“This is gold, Max. I can work with Mexican food and fishing. What’s his favorite flower?”
“Flower?” He squints at me like he’s never heard of a plant before. “I have no idea.”
Fair, because honestly, I don’t even know what my own favorite flower is. Tabling that, I worry my bottom lip between my teeth and think.
“Anything else?” I ask, desperate for any help he can give me.
“He’s not big on open water. So, with the fishing thing, don’t go trying to rent a boat or anything. Honestly, there’s nothing he’d actively hate doing, as long as it was just the two of you. Marcos doesn’t really like big crowds or groups of people. If you’re going out, just pick something that’s a two-man activity.”
Again, I wish we were closer to home. What better two-man activity than going horseback riding?
“Okay, cool. Want to help me lock him down for Saturday?”
“Oh no.” Max laughs, shaking his head. “Nope. That’s all on you.”
I blow out a hard breath, but nod. Fair enough. “Thanks, Max.”
“Sure.” He smiles, powering down the machine and hopping off. “I…don’t give up on him if he gives you the runaround, okay? Marcos doesn’t do anything fast. Don’t move on before he’s had time to get his head in the game, all right?”
“All right,” I agree. I feel like I’ve been pretty direct in my pursuit of him at the end of last semester and over the summer, but perhaps when Max says Marcos takes things slow, he meansslow. It doesn’t matter to me. I can do the no-strings-attached, friends-who-hook-up thing, but I can also be the guy who commits.
And right now? I’m committed. If Marcos needs me to wait, I can wait.
10
Marcos
Nate has textedme no less than fourteen times today, and I’m becoming alarmed. I responded to the first before getting caught up in school. Now, checking my phone after class reveals a string of messages from him that become increasingly unhinged the more I read.
Nate
Hey! Good morning
Marcos
Morning.
Nate
How are you?
Are you busy this weekend?
Saturday, specifically. At 10:30 in themorning.
And actually, I already checked the baseball schedule and you don’t have a game.
And I heard Max talking about going out with Luke so I know you don’t have plans with him either.
So hopefully you’re free to have plans with me.
Please.
Come on, I promise you’ll have fun.
Please say yes.
You can’t see me, but I am down on bended knee begging you to go on a date with me.
