“About six weeks. I haven’t really made it home yet, but at least I’ve unpacked the last of the boxes.”
“What made you decide to come home?” he asked, but the sight of Micah’s frown made him regret the question. “Sorry if that’s too personal.”
Micah popped the cap from his beer. “It’s okay. What did Chad tell you?”
Nicholas shrugged. “Not a lot. Something about redundancies?”
“Yeah, the company I was working for made cut-backs. To be honest, it was a relief when it happened, as it’d been coming for a while. Then the guy I was seeing…” Micah looked down and toyed with his beer bottle, before raising his eyes, smile once more in place. “Let’s just say it was time we parted ways. Losing my job was the kick in the pants I needed to make the move, but to be honest, I’d wanted to come back for a long time.”
“So what stopped you? The guy?” There was obviously a story there and Nicholas wanted to kick the ass of the guy who’d brought unhappiness into Micah’s life.
Micah shrugged. “Maybe for a while, but I think I held back because it felt like a failure coming home. But I like it here. I enjoy being back with my family and friends, and I love what the town has to offer—the outdoors, the sense of space. It’s where I want to put down roots, you know? What about you? Do you like the city?”
“It has its moments,” Nicholas said, wondering why his reply wasn’t a straight out declaration of how amazing it was, but immediately knowing the answer to that question.Because doubts have been setting in.That’s why it was so interesting to hear Micah’s story.Am I too afraid to give up my job because it feels like too much of a gamble and that I’d be throwing away everything I’ve achieved so far?He wondered. “Work keeps me busy—”
The doorbell rang before he could say any more.
“Hold that thought.” Micah jumped up and headed to the door, returning a moment later with two pizza boxes and setting them on the coffee table. “I got a pepperoni and a Margherita.”
Nicholas’ stomach rumbled on cue. “I love Margherita,” he said, and reached for a napkin and a slice. He smiled as he bit into the pizza. Who’d have thought he’d enjoy a simple meal so much, but it turned out spending time with Micah was the perfect end to a long day.
MicahgrinnedasNicholasshoved the slice of pizza into his mouth. Nicholas had always been a sucker for the cheesy tomato variety and it looked like nothing had changed in the couple of years he’d lived in the city.
“What are you waiting for?” Nicholas gestured to the box, hands full.
Micah grabbed a slice and took a bite. Once he started, he couldn’t stop, suddenly starving. He polished off the slice and washed it down with beer. “You were saying something about your job,” he prompted, keen to hear what Nicholas had been up to.
Nicholas rearranged himself on the couch so he was facing Micah. “It pays the bills, but to be honest, the shine has sort of worn off. Every day is the same and I’m sick to death of photographing inanimate objects and working in the studio. Landscape photography is what I really love doing.” He reached for his beer and took a sip.
“I’ve seen the stuff you post on Insta,” Micah said after swallowing the last of his second slice. “It’s brilliant. You really capture the essence of the places you visit. It makes me want to get out more and explore. But I also love the photos you’ve been posting lately, the ones that show urban landscapes, contrasting the man-made elements with nature.”
Nicholas grinned, passion clear in his expression. “There are so many amazing places and beauty to be found everywhere. Living in the city has forced me to look for little pockets of nature. Even weeds growing in cracks on the sidewalk are beautiful, probably even more so than a wildflower growing in a meadow. The weed has fought against the elements to get its roots into the ground and to grow and thrive in a sometimes unforgiving environment.” He stopped and rolled his eyes. “God, listen to me carrying on.”
“No, I get it. I understand why you’re so passionate,” Micah said. “And I love hearing the stories behind your art. I can see why you want to do it full-time.”
Nicholas took another slice of pizza and sighed. “Freelancing has its risks, and the stability of the advertising job has its advantages.”
“I hope you find the right balance then, because as great as your advertising shots are, I think it’s a waste of your talents.”
“I think you’re probably biased,” Nicholas said with a chuckle.
Micah grinned. “Most likely, but I’m also selfish and enjoy looking at your photos. Maybe you could give me some lessons one day?”
“Sure. I’d like that.”
The idea of spending time with Nicholas while they ventured out together to take photos sent a warm buzz through him. He knew it was stupid to get excited and tried to tell himself it was only because it sounded interesting, but in reality, he knew he was just a sucker for punishment and the more time he spent with Nicholas, the worse off his heartache would be. But he’d worry about that tomorrow—tonight he was just going to enjoy himself.
Together, they finished both pizzas. Micah took a swig from his beer and leaned back, hand on his full belly. “Oh my God. That was so good.”
Nicholas groaned. “Best pizza ever. I think I’m going to explode. I’ll need to double my run tomorrow.”
Micah snorted a laugh. The last thing Nicholas needed was to worry about putting on any weight. Unlike Micah who was skin and bone, he was well-muscled and perfectly proportioned in Micah’s eyes. He filled out his jeans and sweater in all the right places—Micah knew, because he’d had a hard time tearing his gaze away from the moment Nicholas had entered the apartment. “Aren’t you meant to be on vacation? That means you deserve to treat yourself.”
“Hmm.” Nicholas chuckled. “Someone needs to tell my mom that—that I’m on vacation, that is.”
“What do you have planned while you’re here?”
“Chad and I were going to head up to a cabin outside of town for a few days, but we’ve had to put that off until after Christmas. There are a couple of parties and some people I want to catch up with, and I’ll spend some time with Mom. She said something about a Christmas movie marathon.”
