Chapter 5
"And then I realized how it all fit,
so perfectly,
my hands in his,
his lips against mine." -Unknown
The next day Quan walked into an office full of roses. The entire room was brimming with flowers placed in every nook and cranny. He double-taked and blinked a couple times, hoping he hadn't gone mad. Emerging from behind his bookshelf stood an embarrassed Ivan with one, single rose in hand.
"You have no idea how hard it is to buy five dozen roses during a snowstorm."
"Maybe if you didn't act like an idiot yesterday, you wouldn't have had to."
"Look, Quan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings I-"
"I'm not a teenage boy Ivan, you didn't hurt my feelings, you invalidated them. Just because we are CEOs of major companies doesn't mean that we can have hearts. The moments you think that, you aren't living anymore - just surviving."
"I have survived for way too long. I want to start living, but I need your help."
"That's all you had to say." Quan replied with a smile. He leaned toward Ivan and grabbed his hand, noticing that his fingers were a little bigger than his own, and relished the warm feeling he got from holding them.
The two walked hand in hand as they exited the building and strolled onto the sidewalk. It was there that they realized, that out on the streets, they did not have to be anything or anyone, only themselves, and that that was enough for each other. They walked into a small bakery across the block in a small nook.
"I've never seen this place. Where are we?"
"Sweet Sensations run by the best of the best, Sugar Momma." Ivan let out, with a small chuckle.
"Sugar Momma?"
"I don't know, she refuses to tell me her actual name." Quan laughed in response.
The two walked into the shop and waited patiently at the podium for Sugar Momma.
"Momma, Ivan is here!" I small voice sounded from the middle of the store. A old women, presumably in her let sixties peered out from the kitchen.
"Egor is here?! I haven't seen that man since he stole my virginity in the middle of a boat ride to the promised land!"
"NO MAMA IVAN. I-V-A-N!" The girl's annoyance was clear as she spelled out the name, as if this was something that happens often.
"Evan? I haven't seen him since we did jello shots off of an assortment of cheap strippers."
"MAMA. IVAN IS HERE. WITH AN I."
She had finally finished walking out of the corridors and was able to get a good look of Ivan. She was a short old woman who had thin white hair neatly kept into a bun. She had flour and frostings all over her apron and was fixing her glasses to get a better look at the both of them.
"Ivan?" She whispered. "Ivan Guskov?"
"Hi, Mama." Ivan stated, crouching down to her level and giving her a chaste hug." Through all of this commotion Quan stood in the corner, wanting to witness the spectacle that was Mama in its entirety.
"Ivan Guskov." She stated again before smacking Ivan hard on his side. "IVAN GUSKOV, I DO NOT REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I HAVE SEEN YOU!"
As Ivan was getting beaten up by a seventy year old woman who seemed to be winning, Quan stood, laughing until tears were coming out.
"My knight in shining armor! Save me from the wicked witch!"
"I'LL SHOW YOU A WICKED WITCH! HOW DARE YOU NOT VISIT ME SOONER!"
Quan was rendered useless and he slapped his knees, uncontrollably laughing.
"MOMMA STOP DISABLING THE CUSTOMERS!" The same voice yelled again, though this time, it was completely in vain. Momma did not hear her over all the ruckus she was creating, as she continued her assault on Ivan.
Finally, he managed to squirm out of her grip, barely. As he returned to a normal position he straightened his coat jacket while staring down at Quan. "Thank you for saving me!" He snapped sarcastically.
"You are very welcome." Quan gleamed.
"Kady can you seat these fine gentlemen to a table, please." She asked the girl, acting as if she wasn't just recreating a professional MMA fight minutes ago.
"Right this way, sirs."
Quan followed Ivan as the men made their way towards the table. It was a petite little table, held up my swirling metal designs with jewels. Both men seated across from each other. Ivan rejected the menus and simply stated, "2 orders of beignets and 2 coffees please."
"You seem awfully sure of my tastes."
"I'm awfully sure of what tastes like the heavens in a pastry, if you don't like it, you are probably not human." Quan chuckled at the remark.
The two sat in silence for a minute, probably drinking in the situation. They were on a date. Their feelings were unavoidable.
Ivan sat patiently twisting the button of his suit jackets and letting it untwist staring deeply with furrowed eyebrows.
"You know, in all my life, I have never been more jealous of a button." Quan simply stated. "The button is getting more attention than me." He joked.
Ivan looked up with surprise and felt blood rush to his cheeks "No... Um... I..."
"It's okay I know you are nervous. I get it. But I hear maintaining eye contact is a good first step if you want to get back into the game."
"Okay I got it!" Ivan stared into Quans brown eyes and watched the smirk appear on his face. "You are enjoying this..." Ivan noticed.
"Enjoying what?"
"How bad I am at this."
"Yeah. Being able to turn one of the most eligible bachelors to a stuttering mess is always fun."
Ivan gaped. "I'm the most eligible bachelors?! I thought you were! ...Or well that's what my sister told me."
"Sister?"
"Yeah, her name is Anfisa. She probably the most annoying person I ever met."
"Such sweet words."
Kady arrived again placing the pastries before the men before quietly saying enjoy. They responded with a staccato thanks and returned to their conversation.
"Do you have any siblings?"
"No, only child. I always wanted a little sister, someone to protect, to look up to me."
"They aren't all they're cracked up to be. Mostly they just whine and complain about everything."
"Oh I get it!" Quan said triumphantly. "Like how you whine and complain about her." Quan started to burst out laughing.
"What! No way!" Ivan grabbed a glob 0f powdered sugar and smothered Quan with the small flakes. Quan stopped all movement and looked Ivan dead in the eye.
"Ivan this suit cost millions!" With a roar.
Ivan's eyes widened. "What? Really?"
"No!" Quan threw his own glob and both the men sat there giggling drenched in white powder.
Suddenly the doors to the kitchen opened and Mama arrived at Ivan and Quan's table. "How do you like the- YOU UNGRATEFUL BOYS I SLAVED IN THE KITCHEN FOR YOU WHILE YOU THROW MY FOOD AROUND LIKE A DOLLED UP WHORE NAMED SALLY!"
She smacked them both on the back of the head as they both chimed "Were sorry mama!"
"Wait that is powdered sugar right? Did you get into my cocaine stash? KADY CHECK BENEATH THE BUTTER! IS MY FUN POWDER STILL THERE?"
"OH MY GOD MAMA IT'S POWDERED SUGAR!" Ivan exclaimed. Mama swabbed her finger on Quan's check and tasted the sweet sugary powder and was finally convinced.
After the cocaine debacle, Mama pulled up a chair and watched with crossed arms as the boys munched on the beignets.
"Thank you Mama the food was wonderful," Quan politely spoke.
"Maybe you would think it was better if half of it wasn't on you and your lover boy."
"Mama! That's it leave Ivan and Quan alone!" Kady screamed.
"Look at that, my own daughter screaming at me. I have seen everything." Mama replied glumly.
"You aren't my mom." Kady said flatly.
"You can't prove that." Mama said with a giggle before she walked back into the kitchen.
Quan and Ivan shared an exasperated glance before Ivan offered to pay, "You can go wash up in the bathroom, I'll take care of the bill."
"Thank you," Quan smiled brightly.
Ivan walked up to the counter and handed a crisp ten dollar bill to Kady.
"Unlike Mama, I do remember the last time I saw you, but I don't think I remember the last time I've seen you with a smile on your face. I like that man Ivan. You better trap his ass." Kady joked.
Ivan chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm working on it." He looked back at the bathroom with a soft smile on his face and took back the change.
