I stepped out of the shower, walking into the steam that enveloped my bathroom. I grabbed the towel off the rack and started to dry myself off slowly.
I'm going on my real first date tonight, I thought to myself. Fuck the "dates" that I had with Corinne. They never made me feel like this before. I was nervous for a number of reasons: what if we got caught? What if I do something embarrassing and he decides I'm an idiot and calls the whole thing off?
I shook my head and continued to dry myself off as I walked into my room. I went to my iPod player and simply pressed the play button.
You're my thrill, you do something to me the velvety voice started to sing. I instantly smiled upon recognizing the voice singing. My mind wandered back to when I first heard the song, when Joey first sang it to me. I couldn't help but smile. The boy really did love me before any of this started to happen.
I walked to my closet, humming along to the song. I picked out a blue dress shirt and a black cardigan to go over it. As I was finishing up getting dressed, my phone vibrated. I walked over to my bed looking at my phone. My smile grew more wide.
"Almost ready? :)" the text read. I quickly responded with a yes and ran to bathroom and gave myself a once over in the mirror. I took in a deep breath and held it for ten seconds, then let it out. "Don't fuck this up." I warned myself.
The doorbell rang. I let out another sigh, grabbed my phone walked down the stairs in what seemed like the slowest pace known to man. I reached the door and opened it.
Standing before me was the most beautiful human being. He must've saw my reaction because he was looking down at his own outfit. "Is it too much?" he asked, sounding a little worried. He was wearing another suit, this time it was a classic black suit.
I looked at my own outfit and chuckled. "I'm afraid I'm the one under dressed."
"You look perfect." He assured me smiling. He took my hand, bringing me outside the door and stole a kiss on my lips. "You ready to go?" he asked me.
"Yeah, ready to hit the road." I told him. He lead me to his car, with my hand still in his, and opened the passenger door for me.
When I got situated and he got into the drivers seat, he turned to me. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how nervous are you about going out in public as a couple."
Going in public as a couple did a few laps around my head until it finally hit me that I was nervous. "You want an honest answer?" I asked as I shifted in the car seat.
"I'd prefer the truth, yes."
I sighed. "I am nervous, Joey. I never been in this situation before, you know?"
"We don't have to go if you're not comfortable, Isaiah." Joey reassured me.
I looked at him and simply shook my head. "No, I'm not going to let my fears ruin a good night." I took his hand in mine and squeezed it tightly. "I'll need to get over them sooner or later. I want to do it sooner." I leaned and placed a kiss on his lips and looked him.
He smiled and started the car. "I'm glad." was all he said as we drove off of our street.
***
The car ride to the mysterious location wasn't too bad at all although we did hit traffic in a couple of places. I held Joey's hand the whole car ride, stroking his muscular hand back and forth with my thumb. We made small talked, but mostly just rode along, enjoying the silence that was wrapped around us.
We reached the restaurant around 730pm.
"The Fleur de Lys?!" I exclaimed, looking at Joey. "How did you...?"
Joey laughed. "I was kind of planning this out ahead of time." he admitted. He got out of the drivers seat and came around to the passenger side, opening the door for me and taking my hand.
"It's a good thing I'm wearing what I'm wearing." I chuckled, still in awe.
Before I could let go of his hand, Joey held on more tightly. "Couple in public, remember?" he reminded me.
"Right." I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.
He lead my to the entrance of the Fleur. We were walking hand in hand in public for the very first time and it felt great. I felt great.
I felt free.
"Welcome to the Fleur de Lys!" a man at the podium announced to us with a huge smile. "Do you have a reservation? If not, it will be about a two hour wait, sir."
Joey shook his head. "I've made a reservation for two."
"Name, sir?" the man asked.
"Mendoza. Joseph Mendoza."
The man smiled. "And I'm assuming the gentleman next to you is the date you'll be treating out tonight?"
My eyes grew wide. I looked at Joey and he looked back at me, smiling. "Yes, he is." Joey said proudly. I smiled at the way he answered the man's question. He was proud to be with me.
"Follow me this way gentlemen." the man said to us. As he was leading us through the restaurant, my eyes kept growing wider and wider. I've been in a handful of nice restaurants before, but this one in particular was different. It was the most beautiful place I've ever been to. To eat anyway.
I heard Joey laugh. "I'm guessing you've never been here before?" He was looking at my reactions. Great.
"And you have?"
"My parents took me here once," he said, "I had the same reaction that you have right now. I thought it was one of the most beautiful places to have dinner with someone you care about. And when I thought of you, I thought of this place."
I blushed a little. Before I could say anything, the man placed us at our table. "Here you are." he announced to us. "Would you guys like to start off with any appetizers?"
Joey looked at me, seeking for my approval. I smiled at the man. "I'm fine, thank you."
"I'm fine as well, but water would be great, please." Joey said. The man nodded his head and left me and Joey alone.
I took in everything surrounding me. The restaurant was dimly lit. The major source of light were the candles in the center of the table. It was rather quiet, but I imagined most nice restaurants were like that. Each table was filled with a couple, having their own quiet conversations, whispering sweet nothings
"So?" Joey said, bringing me back to reality.
"'So' what?"
"How do you like it? You do like it, right?" Joey asked. His face started to look worried.
I reached for his hand on the table and took it in mine. "It's perfect." I reassured him. "It's just different, you know?"
Joey raised his eyebrow. "How so?"
I cleared my throat. "Well, for one, I'm surprised that guy didn't throw up when we were holding hands."
Joey laughed. "Isaiah, not every town in this state, in this country, is not as conservative as Paradise Springs."
I laughed at my own stupid comment. "You're right."
"Anything else?"
I paused and thought for a moment. "It's different, being taken out on a date. I was usually the one setting it up and getting everything ready. It feels different to have someone taking you out instead of taking you taking them out. It actually feels good." I smiled at him.
He smiled that smile back to me. "Well, don't get too used to it. You're doing this next time." he chuckled. He stopped and studied my face for a moment. "Your face looks beautiful in the candlelight."
I blushed violently. "Joey, stop." I couldn't stop smiling.
Before he could say anything else, a waitress came up to our table. "And how are you two doing on this beautiful Valentine's night?" she asked us in a cheery voice. Joey and I both replied with "fine"'s and the waitress took our order.
"I'll have Filet Mignon Rossini, the filet cooked well done please." Joey declared. He put his menu down and looked at me. "What will you be having, babe?"
I was caught off guard. I wasn't expecting that name. He was looking at me puzzled, and so was the waitress. "Um...I-I-I'll have the bacon crusted sea scallops, please." I said hurriedly to the waitress.
She smiled. "Both excellent choices. I'll take your menus and your dinner will be here momentarily." She took our menus and glided to the other side of the restaurant.
I looked back at Joey. "Babe?" I could feel myself blushing.
Joey chuckled. "I'm sorry, would you prefer bro?"
"I just wasn't expecting it. I'm still getting used to this." I could feel my body and my face getting warmer as the word "Babe" circled my head.
"So how did Sanchez like your letter?" Joey asked, eager.
"Oh, he loved it. Even read it out loud to the class." I said. "The girls really seemed to like it."
"Did they?" Joey grinned.
"Yeah. In fact, it was so good that Sanchez kept me at the end of class to talk to me about it."
His eyebrows raised. "Is that so?"
"Yeah. He said that whoever the girl I was writing to was, she's very lucky to have a guy like me." I rolled my eyes.
"Yes he is." Joey emphasized.
I shook my head. "You're really not Joey. I've been difficult since the beginning of the school year. I don't know why you wasted your time on me. I'm sure there are plenty of guys that are comfortable with who they are that would be fine with having a stress-free relationship with you."
Joey exhaled a deep breath. "Isaiah, you're not being difficult. It's honestly normal how you've been. You're not used to it, and I'm not trying to rush you. That's why I'm so attached to you I guess."
"What do you mean?"
"You're not like every other guy. You're different. You have your own views on everything. I want to help you with your struggle and help you be comfortable being with you are."
"I don't understand why you put so much energy into me though."
Joey took my hand back in his and squeezed it. "I love you. That's why, because I love you. That's all I need to be with you is love." He took my hand and pressed his lips against it. "I love you Isaiah Wells."
I felt my face turn even more red. "I love you Joseph Mendoza."
Our food arrived and Joey let my hand go to grab his plate. I did the same. We didn't talk much over dinner thanks to the fact that the food was more than delicious. He let me try a piece of his filet mignon and I let him try one of my scallops. I had this feeling in my stomach though, but it wasn't from the food.
I was happy. For the first time in a very long time, I was happy. Everything was going great. I was with someone that truly cared for me and someone that was in love with me. It really couldn't get any better than that. I couldn't help smile when I was eating because all of the things that were going on at once.
I took us about 30 minutes to finish eat and savor our food. The happy waitress came back with the receipt. "I can give her the tip." I said as I reached the little black book holding the receipt. When I opened I nearly dropped dead.
Joey grew worried. "What's wrong?!"
"For Christ sakes, Joey, over one hundred dollars?! You really didn't need to spend all this money." I felt guilty. I wasn't that worthy of all this.
Joey let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "You're worth every penny and then some." He got up and offered me his hand. I took it and got up from the table as he kissed my forehead.
"You really didn't need to spend that much money on me."
"And why not?" Joey challenged me.
"Joey, I would've been happy if you made a reservation at McDonalds. Hell, a Happy Meal would've made me happy." He laughed and shook his head. "All I'm trying to say," I continued, "is that just as long as I'm with you, tonight would've been perfect, no matter where we went."
Joey's face lit up and I swear it brightened up the whole room. "I have to take you out somewhere special for our first date. I promise, next time we'll go to McDonalds." He laughed.
"No, the next date I'm planning. I might even upgrade from McDonalds and get you a six dollar burger from Carl's Jr." I winked at him and kissed him on the cheek. He took my hand and we walked out of the restaurant the same we walked in.
***
We didn't arrive back home until almost 1130pm. We pulled into his driveway and he put the car in park.
"Enjoyed tonight?" he asked me.
"It was the best night of my life." I said, kissing him on the lips. He moaned into my mouth and that only wanted me to kiss him harder, but I restrained myself.
"I guess this is goodnight?" It was mean to be a statement, but it ended up being a question. The truth was, I didn't want to leave him.
"Only if you want it to be." Joey said in a low voice. A smirk slowly formed on his face.
I felt myself get warm. "I really don't." I could barely say. It took all of the confidence in me to say, "Did you want to spend the night with me?"
Joey's eyes grew bright and his face beamed. "I thought you would never ask." he said, his voice still low.
I took the key to the house out of my pocket and walked slowly to the front door. Before I opened it, I turned around and looked at him, my face serious. "No funny business."
Joey threw his hands in the air. "I promise, no funny business." he chuckled. I rolled my eyes and opened the door to the house. I went into the kitchen for a glass a water when he called out to me. "Mind if I change out of my suit and get dressed for bed?"
"Do you even have clothes?"
"No." he winked at me and ran upstairs to my room. I rolled my eyes and laughed to myself. I got my glass of water and walked up the stairs to my room. The door was cracked halfway. I peeped in and saw Joey changing out of his dress shirt. His muscles flexed effortlessly as he finally took it off and unbuttoned his pants.
It is a school night, don't get any ideas, I thought to myself. I braced myself and walked into my room. He was standing in his boxers. I quickly turned away before I lunged myself at him and set my glass of water on my dresser. I started to get undressed myself. I felt a pair of hands rest on my hips as I started to take off my dress shirt. I felt Joey kiss my neck and I let out a little moan. His hand took a hold of my shirt and slowly lifted it over my head. He continued to kiss my neck as his hands roamed over my bare chest. Then he stopped. "Don't get any ideas." he said in a mocking tone.
I turned around to look at him and he started laughing. "Your words, not mine!"
I growled and pushed him onto my bed and got on top of him. "Don't be a tease, Joey."
"Kind of hard not to. It's the best thing about being in a relationship." he laughed. I got off of him and lay next to him. "Besides, I don't fuck on the first date anyway."
I let out a loud HA and elbowed him in the stomach. His arms wrapped around my torso and he scooted in closer to me, my back resting on his chest. I could feel his breath on neck and it sent tingles throughout my body.
He started to hum and I smiled as I felt the vibrations of his voice was felt all over me.
"Too good to be true, that's the way I feel about you, wonderful you. You're just too good to be true." he started to sing in my ear.
My smile grew wider as he continued to sing.
"I'm feeling so gay-"
I started to laugh uncontrollably. "Do you really?"
"Hey," he said laughing along, "do you want me to sing you to sleep or not?"
"I'm sorry, continue." I said, containing myself.
"I'm feeling so gay ever since you happened my way, marvelous you. You're just too good to be true. I wake up each morning sighing your name. Noon time, I do the same. Night time, over again. Please be humane, I'll go insane. A love scene I can do. I have my arms right around you, wonderful you. You're just too good to be true." Then he started to hum again. As corny as it sounds, I was being luled to sleep. He was singing about how felt about me. How I felt about him. He continued to hum until I started to fall into a light sleep. Before I was fully asleep, I could hear him say he loved me and kissed me on the back of my neck.
And we both feel asleep just like that.
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