My name is Ian.
This time I lifted my own hands repeating his movements.
My name is Koti.
He nodded and made a quick sign, which I assumed was the word good or yes.
Over the next hour, we remained in silent conversation as I stayed puzzled half the time before I began to catch on. By the time class was over I’d learned to introduce myself and ask, “How are you?” Also a few basic signs, how, who, why, when and where.
“That was pretty good,” he said as he erased the board.
“That was incredible! You learned sign language this way?”
“Yes, my teacher was a deaf woman named Billy, and she was incredible.”
“It seems impossible to learn this way, but it’s really kind of amazing.”
“She could read lips and talk, but speaking was forbidden in her classroom.”
Excited, I jumped on him, he laughed at my unexpected enthusiasm and caught me easily, gripping my ass and holding me close to him. “I love it!”
“Really?”
“Yes, so much. I can’t wait for more. Do we have to stop today?”
“Yes. It’s easy to forget the signs. I want you to practice them all night and all morning. It may seem trivial to you, but you’ll understand why later. Okay?”
“Is this like the Karate Kid, where you make me wax on, wax off and then show me some kick-ass moves?”
Ian chuckled. “Something like that.”
“Well, I’ll make you proud, sensei.”
His eyes shone with something that resembled adoration and my heart warmed with the hope of it. “I suspect you will, puffer fish.”
Our matching grins disappeared as he leaned in and took my lips, kissing me with a lazy and seductive tongue.
“About what I said the other night while I was smashed.”
I gave him a side-eye. “You actually remember that?”
He winced. “Some of it?”
I shook my head. “No more. No more fighting, no more misconception, no more judging, speculating, worrying, none of it. I’m having a great time and so are you. That’s all we need to know. Let’s move on already.”
He let out a breath of relief. “Music to my ears.”
“Same here. Let’s leave it at the egg comes first and have some more fun.”
“What if I said the chicken came first?”
“Well then, I would have to burden you with coming up with proof, professor.”
“I have no proof.”
“Then we can debate about it during our swim like adults.”
“Swim?”