Unthinkable

April ***Part 2

"How's your mom doing, Jake?" Mom asks, while dropping a fresh plate of home fries onto the table.

My parents have invited Jake to stay for dinner. At least he's seated near the door, in case he needs to make a run for it.

"She's doing well. She started working with a new team, recruiting lacrosse players.  She travels a lot.  It's been good for her.  She likes it a lot."

"That's good to hear." Jake lives with his dad, but his mom lives only a couple of streets over with her new husband and his two kids. He spends a lot of time at both houses, whatever makes sense that week.

 Mom knows all about them. But ever since Jake and I started talking, she's been obsessing about his mom. Barely waiting a beat before turning the topic to college, notifications which were just starting to come out, Mom continues the grilling, "Have you heard back from any schools?"

"Actually, I'm not going to college, I'm taking a post-grad year," Jake explains proudly.

Oh shit. Dad sits upright, taking another sip of wine. Mom's about three seconds away from bug eyes and my brother has a shit-eating grin on his face because he knows he's off the hook tonight. Little shit. I kick him under the table.

"What exactly is a post-grad year? Are you backpacking around Europe like some hippie?" Dad's fully engaged now.

Jake's laughing. He's taking this way better than I am.

"Can I have more Brussel sprouts?" Mom hands me the Tupperware without ever taking her eyes off Jake. Seriously? I just asked for Brussel sprouts. No reaction?

"I'll be in school, just not at college. My grades aren't great, and I need to get them up, if I want to play Division 1 hoops. So my dad's having me do a post-grad year at Boston Bay Academy. I get to keep playing ball, and I get another chance at getting into D1 schools. It's a long shot, but if I can get in where my mom works, I can go to school for free."

"Post-grad year, huh? We didn't have such things when I was in high school."

And then, in unison, "When I was boy..." What is it with old people and tales of walking uphill in the snow both ways to school.

***

Dear Jesse —

Jake passed the parental inquisition with flying colors. Unreal. He's a real snake charmer.

After dinner, we put on "A Bronx Tale." He brought it with him, said we had to watch it together. So cute. The weird clock on the TV, that's never been accurate once since we bought the TV, started flashing 9:30 in the middle of the movie.

I couldn't look at him. 9:30. The time the DJ played our song. Our time. I was so terrified and excited that he might kiss me that I made myself nauseous. He must have sensed my anxiety because he just put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him, but he never made a move.

At the end of the movie, as the credits rolled, he asked me if I liked it. Staring into his eyes, I nodded 'yes' and he leaned over and kissed me. His right hand pulled my lower back towards him, his left flirting with those little hairs on the back of my neck. You know, the ones that were by then standing straight up. And he kissed me.

Oh my god, he kissed me. That boy can kiss.

When we finally stopped kissing, he sheepishly grinned at me and said, "When it flashed 9:30, I so wanted to kiss you then, but I was so nervous."

Me too. Me too. I can't wait to do it again.

Xo
Sammy (the Smitten)

***