This chapter is set about a week after the previous one.
Lucy had begun to move on from what had happened to Paul and was engrossed in taking notes about her upcoming hospital appointments. Because of Annie's condition, she had to have more check-ups than usual to monitor the baby's development so Lucy knew that she had to be organised. However, Chris emerging from his room on his mobile brought her out of her trance.
"Ok, see you soon" he concluded to the recipient, "I love you too, bye"
Lucy looked surprised as Chris hung up, "Wow, I didn't know you and Jem were saying that to each other already"
Chris chuckled, "No, that wasn't Jem" he explained, "It was mum"
"Oh, right" Lucy nodded, then raised an eyebrow, "Hang on, you said 'see you soon'. Are you going back home then?"
Chris shook his head, "The opposite, actually. My parents are coming here" he replied, then grimaced at Lucy's confused expression, "Sorry, I know I should have warned you earlier but they only just suggested it and I couldn't turn them down"
"It's fine" Lucy assured him before glancing around hesitantly, "The sleeping arrangements might be a bit difficult, but we'll cope"
Chris shrugged, "They can have my bed while they're here" he suggested, "It's only a short visit to deliver some of my stuff so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle"
"'Some' of it?" Lucy repeated in confusion
"Yeah, I'm getting most of my stuff shipped over but my folks insisted on bringing some of the lighter things themselves" he explained
"Oh, and I guess the trip to New York is just a bonus then?" Lucy joked
Chris grinned and nodded, "Yeah, as well as getting to check up on me and how we're doing" he added
"That doesn't sound too bad" Lucy retorted, "I mean, they've been great during this whole thing"
"I know, it couldn't have been easy for them but they've been so amazing and supportive" Chris agreed, "I really don't know what I'd do without them"
Lucy nodded awkwardly, her own parents being a touchy subject, "So when are they coming?"
"In a couple of days" Chris replied casually
"Wow, that's quick" Lucy exclaimed
Chris shrugged, "That's my parents for you, they don't like to wait around" he joked, "But thanks to all of your leads I was able to book the shipping delivery straight away, and my folks didn't want to leave it too long afterwards"
Lucy grinned, "That is one of the perks of being involved with the Robinson family" she replied smugly
Chris nodded, "Yep, and I'm not going to take it for granted" he responded facetiously
Lucy chuckled, "Have you told Jem yet?"
Chris' eyes widened, "I've literally just got off the phone to my parents" he reminded her
Lucy shook her head, "I know, but I meant when you made the decision to stay"
Chris glanced away awkwardly and Lucy sighed, "Chris, didn't we go over this after the double-date?" she pointed out
Chris nodded, "Yeah, I know and I really don't want to make things weird again-"
"So tell him" Lucy instructed, "He'll be thrilled that you're staying, and he might even get to meet your parents while they're here"
Chris smiled worriedly. Although what Lucy had just said hadn't been wrong, he was nervous about all these changes in his life, and it was slightly overwhelming. Chris made a mental note before he went back to work to tell Jem about his decision as soon as he could.
xxx
Chris grinned the other members of staff as he entered the hotel. Although he had been working earlier on, it was a different atmosphere when he wasn't acting as their boss anymore. Jogging down the hallway to Conference Room 2, Chris was excited to tell Jem his big news. However, once he noticed his boyfriend clearing the equipment from the lesson away with a forlorn expression, Chris was worried.
"Hey" he greeted cautiously as he entered the room
Jem noticed him and although his whole demeanour brightened, he was still visibly upset about something, "Hi"
"Is something wrong?" Chris asked as he approached
Jem shook his head, "No, it's nothing" he replied awkwardly
Chris stopped in front of him and folded his arms, "It's obviously not 'nothing'" he replied, "Did something happen during the class?"
Jem shook his head, "No, and that's the problem" he murmured bitterly
Chris was confused, "What do you mean?"
"Nothing happened" Jem repeated, "As in, nobody came"
"Oh" Chris breathed in disappointment, "Sorry"
Jem shrugged, "It's not your fault" he assured him, "I'm just not sure how much longer I can keep doing these sessions because I'm not making a profit and I'm actually losing money as we speak"
"But you love doing this job" Chris pointed out
Jem nodded, "I do, and it's my only real source of income" he told him, "Although I'm not getting much of that anymore"
"Is it really that bad?" Chris asked, "I mean, it's only one session that nobody turned up to"
Jem shook his head, "Actually, there's been less and less people each week" he muttered, "At least you turned up, even if you did miss the entire thing"
Chris sniggered, "If I'd have known, I would have come earlier" he told him, "But I was kind of busy and I thought it would be better to tell you after the session anyway"
"Tell me what?" Jem asked
"That I'm not going back home" Chris replied, "I'm staying in New York, officially"
Jem grinned, "That's awesome!" he exclaimed, pulling him down for an eager kiss. Jem forgot about his job for a few moments in his excitement that his boyfriend was sticking around.
Chris pulled away, "But now I feel weird telling you this while you're having problems with your job"
Jem shook his head, "Don't worry about it, your news was definitely worth it" he assured him before bitterly adding, "I can think about my failing business later"
Chris bit his lip and tried to come up with a way to improve Jem's mood, "Actually, do you have any plans for the next couple of days?"
Jem shook his head, "Apart from avoiding checking my finances, nope"
Chris chuckled at his boyfriend's dry attitude, "Well my folks are visiting on Friday, and I'd love for you to meet them"
Jem smiled, "Yeah, that sounds great" he replied enthusiastically
"And I'm also getting a load of my stuff shipped over tomorrow, so I'm enlisting Andrew and Tash to help me move it all and set everything up" Chris continued, "It would be great if you could join us"
"Well I'm not sure how much help I'll be" Jem replied, gesturing to his wheelchair
Chris shrugged, "Even if you just help to assemble some of it, that would be better than nothing" he replied, "And we can all help you come up with a way to salvage your job"
"Oh, so you're suddenly an expert at running a business, are you?" Jem teased
"Well, not really" Chris muttered, "But Andrew's the closest thing to an entrepreneur that we're gonna get, so you might as well take advantage"
Jem held his gaze, "I guess that's an offer I can't refuse"
Chris grinned, "Great" he exclaimed before rushing over to the storage area and grabbing a basketball before hopping into a wheelchair.
"What are you doing?" Jem asked slowly
Chris dribbled the ball, "What does it look like?" he questioned, "Since I couldn't make it to the original session, how about we have our own private one?"
Jem raised an eyebrow, "Am I gonna get paid?" he asked teasingly
Chris shrugged, "Maybe"
Jem chuckled and shook his head in amusement as Chris steered the chair past him. Although he was worried about his finances, Jem wasn't going to accept money from his own boyfriend, but he desperately hoped that he could find a way to save his job before it was too late.
xxx
As Chris had planned, Andrew, Tash and Jem all collaborated to move and assemble Chris' items that had been transported overseas.
Chris let out a breath as he glanced around his refurbished room, "And that's the last of it!" he announced, "Thanks again for all your help, guys"
Tash shrugged, "It wasn't a problem"
Andrew scoffed, "You can hardly talk, you just stood there for most of it while we did all the hard work"
"Yeah, even I did more than you" Jem agreed, "And I can't even use my legs!"
Chris crouched down next to him to sling an arm around his shoulders, "And you suggesting that we use your wheelchair to move the heavy stuff was genius"
Tash snorted, "Yeah, only because Pickles and Freckles couldn't actually carry it between them"
Andrew rolled his eyes, "And now we're back on the subject of what you did to help" he retorted, "Apart from set feminism back a few centuries"
Tash looked appalled and Chris jumped up, "Ok, before Tash blows a gasket, why don't we change the subject?"
Tash chuckled, "Once a mechanic, always a mechanic" she joked, receiving a smirk from Chris.
The conversation was quickly changed to the subject of Jem's job dilemma, which fortunately Andrew was eager to contribute his ideas to. Whilst they were deep in discussion, Chris took another look around his room and was overcome with a sense of nostalgia. The room had been empty for over a month, almost symbolising the blank slate that he had after he had arrived, but it was also a reminder that this wasn't going to be a permanent move. Now that it was filled with items from the past twenty years of his life it felt like a nod to the past but also paved the way for his future, which was now in New York.
Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up in due course: I have a vague plan for the next few chapters, but if anyone wants to contribute their ideas for other points in the story, don't hesitate to let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!
