Chapter 3 #3
As they left the wellness center, Teddy wasn’t sure if he was pissed at her or grateful. “You mean I’ll cook,” he said when they reached the car.
“Obviously.”
It wasn’t a date, Teddy told himself. Or a double date, despite Erina’s insistence. It was just Finn coming over with a friend.
Teddy spending hours working on dinner was beside the point.
After confirming that no one was allergic to shellfish, he’d decided on shrimp, Spanish rice, avocado coleslaw, and a bottle of chardonnay. One glass of wine with his medication should be fine, and if he was mistaken, he had two physical therapists to correct him.
Finn looked effervescent when he arrived, even with his fidgety friend beside him, who was cute, just more Erina’s type than Teddy’s with the long locks and nerdy-chic vibe.
Finn also looked good despite carrying his dog.
“Is it okay that I brought Nora along? I think she’s been missing Smudge,” he said, hanging on to the squirming bundle of fluff until Teddy nodded and Finn was free to release her into the house.
“She’s basically Finn’s child,” his friend said, holding a box that hinted at dessert. “I’m Carlos, by the way. We didn’t officially meet before. And while this is the best tres leches cake you will ever eat”—he hefted the box—“it’s from Blaise’s bakery. I didn’t make it.”
“You brought dessert? What wonderful guests.” Erina appeared as Teddy let Finn and Carlos inside. She was a knockout as usual. Cocktail dresses were not necessary when hosting in one’s home, but she wore one anyway.
Teddy was dressed more casually, along the same lines as Finn and Carlos—untucked button-down, slacks. Though Carlos had tied his hair back in a half-ponytail, mouth agape as he looked at Erina, which nearly caused him to let the box of cake slide out of his hands.
Finn snatched it up just in time to bring it into the kitchen. “Whatever you made smells amazing, Teddy. Thanks for inviting us over.”
“Erina did the inviting,” Teddy said as he walked with him, “but I’m glad you’re here. And that you seem more cheered up.”
“Cheered up?” Finn stuttered in his step, nearly losing the dessert box himself before he got it onto the counter.
“I just thought you seemed like you needed it when we saw you with Rose, and earlier today too. Anything I can do to help?” It wasn’t an offer Teddy made lightly—or often, even with people he knew well—but Finn brought out the best in him by sheer example.
An echo of the sadness he’d caught earlier appeared on Finn’s face again, but then he smiled. “This does,” he said softly.
His hand rested on the kitchen island, and Teddy felt a powerful urge to reach for it.
“Shall we open the wine?” Erina spoiled the moment by breezing into the kitchen with Carlos in tow. At least, despite the way Teddy and Finn parted now that they had company, Teddy didn’t feel like it was a mistake to have them here.
Dinner did not end in disaster and even came with entertainment. Nora had missed Smudge, and the feeling was mutual. Once she found Smudge sleeping in one of his many hiding spots around the house, the two embarked on a constant game of tag.
They’d chase each other across the living room, hide, peek out, dash over furniture. If Nora caught Smudge, he’d roll over, playing submissive, and they’d tussle for a spell. If Smudge caught Nora, she’d yelp and cry until Smudge let her up.
“Ignore her,” Finn said. “She’s just a drama queen and doesn’t like to lose.”
True enough, the two would get right back to chasing each other, proving they were still friends, no matter who won the latest round.
Eventually, about the time Teddy and his guests were finishing dessert at the dining room table—he was in trouble with Blaise’s bakery so close—the game of tag came to an end as Nora and Smudge curled up on the rug in front of the sofa.
They made it look so easy—the chase, the give and take, all ending in a contented cuddle.
“Tell me, Carlos, how did you end up in a beach town?” Erina asked, swirling her remaining wine.
Teddy was on glass number two, only because he knew it would pair well with the tres leches cake like it had the shrimp, and he hadn’t gotten any warning looks.
“I grew up here,” Carlos said. “Been other cities and towns, but there’s no place like home.”
“That explains the perfect beach hair. What about you, Finn?”
“I’m from the city. Needed a change. All that chaos can be overwhelming sometimes, but out here, I feel like I can really make a difference. Plus, a bad breakup had a little to do with it.”
“Oh?” Teddy prompted, surprised to learn that. “You hadn’t mentioned that before.”
“It’s not my best opening line.” Finn smiled. “Nothing horrible like cheating or a giant fight, more long-term and hard to let go. I knew he wasn’t the one, but I was afraid to start over. So much wasted time, when we get so little of it.”
A flicker of pain crossed his face, but Teddy didn’t think it was only because of his ex.
“Moving here reminds me every day to take chances and not waste a second I’m given.”
“Sound advice,” Erina said. “Teddy used to be like that.”
“Used to?” Teddy shot her an annoyed look. “I moved out here, too, didn’t I?”
“You were a dancer like Erina, right?” Carlos interjected, which was just as well, since Teddy hadn’t drunk much lately and could easily skirt the edge into buzzed territory and being catty with his sister.
“More recently a choreographer,” he explained.
“You two ever work together?”
Teddy and Erina both laughed.
“Uh, no,” she said. “Normal people can barely stand to work with Teddy. I certainly wasn’t going to try. I saw him make someone cry once.”
“You made someone cry once?” Finn gaped at him.
“No, I made someone cry multiple times. Erina just witnessed it once.”
They all chuckled.
“Don’t think me cold. I was only tough on my dancers because I knew they weren’t living up to their potential, while at the same time strutting around and acting big as if they were….”
“The shit?” Finn offered.
“Exactly.”
“Oh!” Carlos exclaimed. “You’re Gordon Ramsay!”
“Excuse me?”
“You know, Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares.
Take the MasterChef series. Ramsay seems like this huge dick whenever there’s some cocky jerk who thinks they know everything about cooking, and really, they should—they’re a chef and have their own restaurant most of the time.
He just brings them down a peg to show them where they’re wrong.
But when it’s MasterChef Junior and he’s working with kids, he is the sweetest guy ever. ”
Erina leaned back in her chair, crossing one long leg over her knee. “So, you’re saying Teddy’s only a dick to people who deserve it?”
“That isn’t always true,” Teddy said, meeting eyes with Finn in further apology for how he’d acted the other day, “but I try.”
“Maybe teaching kids could be your next career move,” Finn said.
“I told you, I hate children, and I am terrible with them.”
“Didn’t look that way earlier,” Finn said, reminding Teddy of the girl with the prosthetic. “Maybe you are a Gordon Ramsay. I’d love to see that side of you.”
“I’d love to see you dance,” Carlos said, though it was obvious he meant Erina more than Teddy, since he could barely look away from her.
“You know”—she set down her glass, though there was mischief in her eyes that worried Teddy—“even though Teddy never directed me, we were in a show together once. One of his last performances and one of my first major roles. We really pushed each other. I still think it was my best show.”
It was Teddy’s best, too, and the beginning of the end for him with his hip. He’d thought he could forestall the inevitable by teaching, but he danced almost more as a choreographer, and a few too many falls and strains and tears later, he’d paid the price.
“Giselle. Teddy was the leading man, and I was one of the Wilis—one of these three haunting spirits, all lovely young maidens who hate men because they died of broken hearts. It made it much easier to play a part where I constantly wanted to murder Teddy instead of woo him.”
Finn and Carlos snickered, and Finn looked at Teddy in much the same way Carlos kept looking at Erina. “I’d love to see that too.”
“You have a recording, don’t you, Teddy?”
Oh no. That was the last thing Teddy needed. “Erina—”
“He’s so meticulous with his things, I’m sure I can find the DVD.”
“Erina!” he tried calling when she got up from the table and disappeared into his bedroom. How she knew that’s where he kept his most precious collectables, he… really shouldn’t be surprised; she always knew him best.
Only after they were seated on the sofa, a little crowded with four of them, did Finn seem to notice Teddy’s agitation.
“Sorry. This is still hard on you, isn’t it?” he whispered as the recording began, Erina having dimmed the lights and made sure Carlos was near her in the corner of the sofa, while Teddy had the other corner with Finn close at his hip.
His hip that was to blame for many things, even Finn being here, if he was honest, and that wasn’t the worst thing.
“It’s fine,” Teddy said. It was a wonderful show, and the recording was of their best night.
Erina had teased him that he might as well have been a Disney Prince with his royal-looking blue velvet top and white tights. Teddy had been so flexible then, so effortlessly powerful. When he leapt into the air, it seemed he’d never touch down again. It had felt that way too.
That stir of resentment was still there, longing, nostalgia, even anger, but while Finn seemed interested in the ballet, Teddy kept catching his eyes straying to him in the here and now, just as he was.
It was late when the recording finished. Finn had to peel Smudge from the floor to get at Nora. Smudge irritably flicked his tail and went to sit on an opposite corner of the rug, but Nora wriggled happily once Finn had her in his arms.
Erina and Carlos walked outside ahead of them to stand on the beach. It was a calm, cool night.
“In case you were still wondering about the other day, you’re forgiven,” Finn said. “Also, Rose and Blaise definitely know I’m your physical therapist now.”
“Another hit for HIPAA,” Teddy said with a snort.
“Not a problem. And thank you. Can’t promise an outburst like that won’t happen again, but while I hold firm to the opinion that I am an asshole, I’m not the man in that recording anymore.
And I’m not sure I’m ready to accept that,” Teddy added honestly.
“He was impressive.” Finn set Nora down, and she hurried along the sidewalk toward home, only to retrace her steps when Finn didn’t follow. “Graceful. Passionate. Limber.” He waggled an eyebrow.
Teddy laughed, much as the truth stung. “I’m not any of those things.”
“You are very much the first two. And don’t forget”—Finn tipped his head closer—“it’s my job to help you rediscover the third one.”
Teddy would have laughed again, but Finn was so close, his words were stolen, lost in the light breeze between them, and then stolen further when Finn kissed him.
The press was swift, chaste but firm, lips parting the tiniest bit before Finn pulled away, with Teddy hanging on a breath after him. Erina and Carlos hadn’t seen, but Teddy felt Nora nudge between their legs, impatient that Finn was ignoring her.
“I finally found your fault,” Teddy said when he couldn’t think of anything else.
“Yeah?” Finn grinned.
“Zero shame and bad pickup lines.”
The bark of Finn’s laughter helped distract from the bone-deep shiver Teddy released at their separation. “Does that mean it’s not working?”
Staring at Finn’s lips, Teddy ran his tongue over his.
“You can tell me to stop anytime,” Finn said, “but while I am patient, after the twelfth or thirteenth rejection, I will finally give up. Maybe.”
“Tomorrow?” Teddy decided to be bold. “How about tomorrow? Just the two of us.”
“Really? Wait, no, not… not tomorrow.” Finn’s face darkened, harkening back to the pain Teddy kept seeing lately, only to vanish just as quickly. “Wednesday? I could get off early after your PT?”
“Hey, Finn, you coming?” Carlos called from down the sidewalk.
Nora yipped in solidarity.
“Okay,” Teddy agreed. “We’ll finalize plans during my appointment.”
“Perfect. I can’t wait. Goodnight, Teddy.”
“Goodnight.”
Teddy was still staring after Finn when Erina stepped into his line of sight with a smug smirk.
“Shut up,” he said and turned back to go inside.
“You’re welcome.” She followed him.
Smudge sat inside the door, mourning his lost playmate. Teddy picked him up to stroke his fur in apology.
“Is it so wrong to want to remind you that life is about living, not flailing at invisible obstacles?” She snickered, and Teddy glanced back at her. “Tilting at windmills, Teddy?”
“Cute.”
“He is. So is Carlos.” It was then that Teddy noticed she was holding her phone, as if it had a new contact added.
“You got his number?”
“Why not? I need to live my life too.”
Teddy couldn’t even be mad, not as much as he wanted to be.
He had a date with Finn.