The Flyer (The Flyer Series Book 1)

by Frédérick S. Parker

  “France.” I said the first one that came to mind and I noticed an odd look sweep across Aaron’s face. Was that regret? It was gone so fast I wasn’t sure. That casual smile was back in an instant.

  “Parlez-vous français?”

  “We left when I was eight. I don’t remember the language.”

  “So, are we doing this, or what?” Aaron said, stepping back to the driver’s side of the car. He opened his door while I came around to the passenger’s side. When I opened the door, I saw an immediate problem. His car was small, very small. I’m 6’ 6.” There is no way I was fitting in there.

  “What’s wrong?” Aaron called when I made no move to climb in.

  “Dude, your car is a match box.” I leaned down so I could see him through the vehicle.

  “Shit, you’re right.” His dark green eyes scanned the interior of his minuscule ride. “Here, try scooting the seat back.”

  Finding the lever on the side, I slid the passenger’s seat as far back as it would go. It was awkward climbing in, but I was able to squeeze inside.

  “Are you doing okay over there?” Aaron asked a few minutes later as we continued along the dirt road that led to the highway.

  “As well as can be expected.”

  “So, what kind of movies do you like?”

  “Not sure.”

  “How’s that?”

  “I don’t watch a lot of movies.”

  “Why not?”

  “I've seen the odd film, but I pretty much just go into the city to work.”

  “And you don’t have any movies at home?”

  “No. We don’t have a TV.”

  Aaron’s eyebrows shot up as he cast me a quick look. “Really? Why not?”

  I shrugged. “Don’t know. My mom doesn’t want me spending all day indoors.”

  “So, no TV,” he mused. “Okay, so what do you watch online?”

  “Online?”

  “Yeah, on the internet?”

  “We don’t have internet either.”

  At this Aaron let out a sharp whistle. “Wow! She really does have you isolated. So, you don’t have TV, you don’t have internet. What do you have?”

  “Audiobooks, school work and the great outdoors.”

  “Interesting…” We both fell silent. While Aaron was thinking who knows what, I was once again reminded of how shelter I’d become. Another spur of anger stabbed at me, but I pushed it away. I didn’t want thoughts of my mother ruining this date. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, I resumed the conversation.

  “What movie did you want to see?”

  “You don’t have one picked out?”

  “No. I thought I’d let you choose.”

  “Great, there’s this cool-looking Japanese film at the Castle I’ve been wanting to check out.” The Castle was the theater I went to the other day. Unlike the main theaters, it plays movies that don’t go nationwide. Mainly independent films. I'd seen the poster for the movie Aaron had in mind.

  “Uh, anything else you want to see?”

  “You have a problem with foreign films?”

  “No, I just like watching my movies, not reading them.”

  “Okay.” Slipping his phone from his pocket, he handed it over. “Look up the showtimes and read me the titles.”

  “I can’t read in the car. I get motion sickness.”

  “Okay.” Aaron shrugged, taking back his phone. “We’ll wait ’til we get there.”

  It took twenty minutes to get into the city and another thirty to reach the theater. By the time we found a parking space, it was five ’til two. While Aaron wordlessly read the hand-written schedule on the outside of the building, I was painfully aware that I would have to let my wings out soon. Just over an hour.

  “Perfect timing,” my date declared, coming over to where I stood. “There’s a movie called, Perfect Darkness. It starts in fifteen minutes.”

  “How long is it?”

  “Two and a half hours.”

  My stomach clenched. “Two and a half hours? I don’t know if I can sit that long.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  “I may have to step out for a moment… to use the bathroom.” I hated mentioning the toilette on my date, but it couldn’t be helped.

  Aaron looked completely unfazed. “Just go before it starts. We still have fifteen minutes. I’ll save you a seat.”

  I shook my head. This was getting worse by the minute. “I don’t need to go now, but I definitely will in about an hour.”

  “Definitely?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then just step out. So you miss a couple minutes of the movie. I’ll fill you in later.” Aaron said this last part with a wink.

  “It might be more than a couple minutes.” My face was on fire and I wasn’t even talking about using the bathroom. The fact that he thought so made it super embarrassing.

  “So, we’re talking number two?” Aaron arched an eyebrow.

  “Maybe.” I could barely make eye contact with him.

  “No worries. Take as long as you need. I just think it’s amazing you can predict your… whatever with such accuracy.”

  After I bought the tickets, we entered the screen room, found a seat near the front and sat down. While I was interested in the movie, all I could think about was Aaron. He was so close, our thighs touched. I struggled to fight off images from last night’s dream. It was hard. Literally. My dick was desperately seeking an escape from my pants. I wanted to adjust myself, but I couldn’t. Not with my date sitting right there. Casually shifting my hips, I managed to gain some relief. God! I was a nervous wreck, but Aaron looked completely at ease. Sitting back in his seat, one hand rested on his upper leg while the other sat leisurely atop his stomach. Not a care in the world. Once or twice he pulled the plain white material of his shirt away from his middle. Is that a nervous tick or is he just getting comfortable? Either way, he clearly wasn’t having the same issues I was. Maybe I don’t effect him as strongly. Or maybe he’s better at hiding it.

  Forty-five minutes into the movie, I silently excused myself and slipped out the exit. I hated the fact that Aaron thought I was going number two, but whatever. He didn’t seem to care. I didn’t know if that was a perk of dating a guy or he was just super cool. When I found the bathroom, I slipped inside and began the same annoying process. The only plus is that because I didn’t hesitate, it only took five minutes before what little pain had emerged to disappear. Returning to the screen room, I sat back down beside Aaron. He gave me a quick smile before returning his gaze to the screen. I wanted to touch him. Perhaps take his hand or something, but I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable or freak him out. When the movie was finally over, I was one of the first out of the theater.

  “You ran out of there like a shot,” Aaron said, approaching me on the sidewalk a minute later. “Was the movie that bad?”

  “No, of course not.” I turned to face him. “I did enjoy it, I just…”

  “Just what?” He was staring up at me with those beautiful green eyes. They looked concerned and also a little fearful. What is he afraid of? Me? Is he afraid I’ll try and kiss him again? I hope not. That’s all I can think about. I wanted to kiss him so badly. To run my fingers through that soft copper hair. To feel his body against mine… Realizing that I was starting to get hard again, I quickly diverted my thoughts.

  “Uh, nothing. Never mind.” Clearing my throat, I glanced around. “So, what do you want to do now?”

  Aaron shrugged, still looking uneasy. “We could walk around a little. Maybe get something to eat? Are you hungry?”

  “Not really. I had a big lunch. But I am thirsty.”

  “Fantastic.” my date pointed across the street. “There’s a juice place a couple blocks that way.”

  “Great.” Without thinking, I reached out and took his hand. Much to my relief he didn’t pull away. Hand in hand, we left the sidewalk. I don’t know what he was thinking, but I felt one step closer. I didn’t know what ha
ppened to make him so weary, but I was determined to show him I could be trusted. I would get that kiss, one way or another. Aaron had made it clear that he wanted to take things slow, but I was hoping they wouldn’t move too slow. Despite my sheltered life, I was aware of homosexuality and while partaking in such activities had never crossed my mind, the notion was very intriguing. Seeing all the drama between chicks and dudes at my school, I assumed things between two guys would be easier. According to Aaron, gay or straight, couples are couples, but I never remember seeing the gay guys in junior high school flipping out on their boyfriends.

  “What’s it like being so tall?” I was so deep in thought, Aaron’s question was almost lost on me.

  “What? Oh, I don’t know.” Looking over, I found him staring up at me, a goofy grin on his face. “It does make my job easier. They like to stack a lot of stuff up high. It drives the shorties crazy.”

  “The shorties?” my date arched an eyebrow. “You mean people like me?”

  “You’re not that short.”

  “Compared to you I am. Exactly how tall are you, anyway?”

  “Six foot, six.”

  Aaron gaped up at me. “Wow! You’re almost a foot taller than me.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  He shook his head. “Quite the opposite. I’d like to…” he abruptly changed tracks. “So, do you like being a dishwasher?”

  “It’s okay,” I replied, wondering what he’d been about to say.

  “What are your dreams and aspirations? I’m assuming you don’t want to wash dishes for the rest of your life.”

  “I don’t know.” Honestly that thought had never occurred to me. For the past decade my mother made it clear that our stay here wasn’t permanent. I never bothered to think about my future here.

  “Do you plan on going to college?”

  “Probably not.”

  “Why not?” Aaron looked mildly disappointed.

  Whether or not I returned to my home planet, college was out of the question. I shrugged. “I just don’t see it in my future.”

  “What do you see in your future?”

  “You, I hope.”

  Aaron smiled that beautiful smile. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

  When we arrived at the juice place, we took a seat at one of the corner tables. The place was very vibrant with bright green walls and pictures of fruits and vegetables hanging everywhere. The server who handed us each a menu was equally bright and vibrant. Her light brown hair hung in a loose ponytail and her bright orange shirt matched the ribbon in her hair.

  “Hi, guys,” she chirped, glancing at Aaron before letting her eyes settle on me. “Welcome to All Things Juice. We’ve got fruit, veggies and more. My name is Renee and I’ll be your server today. If you need anything just give me a holler, otherwise I hope you have a juicy day!”

  When she sauntered away, my date made a comical face. “She couldn’t get enough of you."

  "What?"

  "She was practically drooling.”

  “I didn’t notice.”

  “Yeah, right.” Aaron laughed half-heartedly, but I noticed him tug at his shirt absent-mindedly. It must be a nervous tick. For whatever reason, he’d put on weight and was self-conscious about it. Clearly it didn’t help his self-esteem. There was definitely a story there. To make matters worse, Aaron caught me looking at him midsection and his ears turned pink. His abdominal muscles abruptly tightened as he tried to suck in his gut and he gave his shirt another anxious tug.

  Turning my attention to the menu the server had handed me, I started to feel some anxiety of my own. Unlike the diner menu, this one didn’t have any pictures. My heart began to race as I stared at all the different drinks. And as my nerves increased, the letters started jumbling together. Within seconds I was looking at one giant nonsensical mess.

  “Are you okay?” I looked up to find Aaron fixing me with a worried gaze. “Sorry for what I said about the waitress. She wasn’t really drooling. More like a light drizzle.”

  “No, I’m just, uh, having trouble deciding what to order. There are so many options.”

  “Well, I usually go with the Mango Squeeze—”

  “—I’ll have that.”

  “Are you sure? There are tons of options: orange, apple, pineapple, watermelon…”

  “I’ll just have what you’re having.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  When the waitress returned, Aaron ordered two Mango Squeezes. While we waited for our drinks, he started scanning the interior of the establishment. Before long, his deep green eyes settled on a guy sitting a few tables away. His back was turned to us and he was in deep conversation with his girlfriend.

  “Hey, check it out.” my date nodded in the direction of the couple. “He thinks he’s so clever.”

  “How so?” I glanced over at the guy, but saw nothing unusual.

  “See what’s written on his shirt?” my heart skipped a bit. Please don’t ask me to read something. Not now. Not when my mind is a nervous wreck!

  “I saw it.”

  “And? What’d you think?”

  I just gave a noncommittal shrug.

  Aaron looked surprised. “You can read that and not have an opinion? What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing,” I grunted, my fear of being outed destroying my mood. “I just don’t care.”

  “Are you okay, man?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t look fine.”

  “Well, I am.”

  “Okay.” Aaron put up his hands in surrender. “Whatever you say.”

  When our drinks arrived, I chugged mine while he took small tentative sips.

  “Do you consume everything in fast-forward?” my date asked, raising an eyebrow as I set down my large empty glass. “You’re supposed to saver the flavor. It says so on the cup.” He pointed to a short phrase on his glass that I hadn’t bothered to look at.

  “Well, I—” a large burp interrupted me. “—didn’t feel like it.”

  “These things are pretty potent,” Aaron continued, taking another small sip of his drink. “You need to give your body time to process.”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but another belch beat me to it. Now that he mentioned it, I was feeling a little bloated. My hand drifted to my stomach as I began feeling queasy. Maybe I shouldn’t have downed that thick concoction so fast.

  “Shit,” I groaned and my belly groaned with me. Slumping back in my seat, I cradled my slightly distended middle.

  “Are you okay,” Aaron asked, straightening up in his chair.

  “I hope so. I feel like I’m about to burst.”

  “Perhaps I should take this to go,” he said, waving the waitress over. “You look like you need to lie down.”

  “That’s a good idea.”

  Chapter 4

  Aaron

  Honestly, I didn’t think our date was going well. At least to start off. Uriah had clearly never done this before and was making all the wrong moves. So what? He was new to this so I cut him some slack. If he didn’t want to see a movie with subtitles, fine. If he couldn’t make it through a film without having to use the bathroom, okay. I didn’t really care. I was just glad he’d texted me. After the way we’d left things last night, I was sure I’d never see him again. Things didn’t start looking up 'til he sucked down his Mango Squeeze in what seemed like two massive gulps. Man, I’d like to see what else he can do with those full lips. Okay, Aaron reel it in. After we left the juice place, I led the way to my car. Uriah’s soft creamy skin was taking on a more viridescent hue. I just hoped he didn’t throw up in my car. Returning to the parking garage, we located my ride and climbed in. Once again, Uriah had to fold up his giant frame to fit in the tiny vehicle. Tilting the seat back, he let out a sickly groan, his eyes closed. While I placed my drink in the cup holder, he gingerly massaged his midsection. As I backed the car out of our slot, I could actually hear the Mango Squeeze slosh noisily in his stomach.

 
“Take it easy,” he groaned, his fingers gripping his middle a little tighter as if to stabilize it.

  “Sorry.” I gently eased the car out onto the street. While I felt bad for his plight, I was looking forward to bringing him home. I still couldn’t get over the rejected kiss from the other night. Maybe when he was feeling better, I could make up for that. As we continued through town back to my house, Uriah would let out the occasional groan. At one point, I glanced over just as he was shifting in the still reclined seat. His eyes were closed and his right hand was resting on his middle. While he tried to get comfortable, my gaze wandered unbidden to the front of his jeans. As he changed position, something shifted behind his fly and lust instantly flared within me. I quickly looked away, my heart rate accelerating.

  When we got back to my place, I guided Uriah down the hall to my room. He didn’t waste a second going over to my mattress and stretching out on his back. Sitting down on what little room remained, I studied him as he lay motionless, his eyes closed. My god, he’s beautiful. Even when he was ill. His skin looked so soft and smooth. I wanted to reach out and touch it. His body was so lean and powerful. And his hair was so pale and sleek. Is that its natural color? And let’s not forget what he’s packing. It’s been a while since I was with anyone sexually and I was trying hard not to imagine what lurked inside those loose-fitting jeans. He was so close. I could easily reach out and… My mind started throwing up alarms. What are you doing? You’re getting in too deep. Retreat! Retreat! But I didn’t want to retreat.

  After several minutes, I assumed Uriah had fallen asleep when his eyes suddenly snapped open. For a moment, he just stared at me. His pale gold eyes seemed to search me face. He was looking for something. But what? What does he want from me? I know what I want. It might sound sappy, but all I’ve ever wanted is a deep meaningful relationship. Can he give me that? Will I let him close enough to try? It was a scary thought. After everything I've been through, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever let anyone get that close again. Still, something about Uriah felt different. I just couldn’t figure out in in what way.

  “What are you looking for?” I asked, my voice shaking slightly.