and he turned back to the computer. “Hooray” he crowed, “All clear! We are set to go!” We both jumped up and down at that, fists in the air, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”, high-fives, the whole nine yards, because it meant that we were home free with Mr. president SIR! – and, more importantly, free to go home. Tony said “C’mon, man, hurry up, let’s get outta here while we still can!” I said “Amen, Brother!” and grabbed my coat and my bag of emergency supplies. He headed for his office for his coat and we met at the elevator. Tony said “My car’s in the garage so we don’t even have to go outside.” As we rode down in the elevator to the garage we were both chattering away like schoolkids, about nothing and everything. As the elevator opened and we stepped outside, he hit the clicker on his car to start it – it was about 40 feet straight ahead, at the end of the row. He looked at me and said, “Race ya!” And I took off running immediately without even answering him. Still, he beat me – those short little legs of his could MOVE! We both arrived breathless and panting, and giggling. I said “Damn, man, where’d you learn to run so fast?” Tony said, “State champion high-school track team – 500-yard dash, 4-man relay, and cross-country. That, and soccer in college – regional champs, but we lost in the quarter-finals for the national championship. I cried like a girl. I hate losing. That was almost 10 years ago and it still bothers me – I haven’t forgotten.” He pulled the car out of the garage and onto the snowy street. He stopped for a light as a snowplow went past. He turned to me in the darkness of the car and looked straight at me, deep into me with those lustrous, big, dark eyes, that even in the darkness gleamed, and said “You helped make me – and yourself – and most importantly, our whole team a winner tonight, and I don’t forget that, either, any more than I have that last soccer game.” I stammered around a little and said something inane like “Thanks, man – but we couldn’t have gotten this far without you, and don’t you forget that, either, because I won’t, and I won’t let anyone else forget, either.” By the glow of the dashboard lights I saw his soft, shy smile again, and gave him one of my own, and came soooo close to leaning over and kissing him, but not knowing the terrain, held back - but on that cold and snowy night, with the car heater not yet warmed up, I was warm as toast inside, knowing that I had pleased him – and still hoping I could somehow, someday, please him further…

We drove slowly but safely out of the downtown area – it was snowing heavily, and the wipers were busy, but the 4-wheel-drive held us firm, and Tony took his time. He said “I’ve not got much food in the house, so I’m going to drive by a pizzeria I go to sometimes and see if they’re open – I’m hungry. OK by you?”

I said, “Fine by me, bud – you’re driving.” That was as close to being familiar as I’d ever gotten with him, and it got another smile from him. The place was open, and we got 2 large and 2 medium pizzas, plus some cheesesticks, just in case. There was a beverage store next door, also open,