Silver & Black (12 page)

“Mmmm―everything looks delectable,” Deborah says as she scans her menu. “What looks good, Bri?”

He lays his hand on mine, over the one I’m using to caress his knee, and looks at me.
Apparently I look delectable.
I start to skim my menu. I have no clue what this stuff is. The waitress comes to the table. Deborah orders first.

“What are you getting, baby?” Silver asks me.

I lean into him and whisper, “Silver, I have no clue what any of this stuff is.”

“I’ll order for you. I know you like chicken, right.” I nod. He orders some chicken dish I can’t pronounce. The server goes to put our order in and then returns with a bottle of wine. She pours us all a glass then leaves the remaining bottle in a bucket of ice by our table.

“So how did you two meet?” Deborah asks as she sips her wine.

“He worked at one of my coffeehouses.”

“Oh, that’s convenient.” She laughs. “Well, I hope that you can join us at my engagement party Saturday. You can be Brian’s plus one.”

“Uh.” I look at Silver. “I guess if it’s ok with him.”

“Of course, I would be honored. You can meet the rest of my bossy family.”

The server brings our salads. I watch Silver and Deborah dig into theirs. I glimpse at the table setting and I have no clue what fork to use.
Why do they have more than one fucking fork anyway?
Is it funny that Levi’s
Pretty Woman
analogy is becoming more realistic? I feel like a classless idiot.

Deborah notices my confusion. “Honey, just use whatever one you want. Fuck the rest.” She grins.
I like Miss Silver.

The rest of the meal goes flawlessly and we engage in some interesting conversation. They talk about their childhood and their parents. Deborah teases Brian about Marcus and other men he dated.
Loved that!
And Silver teased her about the other men she dated as well. Deborah tells me about her fiancé, Dr. Thomas Shultz. Before we know it, it’s an hour and a half later and we are finishing a dessert that Deborah insisted we try. 

“Oh, I have beyond ruined my diet.” She giggles.

“Oh, me too,” Silver jokes and places his arm around the back of my chair.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I should really get going. I don’t want to be carrying my laundry to the laundromat when it gets dark.”

“They don’t have a washer and dryer in your apartment?” Silver frowns.

“No not even in the basement. Good thing too, because that basement creeps me out. Thank you so much for lunch, Deborah. It was very nice talking with you. I learned a lot.” I grin over to Silver and stand up. I lean down to her cheek and kiss it softly.

“You are a breath of fresh air, Greyson. I’ll see you soon, hon.” I nod. “Wait! How are you getting home? We can pay and I’ll take you,” she asks.

“No, it’s fine. My place isn’t far from here. I’ll take the subway. Please, you two stay and enjoy some sibling bonding.”

“Deborah, I’m going to walk Greyson out. I’ll be right back,” Silver says and clasps my hand as we walk out onto the busy New York sidewalk. “
You are
a breath of fresh air,” he says, half teasing his sister’s words and half being honest. “Thank you for coming.”

“I had a good time, really. Your sister is awesome.”

“I would have to agree. She is great.” He wraps his arms around me and holds me tight. I look up and kiss him.

“I have to go, but I think next time we’ll make sure that the door is locked so I can get your self-control hard again.” He rolls his head back and laughs.

“Deal,” he simply states. It’s hard to tell if he’s serious or not.

“Deal? Really?”

“Hmm… You hold the power, Mr. Black. I’m weak when it comes to you.” His lips close on mine. My heart feels like it skips a beat. His kiss does that to me every time. “Will you text me or call me later?”

“For sure. I should go. The next train should be here soon.” I kiss him one more time and turn to walk away. He holds tight to one of my hands and pulls me back. I tilt my head and glare at him. He releases his grip and watches me walk to the nearby subway stop. I offer him a wave before disappearing down the stairs.

~Chapter Thirteen~

I fucking hate doing laundry. I despise everything about it. It would be so much easier if I had a washer and dryer in my apartment and I didn’t have to go to this fucking laundromat. Silver texts me after I left the restaurant and offers to buy Levi and I an apartment-sized stacking combo, but of course I told him no.
Maybe I should let him
. He’s always thinking of me in ways to make my life easier; like the job. I just can’t let stuff like this go. I’ve had to basically take care of myself since my mom passed away. It was easier just to take care of myself than to deal with my dad, so I learned not to depend on anyone else. I learned early on that the only one responsible for me is me. Changing my thinking to let Silver do how he’s learned, spoil others as like he says, is going to be hard to get used to.

I sort all my clothing: whites, lights, and darks and put them into three different washers. I guess that’s one good thing about the laundromat; multiple washers and dryers make for faster results. This small storefront laundromat is always empty midday. It’s not the best looking place either, but it gets the job done. I look around for a chair to sit on; all of them are broken.
Nice.
No one’s here so I plop up onto one of the folding tables and rest my back against the wall. I brought the phone Silver gave me. It has internet-access so I figure I could look for a job.

Twenty minutes later,
nothing.
Job hunting is going to be very challenging. I need something that works around my school schedule in the fall. It’s my last year before I graduate. I should have finished already, but life got in the way. Here I am almost twenty-three years old still finishing my degree, but I’m finishing and that’s all that matters.
I’m proud of myself.

I shuffle my clothes from the washer to the dryer then take my place back on the table. No more job hunting. I’m going to play on my new phone a little. Silver is floating in my head. He consumes my thoughts lately.
I kind of like that.
He talked about his eye disease.
Wonder what it is?
I type in macular dystrophy in the search engine.

Oh, my―
All I can do is read and shake my head. I can’t believe he went through all this. He’s still going through this
.
I can see now why he wants to experience everything and why he wants me to help him. I haven’t known him long but I already feel a connection. Maybe this is why I was brought into his life. It puzzles me; everything about this is confusing.
Why do I feel so much for a man I just met?
That’s not like me. It took me over a year to admit that Jeff was more to me than I thought. I’m not saying that I’m in love with Silver, but I can say that I’m in definitely in like. And I do like he’s so confident about liking me. 

He’s not the type of man to whom I am usually attracted to.
He’s better.
I keep reading some chilling testimonies on a blog from people that suffer and live with macular dystrophy. It all hits me and it all starts to make sense: the sunglasses, his school, the driver, and his entire staff. He said he loves his staff and he couldn’t be without them. The fact is he needs them; they’re essential. He’s one of the lucky ones that have the means to employ them to maintain his independence. I get now why he wants to help; to help men like Brady. Everything about Silver is miraculous to me. There’s a reason, but he’s yet to divulge the reason he sought me. The fact is….
He needs me; I need him.
I already know that. I just have to sort it out in my head―
and heart
. I glance down at the screen on my phone. My eyes start to tear as I research more and I can’t go on. I can’t read any more of what may happen. He’s optimistic and I’m going to be too.
I need to talk to him.
I scroll to my text screen.

Me: Hey…. What are you up to?

I wait and he doesn’t respond.
Do I text again? Does it make me sound desperate?
The dryer beeps suspending my thoughts. I jump down, drag out all the warm clothes, and throw them onto the table. I fold as fast as I can, glancing down at my phone in hopes that it will beep with a text from Silver. I stack all the clothing into the laundry basket and put my phone into my pocket.
Maybe he’s in a meeting.

I grab my basket and turn to walk out. I freeze when I glance through the window of the storefront and I see him, the man that followed me through the alley. He’s standing there with a dark gray hoodie zipped up to his chest shielding his head, sunglasses hiding his eyes. I drop my basket and he scatters. I run out the door trying to catch him and he’s gone.
Where the fuck could he have gone that fast?
My phone beeps startling me. 

Silver: I was in a meeting at the club. Everything ok? I miss you.

I run my hand through my hair as I stare blankly at the crowded street. I go back into the laundromat and pile the clothes back into the basket. I just want to get the fuck out of here.
I’ll text Silver when I get back home.
  My text message beeps again.

Silver: Hope you’re not mad at m
e
I wasn’t ignoring you. Please text or call to let me know you’re ok. 

I basically run home clenching my basket, watching every person that comes close to me. Paranoid doesn’t even begin to explain how I feel right now.
I’m not going through this again!
I get home rush through the door and lock it. Levi is there and he looks at me like I’m crazy.
Fuck, I feel crazy.

“You ok, Grey?” Levi asks. He’s dressed for work. I just stand there with my back pressed against the closed apartment door clenching the basket. He walks over and pries the basket from my hands. “I’ll take that as a ‘no’. What happened?” He snaps his fingers in my face to knock me out of my anxious trance. “Honey, you’re scaring the shit out of me right now. Answer me.”

“I’m ok.” I check the lock on the door and go sit on the couch letting my face rest in the palms of my hands. “I think someone’s following me.”

“Grey, do you think it’s
him
?” Levi sits next to me and pulls my head to his chest. “Are you sure?”

“I saw him, uh, twice now. I thought the first time was a random encounter, but this wasn’t―I saw him standing in the window of the laundromat staring at me, watching me.”

“You saw him? Is it―” Levi doesn’t have a chance to finish before I jump in.

“I don’t know. I saw him, but I couldn’t see his face either time. He was covered for the most part.” I sit up. “I’ll be ok. I just freaked myself out.”

“For good reason! We need to call the police,” Levi insists.

“And tell them what? Some guy in a gray hoodie is at the same places that I am? Come on, this is New York; there’s weird stuff like this happening all the time. Do you have a cigarette?” I haven’t smoked in days, but this has me stressed. He hands me a smoke and holds the lighter for me.

“It’s better to tell them instead of waiting to see what the jackass will do. I’m going to call into work. I don’t want you to be alone. I’ll stay with you.” He pulls out his cell and I stop him.

“No, you need the money and it’s your big project. I can’t wait to see it tomorrow. Oh, crap I forgot to ask Silver. I’ll text him in a few minutes.”

“I’d prefer that you aren’t alone tonight. How about this, I’ll go in and then come home early.” I nod and he pulls me into a hug. “You’re my best friend, honey. I have a bat in the corner; use that bitch if you have to.” He gets up and grabs his stuff for work. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I’m a big boy. I’ll be ok. Go, please.” He leans in to kiss my cheek. I follow him to the door and lock it after he exits. My phone beeps again. It’s Silver.
Shit, I should have answered him.

Silver: Are you ok? You’re worrying me. Please just say something to let me know you are ok.

Me: I’m ok. Sorry I was in the laundromat and I get shitty signal in there.

Silver: Oh, good I was worried. Did you get everything done?

Me: Yup…. I just got home. I miss you. I think you put a spell on me ;)

Silver: I told you not to drink the potion. Now you’re stuck with me. lol I miss you too.

Me: But the potion is so, so good. Mmmm.

A little flirting is perfect to get my mind off everything.

Silver:  ;) two SOs! 

Me: I’d give you more, but your self-control keeps knocking me out of the game.

Silver:  Damn self-control

Me: Mmhmm…..hey, I really don’t want to be alone tonight. Are you busy? Levi won’t be home for a while.

Silver
:
Are you flirting with me, Mr. Black? ;)

Me: lol… Of course, but it’s not that. I realize that this was the wrong time in our messaging to ask that. I really don’t want to be alone. I’ll explain in person.

Silver: You’re wording kind of worries me, but I’ll be there in about an hour. Is that ok?

Me: That’s perfect.

Silver: I’ll bring dinner. Is Chinese ok?

Me: I just want you, but Chinese is good as well.

Silver: Your choice of words there makes me very happy, Mr. Black. See you soon.

My choice of words is a testament to how I’m feeling. I do want him. I realize I may be overreacting, but I just want Silver with me. I feel a sense of security with him that I’ve never felt with anyone else before, and frankly, I just want him to hold me in his arms. 

I clean up some. Levi is the perfect roommate. He keeps everything tidy all the time, so there’s not much to do. I refold all my laundry and put it away, throwing on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt in the process. It’s been about a half hour since I talked to Silver. He should be here soon. I pull out my phone and text Levi to let him know that I won’t be alone and that he doesn’t need to take off early. As I push send on the message I hear a knock at the door.
Silver must be early.
I answer with a big smile, but it’s not Silver. It’s Jeff.

“What are you doing here?” I look around him to examine the hall. He turns to see what I am looking at.

“I just wanted to stop by. What are you looking at?” I realize I look like a fool, but that man has me cautious.

“Nothing―stopped by for what? I told you, Jeff, I don’t want to repeat it.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I just wanted a chance to talk to you.” He stumbles and falls into me.
Fuck, he’s been drinking.
I help him stand upright.

“Jeez… Jeff, are you drunk?’” He holds up his fingers and gestures a little. “Get in here and sit down.” I pull him in and look one more time in the hall to be safe. Jeff falls to the couch and starts to laugh. I shake my head. “What the hell are you getting plowed this early In the day for?” I look at the clock and it’s only 6:00 p.m.

“Because of these,” he says holding out his phone. He has an email attachment so I click it.
What in the hell
…. It opens to pictures of me and him. Pictures of us: kissing, hugging, and one of us fucking in his office. “Nice, huh! And guess who they were sent to? One guess―fucking Callie. Who broke up with me today.”

“Jeff, who sent these?” I scroll through completely mortified for him and myself. “JEFF!” I scream. He’s hysterically laughing. “This isn’t funny!”

“I’m sorry. I know it’s not, but I don’t know who sent them. Whoever it is, I don’t know whether I want to kick his ass or kiss him.”

“This is horrible, Jeff. What do you mean?” I forward the attachment and send it to my email. I want to make sure I have copies. This isn’t a coincidence, someone wants something
.
“Jeff, it had to have had an account attached to it. Who sent it?”

“I told you. I have no clue. I thought it was sent from you, so I opened it.”
Me?

I grab my iPad and hand it to him. “Log on to your email. Come on….I have to see this.” He does as I ask and his email inbox pops up.
GreysonDBlack.xmail.com―
someone has an account with my name. I never use my full name on my email accounts and I certainly don’t have an xmail account. I save everything to my iPad. “Jeff, I didn’t send these. I swear. I think someone is watching me.”

“You think, Einstein?” He retorts back. “But this means you and I can be together.” He crawls over to me.

“No, Jeff it doesn’t. I don’t want to be with you,” I say and scoot back against the chair. He hovers over me now. I feel uneasy. He’s drunk and I don’t like it when he’s drunk. “Jeff, please move.” His face is unreadable and his eyes glazed in a haze of confusion, drunkenness, and lust.

“You owe me. My girlfriend broke up with me because of an email you sent.”

“I didn’t send it. I told you THAT and I owe you nothing.” I push him and he stumbles into me. “Jeff, pull your drunken ass together and stand up.”

“No, Grey, I need you.” He starts to kiss my neck and I push him to the floor. “What the fuck, Grey?”

“I think you have a problem hearing the word ‘no’―so let me make this clear for you and your idiotic brain. I don’t want to be with a liar. I’m NOT interested in getting back together with you.”