The day that I saw him I hid under a desk. He was outside talking and I was inside peeping from out behind the desk and trying to understand why I was doing this. He was my co-worker and I was a manager, even though I am a year younger than he is. He worked in the cafe and he was married. I pulled myself up and turned around to catch the reactions of the customers and workers whom had witnessed this moment of insecurity. His name is Conner.
Conner was the kind of guy that had short conversations and questioning eyes. His gaze is startling and innocent creating a haunting effect that lingers lasting the rest the day. I wanted him but knew what it means to want someone who is straight and married. The people it hurts, you change three lives maybe even more through lust. I had decided to leave him alone and admire from afar.
When I invited his wife, who was a friend of mine, over for drinks months later, he came with her. I was shocked and had purposefully forgotten all about him but as soon as he walked in to my semi messy art cluttered upstairs garage apartment, time stopped. I noticed the green on the leaves outside my window, a slight breeze on that 101-degree day and the way he looked me. He searched my face for any sign indicating any emotion. I avoided his gaze focusing on the drinks and looked back after pulling it together. Why was I was nervous and why did I like it?
We spent most of the afternoon talking and drinking, all three of us. We talked about god and state, love or lack thereof in the world and I concluded with by bragging about a story; how I got fucked by some hot older guy (one-night stand) a week ago. I normally know what kind of reaction to expect from telling the trashy details of my sex life to my girlfriends but was worried that the graphic details might alienate my straight 23 year old male co-worker. I was relieved when my eyes were met with a flirtatious smile.
We were running low on liquor so I offered to run to the corner store and pick up some beer as they come make themselves comfortable and hang out with my female roommate who had arrived to join in on the lazy afternoon happy hour. I started walking when I hear the screen door open and slam behind me. It was Conner running after me asking if he could accompany to the store. I was delighted to have company and was already feeling very comfortable around him. As we walking I felt tipsy as did Conner and I was starting to notice that we were bumping into each other on the walk. Our hands would brush alongside each other sending shots of electricity shooting throughout my body. I was feeling warm on the inside and felt my pants getting tighter from the excitement. On the way back from the store he picked a flower from one of my neighbor's yard and handed it to me. He said, "This is for you". I blushed hard. When he noticed, he smiled. When we returned back to the apartment, his wife had noticed my flower and inquired about it as she admired it. Conner reached for it and said he had picked for the house. I didn't understand why he did this. How could something so harmless become a secret?