Read with Pride Northwest discussion
GRNW Secret Story Event
>
Passing Notes by S. Allen
date
newest »
newest »
Mod
He liked to be out front on the deck even when it was cold. The wind was biting but the air was fresh and when the ferry was moving it gave him the sensation of flying. After twenty minutes the winter chill forced him back inside. He sat on an empty bench and gazed out the window.
Brody had nodded off. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he noticed an origami flower next to him. Through the white paper he could see faint green scribbles. The excitement of receiving another note was exhilarating. He had been sad that their game was coming to an end and nervous about the next level. Carefully unfolding the flower it read: You looked too peaceful to wake up. I can’t wait to meet you tonight at Lauren’s. Maybe tomorrow we can go kayaking.
Brody swiveled his head looking for Reece and realized he was the last passenger. For some reason he was surprised that Reece had been on the same ferry. Would he be waiting with Lauren at the landing dock? Grabbing his bag he made his way to find out.
Disappointment swamped him when he only saw Lauren leaning against the truck waiting for him.
“Aren’t you happy to see me?” Lauren teased. “Oh wait, I know, it’s because you didn’t get to meet Reece on the ferry. Maybe he heard you snoring and decided that he didn’t want to meet you after all?” Brody swung his bag at her, which she gracefully avoided. “Hey! I’m just kidding.”
“Brat. You’re not very nice. But seriously, where is he?”
“This is his first time on the island and he wanted to explore a bit. I brought him my bike from the house so he could get around. Get in, let’s go.”
“Oh.” Brody threw his bag in the truck bed and noticed another bag already there. He smiled knowing it was Reece’s. “How’s the fam? Is your brother here too?”
“Actually, my parents couldn’t make it out this weekend and my brother decided to go snowboarding. So, Steve came out with me. It’ll just be the four of us.”
“You dirty rat. How long have you been planning this?”
“What’s with all the name calling?” Lauren blinked her eyes innocently.
“If you weren’t a rotten scoundrel, then I wouldn’t have to call you by the earned names.” Luckily they pulled into the driveway so Lauren could poke Brody in the ribs without causing any traffic issues. “Ok, get out. Take both bags with you.”
“What?” Brody was very confused.
“I’m meeting Steve at the marina. We’re taking the boat out tonight.”
“What about the BBQ? What about Reece?” He knew he sounded like a four year old being told to let go of his mommy’s hand on the first day of school, but these were valid concerns. He opened the truck door but didn’t budge from the seat.
“You’re a big boy. I’m positive that you and Reece will get along great. It’s not like the two of you are strangers. You’ve been on-paper dating for months now. It’s what people did, like fifty years ago before online dating.”
“I know. It’s just that, maybe I like him more than I’ve let on.” Brody confessed.
“Did you really think I didn’t know that? You talk about him non-stop. Even before you were sure it was a guy, you let your imagination run with the idea of him being your note-passing boyfriend. I didn’t discourage you because I figured out who it was at the end of last quarter.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek and then shoved him out the door.
Brody left their bags in the entryway of the house, grabbed a beer from the kitchen and flopped down on the couch to watch his favorite sports show. About an hour and a half later he was starting to think about dinner when he heard the front door open. Frozen like the proverbially deer in the headlights he sat stone still, almost hoping Reece wouldn’t notice him and walk away. He was enthralled as a dark haired boy sat next to him. He was everything Brody had ever wanted in his prince: shorter than him by several inches, lean, lithe body and deep brown eyes.
He was a little startled when he felt Reece reach over and hold his hand. But he quickly responded by intertwining their fingers and tenderly rubbing his thumbs across the inside of Reece’s wrist. “Hello, Reece.”
“Hi, Brody.” It was the same voice from the library, the one that whispered in his ear and threatened with the possibility of being that someone special. Brody was truly surprised at how comfortable he felt holding this man’s hand. He thought he’d be meeting a stranger tonight, when in reality they were friends just meeting face to face for the first time. He knew Reece loved action/super hero movies, that his roommates always complained about how messy he was and his favorite color is green. Over half his notes were written in green ink.
“I’m so happy to be here with you, like this.” Brody emphasized with a gentle squeeze to Reece’s held hand.
“Me too. I was nervous. I felt like a crazy stalker, but without the shrine and murderous inclinations.” Reece joked.
“Glad you don’t want to murder me. Um, thanks?” Brody shrugged one shoulder.
Laughing, Reece added, “I’m really going to have to thank Lauren for her meddling. Do you think she stocked the kitchen before gallivanting to the high seas with Steve? Do you want to BBQ some burgers for dinner?”
Brody’s grin was huge. “Hell yeah! I’m starving.”
“Ok. I’ll get the grill going if you want to grab the patties.” With their mission in place they took off in different directions.
Brody set the plate of raw burger meat on the table next to the grill, stepping right up behind Reece. He wrapped his arms around Reece’s waist and dropped his head onto his shoulder and placed a soft kiss on his neck. He felt Reece shiver at the touch. He loosened his hold so Reece could turn around and face him.
Reece was smiling as he said, “So, do you think it’s time for us to turn our on-paper dating into officially dating?” Brody answered by leaning down and placing a tender kiss on Reece’s lips. Before he could pull away to say ‘yes’ Reece placed his arms around Brody’s shoulders and deepened the kiss. He moved one hand up and was palming the back of Brody’s neck as Brody moved his hands underneath Reece’s sweater to lightly scratch Reece’s back. When Reece moaned at the contact, Brody pulled back just enough for their lips to separate so they could catch their breath.
“Wow. You’re amazing. Maybe we should hurry up with dinner so we can take our time with dessert.” Brody punctuated ‘dessert’ with a quick closed-lip kiss.
“How about we skip dinner and go straight to dessert?”
“Nope. Can’t have you all weak from starvation.” Reece laughed and released Brody to turn back to the grill. They kept up light conversation and simply enjoyed each other’s company. There was no rush, eagerness and excitement, yes. They both understood that this wasn’t a hurried affair, but the beginning of a relationship, of being that someone special. Brody thanked his lucky stars that Reece had been bored one day and that he’d been the one to respond.
Once dinner was finished and cleaned up they both went up to shower and get more comfortable. When Brody got out of the shower he found a note on top of his bag. It read: Meet me out in the hot tub and don’t bother with a suit.
Brody smiled knowing that his obsession with notes wasn’t going to end anytime soon.
*****
About the Author
About S. Allen: I may have failed all my college English classes despite my love of writing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t tell a good story. I am in love with romance and want everyone to have the happy ending they deserve. I self published my first story in May of this year, Flamingos Stand Together. It's sickly sweet and funny. I currently live in Seattle and bartend at night. During the day I let my imagination run the show.
Email: sallen.romance@teamstames.com
Mod
On September 1, 2013, all authors will be revealed!
Important Note: The content for these stories belong solely to the authors that wrote them.
Passing Notes
by S. Allen
Word Count: 3, 276
“Hey, Lauren! How’s my favorite barista?” Brody inquired. Lauren smiled at her best friend. He looked just like his name, California surfer. He had sandy brown hair that lightened in the summertime, an easy smile and crystal blue eyes.
Lauren dramatically swooned, her long blonde ponytail swinging from side to side. With the back of her hand still at her forehead she answered, “Better, now that you’re here.” He blew her a kiss and she stuck her tongue out at him before asking, “So, any notes recently?”
“Yes. You know that. We’ve been exchanging notes almost daily since the beginning of winter quarter.”
“Well…what did it say?”
“It was a recommendation for an article about how modern home design is incorporating environmentally friendly techniques.”
“Sounds fascinating, really. What was your response?”
“I sketched an image of the model home that was featured in the article and then began a discussion on the new Superman movie. I really wish I knew if it was a guy or a girl or even their name. I’m pretty confident that it’s a guy. But when I suggested meeting I got a ‘no this is too much fun’ response. It’s irritating not knowing.” Brody couldn’t keep the whine out of his voice.
“Does it matter? You’re having fun. If it is a guy, you have no idea if he’s even gay and if it’s a girl, well, we can never have too many gay friends. It’ll happen if it’s supposed to. The world works in mysterious ways.” Lauren reached over and squeezed his forearm in support. They’d already had multiple conversations about his note-passing friend. She knew that Brody secretly hoped to gain a boyfriend out of their game.
It began the first week of fall quarter when an innocent slip of paper fell out of the book Brody was reading at the student library. It simply had a riddle on it: The more you have of it, the less you see.
Brody promptly wrote: Darkness. Then he drew a box, writing the letters O C U D N T C scattered in the space. It took a week before he found the answer tucked inside the Ken Follet novel he was currently reading. Disorderly conduct. After a few puzzles they began asking each other simple questions or making recommendations on things to try. Not too far into the beginning of the school year, heading to the library had become the highlight of Brody’s day.
He’d always loved the peacefulness and quiet of a library. He felt awed being surrounded by so much knowledge. Living in the frat house, the library was a way to have some uninterrupted time to himself. His best friend, Lauren, worked at the coffee stand in the large vestibule of the building so he was usually able to grab a coffee with some quick conversation before settling down to read. He rarely checked out what he was reading, instead enjoying the anticipation of returning in hopes that no one had borrowed his book.
The brothers in his house all assumed he only went to the library to hit on Lauren. Once he explained that he was gay and that Lauren was a good friend of his, several of them begged him to set them up with her.
“Here, sweetie.” She handed him a white chocolate mocha.
“I haven’t ordered yet.” Brody protested, taking the offered cup anyway.
“I know. But HE did buy it for you earlier this morning.” She couldn’t quell her laughter and Brody’s shocked expression only fueled it louder.
“What?!? You know who it is? Why haven’t you told me! I need to know everything!” Brody demanded.
“Buy me a drink at the pub and maybe I’ll tell you. Get going. There are people waiting behind you. See you at 7 sharp.” Without waiting for an answer she promptly began taking the order from the agitated girl behind him. Who cares how long she had been standing there tapping her stupid foot. He needed answers. But he’d been friends with Lauren long enough to know he wouldn’t be getting any right now, stubborn mule. He was just going to have to wait until tonight. With a resigned sigh, he went into the building in hopes that a new note would be waiting for him.
Neatly pressed in the book Brody had began reading yesterday was a flattened paper crane. He carefully folded the wings out and admired the origami creation. Through the lightweight paper he could see scratches of ink. He was torn between destroying the paper creation and reading the hidden message. Not even 30 seconds later he was unfolding the delicate bird.
It read: I really have been thinking about your request. I guess it is only fair for me to tell you my name, especially since I know yours. At 3pm sit at the desk facing the window and close your eyes. Don’t peek otherwise our game is over. I’m not ready for you to know who I am. P.S. Nice double play yesterday.
Brody reread the note about a dozen times. It surprised him how happy he was knowing that this guy watched his game. He was attending school on a baseball scholarship. Brody was proud of his athletic ability but had no intentions of trying out for the big leagues. It was a shame that his mystery man didn’t participate in any of the school’s sponsored sports. If he had, Brody would have been scoping out the events in hopes of figuring out his secret identity. He did know that he like recreational water activities like swimming and kayaking. It was amazing how much they’d actually gotten to know each other over the months by small notes.
It was 2pm and Brody couldn’t concentrate enough to read. He just doodled and stared out the window wasting time. Finally 2:58pm. Ok. Brody had no idea what to expect. He had debated on breaking the rule and confronting his note-passing friend when 3pm rolled around demanding an actual friendship. It was only the fear of the ultimatum that kept him in line.
Eyes closed, sitting at the desk facing the window at exactly three o’clock, Brody waited. He felt someone close and then heard a faint whisper directly in his ear, “My name is Reece.”
His words felt like a summer breeze causing Brody to shiver. He opened his eyes to find an origami turtle perched on top of his book but no person in sight.
* * *
Brody was too anxious to wait until 7. He’d been sitting at the pub for almost an hour when Lauren strolled in. This was their favorite bar, Danny Boy. It boasted one pool table and two dartboards. He ordered her a double margarita in hopes that the liquor would loosen up her tongue. He was slowly sipping a pale ale, not wanting his head to get too fuzzy so he could remember every detail of whatever Lauren would tell him.
“Tell me everything about Reece.” Brody blurted out before she could even lick the salted rim of her beverage. With an eye roll she slowly took three sips of her margarita and smacked her lips obnoxiously.
“You are so crushing.” She teased.
“No. I’m just curious.” Brody denied. “Why won’t he meet me?”
The hurt look on his face told her that he couldn’t take any more teasing and that it was time for the truth. “Sweetheart, it’s because he’s a romantic just like you.”
Wrinkling his nose in puzzlement she continued. “Do you realize that you haven’t been out on a date in over a year?”
“I’ve been busy.” Brody said in a hurried defense.
“No. It’s because Greg broke your trust. He cheated on you, honey, and what’s worse is you weren’t even sure if you wanted to keep seeing him.”
“I know, but that wasn’t the point.”
“You can be such a drama queen. The point is, that you sorta liked Greg and then he broke your trust by being a bastard. So, now you don’t even want to try in case you meet someone you actually like because then you would be vulnerable to really being hurt.”
“Is it unreasonable to want a partner who I can trust? I don’t want to be someone’s gay experiment or Mr. Right Now. I’m graduating this year and would like to share that with someone special.” He punctuated his emotions by holding Lauren’s hand and rubbing his thumb over her engagement ring. She was marrying her high school sweetheart, Steve, who was completely and utterly devoted to her.
Brody really was a hopeless romantic. Even before he knew what gay was, he was asking his mom why there was always a princess being saved by the prince. Why wasn’t there a prince rescuing another prince from a castle and living happily ever after? Yes, he liked long walks on the beach and sunsets, but he also liked sports, video games and a greasy cheeseburger.
Lauren squeezed his hand, speaking softly, “It’s funny that this whole thing started because he was bored. He works in the library and stuck a dozen different riddles throughout the building. When you answered he was excited, but when he got to know you he started to worry that maybe you wouldn’t like the real him. That you only liked the fantasy and he’d disappoint you.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.” Even though it did because that’s exactly what he would have done. It’s like coming out all over again; wanting acceptance but the self-doubt killing all possible hope before any actions could be taken. “Ok, maybe. So, how do you know him? And why haven’t I run into him in the library?”
“Well, you’ve never actually checked a book out and the building is pretty big. I know him from the biology department. We’ve had several classes together despite the differing majors. He’s ecology/conservation, not pre-med. I think you two would be really good together. So, of course I had to meddle. Do you really want to meet him?”
When Brody didn’t answer right away she swatted his arm, “Don’t be chickenshit.”
“Ow, stop the abuse. Yes, I want to meet him.”
“Good. Are you still coming to my parent’s house out on Orcas Island this weekend?”
“Yup. Like I’d miss that.”
“I invited him too.” She laughed when he started worrying his bottom lip with his teeth at the prospect of meeting his mystery man so soon. “It’ll be fine. Stop worrying. I can see all the mice in your head running amuck in their hamster wheels.”
“I’m not worried. I just thought maybe we’d meet next quarter.”
“Or maybe never so you could forever whine to me about it?”
“Me? Never.” Brody feigned insult.
“Hey, I gotta go. Thanks for the drink. If you really have the balls to meet him for the first time this weekend, then this is your final note. I can’t guarantee that if you chicken out that this still won’t be the last note. You’ll hurt his feelings.” She kissed him on the forehead and left him to his thoughts and handed him an origami boat with the words ‘C U Soon’ written neatly on it.
***