Paintings and pizza

I’m a simple sort of guy. Simple rules apply to making me happy. A warm, dry bed. Music and coffee to keep me awake and feeling good. A full stomach and warm, fuzzy socks.

And of course, being with my love, John.

I’m not articulate or a person who enjoys the fine arts, but I do understand why people like them. John seems to understand fine art, but does not necessarily enjoy it. He can judge what the artist is trying to convey with relative ease, whereas it takes me forever to pinpoint what exactly I even feel looking at a classic work of art.

I like funny road trip buddy comedies like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep but sometimes I’ll pop in the occasional Tarantino and enjoy the over the top gore and fast paced, interesting and exciting dialogue.

But overall, I’m a simple guy with simple needs. I like my steak medium rare with a cold brew and no veggies, unless it’s charred corn on the cob with lime and butter. I’m a man’s man. Once a lawyer, now just a common sense, down and dirty, hands on sort of man who works for his bread.

“Oh, Edward, take a look at this one.. this woman looks like as though she will get up and tell our secret out loud any moment!” John whispers to me loudly and I sigh, looking at, “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” and he smiles at me with a cheeky grin. I growl at him, my heart pounding. This was why we needed to go out in public more, I thought. He always forgot to call me by my new identity. Our new identity, I realize.

“Shut it, Avery. You’re acting like a fool..” I say, looking at the guards anxiously. I lean in and whisper frantically, “I’m Charlie.”

Instantly, John looks at me in a very apologetic way and nods seriously. I mouth out, “It’s okay,” and he smiles, albeit nervously.

Taking John to an art museum for a date near Halloween maybe wasn’t the best choice, either. He makes these weird, morose statements about some pieces and stares too hard at them. I even joked about it, though actually, it scared me.

“You think they’ll pop out of the painting if you keep staring, Avery?” I tease. “You look like Cameron from Ferris Bueller.”

Lifting the sunglasses a bit upward from his nose with a tilt of his finger, John rolls his eyes, scoffing. “Never saw that film, actually. You’re just upset I am better at doing this ‘art scene’ stuff better than you,” he teases, linking our arms together as we walk toward a new painting.

John does look absolutely gorgeous right now. He’s wearing a sweater vest, a dark gray button up long sleeve shirt, dark slacks and a fedora hat with his long, wavy brown hair angling his masculine features as perfectly as a glove.

Those dark sunglasses make him look pompous as hell(especially wearing them inside!), but he looks so good, and he knows it—so I let it go. Though, I still teased him ruthlessly about! He was a good sport.

I see women, and I mean very attractive women, eyeing John in general but today—damn! I can see why he gets so many up and down looks from these sort of model type women. I am not jealous, well, I am jealous—I just am more proud than ever he’s mine.

I know no one would take him from me and John wouldn’t ever stray.

I laugh as we head into the darker sort of art pieces, and say, “I think you could be a good teacher. Maybe you could work here.” I laugh a bit, “And I will have to rent Ferris Bueller this week. We gotta watch it together.”

“Hmm. Okay, I’ll watch it with you Charlie… but, I would never work here, I hate art,” he says with a sarcastic tone and I push against him gently.

“You don’t seem to,” I whisper near his ear. “You got really dressed up just for today.”

John growls and unlinks our arms, “I got dressed for me, you numbskull. Not for the art!” He throws his hand up and shakes it around the nearby paintings.

“No,” I leaned in closer, and I noticed his cheeks growing red. “You got all dressed up for me. Didn’t you?”

John sighs, adjusting his hat, “Sure, you got it.” He mumbles but then winks at me and looks at “Christina’s World,” and asks me, “Why is she so far away from the house?”

I shrug, “Beats me.”

“I think she longs for something. Maybe she feels safety and sadness are always a part of her no matter where she is, and she is waiting for comfort to finally reach her,” John says after much silence. He seemed to be studying the piece very carefully at first, and I felt like he was holding back something. Though, I wasn’t sure what it was—I knew there was something he needed to say but just couldn’t at that moment.

I nod at his explanation and feel a warmth hit me as he speaks, so soft and gentle and calm. I take his hand in mine.

“Perfect.”

He looks at me in a confused way. “Huh?”

“I meant you. You’re just perfect,” I whisper to him and he smiles widely.

“Don’t just say things to say them, or because they sound nice…” he says with a more sad looking smile, and I squeeze his hand.

“Joh—Avery, I am not being nice. I think it’s you, you make me feel so much—all the time. You’re just my definition of perfection. Maybe not..” I see another couple walk past and I pause a moment, feeling John’s intense amber eyes watching me, and then I continue, “maybe not what others think of when they think of perfect, but it is to me.” Our eyes hit a deep, intense wave of meeting and I feel my breath quickening as he swoops in, wrapping his arms around my neck.

“Charlie, thank you, you’re my perfection too,” he says and I grin, our noses touching in an Eskimo kiss.

Once we are done looking at all the art installations and pieces through the museum, we head home to relax and have dinner.

“You looked so hot today, John. Did you see how that one blonde chick looked at you?” I asked him as I started dinner. “Sorry for giving you shit about the name thing. Just freaked me out, y’know?”

“No! Who was that?” I hear him come out of the bathroom and sigh. “And that’s okay. I’m glad you reminded me. I gotta always keep that in check when we’re out in public. That’s what everyone at work calls me, so I should’ve remembered…”

“As long as we can keep each other in check, that’s all that matters,” we lock eyes and he nods. “And it was that one with the wavy blonde hair? You know… the one with the dark eye make up?”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m practically a married man. And you are taken too. Anyone could see that!” He pointed to my left hand with the golden band he had gotten me just a month after I had given him his.

“What do you tell your co-workers?” I ask gently, pointing to his silver band.

“That I have a partner,” John says carefully and I nod. “No one really asks for details. The guys don’t really care, and I personally don’t think it’s anyone’s business,” he places his hands on his hips. “All that matters is everyone knows we’re both off the market.”

I chuckle as John lays on the couch, and I go over to him and sit down close to him.

Instantly, he wraps his hands around my body and pulls me closer, and I lay down next to him.

“I should probably work on that cache server..” he says idly as he snuggled closer to my body, one of his legs lazily dangling and the other propped up on my side. I pull his leg near the cushion so our bodies can mesh together warmly and without space in between.

“Is that a side project, or something for school?” I ask, and I feel his face nuzzle into my neck, making my spine tingle as he yawns.

“It’s something I’m working on by myself.. but it’s just.. we’ll see. Am trying to set up a website. You know, for prospective employment possiblities…”

“That would be good. Would show off your skills. So proud of you for getting on the Dean’s list, baby..” I say. “You’re doing so good. Like you’re on fire!” I grin, and kiss his cheek.

“Yeah, that’s great and all, but the so called colleagues I collaborate with sometimes get on my nerves. They don’t even understand basic logic and it’s grating on my nerves. More importantly, they can’t deal with constructive critique. You don’t get far in this arena without knowing what your flaws are..” he grumbles and I nod.

“And what are your flaws, Johnny?”

I hear nothing but silence and suddenly see John sit up, and swing his hair, a flip of his wrist.

“Mmm.. I have no flaws. I’m the best engineer, no one can match me…” his eyes narrow and widen and I stifle a laugh.

“What was with the hair flip thing? Sassy much?” I tease and he rolls his eyes.

“Can’t help it if I’m beautiful!” He taunts with a wink, and I let out my laughter and kiss his mouth.

“Mmm!” He moves away from the kiss, “Edward, get your game in check!”

I keep laughing as he gets up, scoffing in a overtly dramatic and long manner but suddenly yells as he’s standing, “Hey! The food is burning!”

“Oh shit!” I get up and see the pan I started for the chicken was started to smoke.

We both run and Edward pours a huge amount of salt on it.

“Whew! That was a close one..” I say surprised and shocked. “Great work knowing what to do..”

He doesn’t respond but gets out his cellphone, dialing a number.

“Now what’re you doin’?” I ask.

“Treating me. Well, treating us. I’m ordering a pizza..” he sticks out his tongue at the side of his mouth as he orders, remembering my favorite toppings (red chiles and pepperoni), and I smile.

John gets off the phone and beckons me to cuddle with him again on the couch.

Pizza and the love of my life for a night of movies and cuddles? Hey, what did I say earlier?

I’m a simple guy, and this tone hits just right for me.