Two Lovers V - Convenience Store
She looked at him concerned
"Oh my God, we forgot the buns!"
A barbeque happening
Guests arriving
Coals flaming
Food prepared
But nothing to put burgers on
For their housewarming
Hasty instructions and some cash
From his Lover and her roomies
Then he starts to haul ass
To the convenience store
He hustles there on foot
Thinking about his Lover
She is overly annoyed at herself
For her little slip
She rarely misses things like this
She's cute when she's flustered
He'd have the guests just use bread
She looked at him like he was crazy
When he said that
She is like rhyming poetry
With rhythym and meter
He admires the way she thinks but
Would not want to be her
He is free verse
Rhyming here and there
Streams of consciousness
Coalesced in a young man
Whose barely more than a boy
He's a year and a half older
But he knows he's really five years younger
Than his Lover
And that's alright with him
He jogs up the street
Thinking of her dusky face
Her shining dark eyes
So beautiful. So cool
So is she
Tough
Everything put together
Everything in the right place
He frowns when he thinks
Of the tensions that he feels
She has started acting disappointed
At the way that he freewheels
She expects him just to get things
Going on in her brain
To remember little occasions
Without anything being said
But that all kinda goes over his head
He's working on it and getting better
In fact he has a plan
Their anniversary is a few months away
And he thinks he can impress her then
He's got a good job lined up
Good tips and pay for a school job
A new house with friends
Peanuts for rent
He'll work full time all summer
Saving up while she's away
Pay his tuition down
Set aside his rent
And then take her out extravagant
For their anniversary
The way she deserves
The way he always wants to
Take a light classload in the fall
Study a little harder, work a little more
Clear some bills
Have a little more for her
Not be a mooch all the time
He can plan too, he thinks smugly
Jesus! It's been like ten months!
He's never been with a girl so long
And the last nine of them
He hasn't touched another
Since he and his Lover became intimate
Not one, not a kiss
Well, he did smooch that girl at Christmas
Okay...one kiss...Okay...maybe two
And maybe a tiny bit more than a kiss
With one of them
But that was while she was away
Plus that was like the couple days after she left
They didn't count, nothing really happened
Emotional insurance, a little armor
Since she wanted a "break"
Then he pined for his Lover for five weeks
Seeing her for a couple days at New Years
Not even close to touching anyone since
He is really kind of proud of that
Worried he had his father's faults
....No his Pops is a painful thought
He pushes it down and walls it off
Child of divorce
Happiness requires defense mechanisms...
He has been a good boyfriend
Most of the time
As far as he can see
And it bothers him when he thinks
"She's always kinda pissed at me"
They are relying on their physical connection
To get them over some humps
But he is okay with that somewhat
That is just a part of love
His mom doesn't love him only because
He is smart, fun, and handsome
(Maybe a little less than he thinks he is)
Mom loves him too
For biology's due
And if physical love and hormones
Help him and his Lover
That is okay too
The 7-11 is just ahead
He stops jogging and starts to walk
Taking a little time
With these knots in his thoughts
He worries about this summer
Worries about fidelity
When his Lover goes away
For her vacation
She did what she did at Christmas
Insisting they take another "break"
He doesn't want to do that
But she was firm in it
That bothers him because
She is still putting him through his paces
All the time
Usually multiple times per day
No dropoff. No boredom.
How does that happen?
He really couldn't cheat on her
Without smelling salts and Gatorade
He laughs out loud at the thought
Smiling as he thinks how her body moves
Her smell, and the sounds she makes
Her eyes and musical voice
The way she tickles his chest hair
And her ri-dumb-donkulous pet name for him
She's so freaking cute!
To be honest he couldn't cheat
Because he simply doesn't want to
Doesn't need to
And he's proud of that
He's NOT his dad
But then she says she wants to take a break
What the f*** does that mean?!
"Go ahead, have fun?"
"Don't do anything because this is a test?"
"You better do something, 'cause I sure will?"
"I'm gonna break your f***ing heart, Poor Boy!"
Ugh!
Six weeks is a long time to feel uncertain
And she seems to expect him to know!
No communication...
She's always keeping him at arms length
Never even asks to go see his mom
Though she is just across the river
Two subway stops away
They go watch movies five blocks
From his Mom's house
His Lover never met his other family
Nephews, sister, cousins
Who all live locally
She never asked to
(He smiles at a couple of
Cute girls walking by in workout gear
One of them smiles back!
She's a pretty one. Nice caboose.
He hums quietly to himself for a second
A song his Dad taught him)
His Lover does things with her
Culural/political organizations nearby
Never invites him to anything
Is she ashamed of him?
Wants to tell him she loves him everyday
Roll in all kinds of hay
But holding him away
Because of her culture?
Because she's rich and he grew up poor?
Nah, that can't be it
Can't be. This is real. No way. Not her.
She says she loves him every day.
No way. She loves him.
He'll invite her more.
That's it.
Buns and party supplies in hand
He starts to jog back to her new house
Troubling thoughts slip away
As they always do for him
He is a happy kid
Plus he'll get to see her again in a minute
And they were kissing in her little kitchen
Pressing to him
Whispered promises of desire in his ear
Man he loves that girl!
Almost there and realizes
He forgot something
Shoot! She'll be disappointed!
He turns and runs back to the store
Not jogging
Shopping bags flying
Nearly hit by two cars
Pelting
Out of breath, he arrives
The clerk looks at him funny
"Hey, Dude," says the Lover, gasping
"Do you know what a 'Skor' bar is?"
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