Work was easy, simple.

 Aleska and I sent each other conspiratorial smiles as we brought and cleared plates, cleaned tables, and chatted with the kitchen staff. We were invited to a cocktail advertisement that would be held that night, hosted by two mixologists trying to pedal their new drink making kits. Aleska told me she was going to bring Rou. "So we can catch up," She paused. "I've lost so much time, you know? I have so much to make up for." I hugged her and she wedged her head beneath my chin.

"You've got plenty of time, Les." I rarely used her nickname, as her full name was so pretty, but it slipped out. She sniffed and tightened her arms around me before pulling away, fanning her face like she was going to cry.

"I know," She looked at her shoes. "I know I do, but I've missed her so much. All these years I just tried not to think about her or talk about her. I thought that if I didn't acknowledge her she'd fade away until she was nothing to me, you know?" She sucked in a breath, one that whistled and had to have hurt. "But that never worked. She was always there, in the back of my mind."

"Now you've got her," I said as we walked out of the bar, headed home until the event started.

"Now I've got her," She echoed as we stepped into the elevator, grinning the whole way down.

Before we parted ways I stopped her, words coming out so fast I didn't have time to think about whether or not I wanted to say them. "Why didn't you tell me?" I looked down at my shoes, the black threads blending seamlessly with my jeans.

"Oh Ez," She said, her hands grabbing mine from where I'd stuffed them in my pockets. She squeezed hard, so hard I thought the bones in my fingers would break. Her grey eyes were shining bright as she spoke. "I wanted to tell you-- God, did I want to-- but I couldn't deal with all of it. I had this degree of separation between her and me and telling you would've brought her into this part of my life. I wouldn't have been able to..." Her face pleaded with me to understand, and I did.

"Okay," I hugged her again, holding her longer than I should've. After telling her goodbye I started walking towards my apartment. Halfway there, I pulled out my phone, looking through my contacts until I found Harry's number. As it dialed, I walked and tried to hold back my smile. He'd put his number in my phone while I showered this morning, still at his house, and he called me as soon as I left.

"Hey?" I'd answered, affection bubbling through me and infecting every one of my cells. It was amazing. Even just thinking about it made my heart skip in my chest.

"Hey," His voice sounded different over the phone, quieter. My stomach tensed as desire rolled through me. "Call me when your shift is over, okay?"

"Okay." I'd said, hanging up the phone and blushing until I hailed a taxi. That was hours ago, but as I called him it flashed through my mind, my body reacting involuntarily when he answered.

Harry gave me his address, explaining that he lived on the fifth floor of the Grancia Hotel-- I realized that everything on his floor was custom, likely built for the owners or other important clientele. It made me wonder if his parents owned the Garncia chains that were splashed across the country. He told me that the doorman would let me through anytime I wanted if I only gave him my name. 

Don't get worked up, I thought as my cabbie cursed his way through traffic, this doesn't mean you're a permanent fixture.

A few minutes later, when I was almost at his house, my mind stirred again. But I could be, and that's enough for now.

//