Which Way the Wind Blows

Chapter 20

Jake and Warren found themselves waiting for Pete and Freddy again. It seemed to become the pattern whenever they all met for brunch. The two would show up eventually, but in the meantime, Warren and Jake would order for themselves.

“So, you’re telling me you’re going to apologize to the guy?” Jake asked in surprise. “After everything he put you through?”

“I just think I went too far with the whole David thing,” the brunette replied, sipping at his iced tea. “And Mindy nearly ruined Victoria’s charity thing by tripping her. I think we should show them that we’re better than that.”

“And maybe guilt them into leaving sooner?” Jake smiled knowingly.

“Yeah, that, too. It’s hard to wrap my head around Chris even being in New York. Having him in my building is like a constant reminder of what a pushover I used to be.”

“You sure it’s that?”

“What else would it be?” Warren muttered in annoyance.

“Hey, it’s me you’re talking to,” the blonde said soothingly. “No need to get defensive.”

“Sorry.”

“I’m just making sure you’re not harboring any residual feelings for the guy. It would be understandable. You were with him for six years.”

“Six years of him pretending to be with me,” Warren corrected him. “He was with Victoria publicly, meaning she’s who he was with.”

“I get the feeling that’s not the case anymore though.”

Warren took another sip from his drink and put the glass back down before he replied. “What do you mean?”

“Just that whenever I see either of them they’re not together,” Jake shrugged. “They look more like roommates than a couple.”

“Looks can be deceiving. Especially when we’re talking about Chris.”

“Uh huh. Which leads me to ask you why you feel the need to apologize.” Jake gave him a meaningful stare. “I mean, I know that what Mindy did borders on harassment, even assault, if you look at it from a legal standpoint. But what you did with David doesn’t fall into that category. Why should you apologize for that?”

“I told you what I said to him.”

“Yeah, and you also told me what he said back. No apology seems necessary unless you’re planning to get back together with him.”

“I never said I wanted that!”

“I’m only telling you what I think,” Jake sighed. “Look, I can’t tell you what to do either way. If you want to get back together with him, it’s up to you. I would advise against it, personally, but I’m not the one making the call.”

“I don’t want Chris back!”

“Okay then. So Mindy’s apology is the only one needed.”

Warren looked down at the table in thought. Jake had a point. If he admitted to Chris that the whole David thing was just an act, the man might conclude Warren was trying to make him jealous to win him back. And Warren told himself again that going back to him would be a waste of time. There was too much history to get past. No. The only way for either of them to move on would have to be found in a clean break. But Mindy did need to apologize to Victoria if only to ensure there weren’t any legal repercussions from the tripping incidents. He looked back up at Jake and nodded.

“You’re right. But I think I should still go up there with Mindy just in case.”

“Of course. You want me to tag along?”

“You don’t have to,” Warren chuckled. “If you do, Chris will just accuse me of turning into a slut.”

“Takes one to know one,” Jake laughed.

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Chris hefted the last box into the back of the moving truck with a grunt. The two men who helped him load the thing were tying the sofa to a board lining the inside to keep it from moving during transport.

“Well, that’s the last of it,” Victoria sighed from the front steps. Her ankle had still been tender that morning so Chris wouldn’t let her help carry anything down the stairs that was heavier than the hanging plant.

“Yep. All done.”

“We’ll meet you there,” Hector, one of the movers, said as he pulled the rear door to the truck shut.

“Okay,” Chris replied. “We’ll probably beat you though since we’ll be taking the subway.”

“With the way the lines are running today?” Hector laughed. “We’ll see.”

Chris and Victoria waved them off then went on to walk to the subway station nearby. Chris had already made sure he’d locked his set of keys in the apartment for the new tenant, who would arrive later and get in using Victoria’s set. They were lucky the real estate company found another tenant for them, as they’d both struck out finding one on their own since they were new in town and didn’t know many people yet.

“You think they’ll finally be happy that we’re gone?” she asked as Chris helped her down the long flight of stairs.

“Hope so,” he muttered. “Nothing else we’ve tried to do has worked.”

“Well, at least now I won’t have to worry about being tripped on my way out.”

“I am so sorry you had to be dragged into that.”

“It’s not just you’re doing that got us into this mess,” she sighed. She sat on the wooden bench as they waited for the train. “I knew going out with you would hurt him and did it anyway.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t the one cheating on him.”

“But I was the one you cheated on him with.” She pushed back a lock of her ebony hair. “I knew someday it would make him want to leave you. I just never thought it would make him turn into a monster.”

“Like I was,” Chris said sadly.

“Not like you were,” she shook her head. “You were never that vindictive. Callous and neglectful, yes. A cheater? Certainly. But you never actually put on a show like that for him, Chris.”

“Still … I was an asshole.”

“No argument here,” she laughed ruefully. The train rumbled in and they boarded. “But you tried to apologize, and you never said you wanted him to take you back. And look here. We’re moving out so that they won’t have to see us everyday. That’s called progress.” She lowered herself into a seat while Chris held onto a rail above and stood in front of her. “What Warren’s doing isn’t progress ... it’s the opposite.”

“Mm. I told him I thought he’d turned into me,” he said softly. “Do you think that was hypocritical?”

“No,” she said simply. “That was honesty.”

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When Warren got back from brunch, Mindy was already there waiting for him, ready to go up and talk to Chris and Victoria.

“You don’t have to come with me,” she said. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“Yeah, Jake said so too,” he replied. “But you’re my sister and I’m not letting you face those two alone.”

They left their ground floor unit and made their way up the stairs quickly, both eager to get the whole thing over with. Knocking quickly, they waited impatiently for someone to answer the door. After knocking a second time, they decided the two must be out and turned to descend the stairs, finding their path blocked by a stocky middle aged man with a full brown and gray beard but no hair on his head.

“Can I help you?” he asked, putting down a lamp he was carrying.

“Um, no,” Mindy replied. “We were just visiting the couple upstairs, but it looks like they stepped out. We live downstairs.”

“Oh, they moved,” he smiled at her and stuck out his hand. “Looks like I’m your new neighbor. Name’s Lloyd!”

“Mindy,” she said dumbly shaking his hand. “This is my brother, Warren.”

“Hi,” the dark haired man mumbled shaking Lloyd’s hand.

“Pleased to meet you,” the bald man nodded.

“Need help carrying anything?” Mindy asked after a few awkward seconds of silence passed.

“Nah, thanks though! My pals are out front unloading the van.”

“Well, we’ll just get out of your way then,” Warren said as he tugged Mindy’s hand and they passed Lloyd on the stairs. “Welcome to the building.”

“Much obliged!” Lloyd called after them.

When they were back in their apartment they looked at each other in shock.

“They moved!” Mindy said. “And they didn’t tell us?”

“Why would they?” Warren asked glumly. “We made sure they hated every second they stayed here.”

“Well, I’m not sorry they’re gone,” Mindy shrugged. “But I do feel kind of bad about yesterday.”

“I guess there’s no point in worrying about that now,” he sighed.

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“Thanks for everything, Hector!” Chris said as he handed over the rest of the money he and Victoria owed the two-man crew for the moving truck. “I appreciate you not charging me extra for a Sunday.”

“Hey, I know what it’s like to find a place around here,” the man snorted. “I would have felt bad fleecing you.”

“Are you the only nice guy in this city?” Victoria asked.

“Who says I’m all that nice, chica?” he waggled his eyebrows at her comically. “You need us to move any of the furniture around?”

“That’s what we’re here for,” Kee said as he appeared on the sidewalk with Joe right behind him. He looked up at the two-family house thoughtfully. “Nice place you found, Chris! Really great architecture!”

“Thanks.”

Hector and his assistant waved before hopping back into the truck and pulling out.

“Seriously,” Joe said when the truck was gone. “How’d you score a place like this in Park Slope?”

“We looked at it before we took the other one, but decided we should stay close to our jobs,” Chris replied. “By the way, Vic, this is Joe from work and his partner, Kee.”

“I’m glad to put faces to the stories I’ve been hearing,” she laughed as she led the way into the stairs to their apartment on the top level of the house.

“All good, I hope!” Kee called after her.

“If he’s lying, anyway,” Joe added with a smirk.

Chris laughed as he followed them up.