Page 13 of Complete Me

Their smile is so unexpected, and completely transforms their usual good looks to something absolutely stunning, and it takes a moment to reboot my brain. “Well, all we need is to find someone from Sweden and we’ll have the whole Nordic collection.” Obviously my brain hasn’t completely recovered. “Ignore that.” They snort. “Anyway, to our prior discussion, I don’t think Bjorn would mind at all if you and I met for coffee without him. But if it worries you, we could all meet at some public cafe.” While I talk, I fire off a quick text to the number they’ve programmed into their contact.

Me: This is Xander Neilsen

I follow that brief message with Bjorn’s contact information. Kaino nods slowly. “We could.” Then they abruptly drop the topic. “I should go. I need to get across town, and traffic can be tricky right before lunch.”

“It can be tricky anytime.” Their deep, throaty laugh startles me yet again. First a genuine grin and now a real laugh. God, they’re doing ridiculous things to my body. “Thank you for the coffee and the company. I enjoyed chatting with you, Xander.” Without waiting for any more pleasantries or delays, they turn and open my office door, and then they’re gone, leaving me with a kaleidoscope of butterflies in my stomach and a head full of confusion.

6

Kaino

‘How did we never realize you dated Erik’s brother?’

Tadhg Byrne, one of the first people I interpreted for professionally, and now someone I consider a good friend, follows me out of his client’s office and into the elevator. I push the button for the ground floor. ‘It was when you were living in California.’ Back when Tadhg was in an abusive relationship that kept him from his friends and family, but also kept us from knowing he was in trouble. Thankfully he finally got out of that situation and moved back to Seattle.

‘Oh. Well, still. In all the years we’ve been working together, you’d think one of us would have said something.’ There’s a calculating gleam in his eye that I don’t care for. ‘And Jules says you went to the hospital to visit him. How serious was this relationship? Where did you even meet?’

My shoulders slump in defeat. Tadhg isn’t going to give this up until he knows everything. ‘Fine. We met at the police station.’

Tadhg’s eyes widen, and he leans in eagerly. ‘Were you in trouble? Did he arrest you, and you fell in love over a pair of handcuffs?’

I keep my expression neutral, not giving away how close to the truth he is. Even if it’s not quite in the way he’s thinking. ‘There’d been a robbery at a local art gallery. The owner was a client of mine, so when the police needed to take his statement, he asked me to go with him to interpret. Bjorn was the officer assigned to us.’

The elevator doors open, and I gesture for Tadhg to exit first. ‘Okay, so he took your client’s statement, and he asked you out? You asked him out?’

‘No. There was an ongoing investigation, so dating would have been highly questionable. Plus, I like to take things slowly, and get to know someone before I agree to date them.’

His eyebrows raise. ‘Fair. That’s kind of how Quinn and I started.’ Quinn MacDougall is Tadhg’s fiancé, and that’s not how he tells that story. According to Quinn, he and Tadhg were barely able to keep their hands to themselves from the start. Neither version strikes me as completely true, as neither of them are so all-or-nothing in any aspect of their personalities. ‘So, after the case was over, then you started dating?’ Damn, he’s not going to let this go.

I seesaw my hand. ‘The investigation went on for several weeks, and then there was a trial. We got to know each other over time, and when the trial was finished, Bjorn asked me out.’ By then, I knew him well enough to feel comfortable, and the attraction was firmly present.

Tadhg and I exit the building and walk across the parking lot toward our cars. ‘How long did you date?’

‘Not long. Neither of us was focused on a relationship, and we eventually parted as friends.’

Tadhg gives me a side-eye. ‘But you saw he’d been injured on the news, and instead of sending a card or a flower arrangement, you hauled your butt to the hospital to see a guy you haven’t spoken to in years. That doesn’t sound like a casual dating experience.’

It actually had been that casual and short-lived. For Bjorn, at least. All the chatting and getting to know him during the trial had been the perfect situation for me. The asshole had slipped past my guard and into my affections before I knew it. When it was clear our priorities didn’t align, I figured it wouldn’t be difficult to move on. Yet here I am, five years later, still wondering if we made the right decision. Should we have tried harder? Probably. Maybe?

‘Trust me. It was. But he’s a great guy, and I was in the area with a client, so I decided to stop and say hello.’ Because I wanted to see if I truly still felt something for Bjorn, or if I’ve been making more of it than it was. While I’m perfectly content with my life, the what-ifs had me in a choke hold. I haven’t met anyone else who captured my attention, or made me feel the way Bjorn did. And still does, apparently. I knew the moment I walked into his hospital room that my feelings hadn’t changed. And then Xander walked in a few minutes later, and what I’d thought was cut and dry turned out to be anything but. And two coffee meet-ups later, I’m still not sure what to do about that.

Tadhg eyes me skeptically but lets it go. ‘Fine. Stick to that version. Time will tell.’ He glances up at the office building and then back at me. ‘There will probably be one more meeting before we sign contracts, so I’ll coordinate schedules once I have a few dates from the client.’

‘Okay. That works.’

Tadhg holds out a fist for me to bump. It’s our compromise between the usual full-body hug that happens in Deaf culture and my need for personal space. Knowing Tadhg as well as I do, this kind of physicality doesn’t bother me. ‘Hey, Quinn and I are having a few friends over next week. We’d love for you to join us, if you can.’

I’ve met Quinn and some of Tadhg’s friends. I like them, and Tadhg and I have worked together for so long that I’m comfortable saying yes. ‘Text me the details. If I’m not already booked, I’ll be there.’

Tadhg nods and walks a few paces to his car. I turn and walk to mine, sinking into the driver’s seat with a soft exhale. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I slide it out, my heart racing as I see Bjorn’s name on the text.

Bjorn: Hey, it’s Bjorn. Got your number from Xander

Bjorn: I hope you don’t mind

With shaking hands, I send back the only words my brain can process.

Me: No. I don’t mind

---