Vroom! Live long and Prosper!

I am startled by my homemade ringtone as I put my journal away. It's from Ephraim. I mean, Zack. He detests his name and was sweet enough to wait two months to tell me.

« I'm a couple of blocks away. Let's do something. »

I respond to the text: « wat u 1 2 do? »

« Hang at your place & watch RENT? How does that sound? »

« gud 2 me »

I walk to the front door to see him coming up the drive. Once he sees me, he starts to jog, therefore I walk to meet him halfway. He crushes me in a bear hug upon our coming together.

"I've really missed you." I greet while nuzzling against his jugular vein.

"Me too. By the way, remind me to set the T9 on your phone. I won't kiss anybody that doesn't text actual words." He responds. I almost want to tell him that I insist upon it myself, but I know how it irritates him so. Like I said, 'almost'.

I sneak a peck onto his lips and reach for his hand. "Do you really want to watch the movie? My parents are out of town and the hot tub just got cleaned." I offer in my best come-hither pitch.

"That's very tempting, but I don't have my trunks, Ry." He answers and then smacks his own forehead with his free palm upon seeing my eyes brighten. "Easy, boy. We're not even dating and you're trying to get me out of my pants. What would your mother think?"

I chuckle and let a confused Zack in on my joke. "She'd say 'that's my boy!' C'mon! I'm hungry and I hear that teenage-boy tonsils are a delicacy in Europe."

"Actually, I'm pretty hungry too. How about pizza? My treat."

I can't argue with him. He texts Domino's and we walk inside. I leave him in the living room and return a couple of minutes later with a pair of speedos in one hand and a pair of board shorts in the other. "Your pick." I offer and he gladly takes the board shorts.

"Honestly, I'd rather take the speedos," he quips, "But then I'd miss having you on display."

I playfully slap his arm as he pulls me onto the sofa with him. We just cuddle until the pizza arrives and we eat in a comfortable silence. That's when I realize that no one has seen me shirtless since Troy in Las Cruzes.

Oh, if this wasn't complicated enough.