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Jon had left the interview thinking he had bombed it. He hung his head and headed towards a coffee shop across the street. “Maybe I can’t fuck anything else up if I just grab some coffee.”

“Mr. Doyle?”

Jon was startled. He didn’t know anyone in Houston, and the voice was familiar. He looked up and immediately recognized the woman in front of him. She had been on his interview panel.

“Ms. Richards, right? I can be terrible with names.”

“Please, call me Sonya. It’s such a lovely day out here on the patio. May I join you?”

“Absolutely, and please call me Jon.”

She sat across from him, and he started to feel like the interview was continuing. She sipped her coffee. “I’m glad I caught you. There was something else I wanted to ask you.” She paused and looked around warily. “Without anyone else around.”

Jon was unsure of how to respond. He nodded his head slowly.

“Before I say anymore, I want you to know that I’ve already decided I’m going to recommend you based on Janice’s glowing reference. I spoke with her last night. She and I go way back.”

Jon felt his eyes widening. “You know Dr. Popov?”

Sonya smiled. “We worked together before she went into teaching. She spoke highly of you. In fact, she thinks you could do this job in your sleep.”

Jon felt the blood rush to his face. “She was always nice to me. It’s a small world.”

“It certainly is. Though that relationship is the only reason I was invited onto your interview panel. They think having a rapport with any references makes them more honest.”

Jon nodded. “That makes sense. What were you wanting to follow up on?”

She looked around again. “Like I said, I know I’m recommending you for hire.” She leaned into the table. “God, HR would kill me if they knew we were having this conversation.” She whispered.

Jon raised an eyebrow.

“I received a job offer the other day. A good offer to be sure, but I’m almost ready to retire, and this place has a decent retirement package for me. But you meet the qualifications for the position in a way. I can’t give you all the details right now, but if you might be interested in putting yourself out there, just let me know and I’ll pass your resume along.”

Jon’s eyes widened, and she smiled. “This isn’t a trick. I even discussed it with Janice, and she thought you would excel with an opportunity like this.”

There was something in her tone, something honest and almost vulnerable.

Jon shrugged. “Why not? I’ve put in so many applications, it couldn’t hurt to have options.”

She smiled. “Expect to hear from her soon. She’s looking to hire fast, so if all goes as I expect, you’ll have two job offers to consider.”

Jon smiled. “That would be amazing.”

She excused herself. As she walked away, she turned and said, “Mr. Doyle, one thing I will say is I think you should always inquire about company culture in an interview. You’ll get a good idea of how much of a work/life balance you can expect if hired. You didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you here you can expect long hours and not much separation.”

After she had disappeared into the building, he opened his laptop and composed an email to Dr. Popov thanking her for being so kind. He struggled with his words. He typed and deleted so many words he felt it would become a novel. When he was satisfied he didn’t sound like a blithering idiot, he hit ‘send’ and checked the time.

“Shit, I need to get to the bus!”. He quickly tossed his laptop into the bag and headed toward the bus station.

The ride home took an eternity as he replayed the events of the day in his head again and again.

Jon didn’t see the jeep when he got off the bus. Worry crept into his mind since he had sent texts to let Levi know when the bus left Houston, and when it was nearly back to town. “He must be running late.”

“Jon!” Levi’s voice rang over the roar of the bus as it pulled away.

“Where’s the car?” he asked

“Still at the bar. I walked over.”

Jon raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”

Levi handed him a cigarette. “I know it’s been a stressful day.” He took it and lit it.

“What’s going on?”

“You’ll see. Let’s go for a stroll. Tell me what happened.”

Levi hung on every word. “So what do you think that was about?”

“I don’t know, but hopefully I’ll know more soon.”

“Well, it sounds to me like you made a good impression on at least one person, so that’s good. Shit! I almost forgot!”

“What?”

“This,” and he pulled out a long strip of black cloth. “I want maximum impact, so no peeking.” He gently tied the blindfold around Jon’s head.

“Ummm, how am I supposed to see to walk?”

Levi took him by the arm. “I’ll be your eyes.”

They moved purposefully, and Jon thought they had to look ridiculous.

“Are we almost there? I feel like I’m about to walk into a tree.”

“We’re here, but leave the blindfold on for just a little longer.” They went through a door and across a room. Jon had only been inside the Ivory Dragon once, but he knew they had gone in. there was no mistaking the smell of whiskey.

“Just a little further.”

Jon heard another door open, and birds were singing. “Are we going into the courtyard?”

Levi chuckled. “I’m trying to surprise you. Don’t ruin the moment.” He led him for a few more steps. They stopped.

Jon felt Levi’s face come close, and the warmth of his lips. The forced darkness made it feel more electric than their first kiss. In that instant, Jon felt infinitely vulnerable and infinitely loved.

“Take off the blindfold. “

Jon ripped the cloth from his eyes. The tree where he first dared to have a conversation with Levi a mere month ago had lost its flowers but was as majestic as ever, freshly shaped, and had a layer of mulch at its base. The cobblestones had been restored and looked new. Around the perimeter, new flowerbeds housed tulips just starting to bloom. New tables were scattered around the courtyard.

“It’s beautiful.”

The wind rustled through the tree as if it had heard him.

Levi smiled. “I hope you like the inside just as much.”

Jon was so excited he didn’t wait. He ran towards the door like a kid on Christmas morning.

On the inside, the floors had been sanded and restored. The walls were freshly painted. Irish flags were hanging from the rafters, and the bar top was freshly stained. Tables and booths had been replaced. The stage had been refinished, speakers lined its edges, and new lighting made the new finish shine.

Jon looked at the spot where he had stood, and he could almost see the two of them that night. It was just the two of them, and a wave of emotion swept over him. A tear fell from his eye. He felt a hand on his shoulder and pulled the emotions back in.

“Levi, it looks amazing.”

“Gus hasn’t seen it yet. I hope he’s as happy with it as you are.”

“I’m sure he’ll like it. You’ve not really changed much. You just gave it new life.” He placed his head on Levi’s shoulder and sighed. The events of that night had started a course that he couldn’t change, but was filled with more love than he had ever known possible. He had found a new family that accepted him as he is, not for what they wanted him to be. Maybe one day his blood could love him unconditionally, like his new family, but if they didn’t, it was their loss.

“Are you ok?”

“Everything is perfectly fine. Do we have time to swing by the house before we go to Gus’s? I’d like to change into something more comfortable.” He wanted to say more, but the time didn’t feel right.

“Absolutely babe,” Levi squeezed his shoulder, and he felt a gentle kiss on top of his head. “Let’s get moving before the guys show up for their shift and try to put us to work.”