The Bandini Affair 05
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.
Note from Jeff: The story line in this chapter is going to jump from one geographical location to another to cover virtually simultaneous events. I hope you don find it too confusing.
From the end of Chapter 04
"Thanks, Leo, I'm happy I got to meet you, too. Bye." Rolf turned and resumed walking away.
'You chicken! You lost your nerve! Darn!' Leo watched Rolf disappear around the corner then turned, entered the hotel and went to his room.
About a half a block away, Rolf hailed a cab and got in.
'You fooled me, Leo,' Rolf thought as he relaxed in the back seat of the taxi. 'I was sure you were about to invite me up to spend the night. I did my best to look cold but you didn't take it. Oh well, it's probably for the better. I'll bet you didn't think I could feel your hard-on while we were dancing, did you? And that was a pretty ingenious recovery you made to disguise it before we left the dance floor. Yep Leo, I wish you well. And I hope you find a good man to take care of you. Unfortunately I don't hold much hope for your marriage.'
Chapter 5
Leo stood in the middle of his hotel room, confused and totally exhausted. He finally removed his coat and hung it up, then crawled, fully clothed, into bed without even brushing his teeth - the time was past 0100 hrs. His mind and body craved "down-time" - especially his brain. It's easy for a shy introvert to get overloaded. Leo tossed and turned all night regardless of his fatigue. His brain seemed troubled by so many things he'd seen and heard.
Friday morning.
Leo awoke almost more tired than when he went to bed. But the first thing on his agenda was to sit down at his laptop and start writing an article about the sin and depravity of Amsterdam.
After an hour, Leo was still staring at a blank screen. He'd made several attempts at a beginning but each time he'd gone to "Select All" and deleted his efforts. It wasn't as though he lacked material for his article, his nerves just seemed to be jangled. Another hour passed without progress and Leo decided to take a walk.
The weather was lovely - bright sun, mild temperature, and a clear sky. Leo found a bench and sat down. He enjoyed watching the various forms of traffic - bicycles, cars, trucks, trams, and an occasional boat in the nearby canal. Finally it seemed like his brain was beginning to work.
'My problem is that I'm too emotionally close to the people I have to write about. What I need is some distance from them so that I can approach the story with more objectivity. Suppose I were the Right Reverend Maggard? No, that won't work; I'd have to be a bigot. But wait! That's it! They want an article that condemns the lifestyle here. Yes! I'll project my mind into that of Reverend Maggard and write as he would.'
Leo was pleased with himself. And the sunshine and fresh air had helped clear his mind. He stood up from the bench and returned to his hotel room. He worked right through lunch and almost through dinner. Suddenly aware of how late the hour was, Leo called for Room Service and continued typing.
Having spent the day alone in his room with his laptop without contact with other humans (except the Bus Boy), Leo had reset his circuits and slept much better. His article was done and he was relaxed.
Meanwhile, back in the USA.
Documents were scattered in small stacks all over the kitchen table. Tony Mancuso was trying to sort them in some logical order before filing them. His Blackberry rang and it was buried somewhere under all the papers. Tony searched for the phone by slapping the palms of his hands on top of the pieces of paper. Finally he located it, picked it up, glanced at the ID and answered.
"Hey there, Matt, How are ya?"
"Hi Uncle Tony, uh... are you real busy?" Matt asked.
"Not really, Kid, what's on your mind?"
"I uh... I wanted to talk to you about looking for a house I might buy."
"Sure, Matt, I'm at the house at the moment, why don't you come on over? I'll even fix us a sandwich."
"Thanks, Uncle Tony, I'll be there in about fifteen." Tony heard the line go dead as Matt ended the call. He had a soft spot in his heart for his nephew. Actually, Matt was his partner's nephew but ever since Matt and his twin brother were seven years old, they'd been calling him 'Uncle.' Tony always remembered that summer morning when, at thirteen years old, Matt came out to him. Since then, Tony had followed Matt's progress very closely while avoiding being obvious about it.
"Uncle Tony?" Matt inquired as he stepped through the back door from the garage."
Tony watched as the doorway into the kitchen was filled with Matt's 6 foot 6 inch frame, broad shoulders, long arms and legs and his solid body. He was taken by what an impressive man Matt had become, and he'd kept in excellent condition with his martial arts and running regimen.
Flash back 12 years to this very kitchen. Matt, 13, and his brothers Mark (fraternal twin), JD (John David), 11, and their friend Shannon, 13, are spending the week with Uncle David Baker, Dave's son PD (Paul David) and Tony Mancuso, Dave's partner and Shannon's uncle. Dave and Tony are an established gay couple who committed to each other in a civil ceremony several years several earlier. All the boys, except PD, know the two men are gay and don't think anything about it - it's just natural for them. We pick up the scene as it occurred.
... Everything went smoothly for the first two days. Tuesday morning Tony was up earlier than usual. After emptying his bladder he pulled on his boxer briefs and a T-shirt and walked toward the kitchen to start the coffee. He was surprised to see Matt sitting at the table staring out the window. Matt wore only his athletic shorts, the baggy kind that looks like a skirt, that teens were so fond of wearing - no shirt, no shoes, no socks.
"Morning, Matt," Tony said as he crossed the room to the refrigerator. After removing the orange juice and setting seven juice glasses on the counter top he was well aware that Matt hadn't responded. He proceeded to fill the juice glasses, returned the juice container to the fridge and, with two glasses in each hand he walked to the table and sat down.
"Have some juice; it'll help you wake up." Tony's surprise was tempered by remembering that Matt often arose early and wondered around the house. But he was just a little more than curious about Matt's current behavior.
"Thanks," Matt replied. At least he remembered to be polite. He picked up the glass, drained the juice in one continuous swallow, and returned the glass to the table. Tony was still young enough to remember his teen years and decided to give Matt some slack, not push the issue. Just as Tony arrived at that conclusion, Matt looked at him with his deep blue eyes and said, "Uncle Tony, how do you know if you... if you're... gay?"
Tony felt a cold chill race up his spine and lodge in the base of his skull. While he was sure Matt hadn't seen his reaction, he knew he needed to be cool at that moment.
"Oh... Well..." Tony stalled. How much should he say? What should he say? He'd been suspicious for some time that Matt, his buddy Matt, might be showing signs but he had dismissed them as pure speculation. Now, here they were, alone in the kitchen and Matt had asked a very pregnant question. Tony knew he had only one option - to answer the question directly and honestly.
"There's no easy answer, Matt," Tony paused momentarily. "Suppose you're walking down the corridor at school and you see a guy and a girl walking together holding hands. If you find yourself checking out the guy, especially his package, while ignoring the gal, that could be one sign." Matt spun his head to the left and stared out the window. Tony suspected Matt didn't want his uncle to see his face. Tony continued.
"Or after gym class, when you're in the showers with all the other guys you go out of your way to avoid checking out all the other equipment and really have to concentrate to keep from throwing wood."
Matt slowly turned his head back to the right to face his uncle. "When did you know you were gay?"
Now Tony was really on the spot. How was he supposed to answer that question? He thought for a moment and began with a chuckle in an attempt to lighten the moment.
"Ha-ha, I was a late bloomer. I was in denial for a number of years until I met your Uncle David." Tony smiled at the thought. "I absolutely fell in love with him the moment I met him and it forced me to accept who I was." Tony didn't want to leave the topic where it was so he added one more thought. "And I have never regretted it for one minute."
Tony's infectious smile caused Matt to smile back but then it faded and he turned to look out the window again. After a few moments of silence Matt spoke toward the window.
"Uncle Tony..." Tony was more or less expecting Matt to say something profound and he did. "I think I may be gay." It was a straightforward statement and Matt and Tony just it lay there for a few seconds until Matt, tears running down his cheeks, turned and faced his uncle. "What do I do?"
Tony arose from his chair and reached out for Matt's arm. "We start with a big hug," Tony replied as he pulled Matt to his feet and wrapped him in his arms. At first, Matt's arms hung limp at his sides but slowly he raised them and closed them around his uncle; it was a sincere embrace. Tony felt Matt shake a few times like he might be sobbing but he wasn't making any sounds.
'Damn, these kids are growing,' Tony thought. 'Matt's taller than Dave, almost as tall as I am.' That's the way Dave found them when he walked into the kitchen.
Dave stopped to survey the scene and caught Tony's eye. Tony quietly raised his eyebrows and pressed his lips together as if to signal that something serious was taking place. Dave remained quiet.
Tony had another idea. "I'm gonna suggest you ask your Uncle David. I remember him saying he knew he was gay when he was about your age." With that statement Tony alerted Dave to the topic of the moment.
He began releasing Matt from the hug, and taking the hint, Matt did the same. Then Matt sighed and sat back down in his chair.
"Mornin' you two," Dave chuckled after a short pause. "Looks mighty friendly to me. Anything I should know?"
Matt spun around in his chair and looked up at his uncle. He wondered how much Dave had heard then quickly looked at Tony. Tony just raised his thick eyebrows at Matt and nodded toward Dave as if to say, 'Lay it on him.'
"Uh..." Matt hesitated. "I don't know..."
"Okay," Dave replied; he decided to let the situation play out at Matt's pace. "Oh good, you poured juice... and the coffee's ready." Dave crossed the room, picked up his juice and drank it in one continuous motion. Then he poured two cups of coffee, set one in front of Tony and bent over and shared a morning kiss with his lover. The display of affection was intended for Matt's benefit. Next he walked around the table and sat down opposite Tony and close to Matt. He waited. It didn't take long for Matt to gather his courage.
"Uncle David..." Dave could see that Matt was debating his next move and he remembered Tony's comment about knowing he was gay at Matt's age. The expression on Dave's face conveyed his undivided attention. Matt's courage was growing.
"Uncle David, when did you know you were gay?" Dave looked at Tony and exchanged a look of understanding.
"So that's what this is all about," Dave responded. "Are you saying you're gay, Matt?"
Matt glanced at Tony then hung his head. "Yeah," he admitted sadly.
Dave arose from his chair and pulled Matt into a hug. This time Matt didn't hesitate like he did with Tony. He returned his uncle's hug with feeling.
"No offense, Uncle David but I don't want to be gay."
"I know, Matt."
"I just... well, I'd rather be normal, if you know what I mean."
"Yes, I know. It's not going to be easy."
"Almost every night I pray for God to make me straight but it never happens."
"I know, Matt, I was the same way." Dave rubbed Matt's back with care. "It's not your fault, you know."
"Oh?" Matt responded. "I... I guess I never thought of it like that. But you're right; it isn't my fault. I didn't choose to be like this."
"I know; I had to come to grips with that concept also."
As the hug continued, Matt became aware of two things. One was how much taller he was than his Uncle David. He liked that and liked the feel of holding the shorter man in his arms. And two, his log was beginning to stir in his shorts. He quickly released his uncle and sat back down. Matt would have been mortally embarrassed for his uncle discover that he was getting turned on.
"Where were we?" Dave asked as he sat down. He was unaware of the movement in Matt's shorts. "Oh yeah, your question. Uh, I was always more interested in boys than girls as I was growing up. I knew that I was different but I didn't really figure it out for sure until I was about thirteen, about the age you are now." Dave knew by the look on Matt's face that he'd struck a home run. Now he wondered if Matt would run the bases.
"How did you know?"
"Oh, let's see," Dave leaned back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling as though he was trying to recall his past. The action served to draw Matt into the story. "I think I realized I was gay, back then it was called queer, when my friends were all gaga over girls while I was more interested in my buddies. I prayed it was just a phase I was going through but the more time passed the more I had to accept the truth."
"Who did you tell first?" Matt was beginning to open up quite nicely.
"Ha-ha," Dave laughed as he remembered how Kate had guessed his secret. "My sister - your mother, Matt. I didn't actually tell her, she guessed my secret when I was fourteen..."
"And what did she say?" Matt interrupted with elevated interest in his voice as he leaned back in his chair and began to relax.
"Your mother and I were always best friends. She was great about it. We talked a lot and she helped me survive while I developed the confidence to stand on my own." Dave waited for some reaction. He watched Matt lean forward and place his elbows on the table. After all, it was Matt's mother Dave was talking about. Dave definitely had Matt's attention now and he continued telling his nephew just a few humorous things that happened to him while he was in high school. Before long, Matt was chuckling along with his uncles.
"What's all the laughter about?" Mark asked as he and Shannon walked into the kitchen. They also were dressed like Matt, bare feet, baggy athletic shorts and no shirts.
Matt smiled at Dave and Tony and then did something that surprised them. He looked at his brother and said, "I just told Uncle David and Uncle Tony that I think I'm gay." The three of them braced for the reaction.
"Thank God!" Mark exclaimed. "I'm glad you finally figured that out!"
"You mean you knew?" Matt asked as he arose from his chair in surprise. Mark approached his brother and embraced him.
"Hey, I'm your twin. Remember?" Mark released Matt and stood facing him. "Yeah, Shan and I wondered if you were ever gonna tell us."
"Shan, you knew too?"
Shannon elbowed Mark aside and gave Matt a hug. The young men didn't seem the least bit inhibited by the fact that they were practically naked. "I didn't really know but with two gay uncles to observe, I thought I saw some signs. Mark and I talked it over last year and decided you probably were. It doesn't matter, Matt," Shannon reassured his friend. At that moment they heard JD and PD walking noisily down the hall.
"Let's change the subject, men," Dave suggested. "We'll talk about this later."
And they did. Matt and his two uncles made time for private conversations about things only Matt needed to hear. Dave and Tony made it clear to Matt that they would always be available to discuss anything he wanted to know. Bolstered by his uncles' support, Matt decided to 'come out' to his parents. Kate and John returned from Vail, collected their boys and took them home. Nancy and Susan were already at the house when they arrived so the family was reunited. That evening, after Susan and JD had gone to bed, Matt, accompanied by his twin brother, sat down with their parents in the family room. Matt told his parents that he'd had a long talk with his Uncle David and Uncle Tony and was sure he was gay. A brief discussion ensued and they agreed to talk again soon because everyone was tired. But at the end of the discussion Kate and John assured Matt that they loved him, no matter what his sexual preference, and they hoped he would feel free to confide in them and his uncles any time he felt the need.
(Note from Jeff: The above narrative is an excerpt from "David's Initiation: Epilogue 1." I made several attempts at summarizing the events but was unable to capture the wealth of information and understanding provided in the original. If you're interested in the complete story, you can find it at http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/beginnings/davids-initiation/.)
(Now back to the present. Tony has just watched Matt enter the kitchen.)
"Hey Matt, you're lookin' good in that policeman's uniform."
"Yeah, thanks," Matt replied with a grin. The uniform was one of the things he liked about being a cop. He met Tony halfway across the kitchen and they hugged.
"I hope grilled ham and cheese on sourdough will be okay," Tony asked as he moved back to the stove. He knew he was on safe ground because it was one of Matt's favorites.
"Great!" Matt exclaimed as he sat down at the table, which was now clear of all the papers Tony had been sorting. Tony thought Matt was more quite than usual. He was by nature a quiet man but he normally let his hair down when he was in the presence of his two uncles.
"If you'll get us some Cokes, these will be ready soon." Tony was trying to give Matt something to do, hoping it would help loosen his tongue.
"Sure," came Matt's reply as he stood up and walked to the cabinet to get two glasses. "I'm glad you're home today; I always like to come over here." He shoved the glasses into the refrigerator door and filled them with ice. "I've been thinking about moving out of that apartment and into a real house I can call home." The sound of the carbonated drinks could be heard as Matt poured them into the glasses. "And I was wondering if you might know of some place I could buy." Matt then sat down and watched Tony place the grilled sandwiches on two plates.
"Yeah, anything in particular you're interested in?" Tony was pleased for two reasons: one that Matt was beginning to open up, and two that he was interested in settling into a house of his own.
"I'd like to be lucky enough to find a place in the Village. Something small, maybe 2-bedrooms?" Matt looked at his uncle with a look of hope in his eyes.
"Ya know, Matt, I'd have to check, but I think a couple of houses just came on the market," Tony replied, trying to sound promising. He was reminded of several years earlier when he and Dave decided to invest in a bunch of houses that were part of an estate liquidation sale. The houses were in an older neighborhood and in need of repair. Tony and Dave basically gutted the houses and upgraded the interiors to include new electrical and digital wiring, and new plumbing. They then arranged for low-interest loans to be made available to friends in the gay and lesbian community - couples that had trouble qualifying for ordinary bank loans - and the area quickly turned into a predominantly gay neighborhood. In a very short time it had become known as 'The Village.'
Tony thought for a minute before asking his next question - he was curious about why Matt was taking this big step. Were he and Kyle breaking up?
"So you're ready to handle a mortgage, are you?"
"Yeah, well..." Matt hesitated for a moment. 'Hell, I can tell Uncle Tony anything.' "Uh, I just think I'm ready." He paused for a moment then got straight to the heart of the issue.
"Ya see, as you know, Kyle and I've been good friends and fuck-buddies ever since our junior year in high school. I guess it was bound to get a little old over time, but for the past year we've had less sex and less often. And now, for the past few months Kyle's been bringing strange men home. I can understand that - he's got needs. And if that's what he wants, far be it from me to tell him he can't. We're not in a committed relationship." Matt paused and thought, 'And if truth be told, I've not been all that monogamous either - but I've been careful.'
Tony wasn't the least bit shocked by Matt's language. He'd known about the two 'boys' almost from the day they started - Matt had been very up front about his relationship with Kyle. Now Tony was certain that he was listening to the beginning of a new phase in Matt's life.
"Well, you two've been friends a long time; maybe you're just naturally growing apart. That happens, ya know?" Tony was trying to make it easy for Matt to continue his train of thought. "You can still be friends?" Tony asked.
"Oh yeah, I think so." Matt's lack of hesitation with his answer indicated a desire on his part to remain friends. "You know that when we started it was a really safe thing for us." Matt looked at his uncle and smiled; he knew Tony understood.
"You think Kyle's practicing safe sex?" Tony asked.
"Oh no doubt! Kyle is just as careful as I am. Although... what he's been doing lately makes me wonder."
Tony didn't respond, he just took another bite of his sandwich and waited for Matt to continue.
"So I think it's time for me to get out of that apartment and be on my own." And then came the other revelation. "And I'm also going to leave the Department."
"What would you do?" Tony asked, trying not to sound surprised.
"I've given the 'boys in blue' four years and it's not really my thing. And you know I've been working for Pop Carlsen at the nursery part time all these years." Matt watched his Uncle Tony nod his head in agreement. "Well, Pop's been trying to get me to go full time. Y'know, he says the business with real estate developers like Uncle David and Sam and agents like you has really been growing and he needs someone to manage it. So he tells me I'm qualified and he wants me to do it."
"And you said?"
"Yes." Matt grinned from ear to ear - a clear indication that he was exceedingly happy with his decision. Tony thought back to when Matt was fourteen and began working at the nursery during his summer vacation. He seemed to have a real affinity with plants, like it was second nature to him.
"Actually, I was kind of surprised when you decided to follow Kyle and join the police force," Tony admitted. "And when is all this supposed to happen?" Tony asked with a happy smile.
"It'll depend on how soon I can find another place to stay and when the Department and I can agree on releasing me."
"Now you know you're welcome to stay here for a while." Tony remembered all the times over the years that Matt had lived with them during his summer vacations.
"Thanks, Uncle Tony," Matt smiled. "I kinda thought you might say that. But I'm still okay with Kyle until I can find my own place. But..." Matt paused. "That might change if Kyle decides he wants me out of there."
"Hey, Matt, nice to come home and find you here," Dave exclaimed as he walked into the kitchen.
"Hi, Uncle David." Matt replied as he arose from his chair and walked toward his uncle. They embraced in a warm welcome then released. "I just came by to ask Uncle Tony for some leads on buying a house."
"Really!" Dave exclaimed sounding very interested. He then moved to where Tony was standing and they embraced, engaging their lips and entire bodies in a lovers kiss.
Matt watched with a big smile. "It's great to see you guys still have it after all these years." He was quite envious of his uncles.
"Yeah, well," Tony replied, "your day will come, just wait." He and Dave separated.
"Look," Matt continued, "I gotta go. I got a few errands to run before I start my shift. You got my number, right, Uncle Tony?" He asked.
"What! I just get home and you're gonna leave without telling me why you're here?" Dave asked trying to sound hurt. Matt knew he was only kidding.
"I'll have to let Uncle Tony explain it. See ya."
"WAIT!" Dave shouted and Matt stopped in his tracks.
"Yeah?"
"Matt, you're twenty-five years old. Don't you think it's time you dropped the 'Uncle' thing?"
Matt looked at his two uncles and smiled. "Would you like that?"
"Oh god, it's got to run in the family genes - he answers a question with a question," Tony exclaimed.
"What?" Matt asked sounding puzzled.
"Never mind, Matt, it's a private joke. And yes, we'd both consider it an honor." Dave was chuckling.
"Okay, David and Tony." Matt was chuckling as he walked out the door.
Dave and Tony were back in each other's arms. "I can fix you a grilled ham and cheese," Tony offered when they ended their kiss.
"Maybe you can fix me a 'Nooner'," Dave suggested. "It's been a long time since we had one of those, whadda ya say?"
Tony rinsed the toothpaste suds from his mouth. "I can still fix you that grilled cheese sandwich," he suggested.
"Nah," Dave replied after he too rinsed the toothpaste suds from his mouth. "I'm on a fruit kick right now," he grinned at his lover. "I just ate a large banana so I'll top it off with an apple from the fridge as I head out the door."
"Yeah, that was a good crop of bananas. I think I ate a bigger one than you did." Tony wrapped his David into his arms. "I love you," he said then proceeded to kiss Dave one more time with feeling.
"I know, and I love you too," Dave replied then returned Tony's kiss with equal love.
"Yeah, I know," Tony replied when they were through kissing. Then, with his left hand he popped Dave on his rump. Now you'd better get back to work so you can afford to keep me in the manner to which I'm accustomed." Both men chuckled as they walked out of the master bathroom.
(To be continued.)