Overstimmed E12 | Is this just a hookup?

Everyone is over the age of 18

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5 missed calls. 

That’s what showed up when I turned airplane mode off. 

Bzzzzzz….bzzzzz….bzzzz

Nope.

I reject the call and put my phone on silent. Putting on my earbuds, I blasted my favourite playlist on my way to collect my bag. 

It was fun. It was a good dream even. But it’s now time to wake up. 

“Leon, please call me back. I’m sorry.” I swipe his message away.

I took the cab home after my bag came tumbling out of the carousel. My room seemed particularly dingy and small after spending a few days in a luxurious hotel, but it’s still home, and it’s still my bed. I got undressed and crawled in. 

I’ll forget by tomorrow.

I didn't, of course. How could I? I could still feel him trembling under my fingertips.

The last-minute flight ticket cost me a pretty penny, so I wasn’t about to go out today even if I had the will to do so. I laid in bed all day, scrolling on my phone and rereading the messages that he sent me. It stopped by midnight last night and there was nothing so far today. I was disappointed but I understood. I guess that’s that then.

Knock knock.

“Leon? There’s someone here for you,” my mom says. 

“Who is it?” My heart starts pounding. I haven’t even brushed my teeth today yet. 

“Some gentleman in a suit. He says he has food for you? Why did you get delivery? I made your favourite for dinner.” 

I peeked out the window and saw his red Corvette parked behind my dad’s car. Pulling on some clothes, I ran down the first couple of stairs before a voice inside my head told me to slow down. 

“Leon.” Jonathan lifts his head as I come back. He’s holding a takeout bag in each hand. 

“I got this, Ma,” I say quickly and go outside. Closing the door behind me, I say to him, “What are you doing here?”

Jonathan smiles weakly. “Burgers and…”

“Sushi.” I recognized the restaurant’s name. “Don’t you have a company to slave over?”

His shoulders slumped and I felt bad. Up close, I could tell he didn’t get very much sleep from the look of the bags under his eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” Jonathan says. “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Did you eat? Are you hungry?” 

My stomach grumbled when he said that, but my ego wasn’t ready to accept his apology quite that easily.

“Don’t be mad.” Jonathan puts the bags down on the front porch and extends his both hands to me. I love my Ma, but she can be nosy and it won’t be long until she starts watching from the living room window. Jonathan senses my hesitation and says, “Do you want to go for a ride?”

“Not really,” I say stubbornly. 

“Leon.” Jonathan touches my forearm. “You’re cold. It’s chillier than Arizona, isn’t it?”

I look away to the front yard as he gets closer. 

“Can I hug you?”

I don’t say yes, but I don’t say no either. My eyes well up with tears as he presses his shoulder into my face and his cologne stings my nose. 

“I’m sorry, Leon. You didn’t deserve that. Please forgive me.”

I hold back from making any sound as the tears roll out of the corner of my eyes. Turning my head and wiping my face with the back of my hand, I saw the window curtains move. 

Ma.

“Let’s go,” I push myself away from him and walk towards the car. Jonathan jogs behind me and opens the door for me. 

“Anywhere you want to go?” He smiles at me with watery eyes. 

“Just not here.” 

Jonathan drove us to a nearby mountain lookout. It’s already dark, so there was no one else around. “I come here sometimes to clear my head.” We got out and sat on the stone edge. He reaches his hand out to me again. This time, I took it. 

“I am really sorry,” Jonathan says again. “I was just really under pressure.” 

“I thought I took care of that.” 

“You know what I mean. Work pressure.”

“Did you figure it out?” 

Jonathan shakes his head lightly in response. “It’ll be okay. It’s just business. If they fire me, I’ll at least get a severance check and I’ll figure out the rest later. I thought about what you said that morning. You’re right. Money isn’t everything.”

“This car is nice though,” I joke and it gets a little chuckle out of him. 

“Would you still like me if I drove a Kia?”

“Probably not.” 

Jonathan jerks his hand away from me and shakes his head while putting his hand on his forehead with a big smile on his face. “I knew it! So I am just your sugar daddy.”

Making him smile makes me smile too. I’ve missed him.

“I missed you. It wasn’t the same to go back to the hotel room without you.” Jonathan looks at me seriously. “You and your snarky remarks.”

“I used to live in a big house,” I say spontaneously. “It had 3 floors to it. We had cleaners and everything.” 

“Oh yeah?”

“My dad owned a recycling depot. We weren’t rich. I didn’t get to travel or eat caviar but I got to go to private school. The depot went bust right after I got to high school. I had to drop out because we couldn’t pay the tuition anymore.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.” Jonathan turned his body towards me. 

“It’s fine. Like I said, money isn’t everything. It’s not where happiness comes from.” 

“Where does it come from then?” Jonathan reaches his hand out to me again. “Family?” 

“Family. And the experiences we have along the way.” My stomach rumbled loudly. 

“Oh fuck, I left the bags on your front door!” Jonathan realizes. The raccoons have probably already gotten to them by now. “Should we get some McDonald’s? Whatever you want.” 

I inched closer to him and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I laid my head down on his shoulder, feeling more tired than hungry. 

“Thanks for telling me,” he kisses the top of my head. “I’m sorry again. Won’t happen again. Give me another chance.”

“What do you want from me anyway? There has to be some upper-class boy that needs spoiling.” 

“They’re not you. Best hook-up I’ve ever had.”

“Maybe we’re better if we just hook up then.” The way he smells is so comforting.

“Leon, this isn’t just a hook-up and you know it. Come here.” I lift my head and he leads me to straddle him. Jonathan holds my back to steady me and asks,  “Look at me. Is this just a hookup for you?”

“No,” I replied honestly to his dark eyes and kissed him.