Date Night (Peterick)

Chapter 2

I always hated grocery shopping. I don't know how to cook so I always end up buying the same frozen shit all the time. All I can cook is spaghetti, and if it comes in a box with directions. Other than that, I am no master chef. Luckily, I'm just a fancy whore that lets other people buy my dinner half the nights out of the week. I was just leaving the frozen pizza section, pushing my cart when I saw none other than Patrick looking at the frozen vegetables. In the few days since our dinner, I had already forgotten how attractive of a man he was. I almost said something to him, until I remembered my own rule.

I looked down and tried to walk by him while he was looking at the food selection, but when I heard him gasp, I knew I was caught. I looked up and my gaze immediately met his. We probably stood there for 10 seconds not knowing what to do, until I smiled awkwardly and walked away with my cart. God I'm fucking stupid. I should have just kept walking. Oh well. Its done. He knows where I buy my food now. 

Once I got home and put all my groceries away, I got on my laptop and looked at apartments in New York City. All of them were either in dangerous neighborhoods, or too expensive. Hell. some of them were both too expensive and in a dangerous neighborhood. I sighed as I scrolled through the listing and considered my options of other destinations. Maybe Seattle or San Francisco. Both are really gay, and I too am really gay. 

I heard the familiar ring that is my email inbox, an email telling me that I just got scheduled for an appointment in a few days. I opened the email for more details and it looks like it was Patrick who booked me. Same night as last time. Usually, I don't look forward to these things, but I couldn't help but feel a little excited at the thought of actually seeing him and talking to him again. I relived the whole grocery experience in my head and i felt myself heat up with embarrassment. That was kind of shitty of me wasn't it? But I have rules for a reason.

Just as I closed my laptop there I heard a knock on the door.

"Hey Pete!" A voice boomed as soon I opened the door.

"Hey Joe. You wanna come in?" I stepped aside for him to step in, as I knew he would. He walked in and I closed the door behind him, and no sooner than that, he slammed into me connecting our lips. He worked to undo my pants as I attempted to unbutton his shirt, all the while we stumbled to my bed room.

*     *     *     *     *

"It's nice to see you again." I smiled as i took my seat across from Patrick.

"It's nice to see," He paused and squinted his eyes fro just split second, focusing on something, "your hick-" He stopped himself mid sentence and his eyes opened eyed as his face flushed with embarrassment. "You! Its nice to see you I mean." He laughed nervously and looked down. 

"Yeah." My face heated up as I looked down at the table. How could I be so stupid as to not cover it up.

"May I offer anything to drink?" The waiter asked after approaching,

"Can you bring us a bottle of your finest wine please?" Patrick ask, finger nails tapping the table.

"Of course. I'll be right back with that."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have." Patrick apologized. 

"You're right. You shouldn't have." I said bluntly. "What goes on in my life is my business, not yours. Like I said before, this is my job, which is separate from my actual like, just as your job and personal life is separate."

"Here is the wine." The waiter sets the bottle down. "And I'll be right back with your salads."

Patrick waits for the waiter to turn around and not a second later to fill his entire glass with wine and drink the entire thing in few swift gulps, refilling his glass afterwards and passing me the wine.

"How was your week?" Patrick asked to try and ease the tension.

"Not as eventful as one would expect." I said taking a sip of wine.

"Oh. Well, me too. I just work and go home." He said before a tense silence overtook us. The waiter brought our salads and ordered our food. We both just crunched on our salad in silence as we waited on our food. "I really wanted to talk to you at the store the other day." He said softly.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. But then I remembered that I wasn't supposed to say anything to you, or engage in any way outside of our dates, so I just really hoped you would break your own rule." He said, still soft and quiet. I almost felt bad now for snapping at him earlier.

"I wanted to break it too." I admit as I played with a piece of lettuce on my fork. "And I almost did. I had to try and sneak past you just so I wouldn't." I smiled at the thought.

"I'm stupid. I'm not blind." He laughed. "I mean, you had the loudest cart in the store." He said laughing a little harder, making me laugh with him. 

"I don't know what I was thinking! Actually, I do. I thought that if I couldn't see you, then you wouldn't see me." I said laughing harder than before. Our laughs rang throughout the restaurant probably louder than was appropriate. We were interrupted when the waiter brought our food. Two plates of lobster.

"You were right. The lobster is so much better than that steak was." Patrick said with his mouth full.

"I told you! I have tried everything on the menu. I could write a critical essay on all the shortcomings of this restaurant, and where it excels. I won't though because that sounds dreadfully boring."

"Yeah, just hearing about the idea makes me want to leave." Patrick said between bites.

"So, Patrick, since you know a little something about me, I think I should know a little something about you."

"Okay..." He said hesitantly.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" I asked.

"Nope. I've never had one actually." Patrick admitted before taking a sip of wine. "In fact... You're the first guy I've ever been on a date with." He muttered shyly looking down at the table, trying to hide his red face.

"Awe, well I hope I provided a good first experience."

"You did!" He reassured me. "But one day I'll have to go on a real date, where I have to actually meet a guy. I think then that will count as my first date. No offense."

"None taken." I said. "The business I'm in isn't often the first choice of most people."

"You know... Even if that little confrontation at the grocery store was the first time I met you, you would still be my first choice for a date." He smiled at me, sending a heat to my face and turning me red. He really is a charming, handsome man when he wants to be.

"Stop!" I couldn't force the smile away. "Honestly, no one has said anything like that to me since I started working this job." I said.

"You deserve better than that." He said before a moment of silence drew in. "I hope one day you find someone who says things like that all the time. Especially if the person who gave you that hickey isn't" 

"You're a special man, Patrick." I looked him in the eyes. The compliment earned me a smile, the smile that I'm growing quite attached to.

"So are you, Peter." I smiled back before putting food on my mouth. We spent the rest of dinner eating in a comfortable silence.

"Can I walk you to your car?" Patrick asked me as we left the building.

"Sure. Its around the corner." I said took the lead and he followed beside me.

"Thank you. For tonight I mean." 

"I think I should be thanking you. You paid after all. And you reminded me that I am indeed a person with actual feelings. Sometimes I neglect that little fact about myself."

"Well, you should be the most important person in your life."

"You're right." I said as we approached my car. "This is me. Goodnight Patrick."

"Goodnight, Peter." He smiled at me. I stared into his eyes for a moment, taking that moment to swim in them, for tonight they are an icy blue.

"Please. Call me Pete." I said before climbing in the car and closing the door.