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“Hey,Baker Boy, do you still like donuts?” I looked at Tuck and noticed the lit cigarette between his fingers. I guess he had taken up smoking again in his time away. He also must be a regular at the gym, because even through his coat, I could tell that his shoulders were more broad than I’d remembered them being.
He looked different. There was a bit of stubble on his chin and I could see a tattoo on his hand, a bird, peeking from beneath his sleeve. He hadn’t had tattoos when I’d known him, and the fact that he had a bird of all things visible on his right hand made me squirm. Had he taken up a bird watching hobby as well?
Kindred spirits.
I wondered how many more he had and what else I didn’t know about him anymore. I looked in his eyes, and they were still gray. As gray as I remembered them from all those years ago, and yet there was a subtle crinkle in the corners of them. Lines that hadn’t been there before, and I wondered if he noticed them on me as well.
“You’re not running this time,” he said, the words coming out as smoke from the cold and the exhale of his cigarette.
“No. I hit my mile max earlier today. I wouldn’t want to get too much exercise.”
Tuck’s eyes were fixated on me in a way that made my heart skip. I remembered that look. The way he used to stare at me like he never wanted to look away. I wondered if this look meant the same thing. “No one has ever run away from me like that before.”
I shrugged. “Happy to be your first,” I replied.
Tuck smirked. “In more ways than one.”
I looked away and felt the heat creep up my neck and to my cheeks despite the cold of the air. I cleared my throat. “I mean, it’s just, well, sorry. I didn’t expect to see you,” I admitted. I lifted up the bag of donuts. “Peace offering?”
He stared for a moment then looked back at the house. “This isn’t really a good place to hang out.”
I pulled the bag back to my chest and nodded. I understood what he was saying. In the most polite way possible, Tuck was telling me he didn’t want anything to do with me. I didn’t know why I’d thought it would be any different.
“Oh, yeah, no. Okay. Of course. I’m sorry for interrupting you.” I started to walk away but he called back for me. I turned around and watched as he stomped out his cigarette and placed his hands in his pockets.
“I just meant it’s pretty uninhabitable. But do you want to go somewhere else?”
I brought Tuck to my place, and I had to admit to myself that it felt a little odd having him in my space. Gilbert, however, was a nasty traitor who had snuggled up to him on the couch immediately after introductions.
I noticed Tuck had changed his clothes. His coat was off and he was wearing a different hoodie than he’d had on previously. I had a notion it was because of the smoke smell, and I should have known that he would still be considerate after all this time. He sat with Gilbert’s head in his lap and his body taking up the rest of the couch while I sat in the oversized chair across from them.
“He loves everyone, so don’t feel too special,” I said, shaking my head at Gilbert’s eyes closed in contentment. It wasn’t true; Gilly was selective, but I wasn’t going to admit that to Tuck.
“I’m glad to see you got our dog. I was hoping you’d find one.”
The way Tuck said “our” as he continued to pet the giant dog nuzzled next to him made my heart skip a beat. I didn’t think there was any way he would have remembered that detail from our past over a decade ago.
I cleared my throat. “You, uh… You remembered that?”
His face was straight, almost sad, but his words held every emotion possible. “I remember everything.”
“Yeah.” I blinked quickly several times, trying not to take his words too personally. So he had a good memory. That was that. Just a good memory and nothing at all to mean that he remembered everything aboutus.
“I rescued him from the shelter when he was just a pup. Apparently, the original owners didn’t realize that he would be so—”
“Massive?” Tuck finished for me.
I laughed as Gilbert raised his head and cocked it to the side. “Yeah. Exactly.”
“So, Gilbert then?”
I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek. “Yep.” God, he really did remember everything. We were silent for a moment, and then I broke the tension as I stood up and placed my hands on my thighs. “Do you want coffee? I can put on coffee.”
He smiled. “You drink coffee now?”
I shrugged. “I told you I would. I am all grown up now.” I looked down at my attire and realized how different I must look. I had traded in shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue for linen pants and overalls found at the nearest thrift store. I was currently wearing my comfort clothes: a pair of floral, linen pants and an oversized sweater with my hair in a braid at the side.
“Yeah, you are, aren’t you?” He paused before coughing slightly. “Coffee is great. Black, please.”
