Part IV - Chapter 13

I hadn't done any livestreams of myself in a long while. In fact, I was beginning to lose interest in continuing them. I suppose being celibate and avoiding having sex to focus on my modeling career professionally made me opt to take myself more seriously, and have other people take me more seriously too. Perhaps being a softcore camboy was simply something I had outgrown.

During my breaks working at the grocery, I'd tell Wyatt or Katelyn about what modeling was like and my dreams and ambitions of becoming a famous model. It was nice that they were so encouraging.

I needed to find a new book to read, I hadn't found anything lately that really piqued my interest. I tried picking up some stories through my reading app, but I would end up reading a chapter or two before putting it down to 'save for later.'

The weekend before my trip to New York came around, and I had planned on visiting Mr. Fotia again to help with building the shed. I couldn't help but admit that I was taking a liking to the man. He was alright, and not at all bad on the eyes either. But he was Nia's father, I couldn't possibly ever have feelings for him. That would be way too weird. But I thought I was definitely on the right path of getting him to like me.

It was a Saturday, and I figured that maybe I'd stop by the mall and see how Nia was doing at her job. I got ready before I drove down to Sage Shopping Centre, which was the mall where Nia worked at.

I parked at an empty parking spot closest to the mall, making a mental note where I parked my car for later. I entered the mall, and it was a bit of an old-looking mall, one that probably hadn't been renovated since the 80's. Nevertheless, there was something about a retro mall that was very appealing in its own way.

I looked at the mall's map and directory to find GameShoppe. When I located my location on the map and then planned how to get to my destination, I made my way there, admiring the different stores I passed by as I walked. There was a women's clothing store that had mannequins wearing gorgeous dresses with matching footwear and accessories. I had to stop for a moment to admire how they looked, and wondered… I wonder how beautiful I'd look in those dresses too…

I continued to walk along as I saw an advertisement for an advertisement for a young man named Deen Reynolds' new album that was to come out in a month. He was a handsome man, maybe around the same age as me, but he wasn't really my type. I made my way through the mall, passing by all kinds of different stores. I never really went to a big mall when I was younger, so being in a mall like this made me feel a bit excited.

I finally made it to the store, seeing Nia dressed in her uniform shirt, as she was helping out a customer and explaining her recommendation on which game in the series to start with. When she caught my eye, she smiled, and seeing her smile made me smile too.

She finished talking to the customer before walking over to me. "Hello, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Um, yeah, which game can I get that has the most gorgeous guys in it?" I jokingly asked, as if I were actually a customer. But if I were being honest, I kind of did want to know.

She chuckled. "Well, I would definitely recommend Sakura Magical Boys if you're into pretty boys, but if you're more into hunky, muscular yakuza men, then the Like a Tiger series is definitely the way to go. The Destined Fantasy series is what you should check out if you're looking for a mix of pretty boys and hunky men. You've got a lot of variety there."

I grinned before laughing and Nia laughed as well. "What are you doing here?" She asked me.

I shrugged. "I thought I would stop by and see how you're doing when you're working. And I was planning on going to your house after to help your dad out with that shed."

She nodded and smiled. "I'm still really grateful that you're doing this for me, Cody. As I said, I owe you one."

I shook my head. "Nah, don't worry about 'owing' me anything," I said. "Your dad is pretty cool. I don't mind helping him out."

She snorted. "My dad, cool? That's funny," she said with a snicker. "Well, whatever. I'm just glad you two are getting closer, I'm hoping soon that I'll be able to move out and you and I can finally live together again."

Soon, Nia had to leave me to go and help out some customers who looked like they needed help. I looked over to watch, and it really seemed that Nia had such a bright personality that made it perfect for her to work in a place like this, where she can help other people and enthuse about the stuff she was knowledgeable on.

I looked at some of the games that were on display as I waited for Nia to finish talking to the two men, who were a bit weird looking, wore glasses, and had neckbeards growing. I didn't know why, but something about them seemed off to me.

Nia left to go check something in the back room. I pulled my phone from my pocket, opening up the camera app as I began to record, putting my phone in my back pocket as I let it secretly record a video from the outer camera. If something happens, I'll catch it on video… And if nothing happens, I'll simply delete the video later.

I walked by them, pretending to browse the shelf across from them in the aisle while my phone recorded them.

"That employee we just talked to, she was gorgeous," the lanky man with a nasally voice said to the other man. "Did you read her name tag?"

"Yeah, her name's Nia," the other man said, who was chubby and had his belly sticking out from the bottom of his shirt. "She seemed really into us, and she knows so much about games… She's my dream girl."

"Maybe we'll finally get lucky," the first man said as he nudged the other. "Let's shoot our shot with her. We deserve to have a woman like that, don't we?"

"We sure do. It's about time. I think this might be fate," the second man mused. "It's destiny telling me that either one of us will finally have a nice female to save us from our shitty virgin lives."

"Hopefully she won't say no, or else she'll be sorry."

The two high fived and I scowled at their words. How can men like that exist and say things like that about women… It pisses me off. I may not be interested in women, but the fact that people can just say things like that about them doesn't sit right with me.

But I didn't intervene, I simply got it all on video before Nia came back to them. "I just checked in the back, and the next stock of Blazing Talisman doesn't come until next week, sorry about that."

"Oh, that's fine…Though we couldn't find what we were looking for, maybe you can recommend some other games to play? Over… Dinner?" The lanky man asked Nia, as she chuckled. "Sorry, I'm not interested. I'm just here to do my job."

"Come on, you're a perfect gamer girl queen. Wouldn't you love to play games together while getting your feet rubbed?" The chubby man asked, licking his lips.

"Uh…" Nia looked around her to try and find a way out of the situation. "I already said that I'm not interested, so please, can we just drop it?"

"So you think you're too good for us, huh?" The chubby guy asked in a raised tone as Nia raised her brows in surprise at the aggressive tone. "What?"

"Fucking females, they're all the same," the lanky one said angrily. "This is why the government needs to start providing mandatory girlfriends to incels, since obviously females think they're above being with men like us."

"Fucking excuse me?" Nia asked in confused bewilderment. "Look, it's nothing personal, I'm just trying to get in my bag—"

Nia gasped when the chubby man grabbed her arm tightly, making me widen my eyes. "You females are fucking sluts, opening your legs for guys that treat you like shit, yet pay no attention to guys who would treat you like a queen. You would be lucky to have someone like us, but you're so damn entitled that you don't see that."

I stomped up to the two men, and tried to push the chubby man away, but it didn't do much—as I was much too frail to even make any kind of difference. "Don't touch her!" I yelled out. I didn't know what came over me, but seeing them treat Nia like that made me enraged.

The two men looked down on me, and I winced. "Get out of my face! Guys with faces like yours wouldn't know shit about how we feel."

"That doesn't give you the right to harass women, you weirdos," I said, and thankfully it was beginning to cause a scene, people in the store looking at us. A man who I assumed to be the manager came out to see what was happening. "What's going on out here?" He asked.

"This bitch was acting all stuck-up, like she's too good for us," the chubby man said. "And this guy physically assaulted me!"

"Bullshit! You two started it!" Nia yelled out.

"I got everything on video," I said, pulling out my phone. The two men suddenly looked scared as I showed the manager the entire video, from the men saying gross things about Nia all the way to when they harassed both her and I.

"I'd like you two to leave the store, and to never come back," the manager said to them. "I don't want to ever see you two back here ever again. If I do, I'm calling the cops."

The two men seethed before deciding that it wasn't worth it to argue, and promptly left in frustration as they continued to rant about how unfair their lives were and how one day 'we would all pay.'

Nia looked down sadly with an expression of disgust on her face. "You okay, newbie?" The manager asked her. Nia nodded. "Yeah, I just feel kind of gross."

"You should take the day off," he said with a sympathetic look. "That must have been a lot."

Nia looked up and widened her eyes. "Uh, n-no, I'm fine—"

"Please, Nia. You'll still get your pay for this shift, consider it an apology for what happened today. My employees shouldn't have to go through something like that."

Nia then smiled a bit. "Thank you… Are you sure it's okay, though?"

The manager nodded. "Yes. Please, I insist."

Nia then took his hand and shook it. "Thank you so much," she said sincerely before she turned to me and smiled at me.

---

That's how Nia and I ended up hanging out around the mall, getting smoothies while we window shopped. Though we could have bought things, we were both still saving as much as we could for moving out.

We sat by the fountain that was in the middle of the mall as we drank our smoothies. "Are you feeling okay?" I asked her. "From… You know, earlier."

She pursed her lips and nodded. "Yeah… But honestly, I was a little scared," she said quietly. "I was worried they were really going to do something to me." She sighed before looking at me, smiling. "Thank you for your help, Cody. I really appreciate it."

I nodded and smiled back at her. "I mean, I would have done that for anyone."

She shook her head. "Still, I appreciate it." She sighed. "Wanna come over to my house now? I think I wanna change my clothes and play some games to get my mind off of it."

"Yeah, let's go," I said.

---

Nia and I drove our cars down to her house. I parked by the curb before I got out, and followed Nia up the porch as she unlocked the front door. "I'm home," she called out as we walked inside. There were sounds of what I assumed to be weights clunking coming from the basement before someone walked upstairs.

I widened my eyes seeing a shirtless, sweaty Mr. Fotia with a sweat towel around his neck. "You're home early," he said before looking at me. "Y'all came together?"

Nia and I looked at each other as if we were deciding who would explain. I decided it would be best if Nia handled it.

"Something happened at work," Nia said nervously as she played with her hands. "Cody came to visit me at work. Some guys were hitting on me, and I rejected them… Then one of them grabbed me and Cody stood to them, and he caught it all on camera… And then my manager gave me the rest of my shift off, so we just decided to come home."

Mr. Fotia had a sympathetic look on his face. "I'm sorry to hear 'bout that," he said gently with a nod. He patted his forehead with the towel. "What'd they look like? Swear if I ever find 'em scumbags…"

Nia rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it, It's been dealt with. I just wanna shower and change then play some games."

"You want… Something to eat?" He asked.

"Um… No, I'm good," she said before looking at me and I cleared my throat as she made her way upstairs. "Mr. Fotia, I came so I could help you out with the shed," I said, and I tried my best to avert my eyes from his sweaty, muscular body…

"You really did all that for my daughter?" He asked me. I looked at him, and his expression seemed softer. I nodded.

Mr. Fotia walked closer to me and placed a hand on my shoulder as I felt my heart skip a beat at the contact. "Thank you, young man…" He said in a grateful tone. "Thank you for bein' there for her. I really appreciate someone's lookin' out for my daughter."

I felt my face heat up in embarrassment as I averted my eyes. "It's just what friends do. I care about her."

Mr. Fotia nodded and took his hand back. "Let me just go n' shower and change and I'll meet ya out back," he said before heading upstairs as I gulped, making my way outside to get to the backyard. Is it bad that I don't want him to change?

---

I sat on top of the hot tub as I scrolled through my phone while I waited for Mr. Fotia. He finally came out of the house through the back door, dressed in a tight blue t-shirt and cargo shorts. "Alright, let's get started," he said before he walked over to the wall frames we built last weekend.

"I want ya to hold the frames while I nail 'em in place," he said as he picked up one of the wall frames from one side, and I picked it up from the other. He directed me where to place it while I followed him. When we got it in the spot, I held the frame there as Mr. Fotia nailed it in place. "Okay, good," he said to himself as he observed the frame standing on its own.

He made sure the wall frame was secure before we got the next wall frame, and we led it over to the opposite side of the shed.

"So, Cody," Mr. Fotia said, taking me by surprise. He never addressed me by my actual name before. "What were ya studyin' in school?"

"Literature," I said, as I held the wall frame for him.

"Literature? Yeah, I remember you said that ya like reading," Mr. Fotia said as he nailed the wall frame in place. "Would you wanna go back to school? Or are ya set on this modeling thing?"

I took a moment to think as I sighed. "Hmm… I dunno. I think I'm really focusing hard on making this modeling career work out for me," I said with a nod. "It's fun to learn, so maybe I'd go back to school someday… But I'm focused on other things at the moment."

"Yeah, I see," Mr. Fotia said with a nod, as if he agreed with my answer. We continued to put up the two other frames and set them up before Mr. Fotia began to initiate conversation again.

"Ya know, this might sound a lil' crazy, but you kind of remind me of this one enlist that I remember. He was 'bout as thin n' small as you."

I'm five-six, I'm not that small… I thought to myself. I crossed my arms. "Oh yeah?"

Mr. Fotia chuckled. It was really nice hearing him chuckle. "His name was Oliver, a spunky lil' fella. Always lookin' out for the other recruits. He looked kinda like you, he was always known for his girly-lookin' face. Called him 'pretty boy,'" he said.

I remind him of a pretty recruit from his platoon, huh? I felt my cheeks heat up a bit. "Where's he now?"

"I dunno. That was back n' a while ago, around 2005. Wherever he is now, I hope he's doin' well," he said before nailing down the wall frames again, making sure they were secured properly. "Yep, ya meet all kinds of people in the military."

"I see…" I said softly. After all the walls were secured, Mr. Fotia went into the garage to get a ladder and brought it inside the shed. "Alright, boy. Just gotta hand me the wood from that pile over there so I can work on the roof's frame."

I nodded and did as he instructed, while he nailed each piece of wood on a slant to make the roof. "You into cars at all, boy?"

"No, not really," I said as I handed him a piece of wood as he aligned it where he wanted before nailing it. "At the dealership with my parents, I just got whatever was the best deal for me. Maybe if I become rich, I'll upgrade to a fancy car, but I'm okay with what I have now."

Mr. Fotia nodded again, as if I answered correctly again. "Well, if ya ever have trouble with your car, you can come to me and I'll check it out for ya."

I widened my eyes. "Really? Thank you, sir."

"Ain't no problem. The least I could do for ya for helpin' out both my daughter and me," he said as I handed him the next piece of wood.

I smiled to myself. I'm starting to think Mr. Fotia's beginning to take a liking to me…

---

Mr. Fotia and I chatted some more while we worked on the frame of the roof. I found out that he was into classic rock music, while me being into jazz actually surprised him, it surprises most people anyway. What can I say? I'm a jazzy guy.

After we were finished with all the framework, Mr. Fotia decided we could finish putting up the walls and roof the next day. Nia came out and checked on how we were doing.

"Wow, it's really starting to actually look like something," she commented, snacking on a bag of potato chips. "You guys are doing a great job. Isn't Cody so helpful and responsible?" She drawled, as I rolled my eyes.

"Matter of fact, yes. I appreciate all the help, boy," he said as he patted me on the back. I smiled. I couldn't help but feel good that he thought that I'd been a great help, it made me forget that Nia had orchestrated this whole thing.

Nia smiled and winked at me before heading back inside the house. Mr. Fotia took another look at what we had built so far before looking at me. "What do you think?"

I nodded. "I think we did a good job so far."

"That's right. And tomorrow we just have to finish puttin' up the rest of it. I ain't sure if I wanna paint it or not…" He said as he stroked his stubbled chin in thought. "What colour do ya think the shed should be?"

I took a moment to think. "Hmm… In my opinion, I think maybe a dark maroon would be good for the outer walls, and the roof should be charcoal," I suggested.

Mr. Fotia nodded. "Good eye, boy. I was thinking the same," he said. "It would match the colour of the house, n' I think it's sensible to make a backyard shed to match."

I nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah, for sure."

He still stared at the shed in thought before looking at me, pulling out his phone from his pocket. "Here, boy. Let me give you my phone number in case ya need it," he said. "Emergencies calls only, though. I ain't much of a texter."

I raised my brows in surprise before nodding, pulling out my own phone. I added Mr. Fotia to my contact list, feeling somehow this was a milestone in our relationship progress.

After we were done with that, we nodded at each other. "You'll be back tomorrow, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, for sure," I said.

He nodded, and I saw him smile at me for the first time. "Good boy. Then I'll see ya tomorrow," he said as he patted my shoulder.

Somehow, hearing him call me 'good boy' and seeing him smile made me feel shy. "S-see you tomorrow, sir," I said to him before heading out of the backyard and back to my car.

I didn't exactly know why, but I felt butterflies inside me thinking about Mr. Fotia. Just from the way he'd pat me on the shoulder or back, or seeing him smile…

I really hope I'm not falling for Mr. Fotia, I thought to myself as I started my car and drove off. There's no way I could… Right?

---

The next day, I came back to Nia's house again to help out Mr. Fotia. Nia went back to work, and I was hoping that she would be okay after the incident from the previous day. But I knew Nia was brave and strong, and that she would be okay.

I parked my car by the curb before I got out and made my way to the backyard, seeing that Mr. Fotia had already finished building the walls for the shed, he was just finishing up the last one.

"Hello, sir," I greeted and he turned his head and nodded at me. "Cody."

"You already finished building the walls?" I asked. "Yeah, woke up early this mornin' and thought I'd just do it so we could finish placing all the panels by the end of the day," he said as he finished the last wall.

"Okay," I said. I came over to help him, holding the wall in front of the frame as Mr. Fotia secured it in place.

"Been watchin' the news a bit on TV," Mr. Fotia said as he continued to secure the wall. "You all about that social media nonsense?"

We picked up the next wall. "I am," I said, holding the wall in place. "I actually use it a lot. I have a lot of followers on Flumblr and Posty."

Mr. Fotia shook his head. "You kids n' the internet. We really are in the digital age," he said. "But everything's easier on the net, ain't it? Loogle always seems to have the answer to anythin' at all."

"Yes, the internet has made a lot of things easier, I mean… It's the internet to thank how I got discovered, anyway. But I also think the internet comes with a lot of problems, too."

"Yeah? Like what?" He asked.

I sighed. "Cyberbullying, cyberterrorism, all that really bad stuff," I explained. "People think that the internet shouldn't be taken seriously, but a lot of people have their mental health deteriorate from getting bullied online, or get their information stolen and used against them by cyber criminals."

"Damn, I ain't even thought up all of that," Mr. Fotia said as he shook his head. "I'm just thankful I ain't active on the web. I only use my computer when I have to. I ain't into sharin' about my life online."

Mr. Fotia's not a cyber guy? Huh, somehow that doesn't really surprise me, I thought to myself.

"Well, at least one good thing about the net is that Nia gets to stream for her audience who like to watch her," I said with a smile. Mr. Fotia nodded. "That's right. Although I used to think them video games were a waste of time, it's what she likes. So as long as she's happy, that's all that matters to me."

Hearing Mr. Fotia having such an accepting attitude towards Nia made me happy. Though Mr. Fotia might be a scary guy in the military, he's an accepting father. He just sometimes has trouble expressing his love for Nia. It's hard for him being a father, but I think he's trying.

We continued to put up the walls as he secured them, making sure they were sturdy and well-bonded. Then he got the ladder and asked me to hand him the wood panels for the roof as he would secure them. We chatted a little bit here and there about relevant topics, and it didn't surprise me that Mr. Fotia was a bit on the conservative side when it came to certain topics. But he seemed to accept people from all walks of life, so that was a relief.

Finally, we were finished installing all the panels. All that was left was to install shingles to the roof and a door, and painting the shed. But Mr. Fotia said that we could do all that next weekend.

I thought it would be about time for me to head home, but Mr. Fotia stopped me. "Cody, I was actually wonderin' if you'd want to go somewhere."

"Hmm?" I raised my eyebrows.

"You're alright, boy. I want to take ya somewhere to show thanks for all the great help you've been," he said with a nod. "Y'know, I'd figure we hang out, man to man."

"Oh, I see… Yes, I'd like to," I said, suddenly feeling my heart beating a bit faster.

"Alright. C'mon n' follow me, I can drive us there," he said as I nodded, and followed him from the backyard to his truck. I climbed into the front passenger seat before Mr. Fotia got in the driver's seat. The inside of his truck was pretty clean other than the bit of dust, but other than that, Mr. Fotia kept it clean.

Still, something about being in a car alone with Mr. Fotia made me feel nervous, for some reason. Maybe because it was the closest we've been.

Mr. Fotia turned on the radio that was playing on the classic rock station while he started the truck, and backed out of the driveway. He began to drive down the roads down to his destination, and I couldn't help but wonder the whole time as to where we were going.

Mr. Fotia finally pulled up to what seemed to be a bar or billiards hall, maybe it was both. "Alright, let's go," he said before we climbed out and he locked the truck. We went inside and sure enough, it really was a billiards hall with a bar.

"Oh, wow. I've never been anywhere like this before," I said, seeing other men who were a bit older playing pool or having drinks while talking amongst each other.

"You know how to play pool, boy?" Mr. Fotia asked me. I nodded. "I know the rules of pool, but I've never played it myself."

"Then I suppose you're gonna learn tonight," he said as he walked over to the bar and I followed him. "You're old enough to drink, right?" He asked me, and I nodded. Even though I probably should have declined, I nodded. A beer with Mr. Fotia won't hurt anyone. We're supposed to have fun tonight, anyway.

Mr. Fotia ordered two beers as the bartender brought over two bottles of beer. Mr. Fotia took them and handed one to me, and I nodded in thanks as I took it.

We say down at a table. "So, Cody, what do your 'rents do?" Mr. Fotia asked me.

I took a sip of beer. "My father's a mechanic and my mother's a tailor," I said. "Not much to tell. They're simple people, very religious, but they're good parents. They raised my brother and I well."

"Oh, you got a brother? How old's he?"

"He's twenty-six. He's an elementary school teacher."

He sipped his beer. "I see, and you end up bein' a model," he said with a quiet chuckle. "Ya sure ain't leadin' a simple life."

"Yes, and that's fine with me. Even if it's a bit out there, I want to be a beautiful, famous model," I said with a dreamy sigh. "I'd like to have people admire me and how I display myself in whatever I'm presenting."

"I ain't never heard anyone talk about modeling the way you do. And here I thought modeling was just doin' a pose and havin' your pictures taken," he said.

"Well, it is like that, but there's still so much more to it," I said with a nod. "In fact, I think you could be a model yourself, sir."

Those words sort of slipped out on their own, but I meant it. Mr. Fotia was tall, muscular, and incredibly handsome for his age. I could imagine him being in one of those 'sexy military men' calendars straight women like.

He shook his head. "Naw, I ain't think I'd ever be a model. I ain't even like havin' my photos taken all that much," he said.

"Mmm, I see. That's too bad," I said as I sipped my beer. "You'd probably be really popular with girls who are into DILFs."

"Who are into what?" He questioned and I suddenly regretted saying that—because I would have to explain it.

"DILF… Acronym for 'dad I'd like to fuck,'" I explained, making his eyebrows knit in confusion. "Usually people call 'hot dads' as DILFs."

Mr. Fotia laughed, making me widen my eyes and blush. That was the first time I heard Mr. Fotia laugh—I'd heard him slightly chuckle before, but this was different. It was a real, genuine laugh from the man.

"Young people nowadays are fuckin' nuts," he said as he calmed down. We finished our beers before we got to a pool table, and Mr. Fotia handed me a pool stick.

"Ya know the rules of nine-ball?" Mr. Fotia asked me, and I nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"Alright, then. You start," he said, placing the cue ball on the table. It was my first time actually playing pool, and I didn't exactly know how to position my hands or my body—so I just tried to replicate what I've seen from movies and TV.

I must have looked like a fool trying to shoot the ball, because Mr. Fotia shook his head and walked over. "Your positioning's all wrong, boy," he said as he came up behind me and leaned over, feeling his arms around my own as he fixed my arm's positioning. His touch felt strong yet comforting, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest from him being so close to me, feeling his breath against me. He changed the positioning of my hands, and they felt warm on top of mine.

He then made me shoot the ball with the cue, and the cue ball striked into the other balls as they scattered around the table. He moved away from me and nodded. "Just like that," he said. "You got it?"

I gulped. "Y-yeah," I said.

It was Mr. Fotia's turn, and it seemed almost like he was a pro at this. He got the 'one' ball and the 'six' ball in a single shot.

"Wow, you're good at this," I said in awe. He smirked. "Spent a lotta my teenage years skippin' class to shoot pool with the boys," he said. "I think I still got it."

"Yeah, for sure," I said with a nod and a smile. It was my turn now, and I tried to replicate the same pose Mr. Fotia had shown me, and I tried to calculate how to get the cue ball to hit the 'two' ball.

I striked, and the cue ball hit the 'two' ball as it rolled and hit a few other balls, but none of them scored. "Speaking of school, you said you and your wife were high school sweethearts, right? How did you two meet, if I may ask?"

Mr. Fotia set up for the next shot, taking his time to analyze how to get the 'two' ball in the closest pocket. "It was junior year, we were in the same history class. I was a history buff, I knew pretty much everything there was to know 'bout American history, but she hadn't got a clue 'bout any of it," he said as he aimed the cue ball at the cushion. "I ended up offerin' to help study with her, and we hit it off from there." He shot the cue ball and it rolled towards the cushion before bouncing off and rolling towards the 'two' ball before the 'two' ball pocketed.

"I see. That's cute," I said before it was my turn to play. The cue ball was thankfully near the 'three' ball, so it was an easy shot to at least not get a scratch. "Are you dating anyone now?"

Mr. Fotia went silent for a moment as I positioned myself to shoot. "No, I hadn't dated since Cynthia," he said with a sigh.

"Do you think you'd ever want to?" I asked before shooting, the cue ball hitting the 'three' ball as the ball headed straight into the cushion before rolling back towards me.

Mr. Fotia took a moment to think. "I dunno. I ain't interested in dating anyone else. Hadn't been ever since I met Cynthia. I think she really was the one." He sighed. "What about you, boy? You datin' anyone?"

I shook my head. "No, I…" I gulped, suddenly feeling my heart ache as I thought about Daniel. "I recently had a run-in with my own high school sweetheart, and it didn't end well."

"Really, now?" Mr. Fotia asked before getting ready for the next shot. I exhaled deeply. "His name was Daniel, and he was the first boy I ever loved," I said as I placed my hands on top of my pool stick and leaned against it. "I really thought we were meant to be together, but I suppose we both changed too much after all this time, and life had other plans for us." I shook my head. "I can't help but feel there was something I could have done differently."

Mr. Fotia scored the 'three' ball in the nearest pocket. "Don't be so hung up over it," he said before standing up and placing a hand on his hip. "Though your first love will always be special, ya can't help the decisions they make. As cheesy as it may sound, you're young, and there's still a lot of people to meet. The only thing ya gotta focus on is the present and what you can do now." He nodded. "I ain't know 'bout your situation, but all I can tell ya is that you gotta keep lookin' forward. Even I gotta hard time rememberin' that, too."

I tilted my head in curiosity. "What are some things that you're hung up on?"

Mr. Fotia took a moment to think before he sighed. "I wish I coulda spent more time with Cynthia before she passed," he said sadly. "I wish I didn't leave Nia behind with my brother-in-law and his wife while I went off to get my damn leg shot in Afghanistan. I wish I could turn back time n' be there for my family more."

I looked at him with a sympathetic expression. "Well, as you said… You just have to focus on what you can do now, right?" I said, focusing on the cue ball as I positioned myself. "I know that you're trying your best to be there for Nia now, and that's what matters." He went quiet as I licked my lips as I aimed for 'four,' striking the cue ball hard in the middle as it made its way to hit 'four,' but soon ricocheted and the cue ball ended up in a pocket.

"Scratch," Mr. Fotia said as I looked up at him. "Ya got the cue ball in the pocket. That's a scratch."

"Oh, sorry…" I said as I stood up and scratched my head. "I didn't know."

He shook his head. "Ain't gotta apologize, it's your first time playing, after all." He took the cue ball out of the pocket and positioned it on the table. "Ya ain't doin' bad at all for your first time. I was no pro either when I first started."

"What were you like when you were my age?" I asked. He chuckled. "Well, my boys used to tell me how serious I was. I ain't never been the one to crack a joke," he said. "I was always focused on my dream, and I took it very seriously. I think the only one who ever saw my softer side was Cynthia." He shot the cue ball and it bumped into the 'four' ball, and the 'four' bumped into the 'eight' ball that scored into the pocket.

I was really impressed with how good Mr. Fotia was at this. I don't think I'd ever be able to know how to do all these different pool strategies. I think I'd like to try and learn, though.

"I see," I said with a nod. Before I was about to start my next turn, a man came up to Mr. Fotia. "Captain, it's good to see you," the man said as the two engaged in a bro-hug. "What are ya doin' here, Major?" Mr. Fotia asked.

"Eh, decided to stop by an old familiar place for the evening for a drink," the man said. He looked at me. "Who's this?"

"My daughter's friend, Cody. Took him out for the night for a drink and some pool. Boy's been helpin' me out," he said before nodding at me. I awkwardly nodded at the man. "Hello," I said.

The man nodded back at me. "Well, I won't keep ya, Cap. Have fun," the man said before patting Mr. Fotia on the shoulder and heading off.

"Who was that?" I asked him. "One of my fellow officers from back in the day," he explained. "We were friendly acquaintances."

"I see," I said before going back to our game. "I wonder, were you a strict officer?"

"Oh, for sure," Mr. Fotia said with a nod. "Officer's gotta be strict n' serious. No funny business, ya gotta intimidate the enlists. But it ain't anything personal, that's just how it's supposed to be," he said as he watched me and the planning of my next move. Thankfully, the 'four' ball was near a corner pocket, so I aimed for it, and the cue ball knocked it perfectly into the pocket.

"Good one," Mr. Fotia commented approvingly. I smiled. "Glad I got at least one," I said. "I'm sure if I was an enlist, you would probably really intimidate me. I mean… You already intimidated me just from when we first met."

"What about now, boy? Do I still intimidate you?" He asked me as he raised a brow.

I looked at him. He was much less intimidating than when we had first met, but getting to know him better the past little while, I was warming up to him. He may be a bit intimidating and very serious, but he's a good man. He's trying to be a good father, and I admire that greatly. He's interesting… And the more I get to know him, I want to know more about him.

"A little bit," I said. "But a lot less than before."

He smiled at me, and every time I saw that gorgeous smile that was probably a rare sight, I would melt. "Ain't gotta be 'fraid of me. Ya aren't a recruit, so there ain't a reason for you to fear me. We're… friends now, alright, boy?"

Friends… I'm friends with Mr. Fotia. Hearing those words from him made me feel a bit warm. I smiled back at him. "Yes, alright."

"Good boy," he said before we continued to play.

---

Mr. Fotia and I played until he ended up winning, of course. We played a few more rounds of pool while talking, and I was actually having a lot of fun hanging out with Mr. Fotia. I almost didn't want the evening to end, I wanted to keep playing badly at pool with Mr. Fotia while I listened to his stories and what he had to say.

But the night had to end eventually, and Mr. Fotia and I had to go back. We climbed into his truck before he drove back home.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight, sir," I said. "I had a lot of fun."

"I'm glad, boy. I hadn't been able to relax n' do somethin' like that since I was young," he said as he drove. "It brought back a lotta memories."

I smiled. "I never really hung out with an old man, one-on-one before."

Mr. Fotia frowned, suddenly getting into serious mode. "Watch what ya say, boy. I may be forty-four, but I ain't like bein' reminded 'bout how old I am."

"S-sorry!" I said quickly as I widened my eyes, but he shook his head. "Naw, I'm just kiddin.'"

Mr. Fotia joking around? What? This has to be another rare occurrence, I thought to myself. I laughed.

We finally made it back home, and we climbed out of the truck. "Thank you again for taking me out," I said.

"I should be the one thankin' ya," Mr. Fotia said. "You've been helpin' me a helluva lot without expectin' anything in return. I appreciate it a lot."

I suddenly felt a bit guilty remembering I was doing all of this in the first place was because I felt like I owed Nia. I gulped, trying not to think of it. "Well, you're welcome, sir. I'm glad I could be of help, and I'll come back next weekend to help out again."

Mr. Fotia nodded and smiled a bit. "Alright. Well, good luck with New York. Hope everythin' goes well," he said with a nod. "Take care and drive home safe."

Oh yeah, New York! I had completely forgotten about that while I was with Mr. Fotia… I was so focused on him. "Thank you," I said to him before doing a little bow. "Goodnight, sir."

"Goodnight, boy." He flashed me a smile again before heading inside the house. I went to my car and unlocked it before climbing in, taking a deep breath as I sat in silence and gathered my thoughts.

I couldn't help but think about Mr. Fotia's beautiful smile, how gorgeous he looked as he'd focus while playing pool, how he'd call me 'good boy,' how beautiful he looked when he was shirtless and sweaty…

It was then that I realized I was an idiot. Cody, why… Why, why, why…!

I cursed to myself, blaming my heart for winning once again. I had done what I promised myself I wouldn't do.

Because that moment was when I realized I was falling for Mr. Fotia.