Finally - Chapter 2 By EJ Clark (clark.ericjames@gmail.com)
Welcome. Thanks for checking out my story. The same disclaimers from the first chapter apply here too. If you need a refresher, please go back and take a look. Some non-exclusive repeats: Please do not read this story if it is illegal to do so in your jurisdiction; This story is a work of fiction.
Again, if you are one of the many gay youths who need help and support, please reach out to your local, regional, or national resources. Many people out there want to help.
To all the people who wrote after the first chapter was posted: You guys rock. Thank you for the support and I hope I can continue to entertain you.
This is the second installment of what I hope will be a continuing story.
Enjoy.
===
It really didn't seem like the best idea.
As EJ was lying in bed, he was going over in his mind the many ways in which offering to show a stranger Atlanta was not really a great idea.
For one, he didn't really know the guy. What if he's a killer? A thief? Strange? A bad kisser? Who knows what could lurk under a relatively normal, if reserved, exterior...
EJ got up and got in the shower before his bed could summon him back. He always did his best thinking in the shower.
"I picked up a customer," he thought. "That's going to get me in some trouble."
Moreover, where the heck was he going to go with this guy? Atlanta is fun, but touristy? Not really.
Oh well. It's not like EJ could cancel anyway, he didn't even have the guy's phone number. What was his name again?
Oh yeah! It came to him as he was toweling off.
Jippy. What a random name.
===
In the light of day, the block of Buckhead looked entirely different to Jippy. It looked... well, closed.
"I guess no one gets up this early in Atlanta," he thought.
Of course, he almost didn't get up either. He fell asleep the night before, on top of the covers, TV on, no alarm set. Somehow though, he got up, dressed in faded (old, not fashionably faded) jeans and a University of Rochester t-shirt, and was standing outside the Marriott at 9:30 a.m., the assigned meeting time.
He couldn't believe he was about to go and explore with a random stranger. A bartender at that! Surely, he could have found an Armed Forces brother to show him around... but Jippy had promised himself that he would take some chances, and a chance on a bartender was a whopper.
It was a new thing for him, this taking chances. And although he was hoping for the best, he was preparing to be disappointed.
===
Driving over to Buckhead, EJ pressed a button on his dash. "Call Rachel," he said. It rang over the speakers.
"Hey, you've reached Rachel, leave a message. "
"Rach! It's EJ, sorry, but I have to cancel brunch today. I have a, uh, thing, with... oh, you don't know them. Listen, do me a favor? Call me when you wake up, and tell me something bad happened. I might need an out. Thanks!"
He felt bad canceling his standing brunch date with his friend Rachel, and he knew he'd have to pick up the tab next time. At least this way he could be saved in case military man turned out to be a creep.
As he pulled into the Marriott, he burst out laughing. "This guy cannot possibly be gay," he thought. "Those jeans are about three years too old, that t-shirt is about one size too small, and that haircut... well, I guess that's not his fault."
"Here we go..." He rolled down the window.
===
As Jippy got in the car, EJ was still smirking.
"Hey! Thanks for picking me up. The public transit around here is... What are you laughing at?" Jippy said.
EJ caught himself. "Oh... Nothing. I was just making a mental note of places we should go. But before that, can I grab your cell phone number? It will make life easier in case we get separated or whatever..."
Jippy looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, I don't have a cell phone. I know this sounds sad, but it's been a few years since I wanted to be found instantly. I guess I'll need to get one of those at some point though."
"Hah, no worries. Another stop to add to the list. Any requests?"
"...I've heard the Georgia Aquarium is really cool, if that's not too dorky..." Jippy blushed a bit.
"Not at all. I've actually never been," EJ replied. With that, he started the car, and headed toward downtown.
===
As they walked around the Aquarium, there was a healthy, but not awkward, distance between them. They had been through many parts already; they acted like kids and pet the stingrays in "Georgia Explorer," saw the reefs in "Tropical Diver," and were now strolling through "Cold Water Quest," where they had a 180-degree view of sea-life around them.
EJ and Jippy were constantly catching each other's eye and smiling, but neither of them really spoke throughout their tour of the world's largest aquarium. Finally, it was Jippy that broke the silence.
"Man, I know this stuff shouldn't still excite me, but it so does," he said wistfully. "When I was really young, I went to the Camden Aquarium with my mom and sister, and we spent the whole day there, just the three of us It was one of the highlights of my childhood. My mom said I used to beg to go back constantly."
EJ wanted to seize the opportunity to find out more about him.
"Aww, that's sweet! Did your family ever go back?" he said.
"Ah, well, Camden isn't exactly in the best area, and it wasn't really close to home," Jippy replied.
EJ realized that wasn't really an answer to his question, when a huge Beluga Whale swam up to the glass right next to where he was standing.
"Holy crap!" EJ jumped back, but immediately Jippy caught him.
"No, look!" Jippy said, putting his hand on EJ's back and pointing up over EJ's shoulder. "Beluga Whales are awesome creatures! They're like 3,500 pounds, sometimes more, but they're really gentle." Jippy realized he had one hand on EJ's back while he was displaying his geek bravado.
Before he could draw his hand away though, Jippy noticed that he was the perfect height to rest his head on top of EJ's head. It was one of those rare moments where he felt completely comfortable around someone he barely knew, and it was kind of nice.
EJ wasn't really interested in the whale, but he liked that Jippy was.
And EJ realized that in one instant, he had felt protected by someone he didn't know 24 hours ago. For a cynic like EJ, that was a startling realization.
They moved on, and soon were face-to-face with the Pacific Octopus.
===
The conversation was still stilted, and mostly silence, as they got back in the car, so EJ turned on his iPod.
"I'm kinda hungry, how about you?" EJ said.
Jippy was always hungry. "Sure, but only if we go somewhere you like."
EJ knew Rachel would kill him, but he decided on going to their usual brunch place, Thumbs Up. Speaking of Rachel, he was wondering why she hadn't called yet.
Rachel always did have good timing. The phone rang. The music stopped, and "Rachel" appeared on the stereo screen. Not wanting to subject Jippy to Rachel in the morning, EJ picked up his phone and flipped it open.
"Well, good morning Ms. Sleep It Off. How are you?" he said.
"Hungover, not to mention left at the altar. Who did you ditch me for today, honey?" Rachel asked groggily.
"Not important," EJ said. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"Yeah, you better. At 10:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning, it's probably some loser girl who you couldn't sleep with and are taking out for a 'I'm sorry' breakfast. Speaking of, something bad happened."
"Nope, not this morning. And thanks, but I'm good," EJ said.
"Reaaaaaally... this must be good. OK, well I'm going to go swallow 20 Advil. Check in later?" she said.
"You bet. Love ya," EJ said as he clicked the phone shut.
More silence in the car. Silence even "Poker Face" by Lady GaGa couldn't penetrate.
===
Jippy broke it again. "So who's this Rachel girl? Girlfriend?"
EJ laughed. "Hah! No! She wishes though... except not really. We've been friends since college, when I pretended to be her boyfriend so some drunk older frat guy would stop hitting on her. Now she won't go away!"
"Ah, I see."
More silence.
===
"EJ for two! OK, it'll be like 20 or 25, got it?" the hostess was brisk but not impolite.
"Twenty minutes? This place better be good," Jippy said.
"It's totally worth it. And 20 minutes is nothing. She must like you, I usually have to wait more than 40," EJ replied.
As they waited for their table, the stilted conversation drew to a halt. EJ was beginning to wonder if he should text Rachel and get her to call back with another out.
Jippy went to the bathroom while EJ waited outside, and then EJ went while Jippy waited. They figured that if at least one of them was out there, the hostess couldn't forget about them.
As EJ was returning from the bathroom, the hostess came up to Jippy and said, "OK sweetie, I got you and your boyfriend a table in the back. Where did he go?"
"He's uh, not, um, he's right there," Jippy pointed to EJ as he approached. The hostess smiled at both of them and pointed toward an open table jammed in the back of the restaurant.
===
After ordering, they looked at each other, and this time it was EJ that broke the silence.
"Look," he said, "I know we don't really know each other. Let's fix that. How about, we each ask each other a few background questions, and see where it goes from there?"
Jippy looked unconvinced. "What if there are questions I, I mean, we, don't want to answer?"
"Hmm. Let's make it interesting. Whoever refuses to answer first picks up the tab for breakfast," EJ said. He knew he was taking a gamble, but otherwise, this would be a very long, silent day. "Deal?"
Jippy mulled EJ's proposition. It had been a long time since he'd had to practice total honesty.
Here's to taking chances, he thought. "Deal."
=====
Again, feedback is always welcome, encouraged, and appreciated; flames are ignored. You can find the author at: clark.ericjames@gmail.com.
Copyright 2009. Please see the copyright notice on the first chapter; it remains in effect here. All rights reserved.