Even far apart, Josh and Kyle manage to share their love
It was excruciatingly slow at the pizza shop for a Friday rush. Normally, things were already hopping by 4:30pm on a pay day, and the drivers were flying in and out the door constantly with orders by five o'clock or so. This Friday though, it was still almost tomb-like in the store at 5:30. Adam explained it to the drivers that were standing around folding boxes and staring at each other in between texting with friends.
"Guys! Even though it might be money day for most of the customers, it is also the beginning of the last shopping weekend before Christmas too. And the university is emptying out with everyone heading home for break."
Josh sighed to himself, knowing far too well how true that was, as he thought of Kyle for what seemed like the 10,000th time since he watched his plane disappear earlier into the white clouds hanging low in the blue December sky.
Adam continued with, "Business is probably gonna suck until just before the malls close. Then we won't be able to find our own balls for a couple hours, while we try to stay ahead of the slam that will hit about 8:30 or 9. That's when the first ones all start getting home from shopping and are hungry and don't want to cook anything."
Cody spoke up also. "Yeppers! That's the way it has been every Friday before Christmas the three years I have been here. Tomorrow night will be just as bad."
"Yeah...I remember it being dead as hell until late all weekend, last year too. Then we were quoting hour plus delivery times by 10pm and it didn't calm down again until after midnight," was added by Bryan.
Before anyone else could say anything, a long series of text message tones began going off. By the time the musical beeping had sounded the fifth or sixth time in rapid succession from Josh's pants pocket, everyone in the shop was staring at him. His cell phone was still announcing more new messages by the time he had fished it out of his cargos and flipped it open.
"Geeze Josh, " Cody started, "You write your number on the bathroom wall down at Emerald City again?"
Josh blushed at the mention of doing such a thing at the largest gay bar in town. "Come on Codeman. You know I don't hang out at the bars. Never have. Just not my thing."
Cody laughed and then apologized with, "I know, little stud. If you did though...your cute little innocent looking, country boy ass would be the most popular thing that ever walked in that twink styling & modeling bar. You would need an assistant with you just to keep up with all the napkins with phone numbers being stuffed in your pockets."
Everyone cracked up at that combination stroke and poke, but Josh didn't react at all since he was busy reading the first text he had gotten from Kyle since he flew out for New York more than an hour and a half ago.
"I don't even know what to say first Joshie," was the way it began. "I guess ME TOO is the easiest!" was all that was in the first electronic note. Josh paused before going to the second, and smiled about as wide as his cheeks would permit, as he realized that must mean that Kyle had seen him and the sign along side the road at the end of the runway! He also suddenly remembered he had promised a free pizza to the guy at the gift shop on the first level of the airport terminal. He had let Josh have the huge piece of white cardboard and borrow a black magic marker to make the sign when the idea had hit him as he walked back to the Hummer. He knew what time Kyle's flight was supposed to leave and had sat in the truck beside the road just on the other side of the airport fence for better than an hour waiting to wave it at the departing plane...hoping against all hope that Kyle just might be looking out the window at the exact right time. Now he knew that he had been!
"Damn Josh. You look like your man just made you cum," was the whispered comment from Bryan.
Josh looked up at him and somehow managed to smile even wider than he had been. "I think he just did, Bry!" Then he blushed as he realized he indeed did have a fresh woody. He missed whatever Bryan said after that as he was busy reading the second message.
"Just in case that first one wasn't clear enough..." was the totality of it, and Josh quickly cycled to the third to find: "I LOVE YOU TOO JOSHUA JAMES THOMAS!"
Seeing that text in all caps; as if Kyle was screaming it to the entire world; caused moistness to begin filling his eyes. Josh wiped away a tear and mumbled to Cody, "T-t-t-tell Adam I am taking a smoke break," and he headed out the door. He didn't really want a cigarette...in fact he hadn't had one in almost four days now as he was determined to quit...he just wanted time alone to read whatever Kyle had said in the rest of the texts he had evidently been piling up during the hour-long hop from Pensacola to Atlanta on the prop jet. Once he had secluded himself on the old picnic table behind the shop, he went to message number four.
"We are still climbing through the clouds and I won't be able to send these until we land. But right now baby, I don't even need a plane to be flying high!" Again; nothing more; so Josh went to the next one that had stored itself.
"I will try to call from Atlanta. My layover is only 40 minutes but I want to hear your voice for 39 of it." Josh smiled again and moved on to the next one. Josh had only read "Do you have any idea how big a hard..." when the pop-up announcing an incoming call covered the screen.
"Oh for the love of sweet Jesus!" he yelled at the phone before he saw the 716 area code and realized it was Kyle. He nearly dropped the cell punching the button as hard as he did to accept it before it went to voice mail. Any other time he knew it was him, Josh would usually answer with some totally insane opening like "Yankee stadium, third base," or a tease of "You have to stop calling me or my boyfriend is gonna find out about us." Dumb things like that seemed to always make Kyle laugh and he liked making him laugh. This time; however; Josh's 'hello' was just one excited word: "Kylio!!"
"Joshie!!" rang back in his ears immediately.
Josh purred, "My Tigggger!"
Kyle's deep voice seductively strung out, "My Pooooh."
Other than a dual quick snicker from each, an eerie silence was all that was heard in both phones as each obviously struggled with what to say next. It wasn't that both didn't have an encyclopedia poised on their lips, but rather which volume to open up first. Kyle broke the barrier first.
"Umm...that was you, wasn't it Josh?"
"Was me what?" was the tease Kyle heard back.
