Driving at ninety miles per hour, Michael was relieved to pass the South Carolina state line en route to Chapel Hill. I'm on a roll he thought, having taken but 45 minutes to drive halfway through the state, where it normally took him an hour. In less than an hour he would merge on Interstate 40-West and be with Darrin. The summer day had a light breeze, and he hoped his boyfriend remembered to take his anti-depressant pills and was enjoying it while on cigarette breaks from the grand opening of the newest location of his successful restaurant chain, The Mad Burrito.
"Siouxsie!" exclaimed Michael as he heard the opening chords of 'Peek A Boo" on Rock 96.5. Singing along, he grew impatient with the increase of cars on the four lane interstate. He simply couldn't wait to embark on his new life with Darrin in the blooming tri-city metropolis of North Carolina. They would reside in Chapel Hill--where Darrin's office was located, and where Michael would transfer to the University of North Carolina--and make a home in this city of hope, which neighbored Durham and Raleigh.
Less than two months before, Michael was a sobbing drunk at Metropolis'the eminent gay dance club in Columbia, South Carolina'when he mistook Darrin's shoulder for that of a friend, and cried uncontrollably about his lost love, Patrick. His intoxicated outpour sincerely touched Darrin, and he quickly extended his business trip in Columbia by two days to better know the sentimental, pretty boy that cried on his shoulder. A chance meeting perhaps, but one that led to constant trips to North Carolina for Michael, and eventually brought forth the decision to move there.
As 'Peek A Boo'� ended, Michael's demeanor suddenly changed. 'Peek a boo'� he said to himself, 'It's just a song.'� The song title reminded him of Darrin's moodiness'after all it does suggest a surprise. Over the past two weeks, Darrin had a sour attitude due to the constant change of moving dates for Michael. He insisted that Michael move on 5th July as opposed to today, 6th July. Michael, on the other hand, did not consider the 5th since Independence Day fell on a Sunday and it would not be honored until July 5th. Worst yet, Darrin was not too sympathetic that morning when Michael informed him of his late arrival at 2 pm as opposed to an arrival at noon, when Darrin hoped to escape the frenzy for a meal. Michael's spoken words eventually returned to thoughts and he pondered Why can't he be like before'before the new restaurant opened?
Forty minutes had passed from the ending of 'Peek A Boo'� to driving off the exit ramp. He had plenty of time to think of Darrin, so his thoughts transcended to his parents'. I will call mom once I get to the house. She will feel better to know that I finally made it. His mother's generosity and support allowed him to smile when he pulled in the driveway. The smile grew wider with one glace at the cottage he and Darrin decided to rent on his last trip. This was his first time arriving at the house, so he could not wait to see what Darrin had done with it since he already moved in. Home sweet home.
He walked in the kitchen door and rolled his eyes on the way to their bedroom to see the living room cluttered with Darrin's misplaced furniture. Books littered the floor, tables were disassembled, clothes lied on the couch, and there were no blinds or curtains on the windows. Even worse, the office was filled with boxes of Darrin's junk. Michael could barely get through the room without walking over scattered papers'bills, receipts, pictures'and had to push three large boxes out of his way to walk to the bedroom.
The bedroom did not please him, either. Darrin's laundry littered the floor and the dresser was covered with Styrofoam cups which were filled with old coffee and cigarette butts. Uggh! What a mess! he mused to himself. He searched for one of Darrin's business cards in his wallet and decided to call him instead of cleaning a mess he could not claim.
After three rings, Mark'Darrin's full time cashier and their mutual friend'answered. Mark officially welcomed him to Chapel Hill and informed him of a new Goth club which just opened on Franklin Street, only a few blocks from the Mad Burrito. Tired, but interested, the news aroused his attention, which resulted in setting a date for Thursday night. As Michael started devising a dark wardrobe for the outing, Mark's words were cut short when Darrin spoke.
'Ok, I need to be in Raleigh in one hour. Get here in about five minutes.'�
'Hello to you, too, Darrin. As always, it's good to hear your voice and contemplate accepting your demands.'� Michael assumed Darrin was still angry about the many factors which had influenced his bitter attitude lately.
'Hey babe, I'm sorry, it's just that I have to be at the restaurant supply before they close so we can have tonight to ourselves.'�
'And this is why you have a full time manager?'�
'And an assistant,'� he replied giggling.
Maybe Darrin had taken his medications after all, for he did sound quite content.
'I'll be there in a few minutes.'�
The sunny day prompted Michael to drive with the car windows open on the way to the restaurant. He felt joyous to drive down Franklin Street'the business district of Chapel Hill'and observe the restaurants he had dined at with Darrin, and see the diversity of people which crowded the sidewalks and crossed the streets. Eventually he would join the multitudes of people walking and be just another face in the crowd. He loved the anonymity of the city and could not wait to start his life anew: a new relationship, a new school, and a new job. With the cultural diversity here, he would no longer stand out as the young Brazilian boy in rural South Carolina. Caught in though, he nearly missed an adequate parking space in front of the restaurant, so he missed hitting a car by a few inches as he attempted to Parallel Park.
The drive to Raleigh was overcast by a silent dialogue between the two which would be a common occurrence in the following days. With the exception of superficial observations'such as their appearances, the restaurant, or the weather'and the constant ringing of Darrin's cell phone, the couple appeared mute. After Darrin's visit to the supply store, they went to the theatre and Michael fell asleep halfway through a gay drama of Darrin's choice. Quite the movie snob, Michael would have preferred going to the local independent film theatre, but materialism and pretty images were one of the few things the two had in common, so he didn't object to the film, nor falling asleep halfway through it. When the credits began, Darrin kissed Michael's lips.
'Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. It's time to go home,'� he whispered. He stared at Michael's delicately tanned skin. Flawless and natural, his skin was obviously touched by the sun because he appeared to be darker than the last time they were together. Michael was lost in sleep, but he woke up to Darrin's kisses and caresses. His bright red lips appeared to have lipstick, but this was mainly due to his habit of biting them and seldom giving them the moisture. Regardless, they stood out from the rest of his facial features. Darrin craved to kiss him again, and he did so passionately enough to bring forth a natural, responsive embrace from Michael who fully welcomed the attention.
'Gosh is the movie over?'� asked Michael as he politely pushed his lover to his seat.
'Yeah, are you tired?'�
'Yes. Very tired.'� Michael yawned, stood up, and stretched. 'I'�ve been on the road all day and I still have to unpack. I didn't get a chance to do anything when I got here.'�
'Well you can do that tomorrow. You know, you looked so pretty sleeping. I don't think I've ever looked at you while you sleep.'� As they both made it through the aisles, Darrin firmly placed his arm around his younger companion and said 'It's nice seeing you quiet and not being the chatterbox I'm used to.'� Darrin's smile prompted Michael to simply respond with a kiss on his cheek.
Tuesday morning arrived and Michael woke up at 6 am to get the day started. By 7 a.m., he started unpacking, which woke Darrin up. Thirty minutes later they were out of the door and en route to the restaurant, where Darrin informed Michael that his driving restriction had been lifted, and on Friday morning, he had a driving test to restore his driving privileges. Michael was ecstatic to hear the good news. How splendid! Our lives together will finally get started the right way.
After dropping Darrin off, he went home and realized that unpacking'what took three people to pack'was not easy. At 5'7'� and 120 pounds, Michael could not possibly unload his belongings in the same amount of time it took his mother, a neighbor, and himself to pack. The bedroom was decorated by noon with angels and fairies galore, and he was comforted to see the resemblance to his bedroom. Of course, the oversized windows and his mother's influence were lacking, but this was his new haven nonetheless. After a brief lunch, he went on to clean the rest of the house.
By the time Darrin arrived at 7 p.m., Michael was stepping out of the shower.
'Boo!'� exclaimed Darrin, wrapping his arms around the 21 year old's thirty inch waist that was covered in a bath towel. 'Are you ready for dinner? I made reservations at Top of the Hill.'�
'Yes, just let me get dressed. How was work?'� he asked as Darrin undressed and stepped in the shower and explained that business had yet to catch on as it had at the Durham location.
Minutes later, leaving the house, Darrin continued talking about business as Michael waited for comment's on the Martha Stewart-esque job he did on the house. Within two hours, the house's condition was still unmentioned as Michael shrugged at the topics of conversation which did not interest him. Why did he care if Michael Jordan dined there? And he had yet to express concern in the restaurant's recipe for potato salad. Really, why should Darrin care, if his restaurant is restaurant caters to Mexican food? What would a Mexican potato salad consist of'potatoes & refried beans?
Satisfied with the day and their hearty meal, the two started undressing in their bedroom and Darrin started fondling Michael's smooth chest. He responded by touching his 31 year old lover's hairy chest. Eventually they were locked in an embrace, equally mystified by the sensual textures of each other's bodies. Michael's smooth body was the desirous confection Darrin's more sluggish body needed to release his tensions after a hard day at work. As their passions soared'with the increase of kissing, fondling, and body contact'Darrin gently lowered Michael to his waist. As he allowed himself to be lowered, Michael affectionately kissed and licked the hair on his chest, while he reached for Darrin's erect penis and allowed his wet fingers to give it a hint of what to expect. Breathing over the hair, and nibbling on Darrin's belly, he finally reached his destination, but bit his right pinky instead. To his disappointment, Michael fully accepted that his lover's penis stood at roughly 4 inches erect. And it wasn't the size which bothered him, because God knows Darrin had a wondrous tongue, but the penis itself was crooked. It wasn't slanted as better proportioned men have the tendency to have theirs, but it was severely crooked where the head begins. Thoughts and judgments aside, Michael decided to take the plunge, but as his tongue became a teaser, he realized that Darrin's penis resembled his mother's crooked nose! Sensing his lover's ten second withdrawal at this realization, Darrin lowered his body and pushed Michael's face toward his crotch. Unable to vacate his mind of his mother's crooked nose'which was due to a car accident years ago'as he felt obligated to suck on a penis which was making him lose his own erection, Michael bit his pinky again, only to let his jaw drop it within five seconds and start laughing hysterically.
Darrin raised himself on his elbows and stared at Michael. 'What are you laughing at?'�
'Its nothing.'� Embarrassed, Michael started to giggle as if to lighten the offense, 'I am so sorry, but''
'But nothing! You are so wrong for that! You don't see me laughing at your dick or your flat ass!'�
'It's so cute, Darrin. I couldn't help it. It reminds me of''
'Nothing. I'm going to sleep.'�
Wednesday was not a good day for the couple. After dropping his still embarrassed lover off at work, Michael started job hunting. They ate lunch together, and the silence from two days before was the uninvited third guest. After lunch, Michael stayed at the restaurant and helped with Darrin with various jobs'from taking orders, to wrapping burritos. At 3 p.m. Michael decided to shop down Franklin Street. Before he left, he met a new 19 year old employee named Will. He was not very friendly with Michael, but in at attempt to be fair, Michael treated him with the same respect he gave to Darrin's other employees.
By 6 p.m., Michael walked back to the restaurant with many bags which contained gifts for his family and friends in Alcolu. The restaurant was very busy by this time, but he made his way through the crowd, and nearly dropped his bags to witness Will massaging Darrin's back. They both laughed heartily and did not notice Michael who stood nearly four feet away. Approaching the register, he offered a gleeful smile, put his bags down, and reached over to kiss Darrin's lips and said 'Hi honey.'�
Shocked, Will's arms dropped and he returned to wrapping burritos.
'Hey. Went out shopping?'� Darrin started fumbling through receipts and arranged orders which were before him.
Turning up the notches on his already effeminate nature, Michael winked his eye at his lover and said 'Unh huh. You have one hell of a dinner crowd. You're busy, huh?'�
Avoiding eye contact, Darrin simply stated 'It's the dinner crowd. Uh, are you going home or are you taking me to my AA meeting?'�
'I can take you, unless someone else can. It doesn't matter, darling. I simply have to put these bags in my car.'� Lifting them for Darrin to see, he added 'I got so many great gifts for our first trip to my parents'.'�
'It's a bit early for that, isn't it?'�
'Aww, one can never be too prepared, don't you think?'� responded Michael with another wink.
'So you're planning to go home soon? Mark!'� Darrin turned around as Mark rushed to the register.
'What's up? Hi, Michael. Are we still on for tomorrow night?'� asked Mark.
'What's going on tomorrow night? Mark, I need you to arrange these receipts before you leave and make sure Will knows how to cash out. I have to go to my AA meeting soon.'�
'Sure thing man, I'll do that. Are you comin' with us, Darrin? That Goth bar is called 'Hell.''� Mark started arranging the receipts and shifted his attention to a customer while Darrin finally made eye contact with Michael.
'I don't know anything about a Goth bar. I didn't realize you were off tomorrow night. You to can go because I don't do the Goth scene.'�
'Honey, I know you want to go there. You'll enjoy it,'� added Michael sarcastically. Laughing out loud, he ignored Darrin's dirty look, and started walking toward the back exit of the building.
As he made it to the car, he felt tired at aggravated. He filled his trunk with the shopping bags, and without giving it a second thought, he drove off. He figured Darrin would be ok and find a way to make it to the AA meeting. As he drove down Franklin Street, the contemplated what would happen tomorrow. I shouldn't worry about that. Surely, he over dramatized what happened, but he did not want to be at the Mad Burrito, nor did he want to drive his lover to his meeting as if he were a child being taken to daycare. He wanted to go home. Not to the house he was renting, but to the house on highway 301, where he grew up. That was his home. Reaching ninety miles per hour, he merged onto I-95 and stuck out his middle finger at I-40 East. He had thrown caution to the wind, and although he knew that tomorrow would be a day of unexpected happenings, he did not want to spend the night in Chapel Hill, or anywhere in North Carolina, for that matter. He could sense a decrease in his lover's fervor. Perhaps he was to blame. Perhaps he wasn't. At that point, he didn't care. The cool breeze of the summer night brought him comfort on the interstate that he regarded as his turf, and soon, he saw the state line that he thought he'd ever miss. Home.

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