Chapter 7 #4
“Yeah, he did, but she died when I turned twelve.”
“I’m so sorry, Benji,” Anson said reflexively.
“Thank you. It was a long time ago, but it wasn’t easy for either of us, and Dad doesn’t like to talk about her too much, so he hardly ever brings up the past. Actually, that’s not entirely true.
When he does talk about her, it’s to share a memory of her and me.
He’s always been good about that. But talking about her and him, or growing up in Gladewood, he hardly ever does that, and he shuts my grandparents down pretty quickly when they try to as well.
And my dad, he mostly keeps to himself, working a lot and taking care of me before I left for college, so it’s not like he's had loads of friends around, sharing memories of his time in school. He said you lived there when you were in middle school, right?”
Anson responded affirmatively.
“He’s coming to Boston for my graduation,” I shared. “If you wanted ... I mean, you probably wouldn't have time, but if you’d like to see him again, I’m sure he’d like that.” Silence filled the room. I’d asked a question, in a roundabout way, so I figured it was right to wait for Anson’s response.
“I’d like to see you,” he muttered, and I shot straight up on the couch, his voice rolling through me like a wave cradling and rocking me, surrounding me in soft sensation. It had my stomach in knots and my heartbeat back up to the level it had been when he’d first called.
I glanced at my phone. When he’d first called, it had been hours and hours ago.
I gulped and hoped it wasn’t audible. I had no reply as my heart hammered, and I wondered what to say. He beat me to it.
“I know you must be busy getting ready for graduation, but …”
“In fact,” I pushed my glasses up my nose and sat up even straighter.
“I’m done with my dissertation, and the ceremony is still weeks away.
As you know, my job doesn’t start until after that, and Dad isn’t coming in until a few days beforehand, so in actuality, I’ve got all the time in the world over the next few weeks. ”
I didn’t know what he was asking, but I would have agreed to anything. A trip around the world? A visit to his fort by the creek in our hometown, a tryst on that conference table? My answers would have been yes, yes, and yes.
“If you want, I can show you my lab. We can work together. In person.”
Or … a tour of Anson Day’s personal lab and the opportunity to work on our project immediately. That worked too!
“Yes! Just tell me when and where. Really, until my dad gets here for graduation, I’m all yours.”
I heard him softly mutter, “All mine,” or at least I thought I did before he pivoted right back into the calculation we’d been working on. I scurried off the couch, back to my laptop.
Sometime later I heard him yawning at the same time Jake’s bedroom door opened.
I raised my head and realized the sun was up.
My roommate's eyes were barely open as he scratched his stomach and bumped into my chair on the way to our tiny kitchen. “Have you been out here all night?” he asked.
I heard someone talking to Anson through my headphones as I shrugged and nodded at Jake.
I picked up my laptop and headed for my room.
“I’ll wrap up soon, Beck.” I heard Anson say.
I couldn’t make out Beck’s response.
“Today? Shit. Okay. I’ll go get ready.” Beck’s frustration, though not his words, came through the phone.
Anson’s phone rustled. “You still there?”
“Yeah.”
Beck must have been closer because even though it sounded like Anson had taken me off speaker, I could hear him clearly. “You’re on the phone?” He sounded shocked.
“Give me five, Beck.” Anson’s tone left no room for argument.
“Five,” he replied sternly. “I’ll go get breakfast.”
I could hear a door shut. “I’ve kept you up all night,” I apologized.
He laughed nervously. “Pretty sure I’m the one who should be apologizing.”
“Nah, I’m still in school. I’m used to all-nighters.”
His voice became soft. “I prefer to work overnight. Fewer interruptions. Fewer people …”
“I get that.”
“Benji?”
“Yes, Anson?”
“Good work.” Jesus. That feeling was back, tightening my core and causing my heart to pound so hard it was almost painful.
“Th-thank you.”
“Will you … will you come to the lab sometime? Anytime you want, except for this morning, because apparently, I have a board meeting! I’ll talk to Erin about accelerating your start date.”
“You don’t have to pay me!” I jumped in quickly.
“Like I said, until my dad gets here, I’m yours.
” I maybe should have stopped phrasing it that way, but I thought I heard Anson’s breath hitch, and that sound really did something to me.
“I mean, I’m available … free. Just let me know when to be there. ”
Before I’d even finished the sentence, it was Anson’s turn to jump in. “Today! Come this afternoon, and I’ll show you what I’ve mocked up so far.” He sounded excited.
“Okay! Yes! Okay,” I babbled enthusiastically.
“And Benji?”
“Yeah! Yes!” At that point I would have agreed to anything.
“Make sure you eat some breakfast too. And maybe get some rest.”