At first, the drive home wasn't awkward, but about midway through, I felt like I had to say something. I told Matt, "You know, for all the fucking and sucking we've done, that trip to the museum was the closest thing I've had to a date since we started. How 'bout you?"
"Once, about a month in, but getting together once a week was so easy that I stopped trying."
"Well, what do you say? Wanna go out?"
"You're just asking that 'cause you wanna keep fucking me."
"That hurts, Matt." I paused. It did. "The truth is, I was so comfortable being your dateβWell, I guess the wedding was a date, too. But anyway, I was so comfortable doing it, I was hoping we could go on a normal date."
Matt didn't answer at first. "I'll check my schedule when I get home. I've got an oil change and a chiropractor visit coming up, but I can't remember which day is which."
"I'll do the same," I said. I put my hand on his knee briefly, and I was at ease for the rest of the drive.
An hour after he dropped me off at my apartment, he called. "Glad I checked, Jerome. I don't have a night open till Thursday, and the weekend's shaky."
"Damn," I said. "That movie you wanted to see doesn't open till Friday."
"Yeah, but there are a couple of movies already out that I wouldn't mind seeing. There's a theatre just a couple blocks from here. How 'bout if we just go and see what's showing?"
I had the TV on mute, and I saw an ad for a movie that looked good as well. "That works! Dinner first?"
"Only if it's fast food or concessions. I don't want the best movie to be off the table because we got there too late."
"Before I leave, I'll order a pizza for delivery to your place. We'll have time to eat enough before we go."
"Do it," Matt said.
"I'm setting a reminder on my phone," I replied.
"See you tomorrow," Matt told me. "Bye!"
I said, "Love ya!" as I hung up. I didn't mean romantic love, and if he took it that way, he didn't say anything.
On Thursday, I did what I was supposed to. I made the pizza a medium so he could eat the rest whenever he wanted instead of working out how much I should take home, and pepperoni because it seemed like a safe choice. We walked to the theatre like two friends and chose a WWII drama. On the way back, we were talking about one of the subplots when we got to an intersection. Matt turned to face me while he spoke and didn't notice the curb. He landed with one foot in a pothole and lurched forward. "Oh, God!" he yelled.
"What's wrong?"
"I think I twisted my ankle."
I saw headlights, and I realized that the driver of the oncoming car wasn't stopping. "Take my hand, fast!" I yelled. He took it, and I pulled him into the other side of the street just as the car passed where he'd fallen.
He held his ankle, yelled, "Shit! I think it's worse," and went to the ground again. I gave him my hand again, and when he stood up, he kissed me. "I mean, not as bad as if he'd run me over, but worse than it was before."
I kissed him on the lips. "I'm glad you're alright. Well, relatively." I looked forward and back. There was a bench next to a bus stop halfway down the street we'd just crossed. "Sit here," I said. "I'll get my car and take you to the ER."
Three hours later, he was in his apartment. I don't remember the technical name for his injury, but he was going to be off work for a couple weeks. "Sorry I didn't go all the way on our first date," he laughed.
"Cock tease," I said.
"You kissed me back," Matt said. "In public."
"We just had an emotional moment. What else would I do?"
Matt smiled. "Nothing. Did you call Abby?" She's our contact for missing work.
"I tried. It was a dead zone in there," I told him.
"Just as well. I'll call her when you go."
I looked at my cell phone. "I better go. Let me know if you need anything," I said.
"I will," Matt assured me. "At least I'm supposed to be ready in time for the Pride Parade. Remember, you made a deal."
"I'll be there even if I have to push you in a wheelchair," I told him, and I headed home.
I couldn't deny that I had some sort of feelings for Matt, but I wanted to have sex with a woman once more before things got serious. Getting a date would be harder if a picture of us holding hands at the Pride Parade made the news. Mind you, I had every intention of doing it; it just meant that I had a narrow window of opportunity. I browsed a couple dating sites just like I had when I first decided to try fucking a guy, but I decided that I didn't want to hurry someone into sex just to meet a deadline. Tuesday night I left my cell phone on the dining room table while I answered the door, and I missed a call from an unknown number. It took me a second to recognize it as Georgia's!
I quickly called her back. "Hey, what's up?"
"Did I call you?" she asked.
"My Recent Calls list says you did," I answered.
"I must have butt-dialed you," she explained. I didn't say anything, but I immediately made the connection that she'd added me as a contact.
I made up an excuse. "Well, as long as you did, I'm going to a team-building exercise up your way next Thursday and Friday. Wanna get together when it's over?"
"Where is it? I'll pick you up."
I didn't know where I'd find a vacancy, so I stalled. "Um, I forgot the name. Someone else made the arrangements. But I'll call you when I get out."