That piqued Ash’s interest. “And what did you look like in high school?”
Luke let out a long breath. “I wore eyeliner to school.”
Ash shrugged. “So did I.”
“I bleached my hair to look more like Billie Joe Armstrong.”
“Same. Bleached hair looked horrible on me,” Ash said. They could picture Luke with the messy bleached hair look.
“I got an earring.”
Ash couldn’t hold back their laughter. “Now there’s a surprise. Why don’t you wear it anymore?”
“Before I went to college, my parents convinced me professors would decide my career, and that the way I looked made the biggest difference. So, I dyed my hair brown, took out the earrings, and changed my clothes to match those of my older brother better.” Luke looked down at his flannel. “I don’t particularly gravitate toward the cowboy look, but it’s the only other thing I knew.”
“Well, it works for you,” Ash said. “Actually, when we met, my friend even said you were a ‘sexy cowboy’.”
Ash smiled at the way Luke’s ears turned red with the compliment. Luke pressed his lips together as he drove silently down the parkway. A wave of guilt washed over Ash that maybe they took it too far. Maybe they shouldn’t have said anything. After last night, they thought Luke would appreciate the compliment.
“Well, you can tell your friend thank you,” Luke said with a sheepish smile.
The conversation died off briefly, and Ash took the silence to take in the passing buildings. Leaving Ash’s apartment complex, Luke had turned left on Vestal Parkway, away from downtown Binghamton and towards the Walmart where Ash got their groceries. Walmart was the farthest they had traveled down the parkway. Past Walmart was a handful of non-descript buildings, and Ash had no idea where Luke was taking them.
That is, until nearly twenty minutes later, when Luke pulled the truck into a tight parking lot where smoke billowed out from open grills and smokers before a tiny shack with a peaked roof on the right. A long, rectangular sign was nailed to the siding, reading “Big Dipper Barbecue.” Three picnic benches sat end to end beside the shack, where four people ate barbecue ribs. To the left of the truck was amore modern building with a big, lit-up sign that read “Big Dipper Ice Cream.” Yellow stars littered the blue “Big Dipper”.
When Ash opened the door of the truck, they first had to confirm the people at the picnic benches weren’t anyone they knew. Ash’s heart dropped into their stomach, knowing they would be constantly looking over their shoulder to ensure they wouldn’t be caught.
Ash couldn’t fret for long, though, as they were immediately overwhelmed by the smell of barbecue. The scent of smoked meat filled their senses, and it was divine. They spied spatchcocked chickens being roasted on flat-top grills, and several large Traeger smokers with billowing white smoke that furled around the building.
“Smells good, doesn’t it?” Luke said, coming around to Ash’s left.
Ash nodded. “What’s good here?”
“Everything,” Luke said with a low laugh.
Luke led Ash to the counter, where an old sign that looked like it hadn’t been updated since the eighties hung over the window. A Pepsi logo split the two sides of the sign. Black letters were stuck onto it, displaying the different options and prices.
“What do you usually get?” Ash asked. “I’m torn between the brisket and ribs.”
“Do you want to split those two things?” Luke asked. “We can get a few sides too.”
Ash wasted no time agreeing. “As long as we can get cornbread.”
Luke approached the counter and ordered them a half rack of ribs, a brisket plate, cornbread, salt potatoes, macaroni, and potato salad. Before Luke could get his wallet out, Ash whipped out theirs and handed the cashier a twenty.
Luke looked at Ash incredulously, and Ash smiled at him as they spoke. “You can’t pay for our food every time we go out.”
“Iaskedyouout. That means I’msupposed to pay.”
Ash laughed. “Oh, is that how it works?”
Luke and Ash grabbed their food and brought it to an unoccupied picnic table. The food looked divine. Deep red barbecue sauce spilled over the ribs into a pool on the plate. Thick slices of juicy brisket with a perfect bark and beautifully rendered fat sat beside a cup of barbecue sauce. Small fingerling potatoes and two slices of fluffy cornbread shared a third plate with two small cups—one of macaroni salad and the other of potato salad. The macaroni was covered in mayonnaise and dotted with minced bell peppers and onion. The potato salad was slathered similarly but alongside dill, hard-boiled egg, and black pepper.
When Ash picked up one of the ribs, the meat slid off the bone into their hand. They laughed, dropping it onto the plate and picking up a plastic fork. They easily broke off a bite of meat and chewed it slowly. Flavor exploded on their tongue; the sweet honey of the sauce paired beautifully with the light hint of smoke on the meat, which was then slowly replaced with a lingering spice. The rib was perfectly cooked—tender and juicy. Ash could tell their eyes lit up by the way Luke snickered.
“I told you it was good,” Luke said, scooping macaroni salad onto his spoon.
Once Ash finished the rib, they started on the brisket. It was a perfect slice of brisket with fat marbled throughout and a bright red smoke ring. They didn’t use the barbecue sauce on the first bite; Ash wanted to enjoy the taste of the smoke on the meat, and they were quickly rewarded. The smoke didn’t overpower the taste of the meat. The bark added a nice texture to it; this was some of the best smoked brisket Ash had ever eaten.
