Page 19 of Night By Night
Chapter Five
All day Monday, Maddox had a hard time concentrating on his work with the excitement bubbling inside him.
I get to see him again!
He knew getting his hopes up that maybe something might eventually happen between them was stupid, but there it was.
I’m a doof.
At lunch time, Marcia stuck her head into his cubicle. “Well?” She smiled. “Thoughts?”
He sat back in his chair. “I had fun. I need to start getting out more often.”
She handed him a business card, and it was for Venture. On the back, she’d written FREE MEMBERSHIP, the date, and had signed it. “Give that to whoever’s at the desk when you go in. If they give you any issues, have them call me personally.”
“Thank you.” He tucked it into his wallet.
She shrugged. “We’ve got a great group of people who attend on a regular basis. Bunch of us frequently gets together every Saturday night at Sigalo’s, if you ever want to join us. We’ll introduce you around.” Another playful smile. “Some unofficial matchmakers in our group, too. Damned good ones.”
He thought about how close to tears Hank sounded that morning. “Thanks. I don’t know if I’ll get there this weekend or not. My best friend from high school just moved back to town with his daughter, and he sounds like he’s not doing well.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. I want to catch up with him and spend time with him. He’s a single dad and overwhelmed. I don’t know the full story yet, but I don’t want to commit to anything until I know he’s okay.”
“Gotcha. Offer’s open-ended and still stands.”
“Thanks.”
After work, Maddox had enough time to swing by home first and change into shorts. Then he headed to the grocery store and remembered to get cookie sheets, just in case.
Hell, they could be house-warming gifts for Hank.
He remembered Hank said he hadn’t been to the store, and wouldn’t get paid until Wednesday, so he bought some basic staples like milk, eggs, lunch meat, bread, cheese, chips, juice, condiments like mayo and mustard, and snacks someone might pack in a lunch. He also added a six-pack of Shock Top to his cart and looked forward to finally having a chance to sit down and drink a beer with Hank. It was something they’d never done as teenagers, because it wasn’t worth the aggravation to either of them to try to sneak booze when their parents would let them have some if they just asked for it.
And neither of them had really liked what their parents drank, especially beer.
It wasn’t until college Maddox realized that was more a statement about their parents’ tastes than beer, and he found offerings that were more to his liking.
Once he was back in the car and on his way, he struggled to not feel nervous, to not stress over this reunion. It wasn’t like romance was in their future, right? Just a couple of old buddies reunited.
Except it was far more than that to Maddox. He might fib to Hank and not tell him exactly how he felt, but he couldn’t lie to himself.
He loved the guy. Now that Maddox had a chance to have Hank back in his life he’d do whatever he had to do tokeephim there.
Even if only as a friend.
Because…yeah.
I’m pitiful.
When he arrived he pulled into the one-car driveway and parked behind a truck with a Pennsylvania plate on the back. He’d climbed out of his car and was starting to retrieve the groceries from the back seat when the front door opened.
Maddox paused as he stared at his old friend. He also knew he was royally screwed when his heart thumped, did that thing it always used to do around Hank.
Hank wore an exhausted smile as he walked down to greet him.
Maddox forgot about the groceries and turned, wrapping Hank in his arms for a tight hug that Hank returned.
