“It’s a children’s hospital.” Marin parked in a guest spot in the half-empty parking lot and turned off the engine.
“I don’t know what I was expecting, but not this.” I grabbed my parka and got out, joining Marin by the trunk he’d opened.
“It’s hard to keep you on your toes, so I’m happy it’s working.” Marin handed me a cardboard box to carry while he lifted a much larger one into his tentacles.
A middle-aged white man met us at the entrance to the hospital. His confident stance and narrow hips matched his silver-fox vibe.
“Hi, Leslie.” Marin beamed at the man.
I narrowed my eyes at the exchange. Another ex-fuck buddy?
“Marinos, my dear friend. I’m so happy you made it.” He clapped Marin on the shoulder and turned to me. “You must be Kert. Nice to meet you. Let me take this.” He reached out for my box and shot me a dazzling Hollywood smile.
“Hi. Thanks.” I eyed his tight white button down under an immaculate doctor’s coat. Was he a fitness doctor? Ridiculous.
“Come on in.” Leslie turned around and walked like a superhero with his coat billowing behind him like a cape.
Marin wrapped his free tentacle around my waist and kissed my cheek. “You’re growling.”
I huffed. “Am not.”
“He’s a friend without benefits.” Marin was suppressing a smile even though nothing funny was happening.
“I’m not jealous.” I snorted like a moody teenager.
“Of course. I’m just clarifying.” He stroked his tentacle over my midriff and I relaxed. The fucker knew me too well.
We took an elevator up, left our coats in Leslie’s surprisingly modest office, and walked to another wing.
As we left the office cluster, the white hospital walls turned to colorful murals, with each section having a different theme, from forest and cute creatures, meadows with flowers, until we reached a wing that felt like we stepped into an oceanarium.
The huge sign above the double doors spelled “Oncology”.
I stopped in my tracks when it hit me. “Wait… this is all your art!” I gasped and grabbed Marin’s tentacle.
“He changed the hospital forever.” Leslie nodded, putting his hands in the pockets of his white coat.
“This was the work I told you about. The one I loved so much that it convinced me to stay in New York.” Marin intertwined our fingers and I didn’t miss the surprise on Leslie’s face at the gesture.
“This is amazing art.” I hovered my hand over the waves on the wall as we continued walking. “But we didn’t drive four hours for you to show it to me, right?”
“Nope.” Marin brought my hand up and kissed it.
“His fans are waiting.” Leslie spread his hands like he was The Greatest Fucking Showman.
Marin chuckled. “I wouldn’t call them that.”
“Some kids spend months in this place, so we try to make it as pleasant an experience as possible under the circumstances. The artwork everywhere brings color and joy. The kids can recognize your art from the walls of the entire wing—they even named the animals. While they’re waiting or stuck in place with an IV, the kids copy what they see with crayons, paint, and pencils. Even children can’t watch TV for hours on end, so soon they turn to creating. The influence of the art on our patients is nothing short of amazing.” Leslie’s smile was warm as he opened the double doors to a large room filled with a handful of tables and chairs.
Kids ranging from a few years old to teenagers were at the tables drawing, and they paused and turned our way.
“Let’s give a warm welcome to Marinos!” Leslie jogged to the front of the room like the host of a talk show, clapping his hands in rhythm. He took two steps to a podium and stopped next to an easel. His enthusiasm was making it hard to hate him.
Marin smiled at me and squeezed my hands in his.
A wave of warmth and excitement filled me. I let go of him and stepped aside. “Do your thing. I’ll be here.”
Marin didn’t stay on the podium long. After a few introductory words, he asked the audience what they wanted to learn this time, and began to cruise from table to table.
