Shell Of A Man

6 - First Date

PAST:

After reconciling with Ray, Jason felt happier than he had felt in a very long time. He was so thrilled for the second first date of his life that he couldn't even sleep due to anticipation. He kept turning from one side to another all night long.

When the sun came up, and he still couldn't fall asleep, Jason finally gave up and went to work out. Later, when he got out of the shower, he instinctively checked his phone. His face lit up when he saw that there was a text from Ray. 'Hey, sexy! Washington Square Park @ 6?' the text said. 'Sure. I'll be there, Blondie. ;)' Jason replied.

Later that day, Jason was headed to his class when he saw Ray walking towards him with Cody. When their eyes met, Ray winked and flashed the most genuine smile Jason had ever seen. His heart melted a little at that moment.

Finally, the classes got over, and it was time to get ready for the big date. Jason chose to wear black denim jeans with a black t-shirt, topped with a black denim jacket. He also decided to wear a christ earring on his right ear. He was pretty sure that Ray would like it.

By letting someone get close, Jason was breaking his own rules, and that terrified and excited him at the same time. When Jason saw himself in the mirror, he couldn't stop smiling. He couldn't remember the last time that happened. Even getting accepted into NYU Law didn't make him feel that good. So, he decided to risk it all and be happy for a while.

On the other hand, Ray decided to dress simple. He wanted to wear jean shorts and a tank top so as to show more skin but resisted the urge. He wanted to be as real as possible with Jason. In the end, he opted for plain dark blue jeans and a white t-shirt.

Ray knew that he would have to make Jason feel comfortable and give him time to open up. In other words, no sex on the first date. That bummed him out a bit, but he was excited about the prospect of a successful relationship. A lot of sex over a long period of time instead of a few quick fucks was a good enough bargain for him.

Finally, when the clock struck six, Jason was at the entrance of the park. He waited for a while and looked around for Ray. When he couldn't find him, he decided to text. 'Hey, I am at the entrance of the park. Where are you?' Jason texted. A few seconds later, his phone went off. It was a text from Ray. 'Right behind you,' the text said.

Jason turned around, and his eyes met with Ray's. "You are late," he said when Ray got close. "That too on our first date."

"Sorry. Would this help?" Ray asked as he brought a white rose from behind him.

"That's for me?"

"Of course, who else?"

"Thank you," said Jason as he took the flower from Ray and smelled it.

Ray could see that something was going on inside Jason's head. "What's wrong," he asked.

"Nothing. It's just... No one has ever given me a flower before. It feels...nice. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

For a minute, they just stood there. Neither knew what to say. Ray knew that there was no point in waiting for Jason to say something, so he decided to go with whatever came into his head.

"So, you don't like people who are late?" Ray asked.

"Nope."

"Well, then it's a good thing that I am a man. Had my period gotten late, you would have totally freaked out on me."

Jason guffawed at Ray's words. "Had you been a woman, my genitals would have stayed a million miles away from yours," he said.

"Point. Do you know that this is the first time I have seen you laughing? It's beautiful. You should do it more often."