Page 128 of Reinventing Cato
Cato melted. “Yeah, it was.”And what had I suggested?A day in bed.Not very sensitive. Even so… He’d been hurt.
“So where are you? What are you doing?”
“I’ve been working all day. I’m just heading into town to find a place to eat.”
“Can I join you?”
“Do you think that’s a good idea? You’re not supposed to be associating with me.”
“I want to see you and I’m hungry.”
Cato chuckled. “Okay. I’ll go to Delmonico’s and have a drink until you get here. Don’t race thinking I’ll be drunk by the time you arrive.”
“I’m already in Cambridge.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
~~~
When Vigge reached the restaurant, Cato was still waiting for a table.I’m an idiot.Vigge knew he shouldn’t be anywhere near him, knew he’d be in trouble if anyone saw him, but finally, he was doing the right thing. Even though it technically wasn’t. He pulled Cato into his arms and kissed him.Are you going to pull away?But Cato hugged him. It was Vigge who eventually pulled away.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d even speak to me,” Vigge said.
“I meant to play hard to get but one look at you and I forgot.”
“I seem to be making a habit of pushing you away.”
“Yeah, you do. If you’d told me we had to stop seeing each other once I’d been interviewed, I’d have got it. And I’d have hoped that once everything was sorted out, we could be friends again, more than friends, but I can’t cope with not knowing what’s going through your head. One moment you want to help. The next you want me to go. And I get that yesterday was a terrible day, the day before had been pretty terrible for me too, and all I wanted to do was hold you, to have you hold me.”
Guilt wrapped iron claws around Vigge’s heart. “I’m sorry. Even though I was almost positive Anders was dead, there was a little part of me that hoped he wasn’t. The pain of losing him has never gone away and it never will, but yesterday brought it all back. It…flattened me. It made me question everything I’d done and remembered about that night, everything I’d thought about Hendry. I’m used to dealing with stuff on my own. Not sharing. That’s always been the case. I closed off as a teenager and never opened up again. I’ve never confided in anyone, not until I met you.”
A woman came to show them to a table. They ordered beers and she left them with the menus.
“I shouldn’t have pushed you away. Again,” Vigge said. “I’m learning what it’s like to have a friend, how to be a friend, but it appears I need more lessons.”
“I should tell you not to see me anymore,” Cato whispered. “Ihavetold you that, and I was so…happy when you said you wanted to help me even though I knew you shouldn’t. I’m torn between being glad you’re here and worried you’re going to lose your job. We need to be careful, and eating out isn’t being careful.”
The beers arrived, they ordered pizza and the waitress left.
“So…” Vigge took a deep breath. “Your job offer.”
“I hadn’t even seen that email. One of your lot must have opened it. Until you said something, I had no idea they’d made an offer.”
Vigge winced. “Have you told anyone?”
Cato shook his head. “I’m not going to.”
“How long before you need to respond?”
“A few days.”
“Could you ask to delay your decision for a while? Now the investigation’s underway, things might shake loose.”
“Or I might get arrested.”
“They need evidence.”
