With Mike in mind, I jumped out of bed, ready to start cleaning before the sun had even risen.
I was basically vibrating in my car seat, eager to finally see Mike’s face after one year and ten months apart. And yes, I’d counted the months. Don’t judge me.
I was a little early but that was to be expected when I’d woken up at four and had way too much caffeine in my system. It was late at night now, Mike’s flight having taken over ten hours, but I was so wired I couldn’t even feel the fatigue. The apartment shone, the bedding was all washed and neatly placed on Mike’s bed. It had been so weird changing his bedding knowing he would soon be sleeping inthatbed, the oneI’dmade, with the sheetsI’dbought.
Linda had dropped off some of Mike’s stuff as well, so she’d been by to say hello and admire how clean my apartment was. It was a good thing she rarely visited. I truly wouldn’t enjoy lying to her if she asked me about the cleanliness.
The last thing missing was Mike. And just as I’d finished that thought, a brown-haired guy made his way out of the airport. His skin was tanned from the many months in the sun and his hair was longer than usual. I bit my lip as I eyed him in the mirror, not even attempting to hide my blatant stare. He was just so damn edible.
The car door opened and there he was. “Hey!” he greeted, getting into the car and smiling warmly.
“Hey,” I replied with a matching smile. “Flight go okay?”
He groaned. “I sat next to a talker.”
Laughing, I started the car. “Let me guess, you felt too bad telling them to shut up so you ended up not getting any sleep?”
“Precisely,” he sighed. “Even Erik found her annoying.”
Erik was his tag-along ghost and the reminder of him had my mood souring. I wouldn’t just be roomies with Mike now. I would have a ghost roomie too. I had not planned for a ghost to live with us, watching as I slowly made Mike fall in love with me. Okay, maybe notlove, but deep affection so potent he would nevereverwant to live without me.
“That sucks. Burgers?” I figured the mention of his obsession would make Mike happy, and it did. His eyes widened with glee as he turned to face me.
“Burgers?!”
I laughed. “I did promise you lots of burgers when you returned home.”
Mike nodded enthusiastically. “I wantallthe burgers.”
“What my man wants, he gets,” I said, grinning when Mike bumped my shoulder playfully.
“No, we’re not,” Mike said, blushing a little as he stared at the backseat. Just what had Erik asked him?
“We’re not what?” I teased, watching his cheeks darken further.
“Dating,” Mike replied, clearing his throat. “Dylan and I are both straight.”
“What?” I exclaimed, surprised. “You think I’m straight?”
“You’re not?!” Mike seemed truly surprised by this.
“Have I ever said I was straight?” I knew for a fact I’d never spoken those words. I knew I was bi, perhaps demi, too, or something like that, but I hated labels, I just knew I was all about personality and only with feelings in the mix I could admire someone's appearance too.
“Well, no. Sorry, I shouldn’t have presumed.” Mike sounded truly put off by this, like I would somehow take offense. I knew Mike hadn’t meant anything by it, and even with a little brother and a best friend who were gay, he likely still thought everyone to be straight unless they told him otherwise.
“Noneed to be sorry,” I said, turning into the drive-through. “I fall for the person and not the gender.”
“So, you’re bi?” he questioned.
I shrugged. “I don’t look at someone and think,hey I want to sex that one up.” Mike choked on air. “I need to get to know someone before I feel attraction like that, and it often comes with feelings, too.”
“That’s actually rather sweet,” Mike said, his tone fond.
I shrugged again. “I guess. Makes dating a bitch though. It’s much easier falling for a friend than trying to date someone random and just hope we end up clicking.”
The rest of our conversation was put on hold as I placed our order of burgers upon burgers. Then I added milkshakes to our order too and I could see hearts in Mike’s eyes when I handed him his vanilla milkshake.
Food was the way to Mike’s heart.DulyNoted.