closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he walked slowly to the door. He opened it, and there was Rick, looking just as wonderful as he had when he had left Ed’s place very early that morning. Rick was smiling over—Ed could not believe it—a bouquet of roses. Needless to say, no one had ever given him flowers of any kind before. Right then and there he threw in the towel and decided he didn’t care how feminine it might be; he was deeply touched that Rick would spend his hard-earned money on something so romantic for him.
“For the cutest handyman in Porterfield, Indiana,” Rick said bashfully, handing him the seven deep-red roses done up in green florist’s paper.
“I’m . . . I’m blown away,” Ed said, taking the flowers. “I mean, thank you. I’m just so surprised.”
Rick grinned, obviously pleased at Ed’s response. “I hoped you would be. Since this is kinda our first official date and all, I wanted to do something special.”
“It’s very special,” Ed said, brown eyes glowing. He felt like some silly-ass beauty contest winner. Hell, all he needed was a crown and scepter. He laughed. “I don’t even know if I have a vase for them.”
Ed laid the roses on his kitchen table, then turned back to Rick, who was dressed as casually as Ed had hoped he’d be, in a faded IU sweatshirt and jeans. Ed didn’t care if he ever saw the guy in a suit. Rick couldn’t possibly look better than he did at that moment.
“You know,” Rick said, a mischievous look in his eyes, “I had another motive with those flowers. I was hoping they might buy me another kiss from you.”
Ed found himself grinning at Rick. “Just one?” he teased. “How about one for each rose?”
“Mmm,” Rick moaned, taking Ed in his arms. “I like the way you think, Mr. Stephens.”
Ed wasn’t sure just how many kisses those roses bought for Rick. He lost count somewhere way past seven. The evening, he decided, was getting off to a very good start. At some point Ed managed to free his mouth long enough to ask if Rick was hungry.
Rick chuckled. “Well, actually, I’m starved. I haven’t had much to eat today. Do I remember you promising pizza?”
“I sure did,” Ed said, reluctantly letting Rick go and heading for the phone. “I’ll call Gino’s. They probably know the way to my house blindfolded.”
Once the pizza was ordered, Ed poured Pepsi for both of them and got Rick settled comfortably in the living room. Ed then scouted around for a vase for the flowers. Much to his surprise he found something appropriate in the basement, obviously left behind by the previous owners.
After arranging the flowers and placing them on the kitchen table, Ed joined Rick in the living room.
“I hope the pop is okay. I’ve got something stronger if you want it.”
“Nope,” Rick said. “Pepsi is perfect with pizza, and I don’t drink all that much anyway.”
“Me neither,” Ed said, again struck by how much they seemed to have in common. “Ever since I barfed all over the interior of my friend Ted’s car in high school, I’ve never been able to get too excited about it.”
“For me it was a New Year’s party in college,” Rick said, sneaking an arm around Ed’s shoulders. “I felt so shitty that New Year’s Day, I vowed I’d never get that bombed ever again. I knew a lot of guys who drank too much in Indy, too. It really kind of turned me off the whole thing.”
Ed was curious about those Indy guys, but figured he’d hear about them soon enough. “I’m glad you like pizza,” he said, changing the subject. “I’m not much of a cook, and frankly, I would have been a nervous wreck, trying to make dinner for you!”
Rick threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, man, don’t worry about it. Hell, I’m so glad to be here you coulda given me a baloney sandwich and I would have been happy. Besides, I think pizza is about my favorite food. Well, next to breakfast. I do like a good breakfast. I cook a
“For the cutest handyman in Porterfield, Indiana,” Rick said bashfully, handing him the seven deep-red roses done up in green florist’s paper.
“I’m . . . I’m blown away,” Ed said, taking the flowers. “I mean, thank you. I’m just so surprised.”
Rick grinned, obviously pleased at Ed’s response. “I hoped you would be. Since this is kinda our first official date and all, I wanted to do something special.”
“It’s very special,” Ed said, brown eyes glowing. He felt like some silly-ass beauty contest winner. Hell, all he needed was a crown and scepter. He laughed. “I don’t even know if I have a vase for them.”
Ed laid the roses on his kitchen table, then turned back to Rick, who was dressed as casually as Ed had hoped he’d be, in a faded IU sweatshirt and jeans. Ed didn’t care if he ever saw the guy in a suit. Rick couldn’t possibly look better than he did at that moment.
“You know,” Rick said, a mischievous look in his eyes, “I had another motive with those flowers. I was hoping they might buy me another kiss from you.”
Ed found himself grinning at Rick. “Just one?” he teased. “How about one for each rose?”
“Mmm,” Rick moaned, taking Ed in his arms. “I like the way you think, Mr. Stephens.”
Ed wasn’t sure just how many kisses those roses bought for Rick. He lost count somewhere way past seven. The evening, he decided, was getting off to a very good start. At some point Ed managed to free his mouth long enough to ask if Rick was hungry.
Rick chuckled. “Well, actually, I’m starved. I haven’t had much to eat today. Do I remember you promising pizza?”
“I sure did,” Ed said, reluctantly letting Rick go and heading for the phone. “I’ll call Gino’s. They probably know the way to my house blindfolded.”
Once the pizza was ordered, Ed poured Pepsi for both of them and got Rick settled comfortably in the living room. Ed then scouted around for a vase for the flowers. Much to his surprise he found something appropriate in the basement, obviously left behind by the previous owners.
After arranging the flowers and placing them on the kitchen table, Ed joined Rick in the living room.
“I hope the pop is okay. I’ve got something stronger if you want it.”
“Nope,” Rick said. “Pepsi is perfect with pizza, and I don’t drink all that much anyway.”
“Me neither,” Ed said, again struck by how much they seemed to have in common. “Ever since I barfed all over the interior of my friend Ted’s car in high school, I’ve never been able to get too excited about it.”
“For me it was a New Year’s party in college,” Rick said, sneaking an arm around Ed’s shoulders. “I felt so shitty that New Year’s Day, I vowed I’d never get that bombed ever again. I knew a lot of guys who drank too much in Indy, too. It really kind of turned me off the whole thing.”
Ed was curious about those Indy guys, but figured he’d hear about them soon enough. “I’m glad you like pizza,” he said, changing the subject. “I’m not much of a cook, and frankly, I would have been a nervous wreck, trying to make dinner for you!”
Rick threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, man, don’t worry about it. Hell, I’m so glad to be here you coulda given me a baloney sandwich and I would have been happy. Besides, I think pizza is about my favorite food. Well, next to breakfast. I do like a good breakfast. I cook a
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