Being here with Matt in Chicago, at dinner, heading back to his place, feels like old times. Makes it feelnormal.
But it’s not old times. And it’s anything but normal.
Especially in the middle of one of the longest sexual droughts of my life.
It’s hard enough not to cross the line I’ve drawn with Matt. But being here as his friend, someone he can lean on during one of the hardest moments of his life, when emotions are already running high?
It’s a dangerous place to be. A vulnerable one.
I let out an audible exhale, my original thought circling back.Why is he acting weird?
Matt slides into the chair across from me. “Sorry. Ran into a buddy I worked with years ago. You remember Clyde. He was at my birthday party a few years back.”
I smile. “Yeah. I remember. I knew he looked familiar.”
The server returns, and I order a salad with beets and goat cheese while Matt orders his roadkill: a medium-rare ribeye, just like always.
Once we’re alone again, he reaches for his wine and takes a sip.
I wait for his rating.
He doesn’t give one.
Mattalwayscomments on the wine.
Okay. Something’s definitely off.
I’m just about to ignore the voice telling me that he’ll talk to me when he’s ready, and simply ask him what the hell is going on, when he breaks the silence.
“So… how’s work?”
I almost laugh.
I love my job, and I could talk about it all day. Butwork? Now?His cousin died a week ago. He was in court yesterday. Cece just got temporary guardianship. I’ve been looking forward to having this time with him, to catch up and connect, even if the reason I’m here isn’t ideal. There’s so much to talk about.
But if he’s not ready for anything with substance…
Then surface-level it is.
I indulge him. “Work’s good. I start that new account next week. I have to go to the Hamptons for a couple days. My pappoús said I could stay at the beach house while I’m there, so I’m excited about that.”
“That’s great,” he says. “The Wolf account, right?”
I love that he always remembers the little details of my life.
“Yeah. What about you? Anything new on the Switzerland project?”
“Nothing that you’d be interested in hearing about.” He shrugs. “But I have to go to Zurich in a few weeks.”
“Oh, no. Not Zurich again,” I tease, a smile playing on my lips. “Sucks to be you.”
A hint of a grin pulls at the corner of his mouth, but it doesn’t quite get there. “Yeah. I just…” He trails off, then exhales. “I have to meet with the attorney they assigned to Cole sometime in the next month. Don’t know when yet. He’s supposed to contact me next week to schedule a time to come by the condo.”
“Oh.” I pause. “He comes to your place?”
“Yeah.” Matt grips the back of his neck. “He’ll make sure my placeis fit for a twelve-year-old boy. Grill me with questions. Compare me to Cece.” Another breath slips out. “It’s nerve-wracking.”
“Damn,” I say softly. “That’s intense.”
