Edgar Aeternum, Book 1: Tales of Aeternal Love (15 page)

"Glad to hear it," Edgar replied. "And yes,
really. I don't lie about stuff like that, never have; I think it's
cruel to play with people's feelings. If I hadn't enjoyed myself,
we wouldn't be talking right now."

"Yeah?" Maddi said. "Thanks, that's so great!
I, uh, guess I'm a bit nervous," at which point, he laughed,
embarrassed. "I, um, don't usually do this sort of thing. Sounds
stupid, I know. I mean we met at an orgy and all."

Edgar chuckled softly. "Not stupid at all,
Maddi. Talking to someone one-on-one is a whole different thing
than getting together at an orgy. Everyone gets nervous now and
again, even me." Edgar neglected to mention that his last serious
case of nerves was over two hundred eighty years ago. Eternity had
a way of helping one overcome such things. He continued, "Just take
a breath and relax; I promise, it's all going to be OK. So, you'd
like to get together again; tell me what you have in mind."
Sometimes the direct approach was best, especially since drawing it
out would only prolong Maddi's discomfort, regardless of the
outcome.

Maddi evidently took Edger literally,
evidenced by the sound of exhaling. Edgar thought it was cute.
"Yeah, I, uh, do wanna see you again. Last month was loads of fun.
Pun intended." This brought another chuckle from Edgar, pleased to
hear the boy relaxing. Maddi took the chuckle as a good sign and
went on, "I'd sure love to do it again, only with you this time.
But, um, I'd kinda like to see you more of like a date first."

Edgar pictured Maddi, holding his breath,
waiting for an answer. He'd already decided that it was worth
exploring something beyond just a good fuck with Maddi. "I think
that sounds great, Maddi. We did talk a little that night,
remember? I enjoyed that as well as everything else. I'm honored
that you did, too, and that you're asking me for a date."

The relief in Maddi's voice was almost
palpable as he said, "Awesome! Thanks, Edgar!"

"I'm glad you're happy. No need to thank me,
by the way. I have an idea for a date, just pick the day. I'm
pretty flexible, as you might recall," Edgar said, knowing that
humor, however lame, was putting the nervous young man at ease.
"What I have in mind is better for late afternoon, early
evening."

There was a brief pause, then Maddi laughed
and said, "Actually, I was so nervous about asking you, I never
thought ahead to what we might do. I'm good with whatever you have
planned, Edgar. I'm pretty open too, schedule-wise. Uh, how about
tomorrow or is that too eager?"

"No worries," Edgar said with a laugh. "I
totally understand. It's clear that we're both looking forward to
it, so tomorrow night is fine! Who cares about sounding eager?
Those are just bullshit rules made up by control freaks too afraid
to go after what they really want. You'll find that I speak my mind
freely, don't care much about such rules, and almost always go
after what I want."

The energy in the conversation shifted at
that point, as though Edgar's words broke the invisible bonds with
which Maddi bound himself. His response sounded more confident and
relaxed. He said, "You are so cool, Edgar. I've always had a
problem with stuff like that, never knowing what's 'the right
thing' to do. I wanted so badly to ask you out before you left the
party, but I thought it would look, I dunno, wrong somehow. Thanks
for understanding and not thinking I'm just some stupid kid."

"Never will I think that, Maddi. It took me a
while to get to the point where I refused to buy into that crap."
Again, Edger didn't mention that 'a while' was more like fifty
years. "I don't want you to worry about being honest with me and
speaking your mind. I'd be more concerned if I constantly had to
guess at what you're thinking and feeling. So, screw the rules,
OK?"

"Done!" replied Maddi, sounding as though the
rules had already been screwed and sent home with cab fare. "Do I
get a hint at what you're planning for tomorrow, Edgar?"

Edgar nodded in approval, noticing the hint
of flirtation in Maddox' voice. Obviously, his young suitor had
some surprises up his sleeve. "Nope, not a one," said Edgar, "other
than that dress is casual. It'll be a surprise and I promise you'll
enjoy it. Deal?"

"Deal!" Maddi agreed happily. "You are going
to tell me where I'm supposed to meet you though, yes? I love
reading, but not minds," he chuckled.

Edgar was smiling, happy to hear Maddi
relaxing further. He was even more pleased that he decided to
return the call; this was becoming more fun by the minute.
"Actually, that's pretty easy. I figured we'd meet at my place and
go from there. I'm at the Highland House a few blocks from Altair
Station. You know where it is?"

"Oh yeah," Maddi said. "I can see it from my
place; I'm on the other side of Gridley Park." He went on to
explain, "You're probably wondering how I can afford it. Everybody
does when I tell them where I live." Apartments with a Park view
were expensive, the type of expensive that usually kept them out of
range of tenants Maddi's age, unless they were trust fund babies.
"Don't worry; I'm not a spoiled rich kid or anything. Far from it.
It's a four-bed unit and I live there with three friends. Two
culinary arts students, a model and me. Split four ways, it's the
same price as some of the single places I looked at and a much
better view."

"Sounds like a sweet deal!" Edgar said. "I
don't blame you, either; the view of the Park is amazing from here,
too. So, two future chefs, eh? You guys must eat pretty well.
Except maybe the model," he chuckled. "They always seem to be on
some sort of diet."

"The meals are spectacular," agreed Maddi.
"And yeah, the model - Jameson - usually eats about a quarter of
what the rest of us eat. Me, I just got lucky in the metabolism
game. I eat like a pig and never gain an ounce. The chefs - Eric
and Stan - are a bit rounder in the middle, but they don't mind. It
looks good on them."

"Cool," Edgar replied. "I'm a big foodie,
too. Also with the killer metabolism. So what do you do,
Maddi?"

"I'm a vet tech and I'm working on my
veterinary medicine degree," Maddi answered. "It's a busy life, but
I like it. I love animals. How about you, Edgar?"

"That's awesome, man," Edgar said. "I like
animals, too. Don't have any pets though; my schedule is too
unpredictable."

"Yeah, I don't have any either; too busy
right now. But I meant, what do you do for a living?" Maddi
asked.

"Oh!" Edgar laughed. "Sorry 'bout that. I'm a
freelance writer. I also made some smart investments early on, so I
have a steady income stream from them. Enough that I don't really
have to work, but I need something to do." This was a safe truth to
tell, though 'early on' was a couple hundred years ago. And he did
do a lot of freelance writing, though he could afford to be very
selective about his clients.

"Nice!" said Maddi. "Smart move, Edgar. Maybe
you can give some advice someday. When I, uh, actually have money
to invest. Right now, it all pretty much goes into school and
living."

"Of course it does," said Edgar. "We were all
there at one point, me included. I didn't have a lot of free money
at nineteen, either. You'll make it. And I'll be glad to give you
all the free financial advice you want. Remind me to give you a
copy of my feed parameters for financial news; that's a great place
to start."

"Great! That's so nice of you," said Maddi.
"So, what time tomorrow should I be there? I don't want to rush,
but I have to get to work soon."

"No worries," said Edgar. "If it works with
your schedule, how about four o'clock?"

"That works," replied Maddi. "I actually have
a day off from everything tomorrow, so that's perfect. I'm really
looking forward to it."

"Me, too," said Edgar. "Have a great day at
work! I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Edgar! You too," Maddi replied. "See
you then! End call."

The HC chimed as the line closed. Edgar
sighed and stretched. This interaction was shaping up to be very
interesting, indeed. It'd been several decades since Edgar's last
real date; instead, he preferred the company of friends, bedmates
and himself. Still, something about Maddi intrigued Edgar and his
usual response to things that intrigued him was to dive in feet
first to explore.

Got another mug full of the Elixir of Life,
now to that French toast and bacon. Hell, I think I'll add some
scrambled eggs; I'm gonna have some left anyway from dipping the
bread. Hmmm... Gonna have to restock before tomorrow night. Given
Maddi's sort of shyness, I'm thinking cooking him dinner and just
relaxing here would be easier on him. While he looked like a
dynamite lay at Wiz' party, conversationally, he was like a fish
out of water.

I really want to get to know him, not just
sleep with him. He seems like such an interesting guy, I want to
see what's what with him. It's not every day that someone piques my
interest like that; I'd rather not have to deal with interrupting
wait staff and other people around making him tense. He puffed at
the party, so that'll help. A good red'll work, too. I don't want
him comatose, but relaxed would be good. It's pretty clear, once he
does relax, that he's got a quick wit and that he's into me as more
than a bedmate.

Breakfast ready and coffee refilled again,
Edgar carried the tray to the sofa and sat. He ordered up the
morning newscast on vid and the HC quickly complied. He dove into
the French toast as the weather report ran. Just as he'd done with
the computer feeds, he'd programmed the HC to certain vid channels,
this being his favorite for morning news.

The end of the weather report marked the
halfway point in Edgar's breakfast. Coverage of a recent magna
derailment in Bangkok was up next and Edgar went for more coffee.
He just settled back on the sofa when the sports report started.
First up, was coverage of last night's fights. He grinned as he
stuffed a strip of bacon in his mouth. He knew the results of the
Basca-Ruiz match, but he and Sterling were happily occupied during
the Andres-Michaels match. He took a drink of coffee and watched as
the sportscaster started his analysis of the second match.

"Haha!" Edgar burst out, upon hearing that
Andres took the match. Tomas not only got his credits back and the
some, but he got bragging rights for the night. Knowing Tomas, he'd
made sure to thoroughly exercise those rights at Jon's expense. It
was all in good fun, though and Tomas had had his share of
suffering Jon's bragging over the years.

Apparently, the bout had been a good one.
Edgar almost wished he'd seen it, but had no regrets over missing
it in favor of an all-nighter with Sterling. It'd been an even
match right up until the ninth round. It looked like it'd be
decided on technicalities until mid-way through the ninth. That's
when Andres landed a solid uppercut and Michaels flopped like a wet
noodle to the mat. It was such a spectacular knock-out that he
almost spilled his coffee during the replay.

The room must've fucking exploded after that
punch! Damn! Still, the explosions Sterling was giving me were a
whole lot better, extremely bad pun intended. I'd almost bet Tomas
and Jon sweetened the pot even more after we left the table.
Wouldn't surprise me in the least to see Jon at the club shaved
bald or with something pierced. Tomas lost such a bet once and
spent the next week looking like a prize bull, the nose ring was so
big.

Edgar stood, stretched, and headed to the
kitchen for a fourth cup. When he got back to the sofa, sports were
off and a perky blonde was talking about a new show opening on
Broadway. It sounded like a good show, a colonization drama. It
interested him, but her overly-animated delivery was like
fingernails on a chalkboard. She was a substitute for the usual
entertainment reporter who was on maternity leave. Edgar had the HC
mute the annoying woman and add a follow-up to his calendar to
check into tickets for the show.

He hadn't seen New York City since his last
lifetime and had purposely stayed away until he was fairly certain
that most of the people he knew there were dead. While he enjoyed
the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, he was definitely a West
Coaster at heart; New York winters tried even his patience.

The hyper-happy blonde was done and Edgar
took the news off mute. A staid, grey-haired man began the
financial news. Anything reported here would be followed up on
through his usual online sources. After five minutes, it was
apparent that there was nothing of importance to him. This channel
was good, but the computer feed was more specifically tailored to
his needs.

He yawned and told the HC to turn off the
news. The screen went blank as Edgar rose and took his empty mug to
the kitchen. He surveyed the post-breakfast mess with a groan,
knowing it had to be dealt with before Maddi arrived the next day.
While he loved cooking, he absolutely abhorred the clean-up. He
rubbed a hand over his face and decided to do it after a nap.

He padded to the bedroom, more ready for the
nap than ever after the huge meal. The HC advised him that it was
nine-forty and he told it to wake him at twelve-thirty. He snuggled
into the warm comforter and was asleep in minutes. He sighed
shortly after falling asleep, lost in a dream of Carnivale in Rio
but with Maddi, not Sterling.

The dream was so real when the HC woke him at
twelve-thirty he rolled over and reached for Maddi. It took a
moment before he fully woke and realized it was just a dream; even
so, it made him smile. He enjoyed basking in the warmth of the bed
and the dream a moment more, before rising and heading for the
bathroom. After he finished, he geared up and left for a run. He
planned on cleaning the kitchen and shopping for date-night food
after his post-run shower.

As promised by the weatherman, it was an
absolutely perfect day outside. Edgar reveled in the feeling of
life and promise such a gorgeous day offered. Despite having
recently turned 425, he never lost the ability to appreciate this
feeling. He didn't know if he could die, but had long ago decided
that as long as he felt this good about life, there was no need to
find out.