One Sweet Ride

There is no way I can work anymore today. Nope. Not today. I need to feel free. How can I get out of here quickly and quietly? “It’s only been two hours.” I mutter to myself. I move towards to the window and the sun warms my cheeks. There is not a cloud in the sky. “I need to get out there.” I say under my breath.

“Hi Eli!” My heart stops. I recognize that deep sexy voice from anywhere. It’s Demetrius! Demetrius is a lean, muscular six foot two, dark chocolate skin, full lips, and beautiful smile. More than that, he has a brain that stimulates, and conversations last for hours. He always makes my day better.

“Hi Demetrius!” with a huge smile, trying to adjust my dress so I can look my best. “What are you doing here? I thought you were driving the truck to Asheland today.”

“Yes, I am. My manager isn’t here today, and I wanted to know, if you weren’t busy, if you’d want to ride with me? It’s only an hour and a half away and we will be gone for only four hours. What do you think?”

“Of course! I don’t feel like working anyways. Plus, my managers are gone today too. Let’s go. Maybe we can grab lunch up there.”

“Yes of course we can, wherever you want.” Demetrius says with a smile. “OK, so now we have to sneak out so no one will see that you are getting in the box truck. Take your car around the corner to the plaza and I will pick you up there.”

“Done. See you in a few minutes!”

“Hey, Michelle, I am going on an early lunch. If anyone calls for me, please take a message and leave it on my desk.”

“Absolutely.”

My heart is racing! I cannot believe I can spend all day with Demetrius! I head to the bathroom, make sure I am smelling good, and my dress is fitting right. We have been friends for a couple years, but life had always gotten in the way of being anything more. I slip out the door.

Finally, the time arrived for us to start our journey.

Walking toward the truck he meets me halfway. “You’re so soft, I love hugging you.” I laugh a bit because I normally do not like hearing that, but from him it’s a compliment.

“Well, it is because of all the chocolate I eat. So, I’ll make sure to keep up the habit.” Tilting my head up to meet his eyes, he is already looking down at me.

Speechless. I feel the soft, moist, inviting lips. It is the meeting we have been waiting for since the day started.

It is not the most comfortable in the truck.

“Sorry the A/C doesn’t quite work, but if you don’t mind, we can have the windows open.”

“I don’t mind, I will sit a little closer to the middle so the wind does not rip though my hair too bad.” (I mean I still want to look good.)

Our conversation moves in all directions, seamless as our brains intertwine and we fall deeper into our world.

“I am so happy the managers were not here today, it is way too beautiful to be inside…”

“Do you remember when we first met…?”

“How about Russian Ballet’s…”

“Can you believe the government…”

“There are so many wines out there…”

“You know I crafted my own wine, right?” Demetrius asks me.

“You mentioned it in passing, but that is amazing! I love wine. Tell me about yours.”

“It is a red wine, light bodied, and you can smell the dark cherries, raspberry and açai notes and perfect for a warm summers evening like tonight. It’s a wine that embodies love for me... and I’d love to share it with you.”

His words warm my heart, watching him talk about something so personal to him makes me melt. This date is going well. Truth be told, the more we talk, the deeper I fall for him. I had to look away, I can not handle the glow from his smile. Thank goodness I can look out the window.

“It sounds delightful, and definitely perfect for a night like tonight. I’m glad you want to share it with me too. I think sharing love with each other is a good idea…” Palm to forehead. Eli, what in the world?

“I can’t believe that just came out of my mouth. Oh well, I mean every word.”

“I am glad you spoke your mind. I feel the same way.”

Before we know it, we are at the depot. I am slightly mad we must stop talking so he can do his job. However, on the bright side, I like seeing him work. Mental note: give cards to the managers who were out today, thanking them for their hard work (especially because things lined up perfectly for us today, they won’t know.)

The truck door swings open and Demetrius hops in.

“All done here. Are you hungry?”, Demetrius asks as he grabs my hand and then rubs my leg. It is so nice to be able to sit so close to him.

“Yes. I am trying to eat healthy.”

“So a light lunch then? I know just the place.”

We drive for a few minutes down a windy road with Demetrius making a couple left and right turns every once and while. Suddenly we turn into the diner.

“How do you know this place?”

“When I do my runs and I don’t have a quick turnaround, I like to come here. I actually found this place by accident.”

When he looks at me, his eyes sparkle.

I can feel myself blushing, but I cannot help but smile back. Demetrius helps me out of the truck slowly releasing my hand as I am safely on the ground.

We head inside and who appears to be the manager approaches us, “Demetrius! It’s been too long. Ooh you’ve brought a friend. Hi, I am Roman.”

“Roman, this is Eli.”

“Nice to meet you. Is this…”

“Yes.”

“Do you want your usual table?”

Demetrius nods. We head to the patio. True to his word, this was the best place for a light lunch.

I just so happen to look at my watch between laughs. “Whoa, we have to go, it is getting late, and we have to make it back before everyone leaves. I had no idea that much time has passed!”

“Relax” Demetrius says as we walk toward the freight truck, hand around my waist and holding me close. He smells of fresh skin and sandalwood. How? He’s been working!

“It’s not too late. We have time. Let’s take the scenic route.” Demetrius says with a sneaky smile.

“Whatever you want.” I tell him. Excited we will have some more time. It is not like I was going to get any work done today anyways.

The long way home is more beautiful than I expected. Fields of flowers, crops, cows, the pollen. It’s quite country and quiet, yet relaxing. Windows down, my curls blowing through the light breeze, we tumble into our world of conversation once again

" I just don't know about zoos at times..."

"Maybe we should open a daycare or community center... we love to help the community..."

"The cool thing about electricity is..."

We catch each other’s eyes. I feel it. He feels it too. His eyes say so much. They have always said so much since the day we met. This date finally happened after two years of knowing each other and our worlds are forever changed. The sun is kissing us as we drive and laugh.

“I see we are closer to the city now.” I say sadly. I am sad this day is almost over. That it is almost time to part ways. This impromptu date had been perfect… He looks at me and sees that my expression changed slightly.

“Yes, we are close, but since we took the long way, by the time we get there, it will be close to the end of the workday.” Demetrius says as he squeezes my hand, trying to keep me happy.

“That is true. But… I am not ready for our day to end. It has been so good to connect with you on deeper levels. I am not ready to part ways just yet” as we still hold hands.

“I know, me either. Today has been great. Trust me, all that you feel, I feel too. I can’t believe it took us this long to make a date. I am happy we did. I didn’t think you would be able to escape with me.”

“Oh Demetrius! How could I not! It was perfect timing, perfect weather, and honestly, you are amazing company. How could I not spend the day with you! Plus, the workload has lightened some. We all can have a break.”

We both look out the window and see my car. The bittersweet moment washes over us. It’s hard to get out the truck.

“See you at the office. Wipe that smile off your face and do not act suspicious when we get back.” I say with a giggle. “You know our co-workers always have something to say. But, come to my office before you leave for the day, please?”

“Absolutely.” He says as he gives me one more kiss and we head to the same place in separate cars.

Silence. I do not need music right now. I am replaying the whole day. I smile to myself, thinking of his voice, his laugh, how he holds me close. We get each other. What a day. I get back to the office and practically skip inside.

“Long lunch today, huh?” Michelle asks me with a huge smile on her face. “I can tell it was good. You are literally floating. By the way, I covered for you when the boss called. I will not say anything, but DO NOT do that again without giving me an update. I thought something happened to you.”

“Thanks Michelle! I had an amazing day! You are right. If I ever do that again, I will let you know I am fine and give you an ETA.” Michelle smiles approvingly of what I said. I shuffle to my office. Four-thirty. thirty more minutes.

“Eli…” I look up and see Demetrius in the doorway. “You know, I am not ready for this day to end either. Maybe we should grab a glass of wine and enjoy the evening together too.”

“Yes! Yes!” I scream. Trying not to be too excited.

“Great. I know place that has great wine. You can follow me there. See you in a few minutes.”

The minutes pass by slowly. Finally, it is five! I rush out to my car, trying to act like I am not in a hurry. We drive to a place with a beautiful outdoor patio and live music. He really listened to what I like, I thought to myself.

“Now, they do not carry my wine, but they carry an amazing merlot.” Demetrius says in a whisper as we share a menu.

“A merlot would be great. I love the dark fruit notes and smooth finish.” I tell him.

We order a bottle, and the server pours our glasses. Holding hands, we sit in silence conversing with our eyes as it breathes a little bit. Who knows how many minutes pass, I believe time stands still when he looks at me. We raise our glasses.

“In the words of Eli, ‘today, reality was better than a dream’” Demetrius says. We clink our glasses together and slow sip our wine.

“You are right. This is a great wine. A perfect wine for a perfect day. Reality has been kind to us.” He leans over and gently kisses me. Finally.

Who knew that all it took was one sweet ride.