Harrison frowned. He’d be happy to help with the wedding but spending an evening with Jack Maple promised to be as interesting as watching paint dry.
But then again, the other blue man did have a point. It couldn’t be easy for Katelynn knowing that one of her best friends didn’t like her boyfriend. And Harrison did respect that the man had screwed up his courage and made the call.
“Sure, fine. Where would you like to meet?” he said, trying again to sound casual.
Jack had to stop and seriously think that over. He wanted to choose a place where he’d be comfortable, yes, but it also had to be a place that wouldn’t seem too dull to someone like Harrison.
Finally, he came up with something. “D-do you know Markham’s coffee shop? It’s downtown, a few blocks from the KMCP building.” The artist had discovered it during the time Katelynn was missing, when he’d spent days at a time searching the city for her, going to all her usual haunts.
“I’m not familiar with it, but I’m sure it won’t be too hard to find. How about in….” Harrison checked his watch, “an hour?”
“That would be fine,” he said, trying not to sound too eager. “I’ll see you there."
Once the two of them had hung up, Jack had to take a moment to steady himself. He’d gotten much better at controlling his social anxiety over the past year, but this had been a daunting call, on many levels. And, he reminded himself, it wasn’t over yet.
But at least he was going through with it. He’d convinced Harrison to talk to him in person, and that was a good start.
Steeling himself, the blue artist made his way down to the cafe. It wouldn’t do to be late.
Jack Maple 