Kyle Anderson's Arc

Chapter 4 of 4

Saturday moved slow the way Thursday had. Kyle cleaned the apartment again, then stopped himself before he cleaned it a third time. The foil square still sat on the coffee table where he had left it Thursday night. He walked to the corner store and came back with a small bottle of lubricant in a paper bag. He set it in the drawer of the side table, not on top, not hidden. Then he sat on the couch and waited. At seven, the buzzer rang. Sebastian came up carrying takeout and a bottle of wine. He set both on the counter and looked at Kyle like he was checking the weather. They ate at the counter with the pink disc player going low in the background. Sebastian talked about his week. Kyle listened more than he spoke. When Sebastian reached across for the salt, Kyle caught his wrist. Sebastian went still. "Couch," Kyle said. Sebastian smiled a small, careful smile and followed him. The second kiss was slower than the ones on Thursday. Sebastian's hand found the back of Kyle's neck. Kyle's found Sebastian's shirt. The foil square was right there on the table. Kyle picked it up this time. He opened the drawer, took out the bottle, and set both on the cushion between them. Sebastian looked at the bottle, then at Kyle, and laughed once, surprised. "You planned," Sebastian said. "I hoped," Kyle said. Sebastian kissed him again and did not stop. They moved to the bedroom because the couch was too small and Kyle wanted a door, even a door to nothing. Kyle left the lamp on. He wanted to see Sebastian's face. Sebastian let him. After, Sebastian slept with one arm across Kyle's chest. Kyle did not sleep. He stared at the ceiling and listened to Sebastian breathe. His phone buzzed on the nightstand. A ride ping. He silenced it. It buzzed again. He turned it face down. On the third buzz he looked. Not a ride. A text from a number he did not know. It said, Sebastian, we need to talk about Sunday. Kyle read it twice. He set the phone down. Sebastian was still asleep. Kyle looked at the man in his bed and understood that he did not know who else was waiting for him tomorrow. The charm was still in his jeans on the floor. He had still not given it back.