Learning to Walk, a City Hospital Novel (14 page)

Kit wanted a lot of things, and he knew that several of them were simply the product of being too long without a job, a purpose. Another set were because he craved independence and wasn’t quite able to get it yet. Almost, but even the nearness was crazy-making. So close and yet so far.

The one thing Kit could actually do was fire his therapist and then seduce him. Assuming, of course, that Neil didn’t take a leap into the crazy-pool himself and decide to be even more uptight about it.

Kit wasn’t certain at all about what Neil was going to do at any given moment. It was frustrating, but Kit was starting to find -- to his horror -- that he was a little charmed by it. Neil was utterly predictable about his unpredictable reactions. He was constantly surprising.

Finally, though, Kit knew what he had to do, and he made a few more phone calls, had his father pick up a few things, and then dressed himself. He assumed that Neil would know that their session was cancelled, but Kit went to the hospital anyway, dressed in his very best suit. It was tight across the shoulders now, and through the arms, but that couldn’t be helped.

He hoped Neil hadn’t filled his slot already -- Kit hadn’t cancelled the session until that morning. He went up the elevator, ignored the way the nurses grinned at him and then took to whispering to themselves, and went to Neil’s office.

The door was open as usual, Neil bent over some paperwork, his hair a little tousled. He looked adorable and edible at the same time.

Kit tapped on the door frame politely and waited for Neil to look up. He wondered if maybe bringing flowers was too much, but it was too late to ditch them now.

Neil looked up, eyes widening in surprise. “Kit? I had a note that you’d cancelled your appointment...”

“I did, in fact.” Kit nodded and wheeled in. “You’re fired.” He offered the flowers.

Neil reached over the desk and took the flowers, a frown on his face. “And these are condolences?”

“No, they’re just pretty. And you’re pretty. I’d like to take you out to dinner on Friday. I’ve made reservations at The Copper Angel and at Symphonia -- you can choose which you’d prefer and I’ll cancel the other one. Please say yes.” Kit had no idea what to do with his hands now that the flowers were gone. He straightened his tie.

Neil looked from him to the flowers, then back at him again. “You sure don’t waste any time. I’ve been fired all of what? A minute and a half?”

“We’ve wasted enough time. I promise to find a better suit jacket before Friday.”

“Both my choices have a dress code, do they?”

Kit nodded. “I promised I’d make sure that you got to taste absolutely amazing food.” Why wasn’t Neil saying yes, damn it? “The most amazing food comes at a cost -- in this case, wearing a tie and a dinner jacket.”

“I think I have one of each of those somewhere...” Neil looked at him for a long moment.

Kit looked back. He’d dressed up, he’d brought flowers, he’d asked. He’d even said please. He wasn’t going to beg. “Please. Come to dinner with me. Pretty please.” Or maybe he was.

Neil nodded. “Okay. It sounds nice, and I promise to try to use the right utensils.”

Relief fell on Kit and his shoulders wanted to slump with it, but he made himself stay upright. “There’s books and websites about that kind of stuff, I hear. Do you know which place you’d prefer?”

“Whichever one is your favorite.”

“All right. Symphonia it is. We’ll be seated at eight, so be ready about seven-thirty. I’ll pick you up.” Kit gave him a smile and started to back up. “Be hungry.”

“Kit.” He stopped and Neil gave him a smile. “Good luck with your new therapist.”

“I bet she sucks,” Kit said, grinning. “But thanks. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“She’d better not!” Was it his imagination, or did Neil sound slightly jealous as well as joking?

Kit grinned harder and winked. “We’ll see. We’ll see all kinds of things, maybe.”

“Maybe.” Neil smiled at him, gave him a wave, looking slightly bemused.

Kit left, wheeling himself back down the hallway to the nurses’ station. He looked at them, waited until they all looked back and then gave a thumbs up. “See you this afternoon. I have to go find better clothes for my therapy.”

They laughed, one of them said that she was going to make a quick call, in that tone that said she was going to spread some gossip with a smile, and Kit headed to the elevator. Now all he had to do was make sure that dinner on Friday was completely perfect, arrange for a driver, and cross his fingers.

He hoped this new therapist thing worked out -- it would really suck to have made a wrong choice.

***

What if he’d made the wrong choice?

Neil paced around his small apartment, feeling like he was being choked by his tie, biting his lower lip. What if it was too soon? What if the restaurant was too expensive? What if Kit expected a date to include having sex after the fancy dinner? What if this was still all about gratitude?

Neil sighed and made himself sit down. He was an idiot. He should have said “no.” No, he should have said, not on Friday, maybe in a few weeks.

That was what he should have done.

He just hadn’t been able to turn Kit down, not with that hopeful look on Kit’s face as he waited for an answer.

The door buzzer rang, letting him know that someone was out front, then it rang again, like a happy little punctuation mark. God, Kit was eager. Almost too eager. If this didn’t work out Kit was going to be badly hurt, and Neil did not want to be responsible for that.

He grabbed his dinner jacket -- newly purchased at Sears just this morning -- and headed down the hall to the front door shared by all four apartments in the converted house.

Kit looked about the same as he had when he’d asked Neil to dinner, though his jacket did fit a little better. “Hi. You look wonderful -- I hope you’re hungry,” Kit said with a smile. Kit’s father was standing by the open door to the backseat of a large sedan. “Limo service.”

“Wow, you’ve really gone all out.” It made him nervous; he hoped he could live up to Kit’s expectations.

“I’m just hoping it’s not the chef’s night off.” Kit gestured to the car. “After you. It’ll take me a moment to shift seats.”

His father rolled his eyes. “I’m not crashing your date, either. Dropping off and then I’m heading to the game, so don’t be calling me if you get in trouble.” He smiled and nodded to Neil, though.

Neil chuckled. “There won’t be any trouble, Mr. Matheson.”

He got a wink. “I’m sure he’s sorry to hear that.”

“Hey.” Kit rolled his eyes as Neil got into the car. “I hired you to drive, not comment.”

“It’s a bonus.” Then Mr. Matheson helped Kit into the car and they were on their way.

Neil kept laughing, relaxing as they took off. “He’s a hoot,” he said quietly to Kit.

“He’s a good man.” Kit nodded. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward to the day we don’t need to share a house. Maybe I’ll invite him over for dinner sometimes, though.”

“Yeah, you don’t want to just dump him after he’s been here for you.”

Kit laughed. “Hey, Dad. You want me out of your hair?”

“Heck, yes. You’re cramping my style, kid.”

“I thought so.” Kit grinned at Neil. “Anyway, thank you for coming to dinner. I hope you enjoy it, even if it doesn’t earn a whoop.”

Neil couldn’t help but tease. “Are you even allowed to whoop in a classy restaurant?”

“Only if you whisper, I think. I promise not to tell.”

“So are you ordering for me or are you chancing me picking something whoop worthy?”

“There is nothing on the menu that isn’t worthy of a whoop. I do suggest one of the chicken dishes, but whatever strikes your fancy will be good, I promise you.” Kit smiled at him. “I hope you’ll have a glass or two of wine, as well. This is supposed to be a very untypical meal, something very extravagant.”

“Extravagant, huh?” Neil thought maybe Kit was going overboard, but he didn’t see how he could say anything without it pissing Kit off.

“I won’t go so far as to say once in a lifetime, but it’s sure not going to be a frequent date. Don’t get your heart too involved with dessert menu.”

“No falling in love with dessert. Got it.” Neil resolved to have a good time -- Kit was determined to spend the money; the least he could do was enjoy it.

“They specialize in fresh fruit desserts -- everything from plain berries with local apples to chocolate laden confections. I’m pretty sure you’ll find something that strikes your fancy.” Kit glanced out the window and smiled. “Just a few more blocks.”

“Cool. So how’s the new therapist working out?” He had been hoping to wait until later on in the date to ask, but he had to give himself props for it not being the first words out of his mouth.

Kit shrugged one shoulder. “She seems okay. I mean, she knows what she’s doing, anyway, and she isn’t shy about making me do just two more. I guess it’s all right. Miss me?”

“I’d rather see you like this.”

Kit’s eyes lit up. Neil could see it, could actually see the way Kit both relaxed and perked up. “Good. Me, too.” Kit’s hand twitched, as if he almost reached to take Neil’s. He smiled again and nodded. “Me, too,” he repeated.

Neil smiled, happy to be able to light Kit up that much just from a few simple words.

When they got the restaurant, Mr. Matheson got out Kit’s chair and then grinned at Neil. “I told him it was too early to try the cane out in public. Crossing a room should probably come first. He always did try to push the limits.”

Neil nodded and weighed in his own opinion. “He’s kind of impatient.”

Kit cleared his throat. “And right here.”

Mr. Matheson ignored Kit. “Drove his mother crazy. Always looking for ways to go faster and higher.”

“I believe it. And thank you for acting as chauffeur for us tonight.”

“Not a problem at all.” Mr. Matheson shook his hand, waved off the parking valet, and got back in the car. “Call me when you’re done. No later than midnight. My shift ends at 11:59.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Kit rolled his eyes and waved as his father drove off. “So. Shall we?”

“This is your show -- lead the way.”

Kit headed to the door which was smoothly opened by a man just inside, whose entire function appeared to be opening the door and smiling politely at them. To the right was an actual coat check with a pretty girl inside the window, and to the left was the maitre d’ stand. A tall, elegantly dressed woman was there, already stepping forward to greet them.

“Good evening and welcome to Symphonia,” she said. “Reservation for two?”

Kit nodded. “Thank you. It’s under Matheson.”

“Of course, Mr. Matheson. Would you like anything from the bar before I take you to your table?”

Kit glanced up at Neil, one eyebrow quirked in a question. Neil shook his head. He was good. If a little out of his element.

“Not right now, thank you.”

The lady smiled, nodded and led them through a maze of half walls and potted trees to a table for two at the window. One of the chairs was already gone, which eliminated the need for any furniture shifting. She waited until Neil was seated, reached behind one of the half walls and produced two menus. “Alex will be taking care of you this evening, and he’ll be right here with water and fresh bread to get you started and to tell you about the chef’s specials.”

“Thank you,” Kit said with a nod, and she walked away. “Pretty nice so far, huh?”

“Very, very classy.” Neil was beginning to feel a little underdressed, actually.

“Next time we have an actual date, it’s going to be sandwiches and TV, just to get ourselves realigned with the world.”

Alex arrived, smiling and pleasant, and launched into a recitation about the food, the wine, the bar, and the desserts, pausing at all the right moments while he poured water, told them about the bread and butter, and then left them with the menu to decide between fantastic chicken, amazing pasta, or unforgettable everything else. Even Kit looked a little shell-shocked.

“The key,” Kit whispered, “is to pick whatever you already know you like and go with that. I’m having the pasta with the grilled chicken.”

“But what if it spoils me for life on that dish?” Neil grinned and bit his bottom lip, looking for something at the same price or less than Kit’s dish.” I might go with the crab cakes.”

“They’re really good.” Kit nodded, glancing at his own menu. “We can split an order of artichoke dip to start, if you want. I know I can’t eat the whole thing. White wine?”

“If you like and sure, white wine sounds nice.”

Kit looked pleased again, and when Alex arrived, Kit told him what they’d like and grinned a little foolishly as Alex left. He took one of the rolls and cut it open. “Now that I’ve done that, I never want to do it again,” he said with a laugh. “How weird, to do all the talking.”

One of Neil’s eyebrows went up. “I know this isn’t your first date.”

“Heck, no. But I usually at least let my dates order for themselves.” Kit winked. “This place sort of calls for the whole fancy thing, though, so I thought I’d try doing it that way. It felt... odd.”

“Well, I promise to order my own dessert -- that way at least the oddness will stop at cheesecake.”

“Okay.” Kit nodded and sat back. “I do want to know if the crab cakes earn a whoop, though. If the food here doesn’t make you whoop, I’ll be crushed beyond belief. I might even cry.”

“You understand that I just don’t whoop over food, right?”

“So you told me. I think that the food here will earn at least very high praise. Food is so much more than merely fuel. I want to share with you the best of the very best. If there’s no whoop, there’s no whoop. But I’ll cry like a little baby. You don’t want that, do you?”

“You’re not going to cry like a baby.”

“Well, no.” Kit ate bread and smiled at him. “But it will make me crazy, and I’ll keep shoving food at you until you give up a whoop that sounds even vaguely genuine, no matter how many years it takes.”

“Years.” Neil laughed. “I like your confidence.”

“I like to have goals in mind.” Kit smiled at him. “How long do you think it’ll take to prove to you that I’m interested in you for you and not because you helped me?”