Part 2 (1/2)
Noah had his eye on the flat screen television, which sat on the floor next to a box marked GAMES.
Can I look at your games? Noah signed to Jackson after we had finished eating. Noah signed to Jackson after we had finished eating.
”Sure,” Jackson said. ”Want me to help you set it up?”
”He's good at that kind of stuff,” I said.
Noah scampered over and opened the box. He held up Modern Warfare III Modern Warfare III with a look of wretched pleading on his face. with a look of wretched pleading on his face.
I shook my head.
”What's wrong with Modern Warfare Modern Warfare?” Jackson asked.
”We don't play games where we kill imaginary people just to have fun,” I said.
”'Kill imaginary people just to have fun'?” Jackson repeated with a smirk.
”That's the rule. I'm the pinko commie b.a.s.t.a.r.d of the family and my son is following in my footsteps. If you've got a game where he can shoot people like Mitt Romney and the Koch brothers, hey, I'm all for it. Until then....”
”So you're a bit political?”
”Don't tell me that you're one of these morons who doesn't vote because you don't think your vote will make any difference.”
”I never had time for it.”
”Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! So you're the reason why we're drowning in all these ideologically inebriated Tea Party mad dog types.”
”I take it you're not Republican.”
”Just the thought of the Republican party makes my b.a.l.l.s jump back up into my s.c.r.o.t.u.m.”
”I'll keep that in mind,” he said with a smile. ”Would you like another beer?”
Jackson fetched fresh beers from the fridge while Noah got the game console hooked up.
We watched him play for a while.
”I shouldn't have brought him,” I said, ”but I couldn't get a babysitter. Well, I already had one for this morning when I had to work. Couldn't afford another one, is what I'm saying. Just so you know, we're a package deal. I'm telling you that straight up before you've got any skin in the game.”
”Two for the price of one, eh?”
”Something like that.”
”Is that supposed to scare me?”
”I hope not, but it's the truth. Noah's my main man. I might be able to squeeze you in now and again for a quickie, but he's my first priority. His mom ran off on him. I'm not about to do the same.”
”I think it's kind of s.e.xy dating a single dad. I've never done that before.”
”So we're dating now?”
”I don't know. Should we be?”
He put his hand on my bare knee to emphasize his point.
”A tempting proposition,” I said. ”North meets South. It could get ugly.”
”b.u.t.t ugly,” he said.
”The naked truth could be....”
”Worth seeing?” he suggested.
”Definitely,” I said. ”But we're a conservative lot down here.”
”Does that mean we can't hold hands while we're out in public?”
”Something like that.”
”A challenge. I like it.”
”It's like they say: If you love Southern men, raise your gla.s.s. If you don't, raise your standards.”
”Can't say I've heard that one.”
”You need to get out more. You any good at courting?”
”There's a first time for everything,” he said.
”I think I'm going to like you,” I said.
”If you like me now, just wait until I get you alone and in bed.”
”Promises, promises,” I said dismissively. ”Takes more than a sugar mouth to shake the sugar tree, darling.”
He leaned over and put his lips against mine. His hand fell to my crotch, felt the sudden, urgent hardness there.
”We've got to be careful in front of the children,” I said, pulling away. ”But not too careful.”
Noah was too engrossed in the whole Xbox extravaganza to notice or care.
”You remind me of Daryl on The Walking Dead The Walking Dead,” Jack observed.
”The redneck with the crossbow?” I said, incredulous, and somewhat offended.
”Yeah,” he said. ”He's a hottie. Just like you.”
”A hottie?”