Dinner was delicious but what it was, to tell the truth I don't remember. I do know that the entire time I was thinking about what had transpired, and had withdrawn from the conversation that started after the maitre de had announced the first dish. I felt compelled to join back in after the third dish but in subdued tones. After eating desert, a chocolate sensation that had me going positively wild, we were instructed to take our still unopened gifts, and follow the trim waiters table by table into the elevator and down to the first level. We arrived to find two tables set in the middle of a very sleek room. It was done in tones of gray and silver. Very sleek and modern. Everything looked hard, and glossy. There were name cards at each place and I found myself sitting in front of Arturo, with Paul Montague from RIP Models on my right and Terrance Sulser, a new recording artist, at my left.
When Arturo and I were seated, after bidding farewell to Deon, Phillip, and Connor, Paul broke into a smile.
"Two of my favorite undercover agents!" he exclaimed. He stood and opened his arms and I hugged him smiling, before Arturo shook his hand over the table.
"How've you been Paul?" I asked.
"Excellent," he exclaimed, "Especially since you sent Victor over our way, he just finished a great season for the men's shows!" I smiled.
"That's good," I glanced at Arturo, "You guys know each other?" I asked sliding into what I wanted to know.
"Yeah!" Paul's smile widened, "Arturo brings me new boys just like you! As a matter of fact, most of your favorites that you didn't bring in, came from that league of his," my eyebrow rose as my brain began connecting this conversation with the first one I'd ever had with him, "I'm meeting the guys for practice," was the line of interest. Paul read my ignorance,
"Oh you don't know, Arturo here owns those two Rugby leagues that just started up, as well as part of the local lacrosse league." My left eyebrow rose to meet my right,
"OH, you're ART!" The web of information began to click together quickly in my mind. I knew that this man had made a lot of money off of some business that he'd done in his teens, sold the company and bought a lot of land. Then he partied his money away apparently, was on every social scene that any one wrote two lines about and normally those lines were always about him. Then he disappeared from the social scene and started with the sports leagues. He had 2 rugby leagues, his first was for everyone, but after a nearly fatal gay bashing, he opened another that catered exclusively to gays. Then he bought into a failing lacrosse league and revived it, as a youth program. The man had interests and contacts everywhere. I looked at him now, with knowing eyes.
"Yeah, that would be me," He muttered, "But I really like Arturo nowadays."
The meeting was a long one. Because it was the first, it was informational and the Chair, Martin Begandale, the owner of over half the city, explained our purpose. He had assembled us because he believed that this group of 25 individuals together had enough capital, contacts, and influence to make an impact in the name of our community. We were to take what we did and put it up for the group to use as much as possible. We were a fundraising group that would give to a variety of charity, 27 in total. Each individual had their own favored charity and then the Revelers, as we were to be known, had two charities that we would give to communally. From funds raised for any given project, 25 percent would go to the following: the two communal charities, and the charity of chair of that project. The remaining 25 percent would go to the charities those participating on that committee, unless otherwise decided upon by the committee. I was beginning to feel that we were more than a simple social committee.
I was waiting for the maitre de to retrieve my coat when I was presented with the opportunity to speak with Arturo again. Well truly, he came and spoke to me.
"So, it's been a crazy night," he said from behind me. I turned to find his still nicely groomed face, and deep brown eyes. The natural tan on him was appealing and in my state I found myself, mildly attracted to this man.
"Yeah, a lot of information," I said glancing back towards Martin who was engaged in what looked to be an animated conversation with Keith Lance, Deon and a few other journalists of varying statuses.
"Oh, I wasn't really talking about the Revelers," He said, his voice dropping. I turned my head, and found myself lost in that brown. The taste of chocolate found its way back to my tongue some kind of way.
"Oh?" Was the only thing I could manage.
"How about you come and see a game some time," Arturo stepped towards me.
"Rugby?" I smiled, "I've never watched, and I wouldn't understand," I admitted. He laughed.
"A lot of our spectators don't understand the game, but we find our sidelines full!" He replied, "A lot of people explain it as football in a soccer uniform," My mind immediately thought about that: Arturo's rock solid bear-like physique, in a flimsy, tight soccer uniform that I used to wear? I bet your sidelines are full!
"Okay, well maybe, one day," I relented.
"How about tomorrow?" I could feel my dimple appear,
"What time?" He smiled, as he sensed an oncoming victory,
"About ten," I looked at those teeth, and thick lips as he spoke, "and we could even go for lunch afterwards." Truthfully, I was going to take a break that Saturday. It was to be my day of relaxation, a book, and a walk. Maybe a glass of wine after I took myself out to dinner, but a day to myself all the same. Spending it with this certified hunk had a nice ring to it. Then again, I hadn't fudged on a personal day since I'd started them 2 years ago. It was a date with myself, once a month at the very least, schedule nothing and just relax! Arturo waited patiently while I battled within.
"Where is it?" his smile widened,
"I'll have a car come by your penthouse," He said, "So, I'll see you then?" I nodded. "It's a date then, ten o'clock tomorrow,"
"Til tomorrow," I said, and he smiled before making his way to the door. My coat appeared right after he left.
"Thank you," I smiled. I think I just stood myself up.
Picking something out proved, eventful. I wasn't positive what to wear to the game, and impending lunch afterwards. I wasn't sure what was quite appropriate, but went with the gut and pulled the white linen pants from the back of my closet. After topping them with a yellow organic v-neck, and a white vest, I began to sift through my accessories. I found nothing quite to my liking, so I pulled out my box of materials and sat about making a bracelet.
After loping off a length of baby blue, and bright yellow rope, I tied them to a washer and braided them together. After tying a knot at the end and leaving a loop, I secured the bracelet by slipping the washer through the loop. I only had to slip on my baby blue loafers to complete the look.
Not being a murse type of guy, I slipped my iPhone into my pocket and glanced around the penthouse. There wasn't anything else I needed, so I walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water when the phone rang. I picked it up to find that the car had arrived. As I hurried downstairs, I shot off a quick Tweet: Off to watch a rugby game. Anyone want to give me tips on game etiquette? Or tell me how it works? --Jay. By the time I arrived at the game, I'd gotten 14 @ replies, none actually improving my knowledge of the game. I knew only that it was football, "but with an oversized ball" and guys with "soccer shorts on." I sighed, a bit frustrated as I walked onto the field.
Arturo owned the fields that leagues all played on. This one, a scrimmage/practice field, was set right outside of town, and resembled a soccerfield in set up, with it's metal bleachers that ringed the field. The difference though was that the bleachers made a complete loop around the field, with openings only on the corners. They were also about 9 levels high, and like Arturo had promised, they were full. I found myself a seat, relatively alone , towards the center of the bleachers and turned my attention to the game.
It seemed to be a high contact sport with teamwork being essential. I watched as they hoisted players in the air to catch the ball, and latched onto their teammates to push the other team back. The ball would disappear beneath a clump of players and then there it would be on the outside, and one of them would take off with it. They all resembled small bears though.
The tweets and texts caught my attention when it waned from the game. There were last minute parties going on, friends wanting to lunch, and others just checking in. There was only one point at which I thought Arturo was looking at me. I had just sent off a text, declining lunch when I looked up to find his brown eyes on me. I smiled and waved, and he went back to the game. I would've almost swore that there was a frown on his face.
Arturo's team won, the score I'm not positive on. I waited for him at the bottom of the bleachers as they emptied, smiling at faces that seemed familiar. I was plucking a piece of grass from my pants when I heard,
"Jared?" I snapped up, to see a face that looked vaguely familiar. I squinted before I gasped.
"JAKE?!" I exclaimed. There was a beaming smile that embraced me,
"The one and only!" I held him at an arms distance after the hug,
"You look so...different!" I said in wonder. Jake was cleanshaven now, his long hair pulled back into a ponytail. The acne that had been present from hair oils getting into his pores was gone. There was a layer of muscle that I could feel in his arm that hadn't been there before. When I broke up with Jake, he'd been a hippie, and now...
"Every now and then you need someone to shake you," he said, still smiling at me. The quality that had always been his good quality was heightened by his new status, his teeth looked perfect as ever. They were pearly, and just the right size for his face. A throat cleared behind me and I turned to find Arturo,
"Oh, Arturo," I said, my arms immediately dropping. There was a brief silence before I heard,
"Hey Arturo," there was a grunt before,
"Jake," I looked back and forth between the two,
"You know each other?" I asked. Jake nodded, clapping Arturo on his back,
"Of course," He said laughing, "I'm thinking about buying into this operation he has going on," Jake motioned into the air, referring to the league. I nodded,
"Oh," the Jake I knew, didn't invest. There was another silence before,
"Well Jake, we're about to go out to lunch so," Arturo shouldered his bag, "I'll see you later?" Jake nodded briskly,
"Of course," he replied, "and Jared, it was nice seeing you again," I gave him a smile,
"It really was!"