Chapter 32

 

With Sammy dropped off for a sleepover at Lara's, Mitch and Enrico were officially on their way to their first date. It was a strange feeling, new to Mitch. He had never dated seriously, only gone on lukewarm dates that might lead to a woman's bed but nowhere beyond that.

This was very different and not only because he was dating a man. This was Enrico, the one who made Mitch crazy, made him feel like he had never been alive before.

Even as they were driving on the familiar road that curved along the river's edge, this was unknown territory. Mitch had never cared this much. He never had to figure out what to do when he found someone he really wanted, how to keep him.

If only Mitch could have come to terms with how he really felt sooner, he would have been dating him already. Enrico didn't seem like the type to want to be wined and dined, but he deserved better than being his secret. It was a miracle Enrico didn't decide a conflicted handyman just wasn't worth the trouble.

 

When Mitch started to see pine trees growing along the riverbank, he knew they were close. The road pulled away from the river then veered back along a rise. The restaurant came into view and he was reminded of the night they went skinny dipping.

That night was so Enrico—beautiful, spur of the moment, fun. He made it look so easy, like there was nothing simpler than reaching in and grabbing hold of a man's heart, making it so he couldn't take one breath without thinking of him.

"OK. I admit it. I'm kind of nervous," Enrico said as Mitch pulled into the restaurant parking lot. "Reassure me. Tell me this is no big deal."

Mitch couldn't do that though. "Actually, this is a very big deal."

Enrico turned to give him a determined stare. "So we're having a deadly serious date. OK," he said and took a deep breath as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "I will bring my A game. I will slay you!" He got out of the car and shook himself out to get rid of some tension.

Maybe Mitch should have talked him down instead of getting him all pumped up, but he didn't want to be the only one who was nervous about tonight. It wasn't Enrico who needed to prove anything, it was him. For one, if he was Enrico's boyfriend, then he wanted to prove he could be a good one.

Going inside, they found dim lighting and thick wood beams on a high ceiling. The restaurant had a laid back, unpretentious vibe. Tables and chairs were heavy, wood pieces. The walls were decorated with interesting photos of the river seen through the pines, probably taken around there somewhere.

Right away Mitch felt at ease there and he looked over at Enrico to see if he liked it. He was smiling so he didn't disapprove.

He leaned over to tell Mitch, "This place is so you." Enrico then gave him a meaningful look and a smile. "That means I like it."

Mitch chuckled to himself and thought how much he liked Enrico, his energy, his smile, everything about him. As Mitch wondered how he could let him know that, the hostess greeted them, and he decided to figure it out later.

The place was busy so the hostess asked them to wait and pointed them toward the bar. Things were lively over by the bar but more subdued on the other side where people were doing more eating than drinking.

Mitch wasn't interested in staying inside. From the road, he had seen the deck in the back and he knew that was where he wanted to be with Enrico.

"We can wait out there," he said to Enrico.

He had arranged for a table on the deck, but for now he just wanted to have a look at the view. Outside the breeze was cool and smelled of pines. The sunset was giving everything a pink blush as birds sang in the treetops.

Standing at the railing to take in the view, Mitch noticed something he hadn't seen when he checked out this place from the road. The deck had two more levels lower down. Each one was smaller, and no one was seated at the two tables on the bottom level. He pointed it out to Enrico and he nodded.

"Can we have a table down there?" Mitch asked when their server arrived.

The waitress made a face, and Mitch realized she would have to carry their order down all those stairs.

"We can take our own orders down there," Enrico suggested.

"No. I'll do it," she said, ready to lead them to their table.

"You'll be earning a major tip," Enrico told her with a grin.

"We can at least get some drinks and take them with us to save you a trip," Mitch said. Then he noticed that their waitress had menus under her arm and that gave him an idea.

"Can we order everything now including dessert and pay our bill. That way you won't have to go down there except to deliver the order?"

She was fine with that and it would mean more privacy for them as well. They put in their order then headed down with their beers. Of the two tables, one was a little more tucked in, giving them extra privacy. That's the one they picked.

The waitress brought their food with the help of another server. Then Mitch and Enrico were left alone to enjoy the scenery and their food. It was a little more rocky and wooded here than the areas around Peach Tree and that made for a great view.

"You know how to pick a place for a date. This is great," Enrico told him.

"I'm happy that you like it," Mitch said and reached across the table to take his hand.

"I thought I was the one who was going to slay you," Enrico said as he gazed into his eyes.

"What? I'm only holding your hand," Mitch said as Enrico's touch spread heat and electricity all through him.

"And it's nice," Enrico said in a seductive voice.

"You are going to behave yourself, right?" Mitch asked.

"No," Enrico said and he squeezed his hand tighter and tugged Mitch closer so that they leaned over the table close enough to kiss.

Not to be outdone, Mitch kissed him first. Enrico was the one to end the kiss as he licked his lips and shook his head. "Now who's the one being bad?"

"I thought I was being a good boyfriend," Mitch told him.

"You are. You're killing me right now," Enrico said.

Mitch watched his hazel eyes dance and again wondered how to tell Enrico how much he meant to him. He didn't have it in him to just blurt it out, but there was something important he did know how to express.

As they were still holding hands and ignoring their food, he spoke up. "There is something I wanted to tell you. I wanted to thank you because without you I wouldn't know this incredible feeling. I wouldn't know what it's like to be with you," Mitch told him.

"You're thanking me for me?" Enrico said and he curled his fingers to lock them with Mitch's. "Then I'm grateful to you too for having that body, and those eyes that cut right inside me, and that voice I just want to wrap myself in."

"This is getting embarrassing," Mitch said as he lowered his head and covered his face with his free hand.

"You started it," Enrico said.

Mitch took Enrico's hand in both of his and brought it to his lips and kissed it.

Enrico groaned. "Now you're back in the game and pulling ahead."

"It's not a competition. Let's eat before our food gets cold," Mitch said. He hated to let go of Enrico, but they couldn't act like lovesick teenagers through their whole date.

Enrico quickly found a solution to that. As Mitch was about to take a bite of his food, he felt Enrico rubbing his foot up his calf and he nearly dropped his fork.

As Mitch eyed him, Enrico tilted back his beer bottle for a gulp then shrugged. "I could have put my foot in your lap too."

"I'm getting off easy, I guess," Mitch said. "You have too much power over me."

Enrico leaned back and frowned at him. "What are you talking about? You have more power over me than anyone. The way I was waiting around, just hoping for any sign, any scrap, anything even if it was just you using me to test out your gay muscle."

"That's not what I was doing. You just make me feel things I never felt before, not for anyone," Mitch told him. Then he decided to ask something he had been wondering about. "There was something I wanted to ask you. Did you always know I was bi?"

"No," Enrico said though Mitch could have sworn that he did. Off his surprised look, Enrico told him a little bit more. "But I did have a dream that we were playing football and you were tackling me a lot. I mean a lot."

"And that means something?" Mitch asked.

"I can't think of a clearer sign that you're into guys," Enrico said.

"I didn't know until I met you." Mitch then tried to explain himself. "My life was Sammy and worrying about money, struggling to raise her by myself. I guess I didn't leave any room for asking myself what I wanted or needed." And not in a million years would he guess that it was Enrico.

He never thought he could be so wrapped up in anyone, but now he knew what Ellie was talking about when she refused to marry him and told him about all the things they didn't feel for each other. She knew what kind of depths and heights waited for him, but until now Mitch had no idea. All the things he felt for Enrico right now, that's what Ellie wanted.

Mitch never imagined how frightening it would be. This terrible need for Enrico was growing stronger all the time. It was like he couldn't be away from him and be happy.

Mitch could almost see Ellie smirking at him knowingly and hear her gloating. "What did I tell you? Packs a mean punch, doesn't it?"

 

As the evening wore on and the world around them grew dark, Mitch and Enrico found themselves in a pool of dim light. Mitch wondered what was next, maybe a drive in the moonlight.

Their level of the deck had a wooden stairway down to the river. After they were done with their dinner, Enrico pointed to it. "Let's go down there and see where those stairs will take us."

They went down together and the stairway led to the water's edge where a skiff bobbed gently on the small waves. From there a wooden walkway ran alongside the river.

As they strolled over it, Enrico bounced on the wood planks. "This was laid down just for us." A few steps later he pronounced, "Everything here is ours. The moon, the river, the other moon in the river."

Mitch laughed at him. "Anyone would think you're drunk."

"I kind of feel that way," Enrico said. "I never thought this could happen. A date with you. A real date. I love every minute of this and I want you to know it." He threw his arms around Mitch and kissed him.

They kissed for a while then Mitch held him, breathed him in and warned him, "Just don't try to take me skinny dipping again."

"You loved it."

"I did," he admitted and took Enrico's hand as they continued their stroll.

Walking under the pine trees that grew along the river's edge, they sometimes found themselves in total darkness. In just such a spot, Mitch pulled Enrico to a stop so he could kiss him again and make him feel all the things he couldn't put into words.