Date: Thu, 17 May 2007 07:30:43 -0700 (PDT) From: Mike Daryl Ormond <mikedarylormond@yahoo.com> Subject: Smoke - Chapter 10 (Gay - Adult Friends) Chapter 10: Spring Cleaning Mike's Apartment, 10:41 am It has been 4 months since the accident and things had moved along quickly as soon as I got back in the office. The promotion I was waiting for fell into place and now as a senior consultant, I now get to pick and choose the clients I go after. I felt I needed a change of environment and to start anew. In my mind, I know I was running away from the my mistakes. I was running away from the truth. I was moving to San Francisco this weekend and I had the afternoon off to assist the movers get my furniture on the road. "Careful with that!" I yelled at one of the guys carrying the second recliner down the stairs. He accidentally dropped the one of the cushions. As I jogged down to pick up the cushion, I saw a photograph laying beside it. It ws faced down. I sat down on on the mid-floor landing as I flipped over the picture. It was a picture of Duncan & I during his party. I was holding up the cake while he had a glass of vodka. We looked so funny. And happy. I remember looking at this photograph while talking to Andrea on New Year's Eve. "It was all for the best, Mike." Andrea passed the ashtray. I started smoking again. "He just needs his space." "I was so stupid. I deserved this you know." I eyed the cigarrete and put it out on the ashtray. "So stupid. Him and his stupid survey." "Were you able to talk to Bailey?" Andrea brought the ashtray near the window. "I dropped by the coffee shop but he hid in the back room." I sighed. "I called for him but the lady in the counter asked me to leave." Andrea reamined silent. "I guess.." Tears were again creeping through my eyes. "I guess he somehow knew." "What are you going to do now?" "Same thing I've been doing all my life I guess." I looked up to pool the tears in. "Nothing." Sitting on the stairs, I fumbled through my backpack to find my phone. I needed Andrea right now. I dialed her number looking at the photo. Her line was busy. ------------------------------------------------------- Healthy Options Food Store, corner Wilson & Jericho, 10:59 am "Duncan?!" Andrea almost screamed in the dairy section. A baby started to cry in the next aisle. Andrea lowered the speaker volume on her phone. "Where the fuck have you been?!" "Nice to hear you're ok Andrea." Duncan sounded amused. "I'm doing great too." Andrea was hearing a lot of cheering and chatter from the other line. "What's going on?" Duncan moved into another room and closed the door. The line cleared. "We're kind of having a celebration here. Remember the prototype survey dating system I tested on you guys last Christmas?" Andrea had to think. Duncan continued anyway. "It got approved by the partners! We go live next week!" "Really?!" Andrea tried her best to sound supportive then she smirked. "What's in it for me?" "We'll some of they guys here are thinking of going out tonight and since you were one of my early testers, I thought of extending the invite to you. It's my treat!" "Sounds great!" Andrea sounded excited one second then unsure the next. "Wait. Not great. I'm kind of tied up tonight." "C'mon!" Duncan pursued. "Get out of it! Remember my friend Josh? He broke up recently with his girlfriend. He's been asking for you." Andrea cleared her throat. "I'm going out with Mike tonight. He's leaving for San Francisco this weekend." Duncan fell silent. "What do you mean leav.." "I have to go Duncan." Andrea interrupted. "I'll call you if I can join you later." "Wait!" Duncan voice trailed as the line dropped. He leaned back onto one of the chairs in the conference room. He drew courage as the minutes went by; tapping his feet on the carpet. He stopped. Stood up. And left the conference room. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike's Apartment, 11:24 am I sat in a corner of the living room while I drank my coffee. The apartment felt cold now that it was empty. I never realized I had all the walls painted with dull white. I saw all the dust and grime that accumulated on sections of carpet and floorboards where furniture used to be. I never was much of a cleaner. The only things I had left plugged are my laptop and the coffee maker Andrea gave me for my promotion. This new one did not need filters. I was about to get up to talk to my land lady downstairs when the my mobile phone rang. The caller id should have warned me of the voice I heard on the other line but I failed to look at it before answereing. "Mike?" I stopped breathing. "Mike? It's me.. Duncan." Duncan hesitated. "How are you man? Feel like going out tonight?" I panicked. I did not know what to do. He was acting as if nothing has happened. "I'm kind of busy tonight." I said as calmly as I could. "I heard you were leaving." I was not prepared for this conversation at all. I did not feel like explaining myself. Especially to him. "When are you coming back?" "Not sure..." I exhaled mid-sentence. "maybe June or July..." I tried to be as vague as possible. "Liar. I'm parked right outside your aparment right now. I saw the moving van leaving." "Why do you care if I go or never come back anyway?" I had frustration in my voice. "It's not like we've been around each other lately. I'm ok now. We're ok now!" "You were just leaving without telling me?" I heard his car door slam shut. He was now out on the street. "Yes, Duncan!" I was now up on my feet. "Yes! I was not going to tell you! You were the one who cannot deal with me remember?! I was the gay friend who wanted more!" There was static on the other line. A few seconds went by. I then heard a load banging on the apartment door. "Open up!" Duncan yelled. I felt his weight on the other side of the door. "No!" I shouted back. I didn't realize I was already crying. I looked down on my arms when I felt my tears on them. I was holding the door from the other side. I sat down leaning on the door. "Are you crying?" Duncan sounded sincerely concerned. "I'm tired, Duncan. I'm just tired." I choked on my words. "I'm not letting you leave." "I can't have you, Duncan. And I don't think I can live with that." I breathed out with these words. There was silence. I knew he heard me. "Do you love me, Mikey?" I was surprised with this. I looked up searching for what to say in response. I ended up with the simplest answer. "Yes." "Can you check your email for me." I crawled towards my laptop and made the screen come alive. I had one new message and the subject was in bold letters. It read 'You have a match!'. I coughed out a smile under the tears. "So.." Duncan spoke again from behind the door. "Do you feel like going out tonight." I was visibly grinning now. "Wait." I said as I looked back and wiped the tears off my cheeks. "I just need to tell Andrea that something came up." The END