“Wait a minute. That’s…that’s about the same time he changed. I thought it was just the same old Luka, set and focused on the work. But he’s not focused. Opposite, in fact. He’s distracted and just…angry.”
Benson thought of the reporters, but he’d read the papers. He knew that they’d all be kind to him and Luka and their budding relationship. “Angry? I do not know why. Monty…I miss him terribly. I dare say I’d already fallen for the guy. This is killing me.”
“Well, figure it out, or I’m replacing him, and I don’t care about your opinion on that. He’ll ruin this play.”
Benson wasn’t one to place himself where he wasn’t wanted, but something was off. If he’d ghosted and dumped Benson for something that Benson had done, wouldn’t he be happy about it?Surely Luka would at least be settled with the decision after so long.
Benson grabbed his coat and walked past Joyce, who’d just come through his office door. “Where are you going? We have that meeting in fifteen.”
“Not anymore. Cancel it. I have something I must do.”
Chapter Twelve
Hetookacabto the theater, waiting outside for Luka. It was over an hour, but he used that time to think about what he’d say.
When Luka emerged, wrapping his scarf around his neck, Benson had a moment when he wanted to blend into the wall of the theater and have Luka walk by.
He didn’t look good. Luka had lost weight, and he’d had little to lose in the first place. His face was gaunt, and Benson just knew it was his fault. Somehow, it was his fault.
But he gathered his courage and caught up to Luka as Luka made his way down the sidewalk toward the subway.
“Can we talk?”
Luka stopped and turned his head slowly. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to ask…I need to know, Luka, why did you stop returning my calls and texts? What did I do?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Benson was so confused, he thought something had happened in his mind, making him dream the entire, short relationship.
“Luka, I called and called. I stopped by your place. What did I do wrong?”
After shaking his head, he said, “You aren’t kidding. Are you?”
“Kidding about missing you so much I’ve nearly lost my mind? No, definitely not kidding.”
Luka looked around on the street and hailed a cab. “Come on. We’re going to my apartment.”
They got into the cab, and Luka took a deep breath, watching Benson closely. “You are serious. You never sent her over. You never wanted to end things?”
“Why the hell would I want to end things before they even started, Luka? Luka, I know now that I was falling madly in love with you. I thought you felt the same, but…then we couldn’t…I…”
Luka shook his head as his eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re gonna be really mad.”
“Why? Luka, I’m not angry with you. I just wanted to know why you didn’t want to speak to me anymore, and why…why you were messing up at work. Please don’t be angry with Monty. Without him, I’d never have known you were struggling.”
“Not mad at me. You’ll see. You’ll…you’ll see.”
Benson paid the driver and then they got out of the cab and started for the door of Luka’s building. Benson held the door open for Luka, who grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs to the third floor.
The building wasn’t nice; it was rundown and shabby, but Luka’s apartment was neat, clean and painted a nice tan with gleaming wood floors underneath their feet.
“I know this isn’t like your place, but give me time.”
“I had an apartment that makes this one look like a luxury mansion, honey. I’m not judging.”
Luka offered him a seat on the sofa as he started taking off his scarf and coat. “Let me run and get it.”
