Love Me Tomorrow (7 page)

“Very funny.”

“What? Like I’m supposed to trust the skills of a man who never has to go out searching for things because his employer tells him where to find the bodies all day long?”

“For the record,” Jake gave him the stink-eye, insinuating he might not be appreciating the smart-assery, “collecting bodies sounds more like something the morgue would handle. EMTs are typically sent out in search of people who need our lifesaving skills.”

“Nice… I like the way you slipped that whole lifesaving, I’m-a-hero bit in there, very smooth.”

“Thank you, thank you very much.” Jake followed that up with a quick wink, reassuring Levi that he did indeed appreciate the attempt at banter.

They decided to share a large bag of popcorn, sans extra butter, and each got their own soda. The gal behind the counter seemed unamused by Levi’s winsome tale about the fact he and Jake were new friends and thus not ready for the drink sharing stage of their relationship.

Jake was mortified, planting his face firmly into the palm of his hand, which oddly enough, Levi found endearing.

By the time they made their way into the theatre and found decent seats toward the back of the auditorium the opening credits were already running. A night time sky complete with twinkling stars and floating clouds hung over the Arabian courtyard themed auditorium. It seemed magical to Levi, and had always been his favorite part of the theatre.

“It’s pretty,” Jake whispered, pointing up at the ceiling.

Levi smiled and nodded while placing his drink into the cup holder on his right. He scooched far enough back into the seat so the bag of popcorn would fit wedged between his legs.

“I can hold the popcorn if you want,” Jake whispered.

“Nice try, buddy,” Levi said with a smirk.

“What?” he asked, cringing when the couple sitting in front of them each turned and gave them a stern, withering glare. “It’s the friggin’ opening credits, people!”

They turned back around but seemed unfazed by Jake’s credits clarification.

“I only offered in an attempt to be chivalrous,” Jake continued, motioning toward the popcorn.

“I’m no dummy, fresh off the farm, pal. The one who has the corn, holds all the power.”

Jake started snickering over that, covering his mouth with his hand until he managed to maintain control over himself once again.

“That is easily one of the silliest things I’ve ever heard,” he said, cocking his head to the side as if to punctuate the seriousness of his disclaimer.

“Spoken like someone who isn’t holding the corn,” Levi said, smiling evilly.

As if to further prove he had no desire to hold the popcorn Jake reached over and calmly grabbed a handful and began eating it. “Tastes good to me.”

Levi started laughing which had Jake grinning until he noticed the cranky couple had turned around once again.

“Movie’s that way.” Jake pointed for them to turn back around and mind their own business.

“So disruptive,” Levi whispered, shaking his head at Jake as if it were all his fault.

Jake pointed toward the screen for Levi to pay attention to the movie as well.

* * * *

About thirty minutes into the movie, which Levi had barely been able to follow despite having seen this particular film on multiple occasions, he began to take note of a particularly odd sensation taking place between his legs each time Jake reached into the bag of popcorn. About three-fourths of the buttery snack was now gone so when Jake shoved his hand down there, fingers rummaging around to grab a handful of buttery, crunchy goodness, Levi was inadvertently receiving a complimentary nads-massage.

It was more than a little disconcerting considering he always got popcorn when he came to the movies and he always placed the bag in the exact same location where the current one now resided. Apparently he’d fondled his own nuts for so many years now that he no longer took notice when he came to the theatre by himself and was rummaging around the bottom of the bag.

That was mildly disturbing but he tried not to take it personally that his own balls were pretty much over him.

Talk about the ultimate snub
.

He watched as Jake’s hand reached over and back down. He didn’t move a muscle though he could feel his cock swelling with each swish of Jake’s hand in the bottom of the bag.

Christ, is he digging for gold down there or what?

He turned to look at Jake, who seemed to be taking his sweet time as he rooted around for the perfect handful of corn. It was obvious he wasn’t paying any attention to what he was doing but at some point he seemed to realize Levi was staring at him so he turned and smiled for a moment. He glanced down at his hand which was shoved between Levi’s legs and his smile faded slightly when he realized what was happening.

Jake ripped his hand out of the bag so fast several pieces of popcorn came flying out with it, shooting up into the air like confetti, which sprinkled down upon the two of them as well as several strangers sitting around them.

Naturally the glaring couple in front of them ended up getting pelted with several pieces, which didn’t go over so well as the man sat all the way up in his seat like he was getting ready to make each of them a knuckle sandwich.

“Sorry!” Levi whispered. “There was a spider… I panicked… my hand twitched… popcorn went flying… totally my bad.”

The lady shot out of her seat and began swatting at her arms and shoulders.

“Dead… spider dead… totally killed that fucker,” Levi said, attempting to reassure the arachnophobic woman he’d unintentionally terrified with his off-the-cuff lie intended to cover up the unintentional ball-fluffing that still had him semi-erect.

The lady sat back down and everyone sitting around them finally settled back down and went back to watching the movie.

Several minutes went by before Levi, who was totally humiliated, finally dared to look over at Jake—whose entire body was shaking from laughter. His hand was planted firmly over his mouth, stifling any noise, but his eyes were watering so much it looked like he might be crying.

Jake pulled his hand away long enough to mouth the words,
I’m so sorry
, before having to cover up again, unable to maintain control over himself.

Levi was a little annoyed, mostly because he was still aroused with no assurances that there was any relief coming his way anytime soon. More than anything he was embarrassed, and thus felt the need to clarify so he leaned over, whispering into Jake’s ear.

“Didn’t really consider the logistics of the popcorn placement ahead of time.”

Jake eyed him suspiciously. “So you didn’t place it there on purpose? Hoping for a little incidental gropage?”

“No!”

Shushing once again came from several people around them but the angry dude sitting in front of them didn’t even bother turning around this time, settling for shaking his head in disapproval while keeping his eyes facing forward.

Jake bit down on his lip to keep himself from breaking out in laughter again. Once he settled back down he leaned over and whispered, “Wow, defensive much? Sounded a little haughty there, if you ask me.”

Levi whispered back. “I didn’t ask.”

“So you’re a totally clueless, accidentally pervy prick tease?”

Levi’s mouth fell open and he was grateful for the darkness of the theatre which masked the redness of his flushed cheeks.

“That might actually make you even more attractive—which is saying something ’cause you’re pretty damn cute to start with.”

Levi smiled, shaking his head slightly while resisting the overwhelming urge to lean over and kiss the man. “You’re a lot prettier when you’re not talking.”

Jake chuckled, doing his best to not make a further spectacle.

God, how he wanted to kiss Jake. He couldn’t manage to follow what was happening between Marilyn and Tony Curtis on-screen because all he could think about was leaning over and kissing Jake-the-paramedic off-screen.

That urge to lock lips was so strong that the not-doing-of-it was very likely every bit as titillating as the act itself would no doubt be.

Christ, I’m still half-hard
.
This is bad—really bad!

It couldn’t possibly be good to like a guy this much before knowing anything about him.

Danger… danger, Will Robinson!

Levi grinned, forcing his attention back on Marilyn. Sad. So sad, she seemed. Beautiful, but sad. Just behind her eyes there was a loneliness that Levi recognized.

Also a totally underrated actress…

He inhaled sharply, but quickly recovered, holding his breath as his gaze landed on the armrest sitting between him and Jake.

Our hands are totally touching!

And he was apparently a twelve-year-old girl trapped inside the body of a thirty-one-year-old gay man. He rolled his eyes, chastising himself.

The theatre erupted in laughter and Levi joined in, though he was doing so more from the sensation of giddiness that had filled his chest from the physical contact. For the first time in a very long time there was a tiny kernel of hope burning deep inside his chest that maybe…
just maybe
… something real was finally happening for him.

Jake turned to look at him and Levi met his gaze. They each grinned before turning their attention back to the screen, laughing again as Jack Lemmon batted his eyelashes.

He watched Jake glance down at their hands as well. His fingers brushed gently over Levi’s hand before he pulled his away, folding his arms across his chest and turning his attention back to the screen.

Levi awkwardly removed his limb from the arm rest, placing the bag of popcorn on the floor. That finger graze was quite possibly the most erotic thing that happened to him in a good year. That fact was more than a little depressing, but he’d long ago accepted the fact that he was the type who would rather be alone and celibate as opposed to settling for anything less than full-on, crazy-in-love romance. If Levi didn’t feel it and if he didn’t believe the object of his affection did as well, he didn’t waste his time or energy.

In his thirty-one years, he’d never felt anything like this—slightly manic, difficult to concentrate on anything else sort of chest-achy fear and hope all tangled up and intertwined…threatening happiness or heartbreak…or potentially both just over the horizon.

* * * *

Standing awkwardly on the sidewalk outside the theatre as the last of the other moviegoers finished filing out of the brass and glass doors, Levi and Jake stood there face to face, not saying a word, just staring into one another’s eyes. The occasional car whizzed by them and Levi could hear and see other people out of the corner of his eye, saying goodbyes to friends or walking hand-in-hand toward their cars or homes or perhaps making their way out for cocktails and eventually, totally inappropriate sex with one another, if they were lucky.

It all sounded like a recipe for success to Levi at the moment.

Kiss me, for God’s sake man, please fucking kiss me.

He’d been saying that over and over inside his own head like a mantra, as if thinking it enough times might actually will it into reality.

“I had fun,” Jake said, his gorgeous eyes seemingly forever focused on Levi’s lips.

“Me too,” Levi said, unable to make himself stop chewing on his lower lip while taking a step closer, hoping that would be enough of a signal for Jake to bring on the wet, hot, mouth-to-mouth he’d no doubt offered countless other strangers in an attempt to save lives over the years. It certainly felt as if Levi’s life hung in the freakin’ balance, so why wasn’t Paramedic Jake saving him?

Jake’s lips curled slightly, a clue Levi took to mean he had noticed the cue.

It was times like this that Levi wished he were a more aggressive and forward kinda guy—the type who wouldn’t stand there waiting to be kissed like some stereotypical 1950s Annette Funicello archetype. He blamed his mother for this particular personality flaw. No one had ever accused Ruby of being demure—though there had been several who had suggested she might try to be, over the years.

Levi never wanted to be like that, forever afraid of mixing up all the signals and forcing himself upon some poor sap who didn’t share the same feelings.

It was a crippling fear for Levi.

“Maybe we could do this again sometime?” Jake asked, clearing his throat.

Levi nodded, inadvertently taking yet another tiny step closer as he tried to flush all the negativity from his entirely too-neurotic brain. “I’d like that, Jake.”

They each smiled and Jake finally started to lean in.

Levi pretty much stopped breathing in that moment, his vision getting hazy as Jake got closer. He could feel Jake’s breath brushing across his face when something wet smacked him hard in the forehead.

Jake leaned back, wiping water off his face that had splattered there, ricocheting off Levi.

“What the hell?” Levi wiped his forehead, looking at Jake who had started laughing. “Was that a raindrop?”

“I’m pained at the thought it might be anything else,” Jake said, his voice laced with amusement.