The Bandini Affair 13
Draginacht@aol.com (AKA Jeff)
Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. The story contains graphic descriptions of sex between men. Anyone who is forbidden by law to read such material must stop now. This story is being posted to the Nifty Archive solely for the enjoyment of its readers.
Chapter 13
Leo drove his father's car to the nursery and thought about what he should do in the immediate future.
'The settlement form the annulment gives me unlimited options. Should I return to Nashville and continue working there? There's no longer any reason to live there," he thought. 'I could write just as easily right here where I grew up. That would allow me to stay close to the family. Do I even want to continue as a sports journalist? Why did I choose that profession? Yes, I do enjoy writing... and it is pretty easy... but I don't like all the travel. I'd really like to stay in one place. Maybe I could find a job in this area; that would be nice.'
Throughout the day, Leo would continue the private conversation he started with himself. So far, he'd neither disclosed the details of the settlement from his annulment, nor had he shared with anyone the true reason he and Marsha split. By now he'd figured out why but was too embarrassed to discuss it with anyone.
As Thursday progressed, Leo's contacts with Matt were frequent. He couldn't seem to avoid watching the younger man, the way he moved when he walked, so graceful, like a cat. Matt's hips moved so fluidly and gave his body great balance. Leo thought it was sexy. Then he felt slightly embarrassed by such thoughts.
Around 2:30 PM, Leo entered the break room, opened the refrigerator, bent over and pulled out a Dr. Pepper.
"Good choice," Matt said as Leo straightened up. 'Kyle's right, he does have a great bubble butt,' Matt thought.
"You like this, too?" Leo asked as he turned and saw Matt's friendly and affectionate smile.
"Yeah, when I used to stay with my uncles, they always kept some in the fridge so I developed a taste for it," Matt replied. Leo stepped away from the refrigerator, leaving the door open. Matt reached in, selected a Dr. Pepper and gave Leo a warm smile as he straightened up. Together they opened their cans to the familiar 'pop-fitz.'
'This is a great time to ask him. I really should ask him; I really should! C'mon, coward, ask him! Ask him!' "Uh... Matt?"
Matt lowered the can from his face and smiled at Leo. "Yes?" He purposely said 'yes' instead of 'yeah' as a form of politeness.
"I uh... if I invited you to dinner Saturday evening would you accept?" Leo said as fast as he could. 'God what a horrible, convoluted way to invite someone to dinner.'
"Yes I would, Leo; it'd be an honor."
'He's so darned confident! I wish I were like that.' Leo continued. "Well, I was thinking of perhaps The Outback... but if you'd rather go somewhere else..."
"No, no," Matt interrupted. "I love The Outback." Matt smiled at Leo's obvious awkward attempt at being social. "And Saturday will be fine. What time did you have in mind?"
Leo smiled. "I don't know, what seems good to you?"
"Is 6:30 too early?" Matt asked. But the thought that was going through his mind was, 'you seem good to me, Leo. I'd like to take you in my arms and plant hot, wet kisses all over your body.'
"Okay, uh... I'll pick you up if you like..."
"Thanks, but I won't be coming from home so I think it'll work best if I just meet you there." Again, Matt was thinking, 'what I'd like is to treat you to the best orgasm of your life.'
"Yeah, okay..." Leo tipped his can and took another sip while looking at Matt. They both smiled at each other and then the moment began to feel rather awkward. "Well, back to work," Leo said and moved toward the door.
"Right! Back to work. Ya know the management tends to gets pissed if you hang around the break room too long." And Matt smiled. Leo chuckled - he was management. They grinned at each other as Matt stepped aside to allow Leo to pass. Matt took the opportunity to glance down for another look at Leo's butt. He followed Leo out of the break room and they went opposite directions down the hall.
After taking a few steps, Leo stopped and turned to look behind him. He blushed a little when he saw Matt turning to look back at him. Both men paused, grinned at each other and continued on their separate ways.
'Darn! I did it! I actually did it. And it wasn't that hard, either.' Now what do I do? I need to figure out what to talk about. Today is Thursday and we have a date for Saturday. A date! That sounds so strange. I'm having a date with another man. It's hard to believe. Yes I am. And... he's gay... at least that's what Meg and Pop said. I can't just blurt out, are you gay? That would be a terrible way to start. No, what I need to do is find out things about him. You know, like about his family and things. Or what he likes to do in his spare time. Yes, things like that. Matt really is a nice guy. I shouldn't focus on his being gay. Well, back to work.'
Matt thought as he walked out the door, 'Leo, why do I keep getting mixed signals? Sometimes I swear you're giving me the "come-on." My gaydar must be screwed up. He intentionally turned back around to look at me; why would he do that if he isn't interested?'
The two men went about their work as usual. In quiet moments Leo's mind returned to his earlier question about whether to stay here or return to Nashville. He'd enjoyed spending time with his parents but living with them for any extended time was out of the question. He'd need to find an apartment or condo. Then Leo had a brilliant idea. The current office building was actually a converted house. He vaguely remembered the second floor used to be like an apartment. He wondered what it looked like now.
During a slack time later that afternoon, Leo walked down the hall to the door he thought would open to a stairway. Sure enough, he found stairs leading to the second floor. Each step produced creaks and groans indicating they hadn't had much use for quite some time but they still seemed sturdy.
At the top of the stairs, the main room opened before him; it was more like a studio apartment. The place was dusty but it had a welcome feel to it. Cloths were draped over the furniture: a sofa, a club chair, an old coffee table, some small tables with lamps on them. In one corner of the room sat a bed with a wrought-iron frame. The mattress felt firm and looked to be in good shape. An efficiency kitchen was built into another corner with a small table and a couple of chairs. Leo wondered about a bathroom. He saw a door just past the kitchen, walked over and opened it. Viola! He' found a bathroom with one sink, a commode and a shower. He left the door open and turned back around for a different view of the large room.
Two double hung windows at either end of the room provided plenty of light and they could provide adequate cross-ventilation. Then Leo realized that the room temperature was quite pleasant. Closer examination uncovered air-conditioning and heating vents, a feature that must have been added when the first floor was turned into the sales and business office.
Leo quickly decided it would be an ideal place to stay until he got his life put back together. It would give him time to look for just the right condo in the right part of town and he wouldn't be under any pressure to make a quick decision, which might cost more money.
Thursday evening, after dinner, Pop announced he needed to get out of the house for a few hours and intended to go the nursery the next day. Gina voiced her objections, saying he hadn't been cleared by the doctor. And she was concerned he was moving too fast. Jimmy argued he was going stir crazy and a short visit would do him some good. Ultimately they compromised on a visit, not more than one hour long. Jimmy thought he had won and Gina thought she had.
Later that evening, Leo called his sister and told of their father's plan. Between them they devised a plan to welcome Pop back to the yard.
Friday morning, Pop did exactly as he planned. Gina drove up and stopped at the entrance to the yard. Pop was so eager he almost sprang from the car. He walked through the open gate but didn't see anybody. Looking from side to side, he wondered where everyone was. When Jimmy arrived at the office building, he walked up the steps and opened the door. Looking around, he saw all of his employees grinning at him.
"Welcome back, Pop," Megan said and she took her father's hand and led him into the room. Together, the group had decided not to shout "SURPRISE!" out of concern that it might startle their boss. Instead, he was welcomed quietly with handshakes and hugs. Megan had made a cake and iced tea and everyone enjoyed having Pop back, if even for one hour. A few customers arrived and shared in the festivities.
Pop spent his hour walking around the yard and commenting on various things, happy to add his personal touch to the operation. Occasionally he'd notice something was different and ask who did it. The answer was always: "Leo." Pop would smile and move on. True to his agreement with Gina, Jimmy didn't argue when she announced it was time to go home, that they could come back tomorrow.
All day Saturday, Leo was a little nervous, maybe even excited. After work he rushed home showered, and arrived at the Outback about five minutes early. When he passed through the double doors he saw Matt sitting on a bench waiting for him. He was wearing a pair of khaki slacks with a medium blue polo shirt. Leo thought Matt looked devastating.
"Been waiting long?" Leo asked. He'd looked for Matt's truck when he drove into the parking lot but didn't see it.
"Bout an hour," Matt replied with a frown. And before Leo could react, Matt grinned and corrected his reply. "Just joking, I saw you drive up just as I was walking in. Great timing." Matt slid to his left to make room for Leo. "The hostess says it'll be about another twenty minutes; she gave me one of these." He handed Leo the vibrator/pager. "I gave her the name Leo because this is your invite." Matt smiled at Leo the whole time he explained everything.
"Thanks," Leo replied as he as he accepted the vibrator/pager and slid into the bench space Matt had created for him. 'I like his good sense of humor,' Leo thought. He smiled to himself.
The two men sat side-by-side, looking straight ahead with their hands folded in front of them. Leo couldn't help noticing that Matt didn't seem as tall. He recalled that when they stood next to each other, Matt was obviously about a foot taller. But sitting next to each other the height difference seemed to no more than two or three inches. Much later, Leo would realize that most of Matt's height difference was in his legs. With shoulders and thighs pressed tightly against each other, Leo soon began to feel the heat from Matt's leg. Of course, the normal physical reaction occurred, Leo sprung wood. As long as he remained seated perhaps no one would notice, especially Matt.
Fortunately, after only fifteen minutes, their vibrator/pager activated. They stood, Leo handed the pager to the hostess and they followed her to a booth. Matt made sure he let Leo go first because it gave him another opportunity to admire Leo's butt.
Once seated, they quietly looked at the menu while waiting for a server. No more than a couple of minutes later, a very friendly young lady approached the booth, greeted them and asked for their drink orders. Leo had pegged Matt as a beer drinker so he was a little surprised when Matt asked for a glass of Riesling from a vineyard in the state of Washington. That sounded interesting so Leo decided ask for the same. After the server left, an awkward moment of silence followed. Leo looked at Matt and their eyes met. Leo took a deep breath and began.
"So... who are you?" he asked. Leo realized his question wasn't exactly what he'd planned to ask and before he could clarify it, Matt seized an opportunity. He made a very obvious move to wipe the palm of his right hand on the front of his shirt then extended it across the table.
"Hi," Matt said with a playful grin. "My name is Mathew Hall Close. I'm glad to meet you." Matt immediately thought what he'd just said and realized he could just as easily have said 'I'm glad to meat you.' Leo would not have known the difference.
Leo began to chuckle as he extended his hand and watched it disappear inside Matt's.
"I guess I asked for that, didn't' I?"
"Sorry, straight lines like that don't come along every day." Matt smiled and chuckled. "I just couldn't pass it up."
"Well, I guess I deserved that; consider it my gift," Leo replied with a smile that seemed permanent.
At that moment they were interrupted by the arrival of their wine and a loaf of bread. As they consumed the wine, Leo rephrased his question and asked Matt to tell him about himself. Matt explained that his father was a high school football and track coach who also taught algebra. His mother ran the house and was active in many things and was also an elected alderman in his hometown. (Matt had always wondered if his mother should be referred to as an alderwoman but nobody seemed to have any trouble with alderman.) He went on to explain he had two brothers, one older, one younger, and a younger sister. He did not explain that his older brother was actually his twin who was only a minute and fifty-seven seconds older.
The food was served and consumed almost unnoticed. The two men were so engaged in their conversation they hardly realized how good the meal was. Matt told about attending the local junior college and then joining the Police Department. Leo was interested in Matt's police work so Matt entertained him with a few humorous episodes from his experience.
It was almost two hours later that Leo paid the bill and they walked out of the restaurant. Standing in front of the building, they shook hands and parted, each backing away as if they weren't really ready to leave.
"By the way," Matt said almost as an afterthought, "I still have a part time job with the Police Academy. Twice a month I conduct martial arts and self-defense refresher training for them. I have a class this coming Wednesday, if you're interested."
"Yes," Leo replied. "I'd like that." Then he wondered if perhaps he'd replied too quickly.
"I'll bring you a map and instructions on how to find the place tomorrow. Is that okay?
"Yeah, sure." Leo smiled. The two men took another step back, smiled, raised their right hands, made a semi-wave goodbye, turned around and began walking toward their vehicles. Then, as if on cue, each looked back again to find the other doing the same.
That's when Leo realized that the reason he hadn't seen Matt's truck was because they'd parked on opposite sides of the building.
It was after 9:00 PM when Leo arrived home. Pop was already in bed but his mother sat in the living room reading. She asked about the meal and Leo said it was good. Then he went up to his room and got ready for bed. As he lay on his back thinking about the evening, Leo was aware of how peaceful and calm he felt. Not once during the evening had he felt shy or insecure. Matt was so easy to talk to and the sound of his voice seemed to have a calming effect. Leo remembered the awkward beginning and chuckled out loud. Then he rolled over onto his left side and went to sleep.
Sunday at the nursery was busy as usual. Matt brought a map and written directions to the gym and which door to use. The two men frequently found themselves standing in some shade and chatting about nothing.
Monday, Megan demanded a complete report on the dinner and Leo did his best to describe what happened. However, he withheld his personal feelings because he wasn't sure he wanted his sister to know such private thoughts.
Of course, Matt was off Monday and Tuesday and when he returned on Wednesday, he reminded Leo of the martial arts refresher training that evening. Leo promised to be there, 7:30 PM.
Leo was running late and then had trouble finding the correct door to the gym. Finally, he got into the building and saw a group of men at one end of the floor, which was covered with mats. He counted seven men, each wearing those white outfits he'd seen on TV. Matt stood out because he was the tallest one there. Leo quietly sat down on the bleachers and watched in silence. He watched Matt demonstrate a move and then have the others practice it. Leo was amazed at how powerful Matt looked when he moved, and yet he was so graceful and flexible. One of the other men looked familiar but Leo couldn't place the face. The man was standing in front of Matt listening to what Matt was saying.
"Hey Matt," Kyle said quietly. "I think your little bubble butt friend is here."
"Oh? Where?" Matt said as he looked around. He hadn't seen Leo come in. The next thing Matt knew he was flying through the air and landing with a 'thump' on the mat. "UMPH!" Lying on his back with Kyle's knee on his chest, Matt looked up to see his former roommate/fuck buddy grinning down at him.
"Do you have any idea how many years I've been waiting to do that?" Kyle said loud enough for everyone to hear. "You were always too good."
"Yeah, ya got me good this time," Matt chuckled and smiled at his good friend. He watched Kyle look across the gym at Leo and also felt Kyle's body relax just enough. It seemed like no more than the blink of an eye and Kyle was flat on his stomach, his face pressed into the mat with his arm twisted behind his back and Matt's knee shoved firmly into his groin.
"I hope y'all noticed how that was done," Matt said as he looked at the other men. Kyle just groaned, knowing he'd lost again to his best friend. They'd been doing this since they were in high school together.
The training session was over by 8:30 and while the men went to the locker room, Matt and Kyle walked over to talk to Leo.
"Leo, you probably remember Kyle; he was the officer who responded to the robbery that evening at the nursery."
"Yes, I thought you looked familiar," Leo said, sounding rather timid. He greeted Kyle with a handshake. "Thank you, very much." Leo smiled. "It's not an evening I care to remember, if you know what I mean?"
"Yes, I think I do," Kyle replied and shook Leo's hand. "Well, I'm pleased to meet you again. Sorry to rush off but I have someone waiting for at home. See ya later." And with that, Kyle turned and walked rapidly toward the locker room.
"Kyle just wanted to say 'hi' again," Matt smiled. "Glad you could make it. What did you think?"
"Oh, very impressive! Maybe you can show me some of those moves some day." Leo was grinning when he said that and Matt wasn't quite sure how to interpret the comment.
"Hey, what say I change and we can go have a beer?"
"Sounds good. Should I wait here?" Leo found himself hoping Matt would suggest following him into the locker room. He almost blushed.
"I won't be long... why don't you just wait here and then follow me to a place I know?" Matt was tempted to invite Leo to join him in the locker room but thought it might be a little obvious.
"Say... are you... you think..." Matt was searching for the right way to invite Leo to his place for dinner. "Ya know, next Tuesday night I'm gonna make Chicken Marsala for dinner; I'd sure like it if you could come over to share it with me." There, he found the right words.
"Next Tuesday?" Leo was jumping inside while trying to appear cool outside. He didn't' want to seem too eager. "I don't think I have anything on my calendar then... Sure!" There was a pause in the conversation, which gave Leo time to think. "Can I bring something? Like some wine or beer, maybe?"
"Yeah... you don't have to... but that'd be great. Whatever you want." It would be only the second time Matt had invited anyone to his house for dinner. The other time was about three months earlier when Kyle and Logan came over for a private house warming.
Matt suggested Leo get there at 6:30. That would give them time to visit and have something to drink before they ate.
The weekend passed uneventfully and Leo was beginning to think that Tuesday would never come.
Tuesday, 6:30 PM sharp, Leo pulled up and stopped his father's car in front of Matt's house. He hadn't made any decision about whether to stay where he was or go back to Nashville but he could clearly feel the draw to stay.
Walking up the driveway, Leo thought back to the first time he was here. It was been in the dark of night and he wasn't able to see just how really charming Matt's little house was. He found the doorbell and pressed it. He heard the "ding-dong" and noted it was quite ordinary; it seemed to fit Matt's personality. Leo heard footsteps, watched the doorknob turn, and realized his heart was racing.
'Calm down, Leo,' he told himself. The door opened.
(To be continued.)