(chapter 7)
Vinny had just gotten home from viewing the available apartments at Chestnut Avenue Apartments, and he was excited to say that he had officially finished an application for an apartment and just needed to wait for them to finish cleaning the space up, to pack his stuff, and finally move!
He couldn't contain his excitement, playing music as he showered, singing and dancing along, not caring at all how badly he followed along to the songs. He just needed to work through all the positive feelings rushing through him. His celebration, however, was interrupted when his music dimmed down to allow a notification to ding on his phone.
Eyebrows furrowing, he grabbed a random shirt from his closet and walked across the room to his bed, where he had put his phone to charge after his shower. He didn't know who could have been messaging him. The only people who have his number are his mother, Roe, and Dee, and all of them are too busy with work and other life issues to be texting him. A preview was on his lock screen, the message under an unknown number.
unknown:
is this Vinny?
vinny:
maybe. who is this?
unknown:
oh, sorry!!
it's Owen.
i let you borrow my shirt the other day
vinny:
oh!
hi
Vinny's cheeks were burning when he lifted his head, looking around his room to distract himself from the thrumming in his chest and the embarrassment that was welling up in his chest. Hi? That was so lame. A lame greeting. Stupid, stupid. But what else was he supposed to say back? He didn't know.
Shaking his head hard enough to send his hair flying in all directions, he focused back onto his phone and typed in another message.
vinny:
how did you get my number?
A good question, but one he was certain he knew the answer to already. His fingers tapped the edges of his phone as he waited for his reply, and he used those jitters to save the number to his contacts.
owen:
I came into the coffee shop yesterday to apologize for my friend
but you weren't there
so, your friend (?) Dee wrote it on my order telling me to apologize to you directly
so, uh, yeah.
sorry.
Vinny's cheeks darkened further at the reminder of what had happened yesterday, and he glanced over to where he had placed Owen's shirt. It was folded neatly, freshly washed, and draped across the back of his desk chair, waiting for him to do something with it. He had to return it to the other boy sometime soon.
vinny:
of course she did
she never really did know how to stay out of my business 😑
thanks for the apology, but it wasn't necessary
you did nothing wrong
owen:
I could have told her to shut up
and you got hurt, too
I just feel bad about it.
vinny:
Well, apology accepted, then
I'm alright
no harm done, just a little embarrassment
Sending the messages off, he navigated through his texts to find his thread with Dee. He sent as many mean, angry, murderous emojis that he could, strings of them, one after the other while he waited for Owen to message back.
owen:
how about I take you out?
to make it up to you
Vinny's heart slammed hard against his chest, cheeks flaring back to life, glowing brighter than the sun setting outside his bedroom window.
vinny:
sure! 😊
when?
His heart was pounding in his chest as he waited once again for Owen to message back. His hands were shaking, palms sweaty, fingers unsteady. He felt uncomfortable with how warm his cheeks were, and threw his phone away from himself, watching as it bounced once on his mattress before stilling, screen-side down.
His mom would be home soon, and she would probably have something to eat with her. He should get up and set everything up for dinner.
Standing from his bed, Vinny stretched his arms over his head and walked through his bedroom door. Stumbling into the living area, he giggled at himself, once more glad that his mother seemed to be late getting back home from work. He wasn't certain what her reaction would be to him losing his balance or to him laughing so girlishly. She was a little stuck in her ways, firmly holding onto her views of what is and isn't manly, and giggling was something typically feminine.
His eyes rolled, lashes fluttering down instinctively to hide the reaction as he walked into the kitchen. Vinny stretched up to get a couple of plates down from the shelf, shuffled to the side to gather some glasses, balanced the dishes to duck down to gather some cutlery, then moved over to place everything down on the dining table. Plates perfectly centered in front of their usual seats, glasses placed just at the left-hand corner of them. Knife, fork, and spoon perfectly lined just to the right.
He had just finished lining everything up when the front door squeaked open, the clattering of keys ringing through the quiet of the house. His mom was home.
Dinner was a quick, quiet affair, and he was more than glad of it. He was able to think about Owen and where their date–or whatever the hang out was going to be called–might be. Vinny didn't go to many places outside of campus (when he was still studying) and work, so he didn't have much of a preference for where to go. The movies would be nice, or even just a visit to the cafe. They both knew the place, and they both knew what they liked there. Plus, Vinny was really comfortable there and would be able to talk more freely with Owen. Or maybe somewhere like the park. Open but public, and the weather had been really nice lately.
He was fine with anything, really, and he would have to be sure to tell Owen that.
When dinner was finished, he walked back to his room with the sound of dishes clattering and water running. Flopping onto his bed, he picked up his phone, pulse thrumming in his throat, and finally read Owen's reply.
owen:
saturday?
the weather is supposed to be really nice, and I have the day off from work and school
I really don't want to have to wait too long to see you
Vinny's cheeks were once more on fire, and he tumbled face-first into his bed, smothering a squeal that threatened to burst from his chest. This very attractive man wanted to see him. Him! Closeted-ass Vinny with the red hair and glasses.
He just couldn't believe it, but he was enjoying the excitement running through him at this new experience. He hadn't been attracted to very many people in his life, not like he was with Owen. Sure, he had dated. Kind of. It was hard to properly date when one hasn't come out to their parent and neither had the other person in the relationship. With it also being in high school, they were both busy with school work, friends, familial responsibilities, and discovering themselves. All that this "dating" involved was hanging out once in a while and a few hidden, fumbling kisses.
It was exciting at the time, but this was on a whole different level, and he hoped that the way he was feeling didn't fizzle out as quickly as it did when he was a teenager. Taking a deep breath, he gathered his pillow in his arms and propped his chin up on the soft mass of cotton and fabric to see his phone once again.
vinny:
sure!
we can meet at the cafe and go wherever from there!
owen:
sounds good!
Locking his phone, he put the device down and rolled over onto his side, gathering his favorite stuffed bear to his chest. His chin nestled perfectly between the little brown ears as his knees curled up comfortably in the only position he could fall asleep in, and he fell asleep with a little smile on his face.
He was skipping as he walked into work the next morning, and he didn't even try to hide it. Not when he noticed, not when he got a confused look from Roe, and not even when Dee gave him a knowing smirk. He didn't even have it in him to send a glare her way for getting in his business. He just greeted her and got to work making a drink, like he normally did upon starting work.
This time he wanted something extra sweet and simple, and he went with the drink that got him started with coffee. It was a warm morning, and he knew it was going to be a hot day, so he went with an iced version. He poured some caramel sauce into the bottom of the cup, trying to swirl some of it up the clear plastic for decoration, then filled it with ice, milk, and finally a double shot of espresso (with a little extra caramel sauce, of course). He grinned at the finished product, unable to contain a little hip wiggle as he finally took a drink.
"You always make drinks look so good, Vin," Dee chuckled, draping an arm around his shoulders.
"It is good, though," he mumbled around the straw before taking another sip. The sweetness danced on his tongue, bringing another smile to his face. His eyes crinkled as he turned to look at her, holding the drink out to her. "Wanna try it?"
Her nose wrinkled, twisting her delicate features almost comically, and he couldn't help but laugh. "No thanks," she said, stepping away from him. "You always make yours waaaay too sweet."
His laugh simmered down to soft giggles as he set his drink down on the counter to adjust his apron properly, making sure it was tied on tight and his name tag was flat against his chest. "Well, how else am I supposed to be as sweet as I am day to day?" he mumbled with a playful pout.
Dee's big laugh filled the lobby as she pushed him away from her. The bell over the door jingled as the two friends enjoyed the laughter, getting into their respective positions. Vinny's giggles simmered down, stopping fully when he lifted his head to greet the new customer.
Eyes widening and words sticking in his throat, he whorled around to send a panicked look to his best friend. Her eyebrows raised, a smirk covering her face as she shook her head and signaled for him to turn around.
He was rapidly shaking his head when a deep chuckle rumbled from the other side of the register. His eyes closed briefly, squeezing tight, before he turned around with a smile. "Good morning," he chirped. "What can I get for you?"
Owen looked just as good as he had when he first came in, though more well-rested than that time. His tan skin was aglow beneath the warm lights of the cafe, teeth gleaming white and straight as he smiled back at Vinny. His dark hair was damp and curling that morning, like he had just showered, and he looked absolutely breathtaking to Vinny. "Just an Americano, please," he responded, arm muscles flexing, pulling tight against the sleeves of his white t-shirt as he reached back to pull his card from his back pocket.
Vinny nodded, finding it hard to speak as head crawled up his neck. Clearing his throat, he mumbled out the total and forced another grin. "We'll have that right out for you," he said, watching as the other man nodded and simply walked over to the pick-up area, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited.
He nearly choked as the muscles bulged, cheeks hot as he turned away from the gorgeous man. Why this man wanted to go on a date with him, he would never know, but he was still excited about it. He wished it was Saturday already, but he still had a few days to go. Glancing at the man from beneath his lashes, he wondered if he even remembered their date. He hadn't even indicated any nerves, and the transaction had been just like any other day. Did he even want to go on the date with Vinny?
Owen looked up, catching Vinny watching him from beneath his lashes. He grinned, a small dimple peaking out, and sent a wink his way.
Flames licked at his face, and he quickly looked away. However, his eyes strayed back to him. He couldn't seem to look away from the other man. He was just so beautiful. His staring was interrupted when Dee placed Owen's drink on the counter in front of him. Vinny blinked back to reality, ashamed of himself for staring so blatantly and unapologetically.
"Vinny!" He jumped, body tensing as his name was suddenly called out. Owen sent him a soft smile. "Have a good rest of your day, hmm? And I'll see you Saturday."
Then, he turned and walked out to the store, leaving Vinny flushed and reeling.
(word count: 2,192)