As it has become the custom, we decide to meet at the coffee shop entrance at five.

A limo slides to a stop in front of me at five to one. I grin at his stupid antics. He's still a kid, trying to impress me with a limo.

My grin melts away, I watch thunderstruck when Erin gets down, fully dressed in slick black, hair swiped back in style, ready for a red carpet.

He wasn't carrying his stick or wearing his glasses. I wait for him to get on the walkway and get to the entrance. Somehow he knows where I'm standing.

His forehead is dotted with sweat. It's freaking February.

"Ready?" He asks.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" I ask, I don't like it when he is nervous, he is too fidgety right now.

He laughs and punches without aim and it lands on my shoulder. His hand slowly trails from my shoulder to arm and to my fingers. "We'll be late."

"Lead the way."

"Why aren't you wearing gloves?" He hands me in to the limo and enters.

I pull him next to me. "I was being daring." I say.

"I'm impressed." He smiles.

God, I'll miss his smiles. "I'm not. A limo, Erin? That's a high school boy move."

He laughs, "didn't I tell you, Ed? Sam is difficult to impress."

Ed, the driver chuckles. "It seems so. Hold on to him, I'll try to impress with my driving."

And so he does. Weaving through the narrow roads.

"How do you look?" Erin asks.

"Exactly opposite of how you do." Somehow I don't even have to try. My mind knows what to speak.

"And that is?"

"For me to know, you to figure out." I whisper in his ear.

Ed, the good man brings up the screen, blocking himself.

"You've made Ed blush." Erin's hand runs on my back, I hope my blazer is not scratchy like those suits we browsed.

"Not the man I was aiming for."

He chuckles. "How do you come up with these lines?"

"It's a two year course. I completed with the highest score."

He pinches my hip, making me jump.

"We've reached." The door opens to show a polite looking Ed.

"I'm impressed Ed, I didn't even realize that we've stopped. Fabulous driving and you respond well to my flirting. Are you interested in-"

Erin grabs my shoulder and wrenches me away from the limo. Ed waves.

"Jealous, are we?" I ask trying to stay upright.

"Shut up, Sam. I don't want to giggle in front of the guests." He knows where he's going.

"This is your house?" It's a mini Martha's vineyard style mansion.

"Yeah, the party is at the backyard. Do you want a tour of the house or the lawn?" He is already moving in the direction of lawn.

"Does the tour include your bedroom?"

"I knew it!" He cries, and his clutch hardens.

I laugh, he is so....tuned to me.

Soon we're surrounded by the crowd milling around in a huge warm glass house, waiters carrying champagne trays in dainty gloved hands.

"Wow, this is grander than my blazer."

"Finally, you're nervous." He sighs.

"Why Erin? Do you have plans to cheer me up, if I am?" His hand has relaxed around my shoulder.

"No Sammy, I need company." His hair is tamed by products, I ruffle it a bit trying to cover his forehead like usual.

"Why?"

"Mom. I told her I would introduce you." His words reek of the importance it holds.

"Ah. Then let's get it over with. I'm waiting for the tour." I keep my tone light.

Fiddling with my laples, he murmurs. "I don't know where she might be."

I look around. There. Among a group of important looking people. I haven't yet figured if I hate her or love her.

"Can you describe her? Or ask a waiter?"

"Maybe we can get hold of her later. I don't want to disturb her." He tilts his head, probably listening for her voice. She is little far to recognize by sound.

A beaming figure blocks my view.

"Sam!" Lydi envelopes me in a formal hug, kissing the air.

"You look gorgeous." She is. A cherry blossom pink, simple gown grips and flows in right places.

"Thank you." Lydi grins.

"He is taken." Erin chimes in.

"So is she." A guy chimes back.

"Aren't they cute?" Lydi laughs.

"Sam, Francis. Francis, Sam." Erin waves his free hand.

"Where's mom?" Erin asks.

"I saw... there, with aunt Maggie's family. I'll send her. Wait right here." Lydi leaves with Francis right on her heels.

"Relax. Is she that bad?" I move his hand from my shoulder and take it in mine.

He exhales. "I don't know. This is the first time, I've brought someone home, whom she didn't already know."

I close my eyes, the guilt clutches my throat. "It's alright. Mothers are harmless, mostly. If she knows I'm leaving on Monday she'd be more welcoming."

He sighs.

"Baby." Mrs. Korksov greets her son. She's in an all covering grey dress.

"Mom." He extends his hand.

She takes it and smiles, "You must be Sam." There's no warmth or hate in her voice. It's blank like Erin's eyes.

"Yes, Ma'am. Nice meeting you." Sometimes I wish I had never met her.

"Enjoy the party. Please feel free to call me if you need anything. I'm happy for you baby." She kisses his cheek and walks away.

Why the heck did she want me to accompany her son, if she's this unhappy? What changed in a week?

"That went well." I say.

"You think?" Erin tilts his head.

"Yep. I've met many mothers, she is a puppy compared to some." I assure him.

Erin laughs. "She's no puppy. But you're right. Now I can relax. Do you want champagne?"

"No, I want a tour... of your.. bedroom." I accentuate every word with a nudge on his arm.

"No, can't do. It's restricted zone. Blocked for public access." He pulls my hand and walks in the opposite direction of the party.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere special."

He unlocks a dog house in the corner and strides in.

"Are you sure? We're invading a dog's home."

"It's a short cut. Millie won't mind."

"Is Millie your service dog?" I look around the dim lit place searching for the dog.

"She was, now retired."

He opens the back door and there was a glass walled gazebo. Like the one in lake. But it's smaller and brightly lit with serial lights.

"Is it warm?" I don't want to freeze.

"Yeah, Sam. Come."

He opens it with a number combination. There's nothing but a bench inside.

I close the glass door, the room is weather controlled.

"Wow. Why is this special?" I don't remember when he put back the glasses. I remove them and put on the window sill.

"This is mine and mine alone. Do you like it? Lydi suggested to put on the lights."

He is standing next to a window. The lights reflect on his face, making him look larger than life.

I take his hand. "It's grand."

He sighs, as if he knew that I meant him.

"How many boyfriends did you have?" The question isn't necessary, it doesn't stop me from asking it. I'm torturing myself.

"Two. Why?"

I push him on the window sill, he sits on it.

"When was the last one?"

"Highschool. Senior year. He should be here today. Our company lawyer's son."

"Do you want me to punch his face?" I move to stand between his legs. His hands settle around my hip.

He chuckles. "No, it wasn't serious. He was doing me a favor. He's not my type. My mom thought so though. We barely talked."

"Did he see your room?" I probe.

"Yes, boyfriends are allowed in my room." His hands move up and down in slow circles making my skin warmer not just where he touches but all over.

I snort. "So this place is for flings?"

"Yep."

I want to be his everything. Not just a fling.

"Francis seems nice." I change the topic.

"He is. Poor guy. I gave him a heart attack when they started dating, it's almost five years now."

I play with his suit buttons. They're gold. "What did you do?"

"One day, When I entered Lydi's room, he was sitting on her bed I think, she wasn't there. He didn't make a sound, but I guessed it was him."

"Then?" I can't guess.

"I lied down on the bed and smelled her pillow and started jacking, moaning her name."

"WHAT?" I scream out of reflex.

Erin bursts out laughing. The bastard.

I watch him, transfixed. I no longer pause at his blank eyes, it's part of who Erin is-a vibrant young man with shocking sense of humor. Currently enjoying the fact that he has shocked me. Laughing —his big teeth and gums on view, head thrown back and inviting.

I lean in, leaving no gap between our bodies and take his face in my hands. "Erin?"

"Yeah?" A smile still hovers, making his lips tremble.

"Can I kiss you?" I rub our noses together.

"I don't remember you asking me the first time."

"I got carried away. I forgot that you can't see my lust filled eyes and drooling mouth. Can I?"

"Yes." He breathes.

I go slow, tasting his lower lip. His hands close around my face. Other than that he lets me take the lead. I breathe in his air, his sweetness and when it's not enough, I explore with my tongue. Enjoying what he's offering.

"Why aren't you kissing me back?" I ask when we come up for air.

"What? I am." He strokes my cheek.

"No, not the way you kissed last time. I want that Erin, please." I beg.

"Oh.... come back then." He leans in.

This time, he leads, with the first suck he takes me to heaven. I soar high, away from all things that tie me down, so high there's nothing except this second, this kiss, this man, so surreal. I don't want to land back to reality. We can live in this forever.

"Wow." I sigh, when we pull apart.

The smile that starts at the middle of his face and stretch to one end alone, appears. He's smug. I kiss that smile.

He nuzzles my neck, "I love your perfume."

I yank my blazers, throwing it on the bench. Erin will keep me warm. I put my back to his chest and settle on the sill, letting him smell my neck to his satisfaction. He presses his nose in to my neck, inhaling deep. I quiver and grab his fingers.

"Do you dance?" I kiss the fingers one by one. His palm has callouses but his fingers are soft.

"Yes. A lot actually." He is messing my hair now by rubbing his cheek.

"Can I have a dance?" I bend his fingers and kiss them in Victorian style.

He chuckles. "No, my lord. I don't waltz."

"Why? Is it too forward for your sensibilities?" I put his fingers on my lips and close my eyes tracing his knuckles. I have found lot more favorites in Erin, now the knuckles have gone down my list.

"No, my dear man, I'm afraid that you'd be shocked out of your boxers. My dances are too arduous."

I turn to face him, "Really? What kind of music?"

"Guess."

"Jazz?"

"No."

"Country?"

"Nope!"

"Rock?" I fully turn in his arms to see if he's laughing. He's smiling the baby step smile.

"No. Pop. I blast it in full volume and jump around in my room. Lydi says it's mad man's dance."

"Can we?" I thought he'd be a Beethoven guy. Not someone who listened to pop.

"No, it's also a boyfriend only package." His fingers trace my cheek and lips.

"Are you memorizing my face?" I ask.

"Yeah. These are the sinuous lips." His fingers press on them and follow the line. I watch his face, memorizing it. I won't forget it even if I can. My throat closes up again. Is it only a week? It feels a like a century and yet not enough time to get to know him fully. He is a million page book, I want to read it from cover to cover.

He leans on my face. "Do you want to upgrade to boyfriend package? I'll cut an one time deal for you."

My heart thuds with an excited rhythm. In an alternate universe, this would have been the proposal. I would have said yes. In this universe, I can't make any deals with him, because I had already made one with his mother.

"I don't make deals without tasting the fares." I say.

He chuckles, his hot breath envelopes my face. "You can taste."

"Now?" My heart trips and gears to top speed.

"Tomorrow? I'll come to your room." He tilts his head, with a shy smile.

"Fine!!" I sigh.

"Whiner." He wraps me again in his arms.

"I can't do boyfriends Erin. I'm not available, Not....can't..." I stop, unable to lie.

He places his head on top of mine. "Okay."

"Promise me Erin, you will date. Date a lot. Break hearts left and right, I want to hear rumors about you. People should say, 'There's this blind accountant in that little town, he is such a player.' Promise me." I want him to be happy, always laughing. I don't want him to sit all alone in an empty coffee shop. I need to know that he'll be all right after I leave. Not for his mother, for me.

He exhales, "I do like the sound of it."

"So promise me, you'll shock few lucky guys into dating you."

He chuckles and kisses my forehead. "Promise."

That's all I can have. A forehead kiss and a promise. If we go any further I'll not be able to leave him. If we make love, that would be the end of my charade. I won't be able to hold back. I won't be able to lie. I love him. With all that I have to offer. Not as an escort. As a man who fell head over heels for another man with no other agenda. He has my heart. I think he knows it too.

I hug him one last time.