Chapter Fifteen Happy Anniversary
Chapter Fifteen
Happy Anniversary
There are plenty of things for the two men to do in Juneau.
Despite having eaten breakfast not that long ago, there’s a crepe stall that smells so heavenly that neither of them can possibly
say no. After that, they wind up at the Alaska State Museum just in time to catch the exhibit from Lou Logan, an artist who
makes gorgeous qayaqs, and they spend a bit too much money at the gift shop. Jacob wants to go to a brewery next, much to
Owen’s chagrin, but they offer a handful of nonalcoholic options, including something called Root Bear that’s actually not
that bad.
Later, after lunch, they walk through the downtown area. Owen stops at an art supply shop, picking up a few of his favorite-colored
pencils and a new sketchbook since his current one is almost filled up.
“Do you really need another one?” Jacob asks, hovering over Owen’s shoulder, no doubt thinking back to the piles of half-filled sketchbooks that Owen
already owns.
“I’m supporting a small business!” Owen replies tersely.
Once they’re done downtown, they take a cab to the SeaLyfe Aquatic Rehabilitation Facility in the northern part of the bay.
Jacob’s friend, Dani, is all too thrilled to see him again, greeting him with a hug that nearly knocks the lumbering man right on his ass.
Then she turns to Owen, and he braces himself for impact.
“You’re the Owen I’ve seen all over Jacob’s Instagram! ”
“Yep,” Owen replies nervously, relieved when she simply offers her hand. “That’s me!”
They’re given a tour of the facilities, Owen following mostly in silence to give the two of them a chance to catch up. Dani
tells them both the story of how she helped to open the lab shortly after she graduated, using most of their resources to
rehabilitate whales that’d gotten sick in the wild.
“Our operation is growing year by year. Jacob’s going to love this,” she says, pulling Jacob to her side, wrapping her arm
around his broad shoulders. “We recently opened up a wing dedicated to your multi-legged friends!”
“And now you know exactly why I’m here,” Jacob teases as they follow Dani through one of the lab doors. It’s a lot like the
space Owen remembers from when he’d taken lunch—or sometimes dinner—to Jacob at UCSF. There are a ton of empty aquariums set
up on tables, along with tall standing desks and bookcases filled with huge tomes that Owen can only guess at the contents
of.
Jacob goes right to the aquariums that hold specimens, their names written on cards in the corners, nearby cameras filming
them 24/7.
“We’re mostly focusing on brain trauma,” Dani explains as they get as close as they can to the creatures inside.
“Are they all rescued from the area?” Owen asks.
“Mm-hmm.” Dani nods. “There’s a lab at the University of Alaska, just up the way. But they were taking on so much that their teams couldn’t keep up. We usually end up employing a lot of them during their final year of school.”
Owen watches Jacob as he focuses on a clubhook squid that seems docile in the water. There’s something so empathetic in his
expression, so understanding.
It’s always amazed Owen, the reverence that Jacob holds for these slippery, slimy things. Sure, the man loves all animals.
More than once, Owen’s had to drag Jacob away from adoption events in the park they’d stumbled upon or keep him from rescuing
stray dogs that they saw on the street.
He’d even been strongly opposed to hiring pest control to get rid of the raccoons that took up residence inside their walls
once, only agreeing when Owen informed him that the contractor was humane. But squid, they’ve always been above the rest.
“That’s Sheldon,” Dani tells him. “He washed up in the bay a few weeks ago; we think a rough tide carried him in, knocked
him around pretty bad on the rocks. He’s responsive most of the time, but he has his moments.”
Jacob squats down to get a better look at Sheldon. “Hey, dude, how are you doing in there?” He presses a hand gently against
the glass, Sheldon’s tentacle coming up to meet the gesture. The two souls stand there, studying each other. Owen’s not sure
what “knocked around” entails exactly, but for a second, there seems to be a light behind the creature’s eyes as Jacob crouches
there, smiling at him.
“How’s your migration research going?” Dani asks.
“Good, we’re moving to Belgium soon,” Jacob says with a weariness to his voice. “Been spending the last few weeks getting
the lab packed up and ready to move.”
“You sound excited,” Dani mimics his monotone voice.
“I am, it’s been amazing, but sometimes I get jealous of everyone who’s gotten to settle down.” Jacob straightens, turning
back to Dani. “It’d be nice to have something consistent.”
“Well, you get older, your back starts to hurt a little bit more. And it’s not like there’s anything wrong with settling somewhere.”
“I’ve tried to tell him the same thing,” Owen cuts in.
Jacob eyes him, but Dani chuckles. They hang around for a few more hours, following Dani through all of the labs before they’re
led back through the front doors as the center closes for the day, Jacob promising Dani that he’ll reach out soon so they
can keep in touch.
“That was really amazing,” Owen tells him as their cab pulls away from the research center.
“Yeah, I’m really proud of her. Dani always talked about wanting to open her own lab,” he says fondly. “I loved seeing her
again too. It’s been too long.”
Owen reaches over to place his hand on Jacob’s thigh. “Have we gotten texts from anyone?” he asks as Jacob pulls out his phone.
“They’re getting dinner already,” Jacob says, showing Owen a photo he’s been sent. Abigail looks perfectly happy. Kaitlyn
and Kevin, however? Their foreheads are shiny with sweat as they hold huge burgers, faces streaked with dirt, and it looks
like they’ve been crying as they both stare at their food like they’re disassociating. “Guess that means we’re on our own.”
“Want to grab a bite?” Owen offers.
And Jacob smiles at him. “Is this dinner dinner? Or just dinner?”
“It’s whatever we want it to be.” Owen squeezes Jacob’s hand. “Remember?”
“This is it, right?” Jacob asks, looking at his phone and then back to the front door of the restaurant.
At least, it’s what they’re guessing is the place they were recommended by the cab driver.
“Are you sure?” Owen asks, peering further down the alleyway. There’s nothing to indicate that this is a real place of business.
Nothing.
The building is completely nondescript, warm brown brick with a few dimly lit windows, and a very bare door. No signage, no
outdoor seating, no music.
No anything.
“It says this is it.” Jacob double-checks the address on his phone, Owen pressing his cheek against Jacob’s arm and watching
him click on the Google profile of the business and go to the reviews.
“Oh, yeah . . .” Owen says, taking the phone and finding the information he’s looking for among the top-liked reviews. “‘Place
is really good, hard to find. They should put a sign out, but there’s just a door,’” he recites, barely holding back his smile.
“Well.” Jacob takes back his phone, sliding it into his pocket. “Shall we?”
The first thing that Owen notices is the music, soft piano that’s almost immediately calming. Then there’s the smell of the
food as they step through the doorway, roasted garlic and oils and meat and vegetables, that causes Owen’s mouth to water.
Voices murmur and glasses clink together, knives scrape against porcelain plates.
“Good evening!” The ma?tre d’ greets them with a warm smile. “What can I do for you gentlemen?”
“We’d like a table,” Jacob says.
“And are you members of the dining club?” she asks them.
“Members?” Owen’s brows furrow in confusion. “Of the restaurant?”
She eyes them like they’re the odd ones here. “That answers my question.” There’s a twinge of impatience to her tone. “Do
you happen to have a reservation?”
“Oh, uh . . . no, we don’t,” Jacob admits, hand rubbing at the back of his neck.
“Well, I’m sorry,” she says, not seeming that sorry at all. “But we only accommodate a limited number of diners each night.”
“Seriously?” Owen says without thinking, the ma?tre d’ shooting him a glare. “Sorry.”
“We didn’t realize that it’d be so exclusive,” Jacob starts to say. “Is there any way that we could—”
That’s when Owen decides to take charge, wrapping his hand around Jacob’s and pulling him in closer. “It’s just, today’s our
anniversary.” He rattles the lie off easily. “And we really wanted to do something special. We’ve heard so much about this place and we were just hoping that we could somehow maybe
snag a seat.”
Owen scrunches his shoulders, batting his eyelashes innocently, hoping that the one thing he got from his father might finally
pay off.
The ma?tre d’ glowers at them—sending a little bit of extra attitude Owen’s way before her expression wavers, as if she’s
actually considering letting them in.
“What was the name again?” she asks, her nails clicking when she taps the screen of her iPad.
“Morrison?” Jacob says to her, more like a question than a reply. Like he doesn’t believe that’s his own last name.
“Ah! Here we are.” She beams, looking up at the both of them with a look of feigned surprise on her face. “Must’ve missed you!”
Owen feels Jacob’s hand relax underneath his own, the hostess grabbing two small menus as she motions for them to follow her.
They’re escorted around a half wall that separates the main entrance from the restaurant proper.
The dining room’s a bit sunken in, with only about a dozen or so tables and booths available to choose from. The room is dimly
lit, most of the light coming from sconces on the walls or candles flickering on the tables. Real candles this time. On the
far side of the dining area, there’s a small stage, complete with a black piano where a man sits, playing soft music. They’re
given the only empty table left in the restaurant, tucked a bit away in the corner closer to the stage.