Crystal Clear

The sound of the alarm blared at exactly seven in the morning. Saint reached out and slammed his hand down on top of the clock shutting it off. He rubbed his face with his hand and groaned. He couldn't believe he signed up for a Saturday morning class. What the hell was he thinking. Sighing he literally rolled out of bed and landed on his feet and headed for the shower.

He finished getting ready, grabbed his backpack and a cup of coffee and headed to the bus stop. As he waited for the bus, he wondered how long he should wait for a certain someone to contact him. He could feel himself blushing. It was such an amazing night. He never felt so comfortable with someone so quickly. Seeing that his ride pulled up he headed for school.

The bus came to a gentle stop in front of the campus. He stepped out and headed to his Environmental Economics class. Mr. Jansen was a very intense instructor. He takes economics very seriously. Saint sighed. You cannot slack in this class or you won't pass. He had completed all his assignments yesterday before he went to play at The Jazz Place. He just hoped to stay awake thru the two-hour class.

He felt his phone vibrate. Glancing down he pulled his phone out of his back pocket and looked to see who texted him. His face fell slightly when he saw that it was Tommy. Tommy wanted him to stop by the Grocery store to pick up a few things he needed on his way home. He texted him back with a "no problem" and went into the classroom and took his seat.

Despite the difficulty of the class, Saint really enjoyed Economics. He really wanted to understand how the world worked on an economic level. He wanted to start his own business when he gets out of school. He likes the idea of a bookstore and he has been researching locations, styles and the types of services he could provide. The love of books came from his Mom. She always tells him that he was born with a book in his hands. It always makes him laugh. He also knows the challenges because of the digital world we live in now. But he is optimistic that he can pull it off.

As Mr. Jansen was discussing the three pillars of sustainable investing and Saint was feverishly taking notes, he felt his phone vibrate again. He knew instantly who it was, but he could not look at his phone without feeling the wrath of his Instructor, so he ignored it and continued taking notes. Closing his eyes briefly, he glanced at his watch....... another hour and a half to go.

Finally, Mr. Jansen finished lecturing and handed out the assignments for the upcoming week and dismissed the class. Saint grabbed all his papers, stuffing them in his backpack and headed for the door. Reaching in his back pocket he pulled out his cell phone. Looking at the text he received. Smiling he saw Zee's name appear on his screen. He placed his finger on the text message to open it and read "Good morning. I would have texted earlier, but I did not want to wake you. I thought perhaps you might like to stop by my restaurant and have lunch with me. If you can't I understand." Saint sat down on a bench and thought how he should respond. He wanted to shout YES at the top of his lungs but decided he probably should try to refrain himself and not scare the man to death that was sitting next to him on the bench.

He finally decided to just texted Zee back saying "Good Morning. I had class this morning so no worries about waking me up. I would love to have lunch with you." Saint sat back on the bench and waited. After about a minute Zee texted back. "You scared me". Saint stared at the message for a minute and typed "I did?". Zee typed "You didn't respond to my text earlier, I thought perhaps you changed you mind." Saint smiled and text "No, promise, it never even crossed my mind."

Zee texted him the address of the restaurant and told him to come around one in the afternoon. On the way home, he stopped at the store for Tommy. When he arrived home, he delivered the food to Tommy. "So how is you class going?" Tommy asked. Saint gave him the run down. Teasingly, he made a few jokes about Mr. Jansen's dedication. He really did admire the man.

"Are you gonna share?" Tommy asked smirking. Saint looked up from the mail he was going through. "Share what?" He gave him an innocent look. Tommy busted out laughing "Come on Saint, what happen last night? You were like two hours later than usual when you go play at The Jazz Place." Saint's cheeks turned slightly pink "I met someone" he whispered. Tommy stared for a minute and screamed "JIMMY come here. You will never believe what has happened." Jimmy was in the living room playing his video game. "Come on, Tommy, I am almost at level 100." "But Jimmy, SAINT met someone" he yelled back. Next thing you know Jimmy is standing in the kitchen staring at Saint. "Who is he? I want to meet him. Do we know him? What's his name? Does he go to our Uni?" Saint shook his head laughing.

"Has he finished college? How old is he?" Jimmy kept on trying to get information out of Saint. "Breath Jimmy. Stop worrying, I just met him. If all goes well, you will meet him eventually. What are you my Mother?" Saint said giggling while he grabbed a carrot and headed to his bedroom to get ready for his lunch date. Wow, he thought, my first date with Zee.

Saint decided on casual black slacks and a dark green silk shirt. He had never been to this restaurant so wasn't sure on the dress code so opted for a casual look but with a touch of class. At least he hoped so any way.

He left the dorm with a ton of questions being hurled at him from his overprotective roommates. He just laughed and waved. He managed to get to Zee's place with a few minutes to spare.

The outside of the restaurant was stylish and modern. An outdoor café was to the left of the entrance giving customers the option to enjoy their meal outside. A lot of plants and flowers covered various pots and flower beds circling the entry way into the cafe. Saint thought it was lovely. He went into the main entrance and was greeted by the host at the Front desk. "How can I help you, Sir." Saint started to tell her that he was here to meet Zee, but he hesitated. Suddenly behind he, he heard "He is here for me, Stacey." Zee smiled at her and placed his hand gently on the back of Saint's arm and guided him to a door in the back of the building that was marked private.

Going through the door, Saint glanced around the spacious room. On the left side was setup as an office and the right was a small living area with a sofa and tv. There was a small kitchenette and dining table to the back of the room. Saint turned to Zee. "Nice setup." Zee smiled "Yea I spend a lot of time here. Go ahead and have a seat. I have a menu over on the table. Look it over and let me know what you would like for lunch."

Saint pick up the menu. After deciding on an entree, he walked over to the desk where Zee was working on his computer and leaned his hip against the edge of the desk next to his chair. Saint asked, "Busy day?" Zee lifted his head and looked at him. "It has been crazy today. We were supposed to have a delivery of some fresh produce and it hasn't showed up yet, so I had to make some adjustments to the menu and one of the ovens went down. A repair man is on the way." He sighed and smiled at Saint warmly "But the day suddenly seems perfect now." Saint gave him a sweet smile and leaned down and kissed him. It was a slow lingering kiss and after a few seconds Zee opened his mouth allowing Saint to nibble on his bottom lip and insert his tongue. Zee moaned and pulled away. "OK, tell me what you have decided to eat." Saint gave him a knowing look and said, "I think I will have the Mediterranean chicken."

Zee called the kitchen and place their lunch order and went over and sat down on the sofa. "What's your plan for tonight?" he asked. "I don't have any right now. Usually Tommy, Jimmy and I hang out and play video games. What do you have in mind?" Saint asked suggestively wiggling his eyebrows. Zee laughed "I thought we might catch dinner and a movie?" Saint started giggling and told him he thought that was a great idea.

After lunch Saint left for home. Zee gave him a peck on the cheek at the door and told him he would pick him up around seven this evening and to go ahead at check out the Theater to decide what movie he wanted to see.

At seven on the dot, Zee knocked on the door and Tommy opened the door. Zee said hello and he was here to pick up Saint. Tommy smiled and yelled "JIMMY, come here." A minute later another man came to the door. "Why are you always yelling at me?" Jimmy complained. Tommy glanced at Zee and said, "This is Saint's boyfriend." Just when Jimmy was about to give Zee the third degree, Saint pushed his way through. "Come on, guys. Leave him alone. He is not my boyfriend." He gave Zee an apologetic look. "I am sorry. They are a little overprotective of me sometimes." Zee smiled and said he totally understood.

Saint grabbed his jacket and Zee's arm and left laughing at his two friends. Outside, Zee opened the car door for Saint and went around to the other side and slide into the driver's seat. Before starting the car, he asked quietly "I'm not your Boyfriend?" Startled, Saint looked at him. "This is our second date." He stated. Zee leaned over and whispered to him. "One date or a thousand dates. My feelings for you will never change." He stared at Zee intently. The meaning of that one statement made it crystal clear to him. Zee loved him.