Stars Align and Sparks Fly
That Friday evening at dinner, Jenny and Shawn described the usual chaotic funny stories from the salon that afternoon. Lance's days at the art store did not always have so much comic relief, but he did mention that he had met a very impressive young man who was an architecture major at Cal Berkeley.
"It was kind of strange. He wandered around the store listlessly for a while before picking out some things. He is a clean-cut, nice looking boy but he had sad eyes, if you know what I mean. But then he perked up the minute he looked at the portraits. He wanted to know all about them."
"He probably wanted to get into Sheila's pants," Shawn joked.
"Not funny," scolded Jenny.
"Well if I remember correctly, he might have looked at your picture more. I didn't say much about either of you, other than you were my kids. Maybe he was just an enlightened art lover who knows great work when he sees it!"
The topic died for the evening and the family had a quiet, peaceful Friday evening, knowing that everyone had a long day of work the next day. Jason's evening was quiet, as well, but anything but peaceful. He could not get the face in the portrait out of his mind and he kept repeating to himself Lance's words,
"...he works here part-time and will be here tomorrow... he works here part-time and will be here tomorrow".
The next day it took all of Jason's academic self-discipline to get three hours of solid work done by noon. His mind raced again with the words...
"...he works here part-time and will be here tomorrow... he works here part-time and will be here tomorrow".
Jason ostensibly was walking to refresh his mind and to get some lunch. But his legs took him back to the art supply store where he walked by the front of the store looking tentatively through the glass for a glimpse of the figure in the portrait. Unsuccessful in this effort, he sheepishly entered the store and migrated over to the architecture supply section, scanning the aisles as he went. Unsuccessful again in spotting his prey, Jason reluctantly grabbed some miscellaneous un-needed supplies and went to the front desk where Lance was finishing up with a customer. If anything the face haunted even more as he looked up at the portrait.
"Well hello there...Jason isn't it? Welcome back!"
"Yes. I always underestimate what I am going to need."
At that moment he heard a friendly, tenor-pitched voice from the back room conversing with an elderly woman. The door opened and a well-dressed, white-haired lady held the door for someone carrying a large frame wrapped in brown paper that hid the person's face and upper body. They continued out the front door to take the frame to the woman's car around the side.
"Are you sure you have everything you came for Jason?"
"Yes, I guess so..."
Before he could re-start his sentence a voice spoke out from behind,
"Dad, do you want to go to lunch first, or do you want me to?"
Jason turned around and froze in his tracks, recognizing the beautiful face in the portrait in the flesh, even if the subject was much more casual-looking that moment. Shawn also stopped cold, making eye contact with Jason and having it take his breath away at the his All-American good looks, and beautiful smile.
"Oh Shawn, glad you are here. This is Jason, the Cal architecture student I was telling you about."
They nervously shook hands with tentative smiles and brief "hellos", but they were unable to break eye contact, nor get the involuntary smiles off their faces. Helping out another customer, Lance saw that Shawn was positively beaming as he looked up at the 6'1" Jason. Jason looked tentative but equally mesmerized.
"Shawn, why don't you take a break and go to lunch. Take your time. It's not busy."
"Oh. Okay...Well, it was nice meeting you Jason." "Yeah, I guess it is lunchtime."
"Shawn, since Jason is just visiting from college, maybe he'd like some company."
"Actually maybe you could suggest a good place for lunch, I am getting hungry."
Shawn picked up the cue saying, "Well maybe we could go together. Ever been to the Hobbit Hole? Great healthy sandwiches and salads, and a nice patio to sit on for a day like today"
"Never been there, but I would love to go!"
Mutual nervous-energy abounded as the two boys walked. Shawn was absolutely smitten at first sight, but was not at all sure of Jason's preferences even though he seemed friendly. Jason could not avoid stealing glances at Shawn's hair that was still thick and rich, even pulled back in a low non-descript ponytail. Other than a single pair of gold stud earrings, Shawn wore no accessories and looked quaint compared to the portrait. Yet, Jason was mesmerized by his thin androgynous body that barely seemed to fill out his faded jeans with the cuffs rolled up and a snug angora sweater-shirt.
The young men's enthusiasm for each other was obvious to anyone who observed them on the patio of the Hobbit Hole. Each held back revealing too much, but since both were adept at using humor and sarcasm in their conversation, conversation flowed freely. What started with obligatory bios, migrated to likes and dislikes of movies, music and the rest of the usual things. As they conversed further, transparency about their obvious attraction began to emerge with flirtatious remarks.
"...Thanks for the compliment! Yes, architecture is not the easiest major but I could study for ten years and never have the creativity to design clothes..."
"...I love historic buildings and historic styles are awesome..."
"Can't wait to move to New York...get a fresh start away from my parents, and get paid for all the hard work..."
"I hope to NYU or at worst the Fashion Institute in the fall, but I will actually miss my parents a bunch. At least I might see my sister more often..."
"If you don't mind my asking, do people give you a hard time for working at a beauty salon, or because you want to be a fashion designer?"
"Not to my face, but I don't hang around anyone who would give me a hard time. Other than my family and the few friends I care about, I really don't worry what people think."
"I should be more like you..."
"You and I are opposites. Surprised we are having lunch...and hopefully having fun!"
"I would not want to be anywhere else. You have made me forget about the project."
"I would not mind being somewhere else, but I would not want to be with anyone else."
"Flattery will get you everywhere!"
"So...my father said you liked the portraits in his store."
"I like all kinds of art. His work is literal and impressionistic at the same time. It is cool that the works are of his children."
"You would like my sister. She is really beautiful and the best friend I've ever had."
"Well she looks great in the portrait. But, your portrait is the most interesting."
"Why?"
"I don't know, maybe because you're in it. And now you are here with me."
Eye contact, but no words for ten seconds, as the both looked down and fidgeted with their food, and then embarrassed smiles as they looked away. Jason could not believe he was flirting with a boy, and doing so on purpose; no excuses. He had also never been more attracted to anyone in his life. Jason was an enigma to Shawn, a wonderful, princely enigma. Shawn could sense that Jason was attracted to him, but he also sensed nervous hesitancy.
"Too bad you have to work on your project all week."
"Well, better to get it over with."
"If...if you get some down-time let me know. Maybe we could go do something together."
"Well sure, but you probably have a fully-booked social calendar anyway."
"Right! Truthfully, I have exactly nothing planned this weekend or next week other than my indentured servitude to my parents' salon and art store. Maybe we could go something tonight."
"That sounds great... Oh shoot, I almost forgot about the reunion party for a bunch of my high school classmates. We do it every spring break. But, I don't need..."
"Yes, you do! These people may still be friends 30 years from now. You need to go!"
"Yeah, you're probably right. Uh...could you do something tomorrow night? I mean if you want to or don't have plans or whatever."
"Yes! Done deal! It's a date; but only if you promise me you will make headway on the project. I refuse otherwise. I will check in with you tomorrow, and if you haven't done at least 20% of it, I will withhold my company, hard as that would be to do."
"Okay, when you put it like that, I have to work hard tomorrow."
"Right! Work hard tomorrow, have fun tomorrow night! I'll think of something fun."
It had been 1 ½ hours since they left the store, so reluctantly Shawn ended their dialogue which otherwise might have never ended. The boys exchanged contact numbers and walked back to the store adrenalin flowing and uncontrolled smiles.
At the door, they awkwardly shook hands and said their goodbyes. The smile on Shawn's face told Lance everything he needed to know about how the lunch went and how his intuition about Jason had been correct.
First Dates
A good thing about Sunday nights is that restaurants are not usually crowded. This was helpful because Shawn knew he and Jason would be able to eat at his favorite eclectic sushi restaurant on the outskirts of the Castro district with no waiting. He had text messaged Jason from the salon after lunch to "make sure" he was working on his project.
Receiving an affirmative response, Shawn told Jason to meet him at the restaurant at 7:30 PM. Now even though the salon had limited hours on Sundays, it was quite busy this day, and Shawn was kept busy all afternoon helping his mother and Josh with clients.
At about 4:30 PM the last client had left and Josh impishly grabbed Shawn's arms from behind and pulled him back to the shampooing station where Jenny was waiting and laughing.
"No arguments, sweetie! Your mother and I are going to make you look hot for your hot date tonight!"
"Are you crazy? I don't want to look so wild I scare him off!"
"You couldn't scare anyone if you tried! But from all appearances, your Jason is smitten with the person in Lance's portrait. Don't you think we should make you look like that?"
Jenny said nothing to either agree or disagree with Josh's logic; which Shawn interpreted as meaning that she agreed with Josh. So Shawn tentatively lowered himself into the chair to allow Josh and Jenny to help him look good for his outing with Jason.
While Josh applied scented hot towels to his face, Jenny washed and conditioned his hair. She then expertly used a dryer and brushed his hair straight down to its full length. Cutting the ends just a little, she evened out the cut into a common length that just touched his shoulders. Using a hot iron she added gentle waves to the lower third of his hair. She then used the brush and hair dryer to radiate the hair around his face outward leaving a generous quantity of hair angling across his forehead. Really not an outlandish style for Shawn; but certainly more elaborate than the day he met Jason at the art store.
Now it was Josh's turn to work his makeup magic. He started off by carefully shaving Shawn's limited facial hair, taking care to trim his sideburns above the hair on the side of his face. After that Josh applied some moisturizing cream all over Shawn's face and let it absorb for five minutes.
As to makeup, Josh knew that with a naturally attractive face like Shawn's sometimes "less is more". Thus, Josh only lightly applied foundation with a hint of glitter to Shawn's cheeks and forehead to add contrast and leave a slight glimmer in the light. He then expertly refined Shawn's eyebrows with tweezers, enhanced his eyelashes with an eyelash curler and added a modest amount of eye liner and mascara.
The end result was tasteful and comparatively subtle. In fact, from further than ten feet it was not obvious that Shawn was wearing makeup, but with it his striking features would project from across a room.
After resting for an hour at home, Shawn picked out assorted items from his favorite designers, including tan low-cut designer denims, a scarlet knit shirt with sleeves that ended just below the elbows and an oversized knit grey sweater that he left loosely tied in front with its sash. As a finishing touch he added a belt, lace-up boots that covered his calves, and a shoulder bag made out of compatible brown leather.
Jenny looked in on him and complimented his choices and while Shawn picked out a matching bracelet and necklace set with rainbow colored stones, Jenny retrieved her favorite Gucci scarf, which she tied around Shawn's shoulders like a shawl under his sweater. Shawn decided that he already had enough color on by now, so he opted for simple rhinestone stud earrings.
A few miles away, Jason spent the day with nearly zero time worrying about what he was going to wear that evening. Happily, he had enjoyed seeing is old high school friends the night before even though his thoughts kept reverting to excitement at seeing Shawn the next day. He also had had a very productive six to seven hours of work on his project, motivated by Shawn's text messages.
After going for a jog, Jason showered and began deciding what to wear. For him, it was only a question of casual or dressy casual, because entire wardrobe seemed to have been acquired from the Ralph Lauren collection, with a few Lacoste items thrown in. Jason ended up opting for pleated khakis, a long sleeve blued shirt and a red plaid sweater vest. After adding a camel hair blazer, Jason looked like he came from one of Ralph's ads.
For both of them, the restaurant was quickly accessible by public transport but at Lance's insistence, Shawn let his father drive him in the family car. Jason, in turn, drove his BMW 335 convertible that had been his high school graduation present from his indulgent parents. Jason arrived first in the stylish and cozy eatery and was greeted by an attractive Asian in her mid-30's who directed Jason to their table along the back wall. Not too much later, Jason recognized (barely) Shawn as he entered and the hostess warmly embraced and made small talk.
Jason's stomach already had a knot in from seeing how amazing Shawn looked from across the room. While Shawn's attire was technically casual, from head to toe, his overall appearance was so immaculate. Connecting with Jason's eyes Shawn smiled broadly and briefly waved as he approached with a confident strut.
Jason got up to greet Shawn and they simultaneously shook hands and awkwardly patted each other on the back before sitting across from each other. Shawn was equally enchanted by Jason's rugged GQ looks, and tried be avoid being obvious as he inspected Jason's muscular physique, handsome face and wavy dark hair with repeated glances.
Both boys silently allowed themselves to be flattered that their respective dinner companion had taken the time to look their best, while also telling themselves to "remain calm" and "don't be too pushy". After a few awkward moments they fell into relaxed conversation both employing their witty, sarcastic style.
"This place looks cool!"
"I hope you like it after you actually eat and have to spend time with me. If it is okay, why don't we let Mina...you know, the owner...just serve us a series of small portions of different things."
"Well, the food sampling strategy sounds great, and if I wasn't interested in spending time with you I wouldn't be here."
"So tell me how the party was last night. Did you knock-up your class homecoming queen or anything?"
"Hardly, it was more guys than girls...you know...guys I played sports with or had classes with. It was fun, but mostly because I can actually see everybody maturing in their own way as we are getting older. Actually, in school we all seemed alike, now everyone seems to be different...but a good different."
"Actually that does sound like a good time. Well, (sarcastically)last night for me was more of the usual, hanging out on street corners looking to turn tricks. And of course, I watched re-runs of Miami Vice with my parents."
After Shawn's comment, both of them laughed out loud for the first of many times that evening. There was a small fireplace nearby them so Jason rose up and took off his blazer and turned put it on a hook. Shawn visualized being in Jason's strong arms as he stretched to remove the coat. Shawn followed suit, removing his oversized sweater, and as he reached up to hang it on the hook, his shirt pulled up revealing his pierced belly within two feet of Jason's face.
In several stages, Mina served an incredible assortment of edibles and Japanese beer to her slightly underage friend Shawn and his handsome new friend. At various points she noted their dialogue about some project, the drama queens that frequented Shawn's mother's salon and or reciting each others' favorite music groups.
As eleven o'clock came and went, Mina was amused to see the boys leaning across the table in rapt conversation nursing the last of several beers, while all the other patrons had come and gone. Shawn noted that Mina was trying to get ready to close relatively soon since it was Sunday night.
"Well, it looks like we are going to get the hook pretty soon."
"Wow, time flies when you are having fun!"
"Well it flies when you are having fun and are with someone special."
"Well, uh...thank you. I feel the same way."
"Do you now? Well no matter. I do want to tell you before we go that you look great tonight."
"Oh, well thanks, but this is just my typical Ralph Lauren uniform."
"No, your clothes are fine, but I meant as in I am saying you look great tonight. As in I am saying that I find you attractive...and also spellbinding to talk to."
"Well I don't know what to say..."
Well it may be forward of me, but to avoid any confusion, I am gay and I won't deny that I would really like to get to know you a lot better."
"I'm sorry to be so evasive. You look awesome tonight and you are the most intriguing person I have ever met. Everything about you is awesome and unique...your hair, your face, your makeup, your jewelry, your clothes, your voice. I love talking to you, and you have all I have been able to think about since I met you...actually even before when I saw your portrait. But..."
"But...?"
"But the idea of being with a guy is pretty new to me. I'm confused and truthfully scared."
"Well when you look at me, you don't seem too confused to me, but I will take your word for it. Are you scared of being gay, or of being ostracized by society, or pissing off your family?"
"All of the above."
`Well, I guess I am lucky to have never been confused and to have a family that never made me feel anything but loved. So I gather you have never been with a boy at all?"
"I didn't say that. You see last Christmas break..."
"Stop! I don't need the gory details. Just tell me I have nothing to be jealous about!"
"Hardly, this is completely different. I am just confused about how I feel when we are together and not sure what to do about it."
"Well if I have a vote, I say we continue to get to know each other and see if your confusion fades, either way. But I will warn you that I am not interested in being an experiment for you before you go back to some girlfriend, or a one-time opportunity to get your rocks off with a guy."
"I swear it's not like that. If it was I would not be having such anxiety."
"How about we put your anxiety on hold and we go do something outdoors tomorrow afternoon? The weather is supposed to be nice. In fact let me plan it! But only if you work on your project in the morning."
Jason found himself nodding in agreement, even as he knew that spending more time with Shawn was only going to break down his resistance further. However, for all his anxiety, a rush of excitement filled him at the prospect of seeing Shawn again.
More Confusion
Shawn got up the next morning in the best of moods and worked out at the gym. Before leaving the gym, Shawn and Jason had the following text message exchange,
"You better be working your ass off or I will come over there and kick it."
"Yeah? I'd like to see you try."
"Be careful what you wish for; you might just get it!"
"Seriously, I have been working hard and things are actually going great! I can't wait to go. What should I wear?"
"Everything is on an improved trail so comfortable clothes and anything from tennis shoes to boots. It does get chilly late afternoon because the sunlight cannot get through so bring some layers."
"Got it! What are you going to wear?"
"Oh, are you worried I will dress so wild you won't want to be seen with me in public?"
"No just the opposite. It is not possible for you to dress too wild for me."
"Like I said, be careful what you ask for, you might just get it!"
With that encouragement, Shawn went to a trendy store and bought a camouflage combination including camo Crocs, capri pants, a sleeveless V-neck drab green shirt with a gold star on the front, and a long sleeve shirt.
Jason arrived at Shawn's place just before noon and smiled and nodded as he absorbed Shawn's look. Shawn had pulled his hair into a pony-tail pulled through the back of his hat and the long sleeve shirt was tied around his waist leaving his midriff showing. Shawn wore no makeup besides eyeliner and mascara and wore bead earrings which had a small feather at the bottom of each strand.
Shawn sensed he had "passed" Jason's visual inspection and Jason looked handsome in his LL Bean combination. Jason took the convertible top down since it was a pretty day. After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, the boys stopped at a restaurant in Sausalito with deck seating on the bay. They had excellent tuna steak sandwiches and chips as they watched the sailboats cruise by and the ferry boats deliver people back and forth from San Francisco, Alcatraz and Sausalito.
Several at the restaurant had noticed the handsome boy walk in with an angular companion wearing designer camouflage. While the locals paid no mind, a number of tourists glanced over multiple times after realizing was two boys engaged in intensely attentive dialogue that could not be confused with being just friends.
Exiting Sausalito, the winding road up the mountain and back into the valley was made for Jason's convertible and Shawn loved the breeze blowing in his face as they drove. Even on a spring Monday, the Muir Woods National Monument had its customary abundant crowd. Between apathetic parents and too many athletic commitments, Jason had never experienced the serene majesty of this forest of giant redwoods. As a proponent of historical preservation he was captivated by the history of the park and lamented to learn that it was one of few places left where redwoods were in abundance.
Shawn escorted Jason along the trail that went along each side of the small river stopping to read the explanatory signs and stopping to take pictures with his red Coolpix camera. On some of the more dramatic spots he asked Jason to stand by the massive trees to give the pictures perspective. They took turns taking pictures of each other, and when a friendly tourist was nearby, they had pictures made standing together.
They took nearly three hours to peacefully make the highly improved circular path most visitors take. Shawn had avoided anything too overt but, he was also being flirty at the same time. When he would talk to Jason, he would lightly put his hand on his arm or lower back.
Shawn tended to walk shoulder-to-shoulder at close proximity to Jason. Ever the flirt, Shawn bent over to point to some flowers and lingered there leaving his bubble butt pointing right at Jason and showing the beautiful patch of olive skin on his lower back. That, day Jason found great beauty in nature as well as in this beguiling boy named Shawn.
Leaving Muir Woods around 4:30 PM, Shawn directed Jason to continue on the road they had arrived on instead of going back the way they came. This led them to Muir Beach which was also one of Shawn's favorite outdoor places to visit. Jason had been to California beaches before, but not this majestic shore, unspoiled by development. They bundled up against the chilly breeze and had a peaceful walk down the beach.
They came across and climbed up a ridge about fifteen feet to a flat rock where they could watch the sunset over the Pacific horizon. Jason had never felt so relaxed in his life and he knew whom he should be grateful to. Similarly, far from being a distraction, Shawn's encouragement had helped him to be almost finished with his project. He felt really lucky that Shawn had continued to be interested in him despite how hesitant he had been. He was sure that Shawn had many guys throwing themselves at his feet.
The horizon got more spectacular as they watched the sun slowly disappear. It also became cooler quickly and Shawn began to noticeably shiver and wiggle his legs to keep warm. Sensing this, Jason pulled his oversized jacket open and pulled Shawn close under his arm. It felt so good for both boys to be touching but Shawn actually got up first saying they should leave before it got dark.
Climbing up rocks is easier than climbing down and near the bottom there was a fairly high final rock to descend. Jason went first and having longer legs jumped down rather easily. Shawn hesitated at the height and Jason came to the rock and held out his arms and beckoned Shawn to jump. Shawn's fall was cushioned by Jason's strong hands around his midsection, but as Jason took a step back he stumbled on a piece of driftwood, and fell backwards pulling Shawn on top of him.
After initially both laughing, Shawn made no move to get up or move his hands off Jason's shoulders and Jason's hands remained around Shawn's ribs. After looking in each other's eyes for several seconds, Shawn leaned down and gently kissed Jason on the lips. Jason did not resist and they began to tentatively explore each other's mouths with their tongues and began holding each other tighter.
The magic was broken by the laughter of an elderly couple walking their dog about twenty yards away. The man called out, "Hey! Why don't you guys get a room?" They muttered judgmental comments obnoxiously as they continued on their walk.
Shawn was oblivious to the comment and was anxious to continue where they had left off. But Jason was spooked and abruptly nudged Shawn off of him and stood up and walked to the car, putting up the convertible top before he got in. Shawn followed and got in the passenger side. Jason seemed less agitated, but still somber as he started the engine.
"Come on. Let's go. It's getting dark."
"All right...But what's wrong? It was just a couple of blue-hairs."
"No nothing is...well the truth is that comment is exactly something like my father would say. In fact, it kind of sounded like him. The thought of my parents walking up right then and seeing us sent shivers down my spine."
"That's too bad. My parents would be high-fiving if they saw you and me kissing."
"Look I am sorry to be a downer. I told you I was confused, and I feel almost guilty when I am with you having such a great time."
"Well it is my fault. I should not have kissed you...it just happened. It won't happen again, if that what's you want. But I hope you still had a good time today."
"Today was one of the best days I can ever recall. And I did not say I minded our kiss. In fact, I loved it...probably too much for my own good."
"Oh! Well in that case, please let me know when it is okay to kiss you again, because I can't wait! But in the meantime, I don't want you to feel like I am pressuring you."
The rest of the drive back to San Francisco was uneventful and the traffic from wine country visitors was manageable. It was after 9:00 PM before they arrived at Shawn's house. Shawn invited Jason in to say hello to Lance and meet Jenny. Jenny met them at the door and was her usual bubbly self and insisted on bringing Jason a beverage.
As they walked into the family room, Lance was intently watching a program that had the VH1 logo in the corner of the screen with the sounds of Pink Floyd in the background. On the program, a grey-haired Roger Waters and balding David Gilmour were describing the making of "Dark Side of the Moon" against flashbacks to home movies of the original recording sessions.
"Oh, I don't need to watch this right now, come in!"
"No leave it on. I love Pink Floyd!"
Jason and Shawn sat on a small love seat, and the four of them watched the last twenty minutes of the show which included a scene where modern-day Waters and Gilmour demonstrated some of their signature sounds from the album. It was quite interesting for even a casual fan of rock music.
"Jason, dad can play Pink Floyd on the guitar."
"Now Shawn, that is a bit of an exaggeration."
But Shawn went to the other room and returned with Lance's 30 year old Guild that he had played in many coffee houses in his college days. With a nod from Jenny, Lance began a fairly good imitation of the signature riff from "Wish You Were Here" and began to softly sing the verses...
So, so you think you can tell, Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?.............
When the song progressed to the chorus Lance nodded to Jenny and Shawn and they joined in the singing. Shawn gently placed his hand on Jason's thigh and looked up at Jason as he sang in a sweet tenor...
How I wish, how I wish you were here. We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year. Running over the same old ground; What have you found? The same old fears. Wish you were here......
As the song ended, there was an awkward silence as the family was mildly embarrassed to have broken out in singing around a guest. However, Jason was stunned because: (1) Shawn, Jenny and Lance had sang a beautiful song beautifully; (2) He could not ever remember singing in his house, even lullabies; and (3) That when Shawn had place his hand on his thigh, Jason had instinctively placed his on top. Now that the music had stopped he realized that he and Shawn were holding hands.
After some additional friendly dialogue, everyone decided to call it a night. Before leaving Jason needed to use the bathroom. As he walked down the hall, he passed all of Lance's previous portraits of Jenny and Shawn. As with the portrait he had seen in the art supply store, Jason admired Lance's artistic style on both children's portraits. But as he studied Shawn's portraits carefully, he realized that he would have eight more visual images that would keep him awake that night.
Shawn walked Jason to the door, conflicted by his intensifying affection for Jason, offset by his sense of Jason's hesitancy. He wanted to throw himself at Jason, but Shawn knew he should keep his guard up. He had known several gay friends that had their hearts broken by falling for straight guys or married men who swore that they were leaving their wives.
"Thanks for coming in and visiting with my parents. I know they like you."
"It was fun. They don't seem like parents to me. They seem more like friends."
"Well they are my friends. Now they're your friends too. But they definitely can act like parents when the situation calls for it."
"My parents are only parents to me. They might even be good parents. At least, I think they mean well. But they are definitely not my friends."
"Well, I'm your friend. And I'll be a lot more if you would like."
"I would be lucky to be more than friends with you!"
"Well, you need to go home, get a good night's sleep, work on your project, and then decide if you want to be lucky! But don't feel like you need to call me or go out with me if you are not sure about yourself. In fact, I would rather you not."
Jason was about to respond, but Shawn pressed his index finger to his lips first. He then gave Jason a brief hug, opened the door and summarily nudged him out the door. Shawn had just had one of the greatest days of his life with Jason. He hoped it was not the end of the story, but he was preparing himself for such an outcome.
Jason had also never had a more enjoyable day, yet he felt he might lose Shawn if he did not get over his hang-ups. Jason thought about the portraits in the hallway on his way home and replayed their brief kiss over and over as he fell asleep.