Evan laid awake staring at his ceiling. It was Friday. He had met Josh on Monday, and had spent every moment since silently kicking himself for not making a move. As he sat up, he sighed, and glanced at the clock. 9 am. It was his day off. He liked to sleep in on his days off, but today that wouldn't be the case.
He showered quickly, and dressed. His brother and sister were already off at school, tonight was the night of the big game. His mother and grandmother had left earlier, saying something about doing a little shopping 'in town', as they referred to Louisville, so for the moment, Evan was alone in the house, except for the family cat.
As he wandered down the stairs, he found himself going out the back door to stand on the porch and overlook the garden. Most of the summer flowers had faded away, and even with the heat, he could sense the approaching fall. In another week, it would be cool during the day, and the nights even colder. He glanced around the garden for a moment before letting his eyes drift to the rolling hills of the farm, and in the distance, the banks of the Ohio River. His family's home sat on well over a hundred acres of land, and as a child, he'd ridden or walked over every single inch of it. He loved it, it was home, but right now, he wanted to get away.
Turning, he quickly walked through the house, snatching up his keys, and locking the doors behind him. In a few minutes, he was heading into Louisville, not quite sure where he would end up, or what he would do. He glanced at the clock, nearly 10 am. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the purple sign of Shelly's Bakery. Slowing, he pulled into the parking lot.
It took him a moment to work up the courage as he sat there in the car, wondering what exactly it was he was thinking. Taking a deep breath, he got out of the car and headed into the bakery.
Stepping inside, he took a deep breath of the delicate smells of pastries, and sweets that filled the building, and with a nervous smile, he greeted Shelly Hamilton. "Hey Shells. Uh...I was wondering...is...uh...Josh around?"
Shelly Hamilton raised one eyebrow. "Nice to see you Evan. He's in back, just a minute." She quickly stepped through the swinging doors into the back part of the bakery, leaving Evan to fidget as he waited in the otherwise empty building. When he heard the doors swing open again, he turned to see the surprised look on Josh's face.
"Hi," Evan said.
Josh blinked. "Hi. Shelly said you wanted to see me?"
Evan nodded. "Uh, yea. I did. Could we step outside for a moment?"
"Sure," Josh said and headed to the door. Once outside, he turned toward Evan. "What is it?"
Evan swallowed, hard. "Um...well. I...don't...really know."
Josh raised both eyebrows. "You came here and asked to talk to me only to tell me you don't know? Nice waste of time, Evan." He turned to walk back inside.
Evan reached out with one hand, just barely touching his arm. "Wait. I'm sorry. Its just..." he stammered out.
Josh turned around to look at him once more. "Just...what? Spit it out already."
"Fuck. I'm sorry. maybe I shouldn't have come," Evan said.
Josh shook his head. "Whatever." Once more, he turned to walk inside.
"Wait, wait!" Evan exclaimed. "I just...I..."
Josh turned with a huff. "Either tell me what you want, or let me get back to work."
In a fit of frustration, Evan pressed Josh against the brick wall, and quickly covered his mouth with his own. For a split second, Josh was surprised, but only for a second. Quickly, he wrapped his arms around Evan's neck, and held him in place. For a long moment, they remained locked together, until finally Evan pulled back. "Damn...wanted to do that from the moment I saw you," he mumbled.
Josh grinned. "See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?"
Evan shook his head, and quickly pressed another kiss to Josh's mouth, this one shorter, and softer. "You have no idea."
Never quite letting go of Evan, Josh smiled. "Is that what you wanted to tell me?"
Nodding, Evan grinned. "Yea. Um..." He was intensely aware of the heat of his body pressed up against Josh's. Slowly, he stepped back just enough to give them the smallest amount of space between them. "Um...would you like to go out with me tonight? My brother has a big game tonight, and well, I'd like it if you'd come." Quickly realizing what he'd said, he amended. "With me. I mean. Shit." He stammered. "Come with me to the game."
Josh laughed. "Sure. I get off at three."
Evan nodded. "I'll pick you up at three then. The game is at eight."
Josh nodded. "Okay...but...what are we going to do with the five hours in between."
Evan grinned. "Easy, you're going riding." Josh just smirked.
