by Andy, Mike
Chapter 10
Jackson
Jackson woke up the next morning feeling tired but happy about the previous night’s events. Rays of light shone through the window to illuminate the room. He glanced at the still sleeping figure of Gregory on the bed next to him. He looked so peaceful that he did not want to wake him.
Dressing in a pair of black dress slacks and a purple dress shirt, he made his way down to the main lodge room to get some breakfast. The warm smell of waffles greeting his nostrils as he reached the cafeteria. He grabbed a plate of the crunchy breakfast treats with a bottle of maple syrup to drench them.
Sitting in the cafeteria, he saw the redheaded camera man coming into the room. The man saw him sitting at the table and approached him hastily. “Hey, have you seen Gregory? The snow cat driver was ready to leave yesterday, but I couldn’t find him anywhere.” Jackson had to smile because he knew exactly where the handsome blonde reporter happened to be.
“Yes, he is sleeping in my room right now. Sorry for the inconvenience to you.” Jackson cut his fork into the flaky waffle, bringing the bite to his lips to savor it.
Matthew groaned. “Great. I had to sleep in the bed with that snoring maniac last night. I need to get out of this place today. I don’t think I can take another night of that. Don’t try to stop him from leaving either. The station is already wondering why we were not able to make it back yet.” He left the room, presumably to either find Gregory or the snow cat driver.
Jackson smirked to himself. It would be amusing to convince Gregory to stay another day. If he did, the cameraman might lynch him for having to deal with the snoring and getting no sleep. This was a battle Jackson did not want to fight so he would have to let this one go.
Finishing his breakfast, he wiped his napkin across his face. His hands clasped together in front of him, he wondered what Gregory was up to right then. He scooted his chair back so he could stand up. Time to go find out. His footsteps brought him up the five flights of stairs. It was good exercise. He stopped at his room and entered to find that Gregory was not there.
He checked into the bathroom but did not see any sign of him. Sighing, Jackson stepped out onto the balcony. His eyes looked down to see Gregory and the cameraman loading their stuff up into the snow cat. Jackson yelled down to Gregory to get his attention, but the roar of the engine was too loud.
Grabbing his coat, Jackson sprinted out of the room. He rushed down the stairs, hoping to catch the reporter before he left. On his way through the main lodge area, the manager stopped him.
“Mister Jackson, I do apologize about stopping, but we need to discuss the bill for the holiday party. Do you think that you have time to discuss it right now?”
Jackson attempted to go around the balding man but he just stepped in front of him each time. Jackson held up his finger. “Give me one moment. I will be right back. I need to go talk to someone really quick and I will be right back.” The manager gave a nod of his head and let Jackson past him.
Running out into the cold snow, Jackson’s eyes had to adjust from the blinding glare of the sun on the white snow. The snow cat was no longer parked in front of the lodge. Tracks leading off from the lodge showed the way the snow cat had left. Jackson was too late to talk to him.
Was Gregory running away again? Didn’t he want to talk to him at least? Jackson felt mad about missing the reporter. He didn’t even get his phone number or a way to contact him. The only thing that he knew was the news station name. It would have to do in this situation. He rushed back into the hotel to produce his cell phone. He tried to call the news station, but it was endless hold music.
The lodge manager to came over to speak to him once more but Jackson was too frustrated to speak to him at that moment. He threw his phone at the wall, shattering it into several pieces. “I will deal with the bill later. Give me a bit.” He took a deep breath to calm himself. The frightened manager scurrying back behind the lodge desk to help other guests.
Jackson took a deep breath to calm himself. He needed to be in control of the situation. There had to be a reason that Gregory left without talking to him first. He would need to get ahold of him first though. He came back over to the lodge manager at the desk.
“Sorry about my outburst there. I’m a bit stressed at the moment. I will take care of the expenses for the bill right now. Can you tell me when I would be able to leave?”
The ski lodge manager still appeared shaky as he nodded his head. He handed over the bill to Jackson while he checked in his computer log. “The roads up here are not too good right now. The fresh snow is keeping them from getting it completely cleared. It will be at least a couple of days to clear the road up here. The only other way out will be the snow cat when it comes back. Either way, it will be two to three days before you can get out of here.”
Jackson nodded his head. “What about my helicopter? Would it be possible to get out by helicopter if one were able to get to the lodge?” He placed his hands onto the counter, desperate to know the answer.
The ski lodge manager shook his head. “Even if you could get a helicopter to come up here, it would be extremely dangerous right now. With the fresh snow on the mountain, the loud noise and wind from it might cause an avalanche.”
Jackson backed away from the counter. His hands moving across his hair to rest them at the back of his head. “Alright. Thanks for your help.” He returned back to his room. The only thing that he could do at this point would be to contact the news channel.
Jackson picked up the phone in the room and asked the operator to connect him. He waited for a solid thirty minutes before there was a reply. “K N O B news channel. This is Jenny. How may I direct your call?”
“Yes, this is Jackson Barret. I am calling for Gregory Sharp.” Jackson gripped the phone as he waited for a response.
There was some typing on the computer before the voice spoke again. “Gregory Sharp is not in right now. I can connect you to his voice mail. One moment please.”
“No, wait!” The line went to hold music again before it connected to the voicemail line with a message that the inbox was full. Jackson hung up the phone. He dialed again with similar results as the first time.
He couldn’t wait around here doing nothing. He started to pack his bags to be ready for when he could get out of the ski lodge.
Chapter 11
Gregory
Matthew had rushed Gregory out of the ski lodge before he had the opportunity to talk to Jackson. There was a huge news story about corruption in the city government. Gregory got assigned as the lead on the story. This was his opportunity to show everyone that he could do more than fluff pieces. He would be able to show them what a real reporter could do.
Eager to show his boss that he was deserving of this assignment, he dove head first into it. He spent days tracking down government officials for interviews and pouring over city documents. Gregory got lost in his work when he was excited about it. This would be the news story that would get him out of being a small-time reporter and into something bigger.
Weeks passed by while he gathered up all of his sources and information. He was worried about misquoting something when he gave his report. He had to be sure that everything he stated on air would be the truth.
The day came when Gregory would have to give his report on camera. He felt uneasy about it. He had given news reports before but this time his stomach was turning over. He actually had to go to the restroom a few times before the Matthew turned on the camera to go live.
The newscast went fantastic according to Matthew. The only thing that the cameraman noted was that Gregory was not looking so great. Even after the broadcast, Gregory felt uneasy.
“Yeah, I am not feeling so good after all. I think that I am going to take the rest of the day off here Matthew. I’m going to go see the doctor. Maybe they can prescribe something to help me feel better. Thanks for all your hard work these past few weeks.”
Gregory dialed up his doctor to make an ap
pointment for that day. He had to get this bug taken care of if he was going to continue getting news stories like this one. He wanted to hear back from his boss soon if he would get another similar assignment.
The nurse called him back into the patient room. Gregory sat down on the examination table to wait for the doctor. His eyes looking around the room to take in everything. This was the first time he had a chance to slow down since getting this assignment. The white walls of the exam room reminded him of the ski lodge. How was Jackson doing? He thought he would have heard from him by now.
The door to the room opened and his doctor entered into the room. He wore glasses and had short brown hair with a five o’clock shadow. He wore brown slacks with a cardigan pullover and his white lab coat over that. “Hello Gregory. Good to see you again. What seems to be the problem today?”
Doctor Stevens was a great doctor. He listened to everything that Gregory said about his symptoms while doing the examination. He nodded his head a few times after pulling away the stethoscope. “Well, you are in perfect health with the exception of being pregnant. I’d say that you are about six weeks along right now. I can prescribe you medication for the nausea. You will want to make a follow up appointment at the front desk.”
Gregory was shocked to hear this news. He thought he was just feeling sick from the stress of his job. It never occurred to him that he would be pregnant. There was only one person that could be the father too. It had to be Jackson. Did he know? Was that why he hadn’t tried to call him at all?
Maybe Gregory was another one-night stand for Jackson. A cheap thrill to have fun with and get rid of after he had his fun. Gregory shook his head as he left from the doctor’s office. Why did he have to fall for him? Why would a guy like him want Gregory anyways? He had his business to run and he could have all the one-night stands he could ever want. He wasn’t tied down to one person.
Gregory was foolish for having trusted Jackson. Why did he ever get involved with him? Matthew was right. He was too quick to fall in love and easy to hurt. He didn’t want to have that happen again but it did. This time though he would have a child to take care of. He had to start thinking about more than just himself. He needed to think about what would be best for him and for his baby.
Afraid of getting too in over his head with stress, Gregory requested his boss relegate him back to doing fluff pieces. He hated to do it, but they were easy assignments. Quick in and out news pieces that he could do without worry about stress. It would give him time to focus on the necessary doctor appointment visits he needed for the baby.
More time passed and he did not hear from Jackson. Five months into his pregnancy and not a single word from him. Didn’t he care at all? Surely the man watched television. Maybe he thought the baby wasn’t his? If he was scare of commitment, this would be the biggest commitment of them all. What better way to get out of it than to never contact him.
Gregory stopped caring about it. He didn’t need Jackson. He had his career. A good job that would provide for him and his baby. That was all he needed. He didn’t need love. It was a fool’s paradise that he thought he could obtain.
Gregory thumbed through a few of the various local charity events in the city. There wasn’t enough time to cover them all, but he could get one of the bigger ones. The local museum had a charity gala event that he could attend.
Matthew approached him at his desk. “Hey. So, we going to one of these things again?” He picked up invite to look at it. “Good thing it is during the summer time now. I remember last time I ended up stuck in a sky lodge for three days.” Matthew shut up after saying that. He could see the expression on Gregory’s face.
“Listen, Gregory. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” He tossed the invite down onto the desk. Gregory had been trying to deal with it all. His career having changed directions, love slipping through his grasp and with a baby on the way. He couldn’t hold it in anymore and started to cry. His head leaning over his desk as he sobbed.
Matthew moved his hand across his back in a comforting manner. “There there. Gregory. It’s going to be alright. Just forget all about him. You are doing good here. Do what is right for you.”
Gregory sniffled as he raised up from the desk. His hands wiping away the tears that had streamed down his face. “Sorry Matthew. I’m going through a lot right now. I didn’t mean to break down. I’m going to be ok though. Give me a few minutes, ok?”
Matthew nodded his head. “Sure. Whatever you need buddy. Let me know if there is anything that I can do for you.” The cameraman departed from the desk to leave Gregory alone.
Gregory blew his nose into a tissue. Several deep breaths later, he was composed again. Still feeling hurt, but he was ready to face the day. Time to go to the museum. Work would get his mind off of his troubles.
Chapter 12
Jackson
Jackson prepared himself for the evening. A nice three-piece suit with a tie. It was a black suit affair. He had been preparing to go out that evening to the museum for their gala event. He did enjoy giving to charity when he had the opportunity. This also gave him the chance to mingle with some of the more upper-class citizens of the city. It never hurt to make connections with the wealthy and the powerful.
Jackson did not consider himself to be wealthy and powerful. He had some influence, but not like the people that attended these events. A few of those connections would have been useful a few months back when his business started to hemorrhage money. He dealt in internet securities and stocks in his line of work. People would go through his company to invest in theses opportunities. Recent scares with security and hacking in the industry had put people on edge.
Jackson had to go into full red alert to keep the business afloat. People were pulling their money out of his company at an alarming rate. He had to find new investors and opportunities for growth. The crisis finally managed to be averted, but not before Jackson put some of his own earnings back into the business. It was a show of good faith from him to his investors. Jackson trusted his product and he wanted others to have that same sense of trust.
Stepping in front of the mirror, he adjusted his tie. His hand smoothed over the front of his dress tux. He thought back to the time when Gregory had pulled him into the pool and ruined one of his suits. He still missed him. He tried for a few months to get ahold of the blonde omega but couldn’t ever get a hold of him. He had even tried to go down to the news station a few times. He either would miss Gregory or end up waiting in the lobby for hours with no sign of him.
Perhaps it was for the best. Gregory probably moved past him. Jackson thought about what could have been. It would have been nice to finally share his life with someone. It was too late now.
“Time to dazzle them.” He spoke to himself in the mirror. He gave himself one more look to see if anything was out of place. He proceeded out of his high-rise apartment that overlooked the city. His limo driver opened the door when he walked outside.
The drive to the museum was quiet but pleasant. It was too quiet. His eyes looked out at the city night lights. He loved the city but at the same time he wished he didn’t have to deal with it.
The limo stopped in front of the museum and a few moments later the driver had opened his door to let him out. He adjusted the button on his tux as he stood from the car. His hands moved to fiddle with the cufflinks in his tux. Jackson ascended the stairs to the museum to enter the party.
Several people were already in attendance. Men and women alike were dancing and enjoying social conversation. There was a small dance floor that had been setup for dancing. Several local art pieces were on display in the main entrance. They were part of a silent auction to raise money.
Jackson grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray. He lifted the glass to take a sip from it. His eyes scanned across the room at the people gathered. His eyes lit up when he saw Gregory. The blonde reporter was in the midst of doing a broadcast about the event.
Curiosity had the better of Jackson. He had to know for sure. He needed closure on this. He walked over to Gregory right when the cameraman had lowered the camera. “Hello there.”
The look from Gregory felt like piercing daggers. The reporter lowered the microphone from his face to hold it in his hand at his side. “Well, look who decided to finally come find me after all this time. I thought you might be tied up in the arms of another man by now.”
Jackson blinked. He was taken aback by the comment. Where was this coming from? “Another man? I tried to call the news station! I even went down to the station, but I could never catch you. I guess it is because you went off and found someone else for yourself.” Jackson motioned down to the very pregnant belly Gregory was sporting.
“Another man?” Gregory looked pissed. He grabbed a glass from a passing waiter to toss the liquid into Jackson’s face. “There was no one else! No one else since you. I knew I shouldn’t have let you charm me into bed. Well, you got your way. You had your fun, now leave me alone!” Gregory stormed out of the museum.
Jackson started to give chase, but Matthew grabbed him by the arm. Jackson attempted to shrug out of the grip, but the redhead was not letting go. “Let him go. Gregory has had enough to deal with. He doesn’t need this right now. He had to give up his dream job just so he wouldn’t be under too much stress. You had your chance Jackson. If you really care for him at all, let him go.”
After saying his piece, Matthew let go of Jackson’s arm to put the camera equipment away. Jackson’s eyes focused onto the front entrance of the museum. He left the crowded group of people to go outside. His head turned left and right to find the reporter, but he was nowhere to be seen.