He Smiled (#wattys2016)

Chapter 1: First Impressions

The streets smelled of grease from the nearby restaurants and food carts. The calm breeze was relaxing. Everything seemed perfect; the way it usually is on a warm August evening in downtown Boston. People were out and about everywhere with their eyes glued to their phones. They seemed to be wandering aimlessly. Only one explanation came to mind. Pokémon Go. I was headed towards Twigz Martini to meet my date from a gay chatting app called Grindr. I wasn't looking for a hook-up or even a boyfriend for that matter. I was strictly looking for friendships. I agreed to go on a date with this guy named Noah. He was cute and seemed fun. If there was a possibility for more than a friendship with him I wouldn't oppose by any means. He's 18, I'm 19. He's fresh out of high school, and I'm fresh out of freshman year. Of college, that is. Noah seemed pretty mature for an 18 year old. He's not into petty drama or getting himself into situations he found to be uncomfortable. I appreciated his gentleman-like mannerisms.
I walked into Twigz with an involuntary, yet genuine smile. I looked around trying to find my brunette, blue-eyed date. My eyes finally met a cheeky smile that belonged to Noah. Suddenly, my heart began to race. I was actually looking forward to dinner with him. I approached and he stood up to greet me with a handshake.
"Hey, Christian, you look great," he started.
"Thank you, you as well," I replied.
As the meal went on, the conversations were getting persoal and I was learning a lot about him. He was a very likeable person. Noah also seemed interested in me. Each question was asked with an authentic nature, as if he craved to know more about me. I haven't told him yet about my fortune, which means he was actually enjoying me as I am. Not for my money. When he spoke, words left his mouth smoothly and clearly. He was quite articulate. Which is something I appreciated very much. Too many guys these days don't care about how they come across to others.
When the date ended I headed to my apartment to change into something more casual for a drag show later at 11 that will be at The Alley, a gay bar just in the heart of Boston. In this city, they don't care if you look 21 so long as you have a card to prove it. My older sister, Taylor, hooked me up this year on my birthday with a fake I.D.; she knows I'm responsible. I went straight to my room and changed into navy blue shorts and a white tank top. I brushed my light brown hair and restyled it. I took a glance at myself in the mirror. My green eyes were piercing tonight. The white tank top made my left arm tattoo sleeve stick out. My jawline was also quite defined. My features were a big help tonight with making me look older anyways. I actually looked 21 even though I had no stubble or beard. I was proud for some reason. When I walked into the living room, my sister and her friends were playing drinking games.
"Hey Christian, come join us," she offered.
"No thanks. I have to get down to The Alley for a drag show at 11. I missed the last one."
"It's only 9, and anyways we're all going to take an Uber to The Alley at 10:30. We're catching the show as well," she insisted. I looked at my watch. I suppose it seemed later than it actually was. I could also use the time with my sister. We physically see each other every day, we're roommates and coworkers, but we're also very busy people. We work for our father's company selling software that hacks all locked Wi-Fi networks. Yeah, what we do is illegal, but a lot of people want what we sell. We sell them as little microchips with untraceable IP addresses. Basically our hub is a disguised cell phone store. My father is also a lawyer and has figured out ways to get around the law in case we get caught. My dad does not have a heart, so he doesn't care that every week he defends the law while simotaniously breaking it. I believe it's pure genius, but also heartless.
I joined my sister and her friends, and had a good time. I got drunk before even going out. It was going to be the Friday night I've needed for a long time. Eventually all of us hopped into and Uber and we headed our way.