Page 3 of Pretty in Pink

I took the pack of cards he offered me and smiled at the pictures of puppies printed on their backs. “I do.” I divided the cards into two piles and riffled them together. Keegan gasped when I bridge shuffled them, making sure they were thoroughly mixed.

“That’s so cool!”

I chuckled and did it again just because I wanted to hear his amazement over such a simple trick. “What would you like to play?” Keegan’s suggestion was working; having something to focus on was helping me push my nerves away.

“How about Go Fish?”

“Sounds great.” As I counted out seven cards for each of us, I nodded to their pictures and asked him, “So, you like puppies?”

Keegan nodded. “And kitties, bunnies, birds…pretty much all animals. The softer they are, the better.” It wasn’t hard to believe that he enjoyed soft things; he had a calming presence and peaceful energy.

“And I bet you are very gentle with them,” I guessed, placing the rest of the cards face down on the table before us.

“I am,” he replied with a proud smile. “I like to go to the shelter to help take care of the animals who don’t have homes. Some of them are scared, so I’m extra gentle with them so they know they can trust me.”

I could practically feel my heart swelling in my chest. “That’s very sweet of you. Have you ever thought of adopting a pet of your own?”

“Every day,” he sighed. “Especially Ruby; she’s a beautiful Yellow Lab. I’ve been helping take care of her for almost a year. When she first came to the shelter, she was so scared, she wouldn’t even eat, and she would whimper if anyone came close. But I visited her and talked to her every day, getting a little bit closer each day. After a few weeks, she finally let me pet her head. And now when she sees me, she gets so excited! She barks and wiggles her tail and spins around in a circle.”

Keegan absolutely glowed when talking about his animal friend. “She’s very lucky to have someone so sweet and patient looking after her.”

He beamed, threatening to expand my heart beyond capacity. But it only lasted a moment before a frown took its place. “I wish I could have her as my own, but my apartment doesn’t allow pets. I’ve thought about sneaking her in anyway, but that wouldn’t be fair. She needs room to run.”

I wanted to do whatever I could to put a smile back on his pretty face. I cupped his smooth cheek and leaned in closer to tell him, “I know that had to be a tough decision. I’m proud of you for thinking about Ruby’s needs. You are a very sweet and special boy.” It was hard to believe that just a few minutes ago, I was struggling to put a sentence together. Talking to Keegan was easy. All I had to do was focus on making him happy, and everything came naturally.

Something flashed in Keegan’s eyes as they looked into mine. They somehow darkened and brightened at the same time. Was it longing I saw? Or was I imagining things? It didn’t appear to be anything negative, although he wasn’t speaking. Maybehewas tongue tied now. At any rate, I didn’t want to risk making him uncomfortable or pushing any boundaries. So, I turned my attention back to my cards and asked him, “Do you have any twos?”

Keegan blinked at my words before shaking his head free from confusion, focusing on his hand as well. “I have one.” He handed it over before asking, “Have any fours?”

“Go fish.”

He lifted a card from the stack before wrinkling up his nose and stuffing it amongst his others. Apparently, it wasn’t a four. “So, what do you do when you’re not helping out at the animal shelter?”

“I work at the distribution center in Prestonsburg.”

“Do you enjoy it?”

Keegan shrugged. “It pays the bills, but it’s boring. I just put stuff in boxes and attach labels all day.” I wondered if that was perhaps why he enjoyed games so much; they served as a distraction and break from mundane life. “The only exciting thing is that I prepare bags of dog food for shipping. Sometimes a bag has a rip or a can is missing the pull tab, so that means they can’t be used, and I get to take them to the shelter. That’s how I went for the very first time, and how I met Ruby.”

“That sounds wonderful.” I was pleased to hear the company allowed him to donate the unusable items, and that he’d found something he enjoyed because of it.

“It is, but that’s the only wonderful part. Even the uniform I have to wear is boring.”

I imagined he would make anything look fantastic, but could understand that the mandated uniform wouldn’t be his personal style. I was curious about Keegan’s attire choice. It was alluring and beautiful, and I wanted to know the story behind it, but I didn’t want to come across as judgey or rude.

Maybe he saw something in my expression, or maybe he’d been asked countless times, but he offered, “I like looking pretty. It’s as simple and as complicated as that.”

“Complicated?”

He gave a sad smile. “Some people are really offended by the clothes I wear. That’s why I like it here so much; nobody says anything mean.”

I hated the thought of this precious young man getting picked on or made fun of for any reason, but especially for something as trivial as clothing. The world had bigger things to worry about than what someone chose to put on their own body.

I rested my cards on the table and leaned in close. “If someone is offended by simple pieces of cotton, that reflects poorly on them, not you. What makes you happy is your business, and nobody else gets a say in what it should be. Besides, they’re probably just jealous that you look better in those clothes than they ever could.”

Even in the dim light, I could make out Keegan’s pupils dilating as his glossy lips parted slightly. Oh, how I wanted a taste of those pouty pillows. But I didn’t want to cross a line. Some men didn’t like physical affection when they were in little mode. Though we were having a pretty ‘normal’ or ‘adult’ conversation, we were still playing a game, so I didn’t want to muddy the waters. I also didn’t want to be rejected. I could be reading the situation totally wrong, and he wanted nothing to do with me in that way. Maybe he just wanted to play Go Fish.

I lifted my cards into my hand again, and asked, “Do you have any kings?”

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