Disclaimer: Wolf Films owns them.
"So, what happened?" he asks me.
"What?" I'm really not following him. Sometimes, I don't.
"With McCoy. And no, I don't need details. I just wanna know what's going on, roughly. So I don't stick my foot in my mouth." The mouth he's referring to is set in a tight line.
The guy looks like a really pretty waitress has just given him a pizza with pineapples on it, and he can't find an inoffensive way to show his distaste. He's working hard to stay cool. And I know he doesn't need details--trust me, I wouldn't dream of giving them. But I'm afraid I'm going to start laughing out loud any second.
"What?" he asks, his eyes narrowing.
"Nothing," I answer, and I grasp at something to appease him with. Something he can relate to. "Well, things are fine. Good. Jack and I are--dating." I smile. "So there's nothing that's gonna cause you to stick your foot in your mouth. Hell, I already took care of that, this morning." Ah, fuck, and here I had every intention of steering clear of details. Sure enough, he can't help himself. Lennie's curiosity.... Fuck.
So he's again asking me what happened, and I'm giving him the quick and dirty--no, dry--version of my conversation with Jack over coffee in his kitchen, about how I had to explain to Jack that I sort of broke up with my boyfriend 'cause of him, and how Jack freaked a little.
I say, "He got kind of--overwhelmed, at first." Now, there's no way I'm gonna give any more description than that, 'cause Jack looking stunned is something that I'm not even sure I could describe. I mean, the man's face has a million expressions, if you care enough to study them. And I do. I did. I plan to.
"Huh. McCoy, overwhelmed. I'da thought he might be more flattered, given the guy's ego."
Again--there's no way I'm goin' there with Lennie. Not defensive, and not explanatory. "I just needed a few minutes to make it clearer to him," I say, smiling, "that Barry and I were already on the skids, even before I--" and I can't go any further. This is getting a bit more personal than I planned. And Lennie's face is startin' to pinch. "You know," I say.
Lennie coughs. Whether something just didn't sit right in his throat, or he's really coming down with the flu is anyone's guess. "But he's okay now," Lennie finally says.
"Yeah." I can't keep the grin off my face, 'cause now I'm remembering exactly how okay Jack was, this morning, when he eventually got the picture. Jack reached across the table and took my hand, and started stroking his thumb across it, and his eyes were so clear, and so warm, that pretty soon we were both leaning forward and kissing so sweetly, and deeply, that I had to stop myself from dragging him back to bed and spending the next two weeks there. "Chemistry" doesn't explain the half of it.
"So," Lennie continues, "you're okay now, too."
"I'm--happy, Lennie." I stop, embarrassed.
Lennie smiles, and I can see that my happiness is no surprise to him, but the surprise to me is that he seems genuinely happy for me in return. And this does surprise me, I admit it. If there was ever a man whom Lennie could honestly say he really didn't like, it would be Jack. Hence--the pineapples on the pizza.
I'm walking toward my apartment building, and I swear I'm gonna start whistling like some goofus in a movie musical, all because I see Jack's bike parked on the street. Then I'm grinning like my cat just came home after being lost for two weeks because Jack himself is leaning against the building, reading by the light over the doorway. Maybe my cat did just come home--a sleek, strong leopard, and I think I must be falling pretty hard 'cause I'm getting way too poetic.
He looks up when I'm twenty feet away and smiles, and whoa whoa whoa, man, my heartbeat starts thundering. I want him upstairs, against the wall, tongue down my throat in, like, ten seconds?
"Hi," he says, still smiling.
"Hi." My smile almost hurts, it's so wide.
I unlock the door; he's right behind me. Okay, five seconds, tops.
On to part 21 (Conclusion),Lennie's pov, by Cirocco
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Green
Note: There are way more than 500 words, this time, but there's a very good reason for that.
Author's Note: Heartfelt thanks to both jessebee and Cirocco for their comments on this part. It is much better because of them. And Cirocco? What can I say? Thank you for letting me play with your challenge response in the first place -- it has been such fun, and thanks for providing the impetus so we could finish.
Copyright June, 2004, Cassatt
I know the past few days have been rough, and I'm thinking I should apologize for them and all, given how cool Lennie has been. On the whole. Well, he has been. And even if last night was a bit weird, having this normal who-did-what-to-whom work conversation, like Lennie, Jack, and me were sittin' around the table in Jack's office, when actually Jack was nibbling on my shoulder while I was trying to answer the phone--still, Lennie's been cool.