Upside Down(22)

“Not at all. As I said, I like transparency.”

We passed the Clock Hotel and crossed over to the park. It was busy for a cold wintery day; there was a kid’s birthday party or playgroup or parents’ group with an army of three-year-olds in the middle of the park and a Tai Chi group at the other end. I was kind of disappointed that we didn’t have somewhere to sit.

“That reminds me,” I said. “The other day when I asked you if you were still interested in attending my support meetings, you asked if there would be a venue change. What did you mean by that?”

“Was that during one of my nervous ramblings, because you can probably disregard anything and all I ever say when I’m like that.”

I chuckled. “I think it might be the opposite. I think the filter comes off and you say what’s really on your mind.”

His bottom lip pulled down. “Well, I just thought it was weird and I understand finding a venue open at night and one that’s free isn’t easy, but there I was freaking out about finding other people who were like me, who have no interest in sex, when that couple burst in dry humping each other. It was kind of like a paradox of horrors.”

I put my hand on his arm. “Yeah, I really am sorry about that, and I feel bad. But finding somewhere else isn’t easy. Like you said, open at night and free. The group meetings aren’t part of a national group or anything. There isn’t an advisory board to source anything; it’s just me trying to get a group up and running. When I was younger, the support group I was in kind of saved my sanity. I just wanted to return the favour, ya know?”

Jordan stared at me, a lazy smile on his lips. “I can get you somewhere. A room that’s open to the public but private, and it’s free.” He nodded over my shoulder. “I can show you right now.”

I turned and found him looking at the library, his place of employment. “You can do that?”

“Of course I can. It’s not a super power or anything. Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.” When we got to the door, he stopped, looked at his coffee, then mine, and made a face. There was a big sign that said no food or drink. “I’ll buy you another one if you’re not done.”

“I’m almost done,” I replied, dropping my coffee into the bin, “but I’ll let you buy me another one.”

We went inside and I was truly surprised. It was all high ceilings, open spaces, natural light, the front wall completely made of glass. There were interactive stations and reading nooks and seating like a trendy café. “Okay, so you’re probably going to hate me, but I was not expecting this.”

He stopped. “Expecting what?”

I gestured broadly around us. “This. How cool it is. Admittedly, I haven’t been in a library since university, but it sure as hell didn’t look like this.”

“Wait till you see upstairs,” he said with a smile, leading me toward a staircase that ascended the glass wall, and my God, it was even cooler up there! The trees planted at the second level glass wall gave the entire floor a magical feel. There were seats and tables and comfy lounges, and the people using the space looked so at home.

“It’s like a treehouse,” I whispered.

Jordan grinned. “Isn’t it awesome?”

“Pretty sure whoever designed this was a reader or someone who really loved books.”

This seemed to make him happy because that carefree smile was back. “I’ll show you the rooms we hire out,” he said, now leading me past the stacks to a hall with natural lighting from long narrow windows near the tall ceiling. There were several rooms, each of them big enough for my support group meeting, with chairs and tables.

“And it’s free?”

“It is if I make it free,” he said with a wink. “We’re allowed to make a discretionary call on hiring fees. If it’s a community-based meeting, then yes, definitely. If you were making money or profiting from the meetings, I’d totally charge you.”

I chuckled. “Just as well I do it for the love of it then, isn’t it?”

“We can go downstairs and I’ll check the schedule and availability.”

“Perfect. And thank you. I’m impressed.”

He rolled his eyes but he blushed and held the door open for me, waiting for me to walk through first. “And a gentleman?”

He rolled his eyes again and mumbled something under his breath, and as we walked out, there was an older woman at the top of the stairs with her arms full of books.

“Mrs Alvarez,” Jordan called out, rushing to her side. “How many times have we had the ‘there is an elevator’ conversation?”

“Ah, Jordan,” Mrs Alvarez said, looking up at him and smiling. “What are you in for today? It’s your day off.”

“Oh, I was just showing my friend here the meeting rooms we hire out,” he said. “Here, give me your books. Let me carry them for you.” He took her books under one arm and offered her his elbow, and they slowly descended the stairs. She held the handrail, and how on earth she ever thought she was going to manage those stairs carrying that pile books on her own, I’d never know. But I walked behind them and listened to their idle chitchat, and I was sure of one thing. Jordan was a really, really decent guy.

He walked her over to the service counter and said hi to the woman who was working and handed Mrs Alvarez’s books over, then asked if she minded if he had a quick look at the reservation listings for the rooms upstairs.