Silver & Black (4 page)

“Ok, I’d be a fool not to hear it at least.”

“That makes me very happy, Mr. Black. I’ll send Connor to your place about six.” We pull up to the corner and I see Jeff looking out the window. Silver looks at him and then says to me. “You don’t deserve to be hurt. Don’t let him hurt you.” It almost sounds like an order
.

“I’ll see you tonight, Silver.” He laughs at my blunder.

“Silver?”
Shit! Yes, that’s what I call you in my head.

“Sorry.
Mr
. Silver.” He nods and I get out of the car. I watch him pull away before walking into the coffeehouse.

~Chapter Four~

Brian Silver might be just what I need to get over Jeff. I’ve never gone out with a man just to screw around. Who knows? Maybe it’s time I start sowing my wild oats. I’m only young once. I go to the time clock purposely ignoring Jeff. He watches every move I make. I wrap the signature silver uniform apron around my waist and go prep the coffee pots. Jeff does his normal morning routine and glances over at me more times than I can count.
Awkward silence.
8:00 a.m. comes and Jeff opens the doors to impatient coffee buyers. Of course, he hasn’t scheduled anyone else.
I certainly
hope that changes now.

The next few hours are filled with pushy customers and their obnoxious coffee specials. Jeff and I only talk when we are barking orders at the other. The line dies and Jeff goes into his office. Normally, I would go in and chat, but not today. As I’m cleaning the blenders and I hear the door ding. A very attractive blonde woman comes up to the counter. I greet her with a smile and the normal “
Welcome to Silver Coffee, can I take your order?”
She orders a specialty coffee and glances down at my name tag.

“You’re Grey!” she exclaims as I mix her drink. “I’ve been waiting to meet you.” Her face lights up.

“Do I know you?” I hand her the tall cup of mocha. I see so many people and talk to so many people on a daily basis. I love that about my job. I’m a people person.

“No, but Jeff has told me a lot about you. I’m Callie.”
Callie! Beautiful blonde model-like Callie.
“Is he in?” My heart drops into the pit of my stomach.

“Yeah, I’ll get him.” I walk to the back office and knock. He looks excited to see me.

“Grey, I was hoping you’d come back here. Can we talk?”

“Ah, no, Callie is at the counter for you.”
Asshole!
His face goes still.

“She’s here? I told her not to come here.”
Why would you tell your girlfriend not to come to the place you at which you work?
He scoots past me and walks to the counter and greets her with a kiss. I try to look busy, to make it less obvious that I’m listening to their conversation. Another customer comes to the counter and I take his order. As he leaves, Callie catches me.

“It was nice to meet you after so long.”
So long? Didn’t they just start dating?

“What do you mean?”

“Callie,” Jeff tries to stop her. “Let’s go to my office and talk.”

“Ok, baby. Did you ask him to stand up in the wedding yet?”
WHAT?
Jeff looks pale.

“No, I haven’t had a chance.”
I can’t talk. I can’t think.

I avoid eye contact with Jeff and try for the truth out of Callie. “Wedding? How long have you been together, Callie?”

“Six months today. He asked me to marry him last week,” she says showing me the big ring on her left hand. I can’t believe I’ve been a fool for so long
.
I look at Jeff and he is stiff.
Why would I expect anything else from him?
“Jeff was supposed to ask some of his friends to stand up and he said you were his closest male friend.”
Yeah, closest male friend for sure.
“He told me you were gay maybe you can help with the planning. You people like that, right?”
Oh, no she didn’t. ‘You people.’ Really!

“Callie… that was very rude,” Jeff scolds her.

“I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry. I was just thinking you might help.”

“I’m really not the wedding planning type, Callie,” I say, glaring at Jeff. “Jeff will have to find another gay friend to take over that deed.” I about had enough of this. Turning my attention back to Callie, I play nice. “You and Jeff make the perfect pair. Congrats.” I walk into the back room and shut the door. I can hear Jeff yelling at Cassie for the comments. My problem wasn’t the comments, although she should have chosen words more wisely, my problem was the wedding in general and the jackass who cheated on her with me. I would never do that. I would NEVER cheat on someone I’m engaged to.
How was I so stupid?
I hear the front door chime and then footsteps coming toward the door.

“Grey, can I come in?”

“No, I’m leaving for the day.”

“You can’t leave. I have no one else here yet.”

“Not my problem. Maybe you should schedule better like Silver said.” I open the door and he’s standing right there.

“What were you doing with Mr. Silver this morning?” Jeff asks as he watches me clock out.

“He picked me up.”

“I think he likes you.”

“That’s none of your business, Jeff. You need to worry about your lovely fiancée. Where are you guys registered anyway? I wouldn’t know the first clue on what to get a lying cheating asshole for his wedding. Poor Callie.” I stop and look him straight in the eyes. “I don’t even know her, but she doesn’t deserve this.”

“Do you like Mr. Silver?” he asks, ignoring my comment.

“Really?” An aggravated sigh rolls off my lips. Well, I’m not marrying him if that’s what you’re asking! And I certainly would not even think about it when I was FUCKING someone else.”

“I was going to tell you,” he mumbles.

“When I got the wedding invitation? You know when would have been a fantastic time to tell me? When you started seeing her, and that’s when you should have stopped fucking me.” My voice is loud and I don’t care. I want him to know what I think about him.

“I didn’t want to hurt you.”
Too late for that.

“No, you wanted to keep fucking me. Tell the truth for once in your life, Jeff. You wanted to keep fucking me; that was the only reason you never told me you had a girlfriend for SIX MONTHS and then you asked her to marry you. Now I can see why you said ‘
I could see it going somewhere.’
No kidding!”

“I didn’t want to give you up.” He follows me to the back door. “I love you, Grey.”

“Stop saying that, please. If you loved me, you wouldn’t lie to me. If you loved me, you would stay with me, but you’re not. I have to get out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I walk out leaving him babbling something out the door. I never look back. I put my earbuds in and head to the subway. I don’t go home; there’s one place I need to go. One place that makes me feel some comfort, as much as it can at least.
Memorial Park Cemetery.

I stand in front of my mom’s headstone.
It has a beautiful marker
. The cemetery said that occasionally, donors will donate markers for people that didn’t have one. I was young and my dad was a loser. After we paid for the funeral, we had no money for her marker. For a few years it was just a makeshift memorial I would create, until one day I got a call from the cemetery saying that my mother’s grave was picked at random by an anonymous donor for a new headstone and that I could pick it out. I was so happy, she deserved this. The headstone stands tall, beautifully carved.
She would have liked this marker.

Rita Jean Morris. 1970-2007.
She was only thirty-seven years old. She still had a lifetime ahead of her. She married young and had me when she was twenty-one. Sometimes it doesn’t seem real. I say a silent prayer, like I always do when I visit, and then sit against her headstone. I just need to clear my head and I know it’s not the same, but I can feel her here. I pull the book I’ve been reading from my bag and bask in the sun next to Mom for over two hours. I gain the peace I needed. I say my good-bye to Mom and make my way home. I need to get ready for dinner with Silver. I am planning on enjoying every minute of it.
Only young once.

Levi is already gone when I get home. He’s been working a lot at the bar. I hop in the shower and let the water wash away the events from today. I want a clear mind when Silver talks to me about this opportunity. I get out and look in my closet.
What do I wear?
It’s dinner at his house. I can wear something casual.
I’m the casual king.
I pull a nice shirt off the hanger and put it on. I slip on my favorite pair of dark jeans and tie my new Converse shoes. I look in the full-length mirror in my room. I can see the man staring back at me: five feet eleven inches, built, blonde hair, and brown eyes.
I see him and he’s broken. I’m fucking sick of being broken.
I refuse to feel that way anymore. I’m going to enjoy my life. I’m going to live it to its fullest.
Screw everyone else.
Fuck Jeff and his Barbie-doll-trophy-wife.

I straighten my shirt and turn around to check my ass in the mirror.
My ass looks awesome in these jeans.
I catch a glimpse of the time. Connor should be here soon. I hurry to fix my hair, do a quick shave, and brush my teeth. Rushing out the door, I make my way to the front of my building. I want to have a cigarette before Connor gets here. I light a cigarette just as a brand-new silver Camaro pulls up. The car is fucking incredible.
It pulls to the curb in front of me and Connor gets out.
Holy shit it’s Silver’s. Why does that surprise me? Of course it is, the man is a CEO of a billion dollar empire.

“Mr. Black, are you ready to go?” he asks as he walks to the passenger side door and holds it open for me. I throw my newly lit smoke on the ground and climb in. He shuts the door and gets in the driver’s side. Connor looks back at me. “Mr. Silver wants you to have this.” He hands me a box. I thank him and open the box as he drives away. Inside is a brand-new smartphone and a note. It’s actually handwritten.
Nice touch, Silver.
I read it to myself.
        

Mr. Black,

I look forward to our meeting.

The phone is a perk of the job. Enjoy it.

Silver.

He called himself Silver; that made me smile. Connor drives to a very sophisticated area of Manhattan over off of 5
th
Avenue. He pulls up into the drive of a large parking structure. The building is huge and modern, and expensive for sure. He parks and we walk to the elevators that empty us into the lobby of this luxurious building.

“Mr. Silver is in penthouse A.” He points to the elevators inside the building where a young attendant is waiting. Connor doesn’t join me as I get into the elevator. The attendant pushes the button to the top floor. I feel like I’m in an alternate universe
.
This is a far cry from what I’m used to.
The doors open and there is one door on the floor:
Penthouse A.
Why am I suddenly so nervous?
I wipe my sweating palms off on my jeans and knock lightly and wait.

Silver answers the door. “Mr. Black, so happy you could make it.” He looks incredible. He’s wearing a dark grey suit, a dark purple tie, and a white crisp shirt. I think my heart stops at the view.

I look down at my jeans and back to him. “You didn’t tell me I needed to dress up.”

He smiles. “That’s because you didn’t have to. You look amazing.”
Yeah, in my Converse and jeans.
“Please, come in. I was in and out of board meetings all day or I’d be casually dressed as well.” He holds the door and I walk into a dream.
Holy penthouse.
His place is like nothing I’ve ever seen. The art, the décor, and the fucking view. I just swirl around taking in everything. “Do you like?” he asks, watching my bewilderment.

“Yeah, it’s stunning.”

I watch him remove his tie and suit coat then unbutton the top two buttons on his dress shirt. “Yes,” he says.

“
Huh?”

“It’s
yes,
Mr. Black, not yeah,” he corrects me.

“Yes,” I stress and smile. “I’m not prim and proper, Silver, um, Mr. Silver.”
I confuse myself.

“I like that you call me Silver. And as far as prim and proper is concerned, Mr. Black, you’re refreshing.”
Refreshing?
“I had my chef make a lovely chicken fettuccini dish. I hope it meets your satisfaction.”

“Anything’s better than ramen noodles.” He takes my hand. His hand is so strong. He leads me to the terrace. It’s dark and the terrace is lit with candles and lanterns. The view of Manhattan is breathtaking. In the center of the terrace is a table handsomely decorated for an intimate dinner for two. I’m beginning to think this is more than a business dinner.
He pulls out my chair as I sit.
I could get used to this.

“Tell me you eat more than ramen noodles?” He sits in the chair across from me. The chef, I assume, serves the plated dinner and rolls.

“I eat. Silver, don’t worry. I was joking.”

“Good. Would you like some wine?” I nod and he waves the man over to the table. He pours me a glass of white wine, but pours Silver water in his.

“You’re not having any wine?”

“I drink, but not often. I have several business meetings I need a clear mind for tomorrow. I don’t mind if you drink, though. In fact, I encourage it. It will relax you. It’s a lovely year.”

“Year?” I sip the wine.

“The wine, Mr. Black.”
Oh.
“How’s the chicken?” I was eating like I haven’t in years and actually, I haven’t eaten all day, so I was starving.