Preston

Chapter Four

            -The Date-

            I have to admit that I was nervous.  More nervous than I had ever been in my entire eighteen years of existence; not only was I going out on my first date ever, but it was with another guy.

            The one thing that worried me the most was that someone from church might see me on my date and it would get back to my parents.  I also started calming myself by telling myself that to anyone else it would look like four friends had gone out to eat together.

            I glanced at the clock, it was six thirty and we were supposed to meet at the restaurant at seven.  Greg had only gone to take his shower a few minutes earlier so I knew that we would be pushing time already.

            I picked up my phone.  I decided to call my sister and tell her my plans for the night.  I hadn’t talked to her since I made my plans and was excited to tell her what I was doing.

            I dialed her number.  It rang three times before she answered.

            “Hello.”

            “What you doing tonight?”I asked her.

            “Oh just going out with Tamara and some of our friends again.  What about you?”

            I felt a huge grin spread across my face.

            “I am going on a double date here in about thirty minutes.”

            “Are you serious?”  She asked with a shocking voice.

            “Um yeah, Greg and his girlfriend Jenna and well uh I have my first official date with Jamie.”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah, why do you sound so shocked?”  I asked.

            “Well, it’s just that ever since I can remember even when we were little kids you always played it safe and did what everyone else wanted you to do.”  She explained.

            “I know.”  I paused briefly.  “I just have always spent so much time trying to please everyone else that I have never taken the time to actually get to know myself and well that’s what I am going to start doing starting at seven.”

            “Well, I am proud of you little bro.”  I could hear someone talking to her in the background.  “I have to go though the girls are waiting on me. Call or text me when you make it home and let me know how everything went for you.”

            “Ok.  I will.”

            I hung up the phone and looked at the clock.  I still had thirty minutes to spare.  I decided to check my email before I went.  I hadn’t checked it since before I left to come to school two days earlier.

            I went over to my desk and turned my computer on.  Once it was started up I went to my email account.  I had twenty-seven new email messages.  I scrolled through them seeing that most of them were junk and deleted them.

            After getting rid of the junk that left me with only four emails, three from facebook and one from my friend Kelsey.  I clicked on her message to read it.

Why have you been ignoring my calls?

            That was all that her message said.   When you think about it, I had been ignoring her calls and texts which was kind of lousy of me.  I told myself to call her and tell her everything that had been going on the past two days.

            I clicked on one of the friend request from facebook.  It was a friend request from Jamie.  I clicked on the link and it took me to his profile.  I accepted the friend request without looking at his profile.

            I scrolled through his profile reading it as I went.  I saw that under siblings it had Greg listed as one of his siblings.  I thought that was pretty cool and I put a note in the back of my mind to send Greg a friend request later.

            I saw that he was born March 9.  He liked all kinds of music, comedy and romance movies.  I continued reading his profile and scrolling through his pictures and I guess I completely lost track of time.

            “You doing your date research?” Greg asked.

            I turned around to see Greg standing right behind me looking over my shoulder.  He was wearing nothing but a bath towel.

            I have to admit Greg had a nice body.  His stomach was a flat six pack.  His arms were nice and firm.  His entire body was covered with a nice golden tan, something I always wanted and never could get from having such a fair complexion.         

            Greg smiled at me.  “Do you want me to get you a picture; it will last a little longer?”  He laughed.

            I quickly turned my head back to the computer.  “Sorry, it’s just that-“

            He interrupted me.  “Don’t worry about it man.  I lived with Jamie for two year.  I think I have gotten used to the look.”

            “I’m sorry.”

            “Quit apologizing.”  Greg said as he walked over to his top drawer and took out a pair of boxers.

            “Jamie sent me a friend request on facebook.”  I told him.

            Greg took the towel off, threw it on the floor and slipped into the boxers.  “I know.  I told him to.  I sent ya one too.”  He grinned.  “Guess you were too busy looking at Jamie’s profile to see that I sent you one.”

            “Shut up.”  I could feel my face turn red.  “You are going to make us late if you don’t hurry up and get dressed.”

            After being rushed by me over and over Greg finally got dressed and we headed out the door to meet Jamie and Jenna.

Greg pulled into the parking lot of Red Lobster and parked next to a bright red Volkswagen Beetle.  He turned the car off and we got out.  As soon as we got out of Greg’s car, the doors opened on the beetle and Jenna got out on the driver’s side and Jamie got out of the passenger side.

            Greg immediately walked over to Jenna and kissed her on the lips.

            Jamie grinned at me and walked over to where I was standing at on the passenger side of Greg’s car.

            “You ready for tonight?”  He asked.

            “I’m nervous.”  I replied.  “I have never been on a date with anyone before so yeah um I don’t know what to say.”

            “Don’t say anything just be yourself.”  He looked at me.  “You look so cute in your glasses.”

            “Ok how about you two lovebirds save the flattering for later and we go inside and get seated.  I’m starving.”  He grabbed hold of Jenna’s hand and they walked towards the entrance of the restaurant.

             Jamie and I followed behind them walking side by side.  When we went inside the host led us to a corner booth.

            Jamie and I sat next to each other and Greg and Jenna sat next to each other.

            “I am Jenna by the way.”  Jenna said as she looked across the table at me.  “Greg talks about you a lot.  I feel like I already know you.”

            “Well nice to meet you Jenna.  I am sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other over the next couple of years.”

            “Greg just couldn’t stop talking about playing match maker between his best friend and his new roommate.”  Greg grinned at Jenna.  “So where are you from, tell me a little bit about yourself.”

            “Well, what do you want to know?”

            “Where are you from?”  She asked.   

            “I grew up right here actually.  Grew up in the Brentwood area and lived on Brentwood Circle all of my life, I was home schooled for the most part of school.”

            “Oh my gosh!” Jenna exclaimed.  “I don’t see how we never ran into each other.  That is where my parents live and Greg lived in the Crestwood Hills Division.”

            “Awesome.”  I replied.

            “So I take it that your parents make the bucks to live up there?” She asked.  “What do they do?

            Saved by the waiter I would have to say.  The last thing I wanted to talk about was my parents.

            The waiter laid four menus down on the table.  “I’m Brendan and I will be your waiter today.  Do you guys know what you want to drink?”

            “I’ll have the Sunset Strawberry.”  Jamie told the waiter.

            I looked at him with a perplexed look on my face.  I couldn’t believe he had just ordered that.  I was planning on getting one of those for myself.  I smiled at him.

            “I’ll have the same thing.”  I told the waiter.

            “Saratoga Spring Water for me.”  Jenna told him.

            He looked at Greg.  “What about you?”

            Greg looked the menu over once more.

            He grinned at the waiter.  “Well I really would like a Bahama Mama but well I don’t think you can help me out with that now can you.” He winked at the waiter.  “It would mean so much to me big guy.”

            “Sorry man, you are what sixteen at the oldest?”

            “Just give me a coke then please.”  Greg said.

            “Be back in a jiff.”  Brendan said as he turned and headed towards the kitchen.

            Jamie looked at Greg and shook his head.  “And I am the gay one.  Could you try any harder?”

            “Well it was worth a shot.”

            I laughed.  “Well according to him you look sixteen”

            “Don’t make me make you sleep out in the hallway tonight boy.”  Greg jokingly threatened me.

            After bantering back and forth for a few minutes, Brendan finally came back with our drinks.

            “Do you all want an appetizer?”  He asked.

            “I was thinking maybe some of that lobster pizza.” Jamie told him.  “I heard it was pretty good.”  He looked at everyone at the table.  “You guys wana try some?”

            “Um guys and girls.” Jenna corrected.  “I’ll pass lobster and pizza gross.”

            “I’ll pass.” Greg said  

            “Sounds kinda good if you ask me.”  I commented.  “I’ll have some.”

            Brendan wrote our order down on his pad.  He looked at Greg and Jenna.  “Anything for you all?”

            “No thanks.”  Greg said.  “We’ll let the love birds enjoy their first date.”

            Brendan looked at me then at Jamie and smiled at us. “I’ll take your order to the kitchen.”

            He turned around and headed towards the kitchen.

            “Would you please not say stuff like that?”  I shot Greg a dirty look.

            “Look at him.”  Greg said.  “He plays for your team so don’t fret.”

            Jamie glared at Greg.  “Cut him some slack dude.  He isn’t open about it.”

            I looked at Jamie and gave him the biggest smile.  I knew one thing by what he just said; I wasn’t going to be rushed into anything.  He would let me slowly come to terms with all of this because it was so new to me.

            “So Preston what do your parents do?”  Jenna asked.  “You never got to say.”

            I sighed and looked at the floor.

            “My dad is a preacher.”  Was all I said.

            “I bet that sucks.  What does he think about you being gay?” Jenna asked.

            “I don’t know if I am gay.”  I told her.  “He would have a stroke if he knew I was on a date with another guy though.”

            The four of us sat there and talked for what seemed like hours but really wasn’t.  It just seemed like it because when Brendan brought us our lobster pizza I looked at my watch and only fifteen minutes had passed.  

            He sat the pizza down in front of Jamie and me.  “Do you all know what you want to eat?”

            Jamie and I both nodded our head in unison.  Brendan smiled at us.

            “I think I will have this Seafood-Stuffed Sole.”  Jamie said as he pointed to what he was wanting on the menu.

            Brendan looked at me after he had written down what Jamie wanted.  “What about you?”

            “Admiral’s feast please.”  I told him.

            He smiled at me.  “Admiral’s Feast it is then sir.”  He wrote my order down then looked at Greg and Jenna.

            “Well since I am on a diet I will have the hand-tossed Caesar salad.”  Jenna told him.

            “Do you want wood-grilled shrimp or chicken?” Brendan asked her.

            “Shrimp.”

            “Give me the New York Strip and Lobster tail.” Greg told him.

            “Wow someone has an appetite tonight.”  Brendan commented.

            “Well you could always slip me that Bahama Mama and make it even better.” Greg told him.

            “Ask me that again in about six years when you are old enough.”

            “Three.” Greg corrected.         

            “Ok then.” Brendan laughed.  “I am going to turn your orders into the kitchen.”

            Dinner was awesome.  None of us had eaten at Red Lobster before because we don’t have one around us and had to drive to Inglewood to eat at this one.  Jamie insisted on paying for our food.  I really wanted to but he asked me out and that was that is how he explained it.

            When we got outside to the cars, Greg tossed his keys to Jamie.  “Change of plans.  Jenna and I are going to go catch a movie and you two can go do whatever you want.  If I find a scratch on my car your ass I mine.  Scratches show up easily on black cars ya know.”

            Jamie grinned at Greg.  “So my ass is yours.  I didn’t know you swung my way.”

            “Man shut it.”

            Jenna and Greg got in her car.  They made out for a few minutes then she started it up and drove off.

            Jamie looked at me.  “Are you having fun with me?”

            “Yeah, I actually am.  I’m having a lot more fun than I thought I would.  I just can’t believe we have as much in common as we do.”

            “What do you want to do now?”  He asked me.

            “Have you ever been go-kart riding?”  I asked him.

            He grinned at me from ear to ear.  “Have I, I love it.  There is this called Go Kart World and its awesome you wana go.”

            “Heck yeah I do.”

            He unlocked Greg’s car and we got in.  He started it up and looked at me.

            “I love driving this car.  It’s so much better than mine.  Greg’s parent’s got him this car for graduation and I got his old one, came fully loaded with every option available.”

            We continued talking until we got to Go Kart World.  I found out that his dad was the CEO of this Christian publishing company and his mom was head of the Theology department at a private college nearby.  He told me that Greg’s parents hated his parents and referred to them as snooty bible thumpers and says its people like them that make people want to quit going to church.  I can only imagine what he would think of my parents.

            I don’t think I ever had as much fun when we went go-kart riding.  He beat me every single time.  Finally on the last lap I assume he had pity on me and let me win.

            When we made it back to my dorm room Greg still hadn’t made it home.  I invited Jamie in so we could hang out some more.  I put a movie in Greg’s DVD player and Jamie and I lay down on my bed to watch it.  Well at least we had planned on watching it.  If you are thinking we had sex you are so dead wrong.  We talked all night.

            I woke up at one point during the night with Jamie’s arm wrapped tightly around me.  We were both covered up with a blanket. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was three in the morning.  I guess we fell asleep. 

            I reached under the mattress and pulled my journal out so I could write.  I felt like writing about how I felt.  Things were changing in my life.  I opened up the journal and then realized something, I couldn’t see I didn’t have my glasses on and I really didn’t remember taking them off.  I reached around on my desk until I found them and put them on.  I looked at Greg’s bed and saw that he was sound asleep. I suppose he came home and saw Jamie and I had fallen asleep and covered us up and took my glasses off.

August 22, 2010

Where do I even start…?  I went on a date tonight.  Well I guess last night seeing how its 3AM right now.  Any how it was with the guy that I kissed.  Jamie. It was amazing.  We went out and ate with Greg and Jenna then by ourselves we went go-kart riding something that both of us love doing.  When we finished we went back to my dorm room and watched a movie.  Now here I am waking up after falling asleep talking to this guy that I only met three days ago and it feels like I have known him all my life.  We have so much in common.  I really really like spending time with Jamie.  I honestly think I might have feelings for him.  He has the most beautiful greenish eyes of anyone.  His smile could light up a room.  It could turn a depressed person happy.  I know that we are going to spend lots of time together.  I think I am attracted to him in a way other than friends.  I just don’t know how to go about dating another guy,  What would happen if or when my parents find out.  I guess maybe I should let it just play itself out.  I am eighteen years old after all so it’s not like I really need them, but on the other hand they pay for my college and I am sure they would cut me completely off.  Well I am going to head back to sleep now.

Preston

            I glanced at Jamie, he looked so peaceful sleeping.  Even while he lay there in my bed asleep he still had the biggest smile on his face.  I couldn’t help smile myself.

            I looked at Greg’s bed and could see that Jenna was in bed with him.  How did I not see that before. 

I turned my journal to one of the earlier entries and read it.

December 10, 2006

Second entry in this book.  So I saw the guy again.  The new one.  I got butterflies in my stomach from sitting next to him in bible class.  I found out his name was Michael Richards and he was my age and that he and his parents had just moved there.  I couldn’t help but steal a peek at him.  I think he might have realized it too because he smiled at me once.  What is it about this guy.  Why do I get these feelings every time I am around him?

Love always,

Preston Roberts