The Way it Should Be (Part 1)

“Stupid business trips,” I grumbled as I unlocked my hotel room. The business had sent me on three in the last fortnight, and I had barely even unpacked before I was sent off again.

I flipped the light on, sighing as I saw the boring, normal hotel room. I lied down in bed, clicked the light off, and fell asleep.

The next morning, I sat through a few boring meetings, culminating in an employee exam. There weren’t very many cute men to look at either, so I was bored. There was one man though, a cute, dark haired guy. I stared at him most of the day. He was dressed simply, but at the same time, he looked fantastic. His casual suit accented his hair color perfectly. His jacket was unbuttoned, and his red tie was a little looser than it probably should have been. His pale skin was flawless, his chocolate brown eyes sparkling. His lips were perfect and fairly red. All together a pretty face.

He noticed me staring a few times. I’d look away quickly, blushing scarlet. He was quiet too; I didn’t hear him speak all day. Finally the day was over, and I could get out of this torture.

Now, I should tell me about myself. My name is Jared. I’ve been working this job for only a few years; I just graduated from college. College was good to me; I gained much more than the typical Freshman 15. More like a Freshman 55. It also gave me quite an appetite, which has led me from my high school jock days to a flabby office worker. I love my body and all its roundness, however. Once or twice, I swore I caught the dark haired guy staring at my gut, showing pretty well though my tight undershirt. I must have been imagining things.

I walked out of the meeting. To my good timing, I ended up right next to him. His lips pulled up into a cute, crooked smile which practically took my breath away. His teeth were pearly white and completely straight. He had dimples. I smiled in return.

He held his hand out. “Hey,” he said, “I’m Rory.”

I took it, saying, “I’m Jared. Nice to meet you.”

“Wasn’t that the worst meeting ever? I thought it would never end.”

“I know! I’ve been on constant business trips. I hate it. I just want to stay at my apartment for three weeks and do nothing.”

“I know the feeling. I never thought I’d miss my apartment in quiet little New Ulm.”

“You live in New Ulm, Minnesota?” I asked.

“Yeah. Why?” There he went again, flashing that flawless smile.

“Well, that’s where I live.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

He laughed a very charming laugh. “Were we on the same flight?”

“I flew in last night.”

“Oh, never mind. I flew in yesterday morning."

Well, it was crystal clear to me that Rory was gay like me. I decided to take the plunge and just go for it. “Would you like to grab something to eat with me?”

“Sure! I was going to ask the same thing.”

We caught a taxi and took a ride to an upscale restaurant in Chicago.

We got a table for two from the hostess, who couldn’t keep her eyes off of Rory. Obviously I wasn’t the only one who found him very attractive. She sat us in a secluded booth under some ivy. It was extremely romantic.

Rory smiled and asked, “Is this a date then, Jared?”

I beamed at him, “Only if you want it to be.”

We hit it off right away. We talked about home and about our lives. He constantly smiled, and each time he smiled I smiled involuntarily. His personality was just so infective; you couldn’t help but be charmed by him.

We got back to our hotel late, we didn’t want leave the restaurant. I said goodnight to him at my door, and he laughed and walked directly across the hall and unlocked the door with his card key. “Goodnight, Jared,” he said.

I closed the door and sighed, smiling. I really liked Rory. I took a shower, brushed my teeth, and unwrapped the bedding. I was just laying down when I heard a soft knock at the door. “Hello?” I said.

Rory’s angelic voice answered. “Hey buddy, can I come in?”

I had to stop myself from running to the door.

I swung it open and my jaw nearly dropped. Rory had showed too, and his dark hair was tousled from running a towel through it. He was dressed a lot more casually, wearing a purple v-neck t-shirt and ripped blue jeans with a studded belt. I smiled wider, inviting him in. His cologne smelled great.

I shut and locked the door.