‘The power’s out in my building, and I gotta get this done. Can I plug in here?’
I open the door and let Sam, his laptop and about a ton of folders walk into my apartment. ‘Sure. What happened to your battery?’
‘I used it all up.’
‘Okay.’
Josh’s cell phone rings while he’s in the bathroom. ‘Josh!’
‘Yeah?’
‘Your cell’s ringing.’
‘Tell whoever it is I’ll call ‘em back. I gotta fix this tap.’
‘Josh Lyman’s phone.’
‘Who the Hell is this?’
‘Leo?’
‘Sam, what the Hell are you doing with Josh’s cell?’
‘He’s fixing a tap and I’m using his power.’
I hear Leo’s short attention span being exhausted as he sighs. ‘Tell him I’ve had to re-schedule the education meeting for ten and I need to see him before.’
‘Okay. What time?’
‘Whenever.’
‘Okay.’
‘Josh, Leo says he needs to see you before your meeting with the education people. He’s re-scheduled for ten.’
‘Ten? I’ve got a thing with Onorato at…’ His voice tails off as he realises what he’s said.
‘It’s okay Josh. I know we’ve still got to work with them.’
‘Yeah. Hand me that screwdriver.’
There is a selection of well-used tools on the floor and I’m not sure which Josh means.
‘The one with the red handle.’
Handing it over, I’m surprised at Josh’s ability to fix a leaking tap. He actually looks like he knows what he’s doing.
‘There.’
He sits back on his heels and surveys the tap. Which waits only a few seconds before dripping.
I almost smile at his sorrowful look.
‘Make some coffee.’
He glares at the tap as he gets up, watching it as it drips, mockingly. ‘Yeah.’
‘What are you doing?’
‘You used the wrong size washer. It needed a smaller one.’
Josh stares at the tap which is now no longer dripping. He hands me my coffee and continues to stare.
‘You fixed it?’
‘Yeah. The super in my last building showed me a few things.’
‘I’m just about to make dinner.’
‘I should go.’
‘You said the power was out in your building.’
‘It might be back on.’
‘It might not.’
I give in then. ‘Okay. What you making?’
Josh doesn’t answer immediately, walking instead into the kitchen, opening first the fridge then a couple of cupboards. ‘Soup.’
‘And?’
‘Noodles.’
‘Okay.’
‘Thanks for dinner. You mind if I stay here and finish this?’
Josh shrugs. ‘Okay. I need to work on the education thing anyway.’
We work, our concentration broken by occasional coffees and phone calls, for almost two hours. Stretching, I realise how stiff I’ve become, sitting in one position. In front of my laptop, at a table that isn’t my desk.
‘You okay?’
‘Stiff.’
Josh gets up. ‘Hang on.’
I try not to show how uncomfortable I am with Josh standing behind me massaging my shoulders and neck. But it is effective. ‘Where d’you learn that?’
‘Donna taught me.’
‘She’s smart.’
‘Yeah. Better?’
‘Yeah. Thanks. Don’t go too far. I’ve got a way to go yet.’
Josh sits back down. ‘I’m right here.’
Several coffees later, Josh yawns. ‘I got that thing with Leo. I should sleep. You can stay. Just close the door.’
‘You sure?’
‘Yeah. ‘Night.’
‘Okay. ‘Night.’
It’s almost one when I finally finish the draft I’ll show Toby in the morning. Packing up quietly, I let myself out. At least this time Josh won’t come to the door. He’s laying in bed, deeply asleep, his chest rising and falling as I look into the bedroom from where I’m standing. And he’s wearing the grey t-shirt with the holes.
****************
‘You two made up then, huh?’
‘Leo?’
‘You and Sam. He was round at your place.’
‘Yeah. He had no power and I had…’
‘A dripping tap. Yeah, I heard. Now, did you read the report?’
‘Yeah. I don’t understand why…’
I walk past Leo’s office on the way to the copy room. I hoped Josh would be okay with Onorato. But I couldn’t say anything in front of Leo, so I just kept walking.
***************
‘Water’s off at my place while the contractors look at the pipes. Can I use your bath? I was gonna go to a hotel, but…’
‘Sure Josh. Come on in.’
He’s bought a bag. A sort of suitcase, only soft-sided, and small. He drops it next to his backpack and pulls off his overcoat.
‘When do you think it’ll be back on?’
‘Should be sometime tomorrow. The super thinks it’ll be okay when I get home tomorrow night.’
‘If not, you can always come back here.’
Josh smiles. ‘Thanks.’
‘You eaten?’
‘Nope. You?’
‘I was gonna order take-out. Chinese.’
‘Okay.’
Josh digs into his pocket and pulls out a twenty. He sees my frown.
‘I don’t carry money in my backpack. That way if someone snatches it, I’ll still have enough cash to get home.’
‘Don’t you have a wallet?’
‘It’s in my backpack.’
‘So you keep your cell phone, your credit cards and your drivers licence in your backpack, but your bills in your pocket?’
‘Er, yeah.’ I raise my eyebrows and he looks away.
‘Hey, no-one’s perfect.’
Coming in from the kitchen I hand him the menu from the local Chinese. ‘What kind of things do you like?’
Obviously remembering when he last ate, Josh’s reply is simple. ‘Food.’
I laugh. ‘Okay. Rice, chicken, beef, pork?’
‘No pork.’
Josh’s sort-of religion amuses me. He works on a Saturday, and, as far as I know, is not on first name terms with any DC rabbi. Still, I can’t lay claim to any religious moral high ground. ‘Okay, no pork. Noodles?’
For once, neither of us has any work to do. And neither of us can remember when that last happened. So we just enjoy the food and the movie which is just starting as I flick the TV remote. It’s a Jean-Claude Van Damme action film, and the beautiful blonde co-star is obviously central to the plot. Which I’m trying hard to figure out.
‘I’ve seen this, and I still can’t remember how it ends.’ Apparently we’re sitting through a film Josh has seen. And has only just worked that out.
I know the feeling. ‘Some movies are like that.’
‘Your take-out is better than mine. But then this is a better neighbourhood.’
I don’t bother arguing. Josh’s apartment is in a perfectly good area. But he’s right. My Chinese take-out is better.
When we’ve filled my bin with the cartons, we come back into the sitting room, each with a beer. ‘What you got tomorrow?’
Josh groans. ‘FEC. Onorato. Again. I swear, one of these days…’
Not wanting to ruin the atmosphere, I say quickly: ‘You wanna grab a coffee on the way in?’
‘From the coffee shop with the girls…’
He looks across at me, sees my smile, and doesn’t need to finish the sentence. ‘Okay. I’ll even buy you a bagel.’
‘Why?’
‘For letting me stay here.’
‘Okay.’ Then I remember something. ‘The coffee shop doesn’t do bagels.’
‘Yeah, it does. They’re on the counter just past the coffee.’
‘How do you know that? We’ve never bought bagels there before.’
As innocently as he can, Josh says: ‘I have.’
‘You go to the coffee shop without me?’ I’m really good at pretending to be angry.
Josh looks shocked at my reaction to his admission. ‘Er, yeah. Sometimes.’
Then he sees my smile and his frown forms. ‘You’re good.’
I smile. ‘I know.’
‘You ever go there without me?’
I shrug. ‘Maybe.’
Dissatisfied with my answer, Josh asks: ‘Maybe yes or maybe no?’
‘Just maybe.’
The closing credits of the film scroll onto the screen and I get up. ‘I’m gonna get an early night. What do you need?’
‘Pillow, blanket?’
‘Okay. If you wanna use the bathroom, I’ll get the bed made up.’
‘Bed?’
‘Yeah, my couch makes up into a double bed.’
Josh looks momentarily jealous. ‘Mine doesn’t.’
Remembering, I have to say: ‘I know.’
**************
We’re like people who’ve only just met. I’ve already been in the bathroom while Josh took forever to wake up then made his breakfast. Now I’m making my own breakfast while Josh uses the bathroom. How come we can stand next to each other in the men’s room, but we can’t clean our teeth while one of us showers? I guess I’m just less inhibited than Josh. Or perhaps he didn’t think through the fact that he would have to get dressed here if he slept here. And as he couldn’t go into work without showering, he’d have to do that here too. Still, I respect his privacy and wait until he comes out of the bathroom in his blue towelling robe until I decide to ask whether or not he wants to leave his stuff here just in case the water’s still off in his apartment tonight.
‘Hey, Josh. You wanna leave your things here, just in case?’
‘What things?’
‘The stuff you brought with you. In case the water’s not on tonight.’
‘Er, okay. Sure. If you’re sure you don’t mind.’
I smile. His nervousness is becoming less believable as time goes on. I decide to be brutal. ’Josh, nothing is going to happen between us unless we both want it, okay. You’re safe in my apartment.’
From the look on his face, his nerves were genuine and I was a little too brutal. ‘What?!’
We’re going to be late if we don’t leave soon, so I decide to end the conversation. ‘Forget it. D’you wanna leave your stuff here or not?’
‘I’m not gay.’
‘I know, Josh. You told me.’
‘So why do you assume I’d wanna sleep with you?’
‘I don’t.’
‘But you just said…’
‘Josh, you’re acting like a kid.’
‘Am not!’
I open my apartment door. ‘If we’re late, Leo’ll yell at us.’
‘He’ll yell at us if we’re early.’
I sigh. ‘Yeah. Now are you leaving your stuff here or not?’
‘Okay.’
It’s only taken ten minutes to get the single word answer I was waiting for.
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