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Thursday, January 14, 2010

AfterMARK, Part 3

Now… it’s Complicated

coupleThe next morning, I faced my first bout of Post-Date Stress Disorder (or PDSD). What was I to make of a cuddle session with someone who was supposed to be my friend? I wondered what I would do when he called or texted. Was it still supposed to be normal? Would it get weirder?

Jack didn’t do or say anything out of the ordinary. Regular “How was your day?” small talk continued along with witty banter about web comics. Things weren’t off too much, but they were definitely off.

As problems with his roommate worsened, Jack decided it was time to move out. As a friendly gesture, I offered to help. That’s what friends do, right? I told myself.

“You know, I could really use a pickup,” he texted me. I offered my father’s truck and we worked out a time the next day.

moving-day Seeing as neither of us is particularly muscular, the move took a little more effort than you would think. Loading up everything from the tiny duplex, we made our way over to his new place. Upon my entry, I was taken aback at how beautiful the whole thing was. Vaulted ceilings. A real fireplace. A breakfast nook! It was beautiful.

The evening ended with a hug and a warm-hearted goodbye.

Things continued more normally than I could have ever anticipated. There were even some friendly on campus run-ins between classes. Later that week, after a bad day at work, he offered to take me to dinner and I only slightly hesitated as I agreed to it.

Going into it as a real date definitely helped. Even as the waitress at the Chinese restaurant seated us in the same room as a guy from my stake on a date of his own, I felt oddly at ease. We talked mostly about school and the beginning of a new semester.

“It’s about the same. I keep busy with 18 credits and work. It makes me feel accomplished and like I’m actually going somewhere.”

“That’s good. How’s the new roommate situation working out?” I asked.

“It’s the regular struggle. I’m still getting to know them.”

“How is it living with a bunch of gay boys?”

“It got crazy last weekend, but my room’s far enough from the chaos to get away.”

I laughed off his slight discontent with the situation as the check came. He snatched it despite my protest.

“You helped me move. I owe you at least this.”

couch Moments later, we found ourselves at his place. We sat there on the couch continuing our conversation. Our bodies, however, were speaking their own language. We found ourselves moving closer to the center. Usually wary of any tactile contact, I found myself touching Jack on the arm, looking into his eyes (blue as the night sky), smiling, and laughing at his jokes.

Then, in an instant, he pulled away, looked at me, and smiled before going in for a kiss. It was sweet and reminded me of my first taste of romance with Mark.

I flashed back in an instant to the kiss that had felt like:
a singer’s first standing ovation,
a swimmer’s first broken record,
an author’s first book sent to print.

Would you ask any of them to take that piece of their lives back?

It was a feeling engraved upon the tablets of memory standing up to the elements and other tests of time. Every kiss would be compared against that one. It wasn’t quite that same warm sensation. An awkwardness came between us akin to the irritating, clunky friction of our teeth repeatedly bumping into each other as we made out.

The chemistry slowly dissipated from the room as we found ourselves staring each other. He faced me on my lap. An awkward silence preceded a forgotten excuse to get home and the night ended.

its-complicated What followed was not glamorous. Our run-ins on campus consisted of greetings and now-awkward small talk and we never looked each other in the eyes again.

In the coming week, however, I stopped worrying about the awkwardness as two more men entered the picture: an actor and a cowboy.

End, Part 3.


Clue: AfterMARK references something from 1983-85.

13 comments:

Nik_TheGreek said...

lol... An actor and a cowboy? That sounds like a Tom Robbins' book...

I do enjoy your stories... Please keep writing them

GB said...

The cartoon strip at the top of this post had me in fits of giggles :-). Although it brings back sore memories too, because the guy that I call ex-boyfriend P in my blog would never acknowledge our relationship on facebook!

Kisses, GB xxx

Anonymous said...

Your account of your fist kiss with Mark was perfect. THAT is how it should be, for people who truly care about each other and love each other. My first kiss (with the only person I ahve ever loved) and every kiss thereafter was like getting hit over and over with electricity, but in ALL the best possible ways!

And, even though I am not a facebooker, I loved the cartoon at the beginning of your post. VERY funny!

Love and respect always. :)

Anonymous said...

Don't give too many more clues about AfterMARK, as I want my rather weird guess to win.

Also: "...an author's first book sent to print." I love that you used that as an example.

Jim said...

I just found your site and I liked the story! I am also a former Mormon. LOL. I'll be back to read more....

Dzyan said...

I hate when you get caught in the passion of the moment and then it becomes awkward :S but at the moment it feels so much better asking for forgiveness than asking for permission to still a kiss from someone. Hot story.

Looking forward for the cowboy story, sounds like a hot sex-game, Yee-haw.

Love
Me

Cole said...

@Love in: And I thank GMB for the nod he gave me and my music friends: "A singer's [or pianist's] first standing ovation." God! That is what the first kiss is like!

A Gay Mormon Boy said...

@Nik_TheGreek: I have no intention of quitting anytime soon. It's like my very own soap opera, sometimes.

@GB: Sorry about the bad Facebook memories. My worst FB related experience has been the 'unfriending' by guys going back into the closet.

@slp: I'm glad I caught that sensation. I was worried it was over-the-top.

@Love in: I think one more clue is in order before I name a winner although this series will continue into next week.

@Jim: Welcome. There are more stories where that came from.

@Dzyan: I promise that the stories will get juicier from here.

@Cole: You've had as many standing ovations as I've had kisses. I think we're even. Haha.

Q said...

loving the posts. I'm also hoping my guess wins it.

Ben said...

"...clunky friction of our teeth repeatedly bumping into each other as we made out."

That sounds like SUCH a turn-off!! Just imagining it gives me the nails-on-chalkboard feeling.

Madame Curie said...

LOL, this story reminded me of my first two boyfriends. I just stood there thinking, "Isn't this supposed to be enjoyable? Rather than just wet and ick?" Turns out I liked kissing girls better. Ooops!

(Lucky for my husband, he became the exception to that rule).

You're a good writer, and capture feelings so accurately!

A Gay Mormon Boy said...

@Q: Thanks. We shall see. Somebody did email me a better answer, though.

@boskers: Such a turnoff. It wasn't the last time. Does anybody know of a term for that?

@Mme. C: I wouldn't know. Hehe. Thanks for the encouragement.

You might be interested in an upcoming series on my complete male/female dating history. It's very brief.

Cole said...

@ GMB: Comparing your kisses to my standing ovations now, are we? Let us not keep count, lest we find that music truly beat the fruit of love.

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