Chapter 10
TEN
Blake
Blake strolled along the walkway through the park, keeping an eye out for Ethan. It was a beautiful summer evening, mild and breezy, with the sun dipping low in the sky.
He stopped and squinted at the map Dustin had drawn for him on the back of a takeout menu. Turned it upside down, then right side up again. Although he ran through this park several times a week with Xander by his side, he rarely navigated it alone. Tonight, nothing around him seemed familiar.
He’d been elated when Ethan called and asked him on another date. They’d agreed to meet in the park for a late dinner. Ethan texted the location where he wanted to meet, and Blake agreed, too embarrassed to admit he wasn’t sure he knew the area.
As soon as Dustin had come out of his room that morning, Blake showed him the text and asked for help interpreting Ethan’s instructions.
“I know the place he’s talking about,” Dustin said.
“It’s easy to find.” While he was drawing the map, he described the landmarks Blake should look for along the path.
It all made sense while Dustin was narrating it, but now the map just looked like a curved line, with some squares and shapes that looked like tiny puffs of smoke. Were those supposed to be trees?
Blake frowned. How dumb does someone have to be to get lost in a city park? After scanning the landscape around him once more, hoping that something would look familiar, he pressed on. He’d call Ethan if he needed to, but wanted to put off that humiliation as long as possible.
A paper bag filled with food swung by his side.
Ethan was planning a picnic for them, and asked Blake to bring four of his favorite things: a sandwich, chips, drink, and dessert.
Blake had gone to the deli on the way over so that the sandwich would be as fresh as possible. His stomach grumbled in anticipation.
Deep into the park now, the creeping suspicion that he’d picked the wrong path was becoming impossible to ignore.
He was ready to turn back and try a different path when Ethan called his name, waving from a bench under a large palm tree.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Blake jogged over and hugged Ethan when he stood to greet him.
Ethan looked good. Dressed in a powder blue hoodie and a white and blue striped T-shirt, he regarded Blake with a radiant smile, his cherry-red bangs blowing in the slight breeze.
“It’s good seeing you again,” Ethan said.
“You too. I’m glad you called.”
They sat on the bench, and Ethan broke eye contact to stare at his hands. “About our first date…”
Blake’s stomach clenched. Ethan seemed so uncertain. Was this picnic going to be the way he asked if they could just be friends?
“I, um…” Ethan continued. “I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t interested in more, since we didn’t sleep together.”
“I didn’t think that.” Blake scooted closer to Ethan. “I’m interested in more, if you are.”
Ethan locked eyes with Blake, holding his gaze. Because of his hoodie, his grey eyes took on a blue cast, like a winter sky. “I’m interested.”
Blake leaned closer, tilting his head to the right.
Ethan mirrored him, leaning forward until their lips met.
The kiss was soft and unhurried. Thoughtful was the word that popped into Blake’s mind.
Ethan’s lips brushed over his in an easy, sensuous rhythm.
There was no heat or insistence, no tongue forcing its way past his lips – just the pressure of Ethan’s sweet mouth against his.
It wasn’t a rushed prelude to the “good stuff,” like so many of his fellow actors’ kisses. It was a moment meant to be savored.
“So…” Ethan said quietly when they separated from the kiss. “I thought we might try something different with this picnic.” He held out his bag of food. “We can trade dinners, that way we get to experience each other’s favorite foods.”
“Sounds fun. Hope you’re hungry.” Blake handed over his bag and accepted Ethan’s in return.
“Let’s see what we’ve got,” Ethan said, opening the bag and rummaging through its contents. “Lay’s potato chips and Coke Zero. Can’t beat the classics.” He lifted out the large submarine sandwich wrapped in Saran Wrap. “Tuna fish?”
“Chicken salad,” Blake said.
“I had you pegged as a meatball sub kinda guy.”
With a chuckle, Blake started unpacking the bag Ethan had given him.
“When I was young, my mom always made me chicken salad sandwiches. So I tried every deli in the city until I found the one that made the best chicken salad. Oh, barbecue Kettle chips!” Blake exclaimed as he set the bag of chips on the bench next to him.
“They’re the best.”
“They rock!” He lifted a bottle of light tan soda out of the bag. Luckily the printing on the bottle was large and clear. “Cream soda? I don’t think I’ve ever tasted this before.”
Ethan unwrapped his sub. “Really? Try a sip. If you don’t like it, I’ll trade back and you can have your Coke.”
Blake twisted off the cap and gave the bottle a curious sniff. He took a small sip and grinned. The flavor was sweet and smooth, like melted vanilla ice cream. “Wow, that’s good.”
“It’s what my dad always bought for our summer cookouts.” Ethan took a bite of the chicken salad sub and moaned with delight. “Oh my god. This is the best sandwich I’ve ever tasted.”
“Right? I don’t know their secret, but it’s amazing.”
Blake opened the cardboard box from Ethan’s bag.
Inside was a toasted sandwich cut into four triangular wedges, each wedge speared by a toothpick with a colorful cellophane frill on its end.
The sandwich was stacked with neat, even layers of meat, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and bacon. “Ooh, this looks fancy.”
“It’s a roast turkey club. It’s the first sandwich Caleb, my boss at the diner, taught me how to make.”
Blake took a hearty bite. The toasted bread crunched between his teeth as he savored the fresh, flavorful ingredients – a delightful balance of salty and tangy, crispy and tender. “You made this for me?” he asked around his mouthful.
Ethan smiled and nodded.
“It’s delicious. Best sandwich ever.”
As they ate, they shared pleasant conversation about their weekends. It was so easy to talk to Ethan. Though they barely knew each other, Blake felt as comfortable with him as he did with his closest friends.
Although Blake was outgoing and made friends easily, it often took time for him to really open up. Long conversations could be exhausting. He had to concentrate so intently, to make sure he didn’t miss a joke or say something dumb. But with Ethan, he was relaxed. Completely at ease.
Once they’d finished eating, Ethan gathered up their trash and stuffed it into an empty bag. “Dessert time,” he said, pulling the last item out of Blake’s deli bag – a box of Jujyfruits. “Wow, I haven’t had these in forever.”
“Whenever I went to the movies with my mom, we shared a box of Jujyfruits. It’s one of my favorite memories of childhood.”
“I love that,” Ethan said, his gaze soft. “Okay, get ready. For you I brought my favorite…” He reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a package of candy in an iconic orange wrapper, holding it aloft with a dramatic flourish. “Peanut Butter Cups!”
Blake grimaced and wrung his hands. “I can’t eat those. I’m allergic to peanuts.”
Ethan gasped and chucked the candy over his shoulder. “Shit! Blake, I’m sorry. I should have asked about allergies.”
“It’s alright. I always have an EpiPen handy.” Blake patted his back pocket and offered a small smile.
Ethan looked crestfallen, his shoulders slumped and his gaze downcast.
“It’s okay. Really,” Blake assured him. “Slide over. We can share the Jujyfruits.”
Ethan snuggled up to him, resting his head on Blake’s shoulder. He opened the box and shook a few of the candies into his palm. Blake slipped his arm around Ethan’s shoulders and plucked a red pineapple out of his hand.
While they enjoyed the sweet, sticky candy, the sun sank behind the city skyline, painting the buildings in pink and orange light.
Ethan
Once the sun had set, lamps in the park sparked to life. Ethan zipped his hoodie. A chill had crept into the air, but he wasn’t ready for the night to end.
“I brought a blanket,” Ethan said. “Want to listen to some music?”
Blake nodded and helped Ethan spread the blanket out on the grass beneath the palm tree. They lay down side by side, shoulders touching. In the distance, the city skyline twinkled with a thousand points of light, a galaxy of artificial stars.
Ethan handed Blake one of his earbuds. “We can take turns picking songs and get a sense of what kind of music we like.”
“Okay. You go first.”
Ethan pulled up Spotify on his phone and scrolled until he found the song he was looking for. He pressed play, and the familiar, soothing chords of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” unfurled in his ear.
“Have you heard this one before?” Ethan asked.
“No.”
“It’s an old song, but I love the message.”
“It seems sad,” Blake said quietly.
“A little bit. She’s singing about how, when you get older, you see things in life from a different perspective.
And it can be bittersweet, when you idealize something, and it doesn’t live up to your fantasy.
But then you can look with fresh eyes, and maybe see something for what it really is, both the good and the bad. ”
“That’s deep.”
Ethan chuckled. “I try.” He handed his phone to Blake. “Your turn.”
After a bit of scrolling, Blake picked an acoustic version of “Bad Romance”, sung by two men. “I love dance music, but sometimes I like having all the production value stripped away so you can just appreciate the words and melody.”
“Bad romance, eh? Are you trying to tell me something?”
Blake turned to face Ethan, a confused look on his face. Moments later, he closed his eyes and winced. “Fuck. Maybe not the best date song.”
“I’m just joking around. I like this version. I wouldn’t have ever thought to make this song into something small and intimate.”