A Silence to Remember (manxman)

Chapter 14

Macmillan Pier was huge with three parking lots, surrounded by boats and plenty of places to catch a whale watching cruise. Josh didn't say where to meet him. Ten minutes before eight, I waited on a bench by one of the many whale watching cruise platforms.

After sitting for five minutes, I jumped to my feet, not because I saw anyone that resembled Josh, but because I was crawling out of my skin with anxiety. On this warm, starry June night, I paced back and forth along the boardwalk, my heart pounding in my chest. As I turned around, I stopped in my tracks as a tall, slender man in a purple paisley shirt and tight fitting black jeans approached me. His hair wasn't as unruly as I remembered him from last night. He looked as though he'd just gotten out of the shower. He was so sleek and beautiful. I was in awe of his presence.

As he stood in front of me, I swallowed hard, my heart beating out of my chest. "Hi," Josh said with a cute, shy wave. If I recalled correctly, he wasn't shy last night.

"I... I... I wasn't sure where..." I was going to say 'I wasn't sure where to meet,' but stopped in mid sentence, afraid he wouldn't understand me. "My ASL is rusty. Um... uh... I... I love... love your shirt."

Damn, I sounded like a scared, nervous teenager, but impressed with myself that I remembered some ASL.

"You love my shirt?" he responded with a smile.

"Yes, it's great," I signed. I traced the bottom of his shirt, admiring the silky material. His pale cheeks turned pink.

"You hungry? Come on," he said, placing a hand on the center of my back, leading me off the pier. The slightest touch turned me on. "Do you like lobster or fried clams? No, you don't look like you eat anything fried."

"I love fried clams," I said as we walked. "But I think I'm in the mood for lobster."

"Look at me when you talk. Maybe I'll understand you. Maybe I won't and that's okay. I brought a pen and paper just in case. I haven't been out with a hearing guy in a long time. I'm out of practice."

Despite the long line at one of the most popular restaurants in Provincetown, Josh got us in because of his connections. His family sold fish to most of the local restaurants. We sat at a table outside overlooking the ocean. I had two breathtaking views in front of me: the ocean and Josh.

On the table, Josh placed a small notepad and pen. "I don't expect you to remember ASL," he said. "I know it's been a long time."

"I'll try," I signed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, signing.

"Okay. You?"

"Fine." He said something else, but I didn't understand him. Realizing I didn't understand, he combined spoken words with sign language. "I wasn't sure if you'd show up. You had no idea it was me, did you?"

I shook my head.

"I didn't know it was you, either, until after we fucked." He signed the word fucked, a word I remembered well.

"I was drunk and high."

"Yeah, I figured that when you almost passed out. It took three of us to get you into my apartment. I didn't know your address in Chatham. What'd you take, anyway?"

"Ecstasy, I assume."

"Ecstasy you assume? Never assume."

Nodding, I rolled my eyes, bringing a glass of water to my lips. Never a beer drinker, I ordered a bottle of wine. Josh, too, preferred wine.

"Order whatever you want," I said. "I'm paying. It's the least I can do for making you and two other guys drag me up three flights of stairs."

Josh smiled. I suspected he had no idea what I said.