Page 49 of A Man To Remember
But the few students milling around the entrance, laughing and vaping, are not what they used to be. No longer scary. Mere kids, doing their kid stuff, blowing things out of proportion because those things are all they know for now.
Not much has changed, yet so much is different at the same time.
I reach McAlbert's some fifteen minutes later, shaking off my umbrella at the door. When I step inside, a familiar face is already waiting, lips already curling into the same wide smile I know so well.
"Well, fucking finally, Mr. Busy," Jamie greets me, rising up from his seat at a small table.
We fall into a long, firm bear hug, patting each other's backs like it's been decades. It hasn't. I haven't been in the city since I left for college, but Jamie has visited me multiple times. He's a better friend than I am.
"Good to see you, man," I say when we finally break apart. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. This whole week has been crazy."
When I look at Jamie properly, it's like I'm seeing him for the first time.
I've never thought Jamie and Jesse looked alike. Not even remotely. Jesse's all golden hair and compact muscle, while Jamie's tall and sturdy with dark hair that never stays where he puts it. But sitting here in the dim lighting of McAlbert's, I catch something I've somehow missed in all our years of friendship.
The eyes.
They have the same eyes. The same intense green that seems to see straight through whatever bullshit you're trying to sell them. How did I never notice that before?
Maybe because I've looked into Jamie's eyes a million times, but looking into Jesse's is new territory for me. Dangerous territory, apparently, considering how badly I want to get lost in them.
"Earth to Austin," Jamie says, snapping his fingers in front of my face. "You still with me?"
"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking."
"About work?"
"Something like that."
He leans back in his chair, studying me with those familiar eyes. "So tell me everything. How's the shoot going? The club treating you well?"
I give him the condensed version—the models are professional, the venue is perfect for what I need, the lighting challenges are keeping me on my toes but nothing I can't handle. All true, technically.
I just leave out the part where his brother has been turning my world upside down on a daily basis. It just doesn't seem like my place, sharing that particular part.
"And Jesse?" Jamie asks, stirring sugar into his second cup of coffee. "He giving you a hard time? I know he can be pretty nosy."
My chest tightens at the mention of his name. First time Jesse's come up directly today, and I feel like I'm walking through a minefield.
"Not at all," I say, aiming for casual. "He's been... helpful."
Jamie raises an eyebrow. "Helpful how?"
"Just, you know. Making sure I have what I need. Checking in occasionally." I clear my throat. "And yeah, maybe a bit nosy, now that I think about it."
Jamie laughs. "That's my brother. Heart of gold, boundaries of tissue paper."
Heart of gold.
Yeah, I'm starting to see that.
"Actually," Jamie continues, "what was all the fuss about the other day? When Jesse finally called me back the next day, all he said was he needed to sleep some things off."
Shit.
I take a sip of coffee, buying time. I don't want to lie to Jamie—he's been my friend for too long, seen me through too much. But I also can't tell him the truth. Can't explain that his brother and I have been... whatever it is we've been doing.
"He called in sick to work," I say finally, sticking as close to the truth as possible. "When I tried to call, he didn't pick up.I thought maybe he needed something, so I decided to check on him."
