Page 44 of Let Leaves Lay Where They Fall

The sun is finally peaking over rooftops outside the window, as he gets out of the shower and wraps his waist with a towel. He trots over to the sofa, still dewy and leaving a trail of wet footprints along the way. Plops down with knees spread to air dry his naughty bits and types up a message for Jamie. “Good morning. How are you feeling?” It whooshes away. He leans back and pats his thigh, inviting Mabel to join him while he sits and waits for a reply.

The phone chimes before she even gets a front paw up on the cushion. She pauses, smiling at the little device.

Nathan lights up.

“I’m good. Sore but slept about 13 hours. I think. Just waking up now. How are you?”

“I’ve been up for a while. I’m glad you’re feeling good. Take some of the pain meds the doctor sent home with you. They should help.”

“Right!” Jamie must have forgotten. “I think Andrew can pick up my prescription at the pharmacy. I don’t know how that works.”

“Just let them know someone is getting them for you. It’s usually not an issue.” Nathan thinks for a moment. ‘I’ll pick it up for you. If you’d like?” He waits to see how the cutie reacts to the offer. After a long pause in the text thread. “I live near the pharmacy anyway. I can bring the pills over a bit later and drop them off?”

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“I really wouldn’t mind.” Nathan would love to see him again today. Any excuse would be a good one.

“Are you sure? Andrew is headed to work soon and will be there all day today. I’m sure he’d pick the script up for me after work.”

“Really. I’d like to.” Nathan stares at the phone. “I’d really like to see you again today.” The shoot has been shot.

There’s a long pause. That may have been too forward.

Nathan sets the phone on a side table and walks toward the dresser. The cozy room was beginning to feel chill on his bare skin and exposed undercarriage.

He gets a pair of grey sweatpants pulled on and a black t-shirt just over his head when the phone chimes. Bolting across the room with the shirt hanging around his neck, almost tripping over a small coffee table, he dives onto the sofa and grabs at the device.

“Okay.”

He rolls onto his back. Holding the phone overhead, grinning ear to ear and joyfully tapping his feet hanging over the arm of the seat. “I’ll pick up your script in just a bit and head over your way. Give them a call and let them know I’ll be coming. Nathan Campbell.” The message whooshes away.

***

Jamie does as instructed. Calling the pharmacy and telling the young woman on the other end of the line that his friend will be picking up his pills for him, giving his name. Nathan Campbell.

Realizing he was still wearing yesterday's scrubs and dirty work shirt. He pulls himself up off the bed. Wincing at the pain in his thigh. He gathers fresh briefs, navy sweatpants and a gray henley from the dresser and hobbles across the hall to the bathroom.

His hair is poking all over the place, but a shower isn’t an option with the bandaged leg. He was beginning to regret letting Nathan come see him in this state.

Letting the faucet run. He strips naked and leans his head into the sink. The hot water washes over his head. Turning side to side, getting all angles. He scrubs at his scalp with clawed fingers and blots his hair dry with a towel. Stretching for the bottle of cocoa butter body wash on the shower shelf and squeezes a glob into a wet washcloth. He wipes his body down. A bit of the good pomade in his hair and some cream smudged into his skin so it’s fresh and glowing. He dresses and settles himself on the golden couch, waiting for Nathan to arrive.

Fiddling with his clothes, making sure they lay right on his body. Trying to imagine how he looks, slumped down onto the sofa. Pulling a blanket from inside a little storage ottoman over himself, to hide his terrible choice of sweats. Then nervously flipping through channels to find something interesting that might make him seem intellectually impressive.

“Shit!” He forgot to unlock the door. He shuffles across the floor and twists the latch. Then back to the sofa to settle all over again.

The wildlife documentary he sets the tv on is terribly boring. So he scrolls social apps on his phone, until there’s a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

Nathan pokes his head in the door. “Hey,” he smiles that dreamy smile.

“Hey.” Jamie shifts himself upright in his seat. Smoothing the blanket over his lap with both hands and laying his bum leg over the little ottoman so the other side of the sofa is free for his guest to sit.

Nathan slips through the door. Holding two white plastic bags with big yellow smiley faces printed on them. “I brought some goodies.” He holds the bounty up. “I wasn’t sure what you might like and may have gone a bit overboard.”

Jamie chuckles. He’s happy to see Nathan wore sweats too. He feels less frumpy amongst his company. The imprint inside the gray sweats are a distraction though.

“I grabbed chocolate, but then Gummies and then chips.” He sets the bags on the glass top of the brass coffee table. “A little bit of everything. Just in case.”

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