The Barnstable Chronicles: Charlie Danner Finds His Way - 4. The Musician (Part 2)

I woke up Friday morning, remembering that we didn’t have school today. As soon as I snuggled into the arms holding me and enjoyed the warm body wrapped around—

Wait a minute! What the fuck? I was suddenly wide awake and realized that David had come into bed with me. How long had he been here? Damn! It sure feels nice, though!

I wanted to stay like this for a while, but damn, I had to pee so bad!! I slowly eased myself from David’s arms and slipped out of bed. Cold! It’s so cold!

I ran into my bathroom, relieved myself, and got back into bed as quickly as I could. As soon as I got under the covers, I found David was awake.

“My turn!”

“But—”

“I’ll be right back! Don’t go anywhere!”

Before long, David was slipping back under the covers. We were facing each other, and he leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead.

“David, not that I’m complaining or anything, but how long have you been here? I thought we were going to learn about each other and take our time. I don’t know if I’m ready for anything yet.”

“Shhhhh. Relax, Charlie. We’re not going to have sex. There was a bit of a problem, and this was the only place I knew to come to.”

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m sooooo okay. I was fast asleep, minding my own business. I was having this dream about a beautiful boy. It was so nice. We were talking, just doing things—having a great time. The next thing I knew, we were making love. It was beautiful. Probably the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced—well, in a dream. Unfortunately, I ended up having a wet dream and ended up with a very wet bed—and it was cold. So all I could think to do was put my underwear on and come up here. I’m so sorry.”

He was so cute! He was truly embarrassed. I was giggling as I took him into my arms.

“It’s okay, David. As long as he was a skinny boy with long, dark hair.”

“Of course it was you, Charlie.”

I then realized that I was naked in bed with this adorable musician. I asked him to close his eyes so I could go and get some underwear. He smiled and closed his eyes as I hopped out of bed and grabbed a pair of Andrew Christians, and slipped them on. I ran back and slipped under the covers.

We wrapped our arms around each other again. How David’s hands were still warm in this weather blew my mind. But they sure felt good as I scooted back into the same spooning position we were in when I woke up.

“There no school today. Let’s go back to sleep. We’ll talk when we wake back up, okay?”

“Thanks, Charlie. Just so you know, you feel perfect in my arms.”

“It feels perfect being in your arms, David. G’night.”

We slept another couple of hours. I woke up first and smiled as I felt David’s hardness pressing against my back. He is big! It seems to be about the same size as mine. It took every bit of willpower not to push up against him and arouse him even more—but I managed.

I looked over at the clock and saw that it was almost 10:00. I put my head back down on the pillow and thought about last night and the wonderful time I had getting to know David. I was in awe of how wise he is. I was blown away as I thought back on his playing the piano at Cam’s.

I think what I loved the most about David was his calmness. He just didn’t have any drama. As we exchanged stories about our past, we discovered that we both had the coolest parents any gay boy could wish for.

I eased myself around, hopefully without waking David, and looked at the beautiful boy in my bed. He looked so peaceful sleeping. He seemed to have a slight smile as he dreamed. I couldn’t help smiling as I thought again about possibilities—possibilities with David Chase.

As I looked at the boy in front of me, I leaned forward and lightly kissed him on his amazingly soft lips. He opened his eyes and smiled back at me.

“That was the nicest way to wake up, Charlie.”

“I didn’t mean to wake you. I- I just couldn’t hold myself back.”

“You can wake me up that way any time you want.”

“Oh! Does that mean this isn’t just a one-time thing?”

“I hope not, Charlie Danner. I don’t think I’ve ever slept better than I have with you in my arms.”

“I think we need to make sure this happens as often as possible. How else will I get to know the nuances of your phrasing or the intricacies of the things that make David Chase a most interesting boy?”

“Nice. You learn well, Charlie Danner. You learn well.”

“Why do you keep calling me Charlie Danner?”

There’s that giggle again! “Because I like the way your name sounds. And I like you, Charlie Danner.”

“I like you too, David Chase.”

He leaned into me and kissed me. This time it was a longer kiss. This time he opened my mouth with his tongue—nothing rushed. There was no sense of any motive behind it. It was probably one of the most beautiful kisses I’ve ever experienced.

I broke away and just looked at the beautiful boy who had just kissed me.

“Too soon?”

“Not at all, David. Too perfect.”

He reached up and wove his fingers into my hair. “You have the most awesome hair, Charlie.”

“You have amazing fingers. That feels so nice!”

I closed my eyes and enjoyed David’s magical fingers in my hair and the feeling of his fingertips as they lightly massaged my scalp. I let out a sigh as I felt his lips on mine again. It was even more wonderful than the last one.

When he broke the kiss, he asked me what I wanted to do today.

“Can we do this until we have to go to the theatre?”

“Charlie, if we keep doing this, I’m afraid I will lose what little control I have and end up going way farther than we are ready to.”

“That’s okay.”

He giggled again and said, “No. I have a feeling we are on the verge of something really special, Charlie. Let’s take our time. I’m not going anywhere. You’ve already captured my heart.”

“I know you’re right. And I really do agree. You’ve done more for me in one day than I ever thought was possible. I’m pretty sure about two things. I love spending time with you—getting to know you. The second thing—I can’t think of anything I would like more than to see how far this goes.”

“I think we’re good for each other. When I’m with you, I’m more comfortable in my own skin than I’ve ever been. You let me be me without any fear of the consequences. That shyness I told you about doesn’t exist when you’re with me.”

“David, you make me feel safe. I’ve found a new kind of happiness with you. It’s calm and peaceful. I like the person I am when I am with you. And the more time I spend with you, the better person I become.”

David’s stomach growled. He rolled his eyes and blushed.

“I think there’s a beautiful boy in my bed who needs some food. Why don’t we shower and clean up—and then I’ll fix us some breakfast?”

“French toast?!?”

“Whatever you want. But—as much as I don’t like the idea. You should probably shower in the guest room.”

“You’re probably right. After breakfast, can you take me to my house so I can get some clothes? I can’t wear my suit clothes all day.”

“Sure. Are you coming back here after the show tonight?”

“Parker and his mom are coming in to see the show tonight. I don’t know what the plans are after that. But I do want you and Parker to get to know each other—so can we play it by ear?”

“I thought you said you didn’t know how to play by ear?”

“You little shit!” He threw me down on the bed and attacked me. In just seconds, he found my ticklish spots and had me howling. I was laughing so hard, and tears were falling out of my eyes.

“Stop! Stop, David! You’re going to make me pee myself!”

He ended on top of me, and as soon as we felt our hard cocks pressing into each other, we both stopped and just looked at each other.

“Wow, Charlie. I think you are bigger than me.”

I just looked into his eyes and couldn’t say a word at first. “David. I have to be honest. I can’t wait until we’re ready. And I can feel you’re just as anxious as I am!”

We kept looking at each other. David broke away from our mutual staring session. “Shower! Let’s get those showers done!”

He gave me a quick kiss and hopped out of bed. I only got a glimpse of his hard cock in his underwear, but his cute-as-fuck ass was a feast for the eyes as he made his way to the bedroom door and down the stairs to the guest room.

I hopped out of bed and headed into my bathroom for my shower. God, I wish David were with me right now. I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to have some shower sex with the hot boy! I looked in the mirror at my underwear-clad body.

I don’t get it. I don’t have any muscles to speak of, but I don’t have any fat. I’m just a skinny twink. I do love my hair, and my hard cock looks pretty fucking awesome in the confines of my Andrew Christians. I peeled them off my hips, and my nine-and-a-half inches stood straight out. There was a glistening drop of precum on the tip.

I took my finger and slid it over the head. I brought my finger to my mouth and savored the taste. It was even better knowing that that drop of precum was there because of David Chase.

I reached into the shower and turned on the water. I guess David already had his shower going since it didn’t take long at all for the hot water to reach my bathroom. I stepped in and closed the door. I grabbed my body wash and spread it all over my body, saving my cock for last.

I wondered if David was doing the same thing in his shower. Was he running his hands over his body, imagining they were mine? Was he stroking his magnificent dick as he soaped up? Was he thinking of my mouth—or my ass—surrounding his cock?

I imagined David’s hand sliding up and down his cock. I softly moaned his name and wondered if he was moaning mine as I lifted my leg to rest my foot on the ledge that ran the length of the shower stall. I took my soapy finger and reached behind me to play with my tight hole.

How I wished it was David’s finger pushing into my ass and finding that special place that would make me explode. I kept my orgasm noise as quiet as possible since my shower was directly above the one in the guest room. But I moaned out David’s name as my nut flew against the wall.

Apparently, David didn’t think about me being directly above him as he was pretty loud as he moaned my name. Yes! He was thinking of me as he stroked his dick! I was grinning from ear to ear as I rinsed off and then aimed the water at the cum-covered wall. Yes! David Chase was thinking about me as he shot his nut! I can’t even describe how happy that made me!

I quickly dried off and got dressed for the day before heading down to the kitchen to get what I needed for the French toast. I was scrambling the eggs and cinnamon together when David appeared in the kitchen—wrapped in a towel and holding his sheets in his hand.

My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped as I continued scrambling the eggs. My God, he was stunning. Broad shoulders. Narrow waist. Tight, firm abs. Completely smooth. Fair skin.

I blushed and looked away as he spoke. “Could I borrow a pair of underwear? And could I use your hairdryer?”

“Yeah, the hairdryer is in my bathroom, and the underwear is in the top drawer of my dresser.”

“Cool. You’re the best, Charlie! Oh, Where should I put my cum-stained sheets?”

Just set them on the bench by the door. I’ll throw them in the wash. David set down the sheets, then walked over to me and kissed me before he turned around to head back upstairs. Only he stopped suddenly and turned around.

“You heard me cum in the shower, didn’t you?”

“Uh—ummm—heard what?”

He giggled before he turned around and said as he was leaving the kitchen, “Thought so!”

Oh shit! David Chase is just so cool! I would have been so embarrassed and blushing my ass off it that was me. He just takes things at face value and goes with the flow. He is so fucking cool. Yeah, I’m falling for this boy and am so looking forward to this whole taking-our-time thing! I just keep learning more about him—and the more I learn, the more I like!

I was just finishing the first batch of toast as David appeared in the kitchen. He was wearing his black suit pants and my “2 Qt 2B Str8” tee-shirt.

“I saw this, and I just had to borrow it! My mom will laugh her ass off when she sees it!”

“My mom hates that tee-shirt and made me promise I’d never wear it in public—or in front of her. It’s yours if you want it!”

I couldn’t stop smiling as I plated up David’s breakfast.

“This is your shirt. I can’t take this from you.”

“I never get to wear it. And it looks amazing on you! God—it looks so much better on you than it ever has on me.”

“It’s kinda small, though.”

“I know. Hence, the amazing part of the look. Now come eat your breakfast.”

I loaded up his plate with two slices of French toast and three slices of crispy bacon. I poured him some orange juice. The coffee would be ready in just a couple of minutes.

“Charlie, I just had a thought. Have you ever been on a real date?”

“Well, now that I think about it. No, I haven’t. Frankie was my first boyfriend, and he would have rather gone through waterboarding than being seen out in public with me.”

“Then it’s set, Charlie Danner. We’re going to go out on a date this afternoon!”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see. Do you trust me?”

“With my life, David Chase. With my life.”

We finished breakfast with a little talk and a lot of smiles. David loved my French toast. I have a funny feeling I’ll be making this a lot looking ahead.

After cleaning the dishes, I went out to warm up the car. I came back in, and David was coming down the stairs with the rest of his clothes from last night. I ran upstairs and grabbed my black jeans and tee shirt that I have to wear backstage.

We bundled up, had a lovely kiss, and got into the car. This time it was already warm, so we could pull out of the driveway and make our way to David’s house.

He lived only five blocks from my house. We pulled up to the house, and David leaned over and gave me another quick kiss.

“Come inside and meet my mom. She’s going to love you, I promise.”

“I can wait for you here. You know, keep the car warm.”

“Nope! Not gonna happen. You get to come in with me. My mom gets to meet the most important boy in my life right now.”

“Wow. When you put it that way—” I kissed him this time.

We got out of the car and walked in the front door. David took off his shoes and placed them by a row of shoes of all shapes and sizes. I figured it was the way things were done in the Chase home, so I took off mine as well. We hung up our coats in the front closet.

“Mama! I’m home!”

“In the kitchen, David!”

He gave me another quick kiss and took my hand in his to lead me to the kitchen. His mom was chopping veggies and turned around as David walked up to her. They hugged, and she pushed him back and held him at arm’s length.

“Oh, my God! That is the best tee shirt! When did you get that?”

“About an hour ago. Charlie gave it to me. Oh, and Mom, this is Charlie Danner.”

“It’s so nice to meet you, Charlie! Come here, darling boy!” Apparently, David’s mom is from the South. She has this wonderful accent that makes everything she says even more wonderful.

She held her arms out to me, so I shyly walked to her. She wrapped her arms around me and said, “The Chases are huggers. You’ll get used to it.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Chase.”

“Oh no, no, no! Nancy. Call me Nancy. Mrs. Chase is my husband's mother!” She then held me out at arm’s length just as she did David. “My God, you have the most beautiful hair! Were you in the show last night?”

“Mama, Charlie and his friend Liz designed and made all the costumes for the show. I met him officially when I ripped the seat out of my pants ten minutes before curtain, and he fixed them right up.”

“Oh my. You are a talented young man! The costumes were spectacular!”

“Thank you, Mrs.—I mean Nancy.”

“Charlie’s pretty spectacular, too. As you’ll learn soon enough!”

“Well, Charlie Danner, you must be pretty special. I haven’t seen David this happy in—well, ever!”

I looked over and smiled at David. “You get it from your mother, don’t you?”

“Get what?”

“That full name thing you do.”

“So, what are you boys planning for the afternoon?”

“I need to run up to my room and get a fresh tux shirt for the show and take care of a few things. Then we’re going out on a date.”

“A date? That sounds lovely!”

“I’ll be right back. Charlie, do you want some coffee while you wait down here with my mom?”

Oh my God! David was going to leave me down here alone with his mom! I was not looking forward to this! David turned and left to go to his room as Nancy was pouring two cups of coffee.

“Do you like French Vanilla Creamer?”

“Yeah. I love it!”

“Ah, a boy after my own heart!”

We sat down at the kitchen table across from each other.

“I really did mean it when I mentioned how special you are. I haven’t ever seen David so relaxed and happy. I could never thank you enough for what you have done for my boy.”

“David keeps thanking me too. But I haven’t done anything, really. David is the one who has done so much for me. In just one night, he literally changed pretty much everything I ever thought about life. His approach to things is just so genuine and down-to-earth.”

“Well then, I have a very good feeling about you two. I’ve been hoping and praying David would find someone who would make him happy. I think he found that person in you.”

“Well, it’s too early to tell how things will end up. We really just met, and we’re in that getting-to-know-you stage—which I’ve never experienced before.”

“I’m so glad you boys are taking your time. I think David learned that after his first boyfriend. They ended up doing too much, too soon, and it didn’t last—it broke David’s heart. He understands now that you have to have a good foundation for a house to withstand everything thrown at it.”

“Yeah, I learned that the hard way, too. My ex and I met in the show, and it didn’t last long at all. That’s another reason we’re taking our time. I don’t want whatever we have to end up being one of those rebound things.”

“A very wise move, Charlie Danner. I can’t agree more.”

“Why do you and David do that?”

“Do what, darlin’?”

“Use my full name. No one has ever done that—well, except my mom, when I would get in trouble. But in the last day, I find two people who do it.”

“I’ve just done that my whole life. It’s a term of endearment since I only do it with people I like. And I do like you. You’ve already had a huge impact on my boy. If your relationship with David doesn’t develop any further, you still have proven to be just as special as he says you are.”

“I haven’t done anything special.”

“And that’s part of what makes you so special. You aren’t even aware of the things that make you this way. Let me just say that when David left us alone down here, I was more than a little apprehensive. I was afraid you and I would be stuck in an awkward conversation. But I have to say that I have never met a young man—no—I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone so easy to talk with. You have a gift. A wonderful gift that makes you incredibly special.”

“It’s pretty easy to talk to you, too. I guess David gets that from you. Do you also play the piano?

“Oh, heavens no! David gets his talent from his father’s side of the family.”

“He played for me last night. It was the most amazing thing I ever heard.”

“He played for you? He doesn’t play for anybody! He won’t even play for me. I’m stunned! What did he play for you?”

“I hope I get this right. I think David said it was a Nocturne by Chopin. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Dear Lord. That is his favorite and most personal piece. He won’t even play it in competition because it’s so special to him. I think the word to best describe Charlie Danner would be magical!”

This was getting embarrassing for me. I mean, I loved the positive feedback, but magical? Thank God David appeared in the kitchen and saved me from further—

“Magical. I think you might be right, Mama. It’s been a magical time with Charlie.” He walked over to me and placed his hands on my shoulder. “Are you ready to go? We have a date to start on!”

“David, are you coming home tonight?”

“A lot depends on what Parker and his mom have planned.”

“The plan is to go grab a bite after the show, and then they have to head back home. Parker has to play a wedding in the morning.”

I looked up at David and smiled while nodding my head. “I think I’m going to be spending the night at Charlie’s, then.”

“That would be lovely, then. Charlie, I hope you will join us after the show. Patty and Parker will love meeting you.”

“We’ll see. Let’s see how this date thing goes.”

“Hey! It’s going to be awesome. I don’t do bad dates, Charlie Danner!”

Nancy got up and walked us to the front door. She grabbed her purse from the front table and pulled some money out of her wallet. “Here you go, David. Do something really special with this boy. It would make me so happy!”

“Thanks, Mama. I will.” He kissed her on the cheek, and she returned it. She then kissed me on the cheek and thanked me for our chat. “You boys take care of each other and have a wonderful time!”

We finished bundling up and walked outside to the car. It was nice that the bitter wind we had yesterday was gone. It was still cold, but it was at least bearable. I started the car, and we were soon on our way.

“Where do I need to go?”

“Head out to Highway 6 and then drive to South Dennis.”

“South Dennis?”

“Don’t ask. Charlie Danner. You’ll find out when we get there!”

It didn’t take that long to get to the highway. Hell, it doesn’t take long to get anywhere in Barnstable. While driving through town, David was doing stuff on his phone and wasn’t talkative. Once we were on the highway, he finished what he was doing and put his phone down.

“I totally like your mom, David. She loves you so much.”

“She was so excited. I don’t bring people home often—let alone such an amazing boy.”

“The two of you are so alike in so many ways. It was easy to talk with her.”

“She will expect to see a lot of you. She likes you.”

We were in South Dennis, and David got his phone out and pulled up Google Maps. It told me where to go, and after four or five turns, we were pulling into the parking lot of the Tony Kent Arena.

“Ice skating? I don’t know how to ice skate!”

“I do! And I’ll teach you.”

“I don’t know about this!”

“You said you trusted me, Charlie Danner. I won’t let you get hurt. I promise that within twenty minutes, you’ll be having a blast!”

“Okay. I trust you.”

A quick kiss and we got out of the car. We walked up to the counter, and David got my shoe size and got two pairs of skates.

‘I usually use hockey skates, but figure skates are much easier for beginners. I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders. We made our way to some benches and sat down. We took off our shoes, hats, and gloves, and David put them up in one of the lockers.

I started putting on my skates, but David stopped me. He knelt in front of me and gave me an evil grin. “Someday, I want to kneel in front of you when we are both naked.”

“Oh, God! I think it just might happen, David Chase. It just might happen. Someday soon, too.”

We just held each other’s gaze and smiled.

“Okay! Let’s get your skates on properly.” He grabbed my left boot and undid the lacing I had already done. “The first thing you need to learn about skating is making sure your skates are on properly. You have to lace them rather tightly, so there’s not a lot of give in the ankles.”

David strung up the laces and pulled them tight as he worked his way up the boot. Damn! That’s tight! I would have died if he hadn’t fixed them for me. Once he finished the first boot, he immediately got my second skate set.

“Why don’t you stand up and walk around a bit so you can get used to the feeling of the boots.”

I did just that while he laced up his own skates. The first thing I noticed was the feeling of being tall. Now that is something I could definitely get used to!

Once David was ready, he stood up and grabbed my hand. “Let’s go to the ice!”

“Be gentle with me, David. I’m scared shitless here!”

He pushed the gate open and stepped out onto the ice. “C’mon, I got you!”

I stepped out onto the ice and immediately slipped. David grabbed me before I could fall.

“See? I got you!”

He grabbed my arms at the elbows, and I did the same to him. He had me just stand on the ice and not move my legs. He told me the next thing to learn about skating is you want to keep your weight just slightly forward.

“Okay. That’s easy enough.”

The next thing I knew, David started to skate backward, pulling me along slowly.

“Don’t move your legs. Let me do the moving for both of us for now.”

We slowly made our way around the rink, and after a minute or so, I was able to relax and enjoy just holding onto David and moving with him.

“The cool thing about this is we get to hold each other, and no one will think twice about it.”

After we made our way around the rink, we stopped, and David explained a little about the skates.

“What you need to know about the blades is that each blade has two edges. The inside and outside have sharp edges, and there’s a slight indent between them. Today we’re going to use just the inside edge.”

“What’s the jagged thing in the front?”

“Advanced skaters use them to launch themselves into their jumps and spins. Today, you’re going to use them as a brake so you can stop.”

“Okay. Stopping will be a good thing.”

“Are you ready to go around again?”

“Do I get to keep holding on to you?”

“Most definitely”

He explained and showed me how to push off with the edge of my skate with one foot and then the other. By the time we were into our second lap, I had it down, and I was pushing David around the rink. I was having more fun with every step!

We made a lot of progress in 90 minutes, and by the end of our session, we were skating side by side. I only fell once and took David down with me. When we finished, we went back to the tables and had a nice steaming cup of hot cocoa.

“Did you enjoy that?”

“It was fun. You’re a great teacher, too. That helped so much!”

We finished up, got our stuff, and turned in our skates. We got back to the car, and I asked where we were heading next. He wouldn’t tell me but just gave me instructions as we headed back towards Barnstable.

We ended up in Hyannis at Bistro De Soleil. I’ve never been here, but David seemed pretty excited.

“This is one of my favorite restaurants on the Cape. I’m so happy I get to share it with you! We’ll sit in the bar and have burgers, which are the best. Then, we’ll be going out to dinner after the show.”

We went into the bar area and ordered our food. We both got the bacon-stuffed cheeseburger. We ordered coffee to warm us up and make sure we would not be too tired for the show.

While we were waiting for our food, I spoke up. “David, I don’t know that I want to join you guys after the show. You should spend your time with Parker. I don’t want to intrude on that.”

“Don’t be silly, Charlie. I’ve already told Parker all about you. He really wants to meet and get to know you.”

“When did you talk to Parker?”

“We were texting this morning. You’ll like him. I know he’ll like you.”

The food came, and the burgers were fantastic. We didn’t do much talking while we ate. When we finished, David paid the bill, and we headed back to the car. We still had some time but decided to head to the theatre.

When we got to the theatre, we still had about an hour before call, so we sat in the house and just talked. After about a half-hour, Liz walked out on the stage and looked out in the theatre.

“There you are! I saw your car but couldn’t find you!”

She made her way down the steps and into the house to join David and me. When she realized who I was sitting with, she had a big grin on her face.

“Hi, boys! It’s David, right?”

“That would be me!”

“Oh my God, you played the piano so beautifully last night! It was magical.”

“Why, thank you. Charlie tells me you’re his bestie. He has good taste!”

“Oh, talented and charming, too! Well, I hate to break up the party here, but there are a few costume repairs on your table, Charlie. I have the helpers on the ironing boards, and they are getting things ready for the show.”

I stood up and took David’s hand. “Come back and sit with me while I work on these repairs—if you don’t want to sit out here on your own.” And he did.

The show had another sold-out house and went off even more smoothly than the night before. After the show, I was putting up my things in the costume shop when David walked in with Parker.

“Parker Middleton, Charlie Danner. Charlie Danner, Parker Middleton.”

“Nice to meet you, Parker. David’s told me a lot about you.”

“Hi boys! I’m Liz!”

“Parker, this is Charlie’s best friend, Liz.”

“Hi, Liz!”

“So Charlie, are you going to join Parker and me?”

“Are you sure you don’t mind, Parker?”

“I will mind if you don’t join us.”

“Well, okay then. Let me grab my coat. Liz, you okay to close up?”

“Sure thing, Charlie. Janet has to be the last out anyway, so I’ll be waiting for her to finish.”

Parker, David, and I piled into my car and told Nancy and Patty to go ahead and get a table. We were going to the Roadhouse Café in Hyannis. My parents love this place, and I’ve been there a few times.

David and Parker spent most of the ride over catching up. Parker was excited that he got accepted into CalArts and would be studying film composition and scoring. David hadn’t decided on a school yet as he had one last audition over Spring break at Julliard. He’s also been accepted to Cincinnati Conservatory and North Carolina School of the Arts.

Parker asked what my college plans were, and I had only applied to one place. I was going to the Art Institute in Boston and study fashion design.

We got to the restaurant, and the ladies had a table already. There were three chairs opposite them. The guys put me between them, so I could get to know Parker a little better and still have some contact with David.

Before the food came out, David excused himself to go to the restroom, and Parker leaned into me. “You do know David is falling hard for you. I don’t want you to worry about him and me. We have a pact that when one of us finds someone special, we stop our thing. I’ve never seen him this happy, Charlie. You must be something really special.”

“David’s the one who’s special, Parker. I think I’ve been looking for him my entire life.”

Dammit! Tears?? Now??? In the middle of the restaurant?

Nancy looked over at me with concern. “Are you okay, Charlie? Do you need anything?”

“I’m great, Nancy. It’s just a little overwhelming that I can be this happy.”

She reached over and patted my hand. “You are gonna be just fine, darlin’.”

David returned to the table just as our dinners were being delivered. The food was excellent, and everyone was pretty quiet while we ate. As we finished, the conversation resumed. Patty was funny as shit, and we had a wonderful time laughing and carrying on.

Our server brought coffee, and Nancy called him over and whispered in his ear. He told her he would check and make sure it was okay.

Charlie smiled, rolled his eyes, and shook his head. Parker just giggled. It was a cute giggle, but nothing like David’s. The music from the bar stopped, and the pianist got on the mic and called David and Parker to the piano.

Nancy had us all move into the bar. David and Parker sat at the piano, and we stood along the wall with our coffees.

The guys started off playing a four-handed version of “Chopsticks.” For those of us who knew their true capabilities, it was rather funny as they played as if they were just ordinary people playing the piano. When they finished, they looked at each other. David asked Parker if he was ready, and Parker shouted, “Go!”

They kicked into an incredible performance with many variations of “Chopsticks” from ragtime to Beethoven to Rock and Roll. The place went wild as David and Parker stood up and took a bow. Damn! What a treat! I just keep falling harder and harder for this amazing boy!

Patty paid the tab, and we all went out to the parking lot. Hugs were exchanged, as were promises to get together again soon. I went to Parker and thanked him for playing for us. As he was hugging me, he whispered in my ear, “Take care of David for me. I know he’ll take good care of you. He loves you, Charlie. It’s a beautiful thing.”

He squeezed me hard and then went to David and whispered something into his ear. David was grinning from ear to ear and looking at me. Parker got in the car with Patty and Nancy. David and I got into the Civic and headed back to my house.

As soon as we pulled out of the parking lot, David took my hand in his. He squeezed it and said, “You know something, Charlie Danner?”

“I know several things, David Chase.”

“Ah, but do you know that I’m falling in love with you?”

Fuck! I wasn’t expecting that! I couldn’t form words for the lump in my throat. I could hardly see the road for the tears in my eyes.

“I’m sorry! It’s too soon, isn’t it?”

I pulled the car into the next parking lot I could find. Once the car stopped, I looked over to David. “No, it’s not too soon. I’m falling in love with you, too. But promise me something.”

“Anything, Charlie.”

“I have never loved anything as much as I have getting to learn about you. Every moment I’ve spent with you has been pure magic. Please—promise me—just because we know how we feel, let’s not stop learning and growing—and falling?”

“That, Charlie Danner, will be the easiest promise I’ve ever made.”

We leaned to each other and kissed. This time it was deep and passionate.

I had no idea what would happen when we got home, but I had to break the kiss so we could get there. I put the car back in drive and headed back to the house for whatever was in store. All I could be sure of was that it would be with an amazing boy—David Chase—the boy who is showing me what real love is all about.