Whiskey and Country

“Night, Nick. Sweet dreams,” she said with a wink.

My body overheated. “After what we did, I’ll never be able to sleep. I’ll have a hard-on for days to come.”

Her palm molded to my erection subtly.

“It is rude of me to leave you like this.” She offered me a lopsided smile, rubbing my tense flesh. My knees buckled.

“Woman, this is as much incredible as it’s torture.”

Humor left her features. “I don’t know when we’ll be able to resume this.” A long huff broke the silence.

With one finger, I lifted her chin, staring into her eyes. “As I already said, I’ll wait for ya. We’ll be fine. Each time we get interrupted, I’ll just be burning hotter for you, woman.”

As if to corroborate my words, a wave of heat traveled through me.

“I’ll see you soon. Go now, or I’ll kidnap your pretty ass and lock it in my cave and never let you go.”

A smile returned to Dahlia’s face. And I silently congratulated myself for putting it there.

“Thank you, Nick. One day, I’ll let you capture me.”

If only she knew. You already captured my heart, woman.

“Go. Now,” I ordered, teasing, as I kissed her forehead and opened her car door.

Dahlia waved at me, and as soon as she turned the corner, I escorted Buddy home in a hurry to come back and relieve myself of the tension that would never desert me unless I jerked it off.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up at dawn, too restless to stay in bed. I had tossed and turned for hours, my mind drifting to the woman who took a chunk of my heart hostage last night.

The taste of her lingered on my lips for a long time after she left.

I hoped it could stay there forever.

My thoughts churned in my head. I dragged a hand over my face, trying to ease the new wave of desire pulsating through me.

My fist connected with the kitchen counter. “Fuck,” I screamed to relieve my frustration. This thing between us had me all bothered. And now I was in my kitchen, wishing she’d appear at my front door and we’d take off from where we left things last night. With my tongue in her mouth and my fingers playing her.

With a mug of coffee in my hand, I watched the sunrise from the back deck. The sight helped me get a grip on myself. And for an instant, I appreciated the view, pushing away the images in my head. This short moment of peace and quiet, enjoying the beauty nature had to offer, had become my new ritual most mornings.

My mind stopped spinning.

My racing thoughts ordered themselves.

I breathed easier.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep that sent me into a state of mental agitation. But now that the trepidation and angst eased, I could see clearer.

“Hey bro,” I said, slouching in my chair, glancing at the sky.

Derek and I were due for a meaningful talk.

“How are you doing? Touching base with you. Things move fast around here. Just so you know, you were right. I can see that now. And I have no clue how you could, but hey, I’m not questioning the process. Back home, I was missing out on so many things. Home… Why does something twist in me when I think about Chicago as my home? Is it weird? Now I can only picture myself living here in Green Mountain.”

I paused to regroup my thoughts.

“Anyway, I’m glad you sent me on this journey. And guess what? I checked another item on your list. I made three best friends. Our lives entangled in a way I can’t explain, but there is something there. It’s real. And powerful.”

I let the silence settle in the words I just spoke.

“By the way, I never thought I’d befriend a dog, but here he is, proving me wrong. It’s like Dahlia, Jack, and Buddy were destined to enter my life. Some way. Some day. When I was truly ready to welcome them. It feels so damn right to share pieces of my life with them. If you’re the mastermind behind all this—and I truly hope you are—thank you. I can’t wait to see how far our relationships go, but I know in my heart I’ll forever be grateful they’ve been put on my road.”

I closed my eyes to chase the emotional turmoil shaking me.

“I miss you, Derek. Every day. I wish you were here. I wish you could meet them. I wish you could have come on this journey with me. Go, have fun. Love you, bro.” With my fingers, I saluted the sky.

A scratching noise resonated through the ajar patio door. Buddy yapped from the front porch, and I hurried inside and crossed the kitchen to let him in. He sniffed around, and after pacing the main floor of the house twice, he crumpled on the floor with a loud sigh.

“You miss them too?” I asked, wishing he could talk back for once. “Yeah.” I sighed. “I know the feeling.”

I refilled my mug and was about to start my day when Chaz, my young neighbor, came knocking.

“Hey Nick, can I talk to ya?” he asked through the screen door.

“Yeah. Sure. Come on in. What’s up?”

He sat on a stool and buried his head in the bent of his elbow.

“Coffee?”

“Sure,” he muttered.

“Everything all right? Huh, you looked—confused?” I asked, lacking a better word.

Chaz nodded, not meeting my eyes. “You know the girl—”

“The one who dated your best friend?”

“Yeah. Jolie. She asked me to this dance in town next month.”

“That’s great, man.”

The teen groaned, his face still hidden in the crook of his arm. “No, it’s not. She was his girl. He’ll kill me if I go with her. He told me many times she was out of reach. I’m screwed. I really like her. And I think she likes me too.”

“Your coffee, black?”

“One milk and too much sugar,” he muttered.

“Tell me the truth, Chaz. What do you want?” I asked, making my way to the refrigerator to get the milk.

He lifted his head, his face flustered. “Her. I’ve been in love with Jolie since third grade. And she’ll be in Columbus too next fall.”

“Did—what’s his name?—your friend know about your crush when he asked her out?” I placed the cup of coffee before him and leaned back against the counter next to the sink, sipping mine.

Chaz was about six or seven years younger than me, but right now, I felt like decades separated us. He looked so clueless and inexperienced that it made me smile. And feel for him.

“Yeah.”

I shrugged. “So. He broke the bro code first.”