A Long Walk

Let's take a long walk around the park after dark
Find a spot for us to spark
Conversation, verbal elation, stimulation
Share our situations, temptations, education, relaxations
Elevations, maybe we can talk about Revelation 3:17

Or maybe we can see a movie
Or maybe we can see a play on Saturday
Or maybe we can roll a tree and feel the breeze and listen to a symphony
Or maybe chill and just be, or maybe
Maybe we can take a cruise and listen to the Roots or maybe eat some passion fruit
Or maybe cry to the blues
Or maybe we could just be silent

(Jill Scott – A Long Walk, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1)

Last night, I experienced this song down to every note. I met a young man several days ago and initially perceived it as a B.U.D.D.Y. situation (check out Musiq Soulchild's song). But I think this is going to be much more. I haven't felt this comfortable in a long time. His smile makes me smile and his body makes me ... well, let me keep this G-rated guys!

I came home from work, showered and “change[d] clothes and go.” I took the train back into Boston and Haymarket was the rendezvous. Twists instructed me to call first but I glimpsed him from across the station and after making eye contact, we were both grinning like Cheshire cats. We walked through the North End to Billy Tse, a Chinese restaurant. He had never been to the North End and seemed tremendously fascinated with everything. He was especially quiet at first but once we were seated, we talked about music, art and family. While jazz played in the background amid slightly dimmed lights, I found myself gazing intently at his stunning cocoa skin and reveling in his reserved presence.

We left the restaurant and walked to Government Center and watched a free concert. A jazz/big band was performing songs from the 20's, 30's and 40's. A small dance floor was set up in the front and some golden-age couples were swing dancing to tunes that reminded them of old times. We sat on the plaza steps observing and listening when I noticed he had laid back trying to slide over closer. I did the age old "hand-on-the-thigh-during-convo-to-see-if-he's-feeling-me" and I got no resistance. Before I knew it, we were extremely close, not quite touching, but near enough to occasionally rub legs or lean in for a kiss.

The concert ended and we trekked to the Commons and came upon a Shakespeare play. We didn't have a lawn chair or a blanket so we stood at the back of the crowd to watch. He likes theater so I relinquished my distaste of Shakespeare and allowed him to watch. Not sure what play it was (I only know a handful of the Bard's works) but it had the crowd roaring. We meandered through the Commons and found a bench in front of the Frog Pond, a small man-made splash pool. Customarily, it is filled with children and pets during the day, however, it was quiet and peaceful and the ideal place to sit and converse.

As the water trickled and lapped in the background, Twists and I spoke about education, his plans for the future and his past. I discovered he likes old-school music even though he's young. He's never been to a concert and admitted that he never had a real relationship. Moreover, he claimed he had never been kissed! I found that hard to believe but I had to give him the benefit of the doubt. Additionally, I learned his family originated from the South so we discussed different types of soul food. He's wants to major in psychology but has a passion for poetry. Finally, I learned he has a twin brother which, of course, I found rather intriguing.

As we sat on the bench, couples strolled by on the other side of the pond but no one came past our bench. I guess that made him feel extremely comfortable and soon his hand was on my thigh and my arm was draped across his shoulders. Believe me, I wanted to just get to it right there but I was cool. I've never been exceedingly affectionate in public however, the attraction we shared negated all our fears. At one point, we didn't really have anything to say! We both agreed that sometimes, just being in one’s presence and enjoying the moment is relaxing and peaceful.

We made our way to Downtown Crossing to catch our respective trains and that's when I decided to kiss him. We had intensely flirted on the bench at the Commons and I was mentally berating myself for not kissing when it was more romantic. Man, I have such crummy timing! Nevertheless, the kiss was out of this world! His lips were extremely soft and it turned me on so much. Once I arrived home, we conversed a little before I hit the pillow. The end of a wonderful evening.

There's definitely a second date on Friday and I'm literally counting the hours until I can see him again. I haven't been with anyone romantically or sexually in several years and I had forgotten what it was like. I buried myself in my studies and adopted the attitude:

"I don't need no n***** rollin' over, lookin' after me"
(Erykah Badu - Certainly [Flipped It], Baduizm)

I like Twists a lot and feel confident and animated around him. He's still not out to his family and he's never been to pride so I've got my work cut out for me. And speaking of family, I found out that he's actually the son of a friend of my father's. Talk about six degrees of separation! That blew my mind three ways to Sunday! It's got me a bit nervous because I can't tell my family; the grapevine is a bit too connected. I don't want to be the cause of serious problems.

Originally, this was just supposed to be a booty call, but now I'm too interested and can call it anything but. I'm genuinely feeling him on numerous levels. I'm trying not to get too excited. I'm taking it for what it is and I’m going see what happens, where it goes. In the meantime, I just hope we have more walks around the park, after dark ...