Chapter 5: Chapter 5

At five after nine, Arik Beltrán emerged in a tailored suit and shiny shoes. It didn’t have the hot and lazy factors that the hoodie and Adidas pants did, but there were all sorts of kind things to say about a man who knew both how to dress down and dress up. The creamy shirt looked good against Arik’s dusky skin, and Arik’s dark hair wasn’t mussed like it had been last night, from sleep and tugging and grasping. Arik had his briefcase, and Blaze realized the man had to be at the hotel for a reason. A conference, maybe, or a business meeting. Blaze chuckled to himself, wondering what Arik would think about Blaze’s version of a conference call, and then Arik spotted Blaze, and Arik’s entire countenance changed. Worry dissolved into abject wonder, and Blaze’s insides warmed. He loved these moments. The, oh-holy-shit-you-are-real moments. When they were sweet, they made life worth living. When they were fearful, they made Blaze wish he had another path.