On the Big Screen
ON THE BIG SCREEN
Evie: You’re ditching me?
Jon: I’ll be back later, I promise.
Evie: Was this your strategy all along?
Jon: Hush. Go eat more pie.
“I didn’t even know this existed.”
“I think of it as a hidden gem.”
We were somewhere between Firefly and Merryville. Like everything else in this area of Maine, I doubted I’d find it on a map. We got out of the car, staring up at the massive, crumbling screen on the far side of the parking lot. I could only imagine Mimi in her younger years, sitting in the back of a pickup, watching old movies.
“Did you ever see movies here?”
I glanced over as he turned on a flashlight, lighting up the underside of his chin. He shook his head. “Before my time. I always wished they’d bring it back. But I think Firefly is content with movies on the green.”
“This is so much bigger!”
“Size queen.” Maybe.
He stood in front of the car’s headlights, holding his hand out. I wouldn’t admit it out loud, but since our hookup at Spectrum, I had enjoyed the intimate gestures. As my fingers laced together with his, it reminded me of early boyfriends and how I read into every little action. I couldn’t put my finger on why, but Tyler made me nervous.
He pulled me along. “Where are we going?”
“You can’t come to the drive-in without getting a proper view.”
I could barely make out the ladder. “Is every date going to involve us climbing ladders?”
“Depends. Is this a date?”
“I… uh…” We had talked about getting together. I secretly hoped there would be kissing. That made it a date in my head, but we had never used that specific word. Had I gotten the wrong?—
“I’m messing with you.” He pulled me closer, giving me a quick peck on the cheek. “Now it’s officially a date.”
Every kiss brought me back to that first moment. Bursts of lights in the sky with loud bangs, and us, two scared teenagers, unaware of how to make the next move.
He dragged me along the gravel.
I attempted small talk. “So, I got invited to be on the carnival committee.” I didn’t want to do it, but I owed Firefly for that night. What could it hurt? It’d be a reimbursement for all the baked goods occupying my fridge. “I think I’m going to do it.”
“Am I going to wind up in the dunk tank again?”
“Only if you’re in a speedo.”
“I know where you’ll be spending all your tickets.”
I was thankful he turned his attention to the screen. Otherwise, he’d have seen how excited I got thinking about him sitting in that tank. Yeah, this guy had definitely gotten under my skin. After walking around the brush, trying to reclaim the parking lot, we reached the base of the ladder.
“Is this safe? You know I’m a klutz, right?”
“Probably not,” he said. “But it’s a time-honored tradition.”
“If I die?—”
“Nobody will ever find the body.” He flashed a smile before taking the first step upward. When I hesitated, he looked down. “Come up, and I’ll tell you about my time behind bars.”
Evil.
Bribery served as motivation as I tested the first step. In the dim light from his car’s headlights, I gripped the sides, cautiously following. It must have been twenty feet by the time we reached the platform at the base of the screen.
“You ran a pie smuggling operation.”
“Nope.”
“Caught riding a moose?”
“I didn’t get caught.”
I snorted as he offered a hand, guiding me to my feet. From up here, the car looked so far away. Its headlights barely illuminated the screen. It always surprised me, admiring the night sky. Peppered with stars, it wasn’t nearly as dark as the tree line beneath it.
“Alright,” I said. “Spill the beans.”
He moved toward the center of the screen before taking a seat. He patted the wood to his side. I joined him, legs swinging in the empty air. Something about the empty parking lot and the vastness of Maine made it even more romantic than a drive-in movie.
“Breaking and entering.”
“I knew it!”
He cocked his head to the side. “You thought I rode a moose through town.”
“Close second,” I chuckled. “You can’t leave it there. Were you breaking into No Big Whoop for a late-night whoopie pie?”
“No, but now that you mention it. I want one.” His legs swung back and forth for a second as he leaned back on his hands. “I broke into my ex’s house.”
“Scandalous. So you’re a crazy ex?”
“Before he was my ex. I broke into his apartment so I could decorate for the proposal.”
I didn’t know if I should laugh at the situation or— “Wait, he called the cops on you?”
“Oh, no. I was putting up streamers when the sheriff busted in. One of his neighbors thought I was a thief. I tried to explain myself, but she insisted I was a burglar. So they took me in.”
“Wow. Who says romance is dead? ”
He threw his head back, snorting through the laughter. “Then Phil showed up at the county jail to get me out. At that point, the sheriff thought it was hysterical. While Phil stood on the other side of the bars, the sheriff said there was only one way he’d release me.”
“You proposed through prison bars?”
“Yup. I tried to convince Phil to get married in the jail, but he refused.”
The reason he had a prison record might not be worthy of gossip, but the outcome had become a story in its own right. His ability to roll with the punches and make the best out of it reminded me of the library. I’d be fearful of losing my job. Instead, he focused on the here and now.
“Can I ask what happened?”
“It’s a boring story.” I would have let it go. Tyler didn’t owe me an explanation. “We made a great couple while we were dating.” Apparently, being silent gave him the space to carry on. “Our wedding happened, and things changed. He changed.”
In my relationships, I was lucky if there was ever a spark to begin with. “I’ve heard of that happening.”
I didn’t know what else to say. Hearing somebody’s marriage fell apart meant they didn’t get their happily ever after. If I had my way, everybody would meet their somebody and live in domestic bliss, whatever that meant for them. I’d be lying if I didn’t have a moment of relief. His marriage ending meant we had the opportunity to sit here admiring the mountains.
“We went from dates and making events out of every little thing to… comfortable. It wasn’t bad. He was still incredibly sweet. It just felt like he lost a little of that spark. I fell in love with that spark. Without it, we were?—”
“Roommates.”
Tyler nodded. “It got to the point where we simply existed together.” He let out a long sigh. I never believed a person had a single love. There were too many people in the world for that. Instead, I preferred believing we had the right person at the right time. Those didn’t always line up. I let out a little chuckle at the thought.
“What?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“If I’m spilling my guts, I expect you to divulge.”
“I was thinking about how we can meet somebody, and they’re perfect. But the timing might be off. That’s it.”
“That’s it?” He glanced at me. Even in the dark, I could make out his expression. Tyler was less than convinced.
“We’re perfect examples. Right person. Wrong time.”
“Then or now?”
I was about to spit out a reply when I realized that statement might not apply. Back then, it had been right person and wrong time. Right now? Right person. Right time. Bad… I didn’t have an answer. Bad situation?
“Both,” I admitted. “I hadn’t thought about that kiss in years.”
“Ouch.”
I leaned over, bumping my shoulder against his. “That’s not what I meant. Because of that kiss, I finally came out of the closet. I liked it… a lot. I wasn’t sure before then. But afterward… it confirmed a suspicion.”
“Same,” he said.
“I don’t need to think about it.”
“Digging yourself deeper.”
I took a deep inhale. The air had changed, charged as if a storm were coming. Somewhere out in the distance, it started to rain.
“I don’t need to think about it because my entire life is built off that moment.” It was a strange thing to admit out loud, but it didn't make it any less true. “Every date. Every boyfriend. Every hookup. They all started with a kiss with a boy I had a crush on. The life I have now started there.”
“Damn.”
“Right?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught him staring. I had made a fool of myself in the treehouse. I didn’t want to screw it up this time. Third time’s the charm. I reached over, hand against his face, our eyes locked.
“I’m going to kiss you.”
“You ruined the?—”
I leaned in, lips pressed against his. This time, I didn’t miss. I gripped his neck as I inhaled notes of sandalwood and citrus. Our legs dangled over the drive-in, but all I could think about was crawling on top of him. The tip of his tongue flicked against my lip. I ended it, biting his lower lip just hard enough to make him grunt.
“Not ruined,” he whispered.
Thunder roared through the woods. The sound of the falling rain grew closer, and we only had minutes before we were consumed by a summer shower. If it weren’t for the ladder, I’d have stayed and suffered through wet clothes to keep kissing.
“We could continue not ruining this in the car,” I suggested.
Lightning flashed. Sitting atop a giant metal structure went from being romantic to deadly. Neither of us spoke as we shuffled toward the ladder. Mother Nature had sped up the process. One way or another, we were going to wind up in that car.
“I’m soaked.”
I pulled the passenger door shut before shaking my head. Water splashed against the dashboard. It wouldn’t be long before his seats were as wet as us. While he might be soaked, my knees were covered in mud. True to form, I slipped and slid, making a mess of myself. I could either see this as a sign that we needed to end our date or…
I pulled my shirt over my head. He glanced at me, an eyebrow lifted. “What? I don’t like wet. It’s not like you haven’t seen me?—”
“I’m not stopping you. I was going to say there’s more room in the back.”
Oh.
He stripped fast enough that I was sure this wasn’t Tyler’s first time getting naked in his car. He kicked his shoes off and shimmied his pants around his ankles. Clad only in his underwear, he spun about, crawling through the opening. I couldn’t help but laugh at his thick frame wedged between the seats. The opportunity came, and I took it, grabbing his underwear and sliding it down around his thighs. By the time he reached the back, I was left holding his briefs.
“They’ll make a fine trophy.”
“If you come back here, I’ll give you a better memory of tonight.”
I kicked off my shoes and had my jeans off in seconds. There was no point in being coy. I dropped my boxer briefs before spinning around and climbing toward the back. It had been funny when he did it, but as I got stuck, I tried kicking off the steering wheel. The horn blared. With another attempt, my toes hit the radio, turning on the music as I collapsed in the back seat.
“Graceful,” he said.
I got situated upright. “That’s me. Always making an?—”
Tyler leaned in, his kiss urgent… almost aggressive. It wasn’t like the bathroom at Spectrum. We were in no rush, no need to cum and go. It didn’t make the way he lingered, tongue brushing my upper lip, any less intense. If he had done that twenty years ago, I might have convinced my parents to transfer me to Firefly High.
He swung his leg over, straddling me so that his head was pushed against the car’s roof. I had been in plenty of backseats, but not since my college days. My inexperience at the time had made me nervous, making it an unfulfilling exchange for everybody involved. I didn’t have nerves with Tyler… or at least, not in that way.
Worry had been replaced with excitement as he pressed against my stomach, his cock standing at attention. I’m sure he could feel me pressed against his ass. He leaned back, his head crooked to the side so he could sit upright.
“This was way more comfortable in my head.”
“That’s what you get for being an ogre.”
“How’d you know my Halloween costume?” He snorted. As he wrapped his arms around my neck, leaning in for a naked hug, I couldn’t help but feel at ease with him. All pretense had gone out the window. I would spend tonight lying in bed wondering what it all meant.
I kissed his neck, working my way to his shoulder. Tyler had a build like a porn star playing the role of a librarian. I ran my fingers along the curves of his bicep, wondering if he went to the gym or if it came from moving boxes of books all day. When we weren’t so stiff, I’d bring my sketchbook to the library and find out for myself.
“You’re beautiful.” I nuzzled against his neck.
“Can I confess something?”
“You did get married in a prison?”
He sat back, his hands cupping my face. “I thought about this a lot. Not obsessively can’t live without you amounts, but enough. I always wanted to know what happened to that kid.”
Hearing him say that made something in me loosen—like I’d been holding my breath for twenty years. “He grew up. ”
“Yes, he did.” He smiled.
“He needs to make up for lost time.” I ran my hand along his chest, my fingers buried in chest hair. I wanted to ask if he believed in fate? Had everything been leading to this reunion? It started with Firefly, but could it end here? The scared kid I’d been back then wouldn’t have known what to say, but now? I was learning to form the words.
He reached behind him, fingers grazing my cock. There was a long list of things I wanted to do with… and to Tyler. “If I were flexible, I’d have my legs on your shoulders.”
His eyes widened. Was he strictly a bottom? I could live with that. There were plenty of things to?—
“Let’s make more room.” He pushed the door open. The sound of rain pelting the gravel was loud enough to drown out any protest. I was about to ask what he had in mind when he slid off my lap, stepping into the rain. I could feel the humidity rush through the car as Tyler held his arms raised over his head.
“You’re crazy.”
“If you’re offering up that ass, I’m going to find a way.”
Nope. Not strictly a bottom.
He held out his hand. This was insanity. I had to smile. Adventure. I hadn’t been specific with what I wanted—and now the universe got creative. It wasn’t the idea of getting railed by this stud that made me smile, though it didn’t hurt. Tyler had already pushed the needle toward adventure, and this was just another instance in which he pushed me out of my comfort zone.
I stepped into the rain .
He grabbed my neck, bellies pressed together as he kissed me. In a summer downpour, I kissed the most beautiful man in Firefly. Water ran down our faces while we made up for lost time. The intensity of all the kisses that could have been focused on this moment.
He spun me about, stepping behind me. I could feel his cock slide between the cheeks of my ass. His arm wrapped around my chest while he continued kissing along my neck. I leaned my head back, letting the rain pelt my face. It was crazy in all the right ways.
Tyler’s free hand gripped my hip. Before I knew what happened, he thrust his hips, forcing me forward. I braced my hands against the side of his car. This wasn’t how I imagined the evening going. I hoped our hand-holding would turn into making out. I’d somehow make a fool of myself, and we’d both have a laugh. His cock slid between my legs as I arched my back, giving him the signal that we could skip the foreplay.
Mostly.
Tyler moved, and a second later, I moaned loud enough to wake the dead as his tongue pressed against my hole. I wanted him in me enough to skip a few steps. It’d have served as a painful reminder the next day. Thankfully, one of us retained some common sense.
Reaching between my legs, he milked my cock while I pushed against his tongue. Our encounter at Spectrum had been hot, but it had ended before the main event. I regretted not bending over the sink and begging him to fuck me. With his tongue buried in me as he stroked my cock, it had been worth the wait. However, I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
“Fuck me,” I said. The storm swallowed the words. “Fuck me!” As Tyler stood up, I was certain he heard my demands.
In an abandoned drive-in theater, Tyler pressed his cock against my ass. It had been long enough that I winced. Not long enough that it deterred me from wanting more. I widened my stance, forcing my body to relax as he let me control the pace. Cute. I shoved back, gasping as I discovered his cock was just as thick as the rest of him.
He held onto my hips, preventing me from taking any more of him. It felt like an eternity before he proceeded. I reached under me, gripping my cock as he started a slow rocking motion. I had to wonder how many times we’d have done this if I hadn’t left Firefly that summer. Would it have been twenty years of outdoor orgasms?
He leaned forward, his stomach resting on my ass. “Ready?”
My grunt sufficed.
Thunder rumbled in the distance as he pulled at my hips. Tyler pushed until I reached the base. I wanted to gasp or moan, but… I laughed. The absurdity of being at an abandoned drive-in while it poured, my childhood crush buried inside me… it had peaked. I imagined this scenario was in every book I designed covers for.
“Are you okay?” Tyler had his hands on my stomach, leaning as close as his belly allowed. “Did I hurt you?”
“It’s perfect,” I shouted. I didn’t care about the house or what tomorrow might bring. Right then, I had fulfilled my teenage fantasy, and it was perfection.
I squeezed his hand as I tightened around his cock. I wanted this. No. I needed this. Tyler, despite being a small-town boy, had knocked me out of my comfort zone. I wanted adventure, and as I looked up, rain streaking down my face, I found it.
I rode his cock, giving him the sign to use my ass. His fingers curled around my hips, guiding me as he fucked. He skipped the gradual build-up and moved straight to slamming. I braced myself against the car, pushing back, wanting him buried inside. To think, this could have been daily for twenty years. We needed to make up for lost time.
His hulking frame knocked me forward with every stroke. If he had been any thicker, I’d be approaching the point where I’d need to tap out. It rested firmly on the line between pleasure and pain. I wanted to live here, in nature, with this bear using me to come.
I reached down and stroked my cock, getting dangerously close to orgasm. If I came first, the ride would be over, and the last thing I wanted was for Tyler to dismount before he?—
Tyler’s body jerked. His cock thickened, and I let out a groan. He didn’t need to announce his finale. His hands tightening and pelvis vibrating did the trick. I picked up my pace, stroking while he tried to bury himself deeper in my hole. The thought of him coming inside me made my toes curl in the gravel. When he leaned over my back, his body heavy, I lost control. It felt like lightning surging through my body as I came.
He yelped as my body stiffened.
If not for the rain, I’m sure I’d have coated the side of his car. The rush faded as my body twitched, quickly turning to aching. My body would remember this tomorrow. I’m sure it’d result in more chaffing as my cock went hard from the memory.
“That was worth the wait,” he said.
I regretted never looking him up. Life had continued, but he held space at the start of my story. It could have been different in so many ways, and yet here we were, making the best of the situation. A “For Sale” sign appeared in my head, stuck in Mimi’s front yard. I pushed the inevitable ending from my mind. I’d deal with it when we got there. For now, I wanted to embrace the moment.
“Deep breath,” he said. He stepped back, and I gasped. We’d need to discuss the weapon he tucked away in those briefs. I was grateful to stand upright, but part of me wanted him back inside.
“Easy cleanup,” he said with a snort. He spun about in the rain, arms raised above his head. His chest hair had matted down, and his beard glistened in the dome light from the car. What started as a shower turned into a poorly executed dance.
Tyler continued to amaze.
I walked over, cupping his face before planting a kiss on those beautiful lips. This adorable librarian, the same one who just railed me like a beast, presented an adventure without ever knowing it. I wouldn’t question the revelation. The night couldn’t be any more perfect.
“I’m getting in the car before I catch a cold.”
“No dancing? How about singing?” He belted out.
“Oh. No. No. No. I’m gonna wobble my way to dryness.”
I laughed as I waddled back to the car. Yes, Tyler had indeed proved himself to be the adventure my life needed. Now, if I could roll with it and not overthink it.
Slim chance of that.