December 12, 2011
"Mind if I sit?" Matthew says seeing that this is the only seat available.
"May I ask who's asking?" the lad gives him a small smile.
"Matthew." Matthew just stands there sheepishly.
The lad holds out his hand and Matthew gladly accepts the formal greeting. "Nice to meet you Matthew I'm Thomas." Thomas firmly shakes Matthew's hand.
so can I…
"Of course sit down." Thomas motions to the chair. "cigarette" he hands it out to Matthew.
"No thanks I don't smoke." Thomas gives Matthew a weird look but Matthew just shrugs his shoulders.
"That's too bad." Thomas mutters under his breath.
"Excuse me!" Matthew looks at Thomas but Thomas just shrugs his shoulders.
Thomas lights a cigarette and as he exhales the smoke envelops him. "Obviously you came over here to convince me that you're worth sleeping with but now I'm not so keen on the idea."
wait just because…
"What do you do?" Thomas tries to change the subject.
"I'm a writer." Matthew replies.
"Never slept with a writer before." Thomas says smugly.
"I'm not here for a good fuck I just wanted to get to know you." Matthew slams his hands on the table.
"Well sorry to disappoint you but there's not much to know about." Thomas looks down at his shoes trying to look anywhere but at Matthew.
"I beg to differ, why do you like sitting by the window?" Matthew shifts his eyes over to the window.
"It makes me feel more connected to society." Thomas looks back up at Matthew.
"Why don't you just talk to someone on the inside?" Matthew overlooks the crowd of people waiting in line.
"Truthfully I hate rejection and at least I know the people on the outside won't mind if I watch them." Thomas casts his eyes over to a little boy struggling to keep control of his dog.
"I think they would if they knew." Matthew starts laughing but stops himself seeing that Thomas is not laughing.
"So what are you writing about?" Thomas says knowing that he much rather discuss someone else's life rather than his own.
"Not sure yet." Matthew reaches out for a napkin but accidentally touches Thomas's hand and Thomas pulls back.
"Well I best be going then." Thomas puts out the cigarette.
"Wait where are you going?" Matthew frowns.
"Home." Thomas starts making his way towards the door.
"Why?" Matthew says trying to figure Thomas out.
"Well I finished my drink had a nice short chat with a fine fellow so I thought I call it quits for the night." Thomas inches his way toward the handle but Matthew refuses to let Thomas leave.
"Well can I see you tomorrow?" Matthew says hopefully.
"Only if you're paying." Thomas finally exits the coffee shop.
December 13, 2011
"What is it?" Thomas asks while inspecting the drink.
"Just try it and see." Matthew rolls his eyes.
"I hope you're not trying to poison me." Thomas takes a sip.
"Well how is it?" Matthew asks eagerly.
"It's very minty." Thomas replies.
"But do you like it?" Matthew has his fingers crossed under the table.
"I suppose it's not that bad." Thomas admits.
Just then Tom walks in. "Oh god!" Matthew looks away.
"What is it?" Thomas seems surprised by Matthew's change in behavior.
"My ex is here." Matthew looks around for an escape and regrets sitting near the door.
"Isn't this a small world." Thomas smiles to himself and Matthew just rolls his eyes.
"Well if it isn't Matthew." Tom makes his way over to the table.
"You look fine as ever Tom." Matthew silently prays Thomas won't do anything stupid.
Thomas spits out his drink and it manages to get most of Matthew's shirt wet.
"Oh who's this?" Tom casts his eyes over to Thomas.
"I'm Steven his boyfriend." Thomas replies while Matthew looks just as surprised as Tom.
"Nice to meet you Steven." Tom holds out his hand but Thomas refuses to shake his hand.
"It's funny that I run into you I was just about to call you." Tom lowers his hand accepting defeat.
"Why's that?" Matthew says though already dreading the answer.
"I was planning on inviting you to my wedding." Tom looks over at Thomas who's suddenly taken a fascination with Matthew's hair as he reaches over to move some stray hairs away from Matthew's eyes.
"What"? Matthew motions for Thomas to stop.
"I'm engaged to be married." Tom stares at Matthew hoping he'll break.
"Congratulations Tom." Matthew says calmly though trying to hold back his anger and frustration.
"Thank you, well it was a pleasure to meet you again Matthew and you Steven." Tom glares at Thomas.
"I'm glad we met too , Matthew has said so much about you." Thomas says. Tom walks away and Matthew wishes the seat could swallow him whole.
"Why so glum chum, oh wait let me guess he said he'd never marry." Thomas says.
"Yes and I was a fool for believing him." Thomas grabs Matthew's hand to show him support but Matthew's lost in his own thoughts to even notice.
"Well he wasn't that good looking anyway you could do better than that." Thomas tries to let go of Matthew's hand but Matthew refuses to let go.
"Why'd you help me?" Matthew seems disturbed at the moment.
"I thought I'd repay you for buying me a drink." Thomas smiles and Matthew manages to smile back.
"I think it was more than that." Matthew says hoping Thomas would give him a true answer. Thomas gets up from his chair and starts putting his coat on. "Good day Matthew." He starts to leave but not before Matthew grabs his arm. "Can I call you?" Matthew knows this is his only chance. Thomas turns around and takes a pen from his pocket."Hold out your arm" Thomas looks at Matthew. Matthew does as he's told and Thomas writes his number across Matthew's arm. When he finishes he caps the pen and puts it back in his pocket. Thomas looks back up at Matthew and his eyes linger for a second too long and as Matthew starts to move his hand toward Thomas's face he turns away and Matthew manages to say thank you as Thomas walks out.
2 months later
"Hello?" Thomas yawns into the phone.
"Thomas it's me Matthew." Matthew pipes in on the other line.
"Oh never thought you'd call." Thomas looks at his nails.
"I never thought you'd answer." Matthew sinks into his chair scolding himself.
"So how's the writing coming along?" Thomas says.
"Not too good I'm afraid but I'm glad you brought the subject up so I didn't have to squeeze it out of you." Matthew says. "Why's that?" Thomas asks. "I was wondering if you would like to be in my story?" Matthew starts cursing at himself wondering if he sounded too desperate.
"How flattering Matthew but what exactly do you want me to do?" Thomas laughs at Matthew scolding himself.
"Are you free tonight?" Matthew asks.
"Well let's see." Thomas replies a little too fast.
"Don't pretend like you have a busy schedule." Matthew says.
"My how you've changed Matthew." Thomas says a little surprised.
"And you seemed to have stayed the same Thomas, I'll meet you at seven then." Matthew starts wondering what he should wear.
"Seven sounds lovely." Thomas hangs up the phone.
At Coffee shop
"So what's new?" Thomas looks Matthew over trying to see if there's been any change.
"I got a dog." Matthew replies happily.
"Oh really what's its name?" Thomas starts messing with the tablecloth.
"Lucky." Matthew clears his throat and Thomas puts his hands at his sides.
"Very common name don't you think." Thomas says.
"Why'd you say that?" Matthew seems a bit concerned.
"Well you're a writer" Thomas says.
and...
"So I thought you would name it after a famous author such as Hemingway." Thomas says.
"I may be a writer but I'm not going to let my dog suffer with such a name." Matthew replies.
"I guess it doesn't matter whether you're a writer or not cause we're all the same in the end." Thomas avoids making eyecontact.
"Why's that?" Matthew seems intrigued.
"We may look different but we're all made up of DNA." Thomas replies.
"See this is why you're such a good candidate." Matthew says.
"Why cause I'm not afraid to challenge other's ideas?" Thomas says knowing that he just answered his own question.
"Precisely and this is why I feel you would be a great deal of help." Matthew smiles hoping Thomas will accept his offer.
"I'll do it" Thomas says with a little uncertainty in his voice.
"Do what?" Matthew says though he knows what Thomas means.
"I'll assist you in your writing." Thomas says.
"Really?" Matthew leans forward in his chair.
"Do you want me to change my mind?" Thomas doesn't seem amused by Matthew who's pretending to fall off his chair.
"Of course not." Matthew straightens himself out.
Walk to Matthew's apartment
"So if I'm going to be helping you are you going to provide me with some necessary needs?" Thomas says.
"Such as" Matthew says.
"A place to stay." Thomas replies hopefully.
"I suppose so, do you need anything from where you've been staying now?" Matthew asks.
"No I got all that I need with me thank you." Thomas seems a bit annoyed by Matthew's question.
"And what's that?" Matthew scratches his head.
"The clothes that I'm wearing now and may I say that you ask a lot of questions." Thomas says bitterly.
"Is that bad?" Matthew says realizing the harsh tone in Thomas's voice.
"It can get annoying at times yes." Thomas starts walking a little faster and Matthew is struggling to catch up.
"Well I didn't think someone would mind especially since I'm offering a complete stranger a place to stay." Matthew says now with doubt in his voice wondering if this was such a good idea.
"I'd hardly think we're strangers more like long lost cousins." Thomas chuckles a little at his own joke.
"Oh you really do get on my nerves sometimes with your comments." Matthew admits.
"Well you better get used to it cause I've got plenty more…so is your place small?" Thomas says.
"Why do you assume it's small." Matthew says wondering if that should even really matter since it's just the two of them.
"Because you're a writer." Thomas says.
so...
"So you don't make a lot of money unless your book becomes a bestseller and even that won't last for long" Thomas says.
"Well it is small." Matthew admits.
"Will I be sleeping on the bed?" Thomas gives Matthew the puppy eyes.
"And where will I sleep?" Matthew pouts.
"On the couch, you do have a couch at least?" Thomas says.
"Yes I do and if I say yes to you sleeping on the bed will you stop making me feel terrible." Matthew insists.
"Yes. Why'd we stop?" Thomas looks at Matthew hoping this isn't what he thinks it is.
"Because we're here." Matthew replies.
"This is it?" Thomas says lamely.
"Yes now will you come inside." Matthew says with a bit of annoyance.
"You have a garden." Thomas laughs a bit.
"Yes now come on." Matthew drags Thomas into the apartment.
"There's a lot of stairs." Thomas exclaims.
"And here I thought I was the one who complains and asks stupid questions but I've been proven wrong." Matthew says though he regrets saying it.
"Ok I'll shut up then." Thomas raises his hands in defense.
"No, I'm sorry if I offended you." Matthew sighs in defeat knowing he can never stay mad at Thomas especially when he's in the wrong.
"I don't mind, I realize I do need to stop while I'm ahead I may say something that might ruin what we have." Thomas admits.
"And what do we have?" Matthew moves closer to Thomas.
"I'm not sure yet and that's what scares me usually I'm so sure." Thomas makes his way to Matthew's bedroom and shuts the door leaving Matthew to himself.