Mick awoke the next afternoon alone, holding one of the bags of ice that had been packed around him, presumably by Josef. He allowed himself to smile at the tenderness of the gesture. Upon further exploration of the suite, (something he had not had time for the night before), he discovered a room at the back in which the largest bed that Mick had ever seen was situated, surrounded by a plush blue carpet like some kind of island. It crossed Mick's mind that this would have been much more comfortable than the leather of the sofa, had they stopped for a second to consider what they were doing. Not that Mick regretted a single moment.
Josef wasn't to be found anywhere but Mick found that this was not worrying, and began to undress for the shower at a casual pace. There was nowhere in particular he had to be today, and no-one of importance that he had to see. Perhaps he could use this time to visit some of the attractions that the beautiful city of San Francisco had to offer. Play the tourist for the day. The thought was appealing and he wondered if he could convince Josef to do the same, though it was unlikely. Wandering in the daytime was uncomfortable at the best of times, but with Josef's paranoia things might become unbearable if he thought their secret was in jeopardy.
Freshly showered and newly dressed, Mick dialled Josef's number whilst pouring himself a glass of chilled blood. He picked up on the second ring.
"Mick, good afternoon."
"I suppose you do that to all of your conquests." Mick chided dramatically. "Steal away during the night without so much as a goodbye." There was a quiet chuckle at the other end of the line, and the smile could be heard in Josef's voice when he replied.
"Pretty much. You are the first that's managed to track me down using my cell phone number, though. I suppose you took that whilst I was sleeping?"
"I'm a private investigator. I have my methods."
"I'll bet you do. Let me make my poor behavior up to you. Meet me for dinner this evening. There's a fantastically exclusive club downtown that I've been given access to. Promises to be an interesting meal, and there's a friend I would like you to meet."
Mick pretended to consider this for a minute before agreeing to go. He had to admit that the idea of going out with Josef in a capacity other than friendship was somewhat exciting. He almost felt nervous. They arranged to meet at 8 o'clock, leaving Mick with hours to kill and a city to see.
He closed the suite behind him and, reflecting his good mood, nodded politely at a passing man with a briefcase in his hand. The stranger smiled his acknowledgement jovially in return, flashing a set of bleached white teeth in Mick's direction, and was forgotten before Mick even reached the elevator.
The scenery proved to be the most breathtaking as it flew past the window of the tram he had chosen to take a tour of the city in. Built on hills, there was a new view at the crest of every ascent, each one a little more beautiful than the last. The ocean sparkled, sea foam glittering on the waves as they danced with the wind. Had he been human, Mick knew that it was in a place like San Francisco that he would have settled down. In a bittersweet fantasy, he could imagine raising children in this city and, growing old, sitting back and watching the grandchildren scampering past, playing with their friends in the safety of a suburban neighbourhood.
He enjoyed the walking almost as much as the journey on the tram. Here he could smell the sea salt on the air, felt for a moment that he could taste it on his tongue. Although he kept to the shady side of the street, he wanted to walk in the sun, feel the heat on his face even though it wouldn't have been pleasant. He would have liked to have spent this time with Josef; it felt like they should be creating memories together now. It was a consolation that they would get the evening with one another, and a bonus that they would get the rest of the night also.
Up ahead lay the shopping precinct and, on a whim, Mick decided that he would buy something new for the evening's events. With a half hour before the stores closed, he knew he would have to be quick. He picked up a handful of shirts in assorted colors, intending to decide which the best was from the comfort of his hotel room, where he would not be rushed. The cashier looked relieved by this as he rang everything through, and Mick found himself sympathising. There were many occasions where he'd seen customer's from hell shouting or complaining about poor sales assistants that were simply trying to do their job. It could make any day seem three times as long as it actually was.
Walking back through the maze of unfamiliar streets, Mick couldn't help but smile to himself. Here he was, nervous and excited about a date. With Josef, of all people. This man he had known for decades, and there were butterflies fluttering by in this stomach. In the best possible way. Once more Mick found himself comparing his previous relationship with Beth to whatever label stuck now, and realising that everything he had ever thought about love was wrong.
Was that what this was? Love? It appeared to be the case on Josef's part. He was, after all, the one who had instigated this whole affair. So far, Mick had allowed himself to be swept along in the romance of it. And he hadn't minded that at all. It was nice not to be the one calling the shots all of the time. He tried to consider the idea of feeling the same about Josef, attempted to imagine their lives together. Suddenly, the butterflies felt heavier, and the light, giddy nausea causing a lump in his throat. It was ridiculous that he felt this worried about commitment, but it was the truth.
There was only one person he wanted to talk about it with, and in the beginnings of a panic, Mick picked up the phone to dial.
Hello guys, thankyou once again for making it this far! I feel quite honoured. I edited this chapter to make it longer at a certain someone's suggestion... :) I don't know whether this is much better though haha.
Charlotte.