Page 10 of The Weight Of It All

A little line appeared between his eyebrows. “He suggested you don’t talk to people?”

I nodded. “Not exactly nice of him, but I could see his point. I mean, in staff meetings I would say nothing instead of calling the national marketing manager a fucking idiot. So it kind of worked. In six years I’ve had two promotions for simply putting my head down and getting my work done.

There’s a lot to be said about being the overweight unattractive guy.

Kind of invisible, or more to the point, no one sees me as a threat, so I kinda sneak through, ya know?

But now people are used to me not saying much, just keeping to myself, and it’s too late to change. ”

Reed was quiet for a long moment, and I wondered which part of what I’d just said he didn’t agree with the most. “I don’t know much about the corporate world.

I’ll be the first to admit that. And maybe what Sauron said was plausible, but,” he shook his head, “I dunno. I’d just never tell anyone to not be who they are.

And who knows, maybe the national marketing manager was a fucking idiot―”

“With terrible fashion sense.”

He smiled. “With terrible fashion sense. Who knows? Maybe that needed saying.”

I chuckled at that. “Or not. I love my job, and being in the corporate world comes with certain stipulations that I dress and behave a certain way. It’s not all bad.

I’m quieter at work, but I’d imagine the majority of people in corporate finance don’t fly their freak flag at their place of employment.

” I nodded to the park up ahead, to the crowds looking at stalls as they strolled through the market. “Shall we get out?”

Reed climbed out of my car, and it wasn’t until I had to stand up that I was rudely reminded of the muscle pain in my legs. And back. And arms and shoulders and holy shit. “Ow. Okay, I think I overdid it.”

Reed gave me a sympathetic smile. “You poor thing.”

I straightened up and rolled my shoulders. Well, tried to. “Why did you let me push myself so hard today?”

He laughed at that. “Uh, because you were pissed off at Sauron, remember?”

“Oh yeah.” I sighed as I hobbled toward him. “I forgot.”

He looked me up and down. “You’ll be okay?”

“Just out of interest, how many calories does dropping dead burn?”

Reed snorted. “You’re not going to drop dead, Henry.”

And suddenly I caught a whiff of something and I perked right up, my sore and aching muscles momentarily forgotten. “Can I smell coffee?”

Reed laughed and answered his own question. “Yeah, you’ll be fine.”

I made a beeline for the coffee van. “Do you drink coffee?” I asked Reed.

“Yeah, sure.” He fished out his wallet from his pants.

“No, let me get this, please,” I said, offering to pay. “Unless you drink decaf on soy or something else as equally horrifying.”

Reed chuckled. “Nope, no decaf for me. Never did see the point.”

“Exactly!” I looked up at the guy in the coffee van and told him my order and waited for Reed to do the same. I handed over some cash, and when we were given our coffees, Reed looked truly grateful.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

I smiled at his sincerity. “You’re welcome.”

“Okay,” he said, looking around the market stalls. “What’s first on your list?”

So we spent a while strolling the market and searching out the ingredients on my menu plan.

Reed found some lemon butter he’d run out of, and he insisted I buy some too.

Then he wanted me to try a fig and chili chutney.

“You have to try it,” he said. “I have it at home. It’s great on grilled chicken with salad. ”

The little old lady selling the homemade jars of goods grinned at him.

“You bought some last time,” she said, her Greek accent strong.

She obviously remembered him. I figured it was hard not to remember the six foot three inches tall, fridge sized, clean-cut gorgeous man.

“You try it on lamb too,” she said. “I also spread thin on filo pastry, fine chop nuts and bake. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Make my husband very happy.”

“Okay, sold,” I said, happily handing over my money.

I couldn’t believe how nice everyone was and how fresh all the produce was.

I also couldn’t believe I’d lived just across the river for years and had never been to these markets.

The sun was shining, people were walking dogs, jogging around the edge of the river, everyone was talking or laughing, and the coffee was great.

“Thank you,” I said to Reed. “For suggesting to come here. It’s amazing. ”

His smile was huge. “It’s great, isn’t it?”

“Oh look!” I said as we moved to another stall.

This one sold home-baked gourmet dog treats, which I wasn’t too interested in, but they also had some boxes of second-hand books.

I couldn’t resist having a peek, and I smiled victoriously as I pulled out a ratty old copy of The Fellowship of the Ring . “I’m buying this for you,” I told Reed.

He made a face. “Really?”

“Yes really. You can’t be the only person on the planet not to have read these books.”

“Aren’t they for kids?”

I gasped and put the book to my chest. “Fool of a Took.”

“What?”

“Never mind.” I paid the bank-breaking price of a dollar for the well-read, well-used book, and slid it into one of his bags. “You’re welcome.”

He laughed. “I’m not ungrateful. I’m just not convinced it’s my thing.”

“Read it. And if you don’t like it, then you don’t have to read the other six.”

He snorted. “Deal.”

I found myself grinning at him. “Did you get everything you need?” He had a range of veggies and eggs, some handmade Italian pasta, and a jar of the lemon butter.

“Oh yeah, this is everything. And even better that I don’t have to cram it into my backpack to ride home.”

“You don’t drive at all?” I asked as we walked back to my car, carrying our bags of goods.

“Nope. I ride or walk to work because I live so close, and if I need to head out of Balmain, I catch a bus or take the ferry.”

“Have you lived in Balmain long?”

“Nah, only six months.”

Ah, six months. About the time he split with his cheating ex. “So, you moved here after you broke up with your boyfriend?” Then I realised that question was way too personal. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that. I didn’t mean to cross a line.”

“No, it’s fine. Like I said, I’m over it.

I can talk about it.” He stopped at my car and waited for me to unlock it.

“His name was Brett, and we’d been seeing each other for about a year.

We didn’t live together or anything, but we were exclusive.

Well, we were supposed to be. When it all happened, I needed a change of scene, so I moved closer to work. Best thing I ever did. I love it here.”

I pressed the button to unlock my car and popped the boot. “Where did you move from?”

Reed put his bags into the boot with mine, alongside his gym bag. “I used to live in Five Dock. My lease was up around the same time, and I thought the move would do me good.”

“Fair enough.”

“You rent or own your place?” he asked as we climbed into my car.

“I own it. I was given a helping hand by my grandmother’s estate, but my mortgage is still enough to cause heart palpitations.”

He seemed impressed. “I bet it is. But you’re a professional when it comes to hypothetical risk management, right?”

That made me smile. I really liked that he understood what my job entailed. “Something like that.”

I drove back to Balmain and asked for directions to his place.

I pulled up out front of the apartment block, wondering how I could tell him I enjoyed the morning with him without making things awkward, but he spoke first. “Do you realise you walked around for the last hour or so and not once complained about being sore?”

“I’m still sore,” I admitted. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be impersonating a T-Rex by dinner time, but I think the distraction helped. I should thank you for this morning. I enjoyed it.”

He smiled warmly. “Me too.”

“I’m pretty sure I would’ve been sitting at home wallowing in self-pity and getting sorer the more I sat around and did nothing.”

“The walking around really helps. ”

“And the coffee, and the sunshine, and the company,” I added. “So thank you.”

“Glad I could help take your mind off Sauron not replying to your text.”

Oh God. “I’d forgotten about that.”

He looked stricken. “Shit. I’m sorry.”

I barked out a laugh. “No, please don’t apologise.” Jeez, this morning was a good distraction. I hadn’t thought about Graham in hours. “It was a great Sauron-free morning. We should check out food markets more often.”

His smile was back. “Any time.”

I got out of my car and popped the boot, and Reed quickly gathered up his bags and his gym bag. “I’ll let you know how that recipe goes.”

“Yes. I’d like that.”

“I’ll see you Tuesday?”

“Yep, bright and early,” he said, walking toward his apartment block. “Have a great date with Jon Snow.”

“Who?”

“Jon Snow? You know, Game of Thrones ?”

“Oh.” God, I felt like an idiot. “I will. Though Renly Baratheon is probably more my type.”

He laughed at that. “Bye Henry.”

I waved him off and got back into my car. I smiled as I drove home, only feeling the pull of sore muscles every so often that afternoon. I cooked my grilled salmon and salad then sent Reed a photo of it with the TV in the background paused on a close up of Renly.

He replied a short while after with a photo of his dinner.

It looked like grilled chicken with some kind of rice salad.

But that wasn’t what made me smile. Because of what I saw in the top of the photo, almost off screen and probably obscure to most people, but I recognised it for what it was.

The Lord of the Rings book was open, face down, like he’d had to stop reading it to take the photo.

Still smiling, I texted out a reply.

Dinner looks great. You’ll have to send me the recipe. Glad to see Frodo’s keeping you company while you dine.

His reply made me laugh out loud.

Fool of a Took.