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CHAPTER EIGHT

Tom

“How was dinner with that boy?” his mom asked as Tom walked in the back door.

“He has a name, Mom. It’s Will. We had a nice time. We went to The Artisan Pig in Plymouth. The food’s really good there,” Tom said.

“So is he your boyfriend now?”

“I think it’s a little too early to put a label on this, Mom. Sure, it was a date, and yes, it was nice,” Tom answered, getting a little defensive. “And for what it’s worth, I like him. He told me that he likes me too. And I’d like to go on another date with him. We’ll see what happens.”

“Just remember what I’ve been telling you since that no-good father of yours left us,” Alice said, bitterness creeping into her tone. “Men are no good. You can’t depend on them. Don’t go falling in love or anything. It’ll only end in disappointment.”

“Mom.” Tom sighed. “I know you believe that, but really, do you think that all men are bad? Me included? Maybe Will’s different.” As he spoke the words, he knew his mom wouldn’t listen. She never did.

“You’re a good boy, Tom. But you can’t trust anyone who shows any interest in you. They’re all after something, and once they get it, they’ll leave you high and dry as soon as something better comes along. Mark my words.”

Knowing he couldn’t win this argument, he kissed Alice on the cheek and said, “G’night, Mom. I’m tired. See you in the morning.”

“Good night, sweetheart.”

After peeing and brushing his teeth, Tom undressed and slipped under the covers, replaying the evening in his head. Will had looked good tonight. It was clear that he’d made an effort to wear something better than just old jeans and a T-shirt, like they did for classes. And that black leather jacket fit him really well, accentuating his shoulders just a bit.

Let’s not forget that Will was very easy to talk to. Sure, they talked about school and work quite a bit, but it went beyond that. They both enjoyed reading for pleasure and had similar taste in the books they read. Not to mention they were both huge Star Wars fans. When there were lulls in their conversation, it didn’t feel awkward. That was something new for Tom. In the past when Tom would go out on a date with someone, he’d always felt like he needed to keep chatting lest he and the other guy get uncomfortable with the silence.

Ending the evening with a kiss was a surprise for him. He wasn’t opposed to in. In fact, he’d liked it. Really liked it. But he probably hadn’t reacted that way, because it was just so unexpected. He should text Will or something to tell him again how much he’d enjoyed their date. He grabbed his phone off the charger on his nightstand and typed:

Thanks again for a great evening. I hope we can do it again soon. Especially the kiss.

Was that too much? Ah, screw it! He sent it before he could change his mind. When he didn’t get a reply after a few minutes, he hoped it was just because Will was already asleep. He thought about texting Char but decided it could wait until tomorrow. If he texted her now, and she was awake, it would turn into a phone call, and he just didn’t have the energy for that right then. Tom turned onto his side and thought of the kiss and Will’s soft lips as he drifted off to sleep.

The incessant buzzing of his phone woke Tom from a sound sleep.

“Hullo,” he said sleepily, not even bothering to look at who was calling.

“Um, you didn’t text me last night.” Char’s voice cut through his fogginess.

“Sorry.” He yawned. “I was beat by the time I got home and just thought it could wait until this morning. What time is it anyway?”

“It’s seven thirty, and I couldn’t sleep. Tell me how it went,” she demanded.

“I’ll call you back in ten minutes. Gotta pee, and I need caffeine.” He ended the call.

As he trotted off to the bathroom, his phone buzzed again, but he ignored it. After taking care of business, he went downstairs and made a pot of coffee. His mom would be up soon enough, and she’d be thankful the coffee was waiting for her. Securing a cup for himself, he returned to his comfy bed and called Char back.

“It’s been almost twelve minutes,” she said in way of greeting. “Now spill.”

“Wow, you can be such a bitch sometimes, ya know,” he replied. Sipping the hot brew, he said, “The date was nice. You’re right, the food is amazing there.”

“What did you get?” she asked.

“We had the dirty fries and a sausage-and-ricotta pizza. They were both excellent.”

“So you had a good time? What was he wearing?”

“Really, Char?” Tom couldn’t hide the exasperation in his voice.

“Yes, Tom, really. You know I need all the details.”

“Fine. He had on black jeans and a pale-blue button-down. With a leather jacket. He looked so hot.”

“Nice,” Char told him. “What else happened?”

Tom talked about the rest of their date, laughing about their attempt to walk around in the slightly too-cold weather. “When he brought me back home, he parked in the driveway and told me that he had a good time, and that he liked me. Then he leaned over and kissed me.”

“Ooooh,” Char squealed. “Is he a good kisser?”

“Um, I think so.” Tom was hesitant. He’d need to admit that he had fucked up a little . Ah well, might as well just tell her.

“Whaddya mean, you think so?”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting it, so I kinda froze up. I’m not sure if I actually kissed him back or not,” Tom said. “I think I fucked up.”

“Oh, Tom.” Char sounded crestfallen. “Hopefully you’ll be prepared for the next time. There’s gonna be a next time, right?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure there will be. After all, he said he liked me and wanted to see me again. And before I went to sleep, I texted him and said I enjoyed the evening, too, and wanted to do it again. Especially the kiss.”

“Wait, you told him you wanted to kiss again?”

“Yeah, why? At first I thought it might be too much, but then I sent it before I could change my mind.” Tom was suddenly confused. Had he fucked it all up again? His stomach growled as he heard his mom walking in the hallway. That meant breakfast would be ready soon.

“That’s perfect,” she said. “You saved it by saying that. Even if you didn’t kiss him back, you told him you wanted to kiss him again. That’s good. Very good.”

“Whew, okay. That’s a relief,” Tom said, slumping down into the covers. “I’m so out of practice with this whole dating thing. You know I’m not good with people.”

“You’re gonna be fine. Did he respond to your text?”

“No. I figured he was already asleep.” A thought occurred to him. “Should I be worried about that?”

“No. It was late, so you’re probably right. But hopefully you’ll hear something from him today. Either way, let me know.”

“Okay, I will. I’ll let you go now, kiddo. I heard Mom a few minutes ago, so I’m gonna go see what’s for breakfast. Love you.”

“Love you back. Bye.”