When in just seven days (And six long nights!) I can make you a man!

Saturday night. I was Eddie. Again, it was a short role, easy costuming, and the chance to whip Rebecca around in her little costume. I finished up my part of “Eddie’s Teddy” and absconded to the basement. Bob was again in Columbia drag, this time in the PJ set with the Mickey Mouse ears. It did nothing to show off his body, but the blue and white vertical stripes definitely emphasized his slim build. His make up was, as usual, on point, and his hair was an artful mess matching Nell Campbell’s from the scene in the movie.

The basement was otherwise pretty dead, and I pulled up a bit of carpet next to Bob. “Hey, cutie. What are we reading tonight?” Yeah, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to make him blush again.

I was not disappointed; the blood rushed to his cheeks and he fought to keep his smile in check. “Time Enough For Love”

“I’m actually about half way through that one myself.” His eyes lit up.

“Have you read any of Heinlein’s other stuff? I’ve got plans to read a lot of his books, but I’m having a hard time figuring out where to start. Do you have any recommendations?” Pay dirt.

“I’d do The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress next. It’s earlier in his writing career, but some of the things he talks about there come into play in his later stuff. So what’s your favorite quote so far?”

“If you don’t like yourself, you can’t like anybody. What about you?”

“Sin lies only in hurting other people unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense. So what are your plans for tonight?”

“You’re looking at it. Why?”

“I’m hungry. Wanna grab something to eat? My treat…”

Dormont’s Eat ‘n’ Park was a regular stop for us after Rocky. Eat ‘n’ Park is a Pittsburgh institution. A “family” restaurant, it fills the same niche as Perkins in the Midwest or Shoney’s in the South, but it’s entirely regional with its greasy fingers stretching out into Ohio and West Virginia; still its black and beating heart is firmly ensconced in the ‘Burgh (or rather Homestead). They serve typical fare, and I greeted many sunrises from one of their booths over a cup of bad coffee. I actually got my start cooking in one of their kitchens.

The Dormont location was well within walking distance, but more to the point, they were used to the Freaks & Geeks midnight mass that was the Rocky crowd. So Bob and I took our short walk through the much less than bustling streets of Dormont. I was pleasantly surprised when he took the initiative to reach for my hand.

His palms were a little sweaty and sort of cold; hell, he was radiating nerves, like he was afraid I was going to refuse. I put that to ease by easily enfolding that small delicate appendage in my own big ass meat hook, and I swear he was fighting with himself not to skip. That was sort of a calculated risk on my part, as Dormont was a more residential old school neighborhood; even as progressive and metropolitan as Pittsburgh was in the ‘90s there was and still is a pretty broad conservative streak running through it. Still, my confidence seemed to be contagious, and I saw him visibly straighten up and relax. The fact that I’m a pretty powerfully built guy probably didn’t hurt.

We split a basket of fries over bad cups of coffee and just… talked. As reserved as he was, once Bob warmed up to a subject, his quiet soft voice filled with obvious passion about certain things like music, fashion, and video games. I swear, if he were at that point in his life now, he’d have made a great streamer. He’d probably be doing makeup tutorials in between speed running Subnautica.

But the clock was ticking and both of our rides would be wanting to leave, so I picked up the check after he put up a token resistance (and blushed prettily when he gave in), and we headed back. Even in July it can get chilly in Pittsburgh, especially in the higher elevation areas. As slim as he was, Bob didn’t have much in the way of insulation, and was essentially wearing pajamas, so when I noticed him shivering I slipped my arm around his narrow waist. He stiffened at first, but melted into my arm, molding himself to me as we walked in silence, just enjoying human contact.

We arrived back at the theater just as people were filing out. “I had fun.”

He blushed and smiled shyly. “Me too… can I call you?”

“Of course. In fact I’d be very upset if you didn’t.”

He beamed and leaned in to give me a hug, but was surprised when I didn’t let him go. He felt good in my arms. His surprise was only compounded when I snaked a hand around the back of his neck. “This is our second date. I’m not letting you go without a kiss.”

He looked both terrified and ecstatic at the thought. Nervous that we were in front of a crowd, but he didn’t push me away. As I pulled his face to mine, he instinctively closed his eyes. He trembled like he was going to bolt at any moment, but all those butterflies in the tummy fled when our lips met.

I kept it cool at first, just a firm kiss, but I couldn’t help but push the envelope with this beautiful boy. I parted my lips and brushed his with the tip of my tongue, eliciting an involuntary moan from him. He opened up to me, allowing me to deepen the kiss; his breath was sweet and his lips soft as I massaged his tongue with my own for a few minutes before drawing back.

He looked equal parts disappointed and elated at the end. He bounced a little on his feet as I pulled him in for another hug. Yeah, he was gonna be fun.