I sat as far away from him as I could in the passenger seat as he drove comfortably toward the salvation that was waiting at his shared apartment. He reached for the car radio and used the Bluetooth setting to play music from his phone.

He sang softly along with the radio, breathing gently into each note, holding and releasing and caressing each note as though he was sad to see the last one go. Harmonizing effortlessly with the singer and adlibbing every so often giving the song a new feeling as though his vocal chords were there to make passionate love to the song, bringing a feeling of both sadness and ecstasy. My body responded with such ease as I listened to his honey laced in a trance like state. I had completely forgotten about the outside world. My worries about being alone with him began to melt into oblivion. I focused on his every facial expression as he slightly squinted his eyes and tensed and relaxed his throat, as the song reached the high points his voice brought each note into the ic that can only be brought on through the true love and unconditional desire that his voice holds. I finally snapped out of my daze and realized we had stopped in a park.

I didn’t know what the heck was going on. Are we picking up someone before we go to the apartment? He got out of the car and walked slowly around the car to the trunk. He pulled something small out of the back and got back in the car and began heading home again, never once looking in my general direction, not even when we were turning corners.

We finally made it to his apartment building. He quickly hopped out of the dirver seat and ran to open my door. ‘What a gentleman’ I thought as he held the door open. He still refused to make eye contact with me.

‘Ugh, what the hell is wrong with him. Did I do something to upset him?’ I couldn’t make any sense of what was really going on. As we waited for the elevator to reach the parking garage floor, I kept replaying the night in my head. I don’t think I did anything to make him act so cold all of a sudden. Maybe he was just tired. Yeah that’s got to be it. The Jongy I know is never like this. He’s always happy and smiling when he’s around people that he knows care about him? Hmm.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open quietly. He held out his arm gesturing me to go first. I entered then he followed. He pushed the button to his floor and we waited in silence, the only sound that could be heard was the ding of the elevator as we passed each floor. When the elevator finally reached the floor of his apartment, I couldn’t take the silence anymore.

“Are you okay Jongy? You seem upset”

“No I’m not upset. You want to know something?”

“What?” I asked warily, thinking that he might tell me I smelled like nervous sweat or even worse.

“I love it when you call me Jongy, it sounds so cute and sweet coming from your lips”

I smiled shyly and turned my face away from him so he couldn’t see the complete elation on my face. So he wasn’t mad at me. And he likes when I call him Jongy!!!! I turned around after about 30 seconds and he was still standing there, just staring at me. Then his hand reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of my face, letting his fingertips linger briefly on my cheek.

If I could die right now then the pain in my chest from heart trying to jump out would stop!!! I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Oh my goodness he smelled so good. Whatever cologne he was wearing should have been named because I swear my body responded to the scent more than his fingers!!!! He leaned in close to me, then thought twice and turned around to open the door.