Chapter Nine
"I never met a chocolate I didn't like." - Deanna Troi, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Blink was waiting for him at the front desk when he came downstairs for his shift the next morning, "Hey, Kid." Mush replied, wearily. He hadn't slept very well, his thoughts turning over the situation with Vivian, how he could ease her mind a little bit, and perhaps how to find out just how much she owed Barkers. He gave Race a small nod of the head, and the Italian gave him an indecipherable look.
"That's all you got ta say ta me? 'Hey, Kid'?" Was the blond man's reply as he set down the bag he was holding and crossed his arms, blue eyes flashing dangerously, "And hows come I get ta hear about your apartment burning down from The World?"
Mush shrugged, "I didn't know where you were at and it's not like I was going ta hunt ya down aftah it happened." Hearing Blink complain about such a ridiculous thing so early and when he was so tired just grated on his very last nerves. "Didja want me ta send ya a telegram?" He added, sarcastically, as he went to punch in for his shift in David's office, realizing Race might have been signaling Blink's current foul mood.
His relentless best friend followed him, "Actually, yeah. That would have been nice considerin' I ran here two hours before my shift to find out if Race had heard anything about you bein' alive." He scoffed, "Whattya know? Not only are you perfectly fine, but Race was there for the whole thing. Knew the whole story down ta the last detail. Even knows ya got a thing for this Vivian, who I've only met once."
"Hey, leave me outta this." Racetrack yelled back to them.
They both ignored him and Mush scratched his head, trying to figure out where Blink was going with this rant, "So?" He finally inquired.
"So?" Blink repeated, looking affronted for some reason, "My best friend's apartment burns ta the ground and he can't even take a little time out of his busy life to inform me he's still alive?"
It finally occurred to Mush what the issue was and with the epiphany came a new wave of aggravation, "Oh, awright, Blink. Next time I'm saving people from a fire, I'll take a second ta write you down a note. Hey, Blink, currently fleein' a burning building. Hope the ceiling doesn't crush me as I sign my name. Mush. God, Blink, I knew you were selfish but cut me a break."
Blink's blue eyes turned cold as he froze, "Yeah, I'm the selfish one." He said it in a low, dark tone, before storming out of the office. Mush followed, angry that they were fighting. He pulled up short as Blink picked up the bag from earlier and tossed it on the counter. The momentum carried it over the counter and it landed face down on the ground as he bit out, "It's not about what happened, Mush. It's about letting me know that, in the end, you were alright."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned around and headed to the kitchens. Mush stared in speechlessness at the bag for a moment before crouching down and turning it over. The pair of black shoes spilled out onto the carpet. Sighing, Mush picked them up and stood, staring at the shoes as if they were a lost puppy. "You awright?" Race asked, looking rather confused.
"Yeah." Mush said, fingering the black laces. When he'd been hired by David, he'd spent his first pay getting four pairs of new shoes-all with matching laces. Of all the things he'd hated about being an orphan, of living on the streets, it wasn't the empty stomach or the stink of summer that had bothered him. Blink knew more than anyone else how much Mush hated having cold feet; knew he hated having shoes with holes and laces that were frayed, broke, and too short to tie.
How had he known that after the fire, Mush would mourn the shoes lost in the flames? Blink had gone out of his way to buy these shoes after hearing the news, even if he wasn't certain Mush was alright. Guilt and shame coiled in his stomach as he put the shoes back in the bag and looked at Race, "Can you wait while I talk to him?"
Race shrugged, "I guess. Good luck, though. He was pretty mad."
Mush nodded his head resolutely as he went around the counter and headed towards the restaurant. He inhaled the delicious smells as he entered the kitchens, the aromas even more brilliant to a man who knew the cold gnaw of hunger.
Blink was in the small office in the back of the kitchen, one hand clamped in his hair, the other writing furiously on a sheet of paper. He knocked lightly on the open door and the blond lifted his head up to glare defiantly at him. Not a word left his mouth; he just sat there with the pen poised over the paper, staring down his best friend of ten years.
Miserably, Mush dipped his head before bringing his gaze back up to meet his friends eyes and show him how sincere he was, "Tommy," He started, using the nickname he'd called Blink before he had started wearing the eye patch, "I'm sorry. I-It didn't even occur to me that story'd be in the papes. I didn't think ya'd hear a thing till ya came in."
His best friend nodded slowly, "I might have…ovahreacted a tad." He finally conceded, "I was a little selfish. I shouldn'ta expected you ta message me right aftah saving a woman's life in a fire."
Mush felt color rise to his cheeks, "Race tell ya about that, huh?"
He came around his desk and gave Mush a stern, reprimanding look that was uncommon on the otherwise devilish features, "Yeah, and so help me, Mush, if you'd have died for some woman that don't love ya back, I'd have gone ta hell ta kick your ass."
"Who says I'd be in hell?" The curly-headed man responded, looking affronted.
Blink shrugged, "Maybe not hell. But, when I die it'd be nice ta know I have a little company." He winked and lightly punched Mush's arm. Mush smiled and shoved him back, glad that arguments between them never lasted very long.
MmMmMmMmMmM mMmMmMmMmM
The day passed uneventfully; only one patron had a problem in their room, two people checked out, and two couples checked in. It was rather slow, but Mush got through it, occasionally visited by Blink who wasn't as resigned to the Kitchen as Mush was to the front counter. Once, around noon, Mrs. Mclean and Wesley came down to visit him and Mush talked to her for close to a half hour while the six-year-old explored the lobby. He told her about David's plans to expand the hotel in a year or so.
"It's quite grand already. What more could he possibly add?" She asked, her eyes roving around the high ceiling, the large chandelier and the entrance to the elegant restaurant.
Mush shrugged, "I don't know. His is already the top of the line. Most hotels have guest bathrooms that are shared between floors or a few rooms. But, David had each room constructed with its own private one. He's got it all figured out so that guests never have much, if anythin', to complain about."
Mrs. Mclean gave a low whistle, "Sounds like the man's trying to fill an empty hole inside himself."
Surprised at her comment, Mush gave that a little thought. Perhaps, David was a little distant and everyone knew he was a work-a-holic, but he'd never given much thought about the why of it. Of course, knowing David, he'd never find out, either. So it was best just to go along with him when he set his mind on some incredible idea. He had quite a few of them and they always seemed to work out.
Vivian came back around three, looking tired and worn as she entered the front doors carrying a paper bag in her left hand. Her gaze almost immediately went to his and he gave her a soft smile as he hurried around the counter, "Let me help you. How was work?" He asked eager to hear what she had to say and, yet, anxious about if she had an answer for him.
Letting him take the bag, she followed him over to the front counter and directed him to set the bag down, "It was fine." She replied, putting her hand into the bag and retrieving a rectangular box, "I-uh, got this. For David. In thanks for letting us stay here." She waved it towards the office, "Should I leave it in there?"
Mush took it and smiled at her thoughtfulness, "I'll put it on his desk. He had an appointment with an architecture firm." He set it on David's desk and came back out just as she pulled out a smaller, heart-shaped box.
"Um, this is for you." Vivian's face flushed red as she handed it to him, "I didn't know what your favorite was so I put all different varieties." She paused for a moment as he stared at the box in surprise before adding, "Its chocolates."
Slowly, he lifted off the top of the box and stared in wonder at the small pieces, before picking one up, "What's this one?"
Stepping closer, she smiled, "That's actually the new one I created today. I've been trying to fill the chocolates with different things but I can't get the hang of it. That one has a bit of peanut butter mixed in the batter. Next time, I'll hopefully get it in the middle."
He pressed the chocolate on his tongue and nearly moaned at the tastes that exploded in his mouth. "Oh man," He replied, "This is like…a tiny drop..of, of…mmmm, heaven." The peanut butter was so subtle, but it gave the little chocolate so much more.
"Oh, no. You gave him chocolate?" A voice said, interrupting Mush's moment with Vivian. They both turned to see Blink coming towards them, his navy blue jacket slung over one shoulder, "I'm not responsible for him." The blonde told her sternly.
Vivian's confused look met Mush's gaze and he smiled, "Chocolate gets me ah, little wound up."
"A little." Blink scoffed, "Last time he had a chocolate bar, he was bouncing off the walls."
Mush smiled at his friend as he picked up a white chocolate piece and popped it into his mouth, luxuriating in the way it melted on his tongue. "Thank you, Viv." He said after he'd finished it.
Her smile lit up her whole face and he knew he'd never met any woman more beautiful, "I'm glad you'll enjoy them." She started to turn away before casting a glance at Blink and then her blue eyes settled on his own once more, "And, uh, about…what you asked me last night?"
Eager and terrified to hear her answer all at the same time, he nodded his head as his stomach clenched in panic. What if she said no? How would he ever show her he was the right man for her if she never gave him a chance?
Vivian tucked back a stray strand of hair before her gaze dropped to the floor, "Uh, my answer is y-yes."
It took the longest moment to sink in, his brain having prepared to be shot down. As 'yes' left her mouth, his heart began to pick up double time and he wanted to dance right out of the Benjamin to tell everyone she was going to the dinner party with him.
The word, 'really' was at the tip of his tongue, but he stopped himself from asking it. He didn't want to give her a moment to say no, instead he chose, "Great! I'll meet you outside your room at six thirty?"
"Sounds good." She replied, smiling softly at him before waving good bye to both of them.
Mush stared after her retreating form as Blink sighed, "Another one bites the dust."
A/N: I'm trying to keep this fic as historically accurate as possible, although I wish they had more information on mundane, everyday life during this time. sigh. Anyway! I'm excited I got this up so fast and now I know how everything will play out! Yay! Drop me a review, let me know how much you love Blink and Mush's bromance!
Truly,
Joker is Poker with a J~
Disclaimer: You know the drill.