Emerging

Chapter 27: Jesse Marlon

So this is a trigger warning. There will be some homophobic language used near the end of this chapter. Sorry.
I have theory that homophobes are secretly gay or just really hate themselves.
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DC is an amazing city. It has a rich culture, full of interesting history. It's historically black, that's why its nickname is Chocolate City. Unfortunately, it's facing the plague known as gentrification. Causing the value of housing to skyrocket in the city. This became apparent to Vincent as we searched for a permanent home for him on my couch Saturday afternoon. "Why is a one-bedroom condo nearly a million dollars?" He whined at me. Laying his head in my lap and holding his phone over his face Vincent was looking at apartments on Zillow. He could afford it, but I was beginning to see that Vincent was stingy when it came to finances.

I was supposed to be helping him search for a place to live, but I was just distracting him by petting his head and adding my two cents in at any chance I got. At this point, we'd been dating for a solid month now and we were getting more comfortable with each other. Vincent still blushed at most intimate gestures but he'd gotten better at initiating them. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want him in my apartment more. There was no need to rush our relationship. I couldn't let our grim future accelerate the wonderful relationship I had with Vincent.

   He pouted at the prices on his screen before tossing his phone onto the coffee table and snuggling into my lap with his eyes closed. He truly was getting more comfortable with me, and I marveled at how different he was in private than in public. I wanted to keep him like this forever. I took this moment to study his face in its relaxed state. He was undeniably beautiful when he let go of himself.
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     Vincent was taking me out on a date. He wanted to do this two weeks ago but we were getting busier and we even started working weekends. I never got taken out on a date before, I was always taking girls out on dates. It was a nice change for once.

He told me to expect him at three and it was two-thirty now and I still had no clue what to wear. It was getting colder as winter approached. I was standing in front of my closet in jeans when I heard my phone chime on my nightstand. I knew it was Vincent telling me he was on his way. And I knew he would somehow make it here ten minutes early. So I had twenty minutes. I couldn't decide what to wear for the life of me. I had two options:
a slim-fitting cotton t-shirt the color of red wine with my favorite leather jacket and a thick grey wool sweater. I wasn't sure what we were doing so I didn't even know if these clothes were appropriate. When I asked he gave me a pretty smile and a vague answer. I didn't even think about shoes either. Is this how my exes felt when I surprised them with dates? I now felt bad for any anxiety I caused.

    All of the options swirled in my head for an interminable amount of time. That's when I heard the buzzer for my intercom and the distorted voice of my boyfriend. My room was a mess of discarded clothes, yet I couldn't leave him outside for too long. I dashed around my room picking up everything I could and throwing it into my closet. I whirled around and out to the intercom to unlock the front door for Vincent before running around the house doing a last check of the house for anything out of place. I hear a knock at the door and as out of breath as I am, I dash to open it. I calm myself before I open it, I was acting like a wily teenager. It's when I'm unlocking it I remember I never decided on a shirt to wear.

I open the door to find Vincent on his phone, "Hey, sorry that I'm a mess I just didn't know what to wear." I say to his bowed head as he still looks intensely at his phone. He mumbles a small greeting but continues to stand there staring at his screen. I pull him in since he wasn't going to walk through the doorway on his own. I wanted a kiss, but he seemed focused on his screen. "Can you help me get dressed?" I tease; wanting to his reaction to my half-naked form.

"You're not dressed yet?" He finally listens and responds before looking up. I see his eyes roam my torso and he blushes profusely never having seen me with any of my clothes off.