Staccato (Magnum Opus #2) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,73
office to get a visitor’s pass. Maybe, if he had another chance to do it again, he’d figure out something else that made his pulse race with a soul-deep passion. There had to be something besides those first electric guitar chords that got the whole of him singing, but he’d never given himself a chance to find it.
Adam pushed the buzzer next to the office and waited to be let in, and when he heard the soft click, he was ready with his ID at the front desk. “I just came to bring lunch to Nik. Uh. Mr. Mandroux,” he corrected, knowing full well he was fucking up the name.
The receptionist gave him a dubious look—and he didn’t really blame her. He was wearing long sleeves, but he couldn’t hide the tattoos over his knuckles or the gaping holes in his ears. His septum ring was clear, but it was still obvious, and he figured she was probably trying to find a way to deny him.
But, his name was on the list. She compared his ID to the name for eternal seconds before she reached for the badge, then pushed a binder toward him. “Sign your name, date, number, and reason for being on campus.”
Adam fought the urge to roll his eyes, but he did as she asked, then took the badge and stuck it to the front of his shirt. “So…is his office this way, or…?” He gestured toward the hall.
“The orchestra room is in building B, across the courtyard,” she told him, her tone flat.
He nodded, figuring he’d just wander until he found it if it meant getting out of there sooner. He let the door slam behind him, then he walked through the gate and stepped into the main courtyard. The sun was bright, relentless as it shone down, but he saw the flat, matte brown B on the side of the red brick, and he made his way to the blue doors that stood against the rust colored walls like a beacon.
His feet sank across the grass, and somewhere far off, he heard small voices all singing in a chorus. Beyond that, laughter of recess and the faint smell of cafeteria lunch. Nostalgia hit him in the most unexpected way, and he found himself smiling, clutching their bag of burritos as he slipped in through the doors and found his way to the orchestra room.
The door was half-open, and just inside he could see Nik there, bent over the table like he frequently did in his practice room at the house. He had his slate and stylus, and he was carefully adding braille before flipping the page over and running his fingers over it. Adam hadn’t asked how it worked—he could never read music anyway—but he loved watching Nik compose. He loved the way it lit up his face and the way his whole body seemed to move with music only he could hear.
He lingered only a moment, knowing that Nik’s lunch hour was limited, then he knocked on the door and stepped in. “This place is like a maze,” he said as he kicked the door shut.
Nik was grinning as he rose to his feet, his hands out just in front of him waiting for Adam to walk into his grasp. Adam didn’t make him wait. He tossed the bag on the desk, then let Nik gather him close, let Nik grasp him by the chin and turn his face up for a slow, lingering kiss.
“That was definitely the highlight of my day,” Nik murmured, smudging another kiss across Adam’s lips. “The kids have all been in…a mood.”
Adam grimaced. “That sucks. But I come bearing kisses and burritos.”
“God, what did I do to deserve you?” Nik asked, pulling Adam by the hand to the extra chair at the right of the desk.
Adam grabbed the burrito bag on the way, then flopped down and dug Nik’s out. “You rescued my niece. Also, you exist, which is pretty much enough for me.”
Nik laughed as he took the offered food and tore the foil off one end, shoving a massive bite into his mouth. Adam loved that about him—his unapologetic way he just enjoyed things. His cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk, and he groaned with relief. “I was starving.”
“Yeah, Jay told me you have this really bad habit of forgetting to eat when you get into your head.” Adam unwrapped half of his food and took a smaller, more delicate bite. “I guess I have to mom