Though the Years Part Us...
6/1/11
Kevin and Mack sat across from one another. They were nestled in an intimate booth at Casa Alejandro, the table set with a small vase of roses and a single flickering candle.
The men eyed each other across the candle flame, more nervous than they were each letting on. It had been a few years since last they had seen one another; a chance meeting at a gas station, a few minutes' smalltalk ending up as a twenty-minute conversation. Laughing about how stupid they had been in their high school days, reminiscing about games won, lamenting loves lost.
In the end, they had set up this dinner to reconnect, the first strut in the building of a new bridge across several years' distance.
Now they were together at the agreed upon time and place, but sat in awkward silence.
Mack cleared his throat, and took that first shaky step forward.
"How's the new job?"
Kevin beamed, though his eyes wandered hither and yon, rather than settle on the eyes of his companion.
"Oh, it's cool. Lawndale's a lot different than when we were on the team. Ever since Li had that stroke, stuff's been a lot more relaxed."
Mack raised an eyebrow, lips pulling upward in an involuntary smirk.
"So no more bomb-sniffing dogs and micro-chipped footballs?"
Kevin grinned. A waiter came by and dropped off a basket of bread and a scallop shell-shaped dish of butter.
"Nah, it's all sign-out sheets, now. We've got a good team this year, too! We're five and oh for the season."
Kevin sat up a little taller, swelling with pride, and Mack smiled affectionately. Kevin may have been a little hard to stand in their days as Lions, but this matured man was much more mellow and easier to talk to.
"Hey, how about you?" Mack blinked, brought forcibly out of his reverie. "You're a big business man now, right?"
Mack chuckled. "I own a roofing company, based in Connecticut. We just expanded the business, though, with a new branch in Boston."
"Way to go, bro!" Kevin cheered, holding a hand up for a high five. Laughing, Mack obliged him.
Mack brushed an errant dreadlock off of his shoulder, cursing his decision to wear his hair loose, and was surprised when Kevin reached across the table and gave on of the dreads a light tug. He allowed the long strand to trail between his fingers before letting go.
"Your hair got long, Mack Daddy," Kevin murmured, and the black man opened his mouth to speak when they were interrupted by a feminine voice.
"I hope we didn't keep you waiting long."
Mack looked up and grinned as a auburn-haired woman leaned down to kiss him hello.
"It's okay," he answered when they came up for air. "You know, guy talk."
"Of course," Daria laughed as she slid into the booth beside her fiance. She held her hand out to Kevin, who squeezed it happily as their fourth party member slid in beside him. "So what were you two talking about?"
"Success!" Kevin crowed, raising his water glass in toast, and the rest of the table followed suit, faces alight with cheerful laughter.
"And how about you?" Daria smirked at the man across from her as she buttered a piece of bread. "Would you consider yourself as successful as your husband?"
The stay-at-home-dad grinned and twined fingers with Kevin, leaning into the larger man. his dark eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Of course!" Joey Black-Thompson replied, and kissed his husband lovingly. "I got the QB!"
End.
Guys and Guys Iron Chef on the PPMB.