Page 16 of Finding Alfred
I settled into the seat across from where he’d been sitting and stretched my legs in front of me. It had been a long day, cramped up at my desk, so this felt rather nice. Birds chirped in the background and the fresh air was sweet.
Jackie pushed the door open, two bottles of IPA in hand, and I swear he swallowed his tongue. He literally gulped. “Damn, Al. You have the longest legs.” Then he whistled.
The heat rose on my face, but I liked the warmth in my chest his compliment caused. I took my beer from him, and drank a long, cold swallow. “Ah…needed that. More than I thought.”
“Anytime.”
“Okay. There is actually something. But it’s not bad.” I pressed my lips together, thinking about what I wanted to say and how I should say it. “We need to go on another date. Like not anext town fancy dinnerdate, but aFoggy Basin and what you would do heredate. You know? That doesn’t even make sense. Shit.”
“Yes, it does. I get it.” He pointed his bottle at me with a smug grin. “I impressed you with the steak dinner.”
“Yes, you did.”
He took a swig before setting his bottle on the deck beside him “But now you want to know what is dating going to be like right here where we live?”
“Exactly.”
“Gotcha. Tomorrow night, it’s on. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Is that AM or PM?”
“PM for dinner. But this time, in town.”
“Deal.”
Chapter thirteen
After showering, shaving, and dressing casually in a pair of jeans and a golf shirt, I grabbed my wallet and keys and headed out. This date was going to inform Alfred a lot more about me and Foggy Basin. This is what the typical date would be like. I wasn’t going to fancy it up or sugarcoat it, as some would say. Nope, this was going to be raw. And I hoped he liked it, because truthfully, it was me. It was my town. Home. Where I grew up and chose to still live. And for so many reasons, Foggy Basin had given back to me, so I hoped he would see that.
He was ready to go when I picked him up. He wore a collared, short-sleeve shirt under a denim jacket and a pair of tan pants that ended at his L.L. Bean hiking boots. And better yet, a big smile.
“You look very nice.” I wanted to kiss those soft lips every second of the day, so I leaned in.
He kissed me back, and I loved this change in him. He seemed more open. “You taste nice.”
“Good. That’s important for a date.” I winked at him, making him smile even wider. “Come on.” I took his hand and walked him to the car. He seemed to enjoy it when I was all gentleman-like, and that was something ingrained in me.
We drove downtown to Main Street and parked in the public lot near Books Beans and Buns. “We’re not eating sticky buns for dinner, are we?” he scoffed.
“Duh…No. It’s just easier to park here and walk.” I held his hand as we strolled up the street. Christmas was still a long way off, but when it finally got here, the street would be decorated with wreaths and lights. Hopefully, it would snow. But it was basically still spring. Summer was coming fast, although the night air still had a little nip to it.
Alfred took a long, deep breath. “Everything smells fresh here.” I hoped that was a growing list of things he liked.
“Indeed. Here we are.” We crossed the street, and I led him through the front doors of the Blue Star Diner. “Have you had a chance to eat here yet?”
“Yes. Great food. This is our date? Actually, not a bad choice at all.”
“Glad you think so.”
Once we were seated, Andrew Star, the owner, came over. “Hey, Jackie.”
Andrew was one of the few gay men in town, but he was now taken by one of Sheriff Clay’s deputies. I was happy for them,and we’d known each other our whole lives, even though we weren’t ever close, and until he started dating Rafael, I hadn’t known he was gay. Not surprisingly, this was a small town, and it took a lot to change it, but it was still evolving, and for the better, all the time. “Hi, Andrew. What’s good tonight?”
“Actually, the meatloaf. I know the old clichés about diner meatloaf, but seriously, this is good. Have it with mashed potatoes and gravy.”
“Sounds good but heavy,” Alfred said.
Andrew smiled. “It’s heavy alright. But it’ll be the best thing you put in your mouth since…” He looked right at me. “Uh, never mind.” And blushed.
