Page 46 of Together Again

Max

I was cursingmyself for not insisting on getting the rental car and traveling to Isaac’s apartment separately.

Not that I didn’t want to be nearIsaac. Quite the opposite, it was more that I needed to get a hold on my feelings, except now I had no choice.

His dinner invitation had come as a surprise, but the offer to stay in his spare room was a shock. I’d accepted with some reluctance. Was it a good idea to be in such closeproximity?

It was much better to talk in the privacy of his home, so in that respect, I was glad.

I was just afraid of how I would react to having Isaac all to myself with no one interrupting.

I’d already decided I wanted to be friends with Isaac no matter how much I wanted more; our best friends were together, and we also had a connection through the LGBTQ Youth Centers.

At best,I could hope for friendship since we were also on different continents.

The drive from the center to Isaac’s place served as a good distraction.

Driving in Lisbon looked challenging. Nothing made sense. There were roundabouts that were so big they probably had their own zip code. There were roads with four lanes that split into two two-lane roads, so if you missed your exit, you were basically screwed.

It was also a very charming city that I hoped I would have a chance toexplore over the next week.

Isaac’s apartment building looked new. In fact, the whole street must have been built around the same time. The road had a partition down the middle that was populated with trees, and further down the road that divider became a small square with benches. No doubt to allow the locals to enjoy someoutdoor time under the shade of the trees.

I was used to the architectural density of Manhattan, but here, even though we were in the city, it was quiet, and the street wouldn’t have looked out of place in a smaller town.

We didn’t say much on the elevator ride up, but I couldn’t have been more aware of Isaac’s presence next to me.

Did he remember when we were last on an elevator together going up the Empire State Building?

Isaac’s eyes were on me, dark and searching. No doubt he was as nervous about spending time together as I was, even though this had been his idea.

I gave him my best smile, hoping it carried more of the friendship feels rather than the desire I was feeling.

Isaac smiled back, and I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a laugh.

“Does this feel like the worst movie ever or what? Come here.” I pulled Isaac toward me for a hug.

It didn’t last long because soon the elevator dinged and the doors opened.

Isaac’s apartment was exactly like him, clean lines with a hint of life you didn’t see until you reallypaid attention, and when you did, you noticed all the individual things that made up the whole.

The first thing that caught my eye was the view. The living room was open-plan with a direct route from the door to the balcony with its wide glass doors. The kitchen was to the left, making it into an open-plan L shape, and I assumed the corridor to the right led to the bedrooms.

I walked toward the balcony doors, pulled in by the amazing panoramic views of the river Tagus and the statue of Christ the Redeemer on the south bank of the river.

“Everybody has the same reaction,” he said.

“It’s stunning, Isaac. How long have you lived here?”

“Two years. I started off renting from the owner after he moved abroad, but then he decided to sellup, so I bought it from him.”

“Can we go out—ouch,” I shouted as something hit me on my legs and I felt the bite of sharp claws. “What was that?” I turned around to identify my attacker and saw Isaac crouching down on the carpet.

“Max, we don’t do that,” he said. “Come here.”

I was confused as hell, even more confused when I saw my attacker was a small, yellow kitten that sauntered toward Isaac like he owned him, and then jumped into his arms.

Isaac talked to the cat as though he was talking to a child. “You didn’t need to save me this time. Shall we give you some dinner?”