John Madden,
For One Night
by Taylor Benett
He's a little puppy dog. That's what I like to tell
people. A little puppy dog.
John
Madden and I first met after a Raider's cookout at his house.
I had arrived with our friend Chester, and was expecting an evening
of free-flowing testosterone (my formula for fun), when Johny-John
first approached me. He was holding a plate of corn-on-the-cob,
and he was flashing a buttery smile right at me.
"I'll bet you like your cobs nice and hot," he said,
handing me the plate. Big men have always caught my eye, but a big
belly-laugh is ten times sexier.
Was he larger than life? Yes. Flirtatious? Not what
I expected, either. Johny-John and I talked ceaselessly that night,
interrupted only by the occasional intrusion of linebackers and
running backs. Between drumsticks he would joke about how stylish
I was in my CK outfit, or how I reminded him of a "young Elway,
only skinnier and cuter and with better teeth." I admitted that
the ribbed crewneck was a gift from Chester, but I deserved it because
I looked absolutely fabulous in it. Johny-John tilted his head in
concern, but I explained that Chester and I were just out for fun.
Long after the team had left (including Chester!) and
the tiki torches all blown out, Johny-John and I found ourselves
curled up in a hammock, stargazing at three in the morning. "See
that one up there? The color of a medium-rare New York Strip? That's
Betelgeuse, a red giant," he pointed out. "I guess that's kind of
how you see me. A big old lonely giant, huh? Well. I can't blame
you. But deep inside, I don't-I don't feel that way. Not at all.
Sometime I feel like I'm--don't laugh--I feel like I'm Cher at the
beginning of Moonstruck. All lost and confused and a bit
hard-hearted. I guess deep down I just want to find that special
someone too."
I ran my fingers through his hair slowly. Why hadn't
I noticed that boyish smile on TV? Did he always have this wild,
gray poet hair? And where did those lips come from? I couldn't help
myself, but neither could he. When Johny-John's mouth met mine,
I felt a surge of electricity that could only mean one thing: I'd
found my soul mate, even if only for one silvery night under the
glow of a California moon.
