Satisfaction Guaranteed

by Samantha M. Derr

  After the last delivery of the evening, I went over to Julius' place to feed his fish and walk Mr. Wrinkles. The minute I opened the door, that pug was all over me. His master had only been gone for a few hours, but he just needed some love, I guess.

  I picked him up, cooing at him like a crazy person as I scratched behind his ears. "Aren't you Daddy's precious? Yes you are, yes you are!" Doggy breath bathed my face as Mr. Wrinkles tried to lick the skin off my face. I placed the little pug on the floor, clicked the leash on his collar that I'd found in the kitchen, then took him for a walk. It was after eleven at night, but he was frisky and energetic, and pulled me along instead of the other way around. After he finally found a spot to do his business, I walked him home, fed the fish, and locked the door behind me. Mr. Wrinkles stared at me from the window, looking forlorn.

  The week ground to a close, and I got a text from Julius which said he'd be back on Saturday at noon. I sent him a message that I would leave the key in the bowl after feeding the fish and taking care of Mr. Wrinkles in the morning. He responded with a 'thank you' text.

  On Saturdays and Sundays, I worked from one o'clock in the afternoon 'til around eleven or so for Manny, leaving the morning hours for tutoring at Inman Middle School if I was needed. The school was actually just down the street from Julius' house. This particular Saturday, I had a student who was struggling with algebra, and dyslexic. It was a challenge for both of us, but it was rewarding to see the light bulb go on when something finally made sense.

  I usually dressed in casual clothes for these sessions, then went straight to Manny's when I was done since tutoring lasted until noon. I always carried a uniform shirt in the trunk to change into for work. As I sauntered toward my car in the school's parking lot, I looked up and saw Julius walking Mr. Wrinkles near the park across the street. Man, he looked hot in a white muscle shirt and black cargo shorts that showcased long legs, the dark skin gleaming in the sun. He looked up as I crossed the street, and smiled as he waved hello. I changed my direction and crossed the street to where he stood.

  "Hi, Daniel," he greeted me. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be gone by now." Mr. Wrinkles jumped up and down at my feet, refusing to be ignored.

  "I tutor sometimes, remember?" I bent to pet the little pug bouncing around at my feet.

  "That's right, you mentioned that. I forgot." He looked at me sheepishly. "I have a brain for numbers and stuff, but everything else tends to fall by the wayside."

  "Don't worry about it."

  "Hey, thank you so much for taking care of my babies for me. It means a lot."

  "I was happy to help out. Did everything work out okay on your trip?"

  "Yes it did, thanks. A family matter. Got it resolved." He changed the topic. "Hey, how about lunch?"

  I shook my head with a sigh. "Thanks for the offer, but I have to go to my other job in less than an hour. Rain check, okay?"

  Julius seemed disappointed. "Yeah sure, no problem. So… you work from one o'clock until when?"

  "Usually no later than eleven o'clock or so. Just depends on how busy things get."

  "Wow, that's… Must be challenging sometimes, huh?"

  "It can be. My boss is a bit of a turd. Plus, some of the customers are 'friendly-challenged' so I take lots of deep breaths. But it helps to pay the bills."

  "Understood. Hey! Do you deliver out here, too?"

  "Sometimes. Why?"

  "Maybe I'll order something and we can have pizza as dinner tonight. How late should I order so I'll be your last delivery?"

  Surprised, I smiled. "Ummm, call in around fifteen minutes to eleven." I handed him one of the company cards with the business number. "Dial that number and tell them you want me to deliver it. Okay?"

  "Sounds great!" There was the smile that made me all gooey inside. I petted Mr. Wrinkles one more time, crossed the street to the parking lot and got into my car. I waved at Julius as I drove by. He was such a nice guy, not stuck up at all and seemingly open-minded. I hadn't come across that a whole lot, so it was refreshing. My last delivery of the day couldn't come fast enough.

  Carrying two large pepperoni and meatball pizzas, I walked up the steps to Julius' front door. He must have been looking out for me because the door opened before I even knocked. He looked good enough to eat in a blue tank top and black track shorts. Oh very, very nice. Mr. Wrinkles barked at me in greeting, and Julius gave me a wide smile and hearty hello. My heart fluttered.

  "Come in, come in!" He took the pizzas from me and I followed him inside, shutting the door behind me.

  "The money is in the bowl with the keys, by the way." I thanked him and pocketed the cash, which included a twenty dollar tip—whoa—and continued on into the kitchen, trying not to trip over Mr. Wrinkles.

  Julius handed me a plastic bottle, cold from the fridge. "Here, have some water. You look like you could use it." I thanked him and sucked it dry.

  "Oh man, that's good. It's really hot and muggy out there tonight, and the air in my car... I end up really grubby and just ick by the time the night is out. It's pathetic, really, how grateful I am for an ice-cold shower when I get home."

  Julius laughed heartily and choked out, "I bet." He put the pizzas on the granite top kitchen island, and then opened the top box to share out some of the slices on the paper plates I had brought with me. Mr. Wrinkles ran around the kitchen, jumped on our legs, and begged for food.

  The first bite had Julius sighing with pleasure. "Man, this is good. I was thinking to myself it had better be, since the guy on the phone was such a prick."

  Almost choking on my slice, I laughed. "Yeah, you must have talked to Manny. He has absolutely no filter and couldn't spell tact if you put in front of him in size sixty font. Major dumbass."

  "I don't know how you do it. I would have decked him a long time ago. God, what a little twat." Julius said, his mouth full.

  "I know, right? It's okay, I got his number. I know what buttons to push and how far I can go, though he sometimes tries to deliberately trip me up, just to make things difficult, I think. It might be because I haven't succumbed to his charm." I used air-quotes to emphasize the word. "He tried to hit on me once, and I refused. All I can do is weather the storm. But I only have one more time to deliver something late and I'm fired, even though the other times were his fault entirely."

  "Say what? That's not right." Julius frowned.

  "You know Georgia is an at-will state. It would be pretty damn hard to prove wrong-doing, my word against his."

  "Still!" Julius was upset and I wanted to appease him.

  "Honey, gays in Atlanta have a hard time getting by in the workplace sometimes, and I'm dealing with a closet case who takes out his denial on others. It's okay. I'm used to it, and I'll get through it. There'll always be something else I can do if I end up losing this job. Hell, anything would be better than this." I took another slice of pizza and bit into it.

  There was a stretch of silence and I looked up. Julius stared at me, a strange expression on his face.

  "Something wrong?" I asked.

  "Did you just... did you just say you're gay?"

  "Huh? What are you talking about?"

  "You outed yourself to me. Just now."

  I froze in mid-chew. Uh-oh. Had I gotten so comfortable in his company that I let that slip? Shit.

  "Look, Julius, I'm sorry if I shocked or offended you. It must be the heat. Words just slip out sometimes when all my brain cells are in a puddle on the floor. Please, just forget about it." I was rambling, and it would only get worse. Time to go.

  I finished my slice of pizza and wiped my hands on a napkin. "You know, I think it's time I went home."

  I picked up my keys and backed away from the kitchen with Mr. Wrinkles in hot pursuit. I turned and walked to the front door, babbling as I speed-walked to make my exit.

  "Thanks for the meal but it's been a long day and I can sleep in a little tomorrow before working in the afternoon, so let me just..."

 
Julius was right behind me. He grabbed my arm gently, and brought me to a stop just before I reached the front door. I stared at the floor, afraid to look at him.

  "Daniel, stop." Julius turned me around to face him. "Look at me." I did. "It's okay. I wasn't offended and I'm not gonna get my panties in a twist over it. It caught me by surprise, is all. I mean, I'm gay, too."

  I thought my eyes were about to pop out of their sockets, they got so wide. "Wha- what? Huh? You're gay?" I had to be hearing things.

  Julius slid his hand down my arm to catch my fingers, and pulled me a little bit closer to him. "Yes, I am. I always wondered about you. I think you're cute as a button. I just never said anything, not wanting to get my ass kicked, ya know? I couldn't tell one way or the other about you. That's why I acted like that just now. I wanted to be sure." Man, his eyes were mesmerizing up close.

  "Really?" My voice went into falsetto.

  "Really." Julius smiled, squeezed my hand and then let me go. He opened the door and walked me to my car. Mr. Wrinkles barked at us from the window.

  "You're tired, hon. Go home, get some sleep and I'll see you at school on Monday morning, as usual. Don't freak out, it's all good." He kissed me on the forehead, took the keys from my nerveless fingers to unlock my car door and pushed me into the driver's seat.

  "Drive safely, and text me when you get home." All I could do was nod, start the car and drive away.

  I texted him as soon as I locked my apartment door. He replied, "Sweet dreams, honey." I melted into the floor. What the hell just happened? Julius was gay? Halle-fuckin'-lujah! And he thought I was cute. Oh man, how awesome! The guy I thought so far out of my league was interested in me and one of the kindest men I'd ever met. It made everything else pale by comparison. Lucky, lucky me.

  *~*~*

  Monday morning found me in a bit of a rush as I overslept and had to rush to get to my class on time. I didn't see Julius until my second class ended and I was leaving the lecture hall. This time, he gave me a wink with his smile and I think I stumbled a little as I left the room. I heard his chuckle as I walked away, slightly mortified but feeling damn good.

  After doing some research in the library that afternoon, I walked to my car, reading some of my notes along the way. When I neared Bessie, I looked up and noticed Julius leaning against the passenger's side door, radiating cool in a mint green shirt and gray slacks. A pair of Oakleys were on top of his head, the very image of a man with all the time in the world.

  "Hey Julius," I said, once I got to the car.

  "Daniel."

  "How are you? Classes go okay today?" I asked, walking around to the driver's side to unlock the door. I threw my messenger bag and other stuff on the back seat and leaned against the car frame.

  "Not bad. Juniors are just old enough to start taking things seriously, so some of that intelligence starts to show through, thankfully. I can't even imagine what the freshmen are like."

  "You don't want to know," I replied, and rolled my eyes. "So, to what do I owe the honor of your presence?" I asked with a grin.

  "Ha, you're funny. Look, I know you work all the time, but I was wondering if we could, maybe meet for coffee or brunch or something on Sunday? Do you have time for that? I'd love to get to know you better, outside of school and other distractions."

  "With me, really?" I still wasn't sure he could be interested in someone as plain as me.

  "Yes, really, with you. Why not? I like you, I applaud your work ethic, and I just want to get to know you better. Is that so bad?" he asked.

  "No, it's not. I just, things like this don't really happen to me, so..."

  "Well, they do now. Nine AM? American Roadhouse? I can pick you up and we'll go together."

  I smiled at him. "Okay, sounds like fun. I haven't done anything like that in a long time. It's a date. Oh, wait, is it? Or are we just having a meal as 'buds' or something?" I didn't want to assume anything about this.

  "We can call it a date, if you like. Either way, it will be my pleasure to spend some time with someone as adorable as you on my arm." He blew me a kiss and I turned beet red, well, more blotchy than anything else, but still.

  Trying to calm my reaction, I cleared my throat and took a breath. "Okay, it's a date. I live in Edgewood. I'll text you the address tonight and we'll go from there. I'm looking forward to this. I never expected it, not really."

  "I've had my eye on you for a long time, but I just never knew, and we don't talk much outside of school, so... Anyway, I can't wait. You gotta go, I know. Take care, hon. Have a safe night and remember to take deep breaths before you throttle the nice customers."

  I laughed, got into my car and started her up. Julius backed away and waved as I drove out of the faculty parking lot. Man, this was gonna be great!

  I was so happy when Sunday morning finally dawned. The remainder of the week before had been particularly crappy at the delivery job. I was chased by dogs, and yelled at by a customer who said she wanted anchovies and got pineapple instead. She threw the pizza at me. Then, to add insult to injury, I was almost rear-ended by a dumbass driver who was on his cell phone and didn't realize we were at a red traffic light.

  Though I had to work that afternoon, knowing I had a few hours with a sinfully gorgeous man made it all worthwhile. It had been a while since I dressed for anything other than class or work, so I wanted to make it good for a change. I chose a tight-fitting short-sleeved yellow polo shirt and white cargo shorts with black Vans and ankle socks. My ordinary face stared back at me in the mirror, but my brown eyes looked hopeful. As good as it gets.

  A knock on the door woke me out of my reverie and I quickly ran to grab my keys and wallet from the kitchen table, cell phone already in my pocket. When I opened the door, Julius smiled at me, stunning in a light pink, short-sleeved shirt and white slacks.

  "Hi there, gorgeous," he said, as he pulled me to him in a hug and kissed my cheek. I returned the gesture and locked the door behind me. Julius was good for my self-esteem.

  "Hey yourself," I replied as I followed him to his SUV. "You look good enough to eat. Are you sure we need to go out to brunch? I could eat you up."

  "Baby, consider me dessert," he said with a smirk. Grinning, he unlocked the passenger door to let me in and then closed it once I was seated. He walked around the car and got in on the driver's side.

  I fanned myself. "Whew. Laying it on thick, aren't we?"

  "You started it."

  "True, true, but you rose to the occasion, didn't you? In more ways than one, I see." I pointed to his crotch, where the material was slightly tented.

  "Behave, you. Let's get some food and get to know each other better before I give in to my baser instincts and fuck your tight little ass in the back seat."

  "That's really not helping me to stop, but I will—for now." It was a fifteen minute drive to American Roadhouse, and Julius was able to find a spot to park in the almost full lot near the back of the restaurant.

  His hand at my back, Julius escorted me to the front door of the restaurant and opened it, ushering me inside. We were seated by the window facing Highland Avenue so we could watch foot and car traffic. A waitress took our order for coffee and told us she would be back in a few minutes. I took a look at the menu, trying to decide what I wanted. Julius, however, wanted to talk.

  "So," he began. "I already know you're a workaholic." I was about to protest that moniker, but he held up his hand.

  "It's not a criticism, just an observation. You work all the time and you're going to school. I just... I know I couldn't do it. I was raised kind of sheltered, you know? Everything was literally handed to me on a silver platter. I didn't realize what the real world was like for most people until I went to college. My parents wanted me to have my own apartment and all that, but I told them no, I wanted to have roommates and meet people. They didn't understand, but they love me, so that's how it went. And that's how I learned about different walks of life. Though I've never met anyone who works as hard as you d
o. It just floors me, man. You have my utmost respect."

  By the end of his little speech, I was really embarrassed. I didn't know how to respond to such frank praise. I kept my head down, staring at the menu but not really seeing it.

  Julius must have realized my discomfort and immediately tried to put me at ease. "Honey, it's a good thing. You're the kind of person I want to be—dedicated and determined, no matter what life throws at you. You should be proud, you know?"

  "Well... thanks, I guess." My face was probably red and blotchy, but I wasn't used to this much scrutiny.

  "You're welcome, sweetheart. Alright, tell me about yourself. Do you have any family around?"

  "Umm... I was a foster kid. Went from home to home for a few years until I was fifteen and ended up staying with a really cool family until I was eighteen. My foster parents were from Jamaica, originally. There were six other kids, all from different ethnic backgrounds, so we had a real melting pot in our household. Nothing was ever taken for granted, right? We all had to pitch in, do our chores, get our homework done, volunteer, go to church. We were encouraged to earn a little money doing odd jobs, gain some independence. I learned how to do a budget, how to manage my time so I could get everything done when it needed to be. They found out I was really good at math, so they got me tutoring and extra classes, did whatever they could to encourage me to do well. I got a scholarship, and I've been at Georgia State ever since."

  Julius looked at me in admiration. "Wow, that's amazing! My family—well, my Dad is an electronics engineer and my Mom teaches Calculus at Georgia Tech. I guess I got the 'math genes' from both of them, you know? I have a younger brother who's studying to be a chemical engineer. All I ever wanted to do was work with numbers. That's the only thing that made sense to me."

  The waitress came back at that point, so I ordered a stack of pancakes with butter while Julius scanned the menu and then ordered an omelet with wheat toast, as well as a bowl of oatmeal.