The Rules of Dating a Younger Man

I’d arrived upstate even earlier than expected the next weekend and decided to stop by Memorial Cancer Center. Since my last visit here, I’d spoken to the hospital social worker over the phone, and she’d suggested I become a volunteer. They’d run a background check on me, and I’d sent in some paperwork. Now I just had to sign in as a volunteer before each visit.

There was no better way to make use of my time today than to visit a special young girl, who seemed in desperate need of company. Ashlyn was twelve and currently undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Her big, beautiful eyes stood out against her perfectly smooth bald head.

We spent the better part of an hour talking about reality TV and music until a nurse interrupted to check her vitals. I took out my phone and scanned messages to give them as much privacy as I could while being in the room. But I felt Ashlyn eyeing me the whole time.

“You’re really beautiful,” she said after the nurse walked out.

“Why, thank you.”

“I hope I have hair like yours when it grows back.”

“What did your hair look like before?”

“It was curly, but I’m hoping it grows back straight.”

I wasn’t going to burst her bubble and tell her I’d actually heard that the opposite happened sometimes after chemo—previously straight hair grew back curly. Maybe she’d get lucky. She certainly deserved it.

Ashlyn adjusted her blanket. “Are you doing anything fun tonight?”

A vision of Brayden popped into my head. “I’m not sure, actually. I might be meeting a friend for dinner.”

“Is it a girl?”

“Actually, no. It’s a…boy.” I chuckled. Brayden was technically a boy in my mind, I supposed.

“Make sure you wear a pretty dress.”

I looked down at my black pants and white cowl-neck sweater. “You don’t like my outfit?”

“It’s okay, but if I were going out tonight, I’d put on a pretty dress.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what, I’ll put on a pretty dress for you.”

“Pink,” she clarified.

“Pink?” My eyes widened. “I don’t generally wear—”

“Pink! It has to be pink.” She laughed. “Wear a pink dress for me. Because I’m stuck here and can’t.”

When she put it that way, how could I not? I nodded. “A pink dress it is. You got it.”

She pointed her finger at me. “Pictures or it didn’t happen.”

“Okay.”

“You need pretty shoes, too.”

This little angel wanted to live vicariously through me. I took a deep breath. “What might these shoes look like?”

“They have to be glass, like Cinderella shoes.”

“Pretty sure glass slippers don’t really exist, but maybe I can find something that looks clear. Would that work?”

She nodded. “That would be acceptable.”

“Okay, good.” I sighed. “Well, you’ve left me with a lot to do this afternoon. Find a pink dress and glass-like shoes. So I’d better be on my way.” I stood.

“Text me a photo later?” she asked.

“Do you have a phone?”

“Duh!” She reached over to her side table and waved a cell in a pink silicone case.

“Okay. Sorry for doubting that.” I handed her my phone. “Enter your number here, and I’ll text you later.”

She took my phone, pressed some buttons, and handed it back. “Thanks, Alex.”

“I’ll be in touch,” I said before exiting her room.

As I walked down the hall, a new appreciation for life nearly overwhelmed me. Last week I’d been lamenting my wrinkles, and this poor girl just wanted to be able to leave this building and get back to her life. It’s a blessing to be healthy and to get older, I reminded myself—something many of these kids might not get to experience. I would pray every day for Ashlyn’s recovery.

My chest felt heavy as I continued walking. I stopped in my tracks when I spotted Brayden inside one of the rooms. He was talking to a boy and had on a volunteer badge like mine. I guess he and I both had the same idea today. He didn’t seem to have noticed me standing just outside the door, so I listened to what he was saying.

“I got this for you.” Brayden presented the kid with a box.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a bunch of books I took from my old room. I got them the last time I was home visiting my dad in Pennsylvania.”

The boy read the title. “The Chronicles of Narnia?”

“Yup. It’s this really cool adventure series. When I was younger and going through a tough time, I escaped into this world and never looked back.”

“You think I’ll like it?”

“I hope so. They made movies from the books, too.”

“What is it about?”

“Well…” Brayden scratched his chin. “There are these kids. They were evacuated to the countryside of England during World War Two. They find themselves in an imaginary kingdom known as Narnia. There’s this talking lion and an evil witch. You’ll have to read it, but I’ll be curious to know what you think.”

“Thanks!” The kid ran his hand along the books. “I’ll start tonight so I can get them back to you.”

“These books are really special to me. But so are you, so I’m gifting them to you.”

“You don’t want them back?”

“Nah.” Brayden held his hand up. “You keep them. Gift them to a friend when you’re done.” He suddenly turned to find me standing at the doorway. His eyes lit up. “Hey, you.”

“Hi.” I stepped inside. “I guess we both had the same idea.”

“You were hanging out with a friend, too?” Brayden smiled.

“Yup. I just left Ashlyn.”

“Cool.” He turned to the boy. “Have you met Will?”

“I haven’t.” I held my hand up in a wave. “Nice to meet you, Will.”

“You, too.”

“I was just about to get going,” Brayden told me as he stood. “Were you headed out?”

“I was.”

He turned to Will. “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Thanks again for the books.”

“Next time I come, we’ll talk about them. I wanna know what you think. You might need to refresh my memory on some stuff.”

He high-fived the boy before heading out with me.

“That was so sweet of you,” I told him.

“I really think he’ll like those books. At least I hope so. He’d told me he likes to read. These kids… They need an escape so freaking badly, you know?”

“Oh yeah. My friend down the hall is sending me on a clothing assignment this afternoon.”

He laughed. “To buy her clothes?”

“No. She wants me to dress a certain way tonight and send her a photo. It’s interesting.”

“You’re her very own paper doll?”

“Basically.” I cleared my throat. “What was the tough time you mentioned to Will?”

“Hmm?”

“You said you got into reading that series when you were going through a tough time as a kid.”

“Oh.” His expression darkened. “It was my mother. She, uh, sort of walked out on us when I was nine.”

“Gosh. I’m sorry.” I slowed my pace. “You never saw her again?”

“Only very sporadically through the years.”

That hurt my heart. “I’m sorry. That must be hard.”

He looked down as we walked. “I’m over it.”

“Does anyone ever really get over that?” I asked.

“No choice.” He turned to me. “You know?”

I nodded. And then I tried to stop where my brain was going. I’d like to think Brayden’s interest in me had nothing to do with potential mommy issues. I intentionally changed the subject. “Where did you say we were going today?”

“Wherever you want.”

“Wait, you said you needed my help picking out appliances, right?”

“I guess we should get that over with, yeah.”

When Brayden and I pulled up at the home improvement store, we parked in two adjacent spaces.

The smell of plywood hit me the moment we entered, and Brayden’s eyes gleamed under the bright fluorescent lights. “It’s kind of nice being here with a guy,” I said. “Normally I get hit on in these places.”

“I don’t blame those guys one bit.” Brayden bumped into me playfully. “Although technically, you are getting hit on in here today—just by me.”

“Damn.” I snapped my fingers. “I thought I was gonna get a break.”

We headed toward the appliances. “I loved listening to you talking to Will earlier. You seem to have a good rapport with kids.”

“I love kids.”

I swallowed. “You mentioned you want them someday…”

“I’m in no rush.”

Yeah. That was exactly it. He had all the time in the world. Yet another reason we were not right for each other. I shook my head, vowing to forget the heavy stuff for now and just enjoy this time with him.

We picked out a stove fairly quickly, since only one model was available for pickup this weekend and that’s when Brayden wanted to install it.

“What else are we getting here?” I asked.

“Fuck if I know. This whole thing was just a ploy to get you to come out here early.”

“You didn’t really need my help…”

He leaned in and spoke softly over my face. “I needed your company. But we do need to pick out bathroom tile, come to think of it.”

We ventured to the tile section, where I chose a herringbone pattern that Brayden also seemed to like.

We checked out after that, and on the way back, I followed Brayden to the house to drop off the supplies.

“Is there a shopping mall near here?” I asked when we were done and walking back to our cars.

“We can probably find one. What do you have in mind?” He took out his phone.

“The girl I told you about, Ashlyn. I promised her I’d buy a couple of specific items to wear tonight.”

“Ah. That’s right. Going anywhere special?” He flashed a wicked grin.

“I told her I was going out with my friend…who’s a boy.”

He shook his head. “Ouch. Last I checked, I was a man. But you haven’t given me a chance to prove that to you.” He placed his hand on the small of my back, and a shiver ran down my spine. “Anyway, hop in my car. Let’s go shopping.”

Turned out there was a mall not too far from the project house. Once we got there, I dragged Brayden to the largest department store they had.

He looked around. “What are we looking for exactly?”

“I’m supposed to buy a pink dress to wear and send her a photo of me.”

“You don’t seem like a frilly, pink-dress person to me.”

“I’m generally not. But I’m not opposed to stepping out of my comfort zone.”

“Make sure you remember that later.” He winked.

I rolled my eyes and laughed.

As we browsed the women’s dress section, Brayden pulled a hanger off the rack. “What about this one?”

It was the color of Pepto Bismol, lace on the top with a frilly skirt.

“That might be a little much, don’t you think?”

“I bet you’d look gorgeous in it.”

“There really aren’t a ton of pink dresses.” I took it from him. “I’ll try this one on.”

I went to the dressing room while he waited outside. After I slipped on the frock, I realized why Brayden might have selected it. It had a steep neckline. But it was otherwise pretty perfect. It was fitted at the waist with the skirt flaring out in a whimsical way I knew Ashlyn would be pleased with.

After changing back into my clothes, I took the dress out with me. “I think we have a winner.”

He sulked. “I was expecting you to come out and show me, you know.”

“You’ll get to see it tonight.”

“Oh, I forgot. You have a date with a boy, don’t you?” He chuckled. “We should go back to the hotel and get changed. I made us a reservation.”

“Whereabouts?”

“It’s a surprise, but you’ll be good to go in that dress.”

“We can’t leave yet, though. I told her I would buy glass slippers, too.”

“Say what?”

“Shoes that look clear, like Cinderella’s.”

“Ah…” He scratched his chin. “That’s going to be a tougher challenge.”

After we found the shoe department, I perused the selection as fast as I could.

There were no shoes at all that looked clear.

“I think I’m out of luck,” I announced as I found Brayden in the clearance section. He had a box tucked under his arm.

He opened it. “What about these?”

Inside were a pair of marabou heels with pink fur covering the toe bed. They were made of clear plastic, though. And my size! Bingo. “I think these are the best I’m gonna get. Thanks for finding them.”

He laughed. “I can’t tell if they’re sexy or something you’d find at the Bunny Ranch in Vegas.”

“I’m thinking the latter.”

***

Brayden had texted to say he was ready whenever I was, and I’d opted to meet him down in the lobby.

My marabou heels clicked against the marble floor as I approached.

Brayden looked fantastic in a fitted, collared shirt and black pants. His hands were in his pockets as he leaned against a pillar near the entryway. When he noticed me, he rushed over.

“Damn. You always look hot, but tonight?” He shook his head slowly. “Incredible. Talk about pretty in pink.”

“That movie was before your time,” I teased.

“I’ve seen it, wiseass.”

I held out my phone. “Would you mind taking a photo of me? Before I start to look worn as the night goes on.”

“Anything in particular you’re planning to do to let your hair down and get all…worn?”

“Let me guess, you have some ideas?” I laughed.

“I didn’t say that. You did.” He held up the phone. “Say cheese.”

I flashed a huge smile as he took a few photos and handed the phone back to me.

“Ready?” He held out his hand.

“Where are we going?” I asked, putting my hand in his.

“I booked us a dinner reservation at a local winery. We’ll taste a selection of their offerings.”

“Sounds great. You just did that today?”

“No, I called them a few days ago, since I’ve heard they get booked up, even on weeknights.”

“So you were sure I was going to come out early?”

“I was pretty confident.”

“That you are, Mr. Foster.”

Brayden ordered a car that brought us to the Seneca Falls Winery.

When we arrived, a waitress led us to a beautifully decorated, candlelit table.

“Have you been wine tasting before?” he asked.

“Would you believe I haven’t?”

“Nice.” He pulled out a chair for me. “You’ll love it.”

“Thank you. I’m a little concerned about my inhibitions around you, though.” I laughed.

“You don’t trust yourself?”

Basically.

The waitress brought out sample after sample. I normally didn’t mix red and white wines, but when in Rome…

Brayden and I also ordered two ribeye steaks. Indeed, my inhibitions were dwindling by the minute.

“You know what sucks?” he said.

I knocked back the last of my cabernet. “What?”

“Getting you tipsy was the dumbest freaking idea ever, because now I know I won’t be able to touch you.”

Well, that’s a bit disappointing. “Why not?”

“Because I’d never know if you were only playing along because you’re drunk.”

I rubbed my leg along his under the table. “Well, since you won’t be trying anything, I suppose it’s safe for me to admit that you look good enough to eat tonight, Brayden, and it’s a damn shame you won’t be trying anything because I very much would’ve played along.”

His eyes rolled back as he muttered, “Do you have any idea how much I want to fuck you?”

“I think I have a tiny inkling.”

“I hope you give me the chance. Because I promise, you won’t regret it.”

“If you didn’t have morals, I’d give you a chance tonight.”

He waved his pointer finger at me. “That’s the alcohol speaking, but believe me, I’ll take what I can get, even if it’s naughty talk.”

I giggled, feeling happier and more carefree than I had in a long while. I also respected him so much for not taking advantage of my obvious desire for him.

On the car ride home, I might’ve had a full belly, but I was otherwise starving. I licked my lips. “Not even a kiss, huh?”

“Nope. Because that’s how it starts. And believe me, once I start…you’re not gonna want me to stop.”

Yes, I was tipsy, but I was still aware. I very much knew what I was doing, what I wanted. And I wanted Brayden Foster. Badly.

After we got back to the hotel, I assumed Brayden would get into the elevator with me, but instead he held the door open to say goodnight while I got in.

“Aren’t you coming up?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Because there’s a tiny piece of me that doesn’t trust myself. Also, my room is on the other side of the hotel. So I’m gonna take the other set of elevators down the hall.”

“Okay, well…” I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Today was really fun.”

“I agree. Thank you for coming out here early, beautiful.”

I’d definitely be coming early tonight—I planned to take care of this fire between my legs as soon as possible, in fact.

A few minutes after I got to my room, my phone rang. Brayden. I picked up. “Miss me already?”

“I do. Despite running away from you just now, I wasn’t ready for the night to end.”

“Me neither,” I admitted.

“You know what else? I’m totally regretting not kissing you.”

Shutting my eyes, I smiled. “There might be other chances.”

“I hope so, Alex. I hope you don’t come to your senses once the wine wears off.” He chuckled. “Hey, did Ashlyn ever reply to the photo you sent her?”

“You know, I’ve been so distracted, I didn’t check. Hang on.” I clicked on the text icon.

Ashlyn: This is the best! Now, show me Prince Charming.

“She loved it, but she wanted a pic of Prince Charming.”

“Aw, man. I totally would’ve posed for her.” He sighed. “I’d come over there now for a quick pic, but you know, I’m in my boxer briefs.”

I sighed. “I think you should go say hello to Ashlyn personally next time you’re at Memorial.”

“That sounds like a plan. If I say I’m Prince Charming, she’ll know who I am.”

As Brayden and I continued chatting, I slipped off my shoes and slid the hotel room curtain to the side to see what kind of view I had. It faced another part of the hotel, another series of rooms. Then I noticed a man in a hotel room across the way, leaning against the window. He was wearing boxer briefs and looked like…an Adonis. He was also on the phone with me at the moment.

“Are your boxers black, by any chance?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Do you always stand in front of hotel room windows half-naked, putting on a show?”

His head whipped up, and he looked across the courtyard between us. I waved.

“Holy shit. You’ve been watching me all this time?”

“No. I only just opened the curtain and saw you.”

“What are the chances?”

“Nice abs, by the way.”

“You weren’t supposed to see me like this yet. Now my grand presentation is ruined.”

I cackled. “Sorry.”

“It’s only fair if I get a little show, too,” he said. “You know, I feel violated being the only one showing some skin.”

“Oh, poor baby. Seeing me half-naked would make you feel better, huh?”

“Yeah. I think that’s the only thing that will help.”

Feeling frisky, I pondered giving him the show he was angling for.

Should I?