Moonshine(36)

“Your initials are B.J.” We both started laughing.

“Fitting right?” I couldn’t stop laughing at him. It was just too hilarious.

“Well I will only call you B.J when I am angry with you. All the other times I’m calling you Johnny.”

He squinted his eyes at me and I thought maybe he was mad. “I like it,” he said. “Now come and eat, before it gets cold.”

I sat down on the edge of the bed. He had prepared for everything. There were toasted subs, chips, fruit, drinks, and even dessert. “How did you pull this off, and won’t we get in trouble for not eating with everyone else? Gerry said,” I started to say but he cut me off.

“Don’t worry about what Gerry said. There is always an exception to the rules somewhere, and since today was your first real day of therapy it’s the best reason ever. I explained how rough it was to experience Doctor G’s torturous field day on your brain and that you needed to be alone with your thoughts, and she bought it. She said for me to bring you some food and check on you, so I’m at your beckon call.”

“Why thank you, beck-and-call-boy. Shall I lavish you with expensive gifts and show you a good time?”

He spit his water all over me and the bed, he was laughing so hard. “I didn’t think you had it in you. You are funny, and I love Julia Roberts in that movie.”

“You’ve seen Pretty Woman?” I asked, taking a bite of my sandwich.

“I’m gay remember.”

“I forget.” We continued eating our meal and having light conversation. It was nice. I couldn’t believe all of the trouble he had went through to make sure I ate, and to make sure I was feeling better after my session. By far, it was the sweetest gesture ever. I cleaned up the mess and watched as he made himself all too comfortable on my bed. He had kicked of his shoes and roughed up the blanket before he lay back on my pillow. Just because we had established nicknames didn’t make it okay for him to be so comfortable.

“Are you comfortable, Johnny boy?”

“Why yes I am?” He raised his eyebrows up and down, which caused me to fidget more. I couldn’t even sit back down on the bed. “You little Sunshine, don’t look comfortable at all. You look like a deer in headlights,” he joked.

“I’m not comfortable. The fact that you are so damn comfortable makes me uncomfortable.”

“So you’re uncomfortable?” His laugh was loud and throaty.

“All right, wise ass.” I picked up the closest thing I could find and chucked it as his head. Good thing he ducked because that text book would have hurt.

“Damn girl. Remind me not to mess with you.”

“Ha, ha.”

“Listen, I have this plan, and truthfully I owe you one.”

“What are you talking about?” I was confused. He didn’t owe me anything. If anything it was me who owed him.

“Just hear me out, and you may want to sit down because I have a feeling what I’m going to say may freak you out a bit.”

“You’re scaring me, Johnny.”

“I love it when you call me, Johnny. It’s so sexy. Grrrrr,” he growled. Yes, he growled.

“Now you are really scaring me.”

“I’m kidding with you, Sunshine. Now sit your fine butt down because I really need to talk to you. I know you remember what I said about ripping of the band aid, so that is what I’m going to do.”

I sat down slowly because I wasn’t quite ready to be hit by the Johnny bus. The way he was bouncing around the room like an addict needing his fix, scared the pants off me. It’s always me that’s on edge. Me. He was always the rational one who had a handle. To see him like this made me wonder if he’d skipped his meds for the day.

“Okay, so here is my plan. I know something happened to you to make you afraid to be around men. Hell, you wouldn’t even let me shake your hand when we met. Being this close to you right now nearly breaks you out in hives. I get it. I haven’t questioned it or hounded you for answers. Frankly, it’s really not my business. When I read the letter that Moon gave to you, it did something to me. I could see it on your face and I can see it now that you love him. You are in love with that boy and before you can deny it, I got a plan to win his heart.”

“I don’t want to win his heart. You don’t understand. This isn’t about making him fall in love with me.”

“I know that. From the words in his letter it sounds like he already loves you anyway. You don’t need my help for that. Besides, this doesn’t even have to be about him. This is for you. Once you get better and get out of this hell hole don’t you want to be able to be at ease around men? In just a matter of days you have allowed me to touch you, and you have touched me as well. I promise that you can be healed. You just need my help.”