Page 39 of Always There Bayou
After I’m looking and smelling good, I grab my things and head out to my car. It was a beautiful day in New South, the city that I’d called home since I was eleven. Was it weird that I worked in Baton Rouge but lived in New South? Nah, it was common. Because of how close the cities were, many people lived in one and worked in the other.
Even back when I was in high school, Miles High was home to an even mix of kids from BR and New South. Besides, Denny’s aunt and uncle owned the building where we lived, so we got a fantastic deal on the rent. And by “fantastic deal,” I mean that neither of us pays rent at all. We were going to live together, but we decided that we wanted our own space. However, now that we were together, I haven’t been back to my place to do anything except get a few things here or there. It’s not like I needed any clothes since I had plenty over at their place.
I shake my head as I pull up to the apartment building. I swipe my card and enter the parking garage to park in my usual spot. After collecting my things, I exited the vehicle and hit the lock on the keypad, leisurely walking over to the door that separated the garage from the main building. Swiping my card once more, I enter the building and take the elevator up to the fifth floor.
My stomach started to growl as soon as I stepped off the elevator and made my way to Denny’s place. I kept hoping that the smell was coming from their apartment and almost did a happy dance when I walked through the door and was hit by the mouthwatering scent of something being stewed. I locked the door, dropped my bag, kicked off my shoes, and immediately gravitated towards the kitchen to find Denny dancing to one of their favorite songs as they stirred a pot of what I could only hope was their delicious gumbo.
“Mm, that smells good,” I say, walking up behind them. They jumped but relaxed after turning to see it was only me. I kiss them softly before standing to the side. “Hey, Bunny. What you cooking? Please say it’s gumbo.”
“It is!” they replied, excitedly. They grab a small spoon and dip it into the pot, then blow on it and turn back towards me. “Open.”
I open my mouth, and they insert the spoon, allowing me to have a taste of the savory dish. I groaned as the flavors mixed and mingled on my tongue. The andouille sausage and shrimp, combined with the flavors of the okra and thick, gravy-like soup, had me floating. I’ve always been the type of person who could appreciate a good meal, and everything Denny made was that times ten. I could die happy at this very moment.
“Damn, that’s good,” I say. Denny’s face lights up, their body buzzing with excitement as they bounce up and down. “Yeah, imma need a big ass bowl of that, love.”
“Go sit at the table and I’ll bring it over,” they shooed me away, and I laughed, exiting the kitchen to take my spot at the dining table.
Over the next couple of minutes, Denny brought out bowls of gumbo and rice along with some crackers and hot sauce. They also fixed me a cup of their homemade strawberry tea lemonade that could put any restaurant version to shame. If the artist and tattoo thing didn’t work out, I was confident that they’d make a fantastic chef. But who am I kidding? Denny could do anything they put their mind to, so there was no if.
Also, they had me, their aunt, and uncle to back them up financially with whatever they wanted to do. I always found comfort in knowing that I could be a provider for them, and if they wanted to, they didn’t have to work a day in their life. I mean, I knew Denny could never not work, but I loved the fact that they’d always have that option.
“So, would you be interested in accompanying me to a New Year’s Eve get-together tonight?” I ask as we begin to dig into the hearty meal. They pause, and I notice the anxious look on their face. “Simone and Nala are hosting, so it’s gonna be just a few people. Nothing major. Honestly, I believe the only two people you won’t know are Nala’s cousin Ren and his wife, but they’re cool people.”
“That’s fine, but…doesn’t Simone live in downtown BR?” they ask nervously. I nod. “The fireworks…”
“It’s okay, Bunny,” I say softly, taking their hands into mine. “I’ll be right there with you the whole time.”
“I know,” they smile sweetly. “Thank you, Corduroy.”
“I got you. Always,” I assure them, bringing their hand to my mouth to kiss softly.
We finish our meal and then spend some time watching one of the shows we’d started together yesterday as they retwist my hair. Once they were done, they decided to give me another tattoo. This wasn’t uncommon since damn near all of my tattoos were ones they’d done on the spur of the moment. I’d never complain, though, because I loved every second of it.
It only took a few minutes for them to get everything set out, and soon they were tattooing one of the empty spaces on my left arm. It turned out to be a flower that looked a lot like a dahlia. It was gorgeous, but I expected nothing less. Denny was the most talented artist I’ve ever seen, and they were naturally gifted at tattooing with the steadiest hands ever.
“Beautiful,” I say as I look at the tattoo in the small hand mirror. It blended in perfectly with the other flowers I had in that same space.
I let them wrap my arm to protect the tattoo, and then pulled them in for a kiss. There has always been something so sexy about watching them in their element. It took everything in me not to scoop them up and carry them to their room, but it was nearing the time for us to head over to Simone’s place, so I had to push those feelings down.
“Okay, Bunny. Let’s go get dressed,” I say as we break apart. They nod before turning to put their supplies back in the travel case. “Simone said that it’s gonna be a pajama party.”
They gasp, turning back to me with excitement in their eyes. I groan playfully. Of course, they were into this idea. “Oooh, that’s exciting! I’ve always wanted to go to a pajama party!”
They hop up from their seat and scurry off to the room. I chuckled, shaking my head as I entered the other bedroom where my clothes were. I decided to take another quick shower before getting dressed in a pair of boxer briefs and a sports bra. I sift through the dresser drawer and pull out a pair of blue plaid pajama pants and a black, long-sleeved sleep shirt.
Well, it was more like a thin sweatshirt, but I knew it would work fine. Usually, when I slept, I wore nothing but a graphic tee and boxers. Since we weren’t going to be in the comfort of our own home, I figured that wouldn’t be appropriate. I mean, Simone (and Harley) had seen me in nothing but boxers and a sports bra before, but it wouldn’t be only them there.
I quickly got dressed before sliding on a pair of socks and then stepping into my favorite pair of Nike slides. I tied my hair down with a durag and then grabbed a coat, stuffing my keys and phone in the pocket. As I exited the room, Denny exited their room as well, and I couldn’t help but stare.
Similar to me, they were wearing blue plaid pajama pants, but theirs hugged their curves and hung a bit off their waist, giving me the perfect view of the band of their boyshorts. They were also rocking a cropped shirt, and all I wanted to do was kiss all over the exposed skin of their stomach. My head was spinning as they came closer with that innocent yet teasing smile on their face.
“Aw, look at us kinda matching!” they say. “I love that for us.”
“You’re gonna be the death of me, Bunny,” I groan as the scent of their favorite fragrance swirls around me. They giggle. “Come on and let’s go before we end up missing the party. Fuck, you’re so fine…”
“Thank you, babe,” they smile and kiss me on the cheek. They grab their coat and bag before stepping into a pair of slippers and then loop their arm with mine, pulling me towards the door. “I’m ready to have a few shots.”
“Hey, y’all. Welcome! Oooh, nice PJs!” Nala greets us as she opens the door, and all I can do is stare, mouth agape.
