Chapter 23
twenty-three
Skyscraper
Jim
We started looking at books together, me following Charlie, and Charlie following me, picking up books and investigating their contents.
After making sure it was safe, I gave him a quick kiss and said I was going to the non-fiction room really quick.
I prefer fiction but every now and then, someone’s true story catches my attention.
We had been there for almost two hours, Betty chiming in occasionally with her inappropriate wit.
I always wondered how she got this job, let alone kept it.
But she was very good. I’ve gotten many recommendations from her, some even that were more discrete.
How she managed to get her hands on those kinds of books had always been a mystery to me.
Looking above the short shelf in front of me, looking through the window, to see if I could catch a glimpse of Charlie’s dark hair, Betty was there instead, making me jolt in surprise and hiss from the burn in my back from the movement.
“Sorry, Baby, I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you okay?” Betty came around to my side and lifted my shirt. “Jesus, that fucker really got you. I can’t wait for them to throw the book at him.”
“It’s fine, it only happens if I tense, twist or bend. Charlie had me propped up on a pillow, so I don’t roll on it.” Then I pinched my eyes closed realizing what I had just said out loud.
Fuck.
Maybe she won’t catch–
“Charlie, huh” Her smirk and high arched brows were the only thing she needed to use to fully communicate with me.
Double Fuck.
I stiffened up, stretching my wound in the process making it burn.
I closed my eyes with a wince, and held my breath waiting for the pain to subside, when she put her hand on my cheek, forcing me to look at her.
Her smile was warm and welcoming, “Baby, it’s fine.
Breathe please. Let’s sit, give your back a break.
She guided me back to a set of chairs in the back corner of the room we were in and I exhaled with relief.
Betty bounced her head back and forth, partially scrunching her top lip and nose, “I’ve had this inkling about you.
And I’m happy– if that’s the case. Charlie is adorable.
A little young for you, but who am I to judge.
” She shrugged her shoulder. When I stayed silent, she added, “Jesus, tell me fucking something,” making me laugh.
I kept my voice low because I knew Charlie would drop to the floor himself if other people knew or found out. “Yes. It just started. He’s…”
But when I couldn’t come up with the words to describe him or how he makes me feel in this very short amount of time, Betty inserted, “your light.” When I looked at her, not understanding, she explained, “When you walked in here, I could see it in your eyes. After what you just went through, they shouldn’t have looked like that. ”
“Like what,” still confused.
“Bright. They are so bright from the light he shines,” she reached up and softly swooped a fingertip around my left eye. “I have never seen your eyes like this before, Jim.”
I was in absolute awe from what she was saying, so I shook my head like it couldn’t be possible, “But how? How did he have that effect on me so quickly? We’ve only known each other for a week.”
“Baby, love doesn’t work on a time frame like society wants it too. It’s called Love at First Sight for a reason. Even if it wasn’t instantaneous in that moment,” she shrugged her shoulder, “the spell was cast. That’s just how it works.”
I was staring into space, trying to roll my head around what Betty just said.
Love. No, it couldn’t be. That’s not what this is. That’s way too fast.
I mean, she had been right about the moment we met. I had noticed him but–
I was snapped out of my spiral when Betty tapped my cheek with a soft smack, bringing my eyes back to her, “There you are. Lost you for a second.”
I rubbed my cheek which was stinging, “Jesus Betty, I’m already injured.”
“I had to snap you out of it somehow, that was the easiest. Anyway, you don’t need to over think it. If I saw what I think I did earlier– you both aren’t smooth by the way, you should be more careful – his feelings toward you match how I think you are feeling.”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” smacking myself in the face.
“Jim,” Betty got all serious with her tone, which is rare in itself since she is almost always over the top, so I looked at her waiting for the brick that she was about to throw at me.
“I need you to listen to me. You know how society feels about your kind. I don’t need to tell you the stigma that’s against you, let alone the law.
But I am not one of them. I want to see you happy, living a life doing what you love and being with who you love.
That is my wish for you and others like you and Charlie.
No one should ever be shamed or judged for who or how they love another. ”
She pulled me into a hug then. I was feeling so many conflicting emotions.
When she pulled away, she wasn’t clear anymore. It was when she reached up to rub my eyes and face that told me I was crying. Actively. I sniffed and grunted, “God Betty, why’d you fucking say that?” I pulled out a hanky and wiped my own face with it, and harshly sniffled.
“Because living in solitude is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” Betty said with sensitivity, before turning ravenous, “except maybe the fucker who stabbed you. I’d be fine with him dying alone,” making me huff a laugh.
Poor Betty, divorced young. It’s like wearing a scarlet letter for a failed marriage, turning you into an outcast to all other prospects, not to be associated with.
After taking some deep pulls of air to help to pull me back together. I looked around again to see if I could spot my honey. I miss his sweetness when he is too far away from me. God, if I had it my way– but my thoughts were broken again by Betty.
“So, how did this all happen anyway? Tell me everything from the beginning,” she was rubbing her hands together, like I was about to tell her the best gossip she would ever hear. “And make sure you include the naughty stuff,” bouncing her brows, tongue sticking out to the side.
I laughed out loud, making my back pinch, but it felt so good having someone know and I could talk to them about Charlie. So, I told her. Minus the shower. That was just for me to know and no one else, even against her harumph.
Charlie ended up finding us in the middle of another shocking moment that had my mouth on the floor with the idea she had for me. “What’s happening here,” his one brow was arched. He was holding five books to his chest in a hug.
“Oh nothing, Betty’s just trying to save me from going back to work down in the mine.
She said that the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh System is acquiring a new branch on the North Side of the city, across the Allegheny River.
They are filling positions and she would pull strings to get me one,” I shook my head and rolled my eyes, as the idea was ridiculous.
“Charlie sweetie, what adventures did you find,” Betty asked, still giggling.
He held up his selections. I had him give Betty his copies of ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck and ‘The Secret Annex’ by Anne Frank, since I owned them and he could just read those.
His other selections sounded perfect for him to read.
‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’ by Betty Smith, and ‘The Stranger’ by Albert Camus.
He was also holding a copy of ‘Fahrenheit 451’ by Ray Bradbury that Betty recommended we both read, as the topic was about the destruction of books and limiting what people were allowed to read.
We took our selections up to the desk including a memoir called ‘A House Is Not a Home’ by Polly Adler, and ‘The Invisible Man’ by Ralph Ellison that I’ve read twice before. I should just buy a copy for myself at this point.
Betty took the slips out of the books, stamping the book, then stamping the slip before filing that away in our respective file folders.
Afterwards, she came around the desk and handed us our new reading material before giving each of us a hug, but Charlie’s lingered.
When she pulled away, he nodded his head.
“Okay you two, thanks for visiting my jungle but get out! I got shit to do,” pointing to the door, like she never wanted to see us again.
As we were about to walk into the vestibule, I heard Betty softly say, “Jim,” I turned to look at her gorgeous form, her glasses making her eyes express stronger than they should, “see you soon and think about it.” She gave a closed smile and waved us off.
Outside, the sun was out, not a cloud in the sky. The heat had spiked to an uncomfortable temperature, giving me an idea to continue our first date together. Not like it’s going to end, since he was staying with me. “Honey, how about some ice cream to keep us cool on the way home?”
When I noticed I said home like he was going to stay for good, I braced myself for a reaction, but I didn’t get one. He just turned to me, took my books and with the sweetest smile said, “Sounds perfect, Jimmy.”
God, I wanted to kiss him and hold him. I never knew feeling like this would be so torturous. It’s so painful to be so close to him and not be able to touch him like I wanted to. Or when he was far away, like in the library, out of sight. That was painful too.
How the fuck did I get here?
This couldn’t be normal, even with what Betty said about love– Did I love him? Is that what this was? We haven’t even had real sex yet.
I walked Charlie back down the way we came on Kearsarge Street, catching him looking toward the mine when it was in our sightline. It made me wonder if he was missing his father. I should send him home tonight so he can go see him and to confirm he’s alright.
Hell, I’ll go with him. I walked this much today, walking that small of a distance will be nothing in comparison.
When we got to Virginia Avenue, we hung a left instead of going back toward the Village.
One block up was Isaly’s, a white store front with a striped awning, and big windows with signs that state the sale prices for items, famous for their chip-chopped ham and specialty ice cream flavors. Two things that shouldn’t go together.
We headed inside, where there was a long counter stretching the entire length of one of the side walls.
The section in the back half was for the deli items, so we walked up to the front area.
They had dozens of flavors of ice cream to choose from.
I looked at Charlie and he was stunned, “Oh wow,” looking at me with his big blue eyes.
If he was surprised now, I couldn’t wait to see his reaction to what he’s about to get. These cones were famous.
“Hello gentleman, what can I help you with,” an older man, probably in his sixties, with white hair under a paper soda jerk hat, came down from the other end of the store.
“Hi, it might be a moment, I have a first timer, and I think I’ve overwhelmed him with too many choices,” giving a snicker at Charlie’s expense. He was nibbling on his bottom lip, full concentration mode, trying to decipher the flavors, I’m sure. Some had odd names.
“If you have any questions or would like to taste a few, let me know,” the man said.
Charlie looked stressed. It made me chuckle, “Charlie. I promise, I’ll bring you back.”
He swung his head up with an eyeroll, “But I want so many of them. It all looks so good. I haven’t had an ice cream since…” but he trailed off and his eyes got a little grey, losing the light they normally sparkle.
“Well, I’m going to get my normal. I always say I will try something different, but can never break away from the Old-Fashioned Whitehouse Cherry,” licking my lips.
“What is it? It was on my list of maybe one to try before I decide,” pointing at it through the glass dome that contains the ice creams. “I was also thinking the Maricopa, since it looks good, whatever that is?”
“I don’t know what that second one is, but the Whitehouse Cherry is an old-fashioned vanilla ice cream with maraschino cherries all through it giving the ice cream itself a pink tint,” rubbing my stomach and groaning, “Mmmm, it’s so good, and a big summer staple around here.”
“Well, if you are getting that, maybe I’ll get the other one,” peeking at me slyly, “if you will let me try yours?”
I dropped my mouth in mock surprise. “Share? How could you possibly think I would share,” putting my hand to my chest in a dramatic fashion, “my favorite ice cream?” I bobbed my head for emphasis.
“Okay, thanks. Sir, I think we’re ready. We’ve come to an agreement,” Charlie says with authority.
“Like hell we have, you shit,” I stated, laughing and triggering both Charlie and the older man to laugh too.
This felt really good. This feeling coursing through me was nothing I have ever felt before.
At least not since I was a kid, at times.
Charlie brings this joy out of me that I thought was dead.
Maybe Betty was right– Charlie is my light.
“Okay gents, what will it be,” getting to work on the flavor Charlie asked for, going in blind without tasting his choice first. The Maricopa was a very light tan color with ribbons of bright tan throughout it.
I asked him what the flavor was as he worked, which he said was a vanilla with butterscotch swirled in. That did sound good too.
Ugh, I should really try a different one next time.
The man used an odd-looking scoop to dig into the ice cream.
Instead of the traditional rounded shell shape, this was pointed at the top like it was bent open and flattened into a sharp teaspoon spear.
He built the multiple scoops on top of a cone side by side, instead of on top of one another.
And because of the scooper shape it created this tower with a point at the top.
It stood at least four inches above the cone.
He handed the cone over to Charlie, who hesitantly reached for it. “Holy shit, Jimmy, where did you bring me,” making us all laugh again.
After my cone was made and I paid the twenty cents owed, I turned around to find Charlie holding the cone with both hands, licking the tower and the drips before they fell, giving me an idea of something else he could lick later, making my cock start to plump.
Then I noticed the books were set aside safely.
Okay, I didn’t think this through.
I turned back around but the man was already coming around the counter with a paper bag, reading my mind.
He politely bagged up our lot for us, so I flicked him a dime for his generosity, “Thank you for your help.” He nodded with a smile and we left, to head out into the sun with our famous Isley’s Skyscraper Ice Cream Cones being licked and a bag full of books.