Chapter Text
2 hours after the New Rochelle, N.Y. Challenger.
7:47 pm
Patrick sighed and checked his phone again.
[ Meet us in the lobby around 8 pm. Please. Talk to the receptionist ]
He sighed again for the millionth time that afternoon. His car was already loaded with his luggage and he entertained the idea of getting the hell out of New Rochelle as soon as possible. Instead, he found himself walking towards their meeting point, the fucking Ritz lobby where he and Tashi met earlier that week.
He walked up to the counter.
“Name?”
“Uh… Zweig, Patrick… I’m supposed to meet with…”
“Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson, yes. Follow me please, there's a private lobby booked, sir”
Huh. A private lobby. He repeated in his head with a little bit of mockery in it. Patrick followed the nice, young lady through a very fancy hallway and went inside the indicated door. The private lobby looked like a very uptight coworking space, polished wood tables and chairs, a living room set and not one but two huge tv’s on the wall.
Patrick looked around and buried his hands in the back pockets of his jeans before sitting down on one of the couches.
What the hell am I doing here?
Fifteen minutes later Tashi and Art walked inside the room, and sat down right in front of him. Patrick followed their movements and raised one eyebrow.
“Why am I here?”
“First of all, thank you for coming” Art started before Tashi could say a word. He placed a pale hand on her injured knee and rubbed circles over the scar. “I just thought we all owed each other a good conversation”
Patrick sent him a lazy look. “I thought I didn’t matter. Not even to the most obsessive tennis fan in the entire world”
“What are you talking about?” Tashi asked, genuinely confused.
“Patrick…” Art started.
“Listen, man. I know we had a beautiful moment there in the court. It was so good but maybe we are too old to still be playing with each other like this. Maybe you were right”
“What the hell is he talking about, Art?” Tashi asked, getting exasperated now looking at her husband.
“We just had a little casual encounter at the sauna yesterday baby, that’s all” Art replied holding Patrick’s stare. “And I’m afraid I said some unfortunate things”
Tashi sighed as she alternated her intense stare between the two of them.
“So…” Patrick started as he crossed his arms deciding that he was going to give them the chat they were looking for. “You both being here means you know that me and Tashi fucked, more than once”
“Of course” Art replied without missing a beat, holding his stare with his thumb still rubbing circles on Tashi’s injured knee.
Patrick leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees, now very interested in the conversation they were having. “So, why am I here?”
“I wanted to apologize. I do miss playing with you, man.”
Patrick nodded and blinked at him, taking his sweet time to answer. “Apologize for what? For being the worst friend in the entire world?” Sarcasm was dripping heavily out of his pores, he was on the edge of his seat, so desperately looking for a reaction that he himself felt pathetic about it.
Whatever.
Tashi leaned forward too, her arms still crossed over her chest. She was also on the edge of her seat, her poker face only tarnished by a slight downwards mouth and barely noticeable frown.
Patrick unglued his stare from Art’s eyes to do the same to Tashi’s now.
“I’m sorry” Art repeated, this time there was a little wetness to his voice. He was nervously playing with his fingers and licked his lips. Patrick did not miss any of it. “I was young and stupid and I wasn’t even thinking…”
Patrick felt his stomach drop. “Thinking what?” He asked right away.
Art stood up and walked the two steps separating them. He extended one hand to Patrick.
Patrick chuckled even though he found nothing funny about it. On the contrary. Art opened his lips but decided against speaking at that moment, shaking his head a bit in defeat. Patrick stood up and ignoring his extended hand, held his face with both hands and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips.
The dam broke.
Art made a little sound, something between a sigh and a little cry that Patrick managed to drown with his mouth.
Finally.
They played tennis again for the second time that day. Their audience couldn’t tear her pretty brown eyes from their desperate attempts at clinging to each other again and again.
“How long?” Patrick asked once he was able to detach his mouth from Art’s. He grabbed his chin to keep his face as close as possible. “How long, Art?” It was urgent and Art took a sharp inhale. “I need to hear it. I have to know”
Art closed his eyes as if answering this one question was the hardest thing he ever had to do. “Maybe since we met… Maybe since we kissed… I don’t”
To Patrick that was enough. “Took you long enough, man”
Art nodded and looked at Patrick in the eyes so intensely that he thought he was coming down with a fever. They couldn’t help but to kiss, again and again. Patrick bit Art’s lower lip and it made them chuckle, Tashi included. She was still seated, looking up at them with her biggest, most beautiful intense eyes. They were showing her some good fucking tennis, they been doing that all day.
“Oh, please don’t mind me boys, go on”