Sway. He was the one who’d texted earlier when he’d left court, the second message notification was from Duke telling him to meet him in his office in the morning.
Brian didn’t respond to Duke’s and instead eagerly read the few lines from his romantic interest.
Sway: Brian. It’s Sway. Wanna hang out on Sunday or Monday?
Brian grimaced. He wasn’t available on any of those days, but he was about to be. He’d rearrange anything he needed to. Brian realized his lip was turned up in the corner as he replied.
Brian: Sure.
Sway: Maybe we can get dinner or something.
Brian: I’d like that.
Sway: Me too… I’ll c u then
That’s it? Brian wasn’t ready for him to go. Sunday was four days away, why wait? He’d waited weeks for Sway to make a move or even respond to one of his many texts and now that he had, Brian was being greedy. He looked at his watch; it was almost one, plenty of daylight left. He was heading over to the affluent part of Buckhead to scope out the bond jumper’s parents’ house. It may have seemed too obvious to hide out there, but hiding in plain sight had always been a good ploy.
Brian texted again, going for casual. At least he hoped it came off that way.
Brian: What are you up to?
He waited for a few. When nothing happened, Brian’s grin slipped. He waited, five, ten, then twenty minutes for a reply that never came before he tossed the phone back onto the console. Brian took the interstate onto seventy-five and opened up his V-8 engine, letting her roar down the freeway. He wished the speed would give him the kind of joy and reward he wanted but he knew it wouldn’t because speed wasn’t what Brian’s soul needed.
When he was sitting two estate houses down from his bail jumper’s parents—who were entrepreneurs as well—the reply he’d wanted came about forty minutes later.
Sway: Sorry had an emergency come in. I’m at work til five, then I break for two hours and I have to be back to cover a shift for a friend at seven.
Brian hurried to gauge the time he needed to do his surveillance. He could get over to the hospital by five if he hustled. Brian thought about it for a second. Was he about to embarrass himself even more? They’d already established a day to meet, why push it? Don’t be too demanding. But, he’d been patient. He argued with the imaginary angel and devil on his shoulders for a few more seconds before concluding he’d ask anyway. Maybe Sway was the one thinking he had to take things super slow, but Brian would let him know he would be happy with any pace Sway wanted to set.
Brian: You got time to grab a bite before you start at seven?
Brian laid his phone down and put his eyes back behind his binoculars not sure how long he’d have to wait for a response this time… which turned out to be no time at all.
Sway: Yes!
Brian elatedly banged his fist on his dashboard. He knew he shouldn’t feel that excited over an exclamation point, but that meant Sway was enthusiastic, right? He wanted to see him now too. Brian blew an easy sigh. He hadn’t realized he’d worked his nerves up so much anticipating Sway’s answers. Now he had to figure out how to get to him. He knew he worked at the same hospital as his boss’s lover, Dr. Chauncey, but what part of the hospital?
Sway: You can meet me in front of the ER entrance.
Brian smiled. Well that answered that.
Brian: I’ll be there.
What have I done? What have I done? Sway chanted in his head while he checked over another student’s notes on his patient’s chart. The ER was still buzzing with activity, triage was full, so was the waiting room, and the eighteen-month-old baby with the bad ear infection was still wailing loud enough to be heard on the fifth floor. Sway glanced up at the bright red numbers on the digital wall clock, gulping when he realized he only had half an hour before he was supposed to meet Brian outside, and he still had to change his clothes. There was no way he was going to let him see him dressed in pajamas. He couldn’t believe he’d said yes so fast, what had he been thinking? He’d been at work since seven this morning. It was going on five in the evening and he’d already had two traumas, a DOA and countless flu patients, yet he still had another shift to go. He was thinking he needed this.
“You look like you could use a break.”
Sway ducked his head at the close proximity of whoever was practically whispering in his ear as he stood at the nurse’s station. He turned sharply, clutching his chest when he noticed who it was. “Oh. Dr. Dominick, I mean, James. You startled me.” Sway chuckled, closing the file and tucking his pen back in his scrub pocket.