Page 3 of His Middle

Almost.

Fuck, it had been so long since he’d gotten any, he couldn’t be sure anymore.

He lathered himself up, almost falling into another bout of rapturous appreciation as he inhaled the sandalwood soap he hadn’t realized he’d missed so much. The same went for his honey-almond shampoo and pricey face scrub. He ruminated how spoiled he was in many ways. His travels had once again reminded him that there were many people in the world who weren’t as fortunate as he was.

Once he’d luxuriated far longer than necessary, he toweled off and grabbed a pair of sleep pants and his favorite T-shirt from his dresser drawer that was adorned with a rock-climbing Big Foot graphic. The well-worn garment had been a faithful companion on his various adventures but had now been relegated to house wear only. The design was barely discernible anymore.

Sawyer padded into the kitchen, his bare, calloused feet still sore from the epic journey, and grabbed a beer from the mostly empty fridge. Clearing out the contents of his refrigerator had been one of the many tasks he’d needed to complete before taking off for three months.

On his way to the long sofa in the open ceiling living room, he dug into his discarded bag to fish out his cell. He’d called his mom as soon as he landed and promised her a lengthier conversation once he’d settled at home. While on his trip, communication had been tricky. Even if modern technology had caught up with many remote regions of the world, and one could actually use a cell phone and get Wi-Fi at the top of Everest, that didn’t mean clear, uninterrupted connections were the norm.

“Hey, mom.”

“Hi, sweetheart. You made it home okay?”

Sawyer yawned. “Oh man, sorry. Yeah, I got in about thirty minutes ago, no hitches.”

“How was Dubai? Was the layover long enough to catch some sights?”

“Unfortunately, no. That would’ve been the point in the journey where I would’ve still had some interest. By the time I landed in Seattle, I was done and stuck there for almost a day. I probably could’ve walked home faster.” Sawyer’s gaze was drawn to his aching tootsies. “But I might be done with long walks for a while.”

His mom let out a light laugh. “I’m quite sure. But I’m proud of you, honey. You followed your dream but didn’t take unnecessary chances. Thank you.”

“Of course, mom.” His heart ached at the thought of her having to face the loss of her only son. “Anyway, I made it back to the house fine. I was able to get an Uber at the airport almost right away.”

She huffed “I could’ve come for you. Carmel isn’t that far from Monterey. Wasn’t Darnell able to pick you up from the airport?”

“He’s moved up closer to Redwood City, so he doesn’t have to make the long haul anymore. It was getting to be too much driving. It never bothered me, but then again, I worked remotely most of the time. His work style is different, he’s a bit more of a micro-manager.”

“Oh, I see. I hadn’t realized he was like that.”

The man who’d once managed Sawyer’s import company, then purchased it when Sawyer had decided he wanted to move on to the next phase in his life, had crapped out on him at the last minute. Darnell had insisted he’d be happy to pick Sawyer up so he could hear all about the exciting trip, but apparently had apparently lost interest.

They had remained friends after the sale but weren’t particularly close. Not like it was with Oliver, his best friend for more than fifteen years. Sawyer had left him a couple messages while he’d been away but had never been lucky enough to catch him. He’d told Oliver not to bother calling him back, since there was a high possibility he wouldn’t be in a position to answer for days at a time. But he couldn’t wait to visit him and get caught up.

“Hon? Did you fall asleep on me?”

“God, sorry mom. I’m awake. Sort of.”

“I understand. Why don’t we save all the stories from your trip for once you’ve had a chance to rest. A video chat would be great.”

Sawyer smiled. He needed to go visit her as well. He had to admit, he was feeling lonely for the people in his life with whom he was the closest. The camaraderie formed with his tentmate and a couple of the other expedition members may or may not pass the test of time. They’d really only had their epic trek in common, otherwise, they were all from such different worlds. What he missed was being with people who knew and understood him, who cared deeply for him.

“Yeah, Mom. A video chat would be awesome.”

“Okay, hon. I look forward to it.”

“Me too. Night Mom.”

Sawyer stretched, desperate to take a nap, but not sure it was such a good idea. It hadn’t even hit five o’clock yet, and he should begin the process of retraining his body to Pacific Daylight Time. Sawyer rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. He doubted he’d last much more than a couple hours, but it would be a start.

To that end, he finished his beer then checked his cell for his local takeout contacts. Might as well have something delivered, kick up his feet and watch a movie, or maybe one of his Netflix shows. He was woefully behind on everything.

After ordering from his favorite gourmet burger joint, he decided to clear out a few mundane things, such as checking his old company voicemail extension. While he and Darnell had worked together closely to make sure clients were notified of the change in ownership, they’d mutually decided to keep the line active for a year from the date of the company’s sale.

He hated to admit it, but he’d only called the line a couple times while he’d been away. The import company he’d built to great success for over fifteen years had ceased to captivate his daily thoughts the way it once had. A whole new world had opened up to him, and he’d moved on from that part of his life.

Sawyer tapped the call icon that rang the number that had once been his lifeblood. After putting in his passcode, he stretched out his legs, propping them on his coffee table as he idly listened to the telemarketing messages drone on. His body tensed and he sat at attention as a familiar voice sounded.

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