Hello everybody and happy Monday.
Today is my first attempt to actually write a "real" story, meaning that this is the first chapter of a story I hope to write for a few weeks. I have a favor to ask all of you. I couldn’t come out with a title. I tried to find one, but obviously it’s not something I’m good at. So I would appreciate if you could leave me suggestions in the form of comments. That would be very helpful and I wouldn’t feel like my story misses something…
So here it is...Needless to say that I hope you'll be gentle with me....
Today's prompt is: "I think you broke it"
Today's prompt is: "I think you broke it"
Andrew accelerated the pace, the cold biting his face. Would this day ever end? Not only did he miss an important appointment with his attorney, but he also forgot his gloves in that dump they called a restaurant. He wasn’t going back to get them tough. He should have known the place wasn’t what it used to be. The new owner obviously didn’t know how to cook. His stomach lurched at the thought of the bad lasagna he ate there. He was afraid he was going to puke right there, on the street where he knew most of the shops’ owners. Hopefully, he would be home soon and be able to leave that entire nightmare behind him. He just loved his little apartment. It was the first place where he lived by himself. What a change after the huge house he used to live in with his soon to be ex wife!
Another mistake! Marrying a woman when you knew that you didn’t care for that gender was the worst thing one could do. But he came from a very uptight family and had been in the closet forever. But that was about to change. He was tired of trying to please everyone but him. And if his parents couldn’t accept who he was, so be it!
Absorbed in his own thoughts, he didn’t pay attention to his environment and stumbled against what he thought was a brick wall but turned out to be a man. As he hit him, he heard the sound of broken glass. Oh no, what did he do again? It seemed that the nightmare wasn’t finished yet!
“I think you broke it,” said a low and sexy voice.
Andrew slowly raised his head to look at the man who just spoke. The apologies he was about to make died when he saw the square jaw covered with designed stubble, which surrounded the most kissable mouth he ever laid his eyes on. The nose was slightly crooked which added to the face’s personality. Piercing green eyes were staring at him, surmounted by frowning eyebrows. If the face was dead serious, the eyes were not. They gleamed with intelligence and mischief.
Andrew almost whimpered. This man was what he always fantasized about. He could feel his cock stir in his pants, reminding him that he was now free and allowed to openly do whatever he pleased. Almost everything… He couldn’t just jump on the man even if he wanted to. He stayed there for what seemed an eternity, staring at this man who looked like a wet dream.
Taking a step towards him without even realizing what he was doing, his foot encountered something. He suddenly remembered what this God told him… something was broken…but what? Fighting with himself to focus on something else than HIM, he lowered in eyes on the ground and noticed a little package.
“Oh my God, I’m sorry.” He bent over to pick it up. “I wasn’t looking where I was going. It’s entirely my fault. What was in the bag? Whatever it is, I’ll buy another one!”
“Nah, it’s ok. I just moved here, and I found this junk in the house’s attic. I was on my way to give it away. You don’t have to buy anything. I’ll just throw it in the garbage, no big deal.”
Andrew felt a wave of panic when the man picked up the bag and headed to the nearest garbage. He couldn’t let him go. He needed to do something, anything to keep him here.
“Wait! I… I mean… I’m sorry and I really want to make it up to you. Tell me what I can do… Please, I’ll feel guilty if you don’t.”
The man stopped in his track and looked questionably over his shoulder.
He continued quickly while offering his hand, “Ah…well… I’m Andrew Felder by the way. Welcome to the neighborhood.” The man turned to face him and took his hand.
“Hello Andrew Felder. I’m Antonio Garibaldi. Nice to meet you.”
Andrew felt shivers through his spine as he shook hands with the obviously Italian man. He tried to think about something intelligent to say, but it seemed that his brain was on vacation for the time being.
****************
Antonio tilted his head, looking at the man in front of him. Not bad… not bad at all. He was a little shorter than Antonio’s six and a half feet, but not much. Green eyes, dark red hair, pale skin and a mouth he was tempted to kiss until the man called for mercy. Maybe he needed to give Andrew a chance. Maybe Andrew was HIS chance for a new start. God knew he needed a little chance in his life.
He lowered his eyes on their hands, amused to see Andrew shaking them without wanting to let him go.
“Well, if you really want to do something, you can buy me a drink. As I said, I’m new here, and I don’t know anybody. Plus, it’s freezing. I’ll feel better inside.”
Andrew blushed in the cutest way when he realised he was still holding Antonio’s hand. Dropping it, he tried to act casual but failed miserably.
“Sure, there’s a pub just across the street. Nice place. Come on, I’ll buy you that drink. So where do you come from?”
They made casual talk on their way to the pub. Antonio was beginning to really like the other man; he was funny on top of being really cute. When they reached the pub, they decided without even talking to sit at a table, a more intimate place.
As he sat down, Antonio took a look around. The pub was not really crowded but there were still a lot of people. It was apparently a popular place. Curiously, the customers were mostly male, and the few women he did notice were employees. Ok, so no female customers. Could it be a gay pub? In a small town like that?
If so, that would confirm that he made a good choice by moving to Parkton. He was tired of being judged on his sexual preferences. To be accepted for who he was would be a nice change. He never hid that he was gay and had suffered a lot because of that. He even lost his job as an Italian teacher when the parents learned about him. Like he was going to turn all the kids into gays… Assholes! Well, at least here, they didn’t frown when he told the high school’s director that he was gay. Now that he thought about it, the man didn’t even raise an eyebrow.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realize that Andrew was talking to him.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening. Too much is happening in my life right now. Please forgive me. You were saying?”
“That’s ok, I know the feeling. I was wondering what brought you to this town. But if it’s too personal…”
“Not too personal at all. I’m an Italian teacher and I was looking for a job. I saw an ad in the newspaper, so I thought, why not? I had nothing that kept me where I was…” Antonio let his voice trail off, not wanting to give too many details of what he endured in his former job.
“Hello Andrew. How you’re doing today?” Antonio raised his eyes to see a cute little waitress winking at his companion. Obviously, the man was well known here. Interesting…
“Oh hello Jen, I’m fine, thanks for asking. Antonio, I’d like you to meet Jen…Jen, Antonio. If you ever need something, ask Jen, she knows about everybody and everything around here. I’ll have a hot chocolate, sweets. I dreamed about it with this awful weather. Antonio?”
“Hum? Oh yes, a hot chocolate sounds good. I’ll have one too, please Jen.”
Jen flashed them her best smile and turned around to fetch their order. Antonio looked at Andrew who was gazing at him with intensity. He grinned as the other man blushed and lowered his eyes. He was about to talk when his phone rang. He looked at it to see who was calling and sent a look of apology to Andrew.
“I’m sorry, I got to take that. It’s the high school director.” He turned around to answer the call, cursing silently at the bad timing.
********************
Andrew watched him talk on the phone, wishing the damn thing didn’t ring. As Antonio hang up and faced him, he knew his bad luck was back.
“I have to go. I’m sorry to let you down like that, but the director wants to see me. Can’t say no. Rain check?”
“Sure, no problem. Here’s my phone number. Call me whenever you want, and we’ll have that drink.”
Andrew handed him a card with a forced smile. As Antonio stood up and took it, Andrew was wondering if he would ever call him. He watched him walk outside the pub with a sigh. Well, all I have to do now is wait….
