Off Campus

Max’s Perspective

The semester was almost over and we were all snowed in for a couple of days. Shit, I hated the winters in the Midwest. The good news was that being snowed in brought Brody out of hibernation. Seth got him to come down and hang out with the rest of the group again. He and I had been talking and getting to know each other ever since I told Cam and Eric that I wanted the freedom to date. He blamed himself for the break-up and thought the other guys blamed him too so he had retreated from us for again. He wasn’t the reason for my change of heart, but yes… I was interested in him. I wanted to get to know him a little better before I came out and told everyone because if we ended up together then Brody would be in the middle of our group, and he wasn’t much for socializin’ (his words). When the storm hit and Brody hung out with us, it felt like we were together. The others seemed fine with that, hell he even fell asleep in our flat one night with me leaning on him in front of everyone. No one said a word. The next night he came down and hung out with us again, I ended up walking him up to his studio and he asked me out for New Year’s Eve.

The bad news was that just as Brody and I were getting to know each other, his grandmother (grammaw) died and went back to North Carolina. He had literally just asked me out the night before and now it was doubtful that he would even be back in time for our first date. Luckily, Seth ran into him in while he was packing up his Jeep and woke me up so I could say goodbye. Brody was too shy to wake me, he was more comfortable just leaving. I really wanted to go to North Carolina to be with him, but it was just too awkward. I mean, we hadn’t even gone out on a date yet, I couldn’t just show up at a family funeral a thousand miles away unannounced. Seth tried to talk me into going to North Carolina to support him as a friend, but it felt a little stalker-esque to me.

Later that night when Brody called from the road, I went into my room to take the call. I told him I wish I could be there with him, he just answered “me too.” I think he really meant it, I hung up the phone and cried a little. I felt bad for his loss, but selfishly, I felt bad for mine too. Who knows when he’d be back? it felt like I’d lost Brody before I even had him. That night I tossed and turned worrying about losing a relationship I never even had.

The next morning, we all went to church together as usual, then to Ma Fischer’s for breakfast. We were all eating and talking when the subject changed to Christmas and we all started to talk about our plans for the holiday, Cam said, “Speaking of Christmas, Max… we all pitched in and got you an early present. Check your email.” All four guys were watching me, I just gave them a confused look, grabbed my phone, and checked my e-mail, I saw one from Cam and opened it. It was an airline confirmation for a flight to Raleigh, then back home to Minneapolis for Christmas. I looked up at the three of them in disbelief. “You should be with him” Cam said. Yup, Cam. Cam, the one who had the hardest time with all this just sent me a plane ticket to be with Brody.

“Thank you, guys” I said looking at the three of them still in a state of surprise. Then I looked at Cam and asked, “Are you sure, Cam?” I was having a hard time believing that he was okay with this.

“Yup” He said.

Then Seth chimed in “it was his idea.” I looked over at Cam, he was just smiling at me and nodded.

“Listen, you were right. You got me through a rough time and it was a lot of fun when all three of us were into it. But I get it… you want something different. I love you and I want you to be happy, you’ll regret it if you don’t at least try with Brody and I’d feel like shit if you didn’t try because of me” Cam said with sincerity. I was proud of him; this was a big gesture.

“Thanks guys” I said again before looking at my phone and checking the dates.

“This leaves tomorrow afternoon!” I said in a panic.

“Yeah, we found her obituary on line and the memorial service is on Tuesday morning” Seth responded. “We got you a cheap motel near the church for Monday night, you’re kind of on your own after that.”

I started to think through my plans and figure out the logistics. I asked my friends, “Should I call him or just show up?” He probably had enough going on without having to babysit me. I wasn’t sure this was a great idea, but I was excited to be with him. After talking it over with the guys, I decided it was best to call first. After breakfast I went into my room, laid on my bed and called him. He answered on the first ring.

“Hey” he said as he answered the phone. Just hearing his voice had my heart beating hard.

“Hey, how’s everything going?” I asked. To my surprise he started telling me about his trip, his family, how he was getting along with everyone. He even told me a couple of stories about Grammaw. Brody NEVER talks! He’s one of the quietest people I had ever met, but it was clear he needed someone to talk to and it felt good that he picked me. He talked for a good ten minutes and I just laid on my bed and listened to him with a big smile on my face.

“Hey,” I said changing the subject. “The guys got me a plane ticket to come down for the funeral.” I blurted out, then added “You need to tell me if that’s too weird or makes you uncomfortable.”

“Fuck no!” He said, and my heart sunk, he didn’t want me there. I knew this was a mistake. “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable at all!! Are you really gonna come?” Oh shit! He was excited about it! In fact I had never heard him that excited before. He wanted me to come. His voice was animated and I could almost hear his smile.

“Really? You’re good with it?” I asked with a smile on my face and a huge warmth in my heart.

“Hell yeah, I’m good with it!” He said with a laugh. “They don’t get me around here; I could use a friend. When do you get in?”

I asked him to hold while I put my EarPods in so I could access my e-mail while we talked. Then I read him the itinerary and added “the guys booked me at a motel near the funeral.”

When I told him the name of the motel he instantly shot back “Cancel that shit, that place is a hooker motel.” I laughed at him saying hooker with his accent, damn he was so cute. “You can stay with me. I’m staying at Grammaw’s place alone and there’s plenty of room.”

“Are you sure that’s cool?” I asked excited by the prospect of being alone with him, but still feeling like I was butting in where I didn’t belong.

“Absolutely!” He chimed back with exuberance. Yup, Brody was excited that I was coming. “I’ll pick you up at the airport, then bring you back here, it’s almost two hours away from the airport, that’ll get us back just in time for dinner with my family.” My heart stopped again. Shit. I hadn’t even thought about meeting his family.

“Um… family dinner?” I asked. Brody was reading my mind.

“It’s no big deal. You’re just a friend from school, hell they all know I’m gay anyway and it aint a thing.” His voice was so sweet and genuine. It became clear that he wanted me there as badly as I wanted to be with him. “They’re harmless, but I have to warn you they’re kinda country.”

“Like farmers?’ I asked.

Brody laughed, “no. Like rednecks.” I just laughed. “I aint kiddin’, Max. They’re trailer dwellin’, confederate flag wavin’, pick-up drivin’ rednecks.” Then he paused and said, “I’m the sophisticated city boy around here.”

“Oh c’mon, Brody, I’m sure they’re not that bad.” I said laughing.

He laughed out loud, “The hell they aint. They’re good people, but they aint never left our hometown and have a limited world view. They don’t know what PC means; just promise me you won’t get offended by anything they say.” He ran down the list of players. “My family will love you; Betty Ann, my step momma, will gossip your ear off about a bunch of people you don’t know, my brother Dylan will just look at you for a while, sizing you up and making sure you’re good enough for me, and daddy won’t say a damn thing.” He said. He told me story after story about his family and had me laughing out loud. He was trying to make them sound awful, but honestly, I couldn’t wait to meet them. We ended up talking for almost two hours. After I said goodbye and hung up the phone, I realized that this was the most we had ever talked. I was just getting to know him, and I loved what I was learning.

As soon as we hung up, I went to work on the logistics. I had two more days of classes before the break, but luckily, all my final exams were done. The next two days would be spent reviewing professors and sending out course evaluations, I could skip all that without any problems. The only real work I had left was to hand in my psychology term paper, but it just needed some tweaking and it would be done. I opened my laptop and an hour later the paper was ready to hand in. I reread the assignment to make sure I was on target and saw that I could submit it on-line, so I did. All my work for the semester was officially done. Next, I packed my bags, I needed to pack for North Carolina, and for my trip home. I pulled my suit out of the back of my closet and laid it on the bed, within about 10 minutes I had my bed covered in clothes. It took me an hour to figure out how to fit it all in the suitcase. I decided to wear my suitcoat on the plane so it didn’t wrinkle. While I was packing, I realized that I had Christmas gifts for my family that had to make it to Minnesota. Shit! I didn’t wanna lug them to North Carolina, then back. I pulled out my phone and found a UPS store close by, borrowed Cam’s Fiat and then went and shipped them all to Minneapolis. On the way home I stopped at Walgreen’s to get some travel-sized toiletries, then at an ATM to grab some cash for traveling. When I got home, Cam volunteered to take me to the airport after my classes on Monday. I had a plan.

The next morning, I walked to my Psychology class with Seth, then went to my other morning classes before meeting the guys for lunch in the cafeteria to say goodbye. I thanked them over and over for the plane ticket. The day went by fast and before I knew it, it was time to leave for the airport. I loaded my bag into the Fiat and Cam drove me to the airport.

The ride was quiet at first with some tunes playing quietly in the background as the Fiat scurried south down Highway-94. “Hey Cam,” I said meekly. “Thanks for doing this, I know you don’t love the idea of me with Brody.”

Cam laughed a little as he drove. “I’m really fine with it. Yeah, I was upset at first. I fucking hate change!” He switched lanes as he continued to talk, “but you were right. Things are gelling with me and Eric and I love not to have to hide our relationship from everyone. I called my mom the other night and told her about me and Eric.”

“That’s a huge deal!” I said, “what did she say?”

He laughed and said, “she likes him, but was surprised, she said I thought that redhead was more your type.”We both laughed at that. Mothers loved me, my red hair made me look innocent and parents always assumed I was a good influence. Brody told me that he knew I ‘had the devil inside me’ the day he met me. The weird thing is that I am a pretty quiet, innocent guy, but I’m not afraid to get into a little trouble now and then. Cam and I had a good talk and it was clear that he was happy with Eric, and good with our new situation. We hugged when he dropped me off at the departures gate. “Merry Christmas, Max. And good luck” he said as I walked into the airport.

My flight went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, my bag was huge and I had to check it. When I got to baggage claim, there was Brody. Standing there in his faded, paint-covered jeans and a red hoodie with his curls partially hidden under an old baseball cap. He had his hands in his pockets and a huge smile on his adorable face when he saw me walking down the corridor. He came up and gave me an awkward hug (hugging wasn’t his thing). We made small talk as we found my bag and headed into the parking structure to find his old Jeep. We packed it up and shut the doors, he cranked up the engine and the heat, then leaned over and hugged me again. “I can’t believe you came.” He said, then kissed me. It was our first real kiss. I kissed him back, and it went from a kiss between friends to something more… we both felt it. Leaning over the stick shift, we held each other for a little while and damn it felt good.

On the way to grammaw’s house Brody told me more stories about his family. I noticed his accent was even thicker than usual. He talked a lot about his daddy and step momma but not about his mother, so I asked about her. He said he hasn’t seen much if her since he turned 18. She suffered from schizophrenia and wasn’t too stable. She had cheated on his dad when he and Dylan were in high school. His parents divorced and he lived mostly with his dad, but he and Dylan were basically on their own. His mother would disappear for months at a time and only contact them when she needed money. He and Dylan spent more time at grammaw’s house than anywhere else during their high school years. That quiet, adorable little man had been through hell. After high school Dylan, who was two years older than Brody, got a job on the docks and bought a trailer with a little land near his dad, and Brody took off and went to ‘The Big City.’ “now you know where all the bodies are buried” Brody said as we pulled into a long driveway that led through a lot of unkept land to a little cottage. “Here we are” he said as he parked in front of the garage.

We both jumped out of the Jeep, I looked around while Brody started to unload my bags. It was a small A-Frame with a couple of dormers and a big porch in front that wrapped around one of the sides. The white paint was faded and worn, and the ten plus acres were overgrown and unkept, the once adorable little home had obviously been neglected for a while. I could see a small barn off to the side and what looked like a shed not too far from that. We walked up the stone walkway and the creaky steps to the porch, then into the old house. Inside, everything was perfect, old, and outdated, but perfect. It was the quintessential grandma’s house with an afghan on the couch and doylies on the end tables.

“She’d been living in a nursing home for the past several months and the place has been sitting empty. Daddy and Dylan have been keeping an eye on it.” Brody said as he showed me around, it was a cute house and just needed some TLC. We walked up the old staircase to the three bedrooms upstairs, the rooms were all perfectly appointed. “You can stay in Grammaw’s old room, I’m across the hall” Brody said. I was a little disappointed that he gave me my own room, at the same time I was relieved. I set my bags down. “We’re due at my Daddy’s in a few minutes, I could cancel if you’re not up to it.”

“That’s okay, I’m ready.” He smiled at me and surprised me with another hug. Brody wasn’t a hugger.

“I’m glad you came… surprised, but glad” Brody said then kissed me again, I kissed him back. Our second official kiss. It was so soft and sweet, then it got a little more passionate. We were making out in grammaw’s bedroom and it was freaking electric. Brody pulled away “we gotta get goin’” The he looked me in the eyes and said “But this aint over. More later.” My heart was beating hard and I gave him a huge smile.

When we pulled up to his dad’s house my eyes were wide. It was a small prefab home on a couple of acres. There were a. couple of pickup trucks and an old Chevy parked on the front lawn, Brody added his Jeep to the mix of vehicles. I looked up and saw a confederate flag flying proudly, it made me uneasy. Brody saw the look on my face and said “they see it as Southern pride, I’ve been telling them for years that what the south stood for during the confederacy was nothin’ to be proud of, but they don’t get it. They keep callin’ it ‘heritage’ and I gave up tryin’ to change their minds.” He could see that I was still nervous and said “They’re all great people, they just…” he hesitated trying to find the words, “…well they just have limited experience, I guess. None of them have ever lived anywhere but here, and the furthest they ever traveled was to Florida on vacation.” Then he added “They’re harmless and salt of the earth people” then we headed inside.

When Brody opened the door to the little house, everyone was sitting in the living room around the fireplace. You could smell dinner cooking through the cigarette smoke. They all cheered his name as we walked in and before he could even introduce me his stepmother, Betty Ann came up to me and said, “Well this must be your friend Max” Her southern accent put Brody’s to shame. She rubbed my head vigorously and said “Dear lord, y’all didn’t tell us he was a ginger. Lookit that hair, it’s redder’ than a fire truck, bless your heart.”

I looked over at Brody, he was just smiling, trying not to laugh out loud and mouthing the words ‘I warned you.’  Brody told me later that “bless your heart” is what southern folks say to soften the blow when they insult you, “It’s sweet as pie, and nasty as hell at the same time” he said. I added that phrase to my vocabulary.

I heard a loud laugh come from one of the reclining chairs by the fireplace, then the man got up and came over to shake my hand “Hi, I’m Dylan, Brody’s brother.” Oh my god! Dylan was the bear cub version of Brody. Same height, a little stockier, and a full beard, but cute as hell. The two of them side-by-side were so damn adorable.

As I was admiring the two brothers, a voice came booming from the other lounger “I’m Brody’s daddy, y’all can call me Billy.” He said.

I walked his way to shake his hand “Hi Billy, I’m Max, thank you all for inviting me tonight.”

He laughed at my Minnesota accent and said, “It’s ‘y’all’ son, not ‘you all.’” Then he took a drag from his cigarette and told me to have a seat in the recliner that Dylan had been sitting in. The rest of them came into the living room and piled around on the couches and overstuffed chairs. He and Betty Ann asked all about me, where I was from, what I was studying, how I knew Brody, etc. They were both very talkative, Brody and Dylan just sat quietly listening. I could tell Brody was monitoring what they said, waiting for someone to embarrass him.

Then Betty Ann blurted “So, Red (a nickname for me that Brody’s entire family adopted), you must be a mighty good friend to travel so far just to comfort Brody in his time of need.”

“Betty Ann” Brody barked, knowing what she was getting at.

“Calm down, hon. I’m just getting’ to know your friend.” Betty Ann retorted, then looked back at me. “So are y’all boyfriends?”

“I like him way better’n the guy you used to date” Dylan said.

Brody jumped in to save me “Shut up Dylan, we’re just friends, y’all.” They all just smirked and nodded, no one bought it. They were nothing but nice to me and I felt at home. Brody may have thought they were rednecks, but they were good people and obviously loved him. We all talked, laughed, and got to know each other over dinner. Betty Ann was an incredible southern cook; her fried chicken was the best.

After dinner Billy looked at his two sons and said, “Boys, I need to talk to y’all in private.”

“Why don’t y’all take your pie out to the living room, I’ll stay in here and clean up” Betty Ann suggested, and I offered to help her. “This one’s a keeper, Brody” she yelled as they walked out. We cleaned up and did the dishes while the others talked in the living room. Brody was right, Betty Ann gossiped my ear off about anyone and everyone. I hadn’t met any of these people yet, but by the time we finished with the dishes I knew everything about every relative and everyone in town. She was gossiping and blessing hearts left and right. I just listened and laughed; she was a lot of fun to hang out with. The three men joined us in the kitchen about a half hour later, Brody and Dylan were pretty quiet for the rest of the night.

About an hour later, Brody and I said goodnight, jumped in the Jeep and headed back to Grammaw’s. Brody was silent the whole way home. When we got back to the house, we both got into our sweats. He lit a fire in the old fireplace and put on some music. Brody loved Dance electronic music; he said the beat helped him paint. When we were finally alone sitting on the couch, he said “Grammaw left me the house.” He said it nonchalantly, like it was no big deal.

He was leaning on me with his head on my shoulder. “What?” I asked in surprise. “She left you the house. This House?”

“Yup” he said. “Daddy gave me a letter she wrote. She left it to me in case I wanted to move back home.” My heart stopped beating. It never occurred to me that he might move home, especially now… just when we were getting to know each other.

“Well, is that something you’re thinking about?” I asked hoping he would just scream ‘NO’, but he didn’t.

“I dunno, not right now. But maybe after school.” He said thoughtfully. “I think about moving back once in a while, but then again I never really felt like I fit in here.”

“But maybe?” I asked in a pitiful voice.

“Maybe someday.” Brody said, “Who knows, maybe. As crazy as my family is, I love ‘em.” Then he looked up into my eyes and must’ve read my sadness. “Honestly, Daddy just told me about it, I haven’t really thought it through, Max.” He paused for a minute, his head still on my shoulder and his eyes on the fire. “She left everything to me and Dylan. I got the house and a little cash; he got more cash. I asked him if he wanted the house but he said he was happy where he is. Him and daddy will keep an eye on the place until I figure out what to do. I’m thinking I’ll fix it up on my breaks from school, and then when I’m done with school I’ll decide what to do.”

“It’s a cute house” I said quietly while stroking his hair. “What do you want to do to it.”

To my surprise he had a million ideas for fixing it up already. From cleaning up the land and planting a garden, to remodeling the kitchen and baths, “I could make an art studio in the loft of old barn where I could paint and do freelance graphic design, I could even put a massage studio with a shower and bathroom on the first floor.” He was daydreaming out loud, I loved hearing all of it, but at the same time was afraid he would move away from me.

“That all sounds amazing, but dammit Brody I don’t want you to move.” I said hitting the top of his head playfully with my hand.

He moved himself up a little and kissed me “I aint ready to leave yet” he said in a serious tone. “I really like you, Max and I’m just getting to know you.” He took a deep breath and asked “Will you go on a real date with me tomorrow night? I may not be back for New Year’s Eve.”

I smiled and said “Absolutely”

“Good!” He said with another kiss. We got the funeral in the morning, then a get together with the family for lunch, then I’m takin’ you to the coast for seafood.” So, I’m not a geographical genius. I literally had no idea that we were like a half hour from the ocean. It felt like we were in the middle of farm country. Brody and I kissed for a while on the couch and felt each other up a bit.

At the end of the night, he walked me to my room and said, “That’s as far as I wanna go before I take y’all on a proper date” then kissed me goodnight at the bedroom door.

I laid in the bed thinking about a life with Brody. Could I live here? Maybe get a teaching job at a little rural school? Would they even hire a gay guy to teach down here? I pictured myself bringing lunch out to Brody in his studio, and us working in the garden together. Before I fell asleep, I realized that I was building an imaginary life with Brody. Just like I caught Zach and Seth doing a few weeks ago at the duplex, Maybe Brody was the one. That thought made me happy and uncomfortable all at the same time… I loved that feeling because it was real.

The next day I got up and Brody was already in the kitchen making me breakfast in his boxer shorts “Hey sleepy head” he said as he slid the scrambled eggs out of the frying pan and onto the plates, then took the sausages out of another pan and divided them up between us. When he put the pan down, he came over and kissed me on the cheek, but that wasn’t enough. Then he put his arms around my waist and we were face to face. Damn it felt right.

We sat down to breakfast and talked about the day ahead of us. “How are you feeling about the funeral?” I asked.

“I’m fine. Staying here for the past couple of days helped me make peace with it, I’ve been thinking about her a lot. She was the one person that understood me, she even made me an art studio in the loft of the barn when I was younger so I had a place to paint” he said as he ate. “Grammaw woulda’ loved you” he added smiling at me, then looked at my freckles and said “Grammaw used to say that a face without freckles is like a night without stars.” I just laughed. He talked more about her, telling me more stories. Brody was different here in this house, alone with me. More open. More comfortable. More… more… I dunno more Brody, maybe? Whatever it was, I loved it. I was falling for this Brody even more.

After breakfast we went to the funeral. His grammaw had lived in the small rural town all her life and almost everyone came out to pay their respects. They all hugged Brody and Dylan; I could tell Brody hated it but did his best to smile through it all. He wasn’t a hugger. The service was beautiful, Brody, his dad, and his brother all got up and shared stories, Brody looked so cute standing up there in his suit with his curly auburn hair just perfectly askew, I was used to seeing him in paint-covered clothes, and a baseball cap. After the service we drove in a caravan out to the cemetery with Dylan in the passenger seat of the Jeep and me in the back. I just listened as the two brothers talked. Dylan was doing his best to convince Brody to move back telling him about how much the family missed him, and how much the town had changed. “I even know a couple of gay guys now” he said making the two of us laugh. Then to my surprise he said, “That house is plenty big for you, Red here and a couple of adopted oriental babies.” Oh my god! My eyes went wide as Brody laughed, reached over, and punched his brother in the arm.

“Jesus Dylan yer an idiot” Brody said with a smile.

“Whut?!” Dylan said in his country accent. “I just want my baby brother back and happy, that’s all.” The two talked like that until we pulled into the church parking lot. They had lunch set up in the basement of the old building. Brody introduced me around to his family, neighbors, and childhood friends. Word had gotten out that Brody inherited the house (Or ES–state as they all pronounced it) and they were all pushing him to move back. He was able to hold everyone at bay by telling them he was holding onto the place for now until he finished his degree.

I stayed by Brody’s side and didn’t go unnoticed. Everyone was asking Dylan who I was, and he kept telling them I was ‘Brody’s boyfriend, Red’. At one point Dylan wrapped his arm around me and moved me through the crowd introducing me around. The afternoon dragged on as Betty Ann and Dylan made sure I met everyone and talked to a bunch of people I didn’t know while Brody and his dad stood quietly in the corner. The family dynamics were interesting. Finally, it was time to go back to Grammaw’s. As soon as we got in the Jeep Brody said, “I can’t wait to get outta these monkey suits and start courtin’ you.” Damn he was cute. “Max, it was nice of you to come. It made this a lot easier for me. And thanks for puttin’ up with my family.” Then he gave me a peck on the cheek, right there in the church parking lot.

“I’m glad I came. And I love your family!” I paused “even Dylan” Brody rolled his eyes, called him a pain in the ass, and laughed. 

It was still daylight when we got home and Brody showed me around the property. It was winter so all the leaves were off the trees and still laying on the ground. He took me through the land showing me where the big garden used to be, there was even a small orchard with a half dozen apple trees. He took me through the barn and pointed out where he wanted his studio and his massage room, he showed me the tiny shed next to it. It was full of old tools, including a riding mower. Then we went into the garage and were greeted by an old, green Buick Century with a thick layer of dust covering its flawless body. “That’s Grammaw’s old car, she left me that too” Brody said with a chuckle as he opened the door and looked inside. “It’s probably been sitting here for two years” then he chuckled again and said “It’s gotta be twenty-five years old and only has 27,000 miles on it and the seats are covered in plastic.” Brody walked around inspecting the car then ran into the house to find the keys. He came back out and tried to start it but the battery was dead. “I’ll have daddy help me get her running before I leave.” Then he locked up the garage and we headed into the house.

“This place is awesome. Brody. I could see why you’d want to come back” I said.

He gave me a weak smile, and said “Yeah, there’s a lot of reasons to come back, but there are a lot of reasons not to. Grammaw loved to make me think about life, that’s why she left me this place.” Then he sighed and said “I got a date tonight with a hot guy! Let’s get ready” and kissed me. Then we went into two separate bathrooms and took showers. I put on khakis and a polo (a tight one to show off the few muscles I had. I wasn’t big but I was toned and proud of my body). Brody came out in a brand-new pair of jeans, a black button-down shirt, and cowboy boots. I gave him shit about his boots. “Don’t laugh at my shit-kickers” he said flashing me that adorable smile. Then we headed out to the Jeep and he opened the door for me. We drove to the coast and Brody was talkative as hell, we laughed and joked, but there was a little nervousness about him.

When we got to the little beachside restaurant, he opened the door for me.

The place was bright and full of energy, it wasn’t the cleanest place, but it was cute and right on the beach. The waitress came to our ocean view table to take our order, as soon as Brody spoke, she down at him “Brody!” she yelled then hugged him as he sat uncomfortably.

“Hey Pam” he said. They had gone to high school together. “This is my boyfriend, Max” he added to my total shock. Boyfriend? I wasn’t expecting that… but I liked it.

“Hey darlin’ you snagged yourself a keeper” she said to me as she motioned to Brody. They talked for a bit, she gave him her condolences for his grammaw, then took our order. Actually, she told us our order. “Y’all are gonna have the surf n’ turf. The lobster just came off the boat and the steaks are from Leary’s farm. It’s the best thing on the menu.

When she walked away, I asked. “Boyfriend” with an approving smile.

“Why not, Red. Dylan told the whole damn town already.” He responded with an exasperated snicker. “Are you ok with that title?”

HELL, YES, I WAS! “Yeah, I think it’s fine since you’re buying dinner.” I responded. He smiled.

It didn’t take long for Pam to return with our food, she wasn’t wrong, The surf and turf was unbelievable. Brody and I talked all through our amazing meal. He asked me a lot of questions about my childhood and told me stories of his, we shared intimate details about our lives as we got to know each other even more. He paid the bill and told Pam “we need a couple of road sodas.” Pam smiled and brought us solo cups with whiskey. We left the restaurant and walked along the dark beach. As we walked in the darkness admiring the stars and sipping our whiskey, Brody grabbed my hand and held it. It was probably the most romantic moment of my life. We walked for over an hour before getting back in the Jeep and heading home.

When we got back to Grammaw’s, Brody walked me up to my room and kissed me good night. I invited him in. He hesitated, but then crossed the threshold. We kissed tentatively at first, then more passionately, within a minute we were tearing each other’s clothes off. It was finally happening.

To be continued…