Whispers in the Woods Pt. 01

His Tinder profile had two pictures, one of him in a gray shirt, tucked inside a olive green cargo pants, his right hand casually in its pocket. In the other picture he was shirtless and using a flat top camouflage hat, with a serious face behind his glasses. His muscles were there, giving him a robust and powerful appearance, while an additional layer of fat sits comfortably on top of it. You know, the typical dad bod that we all know and love. His profile read:

- Dave (47)

- Army man not made of plastic, and with a heart as big as the south.

- Serious about my country, serious about finding a meaningful connection.

- If you appreciate a good BBQ, swipe right. Let's build something real.

He was one of the oldest of dads friends, as far as I recall. I remember seeing him around at my family get togethers all the time. He was always friendly to everyone, but there was always something about his eyes that caught my interest, even when I was a teen.

I knew this was a huge, an enormous red flag waving on my face. I'm not stupid, okay? What kind of idiot would swipe right to a man that is friends with his dad?

Hear me out, I kind of always had a little crush on him. Besides, I'm using Tinder just to play around and have some silly conversations with new people, he would never match with me.

- Hey there! Never thought I would see you around here.

Fuck.

- Hello! - I answer quickly, trying my best to seem casual - To be honest, I can say the same to you, Colonel.

We wasn't a colonel of any kind. Well, I think he used to be one or something like that, but I remember he talking about having a cybersecurity company now. Teasing him about it was always in our conversations.

- Hey, a man can try and find himself someone to love, right?

- It's okay, I just didn't knew you were also into men, so I was surprised - surprised and interested, but I will NOT jump to conclusions so soon.

- Into men? No, no. Why is that?

- Weird. I set my Tinder up to just show me men that are interested in men - I answer, not quite understanding this situation, and he answers me before I can even start thinking.

- Well, you know how these apps can be a bit wonky with their algorithms. Probably just a glitch. So, what made you decide to give dating a shot? - he changes the subject quickly.

He must know at least at some level that this kind of thing makes me dysphoric, so he got some Cool Guy™ points with me.

- That's actually a hard question, lol. I think I'm here just to find interesting people to hang with.

- I get that. Meeting some new folks can't be a bad thing. So, what do you do for fun in this dead city of ours?

- Oh, you know, the usual stuff. I usually go to a lot of bars and drink their craft beer. I'm in the middle of a personal challenge to taste every single one that is available in town - no challenge at all, I just wanted to seem interesting. Don't judge me - Keeps me busy when I'm not working or lazing around at home.

- That's quite nice, actually. Although I'm more of a hunting guy myself. Gets me out of my head after a long day of work. Do you have any favorite spots in the city for your fancy beer challenges? It would be able to meet you again, you know? Catch up on the news, have a beer... Or a few?

- Well, there's this great place downtown that has a vast selection, its called Brewd. It could be a good spot for us to catch up. - thank you, Google.

- Sounds great to me. See you friday at 6 then, kid.

I look at the black screen of my phone and reality seems to strike me like a brick. I just agreed to go out with a guy 20 years older than I.

Nah, he must be just wanting to see me and catch up, no big deal, no need to make things bigger then they are.

But I'm not going to lie, I have something I would love for him to hunt.

The days leading up to Friday were filled with uncertainty. I couldn't shake the feeling that going out with my fathers friend was a bit weird, like I would be stealing him from my dad or something. Still, I convinced myself that catching up with an old family friend wouldn't hurt.

Work was busy as always, some idiot in the server room decided to plug his own, malware filled, pen drive to one of the machines. Thank god for the existence of backups.

Friday arrived, and I found myself nervously adjusting my outfit before going in the trendy bar, well at least I suppose it was trendy for him. I opted for a casual, yet stylish look, hoping to appear as confident as I could. I had just gotten my brand new binder, and I was feeling amazing wearing it.

I spotted Dave already waiting at a corner table. His gaze locked onto me, a smile playing on his lips, one that you only give to an old friend.

- Hey, Alex! Glad you could make it. - Dave greeted, standing up to shake my hand.

- Hey, Dave. I would never miss a chance to drink - I replied, taking a seat across from him - you are a nice addition to it, though.

The evening started off relatively normal. We talked about the past, about how everything seemed slower and realer than real back then and about how he met my dad at a... Rush concert. Yikes. As the night progressed, Dave seemed to relax and open up a little.

- You know, Alex, I've been thinking a lot about you lately. - Dave said casually.

- Oh? And why's that? - I responded, curious.

- It was weird to go to your dads house and not meet you there. - Dave's expression grew thoughtful, and he took a sip of his beer before continuing - I heard from your dad that you've been going through some changes. Figured I'd reach out.

- Yeah, I've been going through loads of stuff. Just trying to figure things out, you know? - I admitted, suddenly feeling vulnerable. To my surprise, Dave nodded understandingly.

- I get that. Life throws all sorts of shit at us, gotta roll with the punches. Your dad mentioned something about you... Uh, exploring your gender, right? - He asked, his tone gentle.

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. It felt strangely comforting to discuss what had happened at home with someone - a cis man at it - who seemed genuinely interested, and not about to preach me some stupid religious rant.

- Yeah, I think I'm trans. I've been taking steps to feel more like myself, like getting this binder. It makes a world of difference. - I gestured to my chest, a subtle pride in my voice. Dave leaned back, a thoughtful expression on his face - After I came out, my dad was never the same, so I just left.

- That's a brave journey, Alex. I can't pretend to fully understand, but everyone deserves to be happy and true to themselves. It takes strength to go after what you want. - His words surprised me. For a old man, he is quite progressive.

As the night wore on, I had to go back home and Dave offered to drive me in his honestly quite beautiful dark blue jeep wrangler, although it seems that the car is older than I am.

The hum of the engine provided a backdrop to a unspoken conversation between us, the cold night air brushing against my fingertips in the car window, listening to some jazz fusion that I found strangely calming - Thank god it wasn't Rush. I couldn't help but notice the glances Dave stole in my direction, his gaze lingering for a beat longer than necessary. I found myself more acutely aware of his presence than ever before.

As Dave parked the car in front of my beat up apartment building, I could feel for a moment the air between us crackling with a magnetic pull that I wasn't willing to resist. Dave finally turned to face me, his eyes as intense as him.

- Alex, tonight was... Unexpectedly fun - he admitted, his voice lower than usual.

I nodded, my gaze meeting his. The tension in the air grew a bit thicker, and I felt a subtle heat rise within me.

- Yeah, it was - I replied, my voice softer than intended. I don't remember the car being so small.

There was a brief pause, a moment of hesitation that hung in the air like a question needing to be answered. Dave's hand brushed against mine on the center console, a deliberate move that sent a jolt through me. His touch was warm, and his thumb traced gentle circles on the back of my hand.

- Take care, Alex - he said with a sincere expression, his hand squeezing mine before releasing it. With that, I stepped out of the car - I wanna go out with you again next week. You are a very good company.

- I would love to meet you again, Dave - I said, closing the door against me and putting my hands on my pockets, trying to not loose the feeling of his hands on mine. He nodded and drove away into the darkness.