Then

Walking the different floors of the mansion, like he had a purpose by doing so, Jace aimlessly wandered around, pretending to look as if performing a task or doing something constructive.

He was not.

The only thing he did was wear down the soles of his shoes and perfect his thinking face.

There was nothing for him to do.

Not one thing at all that made him feel like he contributed or did something worth his time. All he did was notice the hallways, the view from the windows to the magnificent estate gardens, or the driveway into the property. Admire the priceless Russian art on the walls and the antique furniture around the rooms he entered.

Gareth's mansion was a nice place, and his taste was exquisite and expensive. Not to flash his wealth as such, more to flash his heritage and pay respect to those. Everything was a mix of stuffy British upper-class and lavish Russian royalty.

Red, white, and blue were present in many rooms. The colors of the Russian and British flags. And gold, apparently that was a must. It was tastefully done, of course. It was Gareth's house, after all. It was more in the subtleties of the furniture upholstery, the curtains, throw pillows and different porcelain items where the colors came into effect.

Still, when just walking there with no purpose, the house felt like a prison.

Or a tomb.

Empty and quiet.

There were people around. It was not a ghost town on all floors.

The kitchen and dining rooms ever buzzing with life. The residential floors had people coming and going at all hours, and Jace, too, had a small room there.

And by small, it meant big enough to be very comfortable.

The different offices had a steady stream of Gareth's men going to and from meetings with their section leaders. The basement gym was well-used, too, and the common room and parlors always held people.

It still felt quiet to Jace.

Maybe because he was bored and felt alone.

Vasili was on vacation. Nobody knew where he went on those mini vacays he took. Wherever he went, he always came back a bit depressed but ready to get back to work. Sometimes vacations just replenished people, and Vasili worked hard and deserved to unwind on a beach somewhere or at the bottom of a vodka bottle. Whichever would float his boat.

Cracker had gone off with some guys, out roughing it for survival training somewhere. Jace pitied them. Camping with Cracker was probably not like in the movies. No nice tents and roasting marshmallows while talking at the campfire.

Roarke was off being Roarke. That was part of his job. The man had more flyer miles than any human being Jace knew. From what Jace had heard, Roarke was in Monte Carlo. That part Jace would not have minded. Still, he pitied Roarke too because as glamorous as the image part of his job was, as equally horrific was the reason for it. What he saw when on the inside of life's worst nightmares had to be tough as hell.

Yelfim and Malachai were off on assignment. Yarro and Cain were back in Russia to help with something for Gareth's mother. When Zariyah said 'jump', the only answer was 'how high?'.

Gerson, whom Jace had gotten a good relationship with while living at Phoenix's place, was at work according to the schedule of the hospital ward, which meant Jace did not know when he was there. Vlad had taken Rotha with him to some meeting in Germany. And Phoenix mostly worked from home and would only be at the mansion during the daytime if Gareth wished it for meetings and stuff.

And since Gareth was not there, Phoenix had no reason to be either.

Gareth was off on a 'business trip'.

They all knew Gareth had his needs, and he took on the ladies every chance he got - not unlike the rest of them. But he had a place he went from time to time, some sex-heaven castle somewhere, where he went to get his freak on and whore his way through willing females until his dick was ready to fall off.

It was what he did, and he was easier to be around when he came back.

A happy boss was an easy boss.

All hail the sex castle of depravity.

With everybody gone, Jace was in charge.

Not that there was anything for him to be in charge of. The section leaders only contacted him if something was wrong, and they needed his advice or help. The other guys did not need him for anything much, not until the evenings when they liked it if he joined them for drinks and sports games on TV in the common room, or even a game of poker from time to time. It was so easy to socialize at the mansion. There was an abundance of food at all hours, drinks were always in stock, and Gareth had massive flat screens and game rooms with game consoles and home-casino interior.

They did not want for anything while there.

But during the day, Jace was not needed.

He was in charge of air.

And that was boring as fuck.

Overseer, his ass!

Drawing his phone from his pocket, Jace found Tana's number in his list and leaned against a windowsill, looking out over the garden as he waited for her to pick up.

"Jacey-boy. You know I can't talk when at work. I'm hiding in the book section right now," Tana whisper-yelled through the phone.

"It's not like you do anything there anyway."

Tana laughed. "True that. So, what's up?"

"I thought a coffee or something when you get off work? I have a meeting tonight, but I'd like some company until then if you don't have plans? We could grab a light bite of something too?"

"I can do that. Let's say in two hours-ish at our place by the square?"

Jace smiled big at that. A dose of Tana's enthusiasm and crazy stories from the adult store she worked at was just what he needed. Especially with the night, he had ahead of him.

Happy with the prospect of not being bored out of his skull, Jace walked with a skip to his step to his room. Maybe the day would not be a total waste.

A long shower later, he felt revitalized. Shaving and doing his hair always made him feel ready for anything. Maybe it was the vanity in him that made it so. Jace liked to look good, and it made him feel more comfortable around people he could not match in intelligence.

Though with the course Phoenix had given him, he felt absolutely empowered for the first time in his life. He had no idea if the course was anything like actual school. If it was, he had missed out, and he understood why Phoenix and Gareth loved learning so much. He had found that he loved the reading in the module and how the information slowly got stuck in his brain and made sense. The small tasks each part had him do, when done reading a section, gave him confidence in his own comprehension of the material. He had yet to send the tasks to Phoenix for approval. He was not ready to have that newfound confidence shattered if his answers were wrong.

He would have to do it soon, because the module would not let him move to the next part unless Phoenix signed off on the tasks.

Jace held potential, that much he was certain about now, and it was daunting for him to unlock that in himself. Phoenix had given him an opportunity to reach farther than Jace had ever thought possible.

How many times was that man going to save him?

Show him his worth?

For good measure, Jace checked his phone messages and his emails to be sure he had not missed anything that Gareth could have a meltdown over later and left a message with Crayden in the common room, that he went out and would be available by phone in case of an emergency.

'Their place' was a quaint diner-type café he and Tana had found one morning, walking home from a party. It was walking distance from where they lived and their usual meeting spot when just having a coffee or a quick sit down for food.

Jace walked into 'Worldwide' and was instantly met with an onslaught of different smells. The spices hung in the air and promised an exclusive taste experience. Which was why they loved coming there. 'Worldwide' served dishes from different countries, like Haggish, curries, pho, paella, and a variety of exciting meals that were hard to find in other places.

Rebecca, the usual day waitress, greeted Jace with a smile and a wave toward the sitting area in a 'pick a table' kind of way. She already knew he would not eat alone.

A quick look around the cozy room showed Jace a lot of free tables. It was not the busiest time of day since it was between lunch and dinner. He looked to see if their regular table was free and stopped dead in his tracks.

Phoenix?

And there, at a table by the far window, a couple of tables down from Jace and Tana's regular table, sat Phoenix with a cup of coffee and some baked goods, looking at his phone.

"Fancy seeing you here," Jace said with surprise when he had made his way over to Phoenix. He did not know why he had gone over there. His feet had done it by themselves, though he knew he should not bother the man.

"Jace?" Phoenix tilted his head up and had the same look of surprise on his face as Jace displayed. "You're here?"

With a roll of his eyes, Jace sat down, smiling widely. Phoenix had not appeared annoyed, just surprised. "No, I'm a figment of your imagination because you've missed me so much."

That time it was Phoenix who rolled his eyes. He had been focused on enjoying his coffee, and that enjoyment went out the window.

Sort of.

His focus had changed. The coffee was the same.

"Like I'd miss a baseball bat to the head," Phoenix grumbled at Jace's wide smile, which only grew wider with the comment.

"I didn't know you knew this place. I've never seen you here before?"

"Want me to make you a list of the places I eat?" Phoenix looked at Jace with a bored expression.

For once, Jace did not know what to say. He had not tried to be a pest or anything; he had genuinely wondered because he came to the diner a lot and had not seen Phoenix there.

Phoenix sighed. The way Jace always looked at him, waiting for him to rectify his rudeness without commenting, got to him every time. "A professor from the college took me here for a meeting. He's Greek and teaches it there, and he's obsessed with the Moussaka they make here. I had one go at an Indian curry and I got hooked. I've sampled my way through their menu since."

Ok, that was a fair explanation, Jace had to admit. And it was the same reason he came there. To try everything, though, he had a love for Coq au Vin. Yup, fancy as fuck and French, not exactly his normal style, it just tasted too good. The tender, braised meat, the onions, mushrooms, and that rich red wine sauce with smooth mashed potatoes on the side.

What was not to like?

"Moussaka, that's the one with eggplant, right?" Jace asked, to be sure he knew what Phoenix talked about.

With a confirming nod, Phoenix assured Jace he was onto the right thing. "Yeah, I don't like it. It's the consistency in my mouth, not the taste. I can't with that soggy sponge thing."

"Same. It's weird. I agree." Jace eyed the pastry things on Phoenix's plate. "What are you having?"

Lighting up with joy, Phoenix pointed at the things on his plate. There were some seashell-looking cakes, what looked like deep-fried square things with powdered sugar, some round things that looked like baked dumplings with jam and sugar, a small square of some glossy-looking flaky pastry with filling, and a slice of a brown, layered cake.

"Madeleines, a small French sponge cake. Beignets, French donuts. Æbleskiver, a sort of spheric pancake with a fluffy middle and crisp outer from Denmark. Turkish Baklava. And last, Russian Medovik." Phoenix pushed the plate across the table. "Try them."

"I won't eat your desserts," Jace announced and pushed the plate back, though really not wanting to. His mouth watered like a lion looking at a gazelle with a limp.

"Eat!"

The plate went across the table again and Jace had no choice, not that he really minded. He picked up the seashell and studied the feel by squeezing it with his fingers and then biting into it with a groan of satisfaction. "Oh, my God!"

Licking his fingers, he looked at the plate to determine which to try next. It was like a kid in a candy store. There were too many options, and Jace was no different; he wanted them all.

With the fork Phoenix held out for him with a curve of his lips, Jace took a bite of the Russian cake. He knew that one. Natalya made it all the time, and the diner's version was almost as good as hers. The Baklava was sticky and sweet, making his tastebuds sing. Without caring if he made himself a powdered sugar beard, Jace popped one of the square donut things into his mouth.

The round one, he did not know how to eat. With the fork, a spoon, or his fingers? He looked at it until Phoenix took one of them and dipped it in the jam and then in sugar, taking a large bite.

When in Rome...

Jace shrugged and did the same, moaning like a wanton slut at the first bite.

"Jesus Christ, it's like a taste orgasm." He could do nothing but lean back with his eyes closed and savor the doughy sweetness mixed with the jam. The crisp outside gave it just enough texture to be amazing. "What was this? 'Ablishivs'?"

"Æbleskiver. It means apple slices." Phoenix finished his with a content sound, thoroughly enjoying Jace's reactions. He was not afraid to try new things, and Phoenix liked that about him. "But there are no apples in them at all."

Jace looked confused at that.

"Don't ask," Phoenix said, lifting his hands to show he had nothing to do with it. "I have no clue, either. It's the Danish, they're weird. The Vikings were cool, and it went downhill from there."

That made Jace grin.

"Whatever they're called, they're fucking delicious. Think we can get Gareth to make an import deal with Denmark, or send Natalya there to learn how to make them?"

"Or we could just eat them here?" Phoenix replied with a chuckle.

"Don't rain on my parade. I liked my suggestions." Jace pouted and snatched the last Appleshivel from the plate. He did not care what they were called or if he could even pronounce it. It was his, and Phoenix could suck it if he tried to keep it from him.

Jace would fight him for the last one.

"Shouldn't you be knee-deep in work?" he mumbled with his mouth full of heavenly goodness.

Phoenix scoffed and drank some of his coffee to clear the sugar from his throat. He liked the taste of sweets, but he rarely ate much of them. He had ordered the dessert plate to try a bit of everything but never intended to finish it all. If going for sweet things, Phoenix chose caramel bonbons, the occasional dessert, or ice cream. Ice cream was his weakness. Preferably fruity ones like mango, raspberry, or lemon. But a good champagne sorbet would make him happy too.

"I've been on/off all day because of time-zone-dependent meetings. I try to manage my time in between, and I had a few hours before my next appointment."

"Same for me. I'm here to kill some time before my meeting later. I've tested limits for boredom at the mansion." Jace paused.

What he had just said made it sound like he was lazy and could have spent the time on the course Phoenix had given him. With Phoenix's knack for efficiency, he would obviously think that if Jace had time and nothing better to do, he could have done the module.

"I've done the module tasks for the first part of what you sent me. I can't do more until you've approved it."

"Oh." Quickly, Phoenix found his phone to check for a notification on Jace's module tasks. "I'm sorry. I would have looked it over and approved it, but I've not received anything. Maybe there's a glitch..."

"No, I've not sent it yet." Squirming with having to admit it to Phoenix, Jace looked down in shame. "I think I was afraid that it would be wrong, and I'd feel stupid if you didn't approve it."

"You know I'd never laugh at you if you got something wrong, right?" Phoenix said, folding his arms across his chest. It had occurred to Phoenix that Jace would doubt himself, which was why he had modified the module to fit him. To build confidence and understanding. Maybe to incite normalcy around sending his tasks and not be afraid.

A few successes and Jace would feel it as a routine to do a part and get approval for the next one.

"Jace, if one answer should be wrong, I'll tell you, and all you have to do is read the part again and do the task over, or we can discuss it to see where you went wrong, and then you can try again."

"I know, I'm just..."

"Afraid of failing?" Phoenix whispered gently, leaning forward and placing his hands non-threateningly on the table, knowing Jace would not want people to hear or feel ambushed. "Jace, mistakes are normal. We all make them from time to time, especially when learning and doing things out of our comfort zone. You show me a person who claims to have never made a mistake, and I'll show you a liar in return."

There was nothing but genuine honesty in Phoenix's words. His face and posture only underlined that he spoke the truth, and not just a truth that he believed, but a truth all should believe.

Jace included.

"You don't make mistakes."

"Is that what you think?" Phoenix asked with surprise.

Was that how Jace saw him?

As a robot who just did his shit and never had to think about anything or doubt himself?

That was so far from the truth. Being smart and knowing a lot did not make him perfect. It made him lucky and definitely gave him an edge, but it had taken years to learn what he knew and how to use his knowledge in the real world and not just as an abstract in a classroom.

"I might be very good at my job, but I have to check, double-check, and sometimes triple-check to be sure I get it right. I do that because I know I'm not infallible. That's just at work. About eighty percent of the time I open my mouth outside of a work situation, I know that I have a chance of saying something that does not go over well."

Why was it that when with Jace, Phoenix felt ok with revealing personal things like that? He had never been that open with anybody, ever. Never felt that people would understand that social interaction for him was like skydiving for a person with a fear of heights.

And he had to face his fears almost daily.

"I fear looking stupid just as much as you do. Maybe even more, because I can't laugh it off or charm my way out of it. I don't know how."

It made sense.

Jace sat there, pondering what Phoenix had said. Looking at it, it made so much sense with what he already knew about Phoenix. Maybe that was why the man understood Jace so well? That they were alike in a way?

Somehow.

Their issues might not be the same, but they still felt it and lived it.

"I get it." Jace nodded in understanding and held up his hand for Rebecca to come over. "Can I get an iced tea and some of those Apple-thingies?"

"Æbleskiver?"

"Yeah, those."

Rebecca smiled. "Three or five?"

"I can get five? Hell yeah!" Jace fist-pumped in the air with joy.

Rebecca shook her head at Jace and left the table after Phoenix had asked for another cup of coffee.

"If you're meeting somebody, shouldn't you save your appetite?"

"Have you seen me eat?" Jace pointed at Phoenix with the fork he had just used to scoop a large bite of Phoenix's Medovik into his mouth.

The sound Phoenix made was the closest to a laugh Jace had heard to date.

"I have. You eat like a girl who just had her heart broken."

There was nothing but a cheeky grin on Jace's face when he leaned back in his seat, licking his lips free of powdered sugar from the Madeleine he had snatched too. "But without the chick flicks and crying, mind you."

Phoenix felt his lips curl up in a half smile. He enjoyed sitting there with Jace. He liked talking with him, knowing that he could say what was on his mind and not over-analyze everything before talking. It felt to him like Jace found it just as humorous as Phoenix found Jace's comments.

It liberated him that Jace did not comment on the things Phoenix said that were a tad off. He did not make faces or joke about it. He used that fast brain of his to smooth things over and sort of translate for Phoenix with a comment or a question.

On many occasions, Phoenix wished he knew how to express his gratitude.

Rebecca soon came back with their order and left them to talk.

"So, who are you meeting?"

"A girlfriend."

Why did that make him oddly disappointed?

It was not like Phoenix did not know that Jace was supposed to meet somebody, and he himself had a meeting to go to. It still irked him that their conversation had to stop at some point.

Phoenix did not know why he felt like that.

He spent time with Cracker, and Roarke when he was in the country. He accepted their company, and they liked many of the same things. Same with Gareth. They had known each other for a long time, and their relationship was solid. It was good, and they got along great in business and while socializing.

Still, it always held a purpose he could use to justify when spending time with them.

Jace, for some reason that seriously eluded him, he just liked to be around.

Without a specific purpose.

Jace saw how Phoenix changed right in front of him. He wished he knew what went through the man's head. Whatever it was, it did not make him a happy camper. The light he had briefly had in those grey eyes just went out. His crooked smile, gone. He fell quiet and put on that stoic mask that Jace hated because it was like an impenetrable shield, and he had worked hard to earn his way past it.

Like when they had lived at Phoenix's apartment after the accident, he had worked on Phoenix like a puppy trying to persuade an owner to pay it attention. It had been a slow and bumpy, ok, grumpy ride, but it had worked though.

And it had been worth it.

The small tidbits of information Phoenix offered him from time to time showed that Phoenix was warming up to him. Maybe he did not like him, but he cared in a way, as he had said at Gareth's birthday party. He cared enough to teach him and build his confidence to get a degree. That was remarkable progress.

When Phoenix hid behind his mask, Jace got worried.

"Are you ok?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" A dismissively waved hand, and concentration on something suddenly undeniably interesting on Phoenix's phone, closed that conversation.

Inwardly, Jace sighed.

Baby steps.

Baby steps and it would be ok, he told himself.

He did not have time to ponder how to draw Phoenix back out of his shell. A loud 'Jacey' sounded through the diner.

Phoenix had looked at his phone, staring at nothing. The squeal following the exclamation had his head snapping up and turning to see who was the one to yell like that in a public place.

And at Jace?

A short woman in a tight, red tank top with a worn-out denim jacket hanging off her finger over her shoulder, wearing a black miniskirt and fishnet stockings, charged at Jace, her brown curls blowing back with her speed.

Phoenix did not like her at first glance.

Jace, who had gotten up from his seat, barely caught the woman when she jumped up and clamped her skinny legs around Jace's waist and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him all over his face while Jace spun her around, making her squeal again.

Yes, Phoenix definitely disliked her.

"Jacey, I got off a bit early to give us more time," she said with excitement and planted more kisses on Jace's face.

With a stoic expression, Phoenix sat back to observe how the woman kissed Jace. She swung her bangs and batted her long, heavily painted eyelashes at him. Her mouth puckered in a pout until Jace leaned in with a cheeky, flirtatious smile.

The boy was smooth.

No wonder he left every bar and nightclub they had been at with a new companion for the night. That smile alone had the women's panties dropping.

"I'm glad you did, sweet cheeks." Jace gave her a kiss like he always did. It was normal for them and meant nothing. Tana was his friend and a lesbian. There was nothing between them. He noticed the people in the diner sent them curious looks and Phoenix...

Yeah, he did not look like he was prepared to be up close and personal with that kind of affection.

Carefully, Jace let Tana down and patted her hair while smiling at her.

"Why are you not at our usual table?" Tana looked at their table because it was free. Then she noticed Phoenix, who looked at her like he wanted to kill her, or at least get rid of her. She pointed accusingly at Phoenix. "And who's General Gloom and Doom?"

A pair of golden-specked hazel eyes narrowed in on Phoenix, and the words pulled him out of his thoughts. He blinked a few times and focused on the woman's face. Button nose, soft features, delicate eyebrows, and pouty lips fit well with her brown curls with a few bangs, falling into her eyes over her forehead. She had curiosity plastered all over her face while she eyed him closely.

Jace killed a laugh and tried really hard to keep his face borderline neutral. "Tana, he's a colleague of mine," Jace intervened swiftly, trying to ease Phoenix's social awkwardness.

"Phoenix." Phoenix stretched out his hand to the tiny woman.

"Tana." She grabbed Phoenix's hand and studied it with awe compared to her own smaller hand.

When Tana had not let go of Phoenix's hand, and Phoenix looked obviously uncomfortable with the way Tana stared at him without making conversation, Jace swatted her hand out of Phoenix's hand.

"Don't mind her, she was raised in a barn. She's got no understanding of personal boundaries and social etiquette."

"That makes two of us," Phoenix said in all honesty. He had not understood the joke, obviously.

Tana rolled her eyes dramatically at Jace and huffed. She cocked her head and studied Phoenix. Everything from his man bun of dark hair and intense stare to his expensive suit in a dark grey color to match his eyes.

Handsome, but not friendly at all.

"So, who stole your pacifier and pissed in your cereal?" she asked and scooted into the seat nearest the window, leaving the chair opposite Phoenix for Jace. Placing her elbows on the table, she rested her head in her hands and waited for a reply.

"Tana, please don't." Jace tried to give Phoenix an apologetic smile that had no effect whatsoever.

"Don't what? He looks like he's had a pineapple shoved up his ass."

Phoenix did not react at all to the words; he just sat there, trying to control his temper. His legs tensed up, and his spine felt ready to snap from keeping his posture with the tension in him.

He really did not like her. She fired up emotions in him that were unnerving, and that was new for him. Normally, he resorted to one of two options: to not give a shit and block out the person because he did not care or to walk away.

Neither was possible for him there.

"Phoenix, excuse her. Her parents dropped her on her head as a kid. Really, she should know better." Harshly, Jace gave her an elbow to the side, making his point to Tana. "She's the friend I told you would come."

"Best friend," Tana clarified as if it mattered.

At least that one Phoenix knew was untrue. That was Gareth. He doubted anybody came close to the status Gareth held in Jace's life. Not even that foul-mouthed woman.

Anyway, Jace's date had arrived, and he needed to leave soon. With how things were, the sooner the better.

"I should get going." Abruptly, he got up and searched for his wallet in his pocket.

"No, don't leave." Jace shot out his arm and grabbed Phoenix's wrist to stop him. The second Phoenix narrowed his eyes and looked down at where Jace held him, Jace let go like Phoenix was on fire. "I mean, stay. At least finish your coffee," Jace stammered, realizing Phoenix was not happy with what Tana had said. In fact, it annoyed him too, for some reason. Usually, she was very outspoken, and he did not care. With Phoenix, that was different.

Phoenix frowned.

He still felt Jace's grip on his wrist, and the tingles made him think back to the day when he had woken after the operation. His entire arm tingled, and his wrist itched. He fisted his hands to not scratch at where Jace had touched him and sighed.

He sat down again.

Even Phoenix felt the awkwardness at the table.

"So, how did you two meet?" He sipped his lukewarm coffee and hoped he ventured into acceptable waters with his question.

It had been polite, right?

God, he wanted to be anywhere but there.

Tana perked up. "Oh, it was a little over three years ago, right, Jacey?"

Jace just nodded and relaxed a bit because the tension at the table seemed to dissipate slowly. Phoenix's face had not changed at all; it was more the oppressing waves of latent anger from him that changed.

Phoenix looked at Jace.

Three years?

He thought Jace had been by Gareth's side always. Why Jace had moved to Dublin before Gareth even thought about getting a job there, he did not understand. Phoenix tried to think about it, but Tana's voice kept him from being alone with his thoughts.

"Well, Jace was moving into my building. I ran into him by accident, and he dropped a dresser on his foot. I offered him dinner when he had finished moving in as a sorry, and the rest is history."

Ok, not only did he get the boiled-down version with no real details, but he also got the information that they lived in the same fucking building?

Why did that bother him?

Gulping down his coffee while Tana blabbed about her friendship with Jace, Phoenix tried to concentrate. He just could not. Eventually, he had enough and stood up, looking at his phone. "I'm sorry, but I have a meeting. I wasn't supposed to be here this long. Jace, I'll talk to you soon, I guess. It was nice meeting you, Tana."

Phoenix left the table before Jace had a chance to say anything. He just stared after Phoenix, who went to the register to pay and left without looking back.

"I don't like him," Tana said, pouting.

"He's a nice guy. Don't be so judgmental. I thought you liked everybody?" Under the table, Jace rubbed his sweaty palms against his pants.

Why did it bother him that Tana did not like Phoenix?

"Yeah, I do. But he gave off a vibe I don't like."

"What vibe?" Jace asked with surprise and looked at Tana like she had said she was a unicorn.

"Like he doesn't like you. And me he definitely didn't like."

"He doesn't like me. But he respects me, and that's a hell of a lot coming from him. Besides, he's a good man, and I don't like that you treat him poorly."

If he could have told her how Phoenix had saved him, how he had encouraged him to take the course to get his degree. The way the man praised him at work and all those weird, insignificant gestures over the year they had known each other, Tana would understand. She would see Phoenix the same way Jace did.

Like...

Like what?

Jace did not have a word for it. It was more a feeling than something he could slap a label on to explain it to himself and others. It was that strange urge to want to show him that the potential Phoenix saw in Jace was not wasted. The anxiety of walking a thin line all the time to not ruin the progress they had made.

It was trust.

A two-way kind of trust, where they revealed their inner fears, and secrets, and maybe someday would do it without questioning themselves when doing it.

Like friends, maybe?

"But he was rude."

"Was he?" Jace asked pointedly, with a hard stare. "As I recall it, you insulted him before the man had a chance to say hello and several times after, even though he tried to reach out and be friendly. He felt he was not welcome and offered to leave, and then he was polite enough to ask about us, rather than sit and be pissed when he wasn't allowed to leave."

Tana did not argue.

It was rare that Jace raised his voice.

"Ok, I get it. I'm sorry."

Jace scoffed. "Don't apologize to me. I'm not the one you offended. Just be better next time. You don't know how he's put his neck out for me at work."

That was a gross understatement, but the best Jace could say without going into details. Tana luckily got the hint and looked fittingly remorseful, not asking questions. It was strange, most others he would have left to fend for themselves.

Why did he feel the need to stick up for Phoenix?

It was not just the gratitude from Verno's. There was more behind it, and Jace did not know how to explain it.

"So, are we good?" Tana peeked at Jace from under her lashes, not sure if Jace was really mad at her.

"Of course, we are, you stupid girl."

A sigh of relief escaped Tana's lips, and she lit up with a bright smile. "Good, because I need to tell you about this customer at work, he..."

For the next couple of hours, Tana entertained with her work stories while they ate. Jace had no issues with eating a sizeable helping of Swedish meatballs, though he had devoured his Apple dumplings on top of the desserts he had snatched from Phoenix.

And he was not even stuffed, just comfortable.

Jace took his time to drive Tana home before he went to his meeting.

The afternoon had been good. If his meeting went well too, he could call it a productive day, despite the initial boredom.

Hi dear Wattlings.

Thank you for reading.

Well, Tana did not make the best impression, but Phoenix clearly had his issues with her beside her rude behavior. He was not a happy bunny with her and Jace... Maybe he's slowly realizing something?

If you like it, then pop a vote and please leave comments. The comments are important for me to know how the story is progressing and the characters are developing. And I'd love to know what you think and interact with y'all.

Give me a follow too for updates on other work and put this book in your library. I'd appreciate that.

Love, Alix

Published: September 6th, 2021. ©Alix Davenport, Copenhagen