Dandy

Jason took the hammer out of his cart and slotted it back on the rack. The itch under his shoulderblade came back. He contorted his arm under the bright red vest to reach it. Getting distracted by how satisfying it was to reach it, he missed someone approaching from behind.

“Could you help me?” A gruff voice startled Jason. In panicked embarrassment, he nearly ripped his vest as he tried to right himself.

“Yes! what can I do for…?” He came face to face with the most attractive man he’d ever seen. “You. Sorry. I was just.” Jason nearly choked on his tongue as he tried to recover from what was certainly the most embarrassing moment in his life.

“Finally hitting a hard spot to reach is certainly a great feeling.” The stranger’s eyes twinkled with humor and a smile brightened his ruddy skin. A neatly trimmed beard engulfed lips that teased something unknowable, and the deep brown eyes hypnotized Jason. “Can you direct me to the rope and fencing wire?”

“Of course!” Jason sputtered, the cart of go-backs completely forgotten. “Unfortunately since I’m one of two people that help keep the store alive there isn’t a lot of organization. It’s actually my father’s. And my grandfather’s, and his father’s…” He trailed off when he realized he was rambling. “I don’t know why I'm explaining it to you. I’m sure you understand how family businesses work.” Jason led the attractive man through the aisles to the spot that held his required materials.

“Oh yes. I’m finding out just how family businesses work.” He started to gather up some rope and wire. “I just got thrown into my own storm of shit. I didn’t realize just how much work fixing up a farm entails.”

Jason stood there for a minute, befuddled. Then it clicked. “You got Old Man Johnsons’ farm?”

He chuckled. “Yup. I really got myself in over my head with this.”His voice was tinged with sadness and his posture was different as he straightened up. Jason had the sudden urge to hug him, but held himself back as he realized who this man was.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Jason started to feel uncomfortable at the same moment the store door jingled, signaling another customer. “Let me know if you need anything else.” Jason said softly as he backed away. The timing couldn't have been better as his cheeks had begun to beat red hot, and with how pale he was Jason was sure it was obvious. As he made it up to the counter one of the store’s regulars was waiting.

“Hello Mrs. Fink. You ready for your monthly supplies?” Jason said.

“You always ask that. Ever since I missed one pick up because I overslept.” She grinned in amusement. “Speaking of oversleeping.” She made quotation marks with her fingers as she said the last word. “Have you heard who the new owner of the Johnsons’ Farm is?” Jason caught the mischievous glimmer she got when she had some gossip to share.

“Depends on what it is you’ve heard.” Jason replied.

“Well.” She launched into a lengthy explanation of the string of people that lasted almost a good minute. “And she heard that Frank’s nephew had been involved with … men.” At that moment the very man she was talking about came around the corner. She glanced at him with a curious expression, the same one that she would give any stranger that wandered through her store. “In an inappropriate manner.” She had forgotten about the man now standing nearby, and was expecting Jason to agree with her, but he was only confused about what she meant.

“You mean he raped men?” Jason said as he brought her box of merchandise above the counter. “What? Was he in prison or something?”

“Oh heavens no. nothing like that.” She paused and seemed to contemplate for a second. “Although if you put it like that it might as well be just as bad. It's just unnatural. He’s a Dandy, or so I heard.” Jason caught the man stiffen at that word, and began to feel a little uncomfortable himself. The expression on Jason's face also betrayed confusion to Mrs. Fink. “I believe the term you younger folks are more familiar with is fa…”

“Alright!” Jason exclaimed when he realized where she was going. He produced the box of Mrs. Fink’s goods and shoved them across the counter. “Thank you for coming in and I’ll have the store charge your credit for it at the end of the month.”

Mrs. Fink, visibly confused by the outburst, mumbled her gratitude and hefted the box into a cart. She proceeded to quietly squeak her way out of the store. The man approached the counter, red faced and visibly agitated.

“Sorry about her.” Jason said as he began to ring up the small quantity of items. “She’s really very sweet once you get to know her. A terrible gossip though.” Jason thought that would help lighten the mood, but it only served to deepen the red in his cheeks. “We’re not all like that. Ignorant Homophobes. She just has no filter and grew up being spoon-fed lies about gay people.” When that did little to assuage him Jason tried one last thing. “And I’m pretty sure she brags about being dropped on her head as a baby.”

This time he let out a short throaty chuckle, and his face lightened with a smaller smile than before. It was still a smile, making Jason smirk. “Thanks for that. I, frankly, should've been more prepared for stuff like that. I’m just surprised it circulated that quickly.”

Jason knew exactly how he felt. “It is a small town. So small most of the kids that grow up here fit on one bus that goes to the next county over because we have no school of our own.”

The man sucked in a short breath through his teeth. “That sounds awful.” He smiled. “How ever did you survive?”

“The same way I always tell my niblings…” The door burst open to two squeals of gleeful children. The door chime drowned out as they shouted, “Uncle Jason!!” They deftly swept around the man and under behind the counter to leap onto Jason. “Speak of the demons, and they shall appear.” He held one in each arm. A boy about four years old and a girl around seven years old. They squeezed his face with a hug of death for a second before letting him breathe.

The man watched in confused bemusement.

“Who is this? Jason hadn't noticed his sister entering through the hug of death. She was looking the man up and down. So he turned to look at her.

“This is just a new customer. He…”

“Is the new owner of the Johnson’s farm.” She reached out a hand in greeting. “Very nice to meet you. I’m Linda.” The man took her hand and shook it.

“I’m Gage.” He said. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

Jason set his niblings down and they scampered off with him calling out a warning not to touch anything. The grin on his face knowing full well they wouldn’t listen. “While I would love to stay and chat, I have to make sure Jenny doesn’t kill Cameron.” She started to follow the children, and looked back. “It was very nice to meet you, Gage.” Gage turned back to face Jason letting Linda give a wink to Jason before disappearing down an aisle, following her raucous children.

“So what was it you were about to say? Something about telling those delightful chaotic niblings of yours?” Gage said, unable to keep from smiling.

“Oh yeah. If you take out the biggest kid from your grade then the rest will leave you alone.” Jason chuckled. “Saying it out loud to another adult sounds more violent than it really is. It’s really just an anti-bully measure I had to use in my younger years.”

“Oh really.” Gage handed a card to Jason, their hands brushing as Jason took it. Jason couldn't keep himself from blushing as the rough hands practically caressed his as he handed the card back, the transaction being processed. As their eyes met there was no mistaking the look in Gage’s. “Well, maybe you can show me some of those techniques. Gently of course.” He reached into his brown winter coat and produced a business card that only had a phone number on it. “By the way.” He said on his way out, “That will self-destruct in thirty seconds.” He winked and disappeared with a tinkle of the door chime.

Jason was left staring wistfully at the door. “You like him. Don't you Uncle Jason?”

“Nora!” Linda appeared around the row of shelves and scooped up her daughter. “Thats rude to ask.”

Jason couldn’t help but laugh after the brief moment of paralyzing fear brought on by how obvious it was. “You’re ok Squishy.” Nora scowled at the nickname.

“I told you never to call me that!” She said, huffing in reserved anger. “I’m not four anymore!” She wriggled out from her mothers grasp and snatched the card from her uncle. She took off squealing through the aisles. Jason raced after her.

“Nora! Don't you lose that card!” Surprised by his outburst she paused and faced him.

“Then text him right now.”

“Excuse me?” He stared down at the rather serious looking seven year old.

“You heard me Uncle J. Text him right now.” She thrust the card into his hands. “If there was someone I knew who liked me, I would want them to tell me, instead of being a pussy.”

“Nora!” Linda exclaimed from the end of the aisle. “For the last time you are not old enough to use that word! She marched over and picked up her daughter, who maintained eye contact with her uncle for as long as physically possible.

Maybe she was right. Besides, what could go wrong? Maybe he was the one. He pulled out his phone and input the number, composed a text and went to hit send. He felt pressure as Linda touched his arm. Her face was full of concern.

“You know what this means, right?” As she said that the realization of the rumors and if he really wanted a relationship with Gage he would have to be out if it were going to last. For once the anxiety wasn’t there. He was the one.

He smiled and hit send.