Chapter 39
Thirty-Nine
Emory
I was anxious as fuck, running around the kitchen like a chicken with its head cut off as I shoved another chip dipped in salsa into Jae’s face.
“Shy,” he sighed, taking the chip with a frown. “I told you, twelve times, the salsa is fucking fire. Okay? Now, can you just go sit down? You’re stressing me out.”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes, shoving his arm up by the elbow towards his mouth.
He rolled his eyes and ate the chip. “It doesn’t need anything else. Cheese and rice, I shouldn’t have told you it needed salt in the first place.”
I growled with frustration, taking a chip and trying it for myself.
I let the flavors sit on my tongue as I contemplated what else it needed to make it perfect.
It’d been nearly five years to the day since I’d last made salsa, and I wasn’t going to even make it, but when it came up that I knew how to make one that was way better than the jarred one they were eating Monday night during a fun night of playing cards, I knew I needed to make it for the party tonight.
The doorbell rang and I sucked in a breath, nearly choking on the chip in my mouth. I coughed, looking around the kitchen, throwing a used spoon into the dishwasher as Jae checked his phone to look at the door camera.
“It’s Rick,” he muttered, already walking towards the stairs.
My stomach tensed with nerves, and I tried to remind myself that this was only going to be awkward if I made it awkward.
I fidgeted with my shirt.
Fuck, I should have worn something else. Did I look too clingy wearing one of Enoch’s graphic tee’s from his time in Florida? Maybe it looked just vague enough that it would pass for some fast-fashion shirt that looked like something you got at a souvenir shop while on vacation.
Fuck. I rolled my eyes to myself remembering the fact that the back of the shirt was emblazoned with his last unit’s patch logo.
It was too late to change as I heard the sound of a deep chuckle climbing the stairs.
I cleared my throat, forcing a smile onto my face as I took in the very tall black man at the top of the stairs.
His hair was shaved close to the skin, sprinkled with a few grey hairs.
He was dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans, a fitted grey long-sleeved shirt and a pair of sneakers that looked brand-new.
His eyes crinkled just slightly around the corners as he smiled widely, telling me he was definitely older than I was thinking he would be.
I imagined he would be closer in age to Enoch since I had thought that it would have been difficult having a relationship with someone who held a much superior rank.
“Hi!” he greeted with a rich deep voice, crossing the room and holding his hand out. “I’m Rick, you must be Emory?”
I nodded, giving his hand a firm shake. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” he said, his hand falling back to his side. “I brought the burgers.”
My eyes fell to the paper bag he was holding up.
“Oh, right. Yeah. Um, thanks,” I said, reaching for the bag.
He gave me a strange look before nodding his head towards the patio, “I can handle the grill.”
I swallowed, nodding and letting him pass through to the patio. I guessed that was the reason why he was still wearing his shoes in the house, since he was going outside.
I eyed Jae who gave me a smile. “I just got a text from Nox that he’ll be home in half an hour.”
“Okay,” I said, glancing around the room. I eyed the cake that I’d baked and cringed internally at the scratchy cursive writing and the number one candle. “That looks like a terrible first birthday cake.”
“What?! It looks great!” Jae said with a scoff. “Besides, it’s how it tastes that matters. And you can’t go wrong with a boxed strawberry cake with chocolate frosting. It’s impossible.”
I huffed and took another glance at the spotless kitchen island that was dotted with several small platters of food items.
“Okay, okay.”
I released another tense breath, willing myself to calm down.
Enoch would never say he didn’t like anything in the first place, but that made me even more anxious.
I didn’t want him to have to pretend. What if he was mad that we had planned this party for him without his knowledge?
What if he didn’t want to have the attention on him for reaching one year of being sober?
I groaned under my breath, shaking the thoughts aside. Now I was just annoyed with myself for letting my insecurities control me. Tonight was going to be amazing. I didn’t need to freak out. This was Enoch. He deserved a nice night that celebrated his achievement.
I swung around at the sound of the slider opening and Rick shot me a quick smile.
“Grill’s just heating up,” he said, looking to Jae. “You got a dish I can put the burgers on once they’re cooked?”
“Yeah, for sure.” Jae grabbed a glass dish from a cabinet beneath the island and handed it to Rick. Rick placed it on the island and leaned against the countertop.
“So, it’s just us?” he asked looking between Jae and me.
“Yep,” Jae answered coming to stand beside me, crossing one ankle over the other as he leaned back against the opposite counter. “This is family right here.”
Rick nodded, glancing around the space. “I still can’t believe you guys managed to do this all yourselves.”
Jae chuckled, “Me neither, to be honest. Feels like it was a fever dream. I’m just glad that my downstairs space was more recently updated and I’m not thinking about changing anything else anytime soon. Between the gym and the house, I’m completely over DIY renovations.”
Rick chuckled softly, nodding, “I don’t blame you, Jae. How is the gym going? From what I saw on the opening day it looked pretty damn amazing.”
Jae smiled sheepishly, and my mind drifted back to seeing it for myself on Monday. It really was incredible inside, and I was tempted myself to sign up for some classes.
“Thanks, Rick. Yeah, it’s going surprisingly well—”
I clicked my tongue, “Shut up, dip. It’s no surprise that it’s been successful. You work your ass off for that place.”
Jae’s cheeks flushed and he shoved my shoulder, “Whatever.”
“She’s right,” Rick said with a nod in my direction. “You should own it. You’ve done a great job, and you should be proud of yourself.”
“Yeah, yeah. Alright. Save your compliments for the man of the hour when he gets here.”
“So, did you two,” he wagged his finger between Jae and I, “meet before?”
“Before what?” I asked with a look towards Jae. What the hell had they told Rick?
He laughed awkwardly, “I just mean, you two look like you’re rather close. Nox mentioned that you two had dated previously in high school, but I wasn’t sure if Jae and yourself had met prior to here in Anchorage.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jae said. “We were all friends in high school.”
“Sounds like it was one hell of a reunion,” he chuckled, his eyes going wide as if to say he knew all about Enoch’s emotional breakdown. “He’s convinced that it was God’s hand that led you both back together, and I gotta say, I believe it. No such things as luck or coincidence in my book.”
I nodded, forcing a smile and turned to the fridge to grab a water.
“You want something to drink, Rick?” I asked.
“Sure. You got some soda in there?”
“Yeah,” I said, stepping out of the way of the fridge to give him a better view of the selection. “Help yourself.”
He reached past me and grabbed a can of Coke Zero and I shut the fridge. I could feel his stare on me and when I looked up I found his eyes on my chest. A rush of anger flooded my system before I looked down at myself and realized he was staring at my hand that was fidgeting with my necklace.
I dropped it, opening my water and walking to stand next to Jae again, if only to get somewhere I felt more comfortable.
I was too on edge, and I really needed to calm the hell down.
“So, you been stationed in Alaska long?” I asked, trying to get to a neutral topic.
“Uh, almost two years now,” he said, opening his Coke.
“You like it?”
He rocked his head back and forth slowly before scrunching up his face with a grimace. “I’m just not a fan of the snow. And the darkness in the winters. Or the fact that everything is so expensive here.”
Jae nodded beside me, “Yeah. That’s fair. It’s definitely not for everyone. I forget, where are you from originally?”
Rick’s cheeks puffed out as he blew out a breath, “Gosh, I was born in Chicago, but I’ve lived away from there longer than I ever lived there.”
“Because of the military?” I asked.
“Yeah. I joined when I was nineteen and I definitely could have retired by now, but I like it. Like my job.”
“What do you do?”
“Uh, I’m in financial management. Basically, I oversee budgets.”
Rick laughed at the following silence. “Boring. I know. Nobody likes finance, but we’re essential cogs in the machine. Can’t do anything without money.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Well, the grill’s probably hot. I’ll get the burgers going so they’re ready when Nox gets here.”
I deflated against the counter once he was outside and Jae leaned over, letting his head rest on top of mine.
“You okay?” he asked softly.
“Yeah. You?”
“Fan-freaking-tastic,” he mumbled without enthusiasm.
“Sounds like it,” I said with an eye roll.
He chuckled lightly wrapping his arm around my back and squeezing me.
“I really am okay, just exhausted. I feel like I’ve been running on fumes for so long, trying to get the gym ready and open, and I was an idiot for thinking I’d maybe get a little bit of reprieve once it was.
And I’m slightly depressed that I’ve already managed to eat half the kimchi my mom brought.
It’s the stress. I end up snacking and the kimchi is so good. ”
He groaned, our bodies swaying as he leaned more of his weight onto me.