Spencer followed after the man back into the building feeling foolish because it was all so innocent, all so normal. He didn’t even have cuffs, he thought. They went to the elevator and the man ushered him inside before entering and standing beside him with his arms crossed.
He looked up the numbers as they ascended past the floor where his friends lived in their apartment. With each floor, each passing second everything felt more real. He realized he felt sweaty. He felt something was stuck in his throat.
When the elevator stopped he suddenly became aware of his knees in a way he never had previously. They felt like hard balls in the middle of his legs. The man held the doors for him and he moved out feeling like he needed a drink of water. He was getting tunnel vision but he had to keep moving. He was always the responsible one.
The man stopped at a door. He watched the man take keys from his pocket and stick one into the lock. Everything dimmed then went black. He fell to the floor.
“What the?” the man said. He looked to Spencer’s body then finished unlocking the door.
“Honey, we have company,” he called out into the apartment.
******
Not long after, Spencer awoke on the Wilkens’s sofa to the smiling face of Lucy. She grinned at him and for a moment he thought he might feel the reality of a handcuff as he remembered the alleyway and the man who said he was under arrest.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“You fainted,” she said. “You’ve been out for a long time but don’t worry I know what I’m doing. I’m a nurse.”
“Where’s,” he said before he started to get up. He looked around the living room then he heard a noise from the kitchen and his shoulders tensed. The man was in there and he’s going to arrest me, he thought.
“Am I under arrest?” Spencer asked.
She grimaced and shook her head. She patted him on the hand, gripped it lightly.
“Chad did you threaten to arrest this man?” she called out.
“He was,” Chad said before stopping himself as he entered the room.
“He was smoking weed,” he said in a hushed voice.
“Our daughter,” Lucy said pointing over Spencer’s shoulder.
“Oh,” Spencer said.
“He was smoking weed in public. I didn’t go looking for him.”
“You can’t arrest him. He’s a nice man. Aren’t you?”
Spencer nodded.
“He probably has a job, a wife and kids. You work in D.C. right?”
Spencer nodded. So what if she thought he had a wife and kids she was getting him out of trouble. She was pleading his case.
“It’s just going to cause you a hassle with all the paperwork. Plus you’ll have to go in on your day off. We were going to take Grace to the park.”
“I know,” he said in a defeated tone.
“Where’s the evidence?” she asked.
“In a plastic bag on the counter,” he said.
“Well, go flush it down the toilet then help him to his apartment. Do you live in this building?”
“My friend does. I was at his place.”
“See his friends are probably worried,” she said.
Chad began to do what she said. He took the evidence to the bathroom and flushed it then went back to assist Spencer up from the sofa and to the front door. Spencer found himself with a renewed energy now that the weed was gone. Everything had changed but he decided to play down his relief. He couldn’t gloat, not now.
He stepped with Chad out into the hallway then walked with him the elevator. He was about to say he could handle it from there but Chad stepped into the open elevator. Spencer pressed the button for the floor. He was about to say he go his own way when the doors opened but Chad gritted his teeth and led the way out. They walked down the hallway when they got to the guys apartment Spencer felt for his keys but realizing they were on the coffee table he knocked then tried the handle.
“Spencer!”
Triston jumped up from the chair where he had been sitting and ran to embrace Triston who stood looking disappointed and miserable. Triston hugged him and with one arm around his shoulders turned him to face Chad.
“And you brought home a friend. Are you returning our friend to us kind sir?”
Chad nodded.
“Wait, I thought your name was Mike,” Chad said.
“It is,” Triston said. “When he meets a cute man or orders something at the coffee shop. Do you want to come inside?”
“No thanks,” Chad said.
“We have to pay you back for bringing our lost little friend.”
“No, really,” Chad said.
He forced a smile then waved before he stepped away. Triston stepped into the hallway to see the man’s ass before retreating back into the apartment.
“You found yourself a man,” Bobby said.
“I fainted,” Spencer said. “And he’s straight. And he’s a cop.”
They looked at him but no one spoke.
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