the corner.
Matt smiled inwardly. "What are the candles for?" he tried in his best come-hither teasing tone. The delivery of the flirty line was completely ruined by the explosive sound coming from a distance, followed by total darkness. "What the fuck was that?" Matt yelled, trying to feel for a familiar wall, chair, or anything around him.
"Don't move," Julian calmly said as he opened his cell phone to cast a light on the table to find the lighter. He lit the candle and the slow building of illumination in the room gave Matt a feeling of déjà vu of their first few nights in the house. "Sounds like a transformer blew somewhere close by. It'll be a while until we get power." Julian placed the candle between their place settings and lit another and put it on the floor to light the rest of the open area and hallway. Julian left the room and returned with a battery lantern and flashlight.
Matt watched as Julian calmly maneuvered his way around the semidarkness completely unfazed by the sounds of the wind picking up outside. "You've been through something like this before," he said, more as a statement than a question.
Julian looked up at him. "Yeah, I was here when Andrew hit years ago. After that, you learn to be a bit more prepared for these things," he said, settling down in the chair and grabbing a slice of pizza.
"Is that why you got pissed off?" Matt asked, biting into his slice.
Julian nodded, unable to answer with his mouth full. "I should have made sure the house was prepared," he finally answered.
"Was it bad where you were?" Matt asked softly. Even though he was a Florida native, he had been living up in West Palm Beach with his parents and knew more damage had plagued the southern areas.
"I was in Homestead at the time."
Matt knew what that meant. Julian had been in the heart of the storm when it passed. "Wow," he said quietly.
"Yeah, it was bad," Julian mumbled while he finished chewing. "Lost most of the house and…" He trailed off. "It was bad," he finished on a whisper.
Matt sensed there was more to Julian's mood. It was obvious Julian's mind had wandered to some other place in time by his faraway stare. Surely no pizza box could garner that much attention. But Matt didn't dare push. "Well, it looks to me like you made it out fine," he said to Julian with a smile.
Julian looked up, a startled return from wherever his mind had gone, and half smiled. "You think so?" He shifted in the chair, facing Matt.
"I do," Matt answered softly. He looked at Julian as the candlelight flickered over familiar features, the soft yellow tones of the flame reflecting in his green eyes. Matt caught himself staring and quickly looked down.
He began to pick at his napkin and tear away at its edges. He wanted to say or do something, but didn't have a clue if he should and how to go about it. He had been the one to request a 'strictly business' policy and Julian was really good about sticking to it except for that kiss a few months ago. Matt had worked so hard to clearly define a business relationship, but it had blurred with that kiss, and he found he preferred it that way.
He sighed. Sometimes he wished he really was that character he'd played for so many years, a take-charge guy from some time ago. But something about Julian made him fearful of messing up, wanting to think things through, hesitate.
Being with Julian just felt right and he didn't want to risk screwing it up.
* * * *
Julian could see, just by the expression on Matt's face, that something was racing through his mind as he absently ripped the napkin to shreds.
"You know, when we first met," Julian began, breaking the awkward silence.
Matt looked up.
"I thought you were an asshole," he finished with a smile, waiting for Matt's reaction.
Matt's jaw dropped in dramatic surprise. He then smiled and playfully punched Julian's arm as he laughed. "No, you didn't."
"Oh yes, I did," Julian responded with a laugh as he rubbed his arm and
Matt smiled inwardly. "What are the candles for?" he tried in his best come-hither teasing tone. The delivery of the flirty line was completely ruined by the explosive sound coming from a distance, followed by total darkness. "What the fuck was that?" Matt yelled, trying to feel for a familiar wall, chair, or anything around him.
"Don't move," Julian calmly said as he opened his cell phone to cast a light on the table to find the lighter. He lit the candle and the slow building of illumination in the room gave Matt a feeling of déjà vu of their first few nights in the house. "Sounds like a transformer blew somewhere close by. It'll be a while until we get power." Julian placed the candle between their place settings and lit another and put it on the floor to light the rest of the open area and hallway. Julian left the room and returned with a battery lantern and flashlight.
Matt watched as Julian calmly maneuvered his way around the semidarkness completely unfazed by the sounds of the wind picking up outside. "You've been through something like this before," he said, more as a statement than a question.
Julian looked up at him. "Yeah, I was here when Andrew hit years ago. After that, you learn to be a bit more prepared for these things," he said, settling down in the chair and grabbing a slice of pizza.
"Is that why you got pissed off?" Matt asked, biting into his slice.
Julian nodded, unable to answer with his mouth full. "I should have made sure the house was prepared," he finally answered.
"Was it bad where you were?" Matt asked softly. Even though he was a Florida native, he had been living up in West Palm Beach with his parents and knew more damage had plagued the southern areas.
"I was in Homestead at the time."
Matt knew what that meant. Julian had been in the heart of the storm when it passed. "Wow," he said quietly.
"Yeah, it was bad," Julian mumbled while he finished chewing. "Lost most of the house and…" He trailed off. "It was bad," he finished on a whisper.
Matt sensed there was more to Julian's mood. It was obvious Julian's mind had wandered to some other place in time by his faraway stare. Surely no pizza box could garner that much attention. But Matt didn't dare push. "Well, it looks to me like you made it out fine," he said to Julian with a smile.
Julian looked up, a startled return from wherever his mind had gone, and half smiled. "You think so?" He shifted in the chair, facing Matt.
"I do," Matt answered softly. He looked at Julian as the candlelight flickered over familiar features, the soft yellow tones of the flame reflecting in his green eyes. Matt caught himself staring and quickly looked down.
He began to pick at his napkin and tear away at its edges. He wanted to say or do something, but didn't have a clue if he should and how to go about it. He had been the one to request a 'strictly business' policy and Julian was really good about sticking to it except for that kiss a few months ago. Matt had worked so hard to clearly define a business relationship, but it had blurred with that kiss, and he found he preferred it that way.
He sighed. Sometimes he wished he really was that character he'd played for so many years, a take-charge guy from some time ago. But something about Julian made him fearful of messing up, wanting to think things through, hesitate.
Being with Julian just felt right and he didn't want to risk screwing it up.
* * * *
Julian could see, just by the expression on Matt's face, that something was racing through his mind as he absently ripped the napkin to shreds.
"You know, when we first met," Julian began, breaking the awkward silence.
Matt looked up.
"I thought you were an asshole," he finished with a smile, waiting for Matt's reaction.
Matt's jaw dropped in dramatic surprise. He then smiled and playfully punched Julian's arm as he laughed. "No, you didn't."
"Oh yes, I did," Julian responded with a laugh as he rubbed his arm and
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