Page 16 of Inside Out
Howie and I both stood up to greet him. “Julius, this is my good friend, Howie, and, Howie, this is Julius. He teaches advanced chemistry at the high school.”
“It’s good to meet you, Julius,” Howie said, shaking his hand. “Bess and I were just keeping Rome and Dolly company while they waited for you.”
“It’s good to meet you too,” Jules said. Then he leaned down to greet the dogs who wagged their tails excitedly. “Hello, ladies.”
Maegan came outside with Howie’s coffee and muffin on a tray. “Hi, Julius. What can I get for you this morning?”
“Good morning, Maegan.” Julius offered her a warm smile even if a trace of uncertainty lingered in his eyes. “I’ll have a gingerbread chai latte and a lemon poppy seed muffin.”
“I’ll follow you inside to pay for my breakfast and get a paper bag so Bess and I can get going,” Howie told her. “Do you mind if Bess hangs out with you for a minute?” he asked me.
“You don’t have to rush off,” I said. “Stay and join us.”
“Oh no,” Howie persisted. “We have a big day ahead of us. We’re keeping an eye on the grandkids while their parents do some shopping for the youngest one’s birthday party.” He shook his head. “I look forward to seeing what they come up with every year. At first, I thought making a big deal about birthdays was silly, but the kids have such a good time. Who does it hurt, anyway? It’s not like they hire a circus to perform and bring in a petting zoo. They decorate the house in a theme that matches the latest craze the kids are wrapped up in and serve food, cake, and ice cream.”
“No bouncy castles?” I teased.
“Well, they did that once. It was a lot of fun.”
“You got in the bouncy castle?” I asked.
“I’m not always a stick in the mud, you know?”
“I do.” I’d gotten to see the warm, loving man Howie truly was once he started opening up to me during our nightly walks. Grief did evil things to a person’s mind, affecting every aspect of their lives.
“I’ll be right back after I pay the nice lady,” Howie said, following Maegan inside. She looped her arm through his and said something I couldn’t hear, but it made Howie hoot with laughter.
“I didn’t mean to run your friend off,” Julius said, sitting in the chair Howie had vacated.
“You didn’t run anyone off. I invited you, remember? Howie was walking Bess and stopped by.” My eyes roamed greedily over his face, and my pulse leaped when his shy smile became a devious one.
“You didn’t think I’d show up, did you?”
“It depended on the minute. Part of the time, I thought you would, and part of the time, I thought you wouldn’t.”
Julius chuckled. “How long have you been thinking about it?”
“I haven’t been able to think about anything else since I asked you to meet me.”
“Me either,” he confessed, looking away briefly. “So, why did you think I might show up?”
We were two grown men and had no room for playing coy games. Julius asked me a direct question, and my response would be equally as straightforward. “I can see you return my attraction. You’re starting to look less hesitant and more curious about your reaction to me. What were your reasons for wanting to come here this morning?” I wanted to reach out and cover his hand with mine but knew it was too soon.
“I don’t want to live a life where I’m second-guessing decisions I made or regret letting people slip out of my life just because the situation could be difficult. What were the reasons you thought I’d choose not to come?” he asked.
“I thought my position as superintendent would be the biggest detraction, but I also worried you might think I was too old.” Julius snorted. “What? How many twenty-somethings like you want to date forty-somethings like me?”
“More than you know. You’re intelligent, funny, kind, mature, and you must know how good looking you are.”
“I…um—”
“You have a mirror, right?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Start looking in it more often. You are one sexy man. You’re the entire package.” My stunned expression made him chuckle. He was so different from the man I talked to during school events. Gone was his shyness and in its place was a direct gaze I couldn’t look away from. “You wanted honesty, so I’m giving it to you.”
“Is it my job then?”