Chapter 22

Standing by the checkout counter next to Megan, Liam found himself fidgeting with his hands. He glanced at the two women standing there talking, before averting his eyes when Jeremy’s mom looked over at him. In the bathroom, the girls bathroom that he felt mortified going into he changed into the dress with the black and white horizontal stripes that he felt highlighted his chest way too much and put on the heels that were higher than he was used to. Not that he was much used to any heels.

Christine gave a knowing smile to her friend, seeing Leah fidget. She thought it was so cute that such a pretty girl would be nervous to go out with her shy boy. The second Leah had walked out of the store with her back to him, she couldn’t control her own mirth as she watched him pump his arms in excitement. “No need to be nervous, Jeremy will be out as fast as he can.” She had sent him to finish up putting away the delivery that she had pulled him away from when Megan asked for his help.

Moving her arm Megan wrapped it around Leah’s shoulder and pulled her in for a side hug. “She will be fine, this is actually her first date. I can hardly remember who I went out with for mine, but I do remember how nervous I was. Leah here was so nervous and excited about going to lunch with your Jeremy that I think we tried on most of the dresses in the mall.”

“That is just too precious, we have to get photos of the two of them off for their first date unsupervised.” Liam should be more than used to having his photo taken with Miss Megan snapping photo after photo, making him pose. Shifting his foot this way, adjusting his hand that way as he tried on clothes his dates should be wearing, not him on a date. The idea of a photo with the teenage boy made him feel like he was back at square one with his anxiety.

“Hey Leah, I hope you didn’t have to wait long.” Jeremy said, rushing up to the front a little out of breath. He had been going a little too quickly with stocking the shelves and putting things where they shouldn’t. At first he just kept going thinking he would fix it later, but ended up going back. Positive his mom was going to check his work and the last thing he wanted was to give her a reason to ground him when he was finally able to get a date.

As the pretty girl turned to look at him the first thing he saw was her smile, she was always smiling and it made his heart beat a little faster. Then he noticed for the first time she had changed since the last time he saw her a little under two hours ago. “Wow… Leah you look gorgeous!” He said looking at his date’s pretty blue eyes. The two’s gaze only held for part of a second as each looked away. Jeremy’s mind telling him that he shouldn’t have said that, that he spoke to brazenly. While Liam found it impossible to look into the eyes of the teen who thought he was attractive enough to use the word gorgeous. A phrase he was pretty sure he hadn’t used since he saw his prom date descend stairs in a figure-hugging mermaid style gown. He wasn’t gorgeous, he was a man dressed up like a girl and compliments like that were really just insults, but still a part of him appreciated what Jeremy had said, even though he knew he shouldn’t.

“She won't tell you this Jeremy, but Leah spent half the time we were out shopping making sure she had the perfect outfit for you. Now what do you say after getting such a nice compliment Leah?”

Hearing that Leah, a girl who was out of his league, spent so much time picking out a new outfit to wear for him made him feel like he was floating on air. He wouldn’t even have expected her to change let alone buy a new dress and wear the shoes he picked out for her. Then something else happened that he didn't expect, she stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around him, under his arms, hugging him. He felt her lips touch his cheek, making him sure if she wasn’t holding him down he would just float away. “Thank you Jeremy, I think you're cute too.”

Liam did what he was told to do if Jeremy gave him a compliment. A normal day Liam was secure enough in his manhood to admit when another guy was good looking and the first time he had seen the teen he acknowledged it for the teen with boyish good looks. Right now though he didn’t feel nearly as secure in himself.

“That is the cutest thing I have seen all week. Jeremy, put your arm around her waist so I can take a photo.” Christine waited for her son to do as he was told, while Megan just looked on smiling, knowing how uncomfortable Liam had to be at that moment in time. She waited till Christine took her first photo before she mentioned what she saw. She wasn’t sure if the woman hadn’t seen it or just wanted a photo with it there. “Jeremy you have something right here.” Megan said, tapping her left cheek.”

Jeremy couldn’t see what she was pointing at, and went to wipe it with his sleeve. While Liam stepped away from him, happy for the hand on his lower back to be gone, but horrified to see a pink outline of his lips left by his lipstick on the boys face. He covered his mouth with boy hands as he looked at the teen. It wasn’t any sort of deal to see a guy with a lipstick print on his cheek, heck he had a few white button ups that got ruined by a girls lipstick, but that was an imprint left by him, by his lips.

“Here let me get that for you.” Christine said, licking her thumb and rubbing it on her boys cheek to wipe off the lipstick from his face.

“MOOOM!” Jeremy said, in a bit of a whine, feeling mortified his mom was treating him like a baby in front of Leah.

“It's fine, it isn’t like I’m telling her how old you were before you would let us turn the hallway light off at night.” Jeremy’s eyes practically bulged out of his head as he looked at his mom, trying to will her to stop. The exchange caused Liam to do his best to keep in some laughter, making Jeremy feel more embarrassed. After a few more photos were taken, Jeremy almost reached out to take the girl's hand before deciding against it. Liam noticed the shy boy’s hand come close and then to pull back, he groaned internally thinking about what Miss Megan said and took his hand into his own.

Soon the two left, Leah smiling like she always did and Jeremy beaming with joy as he took his date over to the food court. The smell of the food caused Liam’s stomach to come to life and let its hunger be known to all in its vicinity.

“When they say shop till you drop, do they mean shop till you drop from hunger?” Jeremy regretted saying the lame joke as soon as it left his mouth.

Putting one hand over his stomach Liam smirked, letting out a small laugh. It felt so close to the truth with just how little he had been allowed to eat. Her actually laughing at his joke filled the teen with a little more confidence as he made his way with her over to the burrito place. Looking at the food laid out as options Liam thought about getting a steak burrito, with extra steak and add in some adobe chicken. Then reconsidered, thinking it best to get a bowl to make less of a mess with all that extra.

“Pick up for Jeremy please.” Liam looked at him confused as the attendant behind the counter handed over two bags. Seeing her look, Jeremy flashed her a smile. “My Mom used her phone app to order the food earlier while you were shopping. I would imagine that is why Mrs.. Miss Best asked you what you would want to eat.” He said assuming she did in fact as Leah what she wanted for lunch when she told his mom what to get them.

“Oh, how nice of her.” Was the only thing Liam could think to say, now wondering what exactly Miss Megan had told his mom what he wanted to eat. Hoping it wasn’t something like half a cucumber with three baby carrots.

“I tried to tell her I would get lunch.” Jeremy would rather have paid for all four of their lunches if it meant paying for Leah. His father always told him that it would be his job to pay when on at least the first few dates. Of course he mom would always pipe in saying that wasn’t how she remembered it and they would banter about him forgetting his wallet on the second date. When he was younger he thought they were always fighting, but now that he was older he saw it for what it was. The two loved to banter, and never did seem to get angry at one another, though considering his mom one would have to know her to understand she wasn’t angry. “I promise to get it next time.”

“Next time.” Liam repeated thinking how he didn’t want a this time, let alone a next time, but with the happy smile on his face he gave the boy’s heart what it wanted, giving him the impression she wanted there to be a next time, before this time had even really started.

With the food in hand they dropped off one bag back at the store and headed to Jeremy’s favorite spot, or so he said. It was a bench seat with a table, along a small row of three outside some businesses not far from the food court. This particular one was close enough to the pet store to see into their front display, which currently had what looked like two litters of kittens.

“They always change up what is in the front, last week they actually had skunks!” Jeremy said as he pulled out a large burrito for himself and a much skinnier one, putting it in front of his date.

“Skunks? As in Skunks?” Liam pinched his nose for emphasis, having a hard time believing a store would ever sell such an animal.

“Yes, as in skunks.” Jeremy laughed, smiling widely at Leah from the way she phrased the question that wouldn’t have clarified anything without the pinch of her cute little nose. “They do something to them so they can’t spray. So you just end up with this cute little black and white animal that is full of energy and loves to play. I watched one push around a ball of string and then another tackle it so it could have it, then as they fought a third one came up and stole it. The best part was it tried to hide it by digging a hole, but there was nowhere to dig, but it just kept going like it could.” The little story was enough for Liam to give the boy a real smile, that did sound amusing as heck and a skunk that couldn’t spray sounded like a bad ass pet to have.

Unwrapping his meal the rolled up tortilla gave no hint at what would be inside, but it was about half the size of Jeremy’s. An idea struck Liam as he looked at the mystery meal in his hand. “I have an idea, how about we share. You can have half of mine, and I can have half of yours!” It made him feel a little dirty to do it, but he leaned closer to the teen and batted his thick heavy extended lashes in his direction. Whatever was inside that boy’s burrito had to be better than whatever Miss Megan ordered for him.

“You want to share?” He was happy to share with her, but he didn’t see a knife or anything to cut it in half and a burrito didn’t exactly split well without falling apart. Moving the burrito closer to Leah, he held it out for her. “Sure, you can even have the first bite.”

Liam blinked a few times, the food being held out for him wasn’t exactly his plan, but he hadn’t thought it through other than deciding he wanted what Jeremy had, so he leaned forward and took a bite of the much larger burrito being fed to him. The bite of food was full of rice, black beans, sour cream, a little Lettice and what tasted like slow cooked shredded pork. He closed his eyes and chewed on the bite slowly. “Mmmm.” He made the little happy sound before he finished swallowing. “That is soooo good.” The flavors lingered in his mouth, leaving it watering and wanting more of what might have been the best bite of food in his life. He didn’t think a burrito place in the mall made the best tasting food, or even the best burritos, but with his level of hunger, his taste buds demanded more.

“My turn.” Jeremy smiled at Leah, pulling his burrito away. Liam followed the food with his eyes wanting more, unsure what he meant when he said his turn and he didn’t even take a bite. “May I have a bite of your burrito Leah?” Jeremy asked gently, it looking like she had forgotten her own plan to share their lunch. She was so pretty, and the longer he was with her the more he felt confident she was into him, even if a part of his mind kept telling him that there was no real chance of that being true. Though moments like this made him think she was a little like Bailey with spacing out and not thinking things through. That didn't’ matter to him for Bailey or Leah, heck even Candi did it from time to time. If he was more assertive when the girls were like that it would be the perfect opportunity to take the lead. As it was he could see the chances, but often let them go. Thinking it better to not try than to try and make himself look like a fool.

“Oh.. ahh yeah, yeah.” Liam held out his burrito, for the boy to take a bite. Watching intently as he did to see what was inside the wrapped food. His close attention, easily mistaken for interest in the boy's opinion.

“Not bad, though I think one bite will be enough for me, not something I would order.” Inside the burrito Liam could see shredded lettuce, white rice with cilantro, black beans, green peppers, onions and avocado. He now really wished Miss Megan would have asked him what he liked and didn’t like. Even if he wasn’t allowed to have meat, this burrito was going to end up in the garbage. He could tolerate the green peppers, but he hated onions. It wasn’t the flavor, he used onion powder when he cooked, not that he cooked often or was that good at it, but if you could cook five things decently well you could tell any girl you knew how to cook. The problem with onions was the texture, it just always made him want to throw up.

Giving him a little shrug, Liam put his burrito down, not intending to pick it up till it was time to throw things away and pointed to the boy's meal with a smile on his lips and a deep hunger in his stomach. When the burrito was close enough Liam took a second bite and then a third. Utterly enjoying himself as he tasted the flavors mixing in his mouth, till he felt a little familiar crunch. He stopped chewing, and with a mouth still partially full he looked at Jeremy. “What's in this?”

“Brown rice, black beans, guac, sour cream, steak, chicken, light onions, lettuce and cheese.” Liam nodded his head, unable to bring himself to chew his food anymore and risk biting into another onion, swallowing the rest down. “Is everything okay? Do you want another bite?”

Liam made a dissatisfied face and shook his head, looking down at the horrible burrito sitting on the table in front of him. He took a swig of the water from the bottle that came with the meal before eyeing his food again as Jeremy seemed happy to actually start eating his own meal. He didn’t want this, but he was still starving. Picking it back up he picked out a few of the onions, giving the boy next to him a little shrug of his shoulders before taking a bite of it, hoping he didn’t miss one as he chomped down. Then as he chewed he felt another hand on his own. Burrito in one hand, food in his mouth. Sitting there eating he looked away from the table and over to the display in the pet shop, watching a fluffy gray kitten with blue eyes pounce from atop a small cat tree, landing on another that looked a lot like the first except it had white paws like it was wearing socks over its gray fur. Liam’s eyes went down to pinpoints as he opened them wide, seeing that Jeremy’s hand rested atop his own.

As quick as he could Liam jerked his hand away, he had tolerated the holding of hands earlier, but something about doing it while sitting at a table eating a meal made it feel more intimate. “Oh jeez, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Jeremy was kicking himself for being so bold and being rejected like that. He had literally seen boys wrap their arms around this date's shoulders, around this waist, on their knees and thighs, but when he put his on her hand she acted like it was a snake ready to bite her.

Chewing and swallowing as quickly as he could, Liam waved his hand in a no motion, only to see a worse reaction in the boy's face. It made him feel downright horrible. This kid was beyond shy, it was like kicking a puppy. “No, no. Jeremy it is okay, okay, it's fine I promise.”

“You don’t have to say that, I understand.” That part of his brain that told him no one would really be interested in someone like him got a little louder.

“No, it isn’t…” Liam looked down at the table picking up a napkin and wiping his hands on it before taking Jeremy’s free hand between them. “My hand was just dirty from picking things out of my burrito silly. I don’t mind holding your hand…” Liam felt his head twitch a little to the side as he continued. “I actually like it.” He really did mind and mind a lot he thought.

“You do?!”

“What girl wouldn’t like holding the hand of such a cute generous boy. Now lean over here I have to tell you a secret.” He hated himself for doing this, but Miss Megan was clear on how this little date needed to end, and if he thought Leah didn’t like him, then it wouldn’t work. So when Jeremy leaned over to hear what his date had to say, Liam kissed him on the cheek once again. This time he noticed not leaving a mark on the boy. “You have no reason to be shy around me Jeremy.” He whispered, hoping to give the teen a little boost to his confidence.

The teen was taller than him, had boyish good looks, heck he wasn’t even one of the pimply faced teens. Liam was sure if he looked like Jeremy when he was in school his own self confidence would have been through the roof.

Pulling back slowly, Jeremy pressed his palm to his cheek, grinning stupidly at leah. Liam wasn’t sure what to do next, and just sat there holding the boy's hand between his own. Looking down at his own food, picking it up would give him an excuse to let go of Jeremy, but he really didn’t want to eat anymore of it or risk biting into another onion with Jeremy’s burrito.

“So ahhh…” Jeremy trailed off, he wasn’t sure what he was going to say before he started. He was happy as could be sitting there holding hands with the pretty girl next to him, but he felt like he should have some sort of conversation, he didn’t want her to think he was boring. “Did you maybe want to go into the pet store when you are done eating?”

An excuse, Liam was so happy to have an excuse to let go. “I’m actually full.” He lied as he let go of the boy’s hand, moving the remains of his food into the bag it came from. Jeremy looked at the burrito that was maybe one third eaten, amazed that she eat like a bird. “You sure? You can have some more of mine if you like.”

“No.. ahh.” Liam remembered something Miss Megan had told him about how his diet was going to be and needed to make sure she didn’t find out he had eaten any of Jeremy’s burrito. “I’m actually vegan, it's healthier. Could you please not tell anyone, and I mean anyone that I eat some of your burrito?”

Jeremy scratched the back of his head, he really didn’t understand. She had said she liked his food, but then again she did seem upset when he told her what was in his burrito. “No, umm of course and I’m actually full too.” He wasn’t full, but he didn’t want her to sit around and watch him eat, so he took what was left of their meals and disposed of them in the trash.

Taking his hand once more Liam got to his mostly steady heeled feet and went with him into the pet store. They walked around slowly looking at the birds, moving to the back where all the fish were. “Do you have any pets?”

Liam had his finger pressed against the glass a large fish tank that looked overly full of fish, moving his finger around the little creature inside followed along like he was conducting. “Ahh, no. I used to have a big tom cat that I would feed when it came by my house, but it hasn't’ been by in a while.”

“Oh I’m sorry, what was his or her name?” Liam pinched his lips together thinking, he hadn’t really named it, just called it cat or fatty the thing was huge for a cat.

“Cat.” Jeremy watched Leah play with the fix, smiling as he watched her eyes move around looking at all the colorful fish.

“Cat like short for Caitlin? A good name, but a little on the nose I think.” Liam turned his head, tucking some of his long hair behind his ear to look at the teen as he laughed a little.

“Yeah, suppose it is a little on the nose.” Cat wasn’t short for anything, but Caitlin or Catlin or anything really would have been a better name than just calling it Cat. “What about you? Let me guess you have a dog named spot.”

“I wish, no my Mom would never allow me to have a pet. So I come here and play with the animals, buy them treats when I can.”

“That is sweet.” Liam wasn’t trying to go out of his way to compliment him, but someone who bought treats for the animals in a pet store was definitely a good person.

“Did you know that Cerberus, like from the Greek myths, his name translated to spotted, so his name was really Spot?” Jeremy laughed nervously, speaking again when she didn’t respond. “You know the three headed dog you see in the movies sometimes?”

Liam found himself laughing again, this time because of the sheer awkwardness of the boy as he spoke rapidly. “I know who Cerberus is.” From that movie about the kid in the wizard school, but still he knew it. Moving away from the fish Liam shook his head slightly thinking how Jeremy was a sweet kid, if a little nerdy. He would say he should avoid that to get girls, but being a nerd was much more in style now than it once was.

Looking across the aisles, back to the front of the store Liam looked at the front display of the kittens. Watching as a long haired black kitten made its escape over the fence to be free. “We should probably go help that kitten before it gets hurt.” Liam said, reaching over to take Jeremy’s hand to lead him to the front of the store. He didn’t really think about what he was doing, they had just been holding hands whenever they were moving.

“Absolutely, the kittens I’m sure need all the pets and attention we can give them.” He said, not having seen the one lone cat make its escape from the enclosure.

The little black kitten was trying to rush off to be behind the counter when Liam scooped it up. “Not so fast little one.” Liam said as he took the little thing into his arms, running his thumb across its whiskered cheek, as he pressed it to his chest.

“Miss, it is okay if you and your boyfriend play with the kittens, but do it inside the fenced off area please.” The employee by the register said seeing the teen girl cuddle the kitten to her large chest. “Oh, Hey Jeremy, didn’t realize that was you with her.” The middle aged man gave Jeremy a little smile and a pat on the back as he looked to the girl with him, then back to him as he raised his eyebrow.

“Hey Max, I think the little one got out and she…” He was about to tell the stores manager that he interacted with on the regular how Leah wasn’t his girlfriend when he was interrupted.

“We will just go put this one back and maybe play with all the kittens for a bit if it is okay.” Liam had seen the way the guy was looking at Jeremy, with his shy attitude most adults probably thought he was just a loser. It wouldn’t cost him anything to build up his reputation a little bit.

“Sure, sure, sure, you two have fun.” Max said, giving Jeremy a wink as he passed.

Opening the gate the two made sure to not let any more of the cats get their freedom, even if more than a few tried. In the area there wasn’t anywhere to sit, so Liam sat on the floor as he let the black kitten go. He sat with his legs together and to the side, but like Miss Megan showed him how to do when the belt was around his thighs.

The two sat with the little animals, using the toys to play and tease them. Picking them up to give them attention and feel their soft fur. At one point Liam had two kittens sleeping in his lap, while another kept wanting to climb onto his shoulder. Then before he knew it Jeremy was pulling out his phone and holding it up. It had been almost an hour since they came into the pet store and it had only felt like a few minutes since he picked up that first black kitten. “I know you, well we are having fun, but I need to head back to work. Maybe we can do this again?”

Moving the kitten from his shoulder back to the floor and then the kittens from his lap, Liam accepted Jeremy’s hand to help him to his feet. “Maybe.” He smiled down at the little kittens wishing he could stay just a little longer as one of them looked up at him a mewed to be picked up once more.

“Actually I umm…” Liam had picked up a good number of women of the years. Some were drunk, some were ****, but most of them were out of his league. Now though he needed to ask out a man, a male… a boy for a date. Liam licked his lips, then touching them lightly. “Oh hold on.”

Opening his purse Liam pulled out his lipstick and a compact to apply another coat to his lips. He had forgotten after lunch and there would be hell to pay he was sure if she showed up not looking his best. A good girl always looks her best.

“Would you like to…” Liam trailed off again as he noticed the boy watching him intently apply the lipstick. Putting on lipstick and doing it while looking in a compact mirror had to be one of the most feminine things he had to do and seeing it garner Jeremy’s full attention made him blush. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Ahh, I’m sorry I can’t help myself, you are just so beautiful.”

“I am not! Now do you want to come to church with me on Sunday or not?”

“Church? Sunday?” He tried to think quickly, he didn’t think she had mentioned that before, but she was acting like she had already asked the question. He figured when she trailed off she had finished the sentence in her head.

“I would have to ask my Mom, but how about I say I want to go and give you a tentative yes.”

“Tentative?” Really, you have to ask your mommy if you can go to church?

“Ahh yeah, it means provisionally… it means yes, but I have to verify.”

“So, yes you will come? Please!”

Jeremy scratched the back of his head again thinking about his mom. “Yeah, I will make it happen.”

With a tiny celebration Liam pumped his arm backwards just a little bit, he had almost completely forgotten about getting him to come to church and then the teen hedged with having to ask his mom. He either needed to step up and stop asking his mom for everything or was thinking about using her as an excuse not to go to church. Considering the location he couldn’t blame Jeremy for wanting an out.

Standing in the middle of the front display of the pet shot he was just asked out for a date, Leah had asked him out for their second date, he was over joyed. It wasn’t lost on him that they had just been sitting there in the front display playing with kittens as everyone walking by could see them, so many people had seen him with Leah and she didn’t care. In fact she had enjoyed being with him enough to not only still go out with him again like she said she would earlier, but she asked him! Taking a half step closer to Leah, he pressed one of his hands to her lower back as he kissed her cheek like she had done to him more than once. He was thrilled a girl liked him, as much as he liked her.

Closing his eyes Liam endorsed the kiss. Truly happy Jeremy didn’t have the courage to kiss him on the lips. He knew if the situation was reversed he would have, especially with how the things looked now after being inflated. “Let's get you back to work, I don't want your Mom thinking bad of me.” As he said it though Liam wanted to think of something he could do quickly with him to actually make him late so that his mom wouldn’t actually let them spend more time together.

“I don’t think anyone could ever think badly of you Leah, I know I couldn’t.” Jeremy said, as he took her hand to start heading back to his mom’s store and sadly get back to work.