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Pandi had not stopped thinking about Zay ever since he left Noah and Camille's house. He could not keep himself from clenching his fist on the car ride back to the tennis club every time he remembered Zay's face when that man had been on top of him, pinning him to the pavement.
Bradley, who was driving, glanced over at him. "Chill, man. I'd rather not have a hole punched in my dashboard, if you don't mind."
Pandi forced his hands open and pressed his palms against his thighs. "I'm just so mad that anyone would think something like that's okay."
"I know, man. But my car has nothing to do with it, so could you save your anger for another time?"
Pandi sighed. "I'll try."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm mad too, but I don't have room in my budget for a new car right now." Bradley flicked on his blinker as they paused at a red light. "You're friends with the guy?"
"Zay? Yeah. I mean, I think we're friends. He's my temporary receptionist." And I have the world's worst crush on him.
Bradley nodded as he made the turn. "Anything like that is horrible, but it's a hundred times worse when it happens to someone close to you."
Pandi smiled at his friend. "Who's the therapist now?"
Bradley shrugged, but he was smiling a little too. "You still are. I've just picked up some things from you and, you know, living." He pulled into the club's parking lot and parked the car.
They both got out, Pandi to switch sides and Bradley to get into his own car since they had taken Pandi's to Noah and Camille's house.
"Take care of yourself, man," Bradley said as they hugged goodbye. "And take care of Zay too. He's not like Aimee." Before Pandi could reply, Bradley ducked into his car, started it, and drove away, leaving Pandi standing dumbfounded in a sunny parking lot.
"Not like Aimee?" he murmured as he slowly pulled open the driver's side door. "Am I that obvious?" He drove home, wondering the whole way if his crush really was painfully obvious.
He agreed with Bradley; Zay was not like Aimee at all. Zay had to be rich if he was a pro tennis player, but he had never once flaunted it. Even when Pandi had talked about tennis, Zay had made it sound like he also just played it for fun.
Aimee had always rubbed her money and fame in Pandi's face, bragging about how much she had spent on a dress or a handbag and pointing out every single actor she knew when they had watched movies together. She had used her fame as a weapon of embarrassment, saying how both of them would be embarrassed if the press ever caught them together. She had kept him silent and imprisoned in his own life.
Zay did not seem to be that kind of person. If he was, he would have shown it already, even in just small, subtle ways. But Zay was kind, patient, and humble. He had never asked for anything other than Pandi's understanding, and that made Pandi respect him all the more. Zay was not at all averse to the spotlight, based on what Pandi had observed so far, but he did not allow his fame to infect all areas of his life. He was very different from Aimee.
At home, Pandi texted back and forth with Noah to check on Zay's condition, but all Noah would say was that Zay was fine and Camille was taking care of him. So Pandi gave up and went back to distracting himself by cleaning every corner of his apartment. Just to have something to do, he even went to church the next morning. He walked a couple blocks down to a Presbyterian church, sat in one of the pews, did his best to sing the songs, and redownloaded his Bible app so he could follow along with the sermon. It had been a long time since he had been in a church building. He had known the church he had primarily attended before would shun him for getting divorced, so he had been afraid to go to any church, but here he felt safe.
People expressed sympathy when he mentioned he was divorced, and they all seemed to still want to be his friends. They all seemed to want him to come back.
So Pandi left feeling a lot lighter than he had felt going in. He spent his afternoon reading one of his new books and finished it over dinner. After dinner, he watched a couple episodes of a show he loved but Aimee had hated and then went to bed at a reasonable time.
It was a little stressful at work the next day without a receptionist, but Pandi managed. His clients were mostly understanding, which made his job a little easier. The day felt like it flew by, and soon enough he was back home, starting another book over dinner and watching another episode before he went to bed.
When Tuesday came, Pandi had to leave his phone in his back office so he did not annoy Noah, who would not give him an answer about Zay anyway.
But when his watch buzzed, it was Zay who had texted him.
Pandi grabbed his phone and replied immediately. When Zay tried to apologize, Pandi did his best to set Zay straight. It took a couple back-and-forths before Zay seemed to accept that nothing was his fault and promised they would talk when he got back in a few days.
That promise hung over Pandi's head for the next two days every time he thought of Zay. What would this conversation entail? Was Zay going to be mad? Would he shut Pandi down with a ferocity hidden behind kind words? Had he made the wrong decision telling Zay so soon?
Pandi was so wrapped up in his worries that he did not realize it was Thursday until he looked up and saw Zay's smiling face. He jumped and then apologized. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in." He tapped papers into alignment, nervousness shaking his fingers.
Zay came around the desk, sliding around the last corner with the grace Pandi was now familiar with. "My bad. I was quiet."
Pandi got up to let Zay sit and noted Zay's slightly muted outfit: black dress pants and shoes paired with a dusky red shirt and matching eyeshadow. "No eyeliner today?" he asked as casually as possible.
Zay slid his purse into the cubby beneath the desk. "No. I poked my eyeball with it this morning and promptly gave up. I'm still a little irritable, so I guess that's why." He chuckled as he scrolled through Pandi's appointments for the day. "I'm just glad I didn't snap the pencil. That'd be a tragedy."
"Indeed," Pandi agreed. He had his hands folded behind his back now. He had no idea what to do or say. "Other than irritable, how are you feeling?"
Zay shrugged, clicking into the first appointment and reviewing the details. "Fine, I guess."
"Did you submit a report to the police?"
Zay's fingers paused over the black keys, and he stared blankly at the screen. "Why should I? A thousand omegas are assaulted every month, so what would my story do other than add to the noise no one wants to hear?"
Pandi grabbed Zay's shoulders and turned him around so they were facing each other. "Zay, it matters. You're famous, and I also saw the guy. There's a high chance you'll be taken seriously and he'll get arrested."
Zay did not quite meet Pandi's eyes. "What if I don't want to?"
"Then that's your choice, but I'll say right now that I don't think it's a good one."
Zay looked down at his lap. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then he asked softly, "Would you go with me on our lunch break?"
Pandi exhaled in quiet relief. "Yes, of course."
Zay turned back to the computer, and Pandi watched him silently for a minute before returning to his own work. This was going to be a rough day.