Henry's End (32 page)

“The insurance guys were there this afternoon and I met with the general contractor. It’s going to take a full seven days to dry out. Obviously the loss of business, and inconvenience to members, is huge. Members all got an email and I was thinking maybe we should do a mailing or something with like a $5 gas card to drive to one of our other LA locations.”

Mia looked at Seth, shaking her head. “I think you’re rubbing off. He’s becoming a marketing guy.” Looking at Henry, “We can get on that immediately. We’ll grab Yoli and Schooner before the end of the night and have them bless the budget.”

“So, what’s up for tomorrow?” Seth asked Mia, as he plucked a bacon-wrapped scallop off Henry’s plate.

“We have all this kid’s stuff. Both Nathaniel and Portia have holiday parties we need to bring them to, so I don’t think we’ll be able to do anything until at least the evening.”

“Looks like we’re on our own,” Seth advised. “Brunch in Brooklyn?”

Henry laughed, giving Seth the smile of an inside joke, “I don’t think you’ll be taking me for enchiladas.”

“Not likely.”

Seth could tell Henry was losing steam as the night wore on. “You OK?”

He nodded and smiled at Seth, rubbing a hand across his upper back as he leaned in to whisper. “I think I’ve hit the point of beyond exhausted.”

“Do you want to leave?”

“Yeah, but I don’t want you to have to leave your colleagues and clients. I’m just going to head back to the hotel.”

Seth nodded.

“Don’t you give me those big brown, sad puppy dog eyes, Seth Shapiro.” He continued to rub Seth’s back. “I haven’t had very much sleep in the last two days. I just need to pass out for seven to eight hours and I’ll be ready for a great day tomorrow. I promise.”

Putting his forehead against Henry’s, “I know. Just having you here and seeing you leave.” He didn’t finish his sentence.

“I know. If I wasn’t this exhausted,” he paused, not finishing his sentence either. “Walk me out?”

A cab pulled up to drop someone off as they exited the building. “You’re in luck.”

But Seth wasn’t feeling very lucky.

Standing next to the open cab door, Henry pulled Seth in for a crushing hug. “It’s killing me, too,” he whispered.

“I miss you already.” Seth was too overwrought not to be brutally honest. As they separated, he lovingly smoothed out Henry’s scarf.

“Are you zuzhing me?”

Laughing, “Yes, I’m zuzhing you.”

Henry smiled, “I’m usually the zuzher.”

“Well on this coast, I’m the zuzher.”

Closing the door to the cab, Henry quickly lowered the window. Holding up the end of the scarf, “I really love this,” and then mouthed the words “thank you,” as the cab peeled away from the curb, leaving Seth wanting with all his heart, for the very first time.

H: Getting in the cab.
How long will it take? Is Brooklyn like a faraway planet?

S: LOL … you’ll be here in 10 minutes

H: That’s 9 NY minutes too long

S: ☺ See you in a few

Seth quickly looked around his brownstone duplex. It looked perfect to him, right down to the minutest of details, the artwork, the original ceiling medallions, the throw pillows and area rugs. And he knew that if it looked perfect to him, it was perfect. Stepping into the bathroom he artfully messed up his dark curls and smoothed down his pale grey V-neck cashmere sweater. As his fingertips noted the softness of the Scottish wool, he smiled at the thought that this would be what Henry felt when they hugged. He had literally rubbed a dozen cashmere sweaters across his cheek to see which was the softest, knowing Henry’s face would be nestled in it.

Shaking his head he thought,
when do I ever do that for anyone?

By the time the doorbell rang, his stomach was fully knotted with excitement.

Opening the heavy wood and glass door, a rush of cold winter’s air blew in around him, but the warmth of Henry’s smile, and his rested eyes, obscured the grey threatening skies.

“Come in, it’s freezing.” Seth ushered him into the front hallway.

Henry’s hands were full carrying a medium-sized corrugated box, its top flaps nestled into one another, but not sealed. He unzipped his overcoat and eased his arms out one at a time, transferring the box from one hand to the other, but not putting it down. Seth took his coat and hung it on a brass coat rack.

“This is amazing,” Henry exclaimed. “This view.” He walked through the living room and dining room with its modern, open kitchen to the glass French doors and windows lining the back of the brownstone. “You have an unobstructed harbor view of downtown Manhattan. This is like something out of
Architectural Digest
.”

Seth came to stand next to him and take in the majesty of the New York City skyline, trying to see the view through a first-timer’s eyes.

Elbowing Seth, Henry smiled at him, “My place must’ve seemed like a hovel to you.”

Seth smiled, still looking at the view, “No. Not at all. It felt very comfortable. I loved being there.” Decorating for Edwin’s party was one of the happiest days he could remember. Just being with Henry in his home, and feeling the easy camaraderie they shared as they worked side-by-side to create a vision, was what had made it so special.

“What is that down there?” He pointed to a walkway.

“That is the famed Brooklyn Heights Promenade. We’ll go take a walk on it later.”

Turning back to face the living room, Henry scanned everything appreciatively from the wood parquet floors to the bay window off the living room in the front of the flat, to the exquisite molding on the twelve foot ceilings.

“This should be in
Architectural Digest
.”

Seth laughed.

“Has it been?” Henry was wide-eyed.

“No. Not
Architectural Digest
.”

“But it’s been in magazines?”

“It has,” Seth was trying to be humble, but it was hard. “Come sit.” He touched Henry’s upper arm, guiding him toward the couch. He needed him to put down that damn box so that he could get his hug. He had not gotten his hug yet and he needed to feel Henry’s arms around him.

Sitting on the couch, Henry turned to face Seth. “So,” he began, “I carried this on the plane with me, because I wanted to make sure it got to you safely.”

Seth’s eyes widened, “There’s not a cat in that box, is there?” Visions of fur balls on his rugs was seriously disturbing.

Henry laughed, “No cat. But it is something you can kill.”

There was alarm on Seth’s face and Henry laughed even louder.

“This is my holiday gift to you and a house gift. And well it’s just something I hope you’ll love.”

“You carried this box on a plane. I know I will love this.”

Handing the box to Seth, Henry looked like he had stopped breathing.

Disengaging the flaps at the top, Seth pulled them open and peered in. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at Henry with an astonished smile, “Wow. What an amazing gift. That is so beautiful. Let me put the box down on the table so that I can get it out without damaging it.”

Carefully he lifted it from its box and held it out in front of him, marveling at its delicate intricacy and beauty. “Did you…”

Henry was nodding. “Yes. I grew it. It’s from a bush I have and I’ve been working on it for many years now.”

“And you are giving it to me?” Seth’s awe was evident.

Henry’s eyes misted as he smiled. “You’re the person it’s meant for.”

“I am honored.” Seth continued to inspect it from all angles. “How is it in bloom in December?”

Henry laughed, “That hasn’t been an easy feat, but with my greenhouse and grow lights and, well, the right drugs, I played a little trickery on it.”

“Promise me you’ll teach me how to care for it.”

“I will.”

Looking up at Henry, “I love this. I don’t think anyone has ever given me a more beautiful or thoughtful gift and knowing you created it… I just don’t have words.” Putting it down on the coffee table, he continued to closely inspect its intricacies. “The windswept shape is just magnificent and the gnarls in the bark.”

Henry sat there silently, watching Seth’s heartfelt reaction.

Looking up at Henry, “A bonsai lilac tree. It is so elegant. I really, really love it.”

“It’s going to look good in this space.”

“Yes, it will,” Seth agreed. Standing, he walked into the dining room and picked up a box lavishly wrapped in blue foil paper with blue and white ribbons. “Well, my holiday gift to you is not even in the same league, Mr. Clark.”

“You gave me that beautiful gift I was wearing last night,” Henry protested.

“Well, I have a little theme going here.” He handed the box to Henry and sat down next to him.

Smiling, Henry ripped off the paper of the flat square box and opened it. “Oh, that is gorgeous. You really don’t want me to get cold, do you?” Lifting the elegant, oversized blue and white silk and cashmere scarf from its box, he looked at Seth, lost. “How do you do one like this?”

“C’mere, give me that.” Seth took the scarf from Henry and draped it so there was a solid ring around the front of his neck, with the ends falling chicly on the sides.

Henry stood up and walked over to a decorative mirror hanging on the wall. “I like that. I’m totally rocking a New York City hot guy look now.” He admired himself in the mirror.

Coming back to the couch, he sat down next to Seth. “I love it.”

“And I really love the bonsai.”

Henry’s arms went around Seth, pulling him close and Seth laid his head in the soft scarf, taking in Henry’s clean scent and the warmth of his arms.

“I’m so glad Schooner and Mia had plans today.” Seth burrowed his face in a little more.

“Do we have plans today?”

“We do.” He moved out of Henry’s embrace, looking at his watch. “And we’d better get a move on it, so we don’t miss our reservation.”

Grabbing a coat, Seth expertly wrapped his own scarf around his neck in one quick motion that yielded perfection.

“I need to learn to do that.” He mimicked the motion of Seth’s expert scarf slinging. “I don’t have a lot of practice living in San Diego.”

Descending the brownstone’s steps, Seth took a deep breath, “It smells like snow.”

“You can smell snow?”

“I can. Most people can’t, but to me, there is a distinct smell in the air right before it starts snowing.” They turned left on the sidewalk and began to walk down Seth’s street.

Bumping him with his shoulder, Henry looked like a kid stranded in a candy store. “I hope we get snowed in. I’ve never been in a snow storm.”

“Never?” Seth was surprised.

Looking around at the brownstones lining the narrow street, “This looks like the movie,
Moonstruck,
” Henry noted.

“This is the
Moonstruck
neighborhood. The external shots were done all over Brooklyn Heights and our two bordering neighborhoods, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens.”

“I love that movie.” Henry continued to take in everything, “How old are these brownstones?”

“They date back to the 1850’s or so. Come, we’re going to turn here,” and Seth reached for Henry’s hand as they crossed the street.

“This is Clark Street,” Henry turned to Seth, his face beaming. “There’s a street named for me.”

“There sure is,” Seth smiled.

“I love this neighborhood. I feel like I’m in Jack Finney’s
Time and Again,”
observed Henry, his eyes darting left to right as he tried to take in the elegant row houses on both sides of the narrow street.

“That’s one of my favorite books,” Seth’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, learning yet another small detail about this man who was making him feel things he never knew he had the capacity to feel.

They walked up Clark Street for another two blocks, “I just want to pop in here for a second.” Seth led Henry into a small neighborhood grocer, grabbing a copy of the hefty Sunday New York Times.

Smiling at him, “I’m going to get the whole New York experience here, aren’t I?”

Coming out of the store, they continued to the next corner. “OK, we turn here.” Seth pointed left.

Looking at the street sign, Henry laughed. “This is Henry Street?”

“Not only is this Henry Street, but you are standing on the corner of Henry and Clark.” Pulling out his cell phone, “Go stand in front of the street sign. You definitely need a picture of this.”

“This is so wild,” He posed under the sign.

“Come on, give me your best hot model look,” Seth implored, before joining him in the picture for a selfie.

Looking back at the sign, Henry laughed as they continued down Henry Street. “Are we going someplace on Henry Street?”

“We are. Just a few more blocks.”

“I think I belong here, Seth.”

“Well, I definitely think you should spend considerably more time here. But that’s just my opinion.”

As they neared the end of the street, Henry pointed straight ahead, “What bridge is that? Is that the Brooklyn Bridge?”

“No, that one is the Manhattan Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge is hiding behind these buildings. You can see it from my deck though.”

So entranced by his surroundings, Henry hadn’t realized that Seth had stopped walking until he was a few steps in front of him.