Page 8 of Love Notes and Late Nights
“Over here,” Wolf called when Harris stopped to admire a painting.
He caught up to Wolf, ready to enter the room, but Wolf blocked his path with his arm. “No phones.” Wolf deposited his phone in a small basket on the wall and motioned for Harris to do the same.
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah. It’ll kill the vibe. It’s an electronics-free zone.” Wolf motioned to the basket again.
“OK.” After Harris dropped his phone in the basket, he followed Wolf into the room. It was painted pale yellow and had light wood flooring. Several area rugs were scattered around the room offering various seating arrangements. There were large free-form cushions, reminiscent of bean bag chairs from the 70s, and large pillows to sit on. A pair of recliners sat along one wall with twinkle lights draped from floor to ceiling. There were a few small tables with candles and diffusers, and a waterfall fountain took up an entire corner. Lamps with scarves over them spread soft light throughout, so it looked like dusk in the room. Harris was in awe, trying to take it all in.
“Have a seat.” Wolf plopped down in a huge fluffy thing that looked like a giant marshmallow.
Harris sat in a matching one next to him and felt as if the thing swallowed him whole.
Wolf chuckled at the surprised look on Harris’ face. “Don’t fight it. Just relax. It’s comfy.”
Once Harris stopped struggling to sit up, it was very comfortable, and he let the chair envelop him.
Wolf picked up a remote, clicked a few buttons, and soft music filtered through the room. One of the diffusers lit up with a soft light, and a pleasant scent filled the air.
“What’s that?” Harris asked.
“I don’t know, but it smells good. It’s supposed to help clear your head. I like it in here. It’s like a safe room.”
Harris wondered if Wolf came into this room to find comfort when he was home alone and had a nightmare. He hoped so, because the room reverberated with serenity. He looked over at Wolf, who was sitting with his head back staring at the ceiling and his hands folded on his stomach.
Wolf slowly turned his head toward Harris. “Want to order takeout?”
“What about your painting?”
“It can wait. I’d rather hang out with you. It’s nice to have company sometimes, and we don’t usually hang out just the two of us. Why not?”
Harris perked up at the question. It was the perfect opening and a chance to move things in the right direction. “I don’t know. We’ll have to change that.”
***
Harris purposely waited two days before calling Wolf because he didn’t want to seem overly anxious. He didn’t know why he was nervous, but his pulse began to accelerate as he waited for Wolf to answer the phone.
“Hey,” Wolf said, in greeting. “I was just thinking about you.”
“You were?” Harris stood up and moved to the railing on his deck.
“Yeah. I’m bored.”
Harris was ready with a half dozen suggestions but reminded himself not to be overeager. “Me too. You could come by, and we could surf or take out the Jet Skis or the boat. Or you could drive here, and we could take the bikes out for a ride and get food.” Slow down and stop rambling, he told himself. Give the guy a chance to process.
“I’m up for all of it,” Wolf replied right away. “I’m leaving now.”
“Cool.” Harris didn’t know why he expected Wolf to be busy or uninterested in any of the things he suggested, and he began to wonder what Wolf did in his free time now that he wasn’t with Ethan. He imagined the guy spent a lot of his time alone, and it made Harris sad.
While he waited for Wolf, he checked the Jet Skis to make sure they had gas. He hadn’t been to the marina in a while but paid someone over there to take care of the boat so it should be ready to go. He inspected the contents of his refrigerator and kitchen cabinets. There was plenty of beer and snacks, and a couple of steaks and burgers in the refrigerator, in case they decided to hang out here and use the grill.
With nothing left to do but wait for Wolf, he grabbed a bottle of water and sat on the deck watching the waves. His phone finally buzzed with a text message that Wolf was out front, and he practically ran through the house, not bothering to close the sliders. He was so excited, he greeted Wolf with a bro hug, something they rarely shared.
Wolf looked a little surprised but returned the gesture. “Traffic was a bitch, but I’m here.”
“Cool. Let’s go out back and figure out what we want to do first.”
The Jet Skis were out of the garage and on the trailer sitting on the sand, waiting to either get hauled to the boat or directly into the ocean ahead. At seeing them, Wolf leaned over the balcony. “I know what I want to do first. I haven’t been on a Jet Ski at all this year.”
