to undress me. It wasn’t something highly sexual. Instead, Sven was very gentle and comforting. He slowly tugged off my shoes, and then he gently pulled my shirt off over my head.
I reached out to wrap my arms around him and we shared a a lingering, gentle kiss. Then Sven slowly laid me down on the bed and he unzipped my jeans. I reached out and began to push his shirt up.
Sven smiled at me and pulled his shirt off. Within a few more minutes, we were both naked. He pulled the sheets and blanket down from the bed and we both slipped inside. As Sven rolled over and wrapped his big muscular arms around me, I felt safe, and I felt wanted, too.
I stared into his deep, blue eyes, and I said, “Thank you.”
“Thank you for what?” asked Sven. “For freaking out when our friends said you might be a thief? I really do feel horrible about that.”
I couldn’t help but laugh softly. Those comments answered any of my remaining questions. I said, “No, thank you for being mine.”
He said, “I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else, Lowell. You’re amazing.”
I said, “Sven, I want to say something to you, and I hope it’s not too early to say it.”
He grinned, and it was the kind of smile that I was learning to understand usually meant that we were thinking the same thing. He said, “Say it, Lowell, but I think I know what it’s going to be.”
I put my hand on his cheek and said, “Sven, I think I’m falling in love.”
He answered, “I think I am, too.”
My heart skipped a beat, but I couldn’t think of anything else to say but, “Goodnight, Sven.”
“Goodnight, Lowell.”
25
Sven
“Lowell, it’s only 4:30 in the morning! Please, roll over and go back to sleep.” I turned over to face away and pulled a pillow over my head.
Lowell grabbed my shoulder and shook me back and forth. He said, “Come on, Sven, we have to do this! It’s going to be great!”
He rolled to the other side of the bed and popped up to a standing position showing an alarming amount of early morning energy. Lowell pulled open the curtains. I asked, “Why are you doing that? It’s still dark out.”
He said, “It won’t be in an hour. We’ve gotta do this Sven. The park is only three or four blocks away and then there’s the beach. We can watch the sunrise, Sven!”
I pulled the sheet up over the pillow that was still resting over my head. My voice was muffled, but I was sure that he still understood me. “Go do it yourself then, Lowell. I’ll be with you in spirit.”
He sat beside me on the bed and methodically peeled away the sheet and then lifted the pillow. I opened one eye and scrunched up my face when I looked at him. He asked, “Do you remember what you said to me last night?”
I said, “I know I said goodnight.”
He shook his head, and I knew exactly what he was getting at. “It was what you said before that.”
Sighing and blinking my eyes I said, “Yeah, I remember, so climb back in bed with me and we can snuggle together for the next three hours until it’s a reasonable time to get out of bed.”
“I want to celebrate,” said Lowell.
I groaned. I knew that I was starting to lose the battle. I asked, “Can’t we celebrate by having dinner?” I rolled over on to my back so that I could see him well.
Lowell said, “But it’s like the beginning of an entirely new part of our lives. Sunrise is a perfect time of day to celebrate, and we both know we love the beach.”
I asked, “So we’re just going to drive to the park, get out, and look at the lake and then come home? We can do that in about fifteen minutes and then get back in bed.” My tone was sounding hopeful.
Lowell stared down at me. He asked, “Do you know how incredibly beautiful, handsome, and adorable all rolled into one you are like that, Sven?”
Growling, I said, “It’s 4:30 Lowell.”
He was determined to ignore the clock. Lowell said, “It’s not just about looking at the lake. We need to celebrate, Sven. Eating breakfast on the beach at sunrise is the perfect way to do that.”
I said, “Rolling around and having sex and then sleeping until noon is another way to do it.”
At least that comment raised a smile. Lowell said, “I’m getting up and getting dressed, and I’ll get your clothes out for you.”
I sighed and rolled over and then stumbled out of bed. “Okay, fine. I’ll give in, but I have to take a quick shower, and I have to have coffee.” I raised my arms over my head and stretched. “My final condition is that you owe me for the next 35 years.”
Lowell walked up to me and threw his arms around my body. He said, “You’re amazing, Sven.”
I moaned, “Yeah, yeah, well, amazing Sven needs the shower.” I stumbled my way across the hallway to the bathroom.
* * *
While I was in the shower, Lowell headed downstairs to the kitchen to pack up a cooler full of breakfast items. When I appeared wearing jeans and a beat-up old Minnesota Twins T-Shirt, he was tossing in bagels, cream cheese, and containers of yogurt.
I said, “Don’t forget coffee.”
Lowell said, “I’m making that right before we walk out the door.” He added, “Oh, and we’re not driving. We’re going to walk to the beach. It’s only four blocks away.”
I moaned, “But I have a perfectly good car.”
He said, “I’ll owe you for 40 years.”
I saw the orange juice tucked in the cooler, and Lowell said, “I think we’re all set.” He asked, “Did you put shoes on?”
I held up my right foot to show off my old sneakers. I said, “I think I’m ready. Just make sure you keep an eye on me so I don’t fall asleep walking and wander off down the street.”
Lowell laughed and said “I’ll carry the cooler.” He handed me a folded up cloth that was lying on the kitchen table. “Here, you carry the blanket, Sven.”
As promised, just before we walked out the door, he handed me a steaming mug of coffee.
Only the tiniest of dim light was perceptible as we left the house. I said, “See, it’s so dark out that I bet you can’t even figure out which direction to walk to the lake.”
Lowell laughed and said, “Good last ditch hail Mary effort, Sven.” He pointed and said, “It’s this way.”
I moaned and replied, “Aw damn.”
After we walked a block, I was surprised to realize that I was really starting to wake up. It was a fascinating time of day. Birds were just starting to chirp, and the air was cool with just a very light breeze.
Lowell said, “I know that we probably aren’t supposed to be in the park until around seven, but I seriously doubt that anyone will chase us out.”
We passed a few neighbors out walking their dogs. I raised my mug in the air to greet them. Then a couple of joggers passed by. We received a few odd glances at our cooler and our blanket. I chose to ignore the questioning eyes and soldiered on at Lowell’s side.
By the time we reached the beach, little fingers of pink and orange were beginning to spread across the sky and cast reflections in the waters of Lake Michigan. I said, “Okay, Lowell, I think you’re going to win this one. It really is beautiful.”
He smiled and said, “I knew that you would agree once we got here.” He said, “Just spread the blanket out, and we’ll kick off our shoes to help hold it down so the breeze doesn’t blow it away.”
I asked, “Won’t sitting on it take care of that?”
Lowell said, “No, because we have to do something special first.”
“Special?” I asked.
I watched him rummage around in the cooler. He pulled out a tiny bottle of champagne. Then he reached in and pulled out two plastic champagne flutes that I kept in my cupboard just in case I ever stumbled across a special occ
asion. Lowell handed them to me and said, “Here, hold these.”
I asked, “Lowell, where did you get the champagne?”
He smiled and said, “I brought it over awhile ago. I tucked it away where I thought you wouldn’t find it. I was saving it for a special occasion.”
Lowell pulled out the orange juice and filled the glasses partway. Then he popped the cork of the champagne. Lowell added the champagne to the glasses I was holding to make impromptu mimosas.
I asked, “Now I can make a toast?”
Lowell shook his head. He said, “No, not quite yet.”
He stood up from the blanket and reached down for the champagne flutes.
I handed them to him and then climbed to my feet as well. He asked, “Are your feet bare?”
I said, “Yes, they are, as instructed.”
“Then follow me to the water.”
Lowell had us march down to the edge of the water and stand knee deep in the edge of the waters of Lake Michigan. I grumbled, “Lowell, I’m freezing. I hope this goes quickly.”
Lowell handed me a glass, and he said, “Now it’s time for the toast. I want to make a toast to the best man I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. That’s you, Sven Paulsen, and I hope to be with you for good. I want decades of fun, mad, passionate sex, and, yes, love. To you, Sven, with all my love.”
He raised his glass, and I could see the rays of sunshine streaming through the pale orange liquid. I raised my glass as well and said, “I can’t be nearly as eloquent, but Lowell, I’ve never met anyone quite like you, and I likely never will. I want to be with you, too, and wake up every morning with you wrapped in my arms for thousands of days and nights to come.”
We knocked the glasses together and heard the plastic thunk and then smiled as we sipped champagne on the shore of Lake Michigan bathed in early summer sunlight.
Epilogue - Sven
It took another year for Lowell to get me up in a plane with a parachute on my back. We had plenty of adventures between our champagne toast at sunrise on the shore of Lake Michigan and the challenge of a skydive.
Always Waiting: The League, Book 3 Page 14