19. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Jake

I t wasn't long before the project wrapped up entirely and we were prepping to film the final walk-through and interviews. Max had brought Jared and Matthias back for a blind reveal, and that's how I found myself standing proudly on the sidewalk in front of the Collins house, along with about half of the construction crew, watching Sterling lead out the blindfolded couple. Jared and Matty held hands as Sterling spoke to them, nodding in eager anticipation.

"Ready? Three… two… one… go!" Sterling called out.

Matty and Jared yanked their blindfolds off simultaneously and both gasped as they took in the house. I had to admit, I was pleased with the work we'd accomplished. The old house stood proud, gleaming with new life. From the exterior, the trim, roof, and siding were all perfectly placed. Inside, I knew they'd find more of the same. It was one of the best projects I'd ever had the privilege of working on, and I couldn't have wiped the smile off my face if I'd tried.

After the filming wrapped, Jared and Matty hosted a party for the production and construction crews, which Max and I attended.

Jared approached me shortly after the party started. "Hey there. I just want to say, you did an awesome job. Seriously, our minds are blown. I had no idea this place would look so great when you were done with it."

I smirked. "Didn't trust me?"

He gave me a sheepish smile. "It's not that. I just didn't know it was possible. We just wanted to thank you for everything you did."

I nodded. "Of course. It was my pleasure."

As Max and I meandered around the property, socializing with everyone we'd worked so closely with over the past months, the knots in my stomach grew. Max would be leaving in about a week and I wasn't ready to face that.

"Hey," he murmured after we'd circulated the party a few times. "Ready to get out of here?"

I let out a relieved breath. "You have no idea." And a half hour later, when I pulled the truck to the curb in front of his rental, I hesitated before turning to him. "Now what?"

Max gave me a sad smile that sent nerves flooding through me. He's going to end it. Just try to play it cool.

"Even though this relationship is really new, I like you. A lot."

"But?" There was always a but with sentences like that.

"But I've got to go back to New York. I don't have a choice. As much as I'd love to find a reason to stay in Port Grandlin, for now, the city is where I live."

I nodded, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. "I get it. It's been great to get to know you. Honestly. Maybe next time I'm up there, we can get together?"

Max frowned and shook his head. "No, that's not what I'm saying. I don't want to leave you."

"All good things come to an end." I cringed at the platitude.

He put his hand on my thigh. "Jake. Stop saying goodbye. What if we… I don't know, tried long-distance for a while?"

I furrowed my brow. "Long-distance?"

"Yeah. I'll come down on the weekends when I can, and vice versa. What do you say?"

My frown deepened. "You don't want to break up?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No. Definitely not. It is very new, but I want to give it a shot. Don't you?"

My face relaxed into a smile. "Yeah. Of course I do."

"That's settled then. Now… you want to come inside while Sterling's still at the wrap party?" There was a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Hell yeah," I said, sliding out of the truck.

I could hardly believe two months had passed since we'd wrapped production on the show, since Max had convinced the curator at the historical society to display the letters, and since I'd started a long-distance relationship with Max. He'd stayed as long as he could—an extra week after production ended on the show—but eventually the lease on the rental had run out and he'd headed back to New York. It sucked, doing the long-distance thing, but we visited every couple of weeks and we were making it work.

To that end, he was making a special visit, and I paced my house anxiously, smoothing my button-down shirt repeatedly, waiting for Max to arrive. Right on time, a knock came from my front door. Before I had a chance to respond, the door opened, Max making himself at home, as always. I just wished there were more of it.

"Hey there," I said, Max's soft smile making my chest ache.

He rushed to me and threw his arms around my shoulders. "I missed you."

Dipping my head down to meet his lips with mine, I hummed in agreement. When we parted after the quick kiss, I murmured in his ear. "Likewise."

Max pulled me in for a deeper kiss and we stood there for several long moments before his phone buzzed in his pocket, drawing a reluctant groan from his throat as we parted. He pulled the phone out and checked the notification before looking back at me. "We'd better get going if we're not going to be late."

"We can be late," I said between pressing kisses to his jaw. "They can start without us."

He laughed and shoved me away. "You know that's not going to happen."

"Fine." I sighed reluctantly. "But you owe me."

"Good God, it's like we broke your dry spell and now that's all you want to do." He grinned and winked at me. "Not like I mind or anything. Just stating a fact."

I pulled his hand to me and kissed his palm. "I think it's more about the person and not the act, but we do have a lot of lost time to make up for."

"Later, I promise."

We headed outside and got into the truck. I took us downtown to the Radiance Theater and grabbed a street parking spot a few blocks away. The day was nice—the weather just starting to cool off—and there were a ton of people milling around. Once we reached the theater, I spotted my boss Levi standing out front and greeting people, with his husband Soren by his side.

"Hey!" Levi called when he spotted us. "If it isn't the man of the hour himself." Soren elbowed him and Levi grunted. "You're right. Men of the hour. Jake, the house looks great. I couldn't have done a better job myself. Really proud of the work we're producing these days. And Max, we're really excited to see how the show turned out."

Max grinned and started up a conversation with Levi and Soren, thanking them for hosting the premiere and chatting about what to expect. After a few minutes, we both thanked them again and said our goodbyes, heading into the theater to take our seats.

The theater was packed, nearly every seat taken. Port Grandlin had really turned out for this event, it seemed. Max and I took seats near the front and settled in, the scent of popcorn wafting through the air. It didn't take long until the lights flickered, letting us know the show was about to start. Recognizing his cue, Max jumped up and hurried to the front of the theater, where one of the teenage employees handed him a microphone. I spotted Sterling striding up to take a spot next to Max.

"Hi, everyone. My name is Max Potter, and I was the lead producer on Heartland Overhaul . Here with me is Sterling King, the show's host. We're excited to have such a full theater to share this experience with. Thank you all so much for turning out, and we're looking forward to answering your questions after the show."

With that, he hurried to take his seat next to me, the lights dimmed, and the show began. Max took my hand and mouthed, "I'm nervous," at me, but I didn't have time to do anything to reassure him besides a gentle squeeze of his hand.

For an hour, we sat and watched, but my attention was focused more on Max and his reactions than the screen itself. He seemed to relax after a little while, leaning against me as we watched the story unfold. When the episode ended, the room erupted into cheers and applause, and Max once again made his way up to the front, where an employee had placed three chairs. Sterling was close behind, both of them looking like they were born to be in front of a crowd.

Acting as moderator, Soren took the third seat and fielded questions. The questions ranged from topics about the technicalities of filming and producing a reality show to Max's and Sterling's favorite moments on set. One person asked about the potential for the show to continue with other locations in town and quite a few people applauded at that. Max assured the crowd that he'd keep them updated as early as he was allowed.

After about forty-five minutes, Soren ended the question-and-answer session, which was a relief to me, because we had other places to be. "Thank you all so much for attending the premiere of Heartland Overhaul . We're so excited to have been able to host it here at the Radiance Theater. Let's show our thanks to Max and Sterling for being willing to hold this Q-and-A session, and you all have a great rest of your day."

The crowd applauded and filtered out of the theater slowly, a few people making their way to the front to speak individually with Sterling or Max. Once everyone had finally left, I made my way to the front of the theater and wrapped him in a bear hug.

"That was great." I squeezed him tight before releasing him.

Max's cheeks were a faint shade of pink. "Thanks. I'm glad you were here to share it with me. Now, we should go before we're late."

Relief washed through me. I hated being late and our next stop was important to me. We headed outside and walked the three blocks to the historical society's building, the Port Grandlin Museum of History and Culture. It was small for a museum, a white stone building that stood next to the art museum, separated only by a sprawling lawn. We opened the door and stepped inside, greeted by a young woman acting as docent, with a friendly smile.

"Good afternoon. Can I help you gentlemen find anything?"

"I, um, I'm Jake Young. I'm here for the—"

Her smile widened. "Right this way, Mr. Young."

Max and I followed her closely as she led us down the corridor and through a great, open room with a beautiful stained-glass ceiling. On the other side was a gallery, and employees in white shirts and black slacks hurried around, setting up tables and chairs, putting tablecloths on, and setting up food and beverage stations.

The docent asked us to stay put and a few minutes later, she returned with Damon, the curator who had worked with us on the display of the letters. Damon, a tall, thin man with soft curls that fell across his forehead, making him look much younger than he actually was, reached out and shook my hand, a wide smile on his face.

"Jake, it's so good to see you again. We're almost ready. The reception starts in about twenty minutes. Are you interested in having a sneak peek, or would you prefer to enjoy the museum until the reception starts?"

I swallowed hard and weighed my words carefully. "I think I'd like to look around first. Maybe I'll have some idea of what to say if people ask me questions."

His smile softened and he nodded. "Please, have a look around. I'll be here if you need anything."

With that, Max took my hand and we walked slowly through the gallery. As we walked, we took the time to stop and look over each letter—even though in the end, we'd read them all before we handed them over to Damon—and the pictures that he'd found to correspond with each display. There were photos of Nathan and Freddie, both alone and together, throughout their lives. There were newspaper clippings relevant to their lives. Any and all artifacts that Damon found had gone into the exhibit, depicting the love the two men shared from young adulthood until they both passed away. There were pictures of their separate families and children, and even displays on the underground speakeasies that allowed gay people to love freely, which at least one letter had referenced. Damon had done an excellent job of telling a story through the exhibit, showing how much they'd loved one another, and how impossible that love was at the time.

As we walked and looked and read, my throat tightened and tears stung my eyes. I couldn't imagine being forced to live a lie, or the adversity the two men had gone through just to love one another a little bit at a time. I was grateful to those who had come before us, and I squeezed Max's hand to let him know how I was feeling. He looked back at me and squeezed in return, and I knew he understood.

Just as we made our way to the entrance of the gallery where the reception was being held, people were arriving and taking seats, having snacks, or milling around. I was grateful we'd had a few minutes to process what was on display without prying eyes. I blinked away the tears, swallowed the lump in my throat, and nodded as I saw my three best friends making their way into the gallery.

Slade, Knox, and Axton were dressed in actual non-work clothes, and they each offered a fist bump as a greeting. I was proud to see them there, and touched that they'd all shown up.

Axton spoke first. "This is great, man. Congratulations." Slade and Knox murmured their agreement.

"You guys should have a look around. It's a great exhibit."

Knox took a glass of wine from a server circulating the room and grinned. "Plus, there's free food and booze."

Slade elbowed him, causing Knox to grunt. "Don't act like a caveman."

I just rolled my eyes and shook my head. "In the meantime… guys, this is Max. Max, these are my best friends." I introduced each of them.

Knox practically tripped over himself to apologize. "Shit, man, I'm sorry. I mean crap. I shouldn't swear in a museum, right?"

Damon came by then, laughing, a smile up to his eyes. "It's okay," he murmured just loud enough for our group to hear. "I won't tell if you don't." The comment caused Knox's face to burn red and he nodded and mumbled something unintelligible into his wine glass before wandering away to look at the exhibit.

A few minutes later, Sterling showed up looking flustered.

"You okay?" Max furrowed his brow in concern.

"Yeah, I just… I was at the diner and I spilled my sweet tea all over this guy. He was wearing khaki pants and it looked terrible, like he'd had an accident. I kept apologizing but he just seemed to get more and more annoyed."

Max chuckled softly. "That does sound terrible. I'm sure he'll forgive you. And if not, who knows? We might not even be coming back to town, at least not as a production crew. You probably won't ever see him again."

"Don't say that," I muttered. "Don't jinx it."

Max just laughed and shook his head. "Sorry! I won't say it again."

Sterling shook his head. "I need a drink. Besides, I want to see what you two have been up to all this time. I'll catch you later."

Finally, we stood there, alone in the crowd. Max took my hand and squeezed gently. "Hey."

I looked at him, my heart fluttering. "Yeah?"

He smirked and batted his eyelashes at me exaggeratedly. "How about I make good on that promise and you take me home?"

"That sounds like an excellent idea."