"Hey Troye, can we go for coffee after work?" At lunch, Connor and I were sat together in the staffroom and he looked up at me.
"Uh, I have to get Sam to an appointment but I can meet you later if you really want to talk about something." I felt bad because, from the look on his face, something was up.
"Please? I need to talk to someone about this and it's driving me crazy."
"You can't tell me now? We could go into an empty classroom."
"No. I don't want to talk about it at work."
"Okay. I'll be done with Sam's appointment about five so by five-thirty, I can meet you at that coffee place around the corner from yours."
"I'll be there. Thanks, Troye."
"Of course."
For the rest of the day, my mind went over what Connor could possibly want to talk about. I wondered if he'd changed his mind about not being concerned about my feelings for him. My heart sped up a little at that idea and I really hoped I was wrong.
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It was just after five-thirty when I walked through the front door of the little coffee shop that Connor had introduced me to a few months ago. I quickly spotted him sitting in a little corner booth at the back of the shop and made my way over to him. He was already nursing a cup of coffee in his hands, staring blankly at the foam on top.
"Hey. You mind if I just quickly order something? Then I'm all yours."
"Sure." He mumbled, barely looking up. I frowned and hurried to order.
"What can I get for you today?" The young girl behind the counter asked cheerily.
"A regular caramel latte, thanks. And a slice of that fudge there." I pointed to the one I wanted and she nodded, writing down the order.
"That's $6.80 please." I handed over the cash and told her to keep the change before heading over to the table where Connor was still staring at his coffee.
"You okay?" I asked when he didn't look up as I slid into the seat opposite him.
"..." He mumbled something I couldn't make out so I leaned closer.
"What was that?"
"Jacob's leaving."
"Huh? What do you mean he's leaving? I didn't realise you guys were arguing. I thought you were okay, I mean, the way he was protective of you the other day, I..."
"No, we're not splitting up. Not really."
"I don't understand."
"He's been offered a job in Paris."
"Paris?"
"Yeah. The magazine's new office needs him there."
"So I guess he's taking the job?"
"He is. We're trying long-distance for now until we have to make a decision on whether we live here or in France."
"Oh, wow. Connor, that's a big decision to make."
"I know. I don't know what to do, Troye."
"I thought you said you've already decided to try long-distance for a while."
"We have. But I don't want to leave here. My whole life is here. There's nothing for me in Paris."
"Jacob would be there." I countered and he finally looked up at me, a torn look in his eye.
"But would that be enough?"
"Connor, Jacob is your husband. The love of your life. If he's not enough, I don't think anything would be."
"What I mean is, I love my job here. I wouldn't be able to teach there because I don't speak French. I don't know what I could do. But I don't think I'd ever find something that I love doing more than I love teaching at Pinewood." He sighed. "Would my love for Jacob be enough to keep me happy if I don't find a job that I love?"
"I don't think I can answer that, Connor. That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself."
"I want it to be enough. I really do. I just don't know if it would be."
"Connor, I don't know what you want me to say here. I can't change the fact that Jacob's job is moving him overseas. I can't do much of anything except saying that I'll be here for you, just like I was last time."
"That's all I need. I need to know I have someone I can rely on."
"What about your parents? Or Jacob's?"
"I don't want to bother them. Jacob's parents have been so good for us, taking Penny for the night at the drop of a hat and doing a lot of things for us when we got married. And mine live over an hour away. It's harder for them to be as supportive but they try. Plus, mine have three other kids to think about. Jacob doesn't have any siblings."
"You're one of four?"
"Yeah. Why?" He frowned, clearly confused as to why I'd changed the subject.
"So am I. Two brothers and a sister."
"Why have we not talked about this before? We have something else in common." He seemed excited and looked like he wanted to totally change topics. I wasn't going to complain since our previous conversation wasn't getting anywhere fast.
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As I drove home, I thought about everything Connor and I had talked about. Not o much the trivial stuff about our families but the fact that he and Jacob were considering a long-distance relationship. From what I'd seen last time Jacob was away, it couldn't end well. I figured it probably wouldn't hurt to give Jacob a call, make sure he was on the same page as Connor about all this.
"Hello?"
"Jacob, it's Troye." When Jacob answered, I spoke quickly, most of my attention on the road in front of me.
"Troye? What's up? Is everything okay?"
"I'm not sure. I just finished having coffee with Connor. He told me about what's happening with you two."
"Oh. The long-distance stuff. Is he really okay with it? He keeps telling me he is but I don't know if I believe him."
"He's definitely not okay. He doesn't want to leave America."
"This is what I was dreading. I hope you understand, I'm not trying to force him to do anything."
"I get it. We all have a job that we dream of. Just usually they're a little closer to home."
"I know, I know. But I'm not likely to get another opportunity to basically run an entire magazine. Currently, the magazine here is being run by someone ten years younger than me. I can't compete with that."
"Jacob, look, Connor is a great guy. I'm sure you know that. The only thing he's really worried about is you, feeling guilty if he can't find a good job there. It's you he's thinking about."
"Oh god. I guess we've got a lot to talk about before I go."
"You really do. But I want to say something first. Whatever you two decide to do, make sure you're both okay with it. You don't want to make a huge decision only to end up hating each other for it in the future."
"Thanks, Troye. I know that you're looking out for Connor but you're helping me too."
"I'm here if either of you wants to talk, okay?"
"Okay. I'd better get going. My boss is giving me death glares."
"Bye Jacob. Good luck."
"Bye Troye." I hung up just as I pulled into my driveway. The lights were on in the front rooms and I could see some shadows moving in the upstairs windows, meaning Sam and Jess were home and waiting for me. I sighed and sat in the car for the moment, just thinking.
I think everything is about to change. A lot.
