“That’s a brave thing to do, George. Step outside your comfort zones for your brother.”
“He’s taken care of me for a long time. It’s my turn to do something for him.” Determination straightened George’s spine. “I can do this.”
“Sure you can. Take it in baby steps. Instead of looking at all the faces, focus on the ones nearest you. The ones you’re talkin’ to. Then look at some new ones if you want but don’t push yourself.”
George studied Levi’s serene expression. “Are you, like, a life coach or something in your spare time?”
Levi laughed and it rippled over George’s skin in a pleasant, unexpected way. “No, but I spent a lot of time studying philosophy and various religions when I got out of rehab. I learned a lot of coping mechanisms.”
The blunt way Levi admitted to having been in rehab startled George into momentary silence. Who said that to a total stranger? Levi, obviously, and he didn’t seem embarrassed at all. His expression hadn’t changed. And as curious as he was about why Levi was in rehab—drugs or alcohol addiction, duh—he didn’t want to ruin this pleasant conversation by being nosy. He liked talking to Levi and wanted to keep doing it for as long as possible.
“Well, you give really good advice,” George said.
“Thank you. I appreciate and accept your compliment. Whenever you’re ready to go back inside, let me know.”
“Might as well give it a whirl. I need to at least meet and thank the hosts for having me. I just don’t know who they are.”
“That’s okay, I can introduce you, if you like.”
“Really?” George wasn’t sure why that surprised him as much as it did. “Don’t you have someone to get back to?” He didn’t see a ring on his left hand but surely someone as kind and handsome as Levi had a girlfriend inside.
“No, no one inside.” Levi’s lips twitched. “But I do have three beautiful ladies waiting for me at home.”
George’s mouth fell open. The guy had three girlfriends? “You have what?”
“Cats. Ginger, Baby and Sporty.”
“Oh.” Okay, that made a lot more sense. “I like cats.”
“Me too. And they’re completely housebroken. My home has a little cat door so they can do their business outside and enjoy wandering.”
“Wow.” George knew cats could be trained to use the toilet, but to housebreak them like a dog? “How did you do that?”
Levi’s smile flickered. “I didn’t. An ex did.”
Pursuing that felt wrong, so he didn’t. “Our building has a cat who uses the toilet. Lucky. He’s old and he came with the place when our landlord bought it. He wanders in and out of everyone’s apartments. We all keep the lids up so he doesn’t poop in our shoes.”
Levi laughed again, and yes, it rippled over George a second time. “Sounds like a cat I’d like to meet.”
“Lucky’s great. Although he’s gotten really attached to Slater since he moved in with Derrick. Probably because Slater likes to sit out in the main foyer when he’s home and working on a project.”
“Robin described the setup once. Sounds really cozy.”
“It is.” George sipped his water. “It’s funny, because until Slater moved in, Orry and I avoided talking to any of our neighbors. We just wanted to get through our days quietly and unnoticed. Now we all have pizza lunches and board game marathons together.”
“Slater’s accident led to some very positive results.”
“Yeah.” Time for more positive results. “Okay, let’s go inside.”
* * *
Levi couldn’t explain the impulse that had led to him taking water outside to George. Maybe it was Orry’s unhappy expression when he came back from checking on his brother. Maybe it was his own innate curiosity about the former figure skater. Or his haunted eyes. Whatever the reason, Levi had done it and was glad.
He’d enjoyed their conversation, and he got the distinct impression that George didn’t open up to people easily. George was guarded but his walls seemed to crumble with Levi. And he got extra respect points from Levi for not pressing on the rehab comment. Most people would have wanted to know details, like rubberneckers at a traffic accident, but George hadn’t asked.
George’s bravery in coming today when he was clearly uncomfortable spoke to something deep inside Levi. It made him want to befriend the guy in a way he hadn’t felt since Robin Butler ambled into the office trailer of Lucky’s Rodeo, looking for a job.
“Okay, let’s go inside,” George said. Slumped against the car before, he now stood with his back straight and his haunted eyes determined.
Levi allowed George to go first, following slightly to his left. They were close in height, Levi a bit taller, but George was on the skinny side of slender, so Levi instinctively moved to watch his back. No real reason for it because they were entering a house full of friends. Still, Levi listened to his instincts.
Except for the new, unexpected urge to take George’s hand. That was a quick way to end this newfound quasi friendship they were forming. The younger man gave off zero vibes on his gaydar, so he’d protect from a distance. Maybe even be the guy’s friend.
George’s hand trembled once as he reached for the screen door but he clasped the handle and pulled. Stepped back inside the full house teaming with both people and pleasant food smells. Orry stood close to the door with Robin and Shawn, and George went directly to his twin’s side. He seemed to be following Levi’s advice, keeping his attention on the three people in front of him, rather than the house at large, as Robin made introductions. George impressed Levi by shaking their hands.
Orry met Levi’s gaze and offered a friendly smile. A nod. Levi nodded back.
Shawn chatted a bit about working at the saloon before asking, “What do you do, George?”
Levi was curious about that, as well, with as bad as his anxiety seemed, but he hadn’t wanted to pry too much. He preferred when people offered up personal information.
“I do closed-captioning for online videos,” George replied. “It’s really flexible hours and lets me work from home.”
“That sounds pretty cool. Any particular type of videos?”
George’s shoulders stiffened slightly. “All kinds. I like the work.”
“At least you have a single, steady paying job,” Orry said in a joking tone. “I work, like, four at once.”
“Hey, our generation didn’t create this economy,” Shawn replied. “We’re just trying to survive in it. Trust me, I know. I was homeless for two years while still working full time.”