"He'll understand," Tom said, smiling. To himself he added, I hope.
The waiter walked to the booth. Tom waited nervously as the man gave the napkin to Alan. He watched as Alan read the note and said something to the waiter, who then turned and pointed at Tom. Tom smiled and waved tentatively. He stood anxiously as the two men talked for a few seconds. The waiter held up a hand and shook his head. Tom thought he could make out him saying, "It's okay, I understand." Then he saw the waiter give Alan the pencil and watched as Alan wrote something on the napkin.
The waiter brought the napkin back to Tom, a huge grin on his face.
Tom read what Alan had written and began to smile just as broadly as the waiter. He thanked the man and headed for Alan's booth. Alan stood before he got there.
Tom took Alan in his arms. "Look, about the other night...I was a complete jerk."
"You were," Alan said, smiling into Tom's eyes. "I don't know if you can forgive me, but I..."
Alan didn't wait for Tom to finish, "I forgive you," he said, and kissed him.
Tom joyously kissed him back, the napkin with their last bit of graffiti still clutched in his hand.
THE END
ABOUT TERRY O'REILLY
Terry O'Reilly is a retired school teacher living a quiet life in the Midwest with his three dogs and his horse. He began writing several years ago at the urging of a friend and fellow author. He has books available through several publishers, including Amber Allure Press, Aspen Mountain Press, eXcessica Publishing, and JMS Books LLC. Writing has become an important part of his life, allowing him to explore his own thoughts, needs, and feelings, as well as learn about other cultures and eras as he researches his stories.
ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC
Founded in 2010, JMS Books LLC is owned and operated by author J.M. Snyder. We publish a variety of genres, including gay erotic romance, fantasy, young adult, poetry, and nonfiction. Short stories and novellas are available as e-books and compiled into single-author print anthologies, while any story over 30k in length is available in both print and e-book formats. Visit us at jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!
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