Chapter 43

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Chapter 43: If a Boy Had a Chance

After deplaning, I followed the public transportation signs to the blue line elevated train which, ironically, was actually located underground. In fact, as the train sped along, the tracks were always confusingly either below ground or at ground level, making me wonder what the "elevated" name was all about. Only as we got closer to the city did the tracks finally rise off the ground, so that the station platforms were even with the upper levels of houses built so close to the tracks that if the train stopped and the doors opened in between stations, it would have been easy to hop onto the adjacent decks, roofs, and fire escapes.

I stared out the window, fascinated with the city, so different than Seattle, until the tracks went underground again before the Clark/Lake station that was my stop. I made my way back up to the ground level and took a little time to look around the Helmut Jahn designed Thompson Center, home of the various Illinois state government offices, before making my way to Wacker Drive and following my pre-printed directions to the hotel. I walked east along the river to the Michigan Avenue bridge, where I crossed the waterway while gazing at the stunning Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower, which stood across Michigan Avenue from one another. Per my map, I veered right before I reached the Tribune Tower and rounded the Gleacher Center, which served as the downtown campus for The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. I headed east past the NBC Tower to my destination, the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.

I walked through the revolving doors into the spacious lobby and headed for the registration desk. I introduced myself and waited while Tibor, the man behind the desk, pulled up my reservation.

"You should also have an envelope for me from one of your other guests," I added.

"Let me check on that for you," he said and went back to look in a drawer of the credenza behind him. "Here it is," he announced, pulling out and handing me a sealed envelope with my name written across the front. I ripped it open and took out the note wrapped around a hotel key card. In the note Jasper welcomed me to Chicago, told me he hoped I'd have a good time in the city while he was working, and promised to call me to make dinner plans when he was done for the day. He also gave me his room number and told me to let myself in and pick up my box whenever it was convenient. A thought flitted across my brain that midnight might be the most convenient time for me, hopefully while he was in his bed, sleeping, preferably naked, but I quickly doused the idea. Another thought, this one far more practical, made me ask Tibor if there were any rooms available in the vicinity of Jasper's room. After a quick computer check, Tibor indicated that there were several rooms available on the same floor, the closest being three doors down. I declined that particular room and chose one seven doors down on the other side of the corridor, thinking it would be less suspicious and might make Jasper more comfortable if there was more of a distance between us. Still, I was pleased to be staying on the same floor. I didn't want to have to watch the elevator doors closing on us in goodbye every night. It would be easier to give him a goodnight hug if I was leaving him at his door to walk a bit further down to my room.

I handed Tibor my credit card and signed the necessary paperwork, before accepting the keycard to my room and declining assistance with my carry-on. I headed to the appropriate elevator bank and went up to the room, which was everything I expected from this type of a hotel. It was spacious and comfortable and filled with amenities, including a rather inviting looking bed, but since I hoped most of my time in Chicago would be spent with Jasper exploring the city, I didn't care too much about my surroundings. Of course, if I could convince Jasper to join me in that bed, it would be an altogether different matter, but I wasn't even going to think about that this weekend.

Once I unpacked the stuff from my carry-on, I grabbed the key card for Jasper's room and made my way down the hall. I knocked out of habit, though I knew there would be no one inside. Feeling a little foolish, I slipped the card into the lock and walked into the room, which was the mirror image of my own. I immediately saw the box I had shipped on top of the table by the window. I should have just grabbed it and gone back to my own room, but knowing there was little chance of Jasper returning to the hotel in the middle of the day, temptation got the better of me. I couldn't just enter and leave his room, without taking a little time to absorb some of his presence. I looked around. The usual random items you'd expect in a hotel room that had been occupied for several days were scattered about - a half-finished pack of chewing gum, a nearly empty bottle of water, an open copy of Rolling Stone magazine, a handful of brochures for various Chicago tourist attractions. Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing particularly interesting. I walked over to the nightstand and pulled open the drawer, smirking when I saw a small bottle of lube next to the standard issue Bible. I wasn't familiar with that particular brand, and it took a bit of self-restraint to resist reaching for it, flipping it open and pouring some out into my hand, just to see what it felt like - what he liked feeling over his cock as he jerked himself off. Sanity prevailed and I managed to stop myself, closing the drawer and moving to the closet instead. I smiled when I opened the door and saw that, like me, Jasper hadn't traveled light. Hanging in the closet were more than a dozen different vests, long and short sleeved tee shirts, polos and button downs, as well as several pairs of twill pants and jeans. I reminded myself that Jasper had packed for a full week, but the number of possible outfits hanging on the rod exceeded even that requirement. I reached in, fingering some of the shirts, then stepped in and tried to sniff one of them, hoping to get a whiff of his natural scent. All I could smell, however, was fresh laundry soap.

Disappointed, I looked down to the floor of the closet, which was covered with several pairs of sneakers, slides, slip-ons and sandals. I smiled again, thinking that men who came out of the closet sure relished filling the space we vacated. But it was what lay on the floor next to the shoes that really captured my attention. It was a fairly empty canvas drawstring bag that looked suspiciously like the laundry bags we'd used when we were in college. I picked it up and loosened the cinched ropes to find that I was right - the bag contained obviously worn clothing. It was only one outfit, which I figured meant that Jasper had sent out most of his other clothes to get laundered and that's why they smelled so fresh hanging in the closet. I pulled out the shirt from inside the bag, held it close to my nose and was hit with a familiar, comforting scent that instantly took me back in time to when we had been close, together. The scent had remained for a while after he left, until all his stuff was taken away and all I had left was the contents of the box. For a while, before Cliff came along, I would still take the clothes he'd left in my bedroom out of the box every once in a while, but the scent had slowly dissipated. After Cliff left and I bought my house, I brought the box back from Maggie's and placed it in my closet, but I sealed it and hadn't opened it since. I wondered now what would happen if I opened it. Did any of his scent remain?

The sound of a luggage cart rolling in the hallway startled me out of my thoughts. Realizing that I was behaving like a perverted stalker, I put the shirt back in the bag and dropped the bag to the floor, exactly where I'd found it. I closed the closet door and looked towards my box. Although I wanted to stay in this room, to go into the bathroom and check out his toiletries, to go through his drawers, to somehow feel closer to him even though he wasn't there, in the end I picked up my parcel and went back to my room. When Jasper called later and asked me what I'd been doing while he worked, I needed to have a better answer than 'hanging out in your room, going through your stuff.'

I unpacked the box quickly, storing it in the closet for later use. I grabbed my small flapover vertical messenger bag and stuffed it with my reusable water bottle, camera, phone and the cheat sheet I printed out for the attractions I wanted to visit. Making sure my keycard was in my wallet, which I stuffed into my bag as well, I left the hotel and set off into the hot and humid Chicago summer afternoon. I grabbed a sandwich at a fast food restaurant to eat on the go and used the transit authority pass I'd obtained earlier to catch the bus to Lincoln Park. From my research, it looked like a good place to spend an afternoon. It had several attractions, most of which probably would not interest Jasper. The first stop on my route was the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the furthest point from the hotel. I enjoyed the museum, which was dedicated to the study of nature and environmental preservation. I even made a mental note to return someday with Liam and Owen, so they could enjoy the many exhibits specifically designed to enthrall and entertain kids.

Although I could easily have spent my day there and in the neighboring gardens and north pond wetlands and prairie animal sanctuary, eventually I made my way south to the Lincoln Park Conservatory, a series of permanent greenhouses constructed between 1890 and 1895 to house collections of palms, ferns, orchids and other tropical plants. The summer heat made the atmosphere inside feel authentically tropical, and I was amazed at all the different species of plants, some of which I had only read about, some of which I wasn't familiar with at all. It was pretty cool to walk through the different display areas, knowing that others like me had done the very same thing for over a hundred years.

After the conservatory, I visited the Lincoln Park Zoo. I loved the idea of a free zoo in the middle of a large urban center, and I was impressed with the zoo's conservation programs, including a cooperative effort with other institutions to ensure the continued survival of the critically endangered Red Wolf. Other than a stop at the gift shop, where I picked up stuffed animals and tee shirts for Liam, Owen, Ren and Larissa, I walked through the zoo quickly, though I stopped longer to enjoy the brand new Nature Boardwalk along the large south pond, which the zoo constructed to serve as a living classroom and a natural haven for native wildlife. The project was still in its initial stages, and I knew it would be years before the dreams of its designers could be fully realized, but I appreciated what had been done so far and liked having yet another reason to return in the future.

I wanted to visit the Chicago History Museum, but by the time I left the Nature Boardwalk it was past the museum's closing time, so I contented myself with leisurely exploring the rest of Lincoln Park. It was a pretty amazing place, a giant park adjacent to a residential and commercial area, with the Chicago skyscraper skyline serving as the backdrop and the lakefront right across the famous Lake Shore Drive. The surroundings were so pleasant, I wasn't at all surprised to see many people enjoying their Thursday afternoon outdoors. If I lived in this city, I imagined I would be doing the very same thing.

Jasper called around six o'clock, just as I was finishing my tour of the park at the great big statue of its presidential namesake.

"We're just wrapping everything up and we're at Navy Pier, close to the hotel, so I should be at the hotel in a half an hour. Then I just have to change and we can get to dinner. Want to meet me at the hotel or at the restaurant?"

I wanted to meet him at the hotel, ideally reclining on the bed in his room as he changed, but of course I could never admit to that.

"What would make the most sense? And where are we going?"

"That's right, we haven't decided yet. Well, what do you feel like? Something fancy or should we go native and grab a deep dish pizza?"

I knew he'd had a long day and I didn't want to make him get dressed up for a fancy restaurant. Besides, bonding over beer and pizza sounded pretty good.

"You know what they say, when in Rome. Why don't I meet you at the hotel? I'll get some pizza recommendations from the concierge."

"Sounds good. I'll give you a call when I'm ready."

I debated taking a cab back to make the trip faster, but in the end decided that I had enough time to still take the more environmentally friendly public transportation. I was impressed with how green Chicago was as a whole. Not only were there parks and green spaces everywhere, but I also saw a ton of bike paths and even electric buses to make mass transit more eco-friendly. The lakefront itself was uncluttered east of Lake Shore Drive, leaving the entire natural area open for the enjoyment of Chicago residents and tourists alike, with pathways to walk or roller blade along the scenic route. The Nature Museum and the Lincoln Park Zoo both had extensive conservation research and wetland restoration projects in place, and the Nature Museum also served as one of the city's recycling depots, open 24-7. It was refreshing to see a city taking environmental conservation seriously.

The bus got me back with time to spare and the hotel concierge was effusive in recommending The Original Gino's East as the best pizza in Chicago. He even offered to call his connection at the restaurant when we left the hotel, so that a table would be ready by the time we reached the restaurant.

"It will save you at least an hour of standing in line," he proclaimed with a wink. "And be sure to order the original sausage patty style deep dish," he advised. "I guarantee you've never had anything like it, and you'll never look at pizza the same way again."

I tipped him for his advice and made my way back to my room to change and wait for Jasper's call, which came about fifteen minutes later. I offered to pick him up at his room, surprising him by knocking on his door while we were still on the phone. I wanted to let him know upfront that I was staying down the hall, just in case it posed any problems, but as it turned out he didn't mind at all. He stepped out of his room, closing the door behind him, and we exchanged a brief, friendly embrace. We stepped back quickly, but neither one of us stopped staring at each other. I took in the casual gray vest he wore over a white Affliction tee shirt printed with an elaborate gray and light blue fleur-de-lis design, his tight indigo jeans, and the whitewashed canvas sneakers, thinking that it was a good thing I asked Seth for help with my wardrobe. The casual khaki button down short sleeved shirt I wore with my black jeans had just enough details to rise above boring, especially when, per Seth's advice, I double rolled the sleeves, revealing more of my biceps. I wasn't quite in Jasper's fashion league, but at least he wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with me. In fact, judging by the look on his face, he was actually quite pleased with what he saw.

"It is so good to see you, Edward," he enthused, "I'm so tired of seeing only my co-workers all day every day this entire week."

"It's good to see you too, Jasper, even if you do look a little worse for wear."

One glance told me his description of the hectic work pace this week had not been an exaggeration. He was obviously handsome, and his wide smile was as inviting as ever, but there were deep, dark circles under his eyes and his body was tense with stress. I wished I could have offered him a back rub to help him relax, but it didn't seem the right time. I just hoped that being away from work and having fun would help him ease some of the physical tension, just as it seemed to be easing the emotional tension between us. I could tell that each time we saw each other he was more and more comfortable with me, which couldn't be anything other than a good sign.

"Thanks, Edward. You know just what to say to make a guy feel good," he teased as we waited for the elevator. I was happy he obviously understood my tone and wasn't offended, but I still gave myself a mental slap. I should have focused on how great he looked and complimented him, not made him feel self-conscious. "It's been a rough week, but it's nearly over. I'm just glad we're done early enough today to be able to have dinner. All I have to do is get up tomorrow in time to set everything up and get through the show, and then I'm free for the weekend."

The elevator arrived and we took it down, walked through the lobby and exited the hotel via the revolving doors. As we were leaving, I caught the eye of the concierge and he waved and picked up the phone, presumably to call the restaurant.

"Speaking of dinner, where are we going? Should we grab a cab or walk?" Jasper asked.

"We should have a table waiting at Gino's East on Superior Street. The concierge said it was a little over a mile's walk down Michigan Avenue and then one block over, but if you're tired we can take a cab." I would never take a taxi myself, but I wanted to make this evening as easy for him as possible.

"Let's walk," he said without even thinking twice about it. "The crew's been mostly eating in the hotel and the immediate vicinity, so it'll be nice to see a little bit of the Magnificent Mile on the way."

"Will you be missed at dinner tonight?" I asked, suddenly conscious of the fact that I was taking him away from his co-workers. "I mean, if you'd rather eat with the crew..."

"If that's what I wanted to do, I would have never said I could have dinner with you. I can eat with those guys any time, Edward. Believe me, they won't miss me at all. And I already told them I was meeting a friend for dinner. Most of them are probably jealous. As much time as we've been spending together this week, talking to someone who's not with the show for a couple of hours would be a welcome distraction for any of us. I'm glad you flew out today, Edward. I've been looking forward to this."

The thrill of hearing him say what he said, in person, of him actually being glad to see me, rendered me speechless. Fortunately, he didn't seem to need a response. We turned left and reversed my path from earlier to get back to Michigan Avenue.

"This is some city," I said, looking up at the buildings across the river. "There's just so much variety in the architecture. But I suppose you get that in New York as well."

"We certainly have variety of architectural styles in New York, but it's different. Manhattan is congested, so everything is tall. It's hard to take it all in, except from Central Park or other places where you can stand back and admire the view. Here there seem to be more open spaces, so the buildings can breathe a little, stand on their own. I like it," he said approvingly. "I take it we need to head north?" he asked, turning in that direction.

"Oh, look," I said as I followed. "I read about this on-line. This is the Tribune Tower and embedded in the walls are rocks and stones from famous sites and buildings all over the world."

"Cool. I read about it too, but I must have forgotten. How many do you suppose there are?"

We started counting as we walked along the walls of the building, but somewhere along the way we gave up, as it wasn't really important. It was just fun to see which places we recognized, and which we'd never heard of. The installations continued around the corner of the building and though it was taking us out of our way, we went to look anyway. We were almost at the end of the building when I spotted it. I couldn't believe my eyes. Right there, embedded in the wall of a building in Chicago, was a piece of my mountain.

"Look," I nudged Jasper, forcing him to look up. "It's a little piece of home."

"Oh, that's very cool," Jasper said. "I wonder why they mounted it so high. I'd love to be able touch it." As tall as we were, neither one of us was quite tall enough to reach the stone without some help.

"Come on, I'll give you a boost," I offered, entwining the fingers of my hands into a stirrup for his foot.

"Seriously?" he looked at me dubiously.

"Yeah, come on. Have you ever actually been to my mountain?"

He frowned and shook his head.

"Well, it seems to me this is a classic case of 'if Jasper won't come to the mountain, the mountain has to come to Jasper.' And here it is. Now come on, get up there and see what home feels like."

He shook his head again, but lifted his foot and placed it on my hands. He held onto my shoulders and pushed himself up with the foot still planted on the sidewalk as I simultaneously lifted him with my hands. I felt his right hand leave my shoulder, presumably to reach out to touch the rock, but I could hardly think about that as his entire body slid up against my face. At his full extension my nose was about even with the waistline of his jeans, which put my lips... Fuck! I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, not daring to believe what was happening and hoping against hope that I could keep my reaction to it in check. The aroma that filled my nose, a concentrated, heady version of what I'd smelled earlier in his room, nearly made me dizzy. Suddenly I was damn glad that my back was leaning against the wall of the building, supporting the both of us. It lasted less than a second before he started sliding back down, eventually reaching the ground and stepping back and taking his foot out of my hands, but keeping his hands on my shoulders for balance.

"So?" I asked, my voice thick. I kept my eyes focused on his lips, unable to look directly at him for fear of betraying my emotions. "How did that feel?"

"It felt," was it my imagination or had his voice thickened as well? "Interesting."

"Well, the next time you're in Seattle I'll have to take you to the park and you can give it another shot. Only then you can take your time."

"Ahem," he cleared his throat and I suddenly realized that what I said could have a second meaning. I felt a flush crawling up my neck and chin.

"So, your turn?" He asked, and I so desperately wanted to take him up on his offer, but in my state of discomfort, which would be all too obvious to him if he did boost me up, I had to decline.

"It's not really that big of a deal for me. I'm on the mountain five days a week," I dismissed his offer politely even as I tried to discreetly adjust myself in my jeans, wishing I had thought to wear underwear.

"Then I guess we should keep going to the restaurant," he proposed. "Lead the way."

I turned and walked ahead of him, but then turned back to see that his hand was also in his pocket. I turned forward before he could see me looking, but allowed myself a small smile. It was good to know I wasn't the only one reacting to the moment.

He caught up with me in a few steps and we proceeded back to Michigan Avenue and then northward towards the restaurants, checking out the many storefronts along the way. Jasper got excited about the Burberry store, and mentioned that he wanted to come back later to shop there.

"I don't know what it is, but I love their stuff," he explained. "Maybe it reminds me of London?"

"That was a Burberry suit you wore to Seth's wedding, right?" I asked, recognizing the pattern on the buttons matched those on a suit in the display case.

"Good eye," he complimented. "Yeah, I always thought it was kind of a classic, and I was glad it was navy. I have black suits, but they tend to make me feel like I'm going to a funeral."

We moved away from the display and continued our walk, pausing occasionally to look at something more carefully and making mental notes of the stores we wanted to come back to. I had never thought I'd be planning to go clothes shopping on vacation, but somehow the thought of going with Jasper, the two of us changing in adjoining stalls and advising each other on what to buy, seemed like the best use of our time.

Eventually we reached Superior Street, turned, and walked the short block to reach the restaurant. As the concierge advised, there was a long line of people lined up waiting for a table, but when we gave our name to the girl with the wait list, she told us to walk right in. Another employee led us into the rather grungy looking restaurant and back to our booth, where she left us with a promise that our server would be right with us.

"Well," Jasper said looking around. "Good thing we got a recommendation. I'm not sure we ever would have tried this place on our own. But if the line outside and the smells in here are any indication, this is going to be quite good."

We each opened up our menus and began to look them over, but before we could discuss our preferences, the server arrived.

"Hi there. My name's Allison and I'll be your server tonight. Have you been here before?"

We both shook our heads, but Jasper answered. "'Fraid not. We're both from out of town, so it's our first time."

He wasn't trying to flirt, but I couldn't blame the girl for being taken with him and licking her lips as he spoke in his beautiful melodic voice, now tinged with a mix of Texas, Washington and New York accents, making for a rather alluring combination. Of course, understanding her fascination didn't quite stop me from wanting to reach over to take his hand or do something, anything, to let her know that if she thought she had any chance with him, she should save herself the trouble.

"Oh, how nice. Well, welcome to Chicago," she said, still a little awestruck, before she regained her composure and launched back into her spiel, welcoming us to Gino's East and explaining that the restaurant was known for the deep dish style pizza which would be served piping hot right to our table within approximately 40 minutes. "Can I get you anything to drink while you're trying to decide what to order?"

Jasper and I each ordered a beer, then returned to the menu.

"Normally I try to stay away from heavy foods this late in the day, but I have to admit I'm starving. We only had a short break for lunch today and I made do with some chips and soda. I probably could eat that pizza all by myself if they put it in front of me right now."

"It sounds like we'll have to wait for the pizza, but why don't we get some appetizers as well? The combo platter looks good. As far as pizza, the hotel concierge recommended the original patty-style sausage deep dish. And we could add mushrooms too. Is that okay? Do you still prefer sausage over pepperoni?"

Jasper shuddered with distaste. "No pepperoni for me, thanks. The patty-style sausage sounds delicious," he said approvingly. Then, after a pause, he looked at me incredulously. "I can't believe you remember what I like on my pizza."

I looked over his shoulder, afraid that if he could look into my eyes he'd be able to see too much. He obviously didn't realize that I remembered everything about him. He didn't know that I'd spent the last few years going over and over the smallest details so that they were all hard coded into my brain. Of course, I couldn't tell him that, at least not yet. I was about to respond with some offhand quip when Alison came back with our beers and we were distracted by placing our order. Allison was still trying to flirt, though now she apparently decided that I too was worthy of her attention. I remained polite, but didn't flirt back. It was all I could do to keep hidden my annoyance at this unexpected and unnecessary distraction. Striking out with me, she shifted her efforts back to Jasper, who was friendlier than I was, but got rid of her fairly quickly by letting her know that we were starving and he, especially, was in danger of expiring if our orders weren't given to the kitchen soon. Flustered, Allison left to do her job. When I looked up from the table, I found Jasper watching me curiously.

"Are you all right?"

"Sure, fine," I answered. "Sorry, was I too rude?" Suddenly I was concerned that even my attempt at restraint backfired.

"No, just..." he shook his head.

"I didn't mean to offend or embarrass you with my behavior. I was just trying to make it clear I wasn't interested."

"I'm sure she got the point," he chuckled. "I guess I'm just surprised. The Edward I remember wouldn't have been so uneasy or reserved. He would have either charmed her pants off or told her to fuck off."

"I told you I've changed," I reminded him, not quite sure what to make of what he'd said.

"I know, but hearing you've changed and seeing it with my own eyes are two different things. I'd never have expected you to be so uncomfortable around a girl."

"I wasn't uncomfortable," I protested. "I just wanted to save her the trouble of flirting."

"Why not just tell her you're gay?"

"Because..." I searched my head for an appropriate response. I couldn't very well tell him it was because then she'd assume we were together and maybe ask questions that I didn't feel comfortable answering. "Sometimes that seems to encourage them more," I said instead. "Especially if the guys are not an obvious couple."

"Ah," he nodded knowingly.

"Here we go, guys," Allison appeared at the table out of nowhere with a basket full of garlic bread sticks and a bowl of dipping sauce. "I put the orders in, but I didn't want you to starve to death, so this is just to hold you over until the appetizers are ready. On the house," she said with a smile and a wink in Jasper's direction.

"Allison, that is mighty thoughtful of you," Jasper replied, somehow thickening his Texas drawl so that it became more pronounced. "Edward and I sure do appreciate it," he continued, then shocked me by reaching for my hand and squeezing it with his before interlacing our fingers together. "We were just saying how we need all the energy we can get for the wild night we're planning to have later in Boystown."

He kept smiling as he talked, but all I could think about was the heat of the skin of his hand on mine and the coarse texture of his thumb as it moved back and forth over the juncture between my thumb and index finger. I was only vaguely aware of the faint, surprised "oh" coming from the direction of the waitress, as my eyes were focused on our intertwined digits. An electric current moved from my hand up my arm and then down through my torso directly to my dick, leaving behind paling goose flesh as seemingly all my blood rushed down to between my legs.

"Edward would never let me ruin my figure with all these carbs if he wasn't planning on making sure I worked them all off later," his easy, sexy voice was muffled by the torrent of blood rushing within my ears to join the rest of its liquid family. "Isn't that right, Edward?" Jasper squeezed my hand, bringing me back to the conversation. I looked up in shock to see him smirking and winking at me, then saw his expectant gaze move subtly from me to the server. I turned in time to see her closing the mouth that must have fallen open in shock.

"That's right," I confirmed, having no clue where the confidence that I heard in my own voice came from. "I have quite a work out planned for him tonight."

"That," Allison's voice faltered a little, "that sounds like fun. Well, I'd better see to my other tables," she said as she turned and walked away.

Jasper laughed softly. "There," he said, still holding my hand. "I think she got the message."

"Yeah," I said, hoping against hope that he couldn't somehow feel how hard and fast my heart was racing. "Good thinking."

"Oh wait," he said, his eyes narrowing, though only slightly. "She's looking back here. I think she might need a bit more convincing. Here," he grabbed a garlic bread stick with his free hand, dipped it in the sauce and brought it to my lips. I opened my mouth, allowing him to feed me, taking a bite of the bread and trying not to think about what I'd rather have in my mouth instead.

"Perfect," Jasper smiled and put the bread on the small plate Alison had placed in front of me earlier. "I don't think she'll be flirting with either of us anymore. Oh, sorry, I got some sauce on you," he reached over to the corner of my mouth with his free hand, the other still holding fast to mine, and wiped some stray sauce off with his thumb. Then he paused, as if he suddenly became cognizant of everything that had just happened. I saw the realization hit him, but I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just watched him apprehensively, unsure of what would happen next. Jasper's eyes filled with confusion and then he released my hand and removed his thumb from my lips, wiping it off on one of the napkins Allison left on the table.

"Sorry, Edward. I hope that was okay. I kind of acted without thinking."

I figured that must have been what happened, but if this was the direction he wanted to go with his mind disengaged, I wished he could have just ignored his thoughts for the rest of the night. My hand still tingled where he had been holding it, and I ached for more of his touch. I couldn't just get lost in my fantasy, though. He was still waiting for an answer.

"It's fine, Jasper," I assured him. "I should have thought of something like that."

Except, of course, I couldn't have done anything like it. I would have been too afraid that if I had spoken too suggestively or touched him in any way that was unwelcome, the entire weekend would have been ruined. He apparently had no such qualms, and that was as surprising and thrilling as anything else. In a way, it spoke to the way he'd changed as well. In the past, he never would have taken the lead with something like this, and he certainly wouldn't have been comfortable enough to initiate contact with me, especially in public. But he hadn't been at all timid or uncomfortable when he grabbed my hand and brazenly implied to the server not only that we were together, but that some time tonight we were going to engage in a workout that likely would end in a setting more intimate than a bar dance floor. It was hard to know what to concentrate my thoughts on: how much I wanted what he was saying to be true or how fucking sexy I found his unexpected boldness.

"Hey, are you cold? They do have the air conditioning cranked in here. Must be because of the pizza ovens."

I looked at him, surprised by his comment. He was staring at my forearm and when I looked down I realized that the goose bumps caused by his touch had not yet receded. I reached to rub my arm vigorously.

"I'm all right," I said. "Just a slight chill. No big deal. Go ahead, start eating," I encouraged him. "I know how hungry you are."

He reached for a bread stick, swirled the end in the sauce and put it up to his mouth. I tried not to stare. Allison came back with the appetizer platter and asked if we wanted a couple more beers, an offer we both accepted. With the food between us and the alcohol working its relaxing properties, I managed to calm down a little and we settled into easy conversation, Jasper telling me about what he had done during his week in Chicago and sharing some humorous stories about his colleagues. As long as he was willing to talk, I didn't feel the need to do much more than listen, throwing in a comment here and there just to encourage him to tell me more. It was more than enough for me just to be able to sit back and watch him as he spoke. I could easily have done that for hours.

The pizza finally arrived as promised and Allison served us each a slice, leaving the pan with the rest of the pizza on the table. She was still pleasant, but much less enthusiastic than before, making both Jasper and me giggle after she left, as though sharing a guilty secret.

"This looks damn good," Jasper enthused as he looked at the slice of pizza in front of him that was at least one inch thick. "But how the hell do you eat this thing? I'm used to New York pizza now, slices so thin you have to fold them in half to pick them up. This is like a burger."

"It looks sturdy enough to pick up, but it might be best to use a knife and fork," I proposed, picking up my utensils, "Especially with the sauce layer right on top."

Jasper followed my lead and we both cut into our respective slices. I tasted mine, and fuck if it wasn't one of the best things I'd ever eaten in my life.

"Damn, that's really good," Jasper concurred. "I love that sausage patty layer! And this crust is something else. What do you suppose they put in there? Cornmeal?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's really fucking tasty. Remind me to give that concierge another tip when we get back. He sure steered us right."

We kept eating and talking until we couldn't eat any more. At Jasper's insistence, we split the bill. Allison, apparently recovered from the earlier disappointment, actually wished us a good time as we walked out of the restaurant. Unfortunately, we couldn't quite make Jasper's tall tale come true. It was late and he had to get up early for work, so we decided to simply retrace our path back to the hotel. It was dark now, and the temperature had cooled off somewhat, making it a gorgeous summer night. The sidewalks were filled with others like us, enjoying an evening out in the great weather. I saw some couples, men and women walking together, holding hands or with their arms wrapped around each other. I was envious, but not enough to ruin my enjoyment of what I had. Jasper had quieted down, the long hours finally catching up with him, but just strolling next to him in an easy silence was fine. We were together, we weren't fighting, and we had a few more days to become even more comfortable with one another. Things were going really, really well.

I gave him a warm goodnight hug when we reached his door, and remembered to hand back his keycard. I debated keeping it for a moment, but the temptation to go back into his room would be too great. I was better off without the access. We agreed that Jasper would, once again, call me when he was done working, and then our official tourist weekend could begin.

I went back to my room and took my time getting ready for bed. The evening had been so much better than I could have hoped. I went over it in my head, again and again. I laid back in the center of the king-sized bed, naked, making use of the travel sized bottle of lube I'd brought with me and stroking myself leisurely as I remembered the way his hand felt over mine, the way our fingers slid effortlessly against each other as he joined our hands together, the way his thumb rasped against my lips. . . and then I was done remembering and my mind jumped right into a fantasy, thinking about what could have happened if I had just closed my lips around that thumb and sucked it into my mouth, letting my tongue circle it slowly, sensually. My overexcited brain had no problems coming up with an alternate end to the evening, culminating with me getting intimately familiar with the feel of Jasper's preferred brand of lube as its slickness aided me in filling him completely as I stroked him to orgasm. My own lube worked just fine as well, my left hand stroking my balls, my right hand twisting and flying over my cock to bring me to a spectacular release, cum splashing over my chest and stomach. Merely thinking about making love with him had a more powerful effect on me than most of the tricks I've fucked. If only I could actually experience it in person.

Knowing that I was all alone and didn't have to worry about seeing anyone in the morning, it was tempting to just fall asleep after that orgasm and take care of the clean up the next day. The air conditioned room was cold, though, so I had to sit up to pull down the bedding, and once I did that I figured I might as well to go to the bathroom to wash up. After barely sleeping the previous night I was pretty beat, but as I crawled in under the covers I realized that I probably should call Emmett, who would be dying to know how my evening went. Although I knew everyone would be at Garrett and Melinda's gallery for First Thursday, a glance at the alarm clock and a quick time zone adjustment told me their evening would be coming to an end soon, and I figured Emmett wouldn't mind if I interrupted for a few minutes. In fact, he was very glad to hear from me, not the least because he had some exciting news of his own.

"Oh my God, Emmett, that's great! I'm so happy for you and Nasir both. You give him a huge kiss for me and tell him to do the same to you from me too."

"You got it, Eddie. And speaking of kissing, are you getting any yet?"

"Emmett, I told you. This trip isn't like that. But here's what did happen," I said, launching into an overview of the day.

"So, tell the truth," he teased. "Are there claw marks in the seat of the booth you were in from where you had to hold yourself back so that you wouldn't jump him when he started feeding you?"

I laughed, a little uncomfortable with how close to the mark he really was.

"So obviously with him having to work it's an early night tonight, but Seth said you two are planning to go to Boystown, right? So that little story he was spinning for the waitress could still come true?"

"That's not really likely, Em," I denied.

"Maybe not likely, but possible. I'll just keep thinking good thoughts. We all will. Hey, everyone's still here. You want to talk to the gang? Seth, in particular, as you might guess, is most anxious to speak with you."

"You know what, Em, I'm kind of beat, so maybe just say hi to everyone for me? Tell them everything is going well and tell Seth that if he wants to interrogate me it will have to wait until I come back, because there's a good chance I won't have much time to talk this weekend."

Emmett chuckled. "All right, Eddie. Good luck, man, and say hi to Jasper."

"I will. And you and Nasir have fun celebrating tonight. And again, give him my congrats. I'll call you when I get back in town. G'night."

"Night, Eddie!"

I flipped my phone closed and placed it on the nightstand. I turned off the light and was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. The next time I opened my eyes it was 8:30 a.m. I smiled, knowing it was only several hours until I saw Jasper again. I stretched languidly and looked down with amusement at my morning wood pitching a tent. I had plenty of time to piss and shower and take care of myself, so that's exactly what I did. Afterwards I got dressed and headed down to the hotel cafe to grab a quick breakfast before walking over to the concierge desk again to see if I could get some more good advice for the plans Jasper and I made for the day. There was someone else at the desk, a friendly young woman, but she seemed equally as knowledgeable. She suggested that we take the Chicago River architectural boat tour, and strongly hinted that it would be to my advantage to use the Chicago Architectural Foundation and to purchase tickets early.

"The other cruise companies pay us for referrals and are a little cheaper, and they're not bad, but the CAF really has the most knowledgeable guides and they show you the north river branch, which no one else does. Of course, if you're more interested in speed than architecture, there's always the Sea Dog. They do an architectural cruise too, but then couple it with a speed ride on Lake Michigan. The Sea Dog leaves from Navy Pier, while the CAF boats are moored on the South East side of the Michigan Avenue Bridge."

"I like the idea of the speed ride, but I also want the best river tour," I mused, unsure which to choose.

"Well, the Seadog has a super-fast boat that just offers a thrill ride on the lake. You could do that and take the CAF river tour."

"Now that sounds interesting."

"There are other attractions at Navy Pier, too, especially on the weekends. You can ride the Ferris Wheel for a great view of the city, or check out the outdoor sculpture exhibit and the stained glass museum, you can catch a play at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater or just hang out and listen to a band at the Beer Garden. Navy Pier is Chicago's most popular tourist attraction for a reason. And the part that guide books might not tell you about are the fountains and art along the benches in the park in front of Navy Pier. Be sure to check those out too."

I had her check the times for both excursions and was disappointed to hear that the last scheduled thrill ride was at 4:00 p.m., until inspiration struck and I asked about private bookings. She quickly got me the group charter number and in no time at all Jasper and I had a private charter booked for later that day. While I had her attention I also asked for dinner recommendations, explaining that I wanted something nice but casual, preferably not a nationwide chain, featuring local cuisine and ideally within walking distance of the hotel. She wanted to know if it was going to be a romantic night and I hesitated, because I so fervently wanted it to be, but then I shook my head.

"No, my best friend and I are here for the weekend. We live on opposite coasts and we haven't seen each other in a long while, so it's sort of a reunion. He's from New York, so it would be nice to go somewhere he couldn't find over there, but also somewhere a Manhattanite would find hip and cool."

"Ah, I have just the place!" she exclaimed happily. She typed in something into her computer and turned the screen to show it to me. "Harvest. It's in the Marriott Hotel right on Michigan Avenue, just a couple of blocks north, so absolutely within walking distance. The decor is pretty cool and they pride themselves on using locally sourced produce and cooking everything from scratch. And if you guys like beer, they even brew their own. They offer a beer made with honey they get from hives kept on the hotel roof."

"Get out! Seriously?" I said, rather incredulous. This place sounded right up my alley, and the photos she showed me of the interior looked very fresh and modern. It really was perfect.

"One thing, though. I don't think we really have anything beyond business casual wear," I remembered.

"That's fine. This restaurant is pretty casual. Trust me, it's perfect for what you want. And the hotel lobby bar is rather happening as well. Nice place to have a drink if you're a little early for your reservation or after dinner."

I gave her my most charming smile. "You've convinced me. Is there any way we could get reservations for tonight?"

She gave me a wink and picked up the phone. "What time would you like to eat?"

After the reservations were made, I once again left a generous tip along with my sincere thanks. I was excited about the plans I'd made. I just hoped Jasper would be equally impressed.

This time I left the hotel via the lower level, exiting out onto the nicely appointed walkway along the river. I climbed up to street level at the Michigan Avenue bridge and debated what to do next. Jasper told me his show was set at Millennium Park, which I knew was just down Michigan Avenue, and I was very tempted to walk over and join what I suspected would be a sea of other gawkers, but I wasn't sure if Jasper would appreciate my intrusion at what was technically his workplace. On the other hand, he was probably so busy working, he wouldn't even know I was there, especially if I blended in with the crowd. I decided to compromise and stopped first at the Chicago Cultural Center, right across the street from the park. After marveling at the classical building facade and the beautiful interiors, including the two magnificent stained glass domes, I took a little more time to walk through an exhibit about Louis Sullivan, a well-known Chicago architect, getting a history lesson in the process. Only then, glancing at my watch to confirm that it was getting close to the time Jasper indicated he would be free, did I finally cross Michigan Avenue and walked into Millennium Park.

The park was sprawling, but Jasper told me the show would be set in the Pritzker Pavilion, the Frank Gehry-designed outdoor concert hall, and the architect's shiny, abstract, stainless steel decorated work was easy to spot, even from a distance. I walked leisurely to the lawn overhung with a stainless steel grid that supported the outdoor speaker system. One glance at the stage told me that I timed my arrival well. The show was apparently over, and the only people visible were the crew breaking down the set. A few moments later, my phone played Jasper's ring.

"The show's over, huh?" I asked.

"Yup, just finishing up the clean-up. Where are you? Did you have a good morning?"

"I had a great morning, thanks. And I'm right here, in Millennium Park. I just walked over from the Chicago Cultural center to see how the show was going."

"I'm afraid you missed it, but if you're here already, I'll ask the guys to take charge of getting the gear back to the studio so I don't have to go back with them. We can start our sightseeing right here."

"Oh, are you sure that's okay? I don't mind going back to the hotel. Don't you want to change?"

"It's Friday, so we're all casual today. Most of the crew have already checked out of the hotel and are going straight to the airport after they drop off the gear."

"Well, that's great then. This park looks like it's full of interesting stuff. The pictures on-line don't do it justice."

"I know. Where are you exactly?"

"On the side of the lawn. I can see the stage and the editor's booth."

"Really? Step onto the lawn and wave, okay?"

I did as he requested, watching the stage and the booth in an attempt to spot him. In moments I saw a blond figure waving back at me.

"Okay, now just stay where you are a minute. I'm gonna wrap up here and make my way to you in a flash."

"Okay, Jas. I'll see you soon," I said as I ended the call. I was tempted to start walking and meet him halfway, but he was working and it might take him longer than he anticipated, and I really did not want to be the odd guy standing in the middle of an empty outdoor concert hall lawn. So I stayed put as directed, and within minutes watched as Jasper jumped down smoothly from the editor's booth and began to walk purposefully in my direction with long, strong strides that somehow managed to look powerful, yet relaxed. He didn't stop until he was right up to me, pulling me into a friendly embrace.

"Edward, it is so fantastic that you're here," he said with enthusiasm. "I love what I've seen of this city already, and I can't wait to see more of it with you. It's just like when we were kids, exploring together. Only back then it was the forests of the Olympic Peninsula, and now it's an urban jungle."

I laughed with him because I knew exactly what he meant. That moment felt exactly like all those times when we were kids and went off on an adventure, and he acted exactly the same way he did back then: easygoing, open, excited, happy to be near me. It was as if the cautious, apprehensive and defensive Jasper that I first encountered at Seth's wedding had completely disappeared, and I didn't miss him one bit.

"Okay," Jasper kept talking as he put his arm around my shoulder and steered us to walk across the lawn. "Since we're this far out here already, we have to go over to the bridge. Wait until you see this thing, Edward, it's awesome."

We walked across the lawn together, talking about that morning's show, his arm resting on me casually the entire way. As far as I was concerned, our time together could not have started any better. We saw the Gehry designed BP bridge, an organic, snaking structure with a wooden deck and stainless steel-clad sides, almost like a serpent spanning over the street below, leading people from one giant park to another, even closer to Lake Michigan. In the interest of time, we decided not to go all the way across, choosing instead to take pictures of the skyline and asking an accommodating passerby to take a shot of the two of us together, before heading back to walk to the Cloud Gate sculpture which, Jasper informed me, was nicknamed "the bean" after its unusual shape. I had never seen anything like this shiny stainless steel legume which reflected its surroundings perfectly. What I loved most of all is the way I could see Jasper and me together reflected against various Chicago backgrounds, and to Jasper's amusement I snapped pictures relentlessly, as if my life depended on it.

"You haven't even experienced the best part yet," he teased after we had walked all around the sculpture.

"What's the best part?" I asked curiously.

"Walking underneath it, of course," he laughed, pointing at the other people doing exactly that. We walked towards the bean together and were both amazed at the surreal feeling that accompanied entering the mirrored space. It was impossible not to look all around, trying to find ourselves in the reflections. As with everyone else, it took a few minutes for the awe to wear off enough for us to emerge on the other side.

"That was so. . . wow!" I enthused.

"Yeah, some of the crew guys and I jogged over here earlier to do this before the show. I couldn't wait to show it to you," Jasper echoed. I felt a tiny pang of jealousy that we didn't get to experience this for the first time together, but it was mostly overcome by the pleasure of seeing how excited Jasper was about showing it to me. We could have stood around Cloud Gate for hours, were it not for Jasper's stomach, which growled loud enough even for me to hear, demanding lunch. We both giggled, and then Jasper suggested we have lunch at a Cajun restaurant that came highly recommended by one of his friends from New York. It was a relatively short walk to Wabash Street, where on the seventh floor of a fairly non-descript building we found the appropriately named "Heaven on Seven." The restaurant was casual, filled with bare black tables and chairs, the wall decor consisting of an eclectic gathering of posters and a couple of walls covered with shelves full of a collection of hundreds of hot sauces. Most of the tables were filled with downtown office workers and we felt lucky to get seated at a table by the windows. I knew I wouldn't be spending a lot of time looking outside, but I appreciated being able to see Jasper better with the sunlight streaming in.

The single page menu wasn't extensive, but everything looked so good, it was still difficult to choose. We decided to share and ordered the Mardi Gras Jambalaya, the Louisiana crab cakes and the Cajun fried chicken salad, along with side orders of jalapeno cheddar corn muffins, washing it all down with a couple of beers. The food was delicious, and Jasper looked like he actually was in seventh heaven as he devoured the southern specialties, making me enjoy the meal even more. Afterwards we ignored any dietary common sense and both indulged in desserts: rice pudding for me and a slice of sweet potato pie for Jasper that he absolutely insisted I try, feeding me for the second time in two days. As he guided his fork into my mouth my only thought was that I could get used to this and experiencing it every day for the rest of my life would not be unwelcome in the slightest.

Filled to bursting, we made our way back to Millennium Park to continue our tour. Our first stop was the Crown Fountain, where scores of children, some in their bathing suits, frolicked in the shallow water while adults watched from benches that lined either side of the wet area between two glass block towers that featured ever changing videos of different people's faces.

"They just filmed average Chicago citizens for this," Jasper explained. "And the best part is coming up. Do you have any water in there?" he asked, pointing to my messenger bag.

"Sure," I said, pulling out the bottle and holding it out to him.

"Then get your camera ready," he said before closing his lips around the opening and filling his mouth with liquid. I made a mental note never to wash that bottle again before taking my camera out as instructed. I watched him walk over to one of the towers, his cheeks still puffed out with the water he was storing in his mouth. Then as if on cue, a steady stream came out of the tower, right from the projected person's lips. I brought the camera up to snap a picture and noticed that Jasper was mimicking the tower by shooting out the water from between his lips as well. I snapped the photo even as I started cracking up, and as soon as the water was gone he was laughing as well.

"Did you get it?" he asked eagerly, jogging back to my side.

"I think so," I laughed and pulled up the photo. Sure enough, I had captured the moment perfectly.

"I love it!" he said excitedly. "You're gonna have to send me all of these."

"Sure, or better yet, I'll put them on a jump drive for you before we leave," I offered, making a mental note to pick one up somewhere while we were touring the city.

We walked past another graceful pedestrian bridge, this one seeming to float above the street with no central supports. The bridge led to the new modern wing of the Art Institute, and while we both agreed that we would have liked to tour the extensive collection, it simply wasn't possible to fit everything into one weekend. Besides, as full as we were, we needed the long walk that was in our original plan.

Our last Millennium Park experience was a stroll through the Lurie gardens, where I managed to surprise Jasper and myself by remembering the names of many of the plants from back when I studied them in school. We continued to walk south until we reached Buckingham Fountain, and I once again indulged the tourist in me, snapping picture after picture, most of them featuring Jasper. After the fountain we found a crosswalk and made our way across Lake Shore Drive to a walking trail adjacent to the lakefront, which eventually led us right to the Shedd Aquarium. Knowing that this stop was mostly for my benefit, I tried not to take too long as we toured the different displays. Jasper grabbed my hand, however, and stopped me from moving on too quickly when we got to the river otters.

"Hold on a sec, okay?" he asked, as if I'd say no to anything that led to physical contact between us. I stepped back to stand by him, smiling with amusement when I saw how captivated he was with the otter antics, even as my hand tingled while he continued to hold it.

"It's pretty amazing how graceful and playful they are, isn't it?" he asked, watching with clear fascination as the critters swam and frolicked together. "They just seem so happy, even here in captivity."

"Just imagine how much fun they have in the wild, where they have a whole river to play in."

"I bet that's really great to see," he said.

"It was."

"You've seen river otters in the wild, for real?" he turned to me in question, squeezing my hand, probably without even realizing what he was doing.

"Yeah. I spent a summer working in the North Cascades National Park, and I saw a river otter family while hiking one evening. They're cute, though in the park you don't get the underwater view, which I must admit, is pretty cool. I mean, this way you get to see them in a way they usually only see each other."

"I suppose this does guarantee better access," he admitted. "Still, to see them in their natural habitat, that would be something."

"Well, then you should come with me to the North Cascades sometime. We'll go hiking and see if the family I saw last year is still there. In fact, we could do that if you come out for that week before Emmett's wedding."

He looked at me, clearly surprised. Then doubt shadowed his face. "I don't know, Edward. As good as that sounds in theory, in practice the wilderness and I never got along, and that hasn't changed. I don't hike, unless crossing back and forth across Manhattan qualifies. That little picnic in Central Park I had the other day is as close as I've gotten to nature in years. With my luck, as soon as we were far enough from other people for it to matter, I'd just trip and sprain something or, worse, break it, and it would be just like when we were little, remember? Only we'd be nowhere near your father and these days it's unlikely you could carry me to civilization. I'm better off just looking for an animal kingdom documentary or something like that."

I stared at him, amazed that he remembered that incident from so long ago, but dismayed that it would keep him from trying again now. But this wasn't the time to try to badger him into giving hiking another try. I'd have to work on that slowly, over time. Right now the main mission was just to enjoy this weekend.

"But hey," he said, brightly. "Thanks for indulging me here. Now, didn't you want to see the whales? It' just about the right time now. I think we have to go there," he released my hand to point to a sign and I was suddenly bereft, though I didn't want to show it. I would have gladly stayed rooted in place for another hour with our hands clasped together, but I wasn't given a choice so I did the next best thing and followed him to the entrance of the Oceanarium where we showed our timed tickets and walked in to see the ocean dwellers. Jasper couldn't believe his eyes or hide his excitement when the very first exhibit featured the ocean otters. I just laughed as we watched the cousins of his favorite aquarium critters for a while. We then made our way to see the dolphins, whales and sea lions from the ground level, before we descended to the underwater viewing gallery. We emerged from the lower level by the tidal pools, and Jasper made us stop there as well.

"Yet another reminder of home," he said softly. "Remember the tidal pools at First Beach?"

I couldn't help but snicker. "I remember you were always worried you were gonna fall into them and step on something."

"Well," he laughed, "they usually were full of these little critters. I didn't want to squash them, especially with my bare feet. It was easier and safer to stay on the beach. Well, sort of safer," his voice trailed off and he was lost in a memory.

"Sort of?" I was hesitant to take him out of the moment, but it looked like what clearly started as a happy memory was beginning to change, as his smile faded away.

"It was never safe for me hanging out with you at the beach, especially after we'd been in the water and your wet trunks would leave little to the imagination. I was always terrified of giving myself away." He spoke quietly, staring into the tidal pool display.

I remembered when he first told me this story, during one of our many conversations after he left James. For some reason, it was even more powerful now. The thought of him looking at me in my wet trunks, wanting me, was having the exact effect on me now that he had been trying to avoid then. I wanted so badly to tell him that he could have me, that we could go back to the hotel and he could look his fill, however he wanted, and that we could do whatever else he wanted too, but the fear of hearing him say that he didn't want that at all, stopped me cold. I kept reminding myself of Bruce and Troy's advice and my own vow to take it slow, one step at a time, to let him take the lead instead of pulling him in the direction I wanted to go. So I adjusted myself as discreetly as I could and tried to keep the tone of my voice light as I replied, "I was so oblivious and self-centered then, I probably wouldn't have noticed. Now come on," I nudged his shoulder lightly with mine, trying to physically snap him out of his mood, "I appreciate you coming to see all this with me, but we have other things to do. The rest of Chicago awaits."

He gave a small sigh, then seemed to give himself a mental shake before straightening a little and turning to look at me, a smile once again gracing his lips.

"After you," he said and followed me to the exit.