Chapter Twenty:Alexander Effortless
1331 Words
Alexander Hayes checked the time for what felt like the tenth time in fifteen minutes.
The meeting was still going.
Unfortunately.
The faces on the large monitor continued discussing quarterly projections, overseas acquisitions, and investment strategies.
Normally, Alex would have been the one leading every conversation.
Today…
His attention kept drifting.
His gaze wandered toward the closed office door.
Adam was somewhere on the other side of it.
Probably sketching.
Maybe reading.
Maybe watching one of the movies they had picked out the night before.
He hoped Adam wasn’t bored.
The thought unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
One of the executives continued speaking.
“…Mr. Hayes?”
Alex blinked.
“Continue.”
The presentation resumed.
He listened.
Responded.
Made decisions.
Approved proposals.
Everything he normally did.
Yet in the back of his mind, one thought refused to leave.
I left Adam alone.
It wasn’t as though Adam couldn’t entertain himself.
He was an artist.
He probably enjoyed quiet more than most people.
Still…
Alex couldn’t shake the feeling.
He had invited Adam here.
The least he wanted was for him to spend half the day by himself because of work.
He disliked it.
Deeply.
When the final presentation ended, Alex didn’t waste a second.
“If there’s nothing else…”
The executives exchanged quick glances.
“No, sir.”
“We’re done.”
“Good.”
The call disconnected.
Alex closed his laptop with a quiet sigh.
Two hours.
Far longer than he had promised.
He rubbed the back of his neck before leaving the office.
“I owe him an apology.”
As soon as he stepped into the hallway, something unexpected reached him.
The unmistakable aroma of garlic.
Butter.
Tomatoes.
Fresh herbs.
Alex stopped.
His eyebrows lifted.
Someone was cooking.
He followed the smell toward the kitchen.
Then he smiled.
Adam stood at the stove, completely focused on stirring a saucepan.
Music played softly from a speaker on the counter.
One foot tapped lightly against the floor in time with the rhythm.
He looked…
Comfortable.
As though he’d always belonged there.
Alex didn’t announce himself.
Instead, he quietly walked up behind him.
Without a word, he slipped his arms gently around Adam’s waist.
Adam startled only for a second before relaxing immediately into the embrace.
“I wondered when you’d escape your meeting,” Adam said with a laugh.
Alex rested his chin lightly against Adam’s shoulder.
“What are you doing?”
Adam looked back at him.
“I’m making dinner.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“I know.”
Adam smiled softly.
“I wanted to.”
Alex stayed where he was.
“You already made breakfast.”
“You made lunch.”
“You were busy.”
Adam shrugged lightly.
“So I thought I’d make dinner.”
Alex looked over Adam’s shoulder toward the stove.
“What are we having?”
“Pasta.”
Adam stirred the sauce again.
“With homemade tomato sauce.”
Alex watched him for a moment.
“I didn’t know you cooked.”
Adam laughed quietly.
“You don’t know a lot about me yet.”
The sentence settled warmly inside Alex.
“I suppose I don’t.”
He smiled.
“I like discovering new things.”
Adam turned just enough to meet his eyes.
“I hope they’re good discoveries.”
“So far…”
Alex leaned forward and placed a soft kiss against Adam’s temple.
“They’ve all been good.”
Adam smiled without saying anything.
Alex looked around the kitchen.
“Can I help?”
Adam shook his head.
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Very.”
Alex sighed dramatically.
“So I’ve been fired.”
“You’ve been promoted.”
“Oh?”
“Your new job is staying out of my way.”
Alex laughed.
“I suppose I can manage that.”
He reluctantly stepped back, though not before giving Adam’s shoulder one last gentle squeeze.
Instead of leaving the kitchen entirely, he leaned against the island and simply watched.
Adam moved naturally.
Confidently.
He tasted the sauce.
Added a little pepper.
Chopped fresh basil.
There was something mesmerizing about watching someone enjoy such an ordinary task.
Alex found himself smiling again.
He had spent years believing expensive restaurants represented luxury.
Yet somehow…
Watching Adam stir pasta sauce in his kitchen felt richer than any five-star meal.
⸻
Dinner was wonderful.
Simple.
Comforting.
The conversation flowed as easily as the wine.
Adam told stories about art school.
Alex admitted that he’d once burned toast badly enough to set off three smoke alarms.
Adam laughed so hard he had to set his fork down.
“You?”
“I was eighteen.”
“I’m never letting you forget that.”
“I’ve accepted my fate.”
⸻
Afterward, Adam carried his plate to the sink.
“I’ll wash.”
Alex immediately stood.
“I’ll help.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
Adam smiled.
“Okay.”
The task should have been mundane.
One washed.
The other dried.
Yet somehow, they spent nearly twenty minutes laughing over absolutely nothing.
Adam splashed a little water at him.
Alex raised an eyebrow.
“Was that intentional?”
“…Maybe.”
Alex flicked a few drops back.
Adam laughed.
“Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be?”
“It seems so.”
By the time the last plate had been put away, the kitchen was spotless.
Alex looked around.
“I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed washing dishes.”
Adam nudged him lightly.
“There’s a first time for everything.”
⸻
Later that evening, they retreated to the bedroom.
Adam had changed into the beige pajama bottoms Alex had bought him, paired with a loose white T-shirt.
Alex looked up from his book as Adam walked in.
The sight immediately made him smile.
“That looks good on you.”
Adam looked down at himself.
“This?”
Alex nodded.
“It suits you.”
Adam smiled shyly.
“Well…”
He tugged lightly at the waistband.
“You bought the pants.”
“I did.”
“So technically…”
Adam looked back at him.
“…your taste deserves the compliment.”
Alex laughed quietly.
“I’ll take it.”
Adam climbed into bed beside him.
For a while, they simply talked.
About childhood memories.
Favorite holidays.
Places they hoped to visit one day.
Nothing profound.
Nothing life-changing.
Just conversation.
Natural.
Easy.
Comfortable.
Eventually, the room grew quiet.
Alex turned toward Adam.
He reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead.
Adam looked back at him with that familiar, gentle smile.
Alex leaned forward.
Their kiss was brief.
Soft.
Patient.
No urgency.
No expectation.
Just a quiet goodnight.
When they parted, Alex rested his forehead lightly against Adam’s.
“Sleep well.”
“You too.”
Adam settled comfortably beneath the blankets.
Within minutes, his breathing slowed.
Alex remained awake a little longer.
Watching him.
Thinking.
This weekend hadn’t been filled with grand gestures.
There were no expensive trips.
No extravagant surprises.
No carefully planned itinerary.
Instead…
There had been breakfast.
Movies.
Painting supplies.
Cooking dinner together.
Washing dishes side by side.
Conversations that wandered without direction.
Silences that never felt awkward.
It was ordinary.
Wonderfully ordinary.
And perhaps that was why Alex treasured it so much.
Nothing between them felt forced.
Nothing felt rushed.
Neither of them seemed to be pretending to be someone they weren’t.
For a man who had spent his entire life surrounded by expectations…
There was something almost miraculous about finding someone with whom simply existing felt enough.
Alex reached over one last time, lightly threading his fingers through Adam’s hair until he felt him stir contentedly in his sleep.
A small smile settled on his face.
He had spent years building an empire.
Yet somehow…
This quiet weekend was beginning to feel like one of the most meaningful things he had ever built
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD