Breaking the Ruhls by Larry Ruhl

Author:Larry Ruhl
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781942094593
Publisher: Central Recovery Press, LLC
Published: 2018-01-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Heading downtown to meet Penny, I took notice of a handsome man I passed on Mott Street. I noticed his cocky smirk first and returned the expression, and as our eyes locked, my body tingled. Caught up in the flirtation, I turned after passing him to see if he looked back. It was innocent enough, but I felt a disproportionate amount of disappointment that he did not look back at me.

Penny and I shuffled along, taking in the beautiful autumn day and remaining close to one another, arms around each other’s waists. I noticed the handsome stranger was not far in front of us, and as he turned to walk into a gallery, Penny looked at me and simply raised her eyebrows. As we walked by, I saw the back of him as he faced photograph-lined walls. In an impulsive moment I never would have had without my mischievous counterpart on my arm, I reached into my pocket, pulling out a tiny notebook filled with creative ideas I hoped to tackle. I tore out a blank sheet and wrote my name and phone number on it.

“Go give this to that guy,” I ordered confidently.

The look of surprise on Penny’s face gave me a moment of doubt. “Are you sure?”

“Yes! Go do it,” I blurted.

I stood nervously outside, watching her disappear through the door. After a moment, she rushed out, grabbed my hand, and said, “Let’s get out of here.”

We laughed as we raced down the street, me curious about what had transpired.

“He looked confused at first but then gave me a smile. I wonder if he’ll call. I hope he’s not a gay basher.”

We laughed anxiously at the mere idea of this, but internally I feared the same thing as I thought back to high school. It was too late now.

On Monday, I threw myself into work, wanting to put the weekend out of my mind. I had stirrings of shame as I thought about what I had done. Had I just humiliated myself? I became critical of my appearance and doubted that his smirk was any sign of interest. Had he actually been mocking the skinny, longhaired guy who stared at him? I became convinced I had made a mistake, embarrassed I thought so much of myself in that moment.

The following weekend arrived quickly, and as I readied myself to get out and take in the day, the phone rang. Thinking it must be Penny, I answered casually. The voice on the other end was not a woman’s.

“Yeah, hi. You gave me your number last weekend on the street.”

We stammered along in an awkward conversation for a few minutes, until he managed to eke out a suggestion for a lunch date. He told me his name was David. I felt the same stirring I had upon seeing him for the first time.

With the exception of James, I was still new to the concept of going on a date with a man. I was much more accustomed to detached encounters that left no trace of real connection, other than physical.

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