Flower Boy (BoyxBoy)

xxxv

edd.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE SMALL TALK. I love hearing about someone's day and how they are. I adore how so much can be said with so little words. Especially when it's with someone as interesting as Kevin.

Whenever he talks, it's like he's reading from book. His monologues are so fluid and articulate, which make me I anticipate asking him how was your day? so he can respond with some interesting story. After we sat down in the not-very-fancy Italian restaurant and had ordered our drinks, I asked Kevin to tell me about his first day of work.

"It was... Interesting," he explains, leaning back in his seat. "We had a lot of people. Most were hipsters but we had this one lady with her two kids and they were really weird. She stormed in and walked around, yelling at her kids whenever they touched something. When she came to the register, which is where I was, and set down an old pretzel tin and two button-up shirts. Her kid asked her something and she yelled at him, and I don't know how they got to the subject but I remember her turning to the older one and saying, 'you're mine but you're not mine.' And she kept saying it, even as she left, you're mine but you're not mine, you're mine but you're not mine. That was the most awkward experience of my life, I think."

I hum, not really sure what to say. "You're mine, but you're not mine, huh?"

Kevin shrugs and looks away. I watch his Adam's apple bob as he drinks from his glass of iced tea until I'm elbowed lightly by Eddy. I look at him quickly and ask, "Yes?"

Eddy smiles at me, and I already know what it's about. As blush creeps onto my cheeks and ears, Eddy's smile grows wider and suddenly he starts laughing out loud! Completely embarrassed, I nudge him and ask him why he's laughing. Eddy's laughing makes Kevin smile and start laughing as well, and suddenly I'm surrounded by two loud laughers.

"What is so funny?" I ask, looking at them both. I grab onto Eddy's shoulder and plead, "Eddy, we're so loud please stop laughing! Such a commotion you're causing..."

When they finally stopped, Eddy had tears in his eyes and Kevin's cheeks were pink. The food came only moments later as Kevin and Eddy continued talking about cars and whatnot. I listened quietly. As the waitress was leaving, Eddy (of course) happened to glance at her derrière and whistled quietly so only we could hear it.

"Man, what do you think about our waitress, Kevin?" He leans forward into the table as if sharing a secret. Eddy lowers his voice and continues. "I never get to talk about women with Edd, and when I do he's always like Yes, I suppose that she is very beautiful, but what about her personality?"

Kevin laughs heartily and stirs his tea with a straw. "Yeah, I guess she's nice."

"Nice? Man, are you blind? Did you see her?"

"I did, I did," Kevin smiles, amused. He looks at me. "Just not my type."

"What's your type then, hot stuff?"

He glances at me and then at his tea. "It changes a lot, but recently I've been digging the fair skin and dark hair look."

My cheeks redden. I try to focus on another part of the restaurant but my ears can't help but hear what else he has to say.

"Tall and skinny is nice. Maybe a little mysterious."

Kevin's looking right at me now, and I don't know if he's spacing out of if he means something by it.

"Wow," Eddy announces as he looks at us both. "You're both crazy."

Kevin smirks and sips his tea. "What about you then?"

Eddy leans back confidently as he raises his chin. Before he says something, I interrupt him.

"Eddy's type is anything with two legs and breasts," I say, smiling at my own joke. Kevin laughs too, which makes me blush. He enjoys that kind of humor.