Chapter 1: When They Met and Almost Lost Each Other-2
2008 Words
Lewis may or may not be a stalker, but there was a lot worse out there, especially at this time of night. He held his breath and watched Lewis walk away for a long moment before calling out.
“Lewis! Wait.” He jogged across the street. “Sorry—I know you’re just being nice—”
“No, I definitely came off as a creep. It’s okay, I get it.” He shrugged and laughed at himself.
Aaron smiled a little. He felt better now that he was near him again, and the chill that had settled on him eased. “Okay, you were a little creepy.”
Lewis looked up at him with a half-smile.
“But even though you might be secretly stalking me, I do—for some reason—seem to trust you.”
Lewis’s smile got bigger and Aaron’s face felt warm. “Brilliant,” Lewis said cheerfully. “I’m parked this way.”
Aaron followed him down the block, his hand still firmly around his pepper spray, but he stopped short when a shiny red sports car beeped and shone its lights. He stood in the middle of the street as Lewis opened the door for him, but Aaron once again looked back over his shoulder.
“What?” Lewis asked, concerned.
“You can’t be serious,” Aaron said, looking Lewis up and down as he approached slowly. “This car is like…a million quid.”
“Oh, right.” Lewis glanced at the car and shrugged.
“No offense, but you don’t look like the type to have hundreds of thousands of pounds to go throwing around on shiny sports cars.”
“Er…none taken?” Lewis answered with a chuckle.
Lewis shut the door to walk around the front, and the car turned on before he had even gotten in. It smelled clean, like new leather, and Aaron tried his best to be small and not hurt anything as he put on his seatbelt.
“You look so uncomfortable,” Lewis said, and Aaron felt himself blush. “Would it make you feel better to hold your pepper spray in your lap at the ready?”
Aaron laughed in surprise and Lewis grinned at him. “No—I’ve just…I’ve never been in a car this nice.”
“Oh. So where do you live?”
Aaron gave Lewis the location of the apartment building across from his.
Lewis paused for a second, then pulled out his phone to navigate them to the address. “Well, you can have a lift anytime.”
Aaron’s neck felt hot under his collar. Lewis set down his phone, turned up the heat, and adjusted the music volume before shifting his car in reverse. Aaron sat stiffly at first, but relaxed as he listened to the purr of the engine and the steady noise of Lewis switching gears. He started to feel sleepy again, now that it had warmed up and he wasn’t very worried about being murdered. He might have even drifted off because he was surprised when he found himself just outside his apartment.
Lewis put the car in PARK and smiled at him, but Aaron looked away and started to get out of the car.
“Thank you for the lift,” he said, tugging on the door handle to pop it open.
“It’s no trouble.”
“Goodnight,” Aaron said, getting out of the low car with as much dignity as he could.
He was so tired that he forgot to walk to the decoy apartment and hoped that Lewis wouldn’t notice. He heard the engine turning over as it idled on the side of the road, but once Aaron had gotten open his door, Lewis drove away and the street quieted again.
* * * *
He dreamt of Lewis again that night and woke up feeling guilty, but tended to himself regardless with the excuse that he was loosening his muscles for class. He thought about him and his car and the stumbling way that he talks all day long, and when he got to the gym he didn’t even try to be casual when he looked for him. When he realized that Lewis wasn’t there, he hung his head and started his practice in a low mood. His shoulder had started hurting again, having pushed himself in rehearsals up to the day of the show. Now that it was over, he was still trying to be gentle with it, but it was starting to be a concern.
He stretched for a long time, then went to the steam room, laying on one of the benches when he saw that the room was empty. It was a while before anyone came in, and when the door opened, it was Lewis, smiling at Aaron, ladling in some water to the generator before he sat down. Aaron smiled at him, but shut his eyes, focusing on the stretch in his shoulder.
“You know—I have this really good massage therapist.”
“Oh, yeah?” Aaron feigned interest.
“I actually have an appointment for tomorrow, but I’m not going to be able to make it.”
“Shame,” Aaron answered, rubbing his shoulder.
“Why don’t you take the spot instead?”
Aaron snorted and shook his head, not even bothering to open his eyes. “Sorry, not going to happen. I like eating and need to pay rent.”
Lewis chuckled, but carried on. “Really, though, it’s a hundred-pound charge if I don’t show. You’d be doing me a favor.”
Aaron frowned and sat up on an elbow to look at him with a doubtful expression.
“I’m serious,” Lewis said, laughing at Aaron’s face.
Aaron sat up fully and frowned, his mouth slightly open. “Don’t you have friends or something?” Aaron said, and immediately felt bad, but Lewis laughed again.
“Not really, to be honest.” He smiled and Aaron disbelievingly crossed his arms. “Look, why don’t I just give you the information and if you can make it, then that would be great. If you don’t, I lose a hundred quid. No pressure.”
Aaron rolled his eyes as Lewis grinned, but eventually sighed and nodded.
“I’ll give you her business card when we leave. The appointment is at five.”
“Alright,” Aaron agreed reluctantly. “No promises.”
Lewis nodded, but was looking far too chuffed with himself. “Let me know how you like her.”
Aaron bit back a smile and leaned against the wall.
Lewis ended up giving him a ride home again, and Aaron went to his flat and stared at the business card for Lewis’s massage therapist. To his surprise, the office was only two tube stops away from his school and he could make it there well before the appointment time if he left class straight away. He set it on his night table and went to sleep, thinking about Lewis, even though he wished he could think about anything else.
* * * *
Aaron ended up going to the massage therapist even though he had tried convincing himself not to. In the end, he showed up, feeling like a child. The nice staff explained everything that would happen and what he needed to do. He walked out, feeling like he was made of butter, and he really wanted to go home and sleep but he had to find Lewis and thank him for this or he’d never forgive himself, so he went to the gym instead.
For the first time ever, Lewis came into the practice room while Aaron was rehearsing. Aaron almost fell over at the sight of him in the mirror and froze. Lewis belatedly knocked on the door and stepped in, setting down his gym bag.
“So how was it?” he asked.
“How do you know I even went?”
“Because of the look on your face.”
When Aaron actually touched his cheek, Lewis laughed, shaking his head.
“I called and checked in.” He shrugged, but Aaron felt a little thump in his chest that Lewis cared enough to do that.
“Honestly?” Aaron asked and Lewis looked eager. “It was one of the best experiences of my whole life.”
Lewis grinned and so did Aaron, even laughing a little about how chuffed Lewis seemed about this.
“Is it okay if I sit?” he asked, pointing to the floor near the wall.
“Er…okay,” Aaron agreed while at the battement.
Lewis smiled and plopped down, crossing his legs as he looked expectantly at Aaron.
“I’m really not even doing much,” he said, continuing the movements he had been doing before. “The masseuse told me not to overwork my shoulder.”
Aaron did a few slow movements with his arms. He did a few point turns and leaps to feel how his shoulder responded when he extended his arms. He tweaked his neck a little and went back to the battement to stretch.
“You’re so graceful,” Lewis said. “Although I guess that’s the point.”
Aaron sat and stretched his legs and hips, laughing when he caught sight of Lewis’s expression in the mirror.
“Sorry,” Lewis said quickly, laughing at himself. “You’re just so flexible. It makes my legs hurt just thinking about it.”
“Come here, I’ll show you.”
“What?” Lewis croaked.
Aaron stood again, walking over to him with his hand out. “Come on,” he said encouragingly, and Lewis reluctantly took his hand and stood. “Hold the battement.”
“The what?”
Aaron grinned, “The railing.”
“Right.” Lewis rested his hand on it and looked awkward.
“Straighten up—stand proud,” Aaron said, tapping between his shoulder blades. “Feet together.”
Lewis shuffled and adjusted, and his face looked flushed. “I don’t think I’m cut out for this.”
Aaron rested his hand on the barre and mirrored the way Lewis was standing. “Now, reach towards your toes, but make sure to fold at the waist and reach with the top of your head, not your hands.” Aaron demonstrated the stretch, touching his nose to his knee before coming back up again.
“Er…there’s literally no way I’m even coming close to that.”
“Just try,” Aaron said, putting his hand on Lewis’s back. When the man sighed and leaned forward, Aaron gently pressed down on his shoulder blades to deepen the stretch. He saw Lewis’s knee bend and tapped it, but Lewis groaned and stood again, his face red.
“I can’t, I’m gonna pull something.”
Aaron laughed and stepped away, folding himself over and easily wrapping his arms around the back of his legs.
“Now you’re just showing off,” Lewis mumbled, pushing Aaron’s hip as he walked by.
“Hey!” Aaron laughed again, nearly falling over. He adjusted his sweatpants, smiling at Lewis, who was leaning against the wall. “It’s okay, I probably couldn’t even lift the bar you put your weights on.”
“Do you want to try?” Lewis asked cheekily.
Aaron raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me, you didn’t even do a plié. There’s no way I’m going to make a fool of myself out there if it’s going to be one-sided.”
“Okay, okay—” Lewis raised his hands in defeat. “I’ll really try this time. Show me a play.”
“It’s plié.” Aaron stepped forward and pressed Lewis’s shoulder again to make him stand straight. “In ballet, everything comes from your core.” Aaron rested his hand on Lewis’s belly to make him tighten up. “You can’t be insecure—you can’t be distracted or angry or it all goes to hell.”
- Writer
