Electric Blue and Catnip - 3. Chapter 3

Three

It was a perfect day for a wedding in the park, Joshua thought, as he walked along the neat rows of white chairs. The sun was cooperating, it was bright and clear, and his little sister was going to get the day she had been hoping for her wedding. Carrying a set of chairs to the back of the neat rows, he arranged them carefully making sure they were stable in the grass.

“Professor, you have a call.” He looked up to find his teaching assistant coming toward him holding out a cell phone.

“Finish this for me.” He waved to the final three chairs. Glancing at the caller ID, he gave a small grimace as he answered the call. “Alicia, I’m at the site, and everything is ready.”

“I just wanted to make sure. Everyone keeps telling me that things are fine but I’m paranoid. Do you have everything under control? I don’t want any nasty surprises mid-ceremony.”

“Take a deep breath, and hand the phone to Jenny.”

Who had given the bride a phone on the morning of her wedding? When his older sister came on, he let her have it.

“Confiscate all the phones in that room, Jenny. She’s going to talk herself into coming down here to supervise.”

“I’m sorry. Mom forgot she had her phone in her purse. I’m on it.”

Jenny hung up almost immediately and he stuck his phone into the front pocket of his jeans.

“My sister is going crazy and it’s only seven o’clock in the morning. The wedding planner brought the labels earlier. We’ll label the chairs and then I’ll get ready before she finds out I’m not dressed.” Joshua smiled at Tim and shook his head. “Aren’t weddings fun?”

Tim laughed and held out a printed list. They trailed along the rows to the front checking off names on the list, while Tim replaced or rearranged the neatly printed red cards. When they were finished, Joshua stood at the front looking the seating arrangements over. He couldn’t believe this was finally happening. His youngest sister was finally tying the knot with her longtime boyfriend. They had known each other since high school.

Through both their college, Joshua had seen Alicia and Patrick go through tough times that had even made them break up twice. Nevertheless, destiny was destiny. Alicia and Patrick’s story made him believe that everyone would find a soul mate. Patrick was a doctor now, while Alicia worked as a product designer for a cosmetic company. Patrick’s grandmother had bought them a house in the suburbs.

They were ready to start a new chapter in their lives.

His house was now going to be an empty place. With Alicia and Patrick moving out, and Tim graduating, he was going to be very lonely this summer.

A shout startled him out of his thoughts and he glanced up in time to see people running. Twenty feet away, city council workers had been hard at work installing some kind of statue. Their crane was now hoisting the massive large stone statue in the air, but something was wrong.

The statue was teetering in the air like a twig about to break. One of the cords holding it up had snapped making the solid rock tip to the side. People on the path were scattering away to be safe.

“Oh God, that guy is running toward it.” Tim pointed at a lone runner, a slender young man who was wearing earphones and seemed oblivious to the commotion.

The second chord on the statue snapped and the statue tipped farther. Joshua started running toward the young man. Bloody students with their ipods, what had happened to being disciplined enough to run without music.

He rushed toward the young man, full speed ahead, hoping to get to him before the statue collapsed. His sandals came off on the way, but he paid them no attention. Jumping onto the tarmac road, he tackled the slender body to the ground, just as the statue hit the ground with a big bang. Stealing a quick glance, he saw it start rolling toward them and he pushed the young man up to the grassy area on the other side of the path. He was hoping that since the slope would end with the path, the statue would lose its momentum.

His victim was fighting him like a feral animal. He warded off a punch to his face and cursed.

“Stay still you idiot.”

Thankfully, the statue stopped on the path. Moving off the slender body to escape the tirade of words flung at him in…he frowned…Japanese? He sat on the grass and pointed to the statue now sitting upright on the path. He turned to his victim and met frightened brown eyes.

Trying for a comforting smile, he gaped when the surprisingly handsome young man fell back in a faint.

Great, he sighed scratching the back of his head. He had saved a lightweight.

“Professor, are you alright?” Tim came running holding his sandals and panting heavily. “Are you guys hurt?”

“I’m fine, but I think I knocked the wind out of him.” He nodded to the passed out runner. Tim handed him his sandals and moved to look at the young man.

“Oh wow, he’s really cute.” Tim exclaimed glancing at him with a small grin. “He looks Asian, although I’m not sure coz of the brown hair. He has a bruise on his left temple. Maybe he hit his head.”

Putting on his sandals, Joshua leaned over to take a better look. A thin coat of sweat covered the younger man’s forehead. Soft skin was the first thought that came to Joshua. Very soft, he wanted to touch it. He doubted the younger man shaved at all. His gaze fell on slightly parted lips. They looked inviting. If he were to press his on them, it would be so easy to slide his tongue over that full lower lip and tease him to-, heat flushed down to his lower abdomen and he jerked back as if burned. He was lusting over a passed out helpless man.

Tim continued his inspection. “Bruises on his left upper arm, his left thigh, and leg, they don’t look too bad. He will be sore, but it’s not life threatening or anything. The hit to the head could be the reason why he passed out. I’ll call 9-1-1.”

Curbing his unwarranted lust, Joshua looked at the bruise on the young man’s head and sighed. He hoped it wasn’t a concussion. Standing, he leaned down and swung the slight weight into his arms. “I’ll carry him to the gazebo at the wedding site. Direct the ambulance there, Tim.”

“Alright, let me talk to the city council crew. We gotta cover your ass, Professor, in case there are any legal issues.”

“This is why I’ll miss you Tim.” Joshua smiled at Tim as he hurried across the path and up the slope to the gazebo that been set up for the wedding. As he walked there, he mulled over the Japanese that had been flying at him when he had been holding the young man down. He had spent two years in Kyoto for his research in ancient Asian empires five years ago. He knew the language, although he was a bit rusty now. But-

He smiled. He was sure he had been threatened with martial arts and broken bones. Judging from the size of the man in his arms, he doubted the broken bones would have been his. Walking up the gazebo steps, he placed his charge on the wooden floor. He removed his NYU sweatshirt and folded it up nicely. He used it to cushion the young man’s head.

Seating on the floor beside the passed out man, he sighed.

“Now what?” he murmured.

He watched Tim talking to the city council crew in the distance. The wedding planner was back and she was doing a check on the carpet where the bride was going to be walking down the aisle. A swift glance at his watch told him that it was close to eight o’clock. Looking at the seemingly sleeping man, he wondered where home was.

Tim was still by the statue and the crew. He focused his attention on the young man again, and this time he could not resist, running a gentle finger over the closed eyes.

“Wake up, sleeping prince,” he murmured, allowing his finger to travel down to the delicate square jaw. How could a man look so fragile he wondered? Clearing his throat, he moved his finger away.

The young man chose that moment to open his eyes. Groaning slightly, his right hand came up to touch his temple.

“Careful, you got knocked down pretty hard.”

“You,” Accusing brown eyes met his and he gasped at the fire in those eyes that turned them into golden honey. “Why did you tackle me like that?”

Charmed, Joshua hid a smile and shrugged. “A gentle tap was not going to save you. That thing was going to get us both if we didn’t move away.”

The young man sat up carefully, his gaze sliding away from him to fall on his leg. He cursed when he saw the scrapes from the gravel on his left leg and thigh.

“Lily is going to kill me,” he grumbled.

Joshua clenched his jaw, surprised by the surge of jealousy that flooded him. Of course, the man he was insanely attracted to would have a girlfriend.

“Who is Lily?” he asked, unable to resist. It was better to confirm than to speculate.

“She’s-,” the sound of sirens filled the air and the young man gasped. “You called nine-one-one?”

Panic filled brown eyes and the young man was suddenly moving to stand up. Joshua had to move fast to keep him sitting.

“Take it easy, you hit your head and passed out. We need to make sure you don’t have a concussion.”

“I feel perfectly fine. The scrapes will sting, sure, but I don’t need to go to hospital.”

“Relax. I will stay with you through it. Besides, if nothing is wrong, they will give you first aid and head on. Is there anyone I should call, your girlfriend Lily or your parents? What is your name?”

“Alexi, and no, we don’t need to call my parents.” Shaking his head, Alexi sat with his right hand pressed to his head as though it was throbbing. “I’m twenty-seven years old, thank you. I am quite capable of taking care of myself. Who needs Lily when she’s just going to make trouble?”

“This habit of yours, launching into rapid Japanese, do you do it often?”

“What?” Alexi demanded glaring at him. Those eyes of his were his defining factor, Joshua decided. They were so glorious. “Oh, I’m sorry. I just-, Why are you smiling?”

“You’re a spirited little thing.” Joshua reached out and brushed brown hair away from Alexi’s eyes. “Fine, Alexi, no parents or girlfriends. Where do you live?”

“303 east 77th street,” Alexi rapped out in a rehearsed tone. He blushed when he met Joshua’s gaze and continued to explain. “I just moved here two months ago. I lapse into Japanese sometimes.”

Cute, Joshua thought. “Is there someone we can call at your address?”

He watched in fascination as a frown danced over that smooth forehead. Alexi bit his lower lip and he glanced away when his body reacted to the action.

“I-, oh geez, I hope you’re ready for this.” Alexi warned as he removed the watch on his wrist. He pushed a small button on the back of the silver watch. “If you don’t want to hang around this is your chance. I see the ambulance. I can talk to them.”

Joshua chuckled at the attempt to release him. “In case you haven’t noticed, you’re in a gazebo where a wedding will be taking place in two hours. I have to be here.”

He was surprised to see disappointment flash in Alexi’s eyes. Before he could clarify, the wedding was not his, two paramedics descended on them. The two men worked fast, treating the minor cuts on Alexi’s leg and thigh. The bruise on his upper arm did not need much. One of the paramedics shone a light into Alexi’s eyes, while he grumbled about being fine.

“Are you feeling dizzy?”

Alexi answered that he was, but it would pass. They took his vitals and they were just deciding whether to take him in to the emergency room when chaos descended.

Chaos in the form of a pint-sized pixie dressed in pink pajama bottoms and a sleeveless silk top. Joshua was in awe, as she dashed into the gazebo like Flash. She seemed to have appeared from thin air.

“Alexi,” she called in a panic. “Alexi! Are you all right? What did you do? Fight with the pavement when you were running. Look at you, you’re a mess.” She moved around the paramedics, somehow finding a spot beside Alexi. Touching his head delicately, she peered at the bruise on his head while Alexi winked at him.

Joshua laughed.

“We can take him to the hospital. He’ll get a more thorough check up on his head.” One of the paramedics explained to Lily.

“Yes, by all means. What are we waiting for?”

“Lily, if you would breathe for a second, you’d see that you’re overreacting here. I am perfectly fine. I don’t need a ride to the hospital.”

“I’m in charge here.” Lily declared with a glare. She shook her head and stared at the bruise again. “How the hell am I ever going to let you out of the house again?”

“I’m fine, Lily.” Alexi tried to assure her. “I don’t want to go to the emergency room. Please, make that happen and I’ll undergo any tests you want with a private doctor.”

“Are you sure?” Lily asked, peering into his eyes as though she could read minds.

“I’m sure,” Alexi said firmly. She weighed his answer for a moment, and then she stood up and went to talk to the paramedics.

“Who is she? Is she your girlfriend?” Joshua asked moving back to Alexi’s side to help him stand. Alexi was stable on his feet, which was good, but it also meant that he had to let go much faster.

Alexi touched his left upper arm with his right. He poked at the bruised skin as thought testing how big the bruise was going to be. “She’s not my girlfriend. More like my master.”

Lily came back, pausing to give Joshua a very critical appraisal. He wondered if she could read minds.

“Lily, you’re scaring him. You want to thank him, he rescued me.”

“Rescue,” she said. “You needed to be rescued? Oh, yes, the story about the statue that wanted to kill you. Don’t you ever do anything in small scales?” Turning to Joshua, she glared. “Well, speak up, what’s your name?”

“Joshua.” He suddenly felt like a student answering to his teacher for doing something bad. It was an interesting experience considering he was a professor now.

“Thank you for helping Alexi. I’m sorry to inconvenience you.” She gave him a short bow and nodded to the black car she had parked dangerously close to the neatly arranged chairs in the back. How she had gotten a car in that far was a mystery to him.

“Let’s go, Alexi. I talked the paramedics into letting you go. We have an appointment with Dr. Sareshi.” She moved to take Alexi’s hand to guide him out.

Joshua waved her off and leaned to pick Alexi up into his arms. Alexi slapped his hands away and glared. “I can walk perfectly fine.”

“Shut up, Alexi. Let the handsome man carry you. This way, Joshua, we need to hurry. Alexi has a meeting in an hour.”

Alexi glared at Lily, which gave Joshua the opportunity to swing him up into his arms. Lily led the way out of the gazebo and as they followed her, Joshua met Alexi’s gaze.

“I could use her as a TA. Do you think she would accept?”

“Are you a student?” Alexi asked with interest.

“No, I’m a professor at NYU, Eastern literature and arts.” Lily held the passenger door open for him and he deposited Alexi in the driver’s seat carefully. Stepping back, Lily closed the passenger door, and turned to him. She held out a small white card with an address and number.

“What you did was very brave. Thank you for saving him. If you ever need anything, please call me.”

The passenger window slid down, and Alexi looked at her with a small smile before he turned to Joshua. “Come for dinner tomorrow evening. We’re having a small dinner party and I have someone who’ll be glad to meet you.”

“Alexi,” Lily said as if in warning.

“Say you’ll come.” Alexi’s brown eyes implored him and to his surprise, he found that he could barely resist the surge of attraction that swept through him. Smiling back, he nodded.

“I will. What time?”

“Six o’clock, I’ll tell the doorman to let you up.” Alexi waved at him, and the window went back up.

Lily huffed and walked around to the driver’s side. She drove off seconds later, just as Tim came to join him. “Interesting duo, who do you think he is?”

“Just a man, running down the street,” Joshua said thoughtfully, his gaze on the white card. There was no name on the card, just the address and a phone number. “Well, enough of that, we have to get ready for a wedding now.”

“Professor, I think you just let your date go.” Tim teased with a laugh.

Joshua shook his head and shoved the card into his pocket. “Yeah, yeah, let’s go before Alicia discovers there has been trouble at the site and her brother is not in his tux yet.”

Two hours later, Joshua walked his sister down the aisle, gripping her hand on his elbow tightly as they marched in time toward Patrick. Alicia was radiant in white, her smile brighter than the sun, her gaze firmly on Patrick. He glanced up to find Patrick’s gaze on Alicia’s and he suddenly felt envious of their love. He wanted that look one day. He wondered if he would ever get it.

****

Josh is a knight in shining armor. Tell me what you think of him.