Chapter 34: Just For Kicks
Open Road, Baltiney, New York...
The roar of the engine in Ken's sports car had been a nice change of pace from the silence and isolation of having been in the motel room for quite some time as Ken turned his attention to adjusting the radio. He had put the top down due to it being such a warm and clear day. Dean could feel the wind in his hair. The lad had taken note of Ken's taste in music, which had included a series of old rock tunes and a few pop hits from the 80s. Ken had seemed to favor the artists Prince and The Eagles the most whenever they'd been listening to music and Prince's Dirty Mind had been blasting quite loudly as they continued their ride along the highway. Dean had appreciated the odd way the beat seemed to drum into him as the seat vibrated in the wake of it moving through them. He had guessed that Ken was a big fan of bass and drums when it came to his musical choices, especially in his sports car.
Listening to the Dirty Mind lyrics Dean had gotten an idea that Ken had meant them for him as he tried his best to keep from smirking as he looked out the window at the world that they had passed by. He saw rows of nice-looking houses and many cars with elegant styles as he sat patiently awaiting which restaurant or diner Ken had elected to take him to.
"You know how to drive?" asked Ken suddenly breaking through the music as the song continued in the background.
Dean turned to face him more than a little embarrassed that he had not known much about driving due to the lack of funds where he had been raised. He had lived in a trailer park for much of his life until he'd been kidnapped and subjected to being a sex toy for strange rich men.
"N-No," he replied feeling the weight of humiliation once more.
Ken arched a brow at this and sighed.
"Alright, we'll see if we can rectify that," he replied turning his attention back to the road as he drove his sports car with relative ease.
The song had been turned back up as Ken whipped the car around a corner and took them down a main street letting Dean get a good look at not only his prospective locations for their meal but how smoothly he drove for future reference.
Dean resisted the urge to laugh when Ken began to sing along with the track as he continued their drive. He had known that Ken had sex on his brain twenty-four-seven but he had underestimated just how terrible he'd been when expressing it.
"Whenever I'm around you baby, I get a dirty mind....doesn't matter....where we are...doesn't matter who's around...doesn't matter I just wanna lay you down..." sang Ken along with the music as he continued to navigate the traffic. "I may not be your kind of man, I may not be your style but honey all I wanna do is just love for a little while."
Dean's cheeks turned red as he attempted not to look at Ken and focus on the outside world around the car. He had been rather shameless when it came to his expressions of being obsessed with sex and while it might have made most people and even Dean beforehand uncomfortable, he had appreciated Ken's rather bold honesty.
"What are you hungry for?" asked Ken turning his attention back to Dean as they waited at a stop light to continue their drive.
"I'm not sure, whatever you want to pick is fine," replied Dean.
Ken's ears perked as he noted for the first time how timid Dean had been when speaking. He had all the voice cracks of a young man his age and he was uncertain when expressing himself to boot. It had occurred to Ken that Dean had been more or less capable of expressing himself when it came to sex mostly because he had little to no choice in the matter. His relative safety had depended on him being able to assert himself when it came to something so intimate with strangers but personal matters left him little more than a timid boy when the situation arose.
Ken reached over with his free hand and grasped Dean's chin with his index finger and thumb. He noted the timid expression behind the younger lad's blue eyes and sighed.
"Listen don't ever be afraid to tell me what you want," he instructed the lad. "I ain't a mind reader and I have no interest in dictating what you can and can't do aside from breaking our arrangement."
Dean nodded and Ken treated him to something of a proud smile. His dark eyes had still been filled with lust as he let his hand drop from Dean's chin down to his lap and squeezed his thigh before turning his attention back to the road and the now green light.
Ken drove them to a diner that he knew and frequented citing his need for steak and a cup of coffee. Dean had no objections as he entered the diner with Ken noting the scent of stale coffee and cigarette smoke as they moved through and made their way toward a back booth that had been Ken's favorite spot every time he came to the place.
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Vic's Diner, 12th and Central, Baltiney New York...
Ken had been quite at home amid the retro chaotic decor and the older people who had seen better days. His sloppy attire didn't seem all that out of place as he leaned back against the red booth seats in the back of the place as Dean joined him. The younger lad had never been to a diner as far as he had known and thought it kind of odd like an old movie to have so many people casually eating and chatting as if they had not a care in the world despite looking as though they did.
Dean had thought the atmosphere had been a bit dated but enjoyed the rather quaint charm the place had. It had been the sort of place Dean had expected Ken to frequent so to speak. A redhead waitress approached them as Ken took a cigarette out of his pocket, put it to his lips, and lit it. She had been quite a haggard-looking older woman with ruby red lipstick and wrinkles behind her thick caking of makeup.
The name Gladys had been on her name tag in white letters as she stood with a pen and pad in her hand poised to take the older man's order while treating him to a knowing smile.
"Brought you some company today Ken?" asked Gladys still with a smile.
"Indeed, good company at that," replied Ken taking a drag from his newly lit cigarette. "Gladys this is Dean, Dean Gladys...she's the best damn thing about this place."
Gladys' cheeks turned a bit red in the wake of his comment and all the borderline clown makeup that covered her aged face. Dean thought her odd and a bit pitiful when he looked upon her and the wirey red locks that seemed to jumble on the top of her head.
"He's only saying that to get perks with his meal," Gladys replied turning her attention to the quiet lad who had been watching her and Ken share an inside joke he had not been privy to. "Anyway, what can I get ya honey?"
Despite Ken's tendency to flirt with her when ordering his food, Dean knew all too well that she wasn't his type, he had only been trying to brighten her day.
"Got any pancakes?" asked Dean rather hopeful.
It had been a while since he had any and it was his favorite food and about the only thing his mother could cook before she took off. He had enjoyed them nonetheless, but always felt sad when eating them, Clint learned to cook them on special occasions and then Dean had tried his hand at making them when Clint couldn't be bothered. They had become something of a coping mechanism for when he'd had a bad day and or a means of celebration for him.
Things had not seemed to change all that much as he still preferred them even when he'd been having quite a good time with Ken.
"Alright one order of Hotcakes, a medium rare steak and eggs, with hot black coffee," said Gladys writing everything down. She had recalled Ken's order from previous visits and he simply puffed on his cigarette and smirked as he noted Dean's expression when she said Hotcakes. "Is that all love?"
"Not quite, a side of orange juice if you got it," added Ken looking at Dean as his cheeks turned red once more.
Ken had recalled that Dean had taken a liking to orange juice when he'd been in Spyder's domain. The lad had not been used to anyone knowing him so well. Gladys repeated the order and then went back to work after the approval of both Dean and Ken on the fine details.
The older man passed his lit cigarette to Dean who took a few puffs and finally put it out just as their food arrived. Ken had not been much of a smoker but used it to take the edge off following his many sex romps. He figured rather correctly that Dean had been the same way.
Gladys brought out their food and the two of them ate and drank their fill chatting on occasion about events past and possible future interests. Ken had not spoken much about his past aside from the upcoming event of dinner at his family home and Dean's invitation.
"We gotta get you something decent to wear before we head back," said Ken cutting into his steak and biting into the piece he had managed to get onto his fork. "Since you seem more partial to practicality, I'll be happy to give you some assistance when it comes to style this time around."
Dean ate his pancakes unsure of what to say in that moment as Ken treated him to a charming smile as they continued eating their respective meals. The younger lad couldn't help but admire the rather odd older man who had been slowly changing his perception of him with each passing moment. He had not expected him to invest so much in their arrangement aside from the occasional sex romp but here he was treating him like a person, something no one before had ever done not even Clint back in Bushwah.