Gianni Read Online Free PDF Page A

than Danny did over the past hour.
    “They – they have a two-for-one Happy Hour thingy, if you’re interested,” he says as he starts to get up.
    “No.” I grab ahold of his forearm and pull him back down into his seat. “I’m fine with this. Here, you finish it.”
    I slide the watery cocktail across the table, back to him. He stares at the straw like it’s pleading with him to reconsider taking the last few sips. Then he realizes how hypnotized he looks and feigns nonchalance as he stoops his head down and draws the remainder of the drink out of the glass.
    “Thanks,” he says as he finishes what’s left.
    “Thanks for what? It’s your drink.”
    He pauses for a second, then laughs at himself. Apparently the hours of practice that went into his date persona are proving ineffective.
    “I… have no idea. I was really nervous about meeting you, and…”
    Oh boy. “I need a cigarette,” I confess, since it’s suddenly so true. I get up and head for the door without looking back… though I’d love to catch the ten iterations of confusion that flash across his face as I walk away. Finally I toss my head over my shoulder and stare back as I reach the exit. His jaw is almost on the table, his eyes wide and full of hurt. “Well? Aren’t you going to come out with me?”
    He brightens. It’s like his entire life has just regained its meaning.
    “Sure. Let me just get my…” He grabs his charcoal jacket and drapes it over his broad shoulders as he rises. Damn. This boy looks like a top if I ever did see one. Suddenly all I can see is what he would look like curled over me with my legs wrapped around his neck. I almost laugh. Has this kid ever been naked with another boy? Maybe a mutual jack-off in his junior high locker room showers. Maybe. I don’t think he’s gone much further than that. If we end up messing around, it’ll be pure fat-free vanilla Baskin Robbins, I’m sure. If I even let him peek at my kinkier side, he’d run screaming from the city and never come back. Whatever. He’s in my crosshairs now. I am helpless but to fuck the hell out of him.
    It seems to have gotten a trillion degrees colder outside, but not cold enough to turn the rain into snow. The drops collect just beyond the edge of the sidewalk in dirty little puddles that slowly ebb their way toward the sewer. Using my hands as an all-purpose shield, I light my cigarette and look at Danny.
    “You smoke?” I ask him, the cigarette bouncing between my lips.
    “Yeah.” His eyes follow my cigarette like it’s the ball in one of those sing-along videos for kids.
    I hold my pack in the air. “You want one?”
    “Sure? Yeah. Thanks.”
    I hand him my pack of Camel Crush and watch as his shaking hand finally flips the top and produces one. He sticks it in his mouth. As I hand him the lighter, he laughs and the cigarette almost drops out.
    “What’s so funny?”
    “Well… I usually have my friends light them for me.” More nervous laughter.
    “What does that mean?”
    “I mean,” he gestures oddly. “I mean they, like, light the cigarette in their mouths and then give it to me.”
    This is going to be a riot. An over-dramatic sigh escapes my lips as I hand him my lit cigarette and take the one from his mouth to light and smoke for myself. One puff and the kid barely stifles his cough.
    “You don’t smoke.”
    “No,” he defends himself desperately. “No, I do. I’m just used to lights.”
    “Gotcha,” I say, reaching over and crushing the center of the cigarette, popping the flavor packet thing and filling his mouth with the minty taste of menthol.
    “Oh, wow. That was unexpected.”
    “You’ve smoked, like, half a cigarette in your life, haven’t you?”
    “No, really. I smoke more than that. Why is it such a big deal to you?”
    I don’t answer, because it isn’t.
    “So now what?” I ask as I blow cigarette smoke into his face.
    “Now what, what?” He’s holding the cigarette awkwardly between his