Vincent Kinsington

I didn't get the exact same parking spot that I had yesterday, but close enough that I was sure Chet would be able to find me. As I waited for him to find my car in the cafeteria parking lot, I scrolled through the news articles I had found and saved of him.

There were several local and state news articles about him and even some national ones. I had no idea he was so famous in the soccer field. Last year South High won state due mainly to Chet. Last year he had been ranked as the number two high school striker in the entire nation. He had received several offers from universities and colleges all over the nation for a full soccer scholarship. Some offers even from outside the country.

There was even an interview with him where he said why he decided to stay local. Not only did our university have one of the top soccer teams, it also had sports management as a bachelors option, it was high ranking academically and his family was here. These were the reasons he had chosen to attend our university.

Soccer wasn't the only reason he had received so many offers. He also had a really high GPA. I was dating a local celebrity and didn't even know it. It didn't matter though. There was still a lot I needed to learn about him, but I knew he wouldn't let someone in distress just leave without being comforted. I knew he would stick up for his friends no matter what. I knew money wasn't everything to him. Family and friends were. And I knew despite my many mistakes, he liked me.

"Hi," Chet popped up in front of me in that exact moment with his handsome smile.

"Hi," I said. I stuffed my phone back in my pocket embarrassed that I had saved news articles of him all over in my phone.

He leaned back and forth cutely on the balls of his feet. "Where are we going today?"

I waved a hand to indicate he should get into the car. I got in the driver's side as he got in the passenger's side.

"Is there somewhere in particular you want to go?" I asked as we put on our seatbelts.

"You know that cafe that serves the bagel sandwiches? Not the one we met at before. The one where you sit down and the servers come to you. Have you ever eaten there before? Do you know which one I'm talking about?"

Oh yes. I knew it. It was where Alex introduced me to his boyfriend for the first time and I insulted the waitress because I thought she was interested in me for my money.

"I know it," I said.

"I've really been craving their turkey bagel sandwich," he said.

I hadn't been back since, but how could I say no to his sweet face. Besides, it had been a few months, surely they wouldn't remember me.

"Let's go there then," I said.

I started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"My dad said you worked at the factory," Chet said.

"I did a little bit," I said.

"He said you were a hard worker and that he was glad I was your friend. He said you needed more friends."

"You told him we were friends? Not boyfriends?"

"No. You said we needed to keep it secret for now. Do you want me to tell him? I can."

My heart began to beat rapidly with panic and my fingers started to get cold. "No," I said. "Not yet."

We drove on in silence for awhile before he said, "Is your mom racist? My dad thinks she is."

I sighed. "She is."

"No one else in your family is? My dad said the rest of your family seemed nice and you don't seem racist."

"I don't think they are," I said.

"They are homophobic though," he stated.

I pulled into the parking lot and turned off the car. "My dad yes. I'm not sure my brother would be if my dad wasn't. He copies my dad most times. I'm not sure my mom is either, but she will always agree with my dad. She will never go against him."

"You didn't mention your grandma," he said.

"My grandma told me if I ever met someone I really liked, to introduce them to her whether it was a man or a woman."

Chet smiled grandly. "I like her," he said. "Do you think one day I'll meet her?"

"I hope so," I said honestly. We paused for a moment as his smile spread tendrils of heat throughout me.

"Let's go eat," he said.

We went inside, found a small table for two and sat. The menus were already at the table. I grabbed one and began to look through it, but Chet didn't budge to take the other one.

"You already know what you want?" I asked.

"Yep," he said easily. "I already said I was craving their turkey bagel sandwich."

I put my menu back.

"You know what you want? You can take your time to decide," Chet said. "You don't need to rush just because I already know what I want."

"I'll get the same as you," I said. "It sounds good."

As if on cue, the same waitress that had served me before came up to our table.

"Are you ready to order?" She had a pleasant smile, but it faltered when she saw me. So she did remember me.

"I'll have the turkey bagel sandwich and a lemonade," Chet said.

"And you, sir?" she asked me.

"The same," I said. When I was here before and thought she had expressed an interest in me, I was sure it was only because she was out for my money and I had treated her as such. But now...well Chet was different. I wasn't ready to believe everyone was different, but it was possible there were more people like him and maybe she was one of them. And even if she wasn't, I had treated her rudely.

While we waited for our food, we talked about our days and about his upcoming soccer match. The waitress came back with our food and drinks.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked.

"Not at the moment," Chet said as he rearranged his plate and napkin.

She nodded and started to leave, but I said, "I'm sorry," before I even realized it.

She turned back to me with a confused expression. "Is there something else you need?"

"No," I said. "I want to apologize for my behavior last time."

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but there was also recognition. She definitely remembered me.

"I was rude and I apologize."

Chet's head turned from me to the waitress and back again. His cheeks were stuffed with the turkey bagel sandwich.

"Thank you," she said and her smile now seemed genuine. "Enjoy your meal and let me know if I can get you anything else."

When she walked away, Chet said, "What did you do to her that you had to apologize?"

I picked up my bagel sandwich and stared at it instead of Chet. He knew I was flawed, but it was still difficult to admit it to him.

"The last time I was here was when Alex introduced me to Mateo for the first time. I didn't respond well. You know. She was our server. I gave her an extra generous tip and she thought it meant more than it did. I assumed she did anyway. And I told her...well, I assumed she was after my money and not me and I made a demeaning remark."

I took a bite of the sandwich and still didn't look at him.

"Well," Chet said after a long pause, "now you have me so you don't need to worry about people only dating you for your money."

I finally looked at him. He smiled sweetly as he took a bite of his sandwich.

His words, expressions and actions always made me feel so warm inside. Was this how it was always going to be because if so I'd never let him go.

"So your family," I said changing the subject. "You have your dad, mom and sister? A younger sister?"

Chet nodded. He finished with his bagel sandwich already. "Kannika. She is 16."

"Do you two get along?"

"For the most part," he said. "Better than you with your brother it sounds like."

"That's good." I didn't tell him that I had always wished I got along with my brother. We didn't fight or anything, but there was always a distance between us. There was a six year age gap, but it was more than that. From the earliest times I could remember, it felt like he isolated himself from me. I wasn't sure why. Maybe I had made it up.

"So," I went on, "Mom, Dad and sister. No one else?"

His glass of lemonade was raised halfway to his lips. It stopped there. His eyes looked like a deer caught in headlights. There was something else obviously, but he didn't seem ready to talk about it. That was alright. There was something major I was keeping from him too just because it hurt to talk about.

"Does your mom work?" I asked changing the subject.

Relief flooded through his eyes. "Yes," he said. "She is a certified paralegal."

When we finished with lunch, I drove back to the cafeteria parking lot. I parked in the back of the lot where we wouldn't be noticed.

"Good luck on your game tomorrow," I said. "I wish I could see it."

"The university has a radio broadcast," he said. "They've been broadcasting the games. You could listen to it."

I smiled. "I will."

He looked out the windows to make sure no one was around before he leaned in and kissed me gently. His lips lingered on mine. I cupped his cheeks with the palms of my hands and took the kiss deeper. Our lips moved together and there was a stirring deep inside me. I wanted him.

My hands moved down and lingered on his hips while his arms wrapped around my neck pulling me even closer into the kiss if that was possible. I pulled away from the kiss just slightly so I could stare closely into his beautiful brown eyes. His warm breath caressed my face. I leaned in and put my forehead against his.

"Dream about me again," I said.

He pulled back and smirked at me. "You dream of me first," he said and got out of the car. He waved at me before bounding off to the sidewalk. I probably would dream of him after that kiss.

I waited until I could no longer see him. It was only then that I realized my fingers traced my mouth where his lips had met mine.

When my afternoon class was finished, I sent my grandmother a text.

Me: Can I come see you tonight

Grandma: I would love that. Come eat dinner with me. Your brother has a date with Jasmine and your parents are having a date night too. I was going to be all alone and now I don't have to be.

Relief washed through me knowing it would just be me and grandma and she didn't seem mad that I missed her retirement party.

Me: I'll be there

I went home, did my homework and when I thought it was late enough that my parents and Aiden would be gone already, I drove to the family home. When I pulled into the 6 car garage, I was relieved to see only Grandma's car.

I went in through the front door and grandma was there to greet me. She wrapped her arms around me in a welcoming hug.

"Hello, Vinny," she said into my chest.

"Hello, Grandma."

"Hungry?" she pulled away and looked up into my face.

"Starving," I said.

She took my hand and pulled me into the dining room where Priscilla and Theresa where setting the last of the food on the table. Sliders. My favorite. They gave me a knowing smile before they left the room hand in hand. They would have never done that if my father or mother were home. I had seen them do it in front of Aiden and he didn't seem to care and grandma obviously didn't care.

"Are you okay with sliders, grandma?" I asked as I sat next to her at the table. There was also a salad so she did have another option.

"I love sliders," Grandma said. "I don't know why your father doesn't."

She picked up a slider and bit into it eagerly to prove to me how much she loved it. Some of the sauce stuck at the corner of her mouth. "Delicious," she said.

I wiped off the corner of her mouth with my napkin before I grabbed a slider of my own and bit into it. Priscilla and Theresa truly made the best sliders.

I was into my second one before grandma said, "You seem really happy tonight."

"I do? How do I usually seem?"

"Sad," she said. A bit of sauce was on her lips again. "You usually seem sad. I want you to be happy, you know."

I smiled and wiped off the sauce again. "Don't worry about me, Grandma. I'm fine."

"What makes you so happy tonight?" she asked. She took a bite of salad.

"Grandma, you make me happy."

She nudged my arm playfully. "If that were true then you would always seem happy instead of sad."

"It is true," I said. "I'm sorry I missed your retirement party."

"Don't worry about that, dear." She patted my hand. "It was boring anyway and you are celebrating with me now. This is better. Now, tell me the real reason you are happy. Did you meet someone?"

I smiled as I thought of Chet.

"You did!" my grandma squealed and squeezed my hand. "Who is it? When can I meet them?"

"It's still new, Grandma. When some time passes and if things are still going well, I'll bring him by to meet you."

"I'm so happy," she said as she continued to squeeze my hand. "I feel good about this. I look forward to the day I can meet him."

"Don't tell dad or mom I'm dating someone," I said. "They might start to pry and if they find out I'm dating a he..."

"Don't worry, dear. I won't say anything."

Later that night when I was home and asleep, I dreamed of Chet. It wasn't too heated. We exchanged sweet kisses and it drew him closer to my heart. It was a good dream. Saturday afternoon I found the university's broadcast and listened to the game. It was a little boring until I heard them mention number 22 Watakeekul towards the end of the first half. He scored a goal. The first goal of the game. During the second half the opposite team scored a goal making it a tie, but at the end of the game the other striker on Chet's team scored again and our university won 2-1.