He was running through an open field of tall, green grass. It was night time, the sky inky black and glittering with stars. He was looking for something, and it was right up ahead, if he could only reach it. He ran for what could have been minutes, or maybe hours, but he never felt tired, never felt like he needed to rest… He just knew he needed to find it.
Soon the tall grass parted to a clearing where a hill stood, blooming with flowers in a meadow beyond. He was relieved to have found it, and began walking slowly to make his way up the slope. He had only made it to the base when he stopped short, gazing upwards. Above him, on the top of the hill, was a wolf. Strong, regal, and earthy grey, the wolf peered down at him with golden eyes as hard as diamonds.
He swallowed, afraid to move any further.
A warm, gentle breeze tousled his hair, the grass, and the wolf's fur. They both stood in their spots, him on the ground looking up, and the wolf on the hill looking down. They looked at each other, for seconds or minutes, could even have been hours.
Finally, the wolf blinked at him. But before the wolf's eyes opened again, Boomhauer awoke with a start.
Cursing his alarm, he switched it off and groggily sat up in his tangle of sheets. What did that dream mean? It felt so significant, so heavy, if only he could have slept for a little longer.
He then remembered the previous night, his date with Leah, kissing her while the rest of the world stopped.
He knew she was trying to get him to go inside with her again after he took her home. Why on Earth did he turn her down again? Why was he trying to be noble all of a sudden?
It was because he wanted things between them to last. To be real and genuine; to build a foundation out of something more than just sex. To do the opposite of what had been his lifestyle for his whole adult life.
So he turned her down, again, but she seemed to take it in stride at least. She still kissed him goodnight, just as passionately as she did by the river.
...And then he went home to jerk off and dream about wolves. This was the life he was choosing now, apparently.
He saw her running by that morning, like he usually did, like life was going on as normal, even though his life had been completely changed. He hoped he would see her again later that day. Slowly she occupied more and more space in his thoughts, and after last night he wasn't sure if he could ever think about anything else ever again.
After work that day, he was looking forward to having a few beers in the alley. He was not, however, looking forward to the ribbing his friends were sure to give him, but he might as well go and get it over with now.
No beer had ever been as refreshing as the one he had just cracked open, standing there under the warm sun of the early evening with his friends. The only thing that tasted better was Leah's lips.
Shit, he was getting corny.
"Yep," Hank sighed.
"Yep," Dale nodded.
With Leah on his mind, Boomhauer added, "Mmm-hmm."
Dale looked at Boomhauer with extreme interest. "I take it your date went well?"
Boomhauer dropped his face into something even more neutral, and shrugged.
"Don't give me that," Dale brushed off, "We saw the spring in your step."
"Never thought I'd ever see you so, uh, twitterpated," grinned Hank.
Boomhauer stood and waited for them to get it out of their systems.
"So did you go to her house, or yours?" Dale asked with a mischievous grin.
Rolling his eyes, Boomhauer mumbled, "My house, alone."
He rolled his eyes again at their shocked expressions.
"Still?" Dale gasped, "Is she-"
"Shut up."
Hank went into support mode. "It's good she doesn't want to rush into things. Peggy and I didn't. It just makes that first time all the more-"
Boomhauer groaned in disgust. "It's not her. It's me, alright?"
He took a dignified sip of beer while they gaped at him.
"You feeling okay?" Hank asked, concern lining his face.
Dale put a hand on Boomhauer's forehead. "I think he's running a fever! It's West Nile, no, it's Avian Flu! No, no, it's West Nile."
Boomhauer swatted him off.
"So I'm diseased for not sleeping with her yet?" he huffed.
"Yet, huh?"
"Dale, give him a break," Hank sighed.
"He's fucked half of Arlen's single women population, and probably a large percentage of Corpus Cristi. Sue me for being shocked that he won't touch one that's in the bag."
"Alright, you got your jabs in. Can we move on?"
"Hold on, I got one more. If you don't fuck her soon, Bill might actually start to stand a chance." Dale took in a calming breath. "Okay, I'm done."
"Speaking of Bill, you've been awful quiet," Hank noticed, turning to him.
Bill had been standing there while everyone else quibbled. He looked troubled, even sad, but said nothing.
"How did your date go? Joyce, was it?" Hank asked in an attempt to get him to talk again.
"Do I hear wedding bells?" joked Dale.
"No," Bill sighed. "Another dead end…"
Crassly, Dale asked, "Bet you wish you didn't tell Boomhauer he was allowed to have Leah now, huh?"
"I don't care about that. I'm glad you're happy with her, Boomhauer. She never would have gone for me. No one ever will."
"Now, that's not true," Hank objected, "You just have to keep trying. Keep putting yourself out there."
Bill shook his head. "No, I'm done. I'm tired of all the dead ends and rejections. It's so...exhausting. Mentally, emotionally...hell, even physically…"
Boomhauer hated to see him like this, which, admittedly, was often. If only Bill could see the things inside of him his friends could, all the good things that were in there, that were obscured by Bill's despair and low self-esteem...
Ironically, Bill had helped Boomhauer out of his own depressive episode, after Marlene dumped him… Boomhauer wished he could return the favor, somehow...
A wave of nervous excitement rushed through him when he heard Leah's car pull into her driveway behind them. Should he go say hi to her? Would that be too needy and desperate? This whole 'don't treat her like a one night stand' thing was so confusing.
"Now I know I hear wedding bells," grinned Dale. He was looking upon Boomhauer's Leah-fixed expression. "Why aren't you going over there?"
"She just got home. She needs a minute to breathe."
However, when she went inside without coming across the alley to them, Boomhauer felt a small sense of disappointment. But, he had to keep in mind that had they not been neighbors, he wouldn't see her as often as he did now. He would see her when he saw her, whenever that might be.
The next week floated by the same way the butterflies floated in Leah's chest, flitting around her heart chakra, heightening her energy frequency to a clear, bright pink. She couldn't remember ever feeling like this before, not about anyone else.
She tried to handle what was between Boomhauer and her delicately. Or, at least, what she assumed to be delicate; Boomhauer was hard to get a read on. He had practically ignored her for a while after they first met, then he gifted her something truly thoughtful, then he ditched her for a random girl, then he took her out on an incredible date, and then he wouldn't go inside with her.
She wasn't sure where they stood exactly. It was only one date, but it was so fun and so… hot. Surely he felt it too? How electrifying their touches were, and those steamy kisses by the riverside…
But when he took her home and walked her to her door, she asked if he wanted to come in, and he had shaken his head. It was a curious response, because everyone around her had emphasized what a womanizer he was and she had often seen different women at his house, or knew he was off at their houses. Just not hers, apparently.
She wondered why, wondered what she did wrong, wondered if maybe something was wrong with her… but that energy between them, those blazing looks, the heat of their skin and the smoldered kisses, there was no way there wasn't something there.
As the week went on, she gave him his space. She'd say hello to him in the mornings before work and in the evenings when he was out in the alley, but otherwise kept her distance, lest she come across as clingy or annoying. She didn't know what he wanted, or wanted from her. She wondered when they would get together again, just the two of them.
If only he wasn't always with his friends.
Friday evening came, the fiery sunset opening over a promising weekend. Nancy had called Leah earlier to ask for help in her garden. Leah's rose bushes were positively flourishing in the summer heat, while Nancy's had seen better days. The trick was in organic compost, which Leah was going to explain.
Leah left her house after dinner and walked out into the alley with bated breath as Boomhauer and his friends were there as usual. He stood, cool and impassive, lean and angular, everything about him as endearing to Leah as ever. She still could hardly believe she had kissed him, and it was driving her mad that it had been so long since.
"Hi, guys," she said, passing by to go to Nancy and Dale's house.
They all said hello back to her, though Boomhauer's was simply a nod.
"Where are you off to?" Hank asked.
"I'm going to help Nancy in her garden."
"Haven't seen you around much," commented Dale.
"Oh, I've been around. You know where to find me." She gave Boomhauer a look out of the corner of her eye before leaving.
Nancy's roses still looked very healthy and vibrant, even if Leah's roses were larger and fuller. But it really was all in the compost; no amount of deadheading or watering could replace it.
"Coffee grounds? Really?" Nancy looked skeptically at Leah.
"Yes, they add nitrogen to the soil and help repel bugs. Much better than using chemicals."
"Hmm… Well, if you say so."
"And any scraps of vegetables that you'd otherwise throw away, like peels, cores, that sort of thing."
"Dale is going to love that." Nancy must have decided the flower situation was resolved, so she switched subjects. "So, how are things going with you and Boomhauer?"
"Our date went well, but we haven't spoken much this week."
Nancy seemed to have expected that, given her gentle nod. "That's how he is… After he sleeps with 'em he's on to the next one. Don't take it personally, Shug."
Leah shook her head, chuckling nervously. "No, it's not like that. We didn't sleep together."
"Wait, really?"
"We made out a little, but that's it. When he took me home, I asked if he wanted to come in but he said no."
Nancy looked entirely perplexed. "That's so strange… I've never known him to do that."
Leah sighed. "Maybe I'm not his type."
"What? Oh, no, you're definitely his type. Pretty blonde like you? That's a man's kryptonite." Nancy flipped her own blonde hair back confidently.
"I wish it was easier to talk to him alone. He's always surrounded by his friends."
"Just march on up to his door when he's home."
"I thought about that, but doesn't that seem weird to do? Kind of like a stalker?"
"He might like the take-charge attitude."
"I wonder why he hasn't tried coming to my door."
"Could be for the same reason as you. We need to get you two together somehow."
Nancy thought for a minute, staring intently at a rose.
"I know!" She declared in triumph, "You can throw a pool party tomorrow!"
"Yeah, but wouldn't everyone else be there too?" Leah laughed.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. What do you say?"
"I say… Sure!"
"Great! Oh, I could really use a swim. And-"
Nancy cut herself off with a piercing scream.
"What? What's wrong?"
Leah followed Nancy's terrified eyeline to the mulch of her garden. Quietly winding underneath the shade of the rose bushes was a skinny green garter snake.
Dale had rushed into the yard, with Hank, Bill, and Boomhauer behind him.
"Nancy, what happened?" Dale asked, holding her arms gently, peering with concern at her drained face.
Nancy pointed a shaky finger to where the snake lay, harmless and inconspicuous.
"I'll take care of it, don't worry," he assured her, and crouched down to snatch up the small serpent.
"No, let me take it," Leah insisted. She knew Dale was probably going to kill it. She picked it up with her bare hands, which made Nancy scream again.
"Get that damn thing out of here!"
"I'll go put him in my garden," Leah said, but Dale stopped her.
"And have that cold blooded reptile slither back into my Nancy's roses? I don't think so!"
He made to grab the snake before Leah stepped back out of his reach.
"It will be fine. I have lots of earthworms in my soil he will like."
"Go, just go!" Nancy yelled, covering her eyes.
Leah began leaving, but stopped as she was passing Boomhauer.
"I might need help finding a good place for him," Leah suggested.
Boomhauer shrugged and followed her.
They crossed the alley and went down the street to Leah's yard, not saying a word until they were safely behind her fence. Leah put the snake under a pink rhododendron shrub, brushed her hands off on her legs, and turned to Boomhauer.
"It's nice seeing you," she said, timidly, but found security in his calm gaze.
"Yep."
Not again with this short answer business.
"I think I'm having a pool party tomorrow."
Boomhauer said nothing.
"Do you want to come?"
"Yep."
She looked at him with disappointment. She wondered where she went wrong. Why did she always feel like she was a screw up with him?
They looked at each other as the sun flared orange behind them, dropping to the horizon. Leah felt awkward, like she was supposed to say something, but didn't know what. Boomhauer stood tall and relaxed, seemingly unbothered.
"So," Leah said lightly, watching him carefully.
"What do wolves mean?"
"Uh… What?"
"In a dream. I've had a wolf in my dream a few times now, but I don't know what it means."
She blinked, processing this sudden topic.
"Um, I'm not quite sure. They usually can represent intentions. It depends on the context."
"The wolf is guarding someplace I want to get to, but I'm too afraid to go to it."
Leah nodded thoughtfully. "Where do you want to go?"
"Well, there's flowers there."
"Flowers? What kind of flowers? Flowers themselves have their own meanings and symbolisms."
He hesitated a moment while he glanced over her shoulder. "Just… flowers. In general."
It was then he realized, the flowers on top of the hill of his dreams were all of the flowers in Leah's garden…
"Flowers can usually represent happiness."
He looked at her intently, his eyes roving across her, and she blushed under his gaze, but looked just as steadily back.
There it was again, like it always was, that energy between them, so charged and passionate, so unrelenting.
Boomhauer wasn't sure if he believed in spirit guides or dream interpretations. But what he did believe in was the graceful beauty of Leah's face, the sparkles in her eyes…
… and the softness of her lips against his.
