dpracket

The spring air and sun felt great on my skin.  I took a sip of my coffee and got comfortable reading a magazine at a table outside the bookstore in Old Towne.

After a few minutes, someone kicked my foot gently.  "Anyone sitting here?"

I looked up to see Reid Oliver, munching on something, chewing with his mouth open and gesturing toward the seat across the table from me.  I turned my head to both sides, noting the various empty tables all around me.   I shrugged my shoulders and nodded toward the chair. 

Dr. Oliver put down his coffee and a few books and stuck a white paper bag out toward me.  "Cookie?"

I eyed him curiously before putting my hand in the bag.  He was acting weird.  I retrieved a warm chocolate chip cookie from the bag.  "Thanks."  I returned my eyes to the magazine, hoping that he would concentrate on one of his books.

No such luck.

"What are you reading?" Dr. Oliver asked.  I looked up to find him looking at me.   I tried to ignore the fact that his blue eyes were stunning in the sunlight.  Why did he care what I was reading?  I held up the magazine so that he could see the cover.

"Ah...porn."

"What?  No!   It's GQ Magazine," I said, looking at the cover.

"Exactly. Porn."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's full of ads with hot men.  Lots of them half undressed.  David Beckham in Armani underwear.  I know; I've perused it."

"It has great articles."

"Yeah, okay..." Reid said, laughing and taking a bite of another cookie.  "And look," he said around a mouthful.  He pulled the magazine out of my hands and put it face up on the table.  He pointed to the cover.  "Right here on the cover.  It's blatant.  Ryan Gosling in a suit.  Tell me you couldn't jerk off to that."

"Dr. Oliver!"

"Yes, Mr. Snyder?"

I shook my head, not even knowing what to say.

Reid opened up the magazine..."See?  Armani Exchange...three hot men, semi-shirtless.  Damn...look at those abs.  A woman straddling one of them."  Reid pointed things out and continued to talk with his mouth full of cookies.  "Porn."  He turned to another page.   "Here's another example...Brad Pitt in a Tag Heuer ad.  Hand porn."   He flipped a few more pages.  "Oh, man...and look at this."  He pointed to a Ralph Lauren Black Label ad which showed a man in a black cowboy shirt with silver on the tips of the collar, wearing tourquois accesories.  "That's just wrong.  No self-respecting fag would be caught dead in that get-up...But he's hot though," Reid said with finality before closing the magazine.  I stared at Reid.  I think my mouth was open.  "What?" Reid asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

 "Nothing."  I shook my  head.  Dr. Reid Oliver never failed to surprise me.

"Another?" Dr. Oliver asked, offering the white bag to me again.

"No...I'm good.  Thanks."  I picked up the magazine and tried to find the article I had been reading.

"So," Dr. Oliver said, seemingly determined to not let me read in peace.  "Katie and the kid are staying at Katie's sister's house tonight.  Something about wine and chick flicks."  He rolled his eyes.  "So, I have the apartment to myself."

"Congratulations?" I said sarcastically.

"And...um...yeah.  I thought maybe you might want to come over and...ya know.....fuck."

"What?!"  I exclaimed, my voice much higher and squeakier than I intended.

"I'm pretty sure you heard me," Dr. Oliver replied. 

"That's not funny," I said, trying to sound non-chalant about what he'd just said.  Surely he was joking.

"You'll know when I'm trying to be funny, Mr. Snyder."  He leaned forward and looked right in my eyes.

I cleared my throat.  "Why are you doing this?"

"Propositioning you?"

"No.  Why are you trying to make me feel uncomfortable?"

"That's not my intention."

I stood up.  "I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing, but I'm out of here."  I started to gather my things, cursing myself that my hands were shaking.  Why was I letting him get to me?

He put his hand on my arm.  And it sent a jolt straight to my crotch.  "I'm not playing games with you, Mr. Snyder.  I would like to spend some time with you."

"Having sex?"  I asked.

"Yes," he answered, simply.

"Why the hell do you think I'd have sex with you?"  I asked.  "You hate me."

"Hate's a strong word, Mr. Snyder," he answered moving to the chair next to mine and tugging my arm until I sat back down.  "I don't hate you."

"Okay...then strongly DISLIKE," I offered.  "Where is this coming from?  We don't get a long at all.  We argue almost every time we see each other."

"We flirt almost every time we see each other."

"Flirt?"  I laughed, even though I was mad.  "Flirt?  We don't flirt."

"Sure we do," Dr. Oliver (Reid.  Reid?) said.  "You step into my personal space.  You always lean in close when we talk."

"Argue..." I corrected him.

"I say things to intentionally rile you up, and it works."  I shook my head.  "Even though I've asked you to stay out of my orbit, you can't walk into the same building as me and stay away.  You always have to say something.  Admit it...you want me."

"Want you?  Are you insane?  I don't even like you.  You're one of the rudest people I've ever met in my life...no, correction...You ARE the rudest person I've ever met in my life.  You're arrogant.  You have a disgustingly huge ego.  You think you're better than everybody.  You never have a kind word for me...and now you think I'd just suddenly agree to have meaningless sex with you?" 

"Don't knock recreational sex until you've tried it.  It's a great way to blow off some steam.  Pun intended.  And you, Mr. Snyder, are a little wound up and could probably use the release.  C'mon...you've thought about it.  I know it."  He smirked and licked his bottom lip.  How could one person be so arrogant...so confident?   I stood up again.  "I'm leaving.  I can't believe this.  Things are always awkward enough between us...and now...I hope I don't run into you because I don't think I'll be able to even look at you."  I started to walk away.

"Don't forget your porn," Dr. Oliver said, holding up my magazine and rising from his chair. 

I reached back and took the magazine from him, our fingers brushing, electricity moving down my arm.  "Goodbye, Dr. Oliver.

"Bye, Luke."

I ignored the fact that he called me by my first name.

 

"Cold late night so long ago,
When I was not so strong you know,
A pretty man came to me;
Never seen eyes so blue.
I could not run away
It seemed we'd seen each other in a dream.
It seemed like he knew me;
He looked right through me...yeah."

~~"Magic Man" by Heart, 1976

I had no idea how long I was standing outside Dr. Oliver's apartment door.  I'd seen his car in the parking lot, so I knew he was home.  What the hell was I doing here?  And what was I going to say when he opened the door?  There was only one reason why I would be there at 10:30 on a Friday night when Katie wasn't home, and he would know what it was.  Oh my God...I need to leave. 

An hour before I had still been at home.  I'd had dinner, played Legos with Ethan, and completed some foundation paperwork that was needed on Monday. 

I stepped away from the door and walked halfway down the hall before I turned and walked back to stand in front of the apartment again.  Knock.  Ring the bell.  Do something.  I smoothed my hair.  I checked my fly.  I practiced what I would say in my head.  "Hi, Dr. Oliver."  No.  "Hey, Dr. O."  No.  "How's it going, Reid?"  NO!  "Okay...yeah.  Let's do it."  NO!!!  I ran my tongue over the front of my teeth and checked my breath.  My palms were sweaty.  My dick was hard.  I needed a drink.

I rang the doorbell.  And stepped back three feet.

He didn't answer.  Maybe he was already sleeping.  Already in bed.  In bed.  My mind drifted to wondering what he slept in.  Pajamas?  His underwear?  Nothing?  I swallowed hard and turned away from the door, relieved and disappointed that he hadn't answered.

Just as I started to walk down the hall, I heard the door open.  I turned around to find Dr. Oliver standing in the doorway, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.  My question was answered:  sleep pants and a white t-shirt.

"I woke you," I said.  "I'm sorry."

"It's okay...just dozed on the couch watching Sportscenter."  I stood a good six feet away from the door (and him, looking warm and rumpled), not moving.  "You wanna come in?"

"No...actually.  Um.  No.  I'll see you later, Dr. Oliver."  I turned away from him, but then his voice came from behind me.

"Luke."  There he was, using my first name again. 

I turned back around, and he was right in front of me.  I looked away and backed up.  I couldn't look at him.
He stepped toward me, and I kept my ground.  I raised my eyes and looked right into his because I didn't want to appear nervous, but my breathing sounded shakey, even to myself, and I swear, I could feel my heart pounding in my temples.

"Relax," he said, his eyes scanning my face, reading each line, each subtle movement.  He raised his right hand to my cheek and brushed his thumb over it, as his middle finger slid down across my earlobe until it rested on my jaw.  "Tell me what you want, Luke."

I pushed his hand away.  "What I want is for you to not try to seduce me.  I'm not stupid."

Dr. Oliver's hand fell against his thigh, where he tapped his thumb there.  "I didn't say you were...nor do I assume you are.  But you are here..."

"Right.  But this was a mistake." I turned to walk away, but then his hand was on my arm, and I was turning toward him,and his mouth was on mine.  His lips were softer than I would have imagined.  Nice.  Warm.  But I found myself pulling away.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you attracted to me?"

Reid smiled.  "You do have a mirror, right, Mr. Snyder?  You're not hard to look at."

"Nice," I said, rolling my eyes.  

"Yes," Dr. Oliver said..."and you're nice."

"Not to you," I said, not believing a word that came out of his mouth.  His soft, perfect mouth.