Page 56 of Missile Tow
Bertie was looking out the mercantile windows. She shrugged her shoulders and grinned like an old fool. She gave me a thumbs up and went back to ringing up Joe Hern’s weekly supplies.
Van slid his hand in mine and kissed my cheek. “So?” I asked, letting him rest his head on my shoulder. “Whaddaya think, stud?”
“You’re almost as good as me at decorating,” he praised. “Almost,” he added, moving a plastic elf from the front of the truck and re-centering the decoration toward the passenger door. “There!”
“You didn’t just do that,” I protested, squatting down and filling a fist with snow.
Van sprinted across the gasoline pump area, hiding behind a support pillar. I waited until he peeked his cute face from around the concrete column. With the precision of a Major Leaguepitcher, I let the snowball fly. He ducked, and the snowball flew past him.
He stepped from behind. “Weak!” he exclaimed, letting go of his own snowball.
Van was athletic, as it turned out. A pretty-faced city boy, but the guy could compete. I, for one, found it quite intoxicating to be dating such a citified jock. His aim was deadly as well.
“Ouch!” I hollered. “What the fuck?”
I ran after him as he dashed toward the entrance of the mercantile driveway, trying to reach a massive fifteen-foot-high snow pile the county snowplows had deposited along our drive. He dove headfirst into the snow, scrambling up the side as fast as he could.
“King of the Mountain!” he declared, reaching and standing at the top. “No lame cowboys allowed.”
I climbed to the top, grabbed one of his legs, and yanked him down the side. Both of us rolled to the bottom like a pair of wrapped-up burritos. He snuggled into my neck, and I held him as close as I could without suffocating us both. His striking face stood out under his stocking cap, causing me to swallow hard.
“You’re very cute, boy,” I teased. “Too cute for this town.”
“You wish,” he replied. “You’re stuck with me now.”
We rolled onto our backs, side by side on the incline, supporting our bodies upright with the steep snow pile. “So, you still love me?” I asked, being needy myself.
“Maybe,” he joked. “But remember, only on days that start with the letter T.”
I stuck my lower lip out, presenting my best pouty face. “But that’s only Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
“Don’t forget Thanksgiving. OrThaturdayandThunday,” he joked.
I laughed out loud at his lisp and the way he waved his hand in the air while he snapped in a Z formation. “That’s still not enough,” I said, frowning.
He rolled on top of me and smothered me with kisses. Our noses were frozen little nubs, but I didn’t care. I was floating on a high summer cloud with this man and his loving ways.
“You forgot some more days,” he pointed out, resting his face on my chest.
“Yeah?”
“I also love youtodayandtomorrow. Those start with T’s.”
“You’re weird,” I said, quickly remembering his ex-partner had called him weird. “But I like weirdos like you,” I added.
We sat up, resting our elbows on our knees, and enjoyed the light snow falling around us. We remained quiet, enjoying something new about our relationship. We’d discovered we could sit by each other without speaking, and still enjoy the silence.
“I like the bond we’re developing,” he whispered, breaking the stillness. “I feel especially comfortable just being around you. Doing projects, or even doing nothing.”
He was right on with his assessment. Even though our time since meeting had been short, a natural rhythm of friendship had settled alongside powerful feelings of lust and love. In my opinion, we shared a trifecta of positives for a good coupling.
“I truly like you, Van,” I stated. “There’s how I feel about you romantically. You know, the loving-you part. And then there’s the ‘I like youas a person’ part.”
He reached for my hand without looking at me. “That’s a sweet thing to say, mister.”
“It’s true,” I said. “You’re unlike any person I’ve ever been around. And yes, I know it’s only been a minute, but you’re like this with everyone you interact with.” I needed a second more to truly get my point across to him. “The only way to explain your…the way… how you… well, somehow…” I gave up searching for the words until they came to me a second later. “You just shine.”
He turned to face me, his eyes pooling. “See?” he whispered, his voice cracking. “That is why I’m falling deeper in love with you. The kind things you’re capable of saying directly to me make me feel special.”
