Jordan
It’s raining cats and dogs.
I’m late.
I just spent twenty minutes stuck in a stalled subway car.
I should be miserable, but I’m not.
Because of him.
Because in another minute or so, I get to see him.
It’s been two days. Two long days that dragged on forever. Messages and phone calls just aren’t the same.
I turn the corner, and my heart skips a beat.
He’s standing in front of the bar, casually leaning against the wall.
Effortlessly sexy in his black jeans and black sweater.
His eyes find me the moment I come into view.
He tilts his head to the side and watches me approach.
There’s hunger in his gaze as he takes me in.
“Fashionably late,” he says with a small smile. He leans closer. “What took you so long?”
“Blame the subway.”
“I’ll file so many complaints.”
I grin at him and wish it could just be the two of us.
“Where’s the man of the hour?” I ask.
Aiden is officially done with his fellowship, so we’re celebrating. There’ll be a lot of doctors here tonight, so fingers crossed I won’t say anything too stupid.
“Inside.”
“We better go, then.”
“In a second.” He looks around, takes my hand in his, and pulls me around the corner of the building.
He pushes me against the wall and steps closer until his chest is against mine. A moment later, his lips descend on mine. I respond eagerly, wrapping my arms around his neck and tugging him even closer until we’re plastered together. Kissing him back.
We only stop when we run out of air.
He leans his forehead against mine.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hi.” I grin at him.
We walk to the front door of the restaurant with his hand in mine, and letting it go once we get inside feels like it’d be easier to peel off my own skin.
Inside, it’s warm and noisy. There’s a bunch of people gathered around the bar. I let my eyes move over everybody.
Aiden pushes out from the middle of the large group of people surrounding him. He stumbles over someone’s foot and almost falls, but rights himself at the last moment.
“Jordan!”
He throws his arm over my shoulders, swaying like a willow in the wind.
I look at Milán with raised brows and a barely suppressed smile.
“What’d you do to him?”
His mouth drops open. “What? What did I do?”
“Try and tell me this has nothing to do with you.”
“I take responsibility for the first three shots, but the rest is all on him. I was outside, waiting for you. Remember that?”
“He peer prss—prass—” Aiden frowns and squints.
“Peer pressured?” I suggest.
He snaps his fingers. “That! He peer pressured me into doing shots.”
I flick a look toward Milán.
See? I know you.
I know you a lot.
I want to know you best.
“Okay, this might have a little to do with me.” He holds his hands up in front of himself. “In my defense… it’s really funny when he’s drunk.”
I grin at him.
“Come meet my friends!” Aiden says. I glance over my shoulder while Aiden tugs me toward the people at the bar.
The next hour is a whirlwind of new faces and names I can’t remember. Milán gets me a drink, and then another one because it’s been a long, long time since I went out to a bar, and I kind of want that drink. I want to feel young and carefree and without responsibilities for a few hours.
I’m sitting in the corner of a booth, side plastered against Milán.
We’re sharing the booth with Aiden, his college roommate, Ollie, and Lena, a woman who works as a midwife at the same hospital where Aiden works with her husband Marcus.
There was a second there when I felt intimidated by all of them, because I figured there was no way we’d have anything in common.
Turns out it’s not strictly necessary to have that for a fun night in the bar, because you can just as easily find common ground by arguing about absurd scenarios.
Like what’s the worst talent.
Or how many pigeons it would take to defeat a bear.
I’m going with five and nobody can convince me otherwise.
And I’m having fun.
“Another round?” Ollie asks, smiling widely at all of us. He gets up and goes to the bar. Somebody turns the music up.
“Babe,” Marcus says. He gets up, executes an exaggerated bow, and holds out his hand to Lena.
“Who? Me?” She pretends to be surprised. “Yes. A thousand times yes.”
Marcus pulls her to him, and they waltz between the tables. I smile as I watch them. Other people start to join them until there are more people dancing than not. Aiden has disappeared somewhere, too, so it’s just me and Milán.
I lean against the backrest, turn my head, and look at him.
“I’m having so much fun,” I say.
“That’s good.”
His head is so close. Lips, too. Close enough to kiss. It’s so hard to resist.
“And I’m happy.” Probably drunk, too. Not too much, but enough that those words come out easily. Somewhere in the back of my head is a voice telling me I shouldn’t have said it, but it’s faint and easy to dismiss.
Why not? Why wouldn’t I tell him? If I were him I’d want to know, so why not?
“Are you?” he says. His smile lights up the dim bar.
See? He wants to know, too.
Because I know him.
I nod. “You know that feeling? When everything is just right? Like… the perfect day.”
He looks at me for a long moment. “I’ve had a few of those here and there,” he finally says.
“Right.” I’m happy that he gets it. “Right. Here and there. Because it’s rare. Right?”
He nods.
“You see, lately—” I lean even closer. “—everything in my life is just right. All my days are perfect days. Because of you.”
He’s so very still. The way he’s looking at me, it feels like I’m the only person in the world right now.
“Jordy,” he says softly. He blinks. And swallows. “I—”
Glasses thunk against the table, and we spring apart.
“The line at the bar,” Ollie says. “Fucking hell. Here.” He slides a glass in front of me with a grin and sits back. “Hey, so you played tennis,” he says to Milán.
Milán’s gaze flicks to mine for a quick second before he nods. “Here and there.”
“I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” I murmur to Milán.
“I’ll be here,” he says, and as crazy as it sounds, it feels like a promise.
How about I go and read too much into these few simple words? Done.
But it feels real, so now I’m walking on air, floating toward the hallway that leads to the bathrooms. Just right. So alive. Happy.
I take care of my business and head back. I don’t look where I’m going, so I plow straight into somebody the moment I turn the corner.
“Whoa.” I laugh and grab his shoulders to steady him.
“Whoops,” Aiden says. He’s swaying even when I hold him still.
“You’ve had a few.”
“Oh, I’ve had more than a few.” He leans closer and lowers his voice, like he’s telling me a secret. “I’ve had so many shots.”
I grin. “How many?”
He looks around like he’s trying to make sure nobody will overhear us.
“Six,” he says in a theatrical whisper.
My grin widens. “It’s been a while for you, huh?”
“I’ve never been drunk.”
“Yeah, come on. We’ll get you some water and some fresh air.”
He follows me to the bar, and I get the water. I look around. Milán is surrounded by people by now. He says something that’s followed by a chorus of laughter. I smile, throw my arm around Aiden’s shoulders, and lead him outside through the back door.
I sit him down on the steps and hand him the glass of water. He drinks, and we’re both silent for a while. The air is cool, but it’s a nice change from the stuffiness of the bar.
“So?” I ask. “Doctor Corbin. What does it feel like?”
“I was already a doctor.”
“It’s even more official now. If I fell on my head now… I’d let you operate on me.”
“You wouldn’t have before?” he asks with a grin.
“I demand only the best of the best.” I stretch my legs out and cross one ankle over the other, leaning back and settling in more comfortably. “Hey, as long as I have you here, I have a question. You know those videos where a patient is playing the violin during surgery?”
His grin is just as steady as before as he nods.
“Is there, like, a switch you can press in my brain to make it happen? I mean, if you can turn it off, one assumes you can also turn it on.”
“Do you play an instrument?”
“No. I’m looking for a shortcut for those of us who are too lazy to learn, if it isn’t clear yet.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “I promise, if that technology becomes available, you’ll be the first I try it on.”
“It’s a deal.”
He holds out his hand, we shake on it, and he chuckles. Instead of looking away, he keeps his head turned toward me, eyes locked on me, a small smile on his face, a curious look in his eyes.
“What?” I ask when he doesn’t say anything but keeps studying me with that slightly amused expression.
He shakes his head. “Nothing. Just thinking.”
“About?”
He shrugs. “You and Theo, you’ve both been a sort of blessing for us.
And I know I haven’t been around as much this past year because of this fellowship thing, but I just want you to know that I really appreciate that you’ve been such a great friend.
Hell, it’s more like you’re family by now.
Ours is dysfunctional on the best of days, so you and Rory are a welcome addition. And I hope that doesn’t change.”
I smile back, ready to spread my happiness. “Why would it?”
He gestures vaguely. “As I said, you’re obviously closer to Milán, so I’m just saying that when he leaves, I hope you know I consider us friends, and I hope it won’t mean we grow apart. Or maybe grow apart isn’t the right term here, but I figure you get what I—”
There’s a sudden explosion of silence. The cars on the street go quiet, the steady, rhythmic sound of honking disappears, along with the distant rumble of the subway and the banging of doors opening and closing. The distant thumping of bass is no longer a thing.
The only thing I can hear is my ears buzzing.
“When he leaves?” My tongue is thick in my mouth.
Aiden seems blissfully unaware of the storm his words have created.