“Ah well,” Luis said, as he watched two old ladies run back to the curb when they saw Jase speeding toward them, “You might want to slow down just a little. We have plenty of time to get there.”
Jase adjusted the rearview mirror and said, “Okay.”
Only he seemed to go faster. They cut through the park—a mistake—because Jase thought it might be better to get downtown that way. Luis tightened his seat belt and reached for the handle above his head with both hands. When they passed a horse-drawn carriage, the horse stood up on his back legs and screamed. When they drove up on a sidewalk to avoid hitting a jogger, a guy walking a dog jumped into a cluster of bushes head first. Jase just shook his head and frowned, as if there was something wrong with the guy. If they had passed a police car, Jase would have been pulled over and his license would have been revoked.
By the time they reached East 4th Street, Luis’s stomach felt as if it had risen to his throat, and the muscles in his calves were sore from pressing his feet against the floor. A few blocks away, they were lucky to find a parking space on the street not far from the address where they were meeting Derrick and his older friend. Derrick was viewing three new real estate listings in a new luxury development that afternoon. He had already told Luis his friend would be taking the subway from Brooklyn to join them.
When Jase pulled the key out of the ignition, Luis looked up and exhaled for what seemed like the fist time since they’d left the Upper West Side. Then he unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the truck. His legs felt a little wobbly and his fingers were sore from holding the handle. He stretched and flexed his muscles a few times to keep his balance. Though this had been one of the most terrifying rides of his life, he didn’t want to complain to Jase. The ride downtown seemed to have calmed Jase’s worries about meeting Derrick and his friend and Luis didn’t want to upset him.
But when Jase walked to the other side of the truck and saw Luis stretching his legs, he shoved his hands into his pockets and said, “I warned you. I’m not the best driver, especially not in the city.”
Luis smiled and cleared his throat. He didn’t want to hurt Jase’s feelings. “You’re not that bad,” he said. “And we did make it down here in record time.” They were only a half hour late. If they’d taken a taxi, they would probably be still be stuck in midtown traffic. Jase had found a way to avoid all that. He’d turned down a one-way street, taking the curb with him, and he’d bypassed a huge traffic jam near 42nd Street.
“Where is this place?” Jase asked. He put on his black leather jacket and adjusted the pockets.
Luis pointed to a large shiny building across the street and started walking. “Just remember to be nice,” he said. “The only thing these guys are interested in is a little harmless flirting and pleasant conversation. It’s actually very civilized.”
“I’ll remember that,” Jase said, as he followed Luis across the street with his hands in his pockets. “I’ll be as sweet as pie.”
When they reached the building, Derrick and his friend were waiting for them in the lobby. Derrick stood up, hugged Luis, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He didn’t seem at all disgruntled about the fact that Luis and Jase were now over a half hour late. His voice was animated and he looked good that afternoon. Though he was a large man with a wide stomach, he wore simple conservative clothes that hung loosely and didn’t call attention to his weight.
That afternoon he was wearing a crisp white dress shirt, casual beige slacks, and brown loafers.
His thick silver hair had just been tinted light brown. There were still a few strands of gray at his temples that hadn’t taken the dye. It looked very natural and took years off his face. Though Luis wanted to compliment his hair, he decided not to call attention to it in front of Jase.
On the other hand, Derrick’s older friend from Brooklyn looked every bit his age. Except for a few strands of white above his ears, most of the hair on his head was long gone. His large black eyeglasses had lenses so thick they resembled the bottoms of canning jars. And his clothes caused Luis to press his finger to his bottom lip. The old man wore a long black overcoat, a black suit, a white shirt, and a black tie. His black shoes had those thick soles for support, and he was carrying a black cane over his right forearm. He looked like a priest.
That was because he was a priest. When Derrick introduced his friend to Luis and Jase, he laughed and said, “This is my friend, Thomas, from Brooklyn. He was a priest for sixty years.
He just retired.” He smiled and patted Thomas on the back a couple of times.
Luis had never actually met a priest. He didn’t even know priests could retire. He’d always thought it was one of those jobs for life. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said.
Thomas wasn’t a talker. He shook Luis’s hand, mumbled something incoherent, then stared down at his feet.
After that, Luis introduced Jase to everyone and they went up to see Derrick’s listings in the building. Before they all went inside to see each individual apartment, Derrick disappeared for a few minutes alone and they waited in the hallway for him to return. This was something Derrick always did before he showed Luis one of his listings. Derrick claimed he wanted to check the place out alone to get the feel of it so if he found an interested client he’d be able to describe it well. He needed to be alone for a few minutes to memorize every little detail. But he was never gone for longer than a few minutes at a time.
They walked through three newly renovated apartments in the building and Derrick jotted down professional notes about the properties in a small black binder. While they talked about granite countertops, double sinks in master bathrooms, and views of the city from living rooms, Derrick made tacky jokes about life as an older gay man. Having Jase there seemed to make Derrick more animated and entertaining. Luis laughed so hard at one slightly naughty joke about prostates not working properly, tears filled his eyes. And when poor old Thomas didn’t get the joke the first time and Derrick had to repeat it, Jase laughed so hard his face turned red and a vein popped out in his forehead.
When they left the building and walked to a nearby restaurant for a late lunch, Jase pulled Luis aside and said, “This is nothing like I expected it would be.” His voice was high and he was smiling. “This Derrick guy is one of the most charming men I’ve ever met, and Thomas is one of the most pleasant men I’ve ever met. I wasn’t expecting to have this much fun.”