“Was it Ian?Because if so, I had no idea.”
Baz’s heart jumped at the implication that Sami would have told him if Ian had planned an ambush—which was precisely what was not supposed to happen between them, so he pushed it out of his mind.
“No.It… it was my dad.”
“I gather that’s bad?”
“We haven’t spoken in thirteen years.For good reason.”
“Oh.Damn, that’s heavy.Did you tell him that coming by unannounced is my job?”It was a terrible joke—even calling it that was generous—and yet, Baz couldn’t help but smile.
“Yes, Sami, I’ve told everyone that you have exclusive surprise-me rights.”
“You better.You wanna talk about it?”The humor in his tone disappeared in favor of a softness that reduced the storm inside of Baz to a gentle breeze.
“No.It’s just shit.I mean, what right does he have to show up here?”
“None,” Sami was quick to say.
“What has possessed him?”
“Maybe he’s dying?”
The words hit him like a punch in the gut.Was that what this was, the final attempt for penance from a dying man?
That changed nothing, of course.Jack could have died at any point during the past decade, and Baz would have popped a bottle of champagne.
Although the thought that he wasn’t out there anymore, that Baz would never get to confront him or hear an apology, never find closure…
“I’m sorry, that got dark.”
For once, a ‘sorry’ out of Sami’s mouth sounded genuine.And over Jack Hadley.What a waste.
“For all I know, you might be right.I just don’t know how I’d feel about that.”
“Who would?”A woman’s laugh overshadowed the words, quickly replaced by a crackling sound.Baz’s heart dropped into his pants.
“Are you out?”He should have expected that.Sami was sociable and fun, of course he wouldn’t spend his Friday night waiting around for Baz to call.
“Eh, yeah, but don’t worry about it.Actually.Do you want to join?I’m at Dorothy’s Friends with the gang.Queer Trivia starts at nine, if you want a distraction?”
“Dorothy’s Friends?”Baz echoed.That was the most overrated gay bar in town.He’d been there once, shortly after his twenty-first birthday, and it had been awful.
The floors were sticky, the space cramped and weirdly red, and the drag queen on duty that night had been mediocre at best.Even the guy he went home with, who had been so insistent on being a power bottom, had turned out to be a huge disappointment.
“Yeah, you know.The place where boys talk to boys and girls talk to girls,” Sami said.
“That’s cisnormative.”
“I know, but it’s what the Lift driver called it when he dropped us off here and I thought it was cute.Picture that with a thick Russian accent.”
“You sold your soul to the devil and can’t afford a cab company that pays their workers a living wage?”Baz bit his tongue, too late.That wasn’t fair, especially not when Sami was being kind.
“Bold of you to assume the devil paysmea living wage,” Sami gave back.“You don’t have to come, it was just an idea.I know you don’t like having fun, but we can leave when it gets too much?Your apartment isn’t that far from here.”
Navigating an unfamiliar social setting was high on the list of things Baz avoided on any given day.But Sami would be there.Sami, who had helped him get through Sullivan’s party with mere words.Sami, who, somehow, managed to make him laugh even now.Sami, whom he could drag into the bathroom and catch a break with.
It was that or being alone with his thoughts in his empty apartment.
