Page 3 of Addicted

i’m gay marci, have i ever told you that?

He was trying to find the energy to move when she answered.

ur loss im a catch c u soon!

Having no choice but to face the day, Liam sat up with a groan, wincing as something pressed into his leg. It was the corner of a small framed photo, one he was supposed to bring with him to school but, like a lot of things, it had been packed away for the last few years. And it needed to be put back into the box it came from because Liam couldn’t even look at it without crying himself to sleep. Gingerly, he picked up the frame, not looking at the front but it didn’t matter; he could see the picture in his mind, clear as day. They were laughing at some silly joke, their happiness reflected in their eyes, his father looking at his mother, and his mother looking at him. It was the best out of the thirty-one photos taken that day, the day he’d been given the car, and it had been hard to choose a favorite since they were all so perfect.

Bracing an arm against the wall, Liam stuffed down his emotions and stood, dropping the frame face-down on the bed and shuffling off to the shower. Despite his best efforts, he ended up with his forehead pressed to the tiles, holding back tears. It was still so hard to function; he thought he’d feel better than this by now. And he’d tried, he really did. He left everything behind, got a job, and went through the motions of recovering, of being normal.

However, there was no normal. There was just emptiness, a chasm inside of him that only grew and grew.

“Liam, thank god, you’re a lifesaver!” Marci flailed her hands about as Liam strolled in, still too late to be considered early but there nonetheless. Marci didn’t seem to mind, she just grabbed him by the arm and started rattling.

“John The Jerk is in his office interviewing people for venue manager. The first one lasted about three minutes before he ran out, so I guess John’s being his usual lovely self.” Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “I like the guy in there now. He’s perfect for the job and the runway. Blond hair, blue eyes, built, and also super funny and sweet. Very daddy-esque.”

Liam stiffened, not liking her terminology but it wasn’t her fault. She knew almost nothing about him and that was all his doing. Not noticing his bristling, Marci continued to lead Liam to the kitchen, talking non-stop.

“Anyway, today’s wedding is from four to eleven with no overtime. Ceremony outside in the garden and reception in the main room. There’s a sweet sixteen downstairs from six to ten but they’re doing all the decorating. Dylan is already out in the atrium setting up the chairs and Angelo is heading up food prep but since John showed up without calling and then questioned everything and everyone for about an hour we’re running behind. Can you -” She finally took a breath and squinted at Liam. “Are you okay?”

Liam knew he looked terrible. Without enough time to steel himself his large hazel eyes were still puffy and his fair complexion had sunk to a pasty gray. He was also shaky, worn, but he was doing the best he could at the moment.

“Yeah.” He shot a fake smile her way. “My stomach was bad last night but I’m fine now.”

That was his story and he was sticking to it. Shortly after he’d started at The Pointe, Liam had gotten so worked up that he’d made himself sick and Dean - their old manager - had assumed that Liam suffered from stomach issues. He’d been super nice about it, informing Marci that Liam was allowed extra sick time. Most jobs wouldn’t let him off the hook that easily and Liam was so thankful for those days because they were the ones where reality pressed in hard and he spent hours in his cocoon on the floor, unable to move at all.

“Can you be around food?” Marci asked, concern on her face. She was tiny, with long dark hair that she usually wore in a ponytail and green eyes that stared right through you. She’d been maitre d’ of The Pointe for close to four years and had a client satisfaction rating of over ninety-nine percent, handling the worst bridezillas without a hitch. There was a lot of turnaround at The Pointe, and once it became apparent that Liam was there to stay Marci had taken a shine to him, keeping him even closer after Dean left and relying on him to help run things smoothly.

He nodded. “I’m fine now.”

“Good, good.” She stopped for a moment and put her finger to her ear, listening to her headset.

“No, Dylan!” She shouted into the microphone. “They want the white chairs, not the cream!” Sighing loudly she turned to Liam. “I have to go. Help Angelo with prep and then meet me in the atrium in a half hour, okay?”

Liam nodded as he put on his headset, wanting the day to be over already.

Sometimes Liam wondered why he took a job that tortured him so much. When he applied for a position at The Pointe he didn’t think about all the happy families he’d see. He figured he’d only be a server, spooning out pasta at the cocktail hour or filling people’s drinks at the reception. But the proud faces of every father and mother who danced with their child, the heartfelt tear-filled toasts that the parents gave, and each little hug and kiss were like knives stabbing his heart.

Thankfully, tonight’s event was winding down and Liam had been lucky - his tables had gone home already - so he was lurking at one of the dark stations in the back trying not to be found yet Marci always seemed to hone in on him.

“I need, like, five drinks after tonight!” She sidled up to Liam out of nowhere, interrupting his brooding. “The bride was lovely but the birthday girl hasn’t stopped whining. At least John left after the interview with Mr. Gorgeous. I think he’s our new venue manager!”

Liam’s eyes turned from the dance floor, where the groom and his mother were laughing as they did a silly dance to techno music. “I didn’t even see him.”

“Who? John or Gorgeous?”

“Both.” Liam worried his lip. “You can’t call him that, you know. At least not to his face.”

She cackled like an evil queen. “I know that! What kind of savage do you think I am? Anyway, I don’t think he plays for my team.”

Liam choked, almost biting through his lip.

“Wh-What? He’s gay? Are you sure?”

“Kinda,” she shrugged. “He’s got a vibe. He’s soooo Mr. Gorgeous though. He could be a model! I don’t know why he’d wanna work here but…” She shrugged again. “At least he’ll be good for business. Brides will want to book if they see him wandering around this place.”

Blond hair and blue eyes had Liam’s mind immediately circling Mr. Parker - the man who’d taken the tear-jerking photograph Liam had lost sleep over. But he’d never really left Liam’s thoughts because Liam still had the most ridiculous crush, and it was more of a touchstone now, something from his past that he clung to. And maybe it was less of a crush and more of a security blanket, and maybe he wasn’t into Mr. Parker as much as the idea of him but who cared.

The Parkers had moved in when Liam was starting high school and he’d instantly idolized his beefy blond neighbor who had a confident kindness and knack for silly jokes. But Liam wasn’t the only one. Mr. Parker was just plain likable, talking to Liam like he was a person and not some stuttering child. He treated all the neighborhood kids like that and they unanimously agreed that Mr. Parker was a super cool adult.

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