Ace
Ace picked Phoenix up at five the next afternoon. The sun wouldn’t set for at least another hour and a half. That would give them plenty of time to eat and watch the sun go down in the park. As long as Phoenix grabbed a jacket on the way out, they would be fine.
He knocked on the door and waited, hearing Lucy bark on the other side. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Ace’s mouth went dry. Phoenix had his hair down. It fell in waves to his shoulders, and looked as though he’d put some kind of product in it to tame it. He was dressed perfectly for an evening at the park, wearing a checkered blue and orange shirt that looked like it had only been worn a handful of times. Unlike the rest of the shirts Ace had seen him in, this one was free of charcoal dust.
“You look fantastic,” he said.
Phoenix ducked his head. “Thank you. So do you.”
Ace felt a tingle of pride. He’d chosen his clothes with care, just as he had the day of the first interview. Today, he’d done a little bit extra—khakis, a white t-shirt, and a dark denim button down, the sleeves rolled up.
“Thanks.” He smiled and reached down to pet Lucy. “So, shall we?”
“Yeah, sure. Let me put Lucy away and then we can go.”
“You don’t have to do that. The park’s dog-friendly, and it might help you feel more at ease if she comes along.” Phoenix bit his lip, but Ace continued. “I mean it. I have the truck. She’ll fit.”
“If you’re sure,” Phoenix said hesitantly.
“I am. I want you to be comfortable, and besides, I like her.”
A shy smile flickered across Phoenix’s lips. “She likes you, too.”
“Then that settles it. She’s coming with us. She can wait in the truck while we get our sandwiches. It isn’t too hot out.”
Phoenix nodded and grabbed a jacket and Lucy’s leash from the hook by the door. Moments later, they started off, Lucy settled between them in the seat of the truck. Walker’s Deli was just off Broadway, so it only took a few minutes to get there.
The line wasn’t long, and Ace was thankful for it. He worried that it would be too crowded, and Phoenix wouldn’t feel comfortable. They ordered quickly—sandwiches, chips, and drinks—and then headed to the park. Ace had packed a picnic blanket, so they could sit on the ground. The park had a number of picnic tables, but they were all under an awning, and usually reserved for birthday parties.
When they pulled in the parking lot, there were a few other cars there. Ace grabbed the food bag and blanket and walked around to the passenger’s side to open the door for Phoenix. “Is it all right if I hold your hand?” he asked.
Phoenix nodded, so Ace took his hand and led him down the trail. There was a secluded spot not too far away that he wanted to show Phoenix and Lucy. The trail wound through a grove of trees. Most people stuck to the path, but just through the trees was a little clearing—the perfect place to eat. When Ace found it, he stopped and looked over at Phoenix.
“What do you think?” His heart beat a little faster than normal, both from the walk and from his nervousness. He wanted this to be perfect.
Phoenix was looking around the clearing, smiling broadly. “I think it’s beautiful. It feels magical—like druids performed rituals here.” He seemed to realize what he said, because his smile dropped immediately, and he looked a bit embarrassed. “Sorry. That probably sounds stupid.”
Ace shook his head. “No, not at all. That was what I thought the first time I found it.”
“How long ago did you find it? The park wasn’t here when you left.”
“I started coming to the park to run when I moved back. When I found this place, I started practicing Aikido here. There’s something tranquil about it.”
He walked over to the center of the clearing and spread out the blanket. Immediately, Lucy walked over to one corner and lay down. She looked like she belonged there. As he unpacked their lunch, he felt Phoenix staring at him.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
Phoenix shook his head. “Will you ever let me watch you do Aikido?”
Ace hadn’t been expecting that. Aikido was something he did to clear his mind and find balance. Having Phoenix watch him would be incredibly intrusive. Then again, he supposed the same could be said for him watching Phoenix work. More so, since Phoenix used his art as a way to cope with the world around him.
“Yeah, one day,” he said. He would have to plan it in advance, for both their sake.
He pulled their sandwiches out of the bag, handing Phoenix his as they sat. Phoenix had gone with roast beef and horseradish, while Ace had stuck with a muffaletta. Walker’s made their own bread on site, which made their sandwiches even better.
Phoenix ate in silence, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. Just the opposite. That was strange for Ace. He was so used to noise every minute of his day. His job at the Boston Register had taken him out into the city every day. Even when he went home at night, the noise didn’t stop. His apartment had been on a busy street, and his neighbors liked to party.
When they finished, Ace took their trash and stuck it back in the bag their sandwiches had been in. Phoenix played with Lucy’s ear, supporting himself with his free hand. He looked completely and utterly content, and Ace was glad he could do that for him. One thing nagged at him, though—the interview. He couldn’t help but feel guilty he hadn’t told Phoenix yet. Especially since Phoenix had wanted this for so long. If the interview went well, then he’d tell Phoenix. Ace owed him that much.
“What are we supposed to do now?” Phoenix asked, looking up. He still wasn’t looking quite at Ace, but by now, Ace was used to it.
“We can do whatever you like. Talk, walk around the trail, play with Lucy…” It didn’t really matter to him. What mattered was that they were having fun, and so far, they both seemed to be.
“Talking is good.” Phoenix smiled and continued to play with Lucy’s ear. “My friends said I should talk about our common interests.”
Ace smiled at his straightforwardness. “You have good friends. So, what do you like to do other than draw? You like baking, clearly, and you like Lucy.”
“I like nature,” Phoenix said. “It’s another reason I moved to my house. The woods behind the house are wonderful for exploring, and there’s a pond where robins and warblers and chickadees come. Sometimes you can see deer, if you stay really still.”
The way Phoenix lit up when he talked about the woods brought a smile to Ace’s lips. “I missed that in the city,” he admitted. “There were parks, sure, but nothing like that. No woods, no large expanse of green space where I could just get away from everything. That was why I started up Aikido, actually. It helped me feel centered. Calm, in a city that never seemed to be quiet.”
“Why did you live there if you didn’t like it?”
Ace frowned. “I did like it. I had a job I enjoyed and friends…”
That wasn’t entirely true, though. His friends had all been colleagues from work. Sure, they went out for drinks every now and again, but he only had one or two he could actually go and do things with, and none he could ever rely on in an emergency. When his dad had died, there had been no one to console him—no one to collect his mail while he was gone.
“You don’t sound very convincing.” Phoenix was staring at him intently, as though he could see right through him. Ace didn’t like that.
“I loved my job, okay? I loved the people I got to meet and living in a big city. There were more opportunities and no one knew your name or your entire life’s story.”
He didn’t have to embellish that. There was an anonymity he relished.
“I upset you, didn’t I?” Phoenix twisted his fingers, looking down at the blanket.
Ace sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped. No, it wasn’t perfect, but I really, really liked my job.”
Silence fell again, and Ace swallowed. He didn’t know what to say. Maybe this had been a bad idea. After all, he wasn’t sure where he was going after this. Maybe he was just being cruel by taking Phoenix out on a date. But the attraction was there. He really did like him. And since he hadn’t known how long he was going to be in Wilmingson, he hadn’t felt bad about it.
“Do you want to go walk around the trail?” he asked finally.
Phoenix nodded and they stood, Ace grabbing the blanket.
“Is this going well?” Phoenix asked. “I don’t know how to tell.”
Ace took his hand. “I think it’s going well. Are you enjoying it?”
“Yeah, except for upsetting you.”
“You didn’t. I overreacted, and I really am sorry.”
“Okay. Then yes, I’m enjoying it.”
Smiling, Ace led them back to the trail, and they headed deeper into the woods.