Juniper Blue (NaNoWriMo2023; manxman)

Chapter 8

Gabriel

What a weekend... I couldn't remember the last time I had such a great weekend. It distracted me from thinking about my upcoming birthday, a birthday I was hoping to forget: I was one year closer to forty. I only had five years to go while Juniper had fifteen years. It didn't feel right.

But damn... he was hot and could keep going for hours.

Leave it to my parents to remind me of my birthday, the birth of their only child and son. As if I was a student in college away from home, they sent me a care package with packs of hot chocolate, a variety of cookies and crackers, cheeses, and two bottles of wine. I appreciated the bottles of wine. Since moving to Maine, I'd asked my parents to visit me. I'd been dealing with major depression, and I didn't always want to be alone. My parents had yet to visit me. They had yet to forgive me for moving even farther away.

I poured myself a glass of wine as I listened to my messages. Besides the hospital, my parents were the only ones who'd leave me voicemail. Everyone else sent text messages until I met Juniper. Sipping my wine, I smiled in response to Juniper's voice. "Hi... uh... Gabriel. It's me. It's Juniper. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. Call me when you can. 'Bye."

Since the weekend, I'd been working twelve-hour days. It was now eleven o'clock at night, so I bet he was asleep in bed. I sent him a text message instead, knowing he'd have service when he got to work in the morning. I was old enough to remember life before cell phones, but nowadays I couldn't imagine life without internet or cell phone service. I liked the idea of being cut off from social media and all the other crap that went along with it. It'd be nice to be cut off for a while. In a way, I envied Juniper. He could go home at night and relax, not tempted to mindlessly peruse FaceBook, Instagram, or YouTube.

At eight thirty the following morning, Juniper texted me as I'd hoped. 'I'm sorry I missed you last night. Let me know a good time to talk.'

We finally connected at three thirty during my much needed break. I sat in the corner of the break room where I called him on his cell. He'd just gotten out of work, as I expected. "I can't believe you remembered my birthday," I said, my heart beating fast as I envisioned him sitting in his Jeep, ready to go home. "I keep trying to forget it."

"Why are you trying to forget it?"

"I'm one year closer to death."

"Wow, that's morbid. Are you always so morbid?"

"Lately, yes. Thanks for last weekend, by the way. I had an amazing time, the best time I've had in a very long time."

"Yeah, me too. So, Gabriel, I was wondering if I could see you again. I'd like to take you to dinner or something for your birthday. Would that be okay?"

The idea of a much younger man buying me dinner made me very uncomfortable. I also made at least three times his salary, maybe more. But that was my hang up and not his. Since I was desperate to see him again, I'd have to deal with him paying for dinner. "I'd love to go out to dinner with you," I said. "Where would you like to go?"

"You tell me. It's your birthday."

"Do you like Korean?"

"I dunno. I've never had it, but I'd love to try it."

"Okay. Cool. I'm free tomorrow night. We could go to Seoul Kitchen. It's right in Bangor."

"Fine. I'll meet you there at seven."

There were several Chinese restaurants in Bangor, but only one Korean restaurant. I thought I was late, but it was Juniper who was early, waiting outside the restaurant. He stood with his hands in his front jeans pockets. He was absolutely beautiful, dressed in a lavender button-down shirt and dark blue jeans. He wore Merrell hiking shoes again, his preferred style of shoes. His hair looked blonder in the setting sun.