Page 28 of Addicted

Why do you never see elephants hiding in trees?

Between the avalanche of work and waiting for Freddy to call him with news - any news - he needed this distraction. Although Liam wasn’t a distraction, he’d become more of a focal point. And a friend.

Because I’m too BUSY to see them?

Wrong. It’s because they’re so good at it.

I quit.

Owen’s shoulders shook with laughter.

Will you reconsider if I get lunch?

…I guesspreceded an eye-rolling emoji and one that could only be interpreted asyumso Owen switched his desk phone to voicemail and headed to the kitchen.

“I spoke with Marci this afternoon and she said that unless they have too many call-outs you don’t have to work downstairs until everything is finished here. I mean, if that’s all right with you.” Owen had been selfish, thinking that Liam could handle this mess and wait tables all night. It was no wonder that he sometimes looked too tired to move. Liam deserved a break; the rings under his guarded eyes were prodding at Owen’s guilt so talking to Marci was the least he could do.

Liam froze with a sandwich in his hands, shock rippling across his face. There were other emotions in there too. Worry? Fear? Owen couldn’t place them. “B-But…” he stuttered, putting his food down.

“You’ll still get the same pay,” Owen reassured him, wondering if Liam’s discomfort was about money. “Just come in a few hours earlier if that works for you. I know we talked about this only being a few weeks but it looks like it might last longer now that we’re going digital. You’ve been such a big help to me, Liam. I’m sorry I didn’t think of this earlier, you must be running ragged.”

“No. I-It’s fine,” Liam insisted, clasping his hands together in his lap.

“If you still want to wait tables, I’m not going to stop you.” Owen was confused. He thought Liam would jump at the chance to work upstairs more, to get a break from double duty. He seemed to be enjoying his new tasks and was clearly not an extrovert like Marci, who thrived on the reception floor.

Eyes downcast and shoulders tight, Liam took a moment to reply.

“Okay. I’ll do it. And th-thank you for thinking about me.” His barely-there smile was strained, like he was faking it, and Owen could feel that something was off. But he wasn’t going to figure it out by prying. He’d have to keep on doing what he was doing - being Liam’s friend and supporting him until he felt safe enough to peel away his shell.

“Are you sure? Because for a second you looked like I was caught in Mrs. Schumer’s tree again.” Owen smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yes. I’m sure.” Liam’s shoulders relaxed a bit. “It’ll be nice not to be on my feet all night.”

“I bet.” Owen tried to project calm, taking a few fries off his plate and dipping them in ketchup. He’d chosen a burger and fries for himself and went with the extremely safe option of Liam’s favorite grilled cheese. Years ago, at one of Owen’s backyard barbecues, Liam had shyly asked for that sandwich and Owen had whipped one up for him, piling it with four different kinds of cheese and grilling it to perfection, enjoying how Liam had happily wolfed it down. Now he made sure Liam had one a few times a week.

“Do you remember when I tried to rescue Mrs. Schumer’s cat?” Owen tried to keep the lightness going and it seemed to work because Liam relaxed even more, picking up his lunch and taking a bite as he nodded.

“Of course. How did you end up volunteering for that?” he asked once he finished chewing.

“Well…” Owen knew his expression saidmistakes were made.“Mrs. Schumer was crying under the tree, trying to coax the cat down so I brought over my ladder. But since Mr. Schumer was nearing eighty, I became the sacrificial lamb and free entertainment for the neighborhood.”

“Word did spread fast. You had a crowd within minutes.” Liam giggled around another bite of his sandwich and it sounded like music to Owen’s ears. The air in the room settled, the odd tension from earlier vanishing as Owen continued his trip down memory lane.

“I can’t believe that fluffball treated me like a step stool as soon as I got close to her. I didn’t even get a thank you.” Owen shook his head.

Liam let out a quick sharp laugh that seemed to surprise him and Owen felt like he’d won something. “She ran down your shirt and jumped off your…your uhhh…” Liam flushed and carefully swallowed his food.

“My butt. She launched off my butt.” Owen finished for him. “And knocked me off balance.”

“You looked like a cartoon character, pinwheeling your arms like that. And you ended up hugging that limb!”

“What else was I supposed to do? The ladder fell out from under me.” Both were chuckling and Owen picked up his burger, dipping that into the ketchup too. “At the time it wasn’t funny, but now?”

Liam, who had been rigid with anxiety only a few moments ago, was now vibrating with laughter. It took him a moment to breathe before he could get out words. “Someone got video and put it up online.”

“I am more than aware. Somehow John has a copy and he loves to show it to me a few times a year. He thinks it’s hilarious that I was dangling from a tree limb forty feet up.” Owen gestured with the burger and then put it down, not wanting to get ketchup everywhere.

“It wasn’t forty feet, it was more like twenty.”

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