Coda 05 -Paris a to Z

wouldnt have come if it werent for me.”
I kissed the back of his head. “Theres nothing in the world I wouldnt do for you, angel.” And other than having to face my ex, a week in Paris wasnt exactly a sacrifice on my part.
“Its too bad everythings dead,” Cole said, interrupting our quiet moment. He and Jon stood a few feet away, in much the same way Angelo and I were, Cole in front of Jon, although they werent touching. “Its so much prettier in the spring,” Cole said.
“Why did you pick February?” Jared asked.
Cole looked over his shoulder at Jon, and then he looked away from us, as if he were embarrassed.
Jon smiled. He wrapped his arms around Cole and kissed the back of his neck. “I guess were just impatient,” he said, and then laughed as Cole pushed him playfully away.
After leaving the Arc, we strolled up the Avenue des ChampsElysées, occasionally stopping to wander through shops and galleries. Cole and Angelo never seemed to slow down, although Jared, Matt, and I definitely did. Jon finally noticed and said something low in Coles ear. He looked back in surprise, as if hed forgotten we were even there. After that, it was back on the Metro. We made one last stop at a café for a quick dinner before returning to the comfort of our room.
Angelo had showered that morning, but I hadnt. I stood for a long time in the hot water, almost falling asleep, before dragging myself into the bed. “Youll have to give me a raincheck on fucking your brains out,” I said to Angelo.
He didnt even hear me. He was already sound asleep.
    H E WOKE me early the next morning, and we made love as we often did.

    At any other time, the sex between us might be rough, or fast, or crude. But in the mornings, it was always slow and tender. I kissed his neck and his shoulders, his wrists and the palms of his hands. His smooth dark skin still fascinated me. Even after two and a half years, he could inspire a reverence in me that took my breath away. I hoped that never changed.
    Normally, after making love, hed get out of bed, and Id sleep another hour or two, but the trip had thrown off both of our internal clocks enough that we rose at the same time. We got dressed and wandered downstairs to find the rest of our group in the restaurant.
    “You slept late,” Matt said to Angelo, and Angelo grinned at him. “Thats what you think.” It took Matt half a second, and then he glanced at me and quickly away, blushing. Jared and Cole laughed, but I noticed that Jon looked extremely uncomfortable. At least I wasnt alone.
Angelo sat next to Matt, and I found myself next to Jon once again. “Do you still run?” he asked me as he poured coffee for me.
“Most mornings,” I said.
“Me too,” he said. “You should join me.”
    I wasnt sure how I felt about that. Once upon a time, jogging together had been routine for us. After Jon, I hadnt had a running partner again until Coda, where Matt joined me once or twice a week. Still, most of the time, I ran alone. I looked over at Angelo, who was watching Jon warily. I was pretty sure he wanted me to say no.
    “Oh, honey, Zach doesnt want to jog while hes on vacation!” Cole said, coming to my rescue. “And if todays any indication, Angelo will be keeping him a bit too busy in the mornings anyway.” He grinned over at Angelo, who grinned right back. They really were way too much alike.
    “Ill go with you,” Matt said to Jon, and the surprise I felt was mirrored on Jons face. But he also looked pleased.
“Great!” he said. “Its less of a chore when I have company.”
We were halfway through our meal when George arrived. I was almost as nervous about seeing him as I had been about seeing Jon. He pulled up a chair between Angelo and Matt while Cole called out to the waiter. I hardly recognized George, and yet, looking at him, he wasnt so different than he had been. His waist was a little thicker, and his hair a bit more gray. But those were superficial things. There was something else very different about him that I couldnt quite put my finger on. And then he turned to me.
“Zach!” he said, smiling. “What the hell are you doing here?”
And that was when it hit me. He was smiling. I wasnt sure Id ever seen him smile before.
“Im not sure, to tell you the truth,” I said, and he laughed.
“Zach and Jared are friends,” Jon explained, “and Cole and Jared have known each other since college, which is how Cole and I met.”
George looked like he was still trying to