In Plain Sight (manxman) "Temporarily On Hold"

Chapter 11 First Kiss

Chapter 11

 David

  

"Everything okay?"  I asked as I brought the serving dishes into the dining area.  Elliott was softly chuckling to himself having just disconnected the call and putting his phone back in his pocket.

 "Yeah, I was just pulling by brother's chain a bit."

 "You and your siblings seem to have a great relationship, I envy that being an only child. It would have made moving around so often, much easier.  Why don't you sit down and I'll get the steaks."  I started to head back to the kitchen before I caught myself and stepped back, "Do you need..."

 "I'm good, I'll follow the scent of flowers," he grinned back at me.

 The meat looked perfect so I put them on a platter and brought them in.  "I'll just go ahead and put the steaks on our plates, do you want another beer or something else to drink?  Wine?"

 "Water would be great, more than one drink dulls my senses and as you can tell, I rely on them...the only time I drink more than that is if I'm purposely out to get drunk, but I haven't done that in a long time."

 I got us each a glass of water and placed it near his right hand when I returned.  "Water glass is about four inches above your right hand."

 "Right-o Captain," he smirked.

 I began dishing out the rest of the food letting Elliott know where on his plate I was placing each item.

 "So you moved around a lot when you were a kid?" he asked.

 "Yeah, I was an army brat, so we moved all over, east coast, west coast, Germany...  My parents finally settled down in the Midwest when my Dad got a permanent training gig at a base there."

 "That's kind of cool, you got to see a lot of places."

 "Eh...it wasn't so cool for a shy kid with no brothers or sisters...a shy fat kid at that," I chuckled.

 "Well, I guess you outgrew your baby fat, from how Emma described you in that white bathing suit," Elliott said between bites, before a smirk lit up his face.  Luckily he couldn't see the deep red blush that burned my cheeks all the way up to the tips of my ears.

 "Umm, yeah...I finally started growing vertically instead of horizontally when I was 16 and spent the rest of my teens with the tall 'awkward' look," I admitted, "It still amazes me that people look at me...well, like the way they do."

 "As a sex symbol?"

 "I'm not a sex symbol, I'm no Brad Pitt or...hah...Paul Newman...he's classic, besides, it's all on the outside, they could care less what goes on inside," I sighed, suddenly feeling that bit of angst or insecurity that likes to hide deep down inside, rear up, trying to pull me down.

 "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...um...I get it though.  I was always 'the blind guy,' not Elliott.  People afraid to talk to me, like it was more a mental disability than a physical one, they could somehow catch it.  I guess that's why I pretty much keep to myself now, aside from a few dingbat artist friends from college...oh yeah, you met some of them," he chuckled, "after I lost my sight I mostly hung out with Blake and Emma until I moved to the city for college, and when Blake graduated he moved here too.  I feel bad for him, I wish he'd focus less on me and more on having some fun, being a typical college kid.  Sometimes I feel like he feels guilty, that it was me and not him...I don't want him to feel that way, I do just fine, my life is good."

 We were quiet for a few minutes, me watching Elliott while he carefully cut a piece of steak and took a bite.  It was actually fascinating watching him, he was so aware, all it took was an occasional swipe of a finger or movement of his utensils to feel where things were, it wasn't even obvious and if you didn't watch closely you'd miss it.  I guess I'd never really met someone who was blind before, but I had to imagine that Elliott was particularly adept at managing without sight.