Cardiac Arrest (Be Still, My Beating Heart)

"Sup," I said to him as I walked into the staff room. I didn't expect him there already. I thought his shift started at 12pm, not 11am. But there he was, lounging yet again. He does love to lounge.
"Not much," he said. "How are you?"
"Good," I said.

And so it began. As we were closing up at the end of the day, I said to him and some of the other guys, "Guess what? I can do the pallet jack now. Kyle showed me."
"Really?" they all said, evidently impressed by my impressive physical abilities.
"Yeah!"
"Come on, then," R said. "Show me."

So, I went with him. We spent 15 blissful minutes together as he helped me bring in the pallets from outside. Him somewhat tutoring me in the art of pallet jacking (off); I had previously exaggerated my jacking abilities. I made my "pallet jack off" joke and he laughed for long enough to convince me that he found it legitimately funny.

It was exactly like in the books. The guy teaching the girl some new skill. The girl melting at the knowledgeable voice and words of the guy. The guy saying words of encouragement, so sweet and tender in his patience. Every one of his smiles, his chuckles, his gentle instructions, never pushy, impatient or mean, sent me closer to the edge.

Is this the perfect closure to this chapter of my life? Only a few Saturday shifts to go. Only a few more times to look into this brown eyes and bask in that glorious smile.

Later, as we were officially closed for the day, an older gentleman carrying a little quarter Asian baby walked in. I was off closing up one of the registers so watched from afar. R, smiling widely, went to hold the baby. His niece, I presumed. If I had the balls, I would have jumped him right there and then. It took a lot of self-control to fight those urges to procreate with him and create our own quarter Asian babies.

The older gentleman and Ryan carrying the baby left soon after.
"Bye!" he said. He seemed so happy to be holding the baby. I've spoken to him about his niece before and he's so obviously in love with the baby. It is goddamn beautiful.
"You're holding a baby!" I said with a laugh. "Whose is it?"
"It's my..." he struggled to find the words. "sister's baby. My niece."
"I thought you were going to say it was yours!" I said.
"Better hope not!" the older gentleman said, laughing as well. I guess he is R's father.

It was a blissful afternoon shift.

J