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I blink. “These are menus.”
“The restaurant is next door.”
“Okay, but we would have been totally fine with a gift card. They fit right into your wallet.” Laughter spills out of me when he freezes in place, then pinches the bridge of his nose, shaking his head with a sigh.
“Well, I didn’t think of that, Brant.”
“Kip!” June darts from the bedroom off the living area, her shiny threads of hair fluttering behind her. She’s buttoned a navy cardigan over her chest, likely fearful of another wardrobe glitch. She leaps into his arms for an enthusiastic hug, smiling at me over Kip’s shoulder. “I’m so glad you could make it. I haven’t seen you since the move.”
Kip helped us move in last October, taking some time off work to sightsee in the big city and say his final goodbyes while we transitioned into our new life.
He’s been a rock for us both, a loyal friend—and if one good thing came out of Theo joining the police force, it’s that he brought Kip into our lives.
Because he doesn’t have a lot of family back home and his sister is studying abroad in Switzerland, we invited Kip out to New York to celebrate June’s birthday with us. He’s sleeping on a futon in our living room for the next five days.
And because I don’t plan on being celibate for the next five days, I’m really hoping he brought earplugs.
“Shit, it’s great to see you,” he tells her, setting her back down on her bare feet while she does a modest twirl. “How’s life on Broadway?”
“Difficult. Incredible. Exhausting. Magical.”
His lips twitch with a smile. “Sounds like my love life.”
“Oh! Weren’t you going to bring her?”
Swiping the beanie off his head, Kip scratches at the nape of his neck, his expression doleful. “We’re currently in the difficult phase, unfortunately.”
“I’m sorry.” June pouts. “Truly.”
Interestingly enough, Kip has been involved, off and on, with the sister of one of my old coworkers at the nightclub. Her name is Clementine.
From what I’ve heard, it’s been a bumpy road, with a coupling of respective past traumas, along with the fact that Clem is a single mom to a young daughter.
It hasn’t been easy, but hell, when he talks about her, when things are good…I recognize it.
I recognize that spark.
I know what it’s like to fight for something that feels impossible, even when you know it could be so fucking perfect.
Kip takes his shoes off in the miniature foyer space and clears his throat, slipping his hands into his pockets. “It’s all good. It’ll be nice to spend some time away and clear my head.” He twirls a finger in the air. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that.”
June and I share a quick, poignant look.
I wink.
“Is that a gift?” she wonders, her eyes trailing to the menu-wrapped package still in my arms. A giggle falls out of her, and she cups a palm over her mouth. “We were running low on takeout menus. Very thoughtful.”
Kip’s head swings back and forth through an embarrassed laugh as he runs his fingers through short, cropped hair. “It’ll be a gift card next time, I promise.” As he glances into the kitchen, a frown unfurls, and he points his finger toward the oven. “You know, the menus might actually come in handy if you’re not able to salvage whatever’s burning in there.”
Ah, crap.
Plumes of smoke billow out from the stove as I race into the kitchen.
I guess I remembered to put the cake in after all.
“Kip heard us, didn’t he? Nobody sleeps all night with earbuds in.”
“With only a paper-thin wall separating us? Nah.” We walk hand in hand through Central Park, munching on blueberry scones as the drizzle fades and the clouds clear. I glance upward, scanning the blue-gray sky, our feet sinking into the soggy grass. “He just likes music. Everyone likes music.”
