“Well, it’s a good opportunity,” Nino said, clearly thinking. “I’m not inclined to turn it down. We should find Internet access and see what’s available.”
“Do you know a place nearby? If not, we can go to my apartment, and while we’re at it, decide on your pay and sign a contract.” I was already on my feet, ready to go, a new feeling of excitement coursing through my body.
“Boy, you sure do act fast,” Nino mumbled.
“What is there to wait for? The sooner we get it done, the sooner we will be on the beach enjoying ourselves,” I chipped in, liking the idea the more I thought about it.
“All right. We can go to your place, but I have to do something with my bike. Will it fit in your car?”
“Yes, it won’t be a problem.” I bent down, picked up his backpack, and put it on, then got the bike. I turned to leave when I remembered. “Are you all right by yourself?”
Nino got off the bench, limping a bit, but stood on his own two feet. “Yeah, I’m fine. Lead the way.”
So I did. I walked slower than usual, turning every once in a while to check on my new friend and future employee. When we reached the underground garage, I stopped.
“You wait here. There is no need to drag you all the way down. I’ll just bring the car around.” I didn’t wait for his answer. I just leaned the bike against the wall and hurried down.
The walk was short, but my shocked mind used it well as it dwelled on what had just happened. There is no way I can leave my job indefinitely. But I would be leaving it forever in a couple of months. I can’t just go live with some stranger on an island for the summer. But what else was I going to do with my remaining time? I don’t even know the guy well enough to have a cup of coffee with him. But I wouldn’t meet anyone else either in the next two months, and my life wasn’t exactly overflowing with friends at the moment.
All of which was true. I’d been rational and efficient my entire life. There was no point in it anymore, I decided as I sat in my SUV and headed toward Nino.
He was still in the exact spot where I had left him, his eyes widening when he saw my ride, but he said nothing.
“Come on, get in the front; I’ll put your bike in the back.” He did as I told him without a comment, while I struggled with his bike. It wasn’t something I usually put in the back of my car. When I was done, I picked up his backpack and put it in his lap.
In no time, we were heading toward my apartment.
“You really are rich, aren’t you?” Nino asked.
“Yes, I am. You have a problem with that?” I asked, curious as to the origin of his statement.
“No, not a problem. It’s just that I’ve never expected to be in this kind of a situation. I guess it didn’t seem real until I saw your car.” He stared through the windshield, not paying the least amount of attention to me.
“This isn’t such a badass car; the town is full of Pathfinders,” I said as if defending my virtue.
“Sure, I see them around. But none of my friends could ever be found driving something this big or this expensive.”
“Okay, I don’t know what to say to that,” I answered seriously. Was he angry that I had money? Why did I even care?
“I’m just commenting; don’t take it the wrong way,” Nino retorted.
I decided to drop it. “My apartment is just around the block. I live on the second floor. Will you be able to go up the steps?” I only then realized his ankle might be a problem.
“Yeah, I think so. You’ll help me up if I really suck at it.” He laughed, eliciting a smile from me too.
We were there before I could even start another conversation. I parked the SUV in the garage and helped him climb the steps. It was slow progress but manageable.
“I welcome you to my not so humble home,” I joked, leaving the front door for him to close.
“Wow,” he said, looking around wide-eyed.
“Yes, I know. It kind of came with the profession. I had to live in a presentable place. I had nothing to do with the interior decorating, of course.” Not that I ever cared for decorating, but looking back, it might have been nice to choose a piece of furniture or even a cup that matched my personal tastes.
“Are you all right?”
The question startled me. Suddenly I saw Nino’s worried face right in front of me.
“I’m sorry. I just wandered off, I think. I’m perfectly fine. Come, the computer is in the office.” I all but ran down the hallway. It didn’t sit well with my stand-and-fight personality.
“There’s the computer. If you don’t mind, I’ll just go and bring us some drinks. Maybe food if you’re hungry?” I asked, playing the perfect host.
“No food, thank you. But I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee if you have any.”
Nino looked at me, startling me with the brightness of his eyes. There was something unnerving in them that I just couldn’t put my finger on.
“One coffee, coming right up. Make yourself at home.” With that I wandered down to the kitchen, glad for a moment to clear my mind, but also hating it, for it gave me time to remember. And right now I didn’t want to think about dying.
I grabbed the tin of coffee out of the freezer and made a pot. It was automatic. I think any addict who doesn’t even know how to boil an egg, knows how to make a cup of coffee to live through the day. Even though I stopped drinking it almost altogether and switched to tea a few years ago, how to make it was still carved into my memory. I opened a bag of snacks, which I put in a bowl in case Nino changed his mind about being hungry.
I wandered back into my office, a dark cloud still in front of my eyes. I was going to die in the middle of summer, and not even a vacation or all the money in the world could change that.
Nino lifted his head from the computer, a smile heading straight for the cup on the tray in my hand. “Oh, thank you. That will be a lifesaver. I don’t usually drink coffee that much, but today I need a cup more than ever.”
“You didn’t specify how you liked it, so here are the additions too.” I served everything next to my computer, feeling a bit like my secretary but not minding it much.
He took a sip before putting the cup down and grabbing the mouse. “Look here; I found us a house that just might be all right.”
I came around the chair and leaned over him. In doing so, my chest brushed against the tip of his shoulder.
“It’s small, has two bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen, living room, and a huge terrace overlooking the whole bay. It’s secluded but still close to the sea. And the best part is it’s available tomorrow. I called, and the lady just said we should contact her by tonight about our ferry departure. She’ll meet us at the harbor to give us the keys.”
“You really are an inspiration, aren’t you, Nino? I’m already looking forward to our adventure. Well, my adventure; it’s probably your everyday life.” I laughed at myself. How pathetic it must be to never have gone on a vacation in your life.
“Oh no, I never did anything quite like this before either. It’ll be fun, I can tell.” He smiled at me, then turned quickly back to the screen and clicked on his mouse again.
“Here are the pictures; look.”
I leaned down again, staring at the picture slide. A small stone house with a huge terrace, just like he said. It looked comfortable, and the view from the terrace really was spectacular. The good vibes about the trip just kept on spreading.
“I like it. Tell her I will transfer the money to her account. Just write down the information, and I will take care of it sometime tonight. Also check about the ferry. I think we should leave in the morning. What do you think?” I asked, not really sure what the best course of action might be.
“There’s one tomorrow at ten. That work for you?” he said, not even skipping a beat.
“Sure, that works fine. Where should we meet then?”
“How about I come here? I’ll be bringing my bike, so we can load everything in your SUV right away. I’ll come around nine, and we can b
e on our way.” He looked at me hesitantly.
“That settles it then. Is there anything else we need to work out?”
“No, just bring enough clothes, long sleeves too. It can get pretty cold by the water at night. Everything else we can buy there,” he said as he stood.
“You are going already?” I was a little surprised but also relieved. I needed some time alone to process the whole day.
“Yes. If you could just take out my bike, I’ll drop by work and leave the packages; then I have some packing to do too.”
He was almost to the door before I asked, “Do you need a ride?”
“No, it’s not that far, and I’m sure you have your own things to do. We’ll see each other tomorrow.” He dismissed me with a wave of his hand, not even turning around to face me.
I hurried after him, taking the bike out of the SUV in seconds, and he was down the street before I even said a proper good-bye.
It felt like I had lost time in between the moment I asked if he needed a ride and the time I saw him walking away. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, taking me where it saw fit, leaving when it was necessary. It scared me immensely to lose pieces of me that I’d treasured above all else in my life. There was nothing more important than my mind. Anything could be accomplished if you worked the muscle hard enough. My whole life was a testament to that. I’d had nothing as a child. No parents, no money, no house. I had been completely alone, and I’d worked my way up until I was successful enough to prove to everyone just what could be done on will alone.
By the time I returned to my apartment, the background headache had moved up to the front, grinding on my nerves like a bitch. Somehow I took my body to bed, where I had pills prepared for my painful morning wake-ups. I took two right away, cradling my aching head into the pillow. Even the slightest movement shot pain into my skull, so I lay there in one awkward position, slowly exhaling, willing myself to relax or to sleep. Anything that would make the agony go away.
It was more than an hour later when the pain became bearable enough for me to open my eyes. I didn’t sleep much during that time; it was more like hanging in a place that is somewhere between dreams and reality, just hovering, trying to suppress the ache.
I was more than aware of the business that was still left for me to take care of before I disappeared tomorrow. One of the first things I needed to do was call Jerry and let him know that I would be gone from the office—and probably from Earth as well. It wasn’t something I was looking forward to, but that didn’t mean I could just avoid it. My condition wasn’t something I was willing to discuss with Jerry or anyone for that matter, but leaving work indefinitely was something he had to know. My health was included in the equation, so an explanation was necessary.
I took out the phone from my pocket, where it had been digging painfully against my thigh.
“Morgan and Miller, how may I help you?” Mark’s voice sounded on the other end.
“Hey, Mark, it’s Jonathan. Please put me through to Jerry.”
“Right away, Mr. Morgan.” Mark’s chipper voice echoed through the phone. He was a pretty good secretary, and I always thought how both of us had lucked out by finding him and Jill.
“Hey, Jon, you feeling better?” Jerry spoke on the other end.
“Actually, no. Can you spare a few minutes? I really need to talk to you, and I’m sorry I couldn’t do this in person.” I sounded apologetic because I was. It was a terrible way to tell something like that to a friend.
“Yeah, sure, let me just tell Mark not to interrupt.” He took a few minutes but was back all too soon. “Go ahead.”
“First, I want you to sit down. The office doesn’t need any more misfortune.”
“Okay, now you’re pulling my leg; what’s wrong?” he asked, half-joking, half-worried.
“I will be leaving tomorrow for an indefinite vacation. I would have talked to you about it today, but it didn’t come up until later.” I began dreading the main course.
“What do you mean, you’re leaving for vacation? You’ve never taken a vacation in your life! Are the headaches getting worse? Talk to me!” I could hear the panic in Jerry’s voice start to rise.
“You know I’ve been fighting with those bitching headaches for a while now. Well, today I got the results from all those tests. It’s an inoperable brain tumor, Jerry. The doctor said I have maybe two more months to live.” I paused, more for him than for myself.
“Are you serious? That can’t be true. We’ll ask for another opinion…” He was ranting on without much sense. Actually, he reacted the way that I was supposed to have reacted.
“Jerry. Jerry!” I repeated louder. “There is nothing they can do. The doctor consulted two other surgeons before telling me. I pay her for that stuff, you know.” I tried putting a bit of humor into my voice but failed miserably.
“So what now?” he asked, sounding defeated.
“Now I’m leaving for the islands. I’ve already arranged help, and I plan on staying there until I die,” I said calmly, not even understanding from where that calm came. Not even aware that it was the first time I’d spoken the dreaded truth out loud.
Jerry whined a little when he heard it. “You can’t die, Jon,” he said, not really accepting the fact that I’d already been judged and sentenced.
“Well, apparently I can, Jerry. Everything I have been working for was for nothing. On that note, I don’t want to take any legal actions concerning the firm. You will get everything after I die anyway. I was thinking of just stating it as a vacation. Is that okay with you?” I switched to business, since both of us could count on that one thing to keep us focused.
“Yes, yes, sure, Jon. Can I call you if something comes up?” he asked, dazed and subdued.
“Of course, go right ahead. I’ll give Jill my contact info. She will have anything you might need on my clients. If any of them have a problem with you representing them, just dump their asses. You have more than enough on your plate. But I don’t think they will make any trouble.”
“Sure, sure…” His tone was quiet, the same way I supposed mine had been that morning.
“Oh, and Jerry, keep this between us. No one else knows.”
“I can do that. You have a good vacation, you hear?”
“I will have the time of my life, dear friend.” With that I hung up the phone and went to the office to take care of the coffee I’d forgotten about.
Nino’s cup was almost full, which struck me as odd. For some reason, his hasty retreat looked more like an escape than a simple work-related departure.
Chapter Two
In just one miserable day I sprained my ankle, lost my job, and also met an incredible specimen of a man who offered me a new job. A job that consisted of spending time with that particular piece of male goodness. How lucky was that?
I could have sworn he was coming on to me, but he also gave off all the straight vibes. And I can spot a straight guy a mile away. God, when he leaned down next to me, I thought I was going to die. His cologne gave me an instant boner, and there was just so much I could do not to let him see it. Being a woman certainly had a few advantages; even a simple handbag would have been nice in that moment. I just hoped he hadn’t figured out the reason why I got up and left so suddenly.
I walked down the street toward my soon-to-be-former workplace, lost in thought. There was something amazing in spending the summer by the sea. I wondered how Jonathan might look in just his swim trunks. My mind’s eye wandered to that wide chest and broad shoulders; God, he must be a beast in bed! And I bet his ass is tight. Maybe he’d let his hair grow longer too. It would be so amazing to run my fingers through it, to grip it while his hot mouth was sucking on my dick.
“Hey, watch it!”
I crashed back into the present, when I walked my bike into a couple walking in front of me.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, berating myself for thinking such thoughts about a straight guy, while my face colored to a bright red.
Pushing my bike toward home took a while. My mind swam both in lust and in fear. The past was always there to learn from, and the attraction that flared whenever I was near Jonathan spelled familiar trouble. What if my fascination turned into something more? A dream job could turn into the one from hell. I just couldn’t be in love with another boss. It’s idiotic, not to mention embarrassing.
Still, making the same mistake twice was really something quite typical for me. What happens if he finds out I’m gay? Another brilliant possibility. My body shuddered as a vision of Jonathan gripping my neck passed through my mind. I didn’t really know the guy. What if Jonathan wasn’t really as nice of a guy as he portrayed himself to be? What if he was violent? He could do it too. Pick me up by my neck. Such a huge guy, coming for my scrawny ass…
Having him bodily handle me could be nice for those few short moments when I could feel up that gorgeous body of his, though. It really was a sin to be that good-looking. He must be at least six feet four inches tall, and that serious face of his gave me the willies the first time I saw him heading toward me. Who would have thought a big man like that would help me up from lying splat on the ground—not to mention give me a job—instead of beating the shit out of me for running into him? Anyway, it was a nice surprise, but nevertheless a surprise.
Fortunately my apartment was on the first floor, a dump to say the least, but it was practical for my bike. “Always find a positive in the negative” was something I said to myself more often than not.
“Hey, Rick!” I hit his mattress with my injured leg before I remembered that to be a big no-no. “Fuck, damn it, shit!”
Looking for Adventure Page 2