Men in Shorts - 1. The Invitation

The Invitation

Mic slumped into the hard plastic chair, wishing for the hundredth time he’d remembered to grab his eReader on his way out the door. Getting lost in a story would make the afternoon pass more quickly than watching laundry roll round and round in the glass-doored washing machine. With a sigh, he shifted his weight and turned his attention to the sparse foot traffic carefully navigating the slippery sidewalk. Freshly fallen snow made the icy walkways even more treacherous this morning. As he watched, a man bundled up to his nose in a long trench coat slipped and fell in a painful-looking heap. Without thinking, Mic jumped up and hurried outside to help.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked as he approached. “That was a nasty spill.”

“Yeah,” the stranger replied with an embarrassed laugh. “I should have slowed down, but I was running late.” He looked up, and Mic was struck by how green the man’s eyes were. They were so vibrant he wondered if the guy was wearing contacts. A warm pink blush staining his cheeks made the rumpled red-head both handsome and adorable.

“Let me help you up.” Offering his hand, Mic braced himself to bear the other man’s weight so as not to join him on the cold concrete. A gloved hand engulfed his and Mic had the random realization that this was the first man to touch him, even casually, in months. It was a depressing thought. Shaking away his melancholy, he smiled at the now upright stranger.

“You don’t look any worse for wear. Does anything hurt?”

“Only my pride. Thanks for coming to my rescue, although I’m embarrassed you had to witness that.”

Mic waved off the praise. “It was nothing, really. I’m sure you’d have done the same.”

Brushing the snow from his coat, the man grinned. “I guess I can take this as a lesson that rushing isn’t always the fastest option.”

Mic chuckled. “No, it often isn’t. I’m glad you’re not hurt though. It would be pretty easy to crack your head on the sidewalk.”

“Well, thank you again. I’m Doug, by the way.”

“Micah… Mic. No worries. Luckily, my white horse and I were nearby.”

With a laugh and a wave goodbye, Doug carefully made his way up the street. Mic watched for a moment before turning back to the laundromat. He’d just reached the door when he was called back.

“Hey, Mic!”

“Yeah?”

“Ah, this might seem forward, but I’d like to invite you to a party tonight.” That adorable blush was back, highlighting freckles across the bridge of his nose.

“A party? Where?”

Doug pulled at the sleeves of his jacket, and nibbled on his lower lip in a nervous fashion. “My… umm… someone I know is hosting a party. Will you come?”

The expectant look on Doug’s face melted away any discomfort Mic had about crashing a stranger’s party. “Okay, sure. It sounds like fun.”

Pulling out a pen and a business card from his inside pocket, Doug scribbled information on the back before pressing the paper into Mic’s hand. “The party starts at eight. It’ll be fun, I promise.” With a radiant smile, the redhead waved and hurried away.

Back in his uncomfortable seat, Mic turned the card over in his hand. On one side, stamped in fancy, gold lettering, were the words “Doug Reid” with an address for an office building downtown, and on the back, in neat handwritten script was: 41A Burnaby Blvd. I look forward to seeing my white knight again.

With a smile, and a sense of anticipation he hadn’t felt in a long time, Mic tucked the card into his pocket. The only decision to make now was what to wear.

<><><>

Standing in front of the building, Mic looked down at the card in his hand again. Yes, this was the right address. It was a large townhouse complex in an area of the city he couldn’t afford in his wildest dreams. Was this where Doug lived?

With a deep, fortifying breath, Mic walked up to the door and rang the bell. When there was no answer he tried knocking, but still no one came. He could hear music and talking from inside and debated knocking again. As he tried to make a decision, an older gentleman strode up the walkway, nodded in his direction, and then opened the door, leaving it ajar as he disappeared inside. After a short argument with himself, Mic followed, shutting the door behind him. Not knowing what to do with his jacket, he held it in his arms as he slowly walked towards the sound of voices.

The room was crowded with happy, well-dressed partygoers. There must have been at least fifty people crammed into the relatively small space. Mic felt awkward standing alone by the door, so he slowly made his way around the perimeter of the room, scanning the crowd in search of Doug. He was starting to get the uncomfortable feeling he was gatecrashing after a third person eyed him suspiciously. One young woman, who appeared to be several glasses into the free wine service, even asked how he knew the host and guest of honor. Not knowing who Doug was to these people, he made a non-committal noise, and thanked the gods above when she was distracted by a passing waiter. He’d finally made it to a relatively private corner of the room when he heard a commotion by the entrance. A murmur of excitement rippled through the guests as Doug entered behind an attractive couple. The woman, though more petite than Doug, shared his vibrant green eyes and bright red hair. They were too similar not to be related.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” she spoke up when the crowd began to settle. “Thank you all for joining us tonight. As you know, my baby brother, Douglas, turned twenty-five today, so let’s help him celebrate.”

Partygoers clapped as glasses of champagne made the rounds. The birthday boy smiled as he greeted well-wishers, even as his gaze roamed the crowd. When Doug’s eyes finally landed on Mic, his smile widened and, after a word to the group in front of him, he hurried across the room.

“You made it.”

“You didn’t tell me this was your birthday party,” Mic chastised, although his smile likely ruined the effect.

The adorable blush was back. “I’m sorry. I know I should have warned you, but I wasn’t sure you would come if you knew.” Doug looked over the crowd with a grimace. “These are all my sister’s friends and business contacts. Hers and her husband, Gordon’s. I just moved to Toronto for a new job, so I don’t know many people yet. This was Leslie’s way of helping, even though I told her it wasn’t necessary. I guess I wanted someone here for me. Can you forgive me?”

The wide, expressive eyes unleashed on Mic were an unfair advantage. There was no way he could ever deny Doug anything when he looked at him like that. It was a dangerous notion considering he’d only just met the man.

“Of course I forgive you, I’m just sorry I didn’t know it was your birthday, or I would have brought you something.”

“Believe me,” Doug replied with a shy smile. “You brought exactly what I wanted.”

Thank you to my wonderful editor, Gary, for helping me edit this so quickly.   
 
This was my foray into writing again after a bout of writer's block, so I hope you enjoy it.  As always, comments are welcome and appreciated