Page 27 of More Than Scars
Did it matter which?
Nope. In fact, I’d enjoy a combo deal, to be quite honest. Who knew the artist formerly known as the scowly guitarist had so many sides to him? Elated didn’t even cover how I felt about Bowie emerging from his shell. Every day brought forth a sneak peek, and I looked forward to learning the many facets that made up Bowie James.
While they were both busy with their own stuff, I made a quick trip to the market. One thing I never imagined purchasing was a picnic basket. Yet here I was, buying one and thankfully already had freezer packs frozen at home and ready to load. I was pulling out all the romantic stops, it would seem. Should I buy flowers too, or was that too much?
My mind and heart once again warred, and in the end it won out over my heart.
No flowers.
Where was Pressley Darren, and what have you done with him? I snickered to myself. The lady beside me shot me a look like I’d lost my mind. Who knows, maybe I had, but I was having a great time entertaining myself.
“Someone’s set to enjoy our beautiful weather,” the cashier smiled as she rang me up.
“Indeed I am.” Dad and I used to camp and fish every chance we got when the weather permitted. Man, how many years has it been since we did that? I wonder if Bowie would enjoy a guy’s weekend away with us.
Jesus, here I was already planning to introduce him to my parents, and we hadn’t even completed our first date yet. Yup, that cart was wayyyy ahead of the horse. But the fact that I even thought about it said a lot, especially considering I never introduced anyone to them.
I pulled into the garage and quickly tucked the food away in the spare refrigerator I kept out here. Picnic basket hidden away in the back seat of the truck, and now it was time to get a few honey-do’s knocked off my list before it was time to head out.
When it was time to roll, I found Bowie waiting in the kitchen. “I take it you’re ready?”
“Yeah, I was a little excited, so I’ve been ready for a while.” His hair was down, but the elastic around his wrist wasn’t missed by me. At least he had a secondary plan if at any point he felt uncomfortable.
Tony came out and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. “You two, kids, have fun. Don’t forget, curfew is midnight.” Bowie flipped him off as we headed out the door.
“So, a hike, huh?”
“Kind of, a little one really. You still okay with that?” This date wasn’t anything that couldn’t easily be changed. “Would you prefer dinner and a movie?”
Bowie chuckled. “Nah, man. I’m not that kind of guy. I mean, if it’s just a general kind of grab a quick bite before seeing a movie, then sure. But the whole wine and dine thing isn’t my scene. Outdoor stuff I’m great with. Concerts, hell ya. I’m actually looking forward to this.”
“Excellent.” And my mind was back to that whole potential futuristic fishing and camping with my dad. “So, camping? Fishing?”
“Yeah. My dad and uncle took me and my brothers whenever they could. They were mostly on the road. Sometimes we went with them, but other times we stayed behind. Like when we had school and shit.”
“Makes sense.” I often wondered how that worked. It couldn’t be easy to leave your family behind even though your job required it. “Your mom travels a lot too, you’d mentioned.”
“She does. My family is filled with nomads,” Bowie smiled. “It’s all good. We had grandparents and aunts that watched out for us. And our folks always called and checked in. Sometimes too much.”
“I get it. Eagle eyes everywhere.” I exited the 90 and merged onto the 203, Bowie’s head darted in every direction, taking in the scenery.
“Sometimes it’s hard to remember we live in one of the prettiest areas of the country.”
“True. It’s hard to remember when you’re busy bitching about the rain.” We laughed at that. “We’re almost there.”
“Whoa, Snoqualmie Falls. All the times I’ve been to Seattle, yet I never got to stop here.”
“It’s my go-to when I need to clear my head. The city can be a bit much, so I’ll take off for a drive, and most of the time I find myself here. It’s a great place to chill and just enjoy the peace and quiet.” Though given it was summer and school was out, we might not get the peace I’d hoped to find today, but at least we’d be together.
Bowie hopped out as soon as I had the truck in park and shouted over his shoulder, “Come on, slowpoke!” As he made his way over to the rim overlooking the waterfall. By the time I caught up to him, he’d easily taken a dozen pictures already. “Here, stand next to me so we can do a selfie together.”
“I don’t think it’s a selfie with two people in it.”
“Alright, smart guy. Do you want to be in the pic with me or not?”
He had me there. Right before Mr. Bossy Pants's finger hit the button on his phone, I turned and kissed his cheek.
“That was perfect!” Bowie cheered. “Check it out.”