Chapter 4: Passions in Public

“Shouldn’t we take the laptop?” Hunter asked as he grabbed his backpack and tablet while Harrison was opening their bedroom door.

“Nah, we have everything back at the store”, he replied as he walked out, Hunter following.

Papaw was sitting in the living room watching the morning news as Mamaw sat in her recliner reading her romance novels.

“We’re heading out, love you guys” Harrison said as Hunter followed with, “Love you”.

“Love you, too and be safe”, Mamaw said and Papaw said, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do”

“So do everything, got it” Hunter said, laughing as Papaw joined in the laughter.

Harrison walked around their car as he opened the passenger’s door for Hunter. “Thank you” Hunter said. Harrison got into the car and pulled out of the driveway. Hunter appreciated the view of the mountains in the far background as they drove out.

“I always loved the view of the mountains. It’s like they surround us” Hunter said.

“They do” Harrison added.

“Have you ever noticed how they look like a deep purple and blue hue from this distance. It makes the sky almost look dark from this view.”

“I have. It is beautiful”

“Did you have that interview setup for ... what was the time again?

“Yeah. It was at one” Harrison said as he pulled into the gas station. “Need to fill the car up before we head to the store”

“Alright. I’ll get some coffee and a couple of cheesy roll ups” Hunter said as he got out of the car.

Hunter walked into the old gas station noticing the disrepair the building was in. He approached the door which was a dirty glass door with signs from the early 2000s. The inside was no better with a stained blue and white square floor and old white walls that have darkened stains throughout them. The cashier was a young girl who was preoccupied on her phone as a customer approached the counter.

“What a dump” Hunter whispered to himself walking toward the fridges.

He saw they only had one coffee, which greatly disappointed him as he loved his mocha cold coffee. Hunter grabbed the last one for Harrison. As he was about to turn away, he noticed in the fridge adjacent to his left had a coffee put just in front of a bottle of sparkling water. Hunter rejoiced at the sight and went to step in front of the door as he bumps into a young guy.

“Oh shit, sorry!” Hunter says as he backs up.

“No problem”, the guy says as he opens the fridge and grabs the coffee.

“Oh, I really wanted to get that” Hunter said desperately as he locked eyes with the young blue-eyed guy.

“Sorry, my brother really likes this coffee and you got one there”, he said pointing toward the coffee Hunter held in his right hand.

“My fiancé also loves this and so do I!” Hunter exclaimed as he began to feel slightly annoyed as he was obviously approaching the door.

The guy stood there and let out a sigh, “Okay, this time though. Next time it’s all fair game”, he said as he extended his arm out with the coffee. Hunter noticed on his arm a green, gold and blue dragon tattoo.

Hunter took the coffee, “Thank you and you’re on then. By the way, love the tatt”, he said.

“You’re welcome and thanks”, he replied smiling at Hunter. He couldn’t help but notice the cute grin past his light dusty facial hair. His black short but wavy hair also caught his attention. This guy was cute, but Hunter always believed the ‘look but don’t touch’ rule.

Hunter approached the counter as the guy walked towards the chips.

“Hey”, he said as he put his items down. “Two of those cheese rollups too, please”, he continued. Hunter observed her nametag, Jessica, as she nodded turning and facing the food warmer and grabbing the rollups. He recalled that she was the same girl who once flirted with him, asked him out in a forwarded manner and was embarrassed when he revealed he is gay. How that slipped his mind at first made him perplexed, but in the end he mentally laughed.

“That will be $17.75” Jessica said as she finished ringing the items up.

Hunter scanned his phone on the reader at the front counter. The screen displayed ‘processing’ and then ‘paid’ as Jessica bagged his items. He could tell she still felt awkward from their last encounter.

She handed him his items and looked down saying, “Thank you and have a nice day.”

“Thank you as well and you too, Jessica” Hunter said as he grabbed the bags and headed near the door.

He approached their small green four seat car that had a cute rainbow sticker on the backseat windows. Harrison was sitting in the driver’s seat looking at his phone as Hunter opened the door and sat down.

“So, how much did you mentally judge the gas station as if it was your first time being here?” Harrison asked, giggling while placing his phone down.

“You just don’t let that down, do you? If it was someone’s fashion, you’d be all like, ‘Eeeh ... their clothes are gross and making me all pissy’ ... and you know it. So, yes I will judge this place ... forever” Hunter went on as Harrison took the coffee and rollup.

“That always sets you off and you look just so cute ... like an angry kitten” Harrison said laughing as Hunter huffs slightly.

“Don’t make me spank you” Hunter threatened.

“Promise?”

“You know it” Hunter said as they pulled out onto the highway.

Hunter turned the radio on hearing rap music blaring back on the car speakers.

“Oh god, really?” Hunter asked as he changed the station to a more pop based.

“That was so not me, blame Papaw!”

“Sure, Papaw”, he replied in disbelief.

“You know Papaw...”

“True ... wait, why was he in our car?”

“Mamaw had their car the other day, remember?”

“Ah, shit. Forgot” Hunter said as he looked out the window towards the old town mall that is nearly a ghost town after people moved to Clarksdale.

“I miss that mall” Harrison noted.

“Same.”

Around ten minutes later they arrived at H&H Tech Store.

“I know our parents would be proud of how we are coming along with their store” Harrison reminisced on their parents.

“Absolutely. I hope we can begin our dream plan soon.”

“I know we can, we will be able to open our second store in Clarksdale.”

“That will help us get our own home too...”

“Agreed. Let’s get the day started. Sales have been so good lately” Harrison replied as he got out of the car.

Hunter joined Harrison as he approached their parents’ old store. The front of the building had a large window with H&H Tech Store written in golden ink on the front with the hours on the far right in white ink near the door. They walked into the store immediately greeted with a table of laptops and tablets.