For Research Purposes | ✔

CHAPTER FIVE

     "So then," Sage all but screams. He takes a breath and his voice deflates. "I left."

     Ruthie is resting her face in her palm, leaning on the table with her wide eyes focused on him. It's a quiet afternoon in Bluestone Lane and Sage has rather vocally told Ruthie about last night. He barely slept, and he's got three shots of espresso to add to his gusto.

     She lifts her head, heaving a breath. "Wow. Okay, first off, fuck those pretentious assholes. Like, seriously fuck them. I'm annoyed and I didn't even meet them."

     "I know," Sage agrees, his stomach turning at the memory of their judgement of Sam. He'd felt bad even repeating what they said. He knows Ruthie relates more to Sam than she does to him in this situation. Her parents live over the bridge in Perth Amboy but the rest of her family is back in Guam. Ruthie doesn't come from money, but Sage knows even if she did, she'd never relate to the assholes he'd been in a room with last night.

     "I know we don't like Sam, but I have newfound respect for him," she says and again, Sage has to agree. She raises an eyebrow coyly. "Although. Do we not like Sam?"

     "I don't know," Sage mutters. "Is it bad to say I like the drunk version of Sam? He's so much less guarded. Maybe even a little vulnerable. And honest. I like the honesty."

     Ruthie laughs and then shakes her head. "I don't think it's that you like drunk Sam. I think it's that you like the Sam who's not pretending to hate you."

     "Sam isn't pretending," Sage says like an automatic response, like an away from my desk message scheduled in Slack.

     Ruthie eyes Sage critically. "You both are pretending. It's kinda cute in like a tragic way."

     "I don't want to have this conversation anymore," Sage says after a thoughtful moment.

     "That's fine. We can pick it back up in a month. I'm sure you'll have made progress by then."

     "Progress in what?"

     "Getting close to Sam."

     "Am I getting close to Sam? Because I don't think I am."

     "From where I'm sitting it kinda seems like you are. You know he has a sister. You know why he works so much and that he sends his family money. Which is really just like. Like who expected that from Sam? My heart is all warm."

     When Sam had said it last night, Sage had felt everything in him lock up. Felt the distinct urge to touch Sam, to hug him, to have him close. He felt compassion but also desire. Family is important to him. He'd always just assumed Sam was estranged from his, that that was why he never went home for his summers.

     Sage goes next, "So in the name of full disclosure there's something else. I did a thing. And I don't want you to overreact because it really was just me being nice, okay?"

     Ruthie mumbles an "oh lord" and waves her hand, encouraging Sage. So he tells her how before coming there, he'd gone to Alton Lane and after much persuasion he confirmed that Sam had purchased the suit from there. He was already fairly certain since he'd seen the tag. And after confirming the purchase, he told the cashier that if the suit were to be returned, he'd like for them to give the suit to Sam, anyway.

     The clerk had looked at him like he was crazy. He was sure that he sounded as such. "I'm going to pay for the suit," Sage had said. "But I want you to process the return and then insist Mr. Kaan keep it. Make up a lie like the suit would end up in the trash, anyway."