“Uh. Hey Mom.” Buck says.
Standing by the open bay doors, Eddie tilts his head toward the sunshine, and raises his eyebrows in a silent question.
“I can’t talk long. I’m headed out…”
Buck runs his hand through his hair, listening.
Buck’s eyes search out Eddie and he flashes him a smile so sweet that Eddie draws in a breath at the sight of it.
“We’re going couch shopping.”
Eddie can’t make out the words, but the shrill tone comes through loud and clear as Buck winces and holds the phone away from his ear.
Buck waits until his mother pauses for breath to say “Uh.. about that…it was a great couch. I loved it …Really.”
Eddie watches as Buck rubs his hand on the back of his neck and then jerks his head to see Chimney laughing beside him.
“He really is a terrible liar.” Chimney says, eyes still crinkled with mirth. Eddie’s mouth quirks, but he doesn’t say anything, turning his eyes back to Buck.
“I have to replace it. Eddie and I were …uh…wrestling, and we broke it.”
“How? Uh. I’m a big guy, you know. And Eddie….” Buck draws in a breath. “He’s definitely a big guy. And we were being very…athletic. And the couch was weak and now it is very, very broken.” Buck looks up from the floor and meets Eddie’s eyes, his own darkened with a memory.
“That’s nice of you, mom, but you don’t have to look up the model number - I think we need something sturdier. Something that can take a pounding.”
Chimney stares at Eddie, who swallows as his face flushes, though he keeps his expression stoic.
“On the floor? No…well, rugburn for one…”
Eddie bites the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning. He doesn’t look at Chimney directly, who is still staring at him, but now with a puzzled expression. He’s pretty sure he’ll lose it if he does.
“Mom! We’re not ‘in the habit’ of wrestling. We’d never done it before. But…” Buck coughed, then grinned “definitely planning on doing it again.”
Buck looks up, pale eyelashes shining in the LA sun, and his gaze catches on Eddie’s, who quietly smolders at him.
He breathes out. “Definitely doing it again. But we need a couch for that. So I’ve gotta go buy one. Ok? “
Buck’s eyebrows furrow and then relax.
“Thanks mom. Talk soon….And Mom? Eddie and I are dating. Ok. Bye. Love you! Bye!”
With a quick sigh he swings around and heads toward Eddie.
Eddie arches an eyebrow “Wrestling, Buck?”
“I couldn’t tell her what we were actually doing.” he says.
“Athletic?” he asks, eyes twinkling.
“Oh yeah. Practically acrobatic.” Buck says with satisfaction.
“What if she asks to see your wrestling moves?” Eddie asks, bumping his shoulder as they walk into into the late afternoon heat.”
“I’ve got moves.” Buck says.
“I know you do.” Eddie says, indulgent.
“You think you can take me?” Buck challenges, eyes narrowing, bouncing as he walks.
“You know I can.” Eddie says equably, insufferably smug.
Then Buck says “I bet you’d look sexy in a Mexican wrestler’s mask and nothing else…”
Still inside the cool bay, but with his ears burning, Chimney already has his phone out to call Maddie and tell her what really happened to the couch.
