Page 43 of This I Promise You
“Yeah.”
I get up from my seat, circle the table, and hold out my hand to him. I need to make this real or I might chicken out. He grabs my hand in earnest and stands in front of me. I waste no time leaning in and placing a long sweet kiss on his pink lips. He doesn’t part them this time and I know I’ll always remember this moment. The gratitude I feel for such a simple, sweet gesture. A moment left to time. A moment I want to have again and again with him, with Easton.
I pull back and place my forehead against his. “I think I want this.”
“You think?” Easton jests, and I want to melt into him because he’s just so damn adorable, his eyes alight with infinite stars.
Like, how could I have freaked out on him? Why have I been ignoring him? I mean, I knowwhy, but now that he’s here in my arms I kinda feel like there might be a possibility to overcome my bullshit past. He does that to me, for me.
“No, yeah. I do. You and all the flannel that comes along with it. I’d like to see where this goes between…us.” I raise my head and look into hisgorgeoushoney-brown eyes. And just then I realize I don’t think I really knew what my favorite color was before this moment, before I looked into his eyes. In this lighting they almost glow, a rich golden yellow around his irises, and I nearly buckle at the knees. “Okay?”
“I almost gave up on you, you know?” He doesn’t break eye contact. “You didn’t respond and I didn’t know what to do. And then I thought maybe it wasn’t supposed to be a date and somehow I read the situation wrong and thought you only wanted a friend. I’ve been really confused. I don’t normally show up at guys’ doors by the way. But…I can’t get you out of my head.”
“I don’t want you to.” I grab the back of his neck in earnest and kiss him again. Deeper this time. I can handle it, I’m okay. I’m in control and oh my holyhellhe tastes so good. Like seasoned chicken. I kiss his cheek, his jaw, his neck, then back to his lips.
He kisses the tip of my nose. “Can we try again?”
“Again? I mean, IguessI could kiss you again. I guess.” I smile and roll my eyes playfully.
“Yes. No. I mean, yes, I want to kiss you again. No, stop distracting me.” He laughs. “I only mean a date. Can we try a date again? Like, officially this time.”
“I’d like that.”
“And you only said ‘fuck’ a few times, by the way.” Something about the way he smiles is so serene and playful at the same time.
“You’re never going to let me fucking live that down, are you?” I smile wide because dammit, I never want him to stop giving me a hard time.
“Well now you’ve just crossed the line.” And oh how he smiles. “And not a chance. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at noon?”
“Wait,that’s it?” I ask.
“Yeah. Tomorrow,” he says.
“So you just eat my food and leave? You could at least help me with the dishes.” I smile and bite my lip so he knows that I’m joking. I just don’t want him to leave yet.
He smiles back and rolls his eyes. “Fine.”
Easton
Leather and Sage
My brakes squeal to a stop in front of Paul’s apartment. If he didn’t hear that, he sure will in a second. They’ve been screeching the past two days, but I keep putting it off. It’s always something.
Please keep working, I don’t have the money to deal with this shit right now.
I get out and start up the sidewalk. Paul said to text him when I got here and he’d come out, but forget that. I’m going to be a gentleman. At his door I knock and wait for a full two seconds before the latch clicks and out comes Paul. My eyes immediately jump up and down his body, not to examine those thick thighs this time but because of how he’s dressed. I admit I’m the tacky, no-sense-of-style type of gay, one of an unfortunate rare breed, but now I feel so overdressed.
Paul’s standing in the doorway looking perfect in a white oversized, long-sleeve shirt under a black tee with the wordsPRETTYMUCHplastered across the front, and skinny light-blue jeans with holes all down the knees and legs. I mean, he looks hot in it, plus the pink ball cap is a nice touch.
Then there’s me. I rushed back to the dorm after work to take a shower and change into “date” clothes. Which to me meant a blue and yellow plaid button-down tucked into my slim-fit jeans with the bottoms cuffed twice. Hell, I even put on my blue suede dress shoes, no socks—I do get that at least—and a denim jacket.
“Hey.” Paul grins.
“Uh, hi!” I do my best not to jump out of my stupor.
“You good?” he asks, his eyes lookingmeover now, and internally I’m screaming. “Where you going? The neighborhood hog-tie or a frat meeting?”
“Uh…” I skew my cheek. “Frat meeting? Really?”
