When I finally got back to the dish room more plates, cups, pots and pans had piled up. I didn’t end up getting off work until midnight. I was so overwhelmed and tired, I actually forgot about my mother. I had swept and moped the floors, taken out the trash, let my wings breathe again and clocked out when I noticed the guy with the copper-colored hair back at the bar. Once again he had that far off look in his eyes. This time I couldn’t walk away. Running a hand down the front of my shirt, I casually took a stool a few feet away. Tonight there were even fewer people than last night. Other than me and the cute stranger, there were only two other guys at the bar.
When I ordered a soda no ice, the boy’s eyes made their way over to me. Now that I was a lot closer, I could see that they were green, a deep soulful green. He is so cute! There was a boyish quality to his face that made it impossible for me to look away. When he saw me looking, he quickly averted his eyes, however, this time he didn’t turn away. I tried to think of a clever conversation starter, but ultimately decided on something simple.
“Let me get your next drink. What are you having?” For a moment he didn’t respond or even look at me. Right when I thought he wouldn’t, those deep green eyes flickered my way. He actually looked surprised and it dawned on me that he thought I was taking to someone else. But who? The other two patrons were at the other end of the bar.
“Soda,” he murmured in a surprisingly soft voice. I wasn’t sure if he was shy or if that’s the way he normally talked.
“Okay, then.” I waved Chris over, my heart thudding in my chest. I’ve never approached a guy like this before. Certainly not in a bar over pop and ice. “Hey, Chris, he’ll have another on me.”
“Sure thing, man,” the bartender immediately got to work on the drink.
The green-eyed stranger watched him intently as he poured a new glass, slid it across the bar and whisked away the empty one. Before he left, I tossed a couple bills on the bar. Because I work here, drinks are really cheap.
“Thanks.” the boy took a timid sip of his drink.
“Can I ask your name?”
“Aaron.” he voice was so soft I had to lean in just to hear him.
“Aaron? Hey, I’m Uriah. I wash dishes here.”
“I figured.” his eyes darted to my moist boots.
“You come where often?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I’ve just never seen you here before.”
“I guess you have your answer.” His tone wasn’t mean, it was guarded. Like he was used to getting hurt.
“I only work Friday and Saturday night’s, so I don’t see a majority of the populous that comes through here.”
“Populous?” A smile actually crept across his face. He had a nice smile. It lit up those sad green eyes. My dick gave an unexpected twitch. Weird. I’ve never been turned on by a smile before.
“I’m sorry. Would you prefer ‘crowd’?”
Aaron shook his head. “No, populous is fine.” He paused for a second. “I don’t come here often. Tonight is my second time.”
“How old are you?” I realized this was a loaded question, but I couldn’t help myself. Not only was I dying to know, I was starting to wonder if he was even gay. He didn’t talk like the gay guys that work here. Or the ones that went to my school.
Aaron hesitated, his green eyes flickering over to me before quickly turning away. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.”
“I just turned eighteen. How old are you?”
“Seventeen. I’ll be eighteen in about three weeks.” Aaron looked at me again, his face serious.
“Uriah…” He was immediately interrupted by a loud rumbling from deep within me. Shit. I’d been so smitten I’d forgotten all about food. Now my belly ached with hunger.
“Sorry,” I groaned, getting up from the bar. “It’s been a while since I fed the beast.”
“No worries,” Aaron said, his eyes going to my middle as it let out another agitated growl. Very quickly I started feeling weak. If I didn’t get something to eat, I won’t have the strength to fly home. Seeing the distress on my face, Aaron suddenly got up from the bar. “There’s a diner a few blocks from here that’s open all night. I’m sure they can hook you up.”
“Thanks… care to join me?”
He arched an eyebrow, though he didn’t look surprised. It was more mock suspicion. “Are you asking me out?”
“No.” The word was out before I could stop it. Mainly out of nerves. I’ve never been out with a guy before. I had no idea what the rules were. In fact, I’ve never been out on a date period. Not a proper date. The majority of my few relationships have ended with her accusing me of cheating. In any case, Aaron’s face fell slightly, but he bounced right back, a silly grin spreading across his boyish face. “That’s fine. I’m done with romance.”
I might have responded to this, but my stomach let out another impatient growl. So side by side, we walked to the small diner that offered twenty-four hour service. When we entered, the waitress, who looked about ready to collapse, smiled warily at us before leading the way to a corner booth. Handing both me and Aaron a menu, she took off. My heart instantly began to race as I looked over all the items. Thank god there are pictures!
“So, what are you having?” he asked, casting his menu a quick glance before setting it aside. His arms were folded on the table as he leaned forward slightly in his seat.
I shrugged, still studying my menu. “Whatever looks good.”
When the waitress returned, she pulled a notepad out of her apron and turned to me. “What’ll it be?”
“I’ll have two of the burgers with fries and an order of pancakes with sausage to go with. Also could I have an order of hash browns with waffles?”
“Okay…” the waitress’s eyebrows rose in alarm along with Aaron’s. “Anything else?”
“No, thanks.”
“Would you like anything?” she asked, turning her attention to my companion.
“I’m good.” Aaron said, still eyeing my curiously. When our server left, he leaned even farther forward. “You feeding a small army? What’s with all the grub?”
“I haven’t eaten since four.” I checked my watch. “It’s now 12:33am.”
“You don’t eat during your shift?”
“No.”
Aaron’s brow furrowed. “The restaurant doesn’t give you a shift meal? Isn’t that against the law?”
“I don’t know, but that’s not the problem. I can’t eat while I’m washing dishes.”
“Why not?”
“All the moving around is uncomfortable on a full stomach.”
Aaron nodded thoughtfully. As if it could hear us talking about it, my belly gave another desperate gurgle.
“So, how do you eat so much and stay in shape?” Aaron asked, his dark green eyes going from my face to my arms, to my chest.
“I… work out.”
“What’s with the pause?”
“Nothing.”
Aaron straightened up in his seat, his expression both suspicious and curious. “What? Is it something unorthodox?”
“Unorthodox?” I mimicked his tone when he repeated the word ‘populous.’
“Sorry,” he said in mock apology. “I mean is it weird?”
“No, I just move around a lot. Dishwasher, remember?”
A look of understanding swept across his face. “So, you only eat like this on the weekends?”
I just flashed a smile, allowing him to believe whatever made him happy. When my food arrived, I dug in. Man, am I famished! Aaron watched in stunned amazement as I practically inhaled my late night dinner. Within fifteen minutes, all the plates were clean.
“That hit the spot,” I sighed, flopping back in my seat.
“You don’t say,” Aaron marveled, his eyes the size of saucers. “I can’t believe you ate all that,” he glanced at his watch. “And in record time too!”
I gave my stomach a gleeful pat which resulted in a pretty sizable
belch. “I must be going through a growth spurt.”
“Really?” He arched a skeptical eyebrow. “Eating like that, the only way I imagine you growing is out.” As he said this, his hand went unconsciously to his own middle. What's his story? Based on his style and the fact that, for the most part, he looked in pretty good shape, he struck me as the kind of guy who cares about the way he looks. Yet, despite his overall confidence, just like when we first started talking, he would have moments of insecurity. The longer we spoke the more outgoing he became, but I could still sense his unease. Like just now when his hand went to his midsection. Now that he had relaxed, I noticed that his gut was a bit bigger than I’d originally thought. At the bar, he must have been sucking it in. By the look of him, I guessed his abdomen was washboard-flat at one point. What happened?
Chapter 2
Aaron
I was sure he was trouble the moment I first laid eyes on him. He was tall, very tall. Like mutant tall. If I were guessing, I’d put him at 6’4” maybe more. And he was built. Not like a body-builder. He had more of a swimmer’s build. Lean and graceful. He moved like he was walking on air and when he first appeared from the back of the restaurant, it was everything I could do not to stare. He was beautiful! Normally that’s not the word I’d use to describe a guy, but I honestly don’t know how else to say it. He was stunningly beautiful. Despite his massive height, his features were soft and gentle. He had buttermilk skin and longish, white blond hair. It practically brushed his shoulders. His lips were full with a bit of a model’s pout, but he didn’t look stuck-up or pretentious. He looked open and inviting. Even though he towered over everyone in the room, something about him seemed trusting. It was in his eyes. Definitely. They were a shimmering pale gold and seemed to drink in the world around him with an almost child-like curiosity. When I first looked over, he was looking right at me, those intense eyes taking me in. They were so stunning, I almost forgot to breathe. Realizing I was on the verge of drooling, I quickly looked away. Guys like that can have any girl they want. Besides, even if he were gay, there’s no way he’d be interested in me.
Pushing the gorgeous, tall boy from my mind, I finished my drink and made a speedy exit. Assuming I’d never see him again, much less make eye contact, I didn’t think twice about returning to the restaurant the following night. I had a lot on my mind. It wasn’t the most ideal place to think, but it was the first bar I stumbled across when I was walking aimlessly downtown. Summer vacation had just arrived and I was completely lost. I'd graduated high school with flying colors and now my whole future lay before me. There was only one problem. I didn’t know where to go from here. College was the obvious choice, but after the past few mouths, I was feeling pretty discouraged. I hadn’t felt this bad since my high school boyfriend ditched me after nine months together. That was about a year ago and just when I thought I was finally over him, I hit another hurtle. Suffice to say, I was feeling lost. I had a big decision to make and I had no idea what to do. Do I go left or right?
When I returned to the bar Saturday night, it was to keep brainstorming. At least that’s what I told myself. There's no way Mr. Beautiful would look at me again. Is there? I thought I saw interest in his eyes, but after my last romantic fiasco, I had no idea. People can be so hard to read. This is all stupid anyway. After what happened at Tyler’s party, there’s no way I’m opening myself up. I swore I’d never go through that again. This is what I was thinking when he sat a couple stools away. I tried to ignore him, but I didn’t want to be rude. Plus, he was SO gorgeous! Every time I chanced a glance at him, those incredible pale eyes were looking right at me. What does he want? To melt my soul? There’s barely any left as it is! Half of me wanted to beg him to let me be while my sad lonely side wanted him to take me in those powerful arms and never let go. When he offered to buy me another drink, I scrambled to fortify my walls. When he asked my name, I carefully inspected my defenses. When he asked if I came here often, I labored to defend my perimeter. But when he asked my age, my walls came tumbling down. Why must he torture me this way? Uriah, the boy with the beautiful face. What did I do to deserve this torment? Before I knew it, we were sitting across from each other in a 24-hour diner. I was working hard to rebuild my defenses, but I knew it was futile. He was in. All I could do now was hope that he didn’t destroy me.
“So, are you taking off?” I asked a few minutes after he’d finished the meal of a lifetime. I may have lowered my guard, but I still expected him to disappear any second. To my surprise he shook his head.
“Nope, I need time to digest.”
“What are you, a snake? Who needs time to digest?”
Uriah smiled, his pale eyes gleaming. In the brightly lit diner, I saw that they were like nothing I’d ever seen before. The best color I could think of to describe them was gold. A beautiful pale gold.
“I’m not a snake,” he said playfully. "But I just ate enough to feed a small country. I need time.”
Does he want me to stay? Should I ask? Whatever romantic notions I might have harbored were quickly extinguished when he said this was not a date. But what was it? Friendship? Why does he want to be my friend? He looks likes he could be friends with whomever he wants.
“Should I just sit here and twiddle my thumbs?”
He laughed and swept his white blond hair away from his face. “I was hoping for some light conversation.”
“What do you want to talk about?” So far I’d managed to stay calm, but something about he really fired me up. It felt like he was looking into my soul. Or at least trying to.
“You know where I work. Where do you work?”
“I don’t have a job.”
“Why not?”
I shrugged. “Keeping my options open.”
Uriah laughed again, his eyes gleaming like two smoldering torches. Does he think I’m funny? God, I hope so. I love his laugh!
“Do you have any ambitions or aspirations?”
“When I was six, I wanted to be a drag queen.” My intention was to surprise him while also figuring out if he was into guys, but his expression didn’t change. I quickly learned why.
“What’s a drag queen?” Uriah asked candidly.
“You don’t know?” he shook his head. “Did you grow up under a rock?”
“No, but I don’t socialize much. My life is pretty much just work and school.”
“School is out for the summer.”
“Mine isn’t.”
“What school do you go to?”
“I’ve actually been home-schooling the last four years.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “My mom decided it was a better fit.”
“Why? Is she super controlling?” I didn’t mean anything by this, but Uriah’s formally glowing demeanor instantly changed. One moment he looked like he was drinking in every word I said, the next his expression went dark.
“No.”
I immediately backpedalled. “Sorry. I don’t mean to upset you. My friends tell me I can be really blunt.”
“It’s nothing,” he said, straightening up in his seat. “I just wish I could have continued attending public school.”
“Why couldn’t you?”
He paused for a moment. “I had issues.”
I wanted to ask what sort of issues, but I could tell from the look on his face, he didn’t want to talk about it.
“Sorry to hear that.”
“So, what’s a drag queen?” Uriah asked, the light coming back into his eyes.
“A man who dresses up as a woman and preforms on stage.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You like dressing as a woman?”
“I was trying to be funny. When I was six my mother caught me wearing her clothes. She didn’t get mad, but she said it would probably be best if my father didn’t find out.”
“Are you gay?” I got the feeling this question had been burning on the tip of his tongue.
“Are you?” I couldn’t help bouncing it right back at him. I s
till didn’t know what he wanted and decided it was best if I didn’t show my hand. Once again being a straight-acting gay was working in my favor.
Uriah hesitated. He looked like he was trying to work something out.
“It’s not brain science,” I said, hoping to spur a response. The suspense was killing me.
“I don’t know,” he finally said, looking rescind.
“Well, are you attracted to guys?”
“I guess, but I’ve never gone out with one.”
“But you’ve been out with girls?”
“Yes.”
Once again I felt the urge to shock him and this time it worked. “Can you imagine fucking a guy?”
Uriah’s eyebrows shot up and his buttermilk cheeks turned bright pink. “I, I, I don’t know,” he stammered.
“Wow!” I whistled. “Seventeen almost eighteen and you’ve never thought about gay sex! What do you think about?”
“I didn’t say I never think about it.” Uriah’s face was getting redder by the second. “I’ve just never imagined myself with another guy… not consciously anyway. I’ve never had a reason to.”
“Until now?” My heart was on the verge of bursting from my chest. For the last several seconds, his eyes had been glued to the diner table, but now they wandered up to meet mine.
“Until now.”
My walls were down, my troops had all but abandoned me. I was standing alone in the rubble that was once my fortress. What do I do now? Drop to my knees and beg for mercy? This must be a dream. Guys like this don’t look at me. At least not anymore. Once upon a time, I actually believed I was attractive, then it all came crashing down. I was so lost in thought I actually jumped when Uriah spoke.
“So, how does this work? Do I just ask for your number?” His innocence was adorable. He really had no idea what he was doing. My heart wanted to melt, but I couldn’t let it. The last time a guy broke through my defenses, he left me in ruin.
The Flyer (The Flyer Series Book 1) Page 2