The Ninth Hour

Chapter 1 The First Hour Ivan Hart thanked the chauffeur before getting down from the luxurious car and gazing at the bakery in front of him with a huge smile on his face. It was nine o’clock in the morning, so he wasn’t surprised to notice there were still quite a number of people waiting in line inside the bakery. He shook his head in amusement as he folded his arms across his chest. He didn’t make it a habit to talk to himself, but he couldn’t help it this time around. “Darren Larson, you’re a sentimental big old sap.” Darren was his boyfriend. The two of them had been together for exactly nine years that day. Unfortunately, Darren had two important meetings to attend later in the morning and another three in the afternoon, so Ivan knew the two of them wouldn’t be able to celebrate their ninth anniversary until dinner time. He wasn’t angry at Darren for being so busy on such an important day, though. He understood Darren’s situation. His boyfriend was the sole heir of Larson, Incorporated, which was the parent company that owned either a large chunk or a tiny bit of everything from every industry in existence all around the world. “Mr. Hart.” Ivan turned to face George, his chauffeur for the day, who was waiting for him inside the car. “Yes, George?” “There’s no parking spot available anywhere nearby. I’ll probably end up quite a distance away,” George replied. “Please call me when you’re done.” Ivan nodded. “Of course. Thanks again, George.” “You’re welcome. It’s my pleasure, sir.” After that, George drove the car away, leaving Ivan all by himself next to the curb. He breathed in the crisp and cool spring air for several seconds before making his way into the bakery. The decorations and colors inside the bakery weren’t any different from the thousands of others in the city. However, this particular bakery held a special meaning to him and Darren. The enticing and delicious scents of various pastries assaulted his sense of smell all at once. There was also the tantalizing aroma of freshly brewed coffee permeating the air inside the bakery. He inhaled deeply, taking in everything and feeling rather nostalgic all at once. He and Darren hadn’t been back to the bakery in a while now. It must have been at least nine months since the last time the two of them were able to make it to the bakery together. Most of the time, they would go there separately. It was located rather far away from the private estate they resided at. The traffic wasn’t that horrible earlier that morning, and it still required almost forty-five minutes for him to reach this bakery from home. Another reason why the two of them hadn’t been able to pay the bakery a visit was their respective schedules. Darren had a business empire to run, so it was understandable he would have very little free time. Not that Ivan had plenty of spare time himself. He was a successful author of multiple books. The genre he dabbled in was a mixture of mystery and supernatural with a little bit of romance thrown in. At twenty-nine years old, he was lucky enough to have three of his books being adapted into movies. In addition, his most recent trilogy would soon be made into a television series. As a result, he had been kept rather preoccupied over the past few months, getting stuck in a ton of meetings with people from the production company and the investors who were interested in the project. “Good morning. My name is…holy s**t! You’re…you’re Mr. Ivan—” “Shh,” Ivan interrupted the employee behind the counter in a hurry while doing his best to conceal his grimace and discomfort before lowering the volume of his voice. “And yes, I’m Ivan Hart. Please pretend you don’t know who I am and what I do for a living. Or at least lower the volume of your voice. I really want to spend my time here in relative silence and anonymity.” The employee nodded quickly. “Of…of course, Mr. Ivan Hart, sir.” Ivan winced a little at the employee’s stiffness and formal way of addressing him. “Right. Thank you. May I get a vanilla cupcake with mango cream frosting, a red velvet cupcake with lavender and cream cheese frosting, a sandwich with beef-and-scrambled-egg filling, and a large cup of hot coffee with two spoonfuls of sugar, please?” The employee gaped at Ivan for a second or two before keying in the order into the system. “Certainly, sir.” Ivan noticed the employee’s cheeks and ears were flushing red. However, he was thankful the employee didn’t attempt to engage him in a further conversation. He peeked at the name tag that was pinned onto the right-hand side of the employee’s uniform. Then he beamed widely, hoping to put the employee at ease. “Thank you, Mark. I really appreciate this.” Mark’s face grew even redder while he leaned in much closer to Ivan. “You’re welcome, sir. It’s such an honor to serve you. I’m a massive fan of your books. The movies don’t do them any justice.” Ivan was pleased to hear that. “Thank you. It’s quite rare to find readers who like the books more than the movies.” Mark shrugged. “Your books are all so beautifully written. The details are amazing. I could imagine the scenery or the expressions of the characters as I read the books. You’re such an inspiration, sir. You published your first book when you were only sixteen years old. Reincarnation is still my all-time favorite book ever. I bring it with me everywhere.” Ivan was touched to hear the compliment coming from Mark. Then he glanced around for a few seconds to ensure nobody was within hearing range of him and Mark before bending his upper body toward the man. Fortunately, he was the last person in line at the moment. “If you have the book with you right now, maybe you can grab it before carrying my order to my table. I’ll be glad to autograph it for you. If you want me to, that is.” Mark’s eyes widened before he bobbed his head up and down enthusiastically. “Yes, sir. Please. That will be awesome. Have a seat. I’ll be right with you.” Ivan threw Mark a friendly grin before paying for his order and then moving away from the counter. He walked past quite a few tables before locating his favorite spot inside the bakery. It was a table at the farthest corner of the bakery. It was almost hidden from view by a huge pot of indoor plant. He loved it because most people wouldn’t bother to make their way toward the table when there were so many others in plain sight all over the bakery. He had just sat on the chair when Mark approached him with a full tray. “Hey, Mark. You’re fast.” Mark blushed. “It’s…it’s not every day my idol comes into the bakery I’m working at.” Ivan chuckled a little. “My boyfriend and I visited this bakery once every few months, but it was always quite late in the evening.” “I see. Most of the time, I get the early morning shifts. I’m a student at the university two blocks away from here. I’m majoring in English and Literature, and all of my classes are held in the late afternoon and early evening hours.” “That’s cool. Are you planning to become a writer yourself someday?” Mark shook his head. “I don’t know. My dream is to be an English professor.” Ivan smiled at Mark. “You can do both.” “Maybe,” Mark said before handing a rather tattered paperback copy of Ivan’s first book toward him. “I do my best to protect the book, but I’ve read it so many times now. Some of the pages are torn out, so I have to tape them back into the book.” Ivan was amazed. “You really love this book.” Mark nodded. “Very much. I bought it six years ago when I’d just turned fourteen years old. It helped me to navigate the angst, fears, and uncertainty of my early teenage years, especially when I discovered I liked boys better than girls. The gay main characters in your book helped me to believe in myself, and that I was perfectly normal just the way I was.” Once again, Ivan was deeply touched to receive such an awesome compliment from one of his readers. “Thank you for sharing your story with me. Now, is there a special message you want to me to write in here?” Mark shrugged. “I’ll leave that up to you.” Ivan pondered for a brief moment before taking a pen out from his shirt pocket and flipping the cover of the book in his hand. After completing the short message, he turned it around to show it to Mark. Dear Mark, Thank you for the love and support. May you achieve your dreams someday and be an inspiration for someone else. Best regards, Ivan Hart Mark grinned widely at Ivan before thanking him profusely and then rushing back toward the counter. Ivan chuckled softly for a second or two before putting his pen away and pulling his smartphone out from the pocket of his jeans. He put the wireless earpiece into his right ear before dialing Darren’s number, and almost immediately, his boyfriend’s face appeared on the screen. “Hey, baby.” Ivan beamed at Darren. “Hey! How’s the meeting?” “It’s okay.” Ivan thought Darren seemed rather nervous, but he was sure he must be imagining it. Darren was the most confident person Ivan had ever met. His boyfriend was a charming and charismatic leader. He knew Darren only let his guard down when the two of them were alone together. That would be the moment Darren displayed his vulnerability in the open, and Ivan was honored and proud of the fact that he was the rare few people his boyfriend would allow to see him being so honest and exposed. He shook off the thought. Darren was fine. Ivan must be hallucinating or something earlier. “Cool. I’m at our bakery.” Darren laughed. “I know, babe. I called George on the phone a few minutes ago.” Ivan smirked. “Checking up on me?” Darren had the grace and decency to blush. “I’m worried about you all the time.” Ivan rolled his eyes. “You’re a jealous and possessive control freak. That’s what you are.” Darren rubbed the back of his neck. The reaction was almost an unconscious gesture on Darren’s part, which hinted of his embarrassment to Ivan. After being together for nine years, Ivan knew most of Darren’s little movements by heart, and he could read his boyfriend’s emotions like a book. “Sorry.” Ivan chuckled. “It’s fine. I don’t mind. Honest. I’m glad you told me last night to make a trip of all our favorite places today instead of waiting at home for you to be done with your meetings. We can celebrate our anniversary later tonight. Just the two of us.” Darren nodded. “Okay. That’s awesome. Anyway, how’s everything at our bakery?” “Same old.” The bakery didn’t actually belong to him and Darren. At least not at the beginning of their relationship. However, it was where the two of them had first bumped into each other. Literally. It hadn’t been love at first sight. It had been far from it. To be accurate, it had been more of a case of hate at first sight between the two of them. Ivan recalled that rainy morning from nine years ago as if it had just occurred a short moment ago. He had been making his way toward the table while holding a tray that had a plate filled with a vanilla cupcake with mango cream frosting, a red velvet cupcake with lavender and cream cheese frosting, and a sandwich with beef-and-scrambled-egg filling, along with a large cup of hot coffee with two spoonfuls of sugar, when Darren had abruptly collided with him from the side. It hadn’t been his fault. He had been sure of it. Granted, he had been drowsy then. After all, he had just finished an early-morning meeting with the production company that would soon be turning one of his books into a movie. Nine years ago, it would have been his first movie ever. He had been thrilled by that prospect, but it had also been one of the most tiring and most stressful periods of his life. He hadn’t really paid much attention as to where he was going, but he was certain he had been conscious enough of his surroundings. When something wet was suddenly shoved against him, he had been taken aback. Fortunately, he hadn’t lost his cupcakes and sandwich, but more than half of the content of his coffee cup had been spilled onto the tray. Some of the hot liquid had even splashed onto his left hand. He wouldn’t have been furious at Darren if the man had only apologized to him. After all, it had been an accident. However, Darren had glared at him instead. Consequently, Ivan, being as sleepy and exhausted as he was, had snapped, calling Darren a rude and selfish bastard in a really loud voice. Darren had retaliated by also shouting at him, labeling him as a hysterical and petty jerk who had overreacted in that situation. Now that Ivan thought about it, the sight of two adults screaming at each other should have been hilarious, especially when Darren had been drenched from head to toe due to the heavy downpour, looking like a pissed off cat in a wet three-piece suit with his hair sticking out left and right. Meanwhile, Ivan had been wearing his most comfortable sweater, sweatpants, and his trusty old pair of sneakers, and his hair was a damn mess from running his fingers through it throughout the meeting with the people from the production company. He frankly couldn’t remember everything that happened that morning. All he could be certain of was the stream of insults that had flown steadily back and forth between him and Darren. He should have been more embarrassed for quarreling with Darren in public like that, but at that time, he hadn’t been thinking properly. When the two of them had eventually run out of steam, he had huffed in disgust at Darren before making his way toward one of the empty tables and ignoring all the amused gazes from the other patrons inside the bakery. Then he had started munching on his cupcakes while cursing at Darren internally. He remembered he had been irritated when Darren had the nerves to approach his table and sit on the chair across the table from him. He had told Darren to move elsewhere, but the bakery had been full at the time due to the bad weather outside. “A penny for your thought, babe.” Ivan was startled out of his trip down memory lane. “You’d behaved like an asshole when we first met.” Darren blushed. “You’d looked so adorable back then. You were damn gorgeous, too. You still are.” Ivan felt shy upon hearing the compliment. He didn’t know why. It wasn’t the first time Darren had told him anything like that. However, he had a hard time believing it. He stuck his tongue out at Darren. “Yeah. Right. I’m short, and I don’t have those incredible muscles that you have.” Darren snickered. “Babe, you’re not that short. You’re five feet, six inches tall, and you weigh one hundred and fifty pounds. You look cute. Fun size.” Ivan snorted. “Easy for you to say. You’re eight inches taller and seventy pounds heavier than me, and all of those extra weight are made up of hard, firm muscles everywhere. With your handsome face and amazing body, you’re an impressive and intimidating man. I’m frail and fragile by comparison.” “I like you just the way you are.” Ivan was pleased to hear that, but he refused to show it on his face. Besides, he was always embarrassed whenever he received compliments from anybody. “Whatever. Let’s talk about something else. What are you up to?” Once again, Ivan was astonished when there was a split second of panic on Darren’s face before it disappeared in the next instant. He wondered if he had imagined Darren’s nervousness for the second time in a row now. However, he had to attribute Darren’s expression to the upcoming meeting his boyfriend would be attending shortly. He was aware Darren could be rather anxious before some meetings. There was nothing unusual about it. The only reason Darren didn’t display his true feeling openly at the moment was because the two of them weren’t alone at home or in a private room somewhere. Otherwise, he had no doubt Darren wouldn’t even hesitate to show his real feelings on his face. He might not be next to Darren at the moment, but he was determined to try and take his boyfriend’s mind off whatever was bothering him. Darren spoke up before he could do that, though. “Nothing much. What about you? What have you ordered?” Ivan adjusted the angle of the camera on his smartphone for a few seconds, allowing Darren to view the cupcakes, sandwich, and coffee. “The same thing I got during our first meeting.” Darren beamed at Ivan. “I had such an insane crush on you the second I laid my eyes on you. You know the story.” Ivan chuckled. “Tell me again. I want to hear it.” Darren blushed. “When I’d bumped into you nine years ago today, my mind went blank for several seconds. Literally. I’d planned to say something sweet to leave you with an excellent impression of me. Instead, I’d blurted out something completely different.” Ivan laughed. “I remember.” “I’d managed to salvage the situation several minutes afterward, though.” Ivan rolled his eyes. “Not exactly. You’d first sat across from me without asking me for my permission. Then we’d gotten into another argument, albeit a short one, before one of the employees had approached our table with a dozen each of the same cupcakes and sandwich I’d ordered.” “And two large cups of hot coffee exactly the way you liked it.” “I still drink my coffee the same way I did back then.” “I know, babe.” “You’d overdone the cupcakes, sandwich, and coffee back then, though.” “I know,” Ivan admitted with a grimace. “I’d sucked at using words to impress you, so I went with the next best thing.” Ivan laughed. “By buying me an excessive amount of cupcakes, sandwiches, and coffee?” Darren shrugged. “I was trying to somehow get back on your good side.” Ivan chuckled. After that, the two of them simply gazed into each other’s eyes as they exchanged a gentle smile. Neither of them uttered a single word for several seconds. Ivan could do this all day, but that would be impractical. He shook his head a little to clear his mind before grinning widely at Darren. “I love you, baby. So much.” Darren’s expression brightened further. “I love you a lot more than you love me.” Ivan snorted. “That’s debatable.” Darren winked. “No, it’s not. It’s the truth.” “Whatever,” Ivan said, feeling both delighted and shy, before glancing at the time on the top of the screen of his smartphone. “By the way, don’t you have a meeting to prepare for?” Darren looked at the watch on his right wrist before sighing softly. “Yeah. I’ll see you later tonight, babe. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” Ivan nodded. “Okay. Love you.” “Love you, too. Bye for now.” “Later.” After that, Ivan hung up before picking up one of the cupcakes off the plate in front of him. He didn’t have any meeting scheduled for that day, so he could relax at the bakery. The place belonged to him and Darren now. His boyfriend had purchased it for them as their first anniversary gift eight years ago. He was glad none of the employees at the bakery was aware he and Darren owned the place. Not even the paparazzi knew about that. The two of them spent more than enough time being in the spotlight. The paparazzi seemed to make it their business to hound after him and Darren, labeling them as the gay power couple or some nonsense like that. He liked that he could be more or less anonymous inside the bakery. It was one of his sanctuaries, and he hoped it would remain so for the rest of his life.