Chapter 6 Felix
FELIX
Felix couldn’t stop looking at the flowers in amazement.
They were beautiful and there were so many of them, of all varieties—roses, amaryllis, orchids, poinsettias, lilies, hellebores, evergreens, and hypericum berries.
There were reds and greens, with gold and silver accents as well in the ribbons.
Their apartment looked like a Christmas fair, and the smell was divine.
He couldn’t help but look at the note again.
Dear Felix,
Please accept my apologies. You’re welcome to use any of the pictures you took. I know I’ll look great in all of them with you as the photographer! I still want to be part of your important project. Hope you like the flowers.
Ryder xxx
P.S. Red is my favorite color!
Felix couldn’t help but laugh at the last part.
Even in an apology, Ryder couldn’t help but flirt.
Laura had practically swooned when she’d seen all the flowers, and said Felix needed to get round to Ryder’s apartment immediately and drop to his knees.
It sounded like a great idea in theory, but he’d still rather have Ryder as a friend than a one-night stand.
Damn his morals! He would send a thank you note to Ryder, but right now he had to get a new camera before his next gig.
Mrs. Delaune had refused to pay him the rest of his fee.
Sapphire had said she hated all the pictures and didn’t want any of them.
She hadn’t asked for the pre-payment back, so Felix was going to use it towards a new camera.
The one he had before had cost him three grand, but he had nowhere near that in spare cash.
He’d need to get something secondhand. Sapphire had claimed it was an accident, and all her friends had backed her up, of course.
Felix saw no value in telling the truth.
Mrs. Delaune had been very apologetic and excused him early.
He’d had the pictures backed up, although his camera was ruined, and he’d had everything edited and sent over within twenty-four hours, but he’d had a swift reply that none of them were suitable.
Felix knew that was rubbish, as she’d loved them the night before.
There was little he could do about it, though.
Laura had offered to scratch Sapphire’s eyes out, but assaulting a spoiled brat wasn’t something he wanted to see his bestie go to prison for.
After hours of trawling round pawn shops, and anywhere else he could think of, he was no closer to finding anything suitable.
Felix had two days before his next gig. He could look online, but with a camera, he wanted to touch it and feel it in his hands before he bought it.
He loved the holiday season, but even the decorations everywhere and the magic of New York at this time of year couldn’t shake him out of his low mood.
Maybe Laura would be up for getting a takeaway.
Not something he should splurge on right now, but he didn’t care.
Walking into their apartment, the smell of baking hit him .
. . and was that Christmas music? What was going on?
Neither of them were great in the kitchen, but Laura could bake.
She saved it for special occasions. Had he missed something important with everything that had happened in the last week?
Ever since the night Ryder had saved him from Sam outside Epicure, his life had been a bit bizarre.
“Happy Birthday!” he shouted over the music.
“Are you drunk?”
“Happy Anniversary!”
“Stoned?”
He laughed. He hadn’t been stoned since college, and after throwing up all night, he hadn’t touched the stuff again.
“I’m hedging my bets. What did I miss?”
“I got promoted!”
“Oh my God,” he screamed, pulling her into a hug and spinning her round. “When did this happen?”
“Today. I had the interview last week, and they told me today.”
“You didn’t say you had an interview. Or did you, and I’m such a shit friend I don’t remember.”
“Excuse me,” she said, smacking him on the arm. “Don’t be saying crap about my bestie. I didn’t tell you, as I didn’t want to jinx it.”
“Tell me all about the new job, then.”
“In a minute. First, you need to open your present.”
“You bought me a present?”
“Why would I buy you a present for my promotion? I think it’s from a certain Mr. Quinn again.”
“Ryder? But he already sent me the flowers.”
“Have you said thank you to him yet?”
“Not yet. I was going to when I got home.”
“We can talk about that later. Let’s open this first,” she said, passing him a big box.
It wasn’t huge, but big enough that you needed two hands to carry it. She passed it to Felix. It felt heavy, but not like a dead weight. There was a card on top, so he opened that first.
Dear Felix,
I was sorry to hear what happened. I didn’t want it to derail your project, so see this as a donation from me to making it a success. If it isn’t the right one, feel free to exchange it for one that’s more suitable.
Ryder xxx.
He had a feeling what it could be, and his emotions were battling for pole position.
Opening the box, anything he was feeling went completely out the window.
Ryder had bought Felix one of the top camera models.
It was far superior to what he’d had before, and there were also a dozen accessories in the box.
“Wow. That’s got to be about ten grand’s worth of kit,” said Laura.
“I can’t accept this,” he said.
“Are you crazy? When will you ever be able to afford a kit like this? Like he said on the card, he’s just supporting your project.”
Felix wanted to accept it more than anything—it was his dream camera—but Ryder was practically a stranger to him.
Why would he do this? Felix couldn’t help but believe there was an ulterior motive.
It’s all he’d ever known growing up. Everyone was out for themselves, and the only person who would have your back was you.
Things were different now, he had Laura, but he was torn over what to do about the camera.
“Why don’t you just go round to his, drop to your knees, get some protein, and then come back here and play with your other new toy?”
“I’m not a whore, Laura.”
“I know, dear. You’d never be able to charge these kinds of prices.”
“Get fucked!” he said, laughing.
Just when he thought he had Ryder Quinn all figured out, he went and did something like this.
And that was after the flowers. Felix would need to speak to him and return the camera, but that was what was making him hesitate.
He needed a new camera, and now he had one.
Perhaps he could just do his gigs over the next few days and then return it, or he could offer to pay Ryder back.
Maybe they could make a contract? Felix’s head was spinning, unsure what he should do.
“I’ll need to speak to him,” said Felix.
“Well, remember your manners.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
“Bitch!”
They both burst out laughing. Once they’d calmed down and eaten some of the homemade cookies, he sent Ryder a text.
Felix: Thank you for the camera and flowers. Can we meet for a coffee tomorrow?
Ryder: I’ve got a shoot tomorrow. Are you free to come over to mine this evening?
“He wants me to go over to his.”
“When?”
“He said this evening, which I guess means now!”
“What are you waiting for?”
“What if he kisses me again?”
“Bend over.”
“Laura!”
She was a terrible influence. She also seemed to know what he was thinking all the time, as the thought had crossed his mind.
“What do I say in my reply?”
“Be there in five!”
“It’ll take me an hour to get there.”
“That doesn’t sound as sexy, but you do you.”
Felix: I can be there in an hour.
Ryder: Where are you?
Felix: Home.
Ryder: Send me your address. I’ll send a car to pick you up.
“That’s hot! Do you think he’s that decisive in bed?” she asked, looking over his shoulder.
“Without a doubt,” he replied without thinking.
Laura cracked up laughing, while Felix felt like his face was going to burn off.
What was he supposed to do? He’d already agreed to go round, so he couldn’t back out now.
Felix sent his address to Ryder and got a thumbs-up reply.
He rushed off to his bedroom to get changed.
Although nothing was going to happen, he could still look good.
Laura helped him pick out an outfit. The jeans which hugged his ass perfectly and rode nicely on his waist, as well as a dark red jockstrap—because why not—topped off with a forest-green sweater, and a vest underneath so he didn’t have wool rubbing against his sensitive nipples.
Laura suggested his dark brown loafers, which seemed a little dressy for the occasion, but he trusted her judgement with clothes.
She always looked immaculate. His phone pinged.
Ryder: Your car is outside. It’s a black Lincoln.
“He’s sent a Lincoln. That’s a fucking town car. I thought it would be an Uber.”
“Oh my God, it’s like Pretty Woman,” said Laura, gushing.
“Again, not a whore!”
Ryder: Don’t even think about bringing that camera with you!
“Fuck!”
“What?”
He showed her the message, and she laughed.
“It’s not funny,” he scowled.
“Just talk to him. You can debate the camera thing later. Get your ass going, so you can get your ass going!”
He tried to glare at her, but couldn’t stop the laughter. After dithering for a second, he left the camera and grabbed a jacket. He took his wallet, as he’d be coming home on the subway. The last thing he expected was for Ryder to arrange his ride home as well.
The car was incredible, and he felt underdressed when he walked out.
The driver got out and opened the door for him, and once he was buckled up in the back, he was whisked into the city to Ryder’s apartment.
The last time he’d been here, he’d stormed out like a drama queen.
Now he was going back, this time at night.
What was he thinking? There wasn’t much he could do about it now.