All rights reserved. Copyright held by the author. If you are underage or are offended by gay fiction, containing graphic sex and explicit language, please exit now.
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"BRIARWOOD"
Copyright Ritchris, 2006
A dramatic saga
by
Ritch Christopher
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BOOK NINE
"A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH"
Chapter One-hundred-one
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***AUTHOR'S NOTE: Usually, I put a song or poem at the beginning of each chapter. The one to accompany chapter 101 will appear later at Hunter's audition. R.C.
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On the way to Rob and Tim's apartment, Roger decided it was best if Cliff talked with Billy about Chuck's suicide. Cliff would have better answers for their son, especially after Rob had phoned them at the Waldorf, saying that Billy couldn't understand why God would let Chuck take his own life.
"Roger, whatever you say, please don't blame Rob or Tim for letting Billy find out about Chuck. It was purely accidental. Both of them thought that Billy and Marc were either asleep or engaged in some adolescent activities in Marc's room. Billy just happened to get up and opened the door just as Rob and Tim were discussing Chuck," Cliff said.
"Cliff, I won't blame anyone. If Billy is upset, I'm partially at fault as I should have talked to Billy man-to-man and told him about Chuck before we flew up here to New York."
"Billy is fifteen. His parents' deaths were a great dynamic break in his psyche. Most kids his age who had shot their parents would've been traumatized for life. Billy is a mature fifteen, even though we don't give him enough credit for being so. From what you and I suspected last night, it's certain that Billy is having adult sex with Marc and perhaps it would be better if we started visualizing Billy as a young adult rather than as a maturing teenager," Cliff said, just as the limo arrived at Rob and Tim's.
"Sweetheart, you're the young priest with the wisdom of a learned sage. You always seem to know the correct thing to say in any given situation. I promise I'll leave it all up to you."
"Thanks...I think!" Cliff replied with a faux snarling look on his face.
Rob and Tim met Cliff and Roger at the door.
"Where is Billy?" Cliff asked.
"We tried to get him to go back into Marc's room and be with him, but Billy wanted to be alone. He's in OUR bedroom, sitting in a chair beside the window overlooking West 75th Street. He hasn't moved since he went in there," Rob explained.
"I'll go talk to him while you three sit and discuss the auditions you heard today. Roger has a hundred questions. I, all but had to tie him to the Statue of Liberty to keep him from going to watch the auditions," Cliff added.
"That's not so, Cliff Cole! You didn't have to tie me to the Statue of Liberty, but I DO think you slipped a ruffie of something in my coffee this morning. I was sleepy all day while you and the boys were sightseeing," Roger growled in a kidding manner. "I was just MORE than curious if you guys found some young man to play Sammy."
"You'd really like us to cast Hunter, wouldn't you, Roger?" Tim asked.
"Well, I..." Roger started to say, but Cliff stopped him by raising his vocal volume to a level higher than Roger's.
"ROGER! You promised that you wouldn't interfere with the casting!" Cliff warned him.
"I don't even get to vocalize my opinion?" Roger asked Cliff.
"ABSOLUTELY, NOT! You promised!"
"Rob? Tim? See how miserable Cliff makes life for me?"
"Only when you...as you put it, VOCALIZE your opinions!" Cliff retorted, as he left the living room to go into the bedroom to see Billy.
Just as Rob and Tim described, Billy was sitting in the dark, looking out the window at the street. He was no longer crying, but rather, giving the appearance of being in a daze.
"Hey, big guy!" Cliff said to Billy when he entered. Billy showed no response to Cliff's entrance or greeting. His gaze remained the same. "What do you see out the window?"
Billy spoke, "I was looking at that tree..."
"What tree?"
"The only one I can see down the street. It's right outside the entrance to Uncle Rob and Uncle Tim's place," Billy said, in a slight expressionless monotone.
Cliff squatted on his knees, beside Billy, and looked out the window. "Oh, THAT tree."
"It's not very big. It's about twelve feet tall and it's lost nearly half its leaves in the fall chill."
"It must be a brave little fellow, growing up on a big busy New York street all by itself."
"It looks lonely, Daddy Cliff. I hope it doesn't die when it loses the rest of its leaves."
"Oh, I don't think it will. It's probably been through three or four New York winters and it came back when Spring rolled around with all brand-new leaves."
"You don't think it'll die when it snows?"
"Do you remember one of Daddy Roger's favorite CD's with the song "September in the Rain?"
"Maybe."
"You see, Billy, God has a plan for everything...even lonely little trees. It usually rains a lot in New York in September. That's when the little tree drinks lots and lots of water and makes sap and stores it in his trunk and branches...you know, like our bodies need blood and other organic liquids which keep us alive even when we get sick or have bad colds or the flu. Then about the third week of March or the beginning of Spring, the sap starts rising to the ends of the branches and produces spring blossoms and brand new leaves which grow and makes the tree taller and more beautiful until the next autumn. Our trees in Briarwood do the same thing...EVERY ONE of them!"
"Daddy Cliff?" Billy said, turning to look Cliff straight into his eyes. "Why didn't you or Daddy Roger tell me about Chuck?"
Cliff sighed and prayed a short prayer that he would find the 'right' words to say to his son.
"You remember how we told you that we'd take you on a trip of your choice?"
"Yes."
"Well, Chuck died the morning we left to come here. We knew how excited you were and we both thought if we told you about Chuck, you wouldn't enjoy ANY of your visit."
"Why did Chuck do it? Why did God LET him do it?"
"I think you were sitting in the church when I read about, 'We are appointed to die once...'. That means all of us even though the Bible did say that a man's life should last three score and ten or seventy years old."
"But Chuck was a teenager. He had many years to go before he reached seventy!"
"You've been to Daddy Cole's Institute. You know that sometimes babies are born dead. Neither of your parents lived close to being seventy."
"But that was MY fault. I killed them!"
"NO, Billy, that was when they were supposed to die. Lee's brother, Jake, whom you saw pass away was your age."
"So God punished Chuck for killing Jake? Why wasn't 'I' punished when I killed my parents...or is that coming still? Is God gonna punish me the same way?"
"No, Billy, NO! What I'm saying is that some day, we ALL will die, but no one can say HOW we will die. It could be from an illness, a plane crash, a car wreck, a house fire, and we do everything in our power to treat illnesses, check airplanes before they take off, drive carefully, examine our houses for fires so that they won't happen. Only those who decide to kill themselves take the power away from God and the way he perhaps, planned for us to die."
"Chuck cheated God's plan?"
"If Chuck hadn't killed himself...who knows? He might have lived to be seventy. The psychiatrists at the Institute would probably tell you that ANYONE who takes his life is suffering from some kind of depression or mental illness and someone who is mentally distraught, often has no idea of what he's doing when he commits suicide. Chuck was sick and no one, not even his father, who is a minister, could recognize it. It would take someone mentally ill to throw acid at you and at Jake. Chuck wasn't conscious of most of his actions. I don't think he meant to kill you OR Jake. It was just a devilish prank for which Chuck couldn't see the final consequence. If he had wanted to kill either you or Jake on purpose, he could have run you over in his car or used a gun to shoot you."
"But..."
"I believe that when Chuck realized what he had done, he felt remorse for his guilt and used his own death as an escape from reality. When he saw you, he could see the love in your heart and it made him see how wrong he was and didn't wish to see another day. You remember when Judas got thirty pieces of silver for betraying Jesus? To let the guards know who Jesus was, Judas kissed Jesus on the cheek. He HAD his thirty silver pieces, but reality hit him when he saw what he had done and that very night, Judas hanged himself from a tree."
"But, Daddy Cliff! There's MUST have been SOMETHING I could've said to Chuck to let him know that I didn't blame him for throwing the acid!"
"You did, Billy! You even forgave him. It was at that moment that Chuck knew what a wonderful little...or I should say, BIG guy that you are. Your Daddy Roger and I fell in love with you at first sight. God didn't want you to leave us and I can't explain why Jake had to die in your place...except I DO know that when God lets you survive a tragedy, it's because he has bigger plans for you and you WON'T die until you've finished the tasks he expects you to accomplish for Him."
"You think God wants me to be a priest?"
"I don't know, Billy...a priest, a doctor, heck, even a fireman! Maybe you're supposed to grow up, become a fireman, and save a huge orphanage that's blazing and help hundreds of children escape. We'll just have to wait and see what God has in store for your life. BUT, I DO know that your life and everyone's lives serves a purpose and we won't die or leave this world until we achieve it!"
"What was Chuck's purpose for dying?"
"Maybe God took him to shape YOUR life or his DAD's life. Perhaps that was Chuck's purpose to change the lives around him and everyone who knew him."
"I...I think I can see what you're talking about, Daddy Cliff."
"I don't have to remind you that you are the heir to Daddy Roger's big fortune. When and if you inherit that, think of the thousands of ways you can use the money to help other people, just as your Daddy Roger does daily. Do you think THAT might be a plan?"
"I'm gonna get millions of dollars?"
"MUCH MORE, Billy! You could even start planning your life now with the ways you could spend part of it...Hospitals! Shelters! Food banks! Churches! Medical Research! All the things Daddy Roger is doing now!"
Billy's eyes lit up as his mind started to imagine wondrous things.
"BUT, if I'm bad! I might not live long enough to do those things!"
"Billy, you won't EVER be bad!"
"What if I told you that I've been bad already?"
"Well, you could tell me about it now or wait until confession time next Thursday."
"Gosh darn it! Do I HAVE to tell you?"
"As your father and as your priest, I'm afraid so. That way I can tell you what to do to admonish whatever you've done."
"Do I HAVE to look at you if I tell you?"
"No. No one sees me in the confessional booth. You know that's why we have the separations in the confessional. I'll turn my back if you want to tell me now."
"Please do!"
"All right."
Cliff got out of his squatting position and sat on the floor facing in the opposite direction of his son.
Nervously, but with slow deliberation, Billy began, "Bless me, Daddy Cliff, for I've kinda sinned..."
"And what sin do you accuse yourself of?"
"You know, Marc...Marc Carlton?"
"Yes?"
"Well, Marc and I have been sucking each other's dicks for the past two nights."
Cliff had to compose himself to keep from laughing.
"Oh? Is that all?"
"No, we've been kissing each other and...and...he...Marc...and I...put our dicks up each other's buttholes."
"Did you feel guilty while you were doing it?"
"HECK NO! It was fun!" Billy blurted out and then dropped his voice and asked, "Was...am I...was I...supposed to feel guilty about doing it?"
"Before I answer that, do you have any other sins you wish to confess?"
"I don't think so...aren't they enough?"
"You didn't drink alcohol?"
"Gosh, NO. It tastes terrible...except the wine that Uncle Jay serves with dinner."
"How about drugs? Did you do any illegal drugs?"
"DADDY CLIFF! You know I'd never do drugs! Why are you even asking me that?"
"No stealing, no taking the Lord's name in vain, no wishing that you had something that someone else owns?"
"No, none of the ten commandments! But there's no commandment about sucking dicks!"
"No, Billy, there isn't!"
"So, if I didn't break a commandment, what kind of sin did I commit?"
"You're the one who accused yourself! What kind of sin do YOU think you committed."
"I'm not sure. I've wondered what you and Daddy Roger did when the two of you go to bed. I even listened with my ear to your bedroom door one night."
"You did?"
"...yes."
"...and what did you hear?"
"I couldn't tell which one of you was saying it, but I kept hearing, 'Baby, baby, baby, DON'T STOP!"
"Look out! You might have just confessed to a sin without knowing it!"
"It's a sin to eavesdrop?"
"If you're eavesdropping your father's bedroom...it MIGHT not be a sin in the biblical sense, but it will surely get you into a whole lot of trouble...ESPECIALLY if your Daddy Roger finds out!"
"You won't tell him, will you?"
"No, I'm sealed by the promise of the confession. I can't tell him a word about it!"
"Whew! That's a relief!"
"That's not to say that 'I' won't punish you!"
"Uh oh! This calls for a killer-diller penance, doesn't it?"
"Not from your priest, but your killer-diller Daddy Cliff!"
"What about the other things with Marc?"
"Billy, as long as you both consented to safe sex, I don't consider any of that as sins. You DID use condoms, didn't you?"
"ALWAYS! I might be young and naive, but I'm NOT stupid. You taught me to ALWAYS use a condom."
"In that case, we'll overlook those so-called sins."
"What about eavesdropping?"
"I won't punish you now because I'd have to tell your 'overly-curious' Daddy Roger why I did it...BUT if you ever do it again. I'll ground you from eating Uncle Jay's dinners and take away your allowance for a month!"
"That's all?"
"That's all...except I WOULD like a hug from you!"
"All you have to do is to turn around..."
Cliff got to his feet and turned around. Billy grabbed Cliff, hugged him, and kissed him on the lips.
"Thanks, big guy! I love you!"
"I love you too, Daddy Cliff. I REALLY DO!"
"I know it! Now are you ready to go get into the bed with Marc and 'sin' some more?"
"With your permission?"
"Of course with MY permission! But stop and give your Daddy Roger, Uncle Rob and Tim, a big hug and kiss before you go to be with Marc."
"AW! You're the best, 'FATHER CLIFF'! I love telling you my confession!"
Billy ran into the living room, kissed Roger, Rob, and Tim, then ran into Marc's bedroom and made a dive into Marc's bed.
"OW!" Marc screamed. "Where have you been?"
"Getting my dad's permission to do THIS!" Billy said as he swooped beneath the covers to grab Marc's penis.
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If it were possible to take a world-wide poll as to whom the happiest person in the world might be, the following morning, Hunter would have won hands down when he awoke. For the first and only time in his life, he knew how it felt to be in love and even better, how if felt to BE loved. Before he opened his eyes, he stretched his arm across the mattress where Lee had lain all night long, but Lee wasn't there! This awakened Hunter up quickly and he sat up in bed, looking around the room.
"LEE?" Hunter cried out! "LEE!!" He screamed louder. An empty feeling hit the pit of his stomach, his brow broke out with beads of perspiration, even his hands were trembling. He reached from the bed to get his robe which he had left lying on a chair, just as Lee entered the bedroom door. Lee was wearing a matching robe as Hunter's.
"Good morning, lover!" Lee announced, cheerfully.
"Where the fuck have you been? You had me scared out of my wits."
"I'll show you where I've been," Lee replied, setting a large serving tray across Hunter's lap. The tray had a glass of water and a dish covered with a silver top. Lee lifted it to reveal a plateful of various pills of assorted sizes and colors. "Look at all of them and take a quick inventory to make sure I didn't forget any."
"God! I never saw all my medication heaped into one pile on a plate. I usually take what I need from each medicine bottle...but DAMN! Seeing them all spread out, I sure take a lot of 'em."
"I think I took as many when I was sick. BUT, I told you I was going to act as your nurse from now on. So swallow them quickly because I have breakfast waiting for us in the kitchen!"
"You cooked breakfast?"
"Sure as shootin'!" Lee said with a heavy Texan drawl.
"That's another first for me. I can't remember my mother ever having breakfast ready when I woke up."
"You better get used to it...if you're serious about loving me."
"I have no doubt about loving you, Lee. I didn't know what love was until last night and now I'm 'caught'...hook, line, and sinker!"
"Come on, take your pills?"
"Yes, dear," Hunter replied with a smirky grin.
Lee stood closely by the bed as Hunter swallowed every pill on the plate.
"Good boy! That ought to get you through your audition with no trouble at all or any worry about fainting."
"Jesus! After what we did in bed last night, I'd forgotten all about the audition!"
"That's great. At least it didn't disturb your sleep."
"Can I ask you a little secret?"
"From now on, there are NO secrets between us! So what do you want to know?"
"I was wondering if you were naked under that robe?"
"Hunter, sweetheart, you don't have to ask. If you want to see for yourself, that's up to you.!"
Hunter placed the tray on the other side of the bed, put his feet on the ground and pulled at Lee's robe tie. He then parted the robe to see Lee's body. Lee was stark naked under the robe with a semi-erection.
"You didn't happen to cook bacon for breakfast, did you?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did."
"Then cancel that order. I want sausage instead!"
With that remark he quickly knelt on his knees and plunged Lee's penis inside his mouth. Lee gasped and felt weak in the knees.
"Hey, you'd better let ME sit on the side of the bed or you'll have ME fainting," Lee said.
"Wanna join me for a side order of sausage?"
"Sure, I love homemade sausage with gravy."
"Lie down, lover," Hunter ordered.
Lee lay on the bed while Hunter countered him by assuming the standard sixty-nine position and soon they were both gobbling sausage, to be followed with a huge serving of homemade gravy.
Later, they went to the kitchen to reheat the breakfast Lee had cooked for them. Lee realized that he was just as much in love with Hunter as Hunter was with him.
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The open call for non-equity singers rivaled the line which auditioned for Simon Cowell of the "American Idol". It stretched all the way down West 44th Street, around the corner at Eighth Avenue. Tim, Rob, and the director, Marvin, had heard over two hundred wannabe's before they had the stage manager announce that the remaining contestants would only be allowed to sing eight bars of their audition song.
Hunter's number was 308 which meant it would be at least another hour before he got on stage. Lee sat in Jim Downey's Restaurant across the street to wait until Hunter had finished. Then the two of them would high-tail it to the Waldorf to have Hunter's blood drawn by the lab technician Roger had flown up from the Institute in Briarwood. Hunter was still feeling strong since he had taken ALL his meds that Lee had prepared for him to take. He showed no signs of being dizzy or feeling faint.
Finally, Hunter made it inside the stage door of the theater and at long last, he could hear the voices from the stage with which he would compete for the role of Sammy. Three-hundred; three-0-one, 0-two, 0-three. Hunter's throat was feeling dry and he began to sweat from nerves as the numbers counted down closer to his.
"Three-0-eight!" The stage manager announced.
Hunter walked across the stage. He couldn't see anyone or anything past the orchestra pit as the entire theater was dark except for a table in the middle of the orchestra section which was dimly lit by a desk lamp. Hunter could only assume that Tim, Rob, the director, and whomever was sitting there taking notes.
"Excuse me!" Hunter cried out into the blackened theater.
"Yes," answered a voice.
"Could I please have a glass of water?"
"Yes, there's a pitcher and some cups on top of the piano on stage beside you!"
Hunter hadn't even noticed the piano OR the audition pianist, but he walked quickly toward the piano, poured himself a tall cup of water and handed a piece of handwritten musical manuscript to the pianist.
"What are you going to sing for us?" asked another voice.
"It's a song that I thought Sammy might sing. It's an original that was written especially for me by a friend who lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee."
"What's the name of the song?" the voice asked.
"Uh...it really doesn't have a name. My friend never got around to naming it."
"Very well, then, you can sing the first eight bars or the last eight bars, then out!"
"I...I'll sing the first eight bars, if that's OK!"
"Fine! We're waiting."
Hunter cleared his throat and nodded to the pianist to play the intro. Then, Hunter began to sing:
"The wind plays with the leaves in the storm.
The earth clings to the sun to keep it warm..."
"That's it! That's the first eight bars!" Hunter said.
"Wait just a minute, Hunter..."
Hunter realized that it was Tim's voice talking to him.
"Yes sir...?"
"If you don't mind, I'd like to hear ALL of that song if you don't mind singing it!" Tim said.
"Oh, no sir! I'd be happy to sing ALL of it for you!"
Hunter nodded to the pianist again to play the same intro and Hunter began again.
"The wind plays with the leaves in the storm.
The earth clings to the sun to keep it warm.
And I stand on the crest of a mountain high.
My arms touching the sky.
For He created the sting of the wind
and the chill of a frosted morn
and the mountains high, and the yearning cry
of a child who's just been born.
Though the road of life
may be very dark
and your burdens hard to bear,
just look to the sky
through an open cloud
and you'll find Him waiting there.
When dreams are in vain
and the light that guides your way
seem to fade like the stars at dawn,
let your heart release;
let your soul find peace
for He will lead you on..."
Hunter finished the song and there was complete silence in the theater, in the audience seats where Tim and his cohorts sat, as well as all the rest of the auditioners behind stage.
Hunter broke the quiet by asking, "Is that it? Am I through?"
"Yes, thank you, Hunter, you'll be hearing from us!" Tim replied, from the dark.
Hunter left the stage, went out the door and walked to Jim Downey's to meet Lee. He didn't know how much he had impressed Tim, Rob, or the rest of the people judging him, but Hunter felt he had done his best. Even if he didn't get the part of Sammy, he now, had Lee and that was enough happiness for a lifetime!
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Valerie Danforth knocked on Will's door, waking Will and Forrest, giving them a scare, as they scrambled to reach for their clothes piled on the floor. Both had the other's socks and their shirts and trousers were turned inside out as that's the way they had left them before they got into bed.
"Shit!" Will said. "It's my mother!"
"She won't come in, will she?" Forrest asked as he fought to pull the sleeves of his shirt right-side out.
"You never know. Remember, I'm her only son and we've never had a boundary to separate us!"
"Will?" Valerie called from the other side of his door.
"Yes, mother?"
"Can I come in?"
"Not at the moment, Mother, I...I'm indecent!"
"Son, I've seen you naked ever since I changed your diapers..."
"Maybe so, Mother, but Forrest is indecent as well?"
"OH? Did he arrive?"
"Yes, Mother. I picked him up at the airport and he was suffering from jet lag and wanted to go to bed as soon as he got here!"
"My goodness! I thought it was less than an hour's flight from Richmond to Briarwood. He got jet lag in that short of time."
"Yes, uh, Forrest is not used to airplane rides."
"Is he all right?"
"Yes, Mother. Forrest and I were just getting dressed to come downstairs and make some breakfast."
"Well, you know where everything is in the kitchen. The reason I knocked...I'm on my way downtown for my Women's Society meeting and won't be home until after lunch."
"Are you driving yourself?"
"Of course, silly. At my age, I'm still a better driver than you, Will."
"I won't argue that point, Mother. Just be careful and have a nice time."
"Tell Forrest that I'm sorry I wasn't here to fix his breakfast but I look forward to meeting him and having a nice long chat with him this afternoon."
"Mother, we might be gone when you get here. Forrest has to meet Walter Clayton some time today."
"Well, at least, we can plan a big dinner for all of us tonight."
"Yes, Mother. We'll be looking forward to it."
"Well, goodbye, son."
"Goodbye, Mother!"
Valerie went downstairs, got her purse and went to the garage to get one of her automobiles.
"WHEW! That was a close one!" Forrest exclaimed, after Valerie had left.
"At least we have the house to ourselves all morning!" Will said.
"Will?"
"Yes?"
"...about last night...?"
"What about it?"
"We DID get sorta carried away..."
"You mean with the sex or the lovemaking?"
"How do you separate the two?"
"Well, I'm still new at this gay thing, but, when I'm with a girl, I either have sex with NO kissing or lovemaking with both."
"So I guess we made love...?"
"I guess we did, Forrest!"
"How do you feel about it this morning? Any regrets?"
"'I' don't have any...What about you?"
"Actually, no. I'm just wondering what this means?"
"Neither of us said anything about being in love with one another, did we?"
"You know, I'm not really sure. I mean we did get rather passionate with each other. I can't recall if either of us said anything about 'love'."
"I can say ONE thing, Forrest. You're terrific in bed!"
"Ha! You were like the Master Teacher. Half of the things we did, I've never even done with a woman, much less with Barry."
"I suppose you've never been fucked in the ass by a woman..."
"Not recently!"
"Are you sore?"
"You mean physically or 'sore' meaning I'm angry?"
"BOTH!"
"I'm not angry in the least, but the ring around my anal opening is a bit tender."
"Barry never fucked you?"
"A few times, but compared to you, Barry felt more like an anal thermometer. You, on the other hand are MUCH bigger cockwise. I felt as if you were plowing my ass with a large steel crowbar!"
"Frankly, I don't think I'm any larger than YOU, cockwise."
"That's nice to hear, whether you mean it or not!"
"I mean it!"
"Can I ask a REALLY personal question?"
"Try me!"
"Uh, how do I compare, cockwise, to Rick or your priest?"
"About the same size, I think. That's why you were able to enter me so easily!"
"That's ALSO good to hear."
"SO!"
"SO?"
"SO!"
"SO WHAT?"
"So, where does that leave us, Forrest?"
"US?"
"Yeah, us!"
"I'm not sure, Will."
"Let me paint a dark scenario. What if Walter Clayton can't do anything to help Barry and Barry has to go to jail for a long time?"
"That's been in my thoughts ever since Barry was arrested."
"Do you, uh, think there could be anything between us?"
"Are you asking if I could love you?"
"For starters..."
"Probably! But what about your priest?"
"Chris, that's his name, is a stalwart in the community. St. Genesius, his church, has a very large denomination. Father Cliff, the main priest, to use an idiom, is a pillar in Briarwood society, in spite of being gay. His church and the entire city of Briarwood look up to him and since he's out of town, Chris has assumed Father Cliff's duties and is looked up to, almost as Father Cliff. Chris and I have only spent one night together. Since then, I've wondered if I'm ready to be stared at as a priest's wife or male companion. No one in Briarwood, except Chris and my doctor at the Cole Institute knows that I'm gay now. I asked Chris if I could move in with him until I got over this post-traumatic-stress. But only after that one night, even my mother became suspicious of Chris and me. If everyone finds out and starts looking down on me, then they might do the same thing to Chris and I don't want to hurt his image in the community. He did have a lover, the chief of staff at the Institute, and I don't know whether anyone actually knew about them or not since both of them worked together so closely at the Institute...PLUS the fact that Roger Cole and Father Cliff are well-respected by everyone and their gay relationship seems to be accepted by everyone...well, except for the few evangelical right-wingers on the other side of town."
"So, you're saying that you're not really in love with Chris?"
"I thought I COULD be, but being Chris' steady lover adds an albatross around my neck."
"I realize that this is stupid and MUCH too soon to ask, but, since you asked me...Do you think you could ever love me?"
"If I thought every night from now on would be as satisfying as the one we had last night, then the answer is 'yes'!"
"Will, you realize that we have very little in common. I don't even have a military pension to help me pay my bills."
"You're worried about money?"
"NO! I'm more worried about your having so much and I have nothing much to offer you."
"You sure had a lot to give me in bed last night!"
"Let ME paint a dark scenario! Suppose you and I became lovers. Where would we live? What would your mother say? Would she ever accept me as your...whatever?"
"Well, for one thing, she'd never drive me and you out of this house. My dad left it to me. Mother would just have to accept us as we are. I'd have to order some books or DVD's on the subject of cocksucking to get her used to the idea!"
"You'd do no such thing!"
"If we were lovers, I would."
"God! I'd love to see that!"
"Do you know I...or YOU...didn't give either of us a good morning kiss?"
"Won't that just get us started again?"
"I can hope so! We have all morning to fuck, suck, or do any goddamned thing we choose to do. SO, come here!"
Forrest walked slowly to Will and Will embraced him with both arms, while planting a big kiss on his lips. Both of their lips parted and their tongues became as epees, dueling like two of the Three Musketeers.
When the kiss ended, Forrest gasped, "Boy, for two people who are new at being gay, we're making up for lost time."
"Come on! Let's go fix some breakfast and then we'll call Walter Clayton!" Will said.
The two walked down one side of the circular staircase with their arms around each other's waists. About every third step, one would peck the other on the lips for a quick kiss. Once they got to the kitchen, they, both, started cracking eggs, frying bacon and sausage, shoving bread down the toaster, setting the table, making fresh coffee, as if they had been cooking together for years. Occasionally, as they passed one another, crossing from one side of the kitchen to the other, Will would smack Forrest's butt with his open hand, playfully. To pay Will back, Forrest kept grabbing Will's crotch to give it a slight squeeze.
Forrest poured two glasses of orange juice and two cups of coffee while Will piled scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, toast and jelly on two plates and set them on the table. There wasn't much conversation between them as they kept staring into the other's eyes across the table. From time to time, when Will sipped juice, he would wink at Forrest, making Forrest smile from ear-to-ear. They ate heartily and cleaned everything off the once-filled plates.
"GOD! That was the best breakfast I've ever eaten!" Forrest said, wiping his mouth with a cloth napkin.
"This could be the first of many..."
"You know what I'd do if I lived here with you?" Forrest said.
"WHAT?"
"I'd dig a moat all around this place to keep the whole world out!"
"We wouldn't need anyone else?"
"I wouldn't, if I had you."
"Do you want me?"
"At this moment, there's NOTHING I'd rather have than you, Will."
"Let me ask you something!"
"What!"
"Have you ever fucked on a kitchen table?"
"Well, no..."
"Wanna?"
"Here and now?"
"Let's clear the dishes!"
They jumped up, picked up as much as they could of the dirty dishes and set them in the sink. Will took Forrest by the hand and led him to the table where he began removing Forrest's clothes. Forrest followed Will's lead and undressed him at the same time. Soon they were both naked and looking at one another.
"What?" Forrest asked.
"Who wants to go first? I gathered last night that neither of us is a bottom OR a top, which is how I like it!"
"You want to fuck me first or me fuck you?"
"Since you're the one with the sore asshole, why don't you fuck me first?"
"Don't we need a lubricant?"
"There's a stick of butter on the table behind you!"
"Sounds good to me!" Forrest replied picking up the butter. He teased Will by inserting the entire stick of butter up his rectum and then rubbed butter on his penis as if he was buttering an ear of boiled corn. "Lie down, lover!"
Will lay back on the table and raised his legs for Forrest to enter him. Forrest slid into Will's anal chute the first try. He went up as far as he could go.
"Jesus, that feels great!" Will said. "Take it slow and easy! I want to enjoy every minute of this."
"I'm not hurting you?"
"Hell, no!"
"All right, buddy! You asked for it and you're gonna get it hot and heavy!"
Forrest began to plunge himself into Will and both were enraptured with physical pleasure. Forrest was on his third stroke when he heard a slight noise in the foyer and then from the living room.
"Will?..." It was Kathy's voice! "WILL!" She called louder, heading toward the kitchen.
Will heard her, cringed, and looked up at Forrest and said, "Just keep fucking!"
"Will, I hate popping in on you like this, but I..." That's as much as Kathy could say when she saw Will on his back on the kitchen table with Forrest hovering over him, pounding away at Will's buttocks. "MY GOD IN HEAVEN! WHAT IS GOING ON?" she screeched.
Will locked his anal opening to keep Forrest inside him. Forrest turned beet red and then the color in his face faded, making him white as a sheet.
"KATHY!" Will said. "I want you to meet an old army buddy, Forrest! Forrest, this is my fiancée, Kathy. I think you two should get to know one another!"
Kathy screamed and ran out the door. Forrest stood frozen and Will started laughing.
"Well, I guess the engagement's off!" Will said. "Now will you continue what you were doing before we were so rudely interrupted?"
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Lee was waiting outside Jim Downey's Restaurant as he saw Hunter running across Eighth Avenue. An available cab was coming by and Lee flagged it down and waited for Hunter to hop in the back seat beside him. The first thing they did was hug and kiss while the driver looked in his rear-view mirror, rolling his eyes upward.
"Where to, lovebirds? I can't wait all day. I have to make a living, you know!" the cab driver snarled.
"The Waldorf-Astoria, please," Lee replied.
"Should've guessed!" the driver said, slapping down the metal flag on the meter.
"How'd it go?" Lee asked, eagerly.
"Pretty good. All the other guys only got to sing the last eight bars and out. I think it was Tim's voice in the dark theater who asked me to sing my entire song!"
"You sang the one that the guy in Chattanooga wrote for you?"
"Yeah. I think it went over well. When I was finished, again, I think it was Tim who said, he'd be calling me later."
"That's encouraging."
"I know. I practically floated all the way here to meet you."
"You don't know when they might call you?"
"Nope, 'later' means later. How much later, we'll just have to wait and see."
"I saw the line running all the way around the corner of Eighth and Forty-fourth!"
"Yeah, there must've been thousands! There usually are at cattle calls."
"Are you nervous about having your blood drawn?"
"No. Why should I be? I've already been diagnosed. I don't think the blood tests will show anything I didn't know before!"
"Yes, well, let's see what the Cole Institute tells you. It never occurred to me how seriously sick I was until I got to the Institute. My remission and recovery went so smoothly, I still didn't know how bad my situation was."
"What'd you eat at Downey's?"
"Ha! I had my first New York bagel with cream cheese."
"Didja like it?"
"The bagel was hard and dry."
"ALL bagels are hard and dry, you Texas bumpkin!"
Hunter and Lee chitchatted all the way to the Waldorf. They took the ride up the elevator to Roger's suite where Roger greeted them at the door with a big hug.
Roger wanted to know All about Hunter's audition and Hunter repeated everything he had said to Lee.
"LATER?" Roger asked.
"That's what they said..." Hunter replied.
"I'll bet, by George, I can find out sooner than 'later', later, sooner, if I call Tim or Rob!" Roger announced.
"I realize you probably can, Uncle Roger," Lee offered, "but don't you think it might hurt Hunter's chances by being too insistent about finding out?"
"Not when I'm investing millions just to back the show. I think I have some right to know!"
Cliff overheard Roger's comments and added his two cents opinion, "Roger, you promised not to meddle and that's exactly what you're doing. You DO remember that John is waiting in the other room to take vials of Hunter's blood, don't you?"
"Holy fuck! Where's my mind going? I'm not forty yet and I seem to be getting 'pre'-PRE early senility. Come on in boys! Hunter, YOU roll up your sleeve after you take off your jacket!"
Hunter and Lee followed Roger in to meet John, a very nice-looking young man, about twenty-five-years old.
"Hunter, Lee, this is Dr. John Reynolds of my Institute. Please call him John as I do. John, these are mine and Cliff's newest Briarwood Boys!"
Once again, Hunter's chest filled up with pride with Roger's introduction. Apparently, Hunter was now, officially, what he so longed to be...a Briarwood Boy.
"Please to meet you guys. Which one will I be drawing blood from?" John asked.
"Me, I'm afraid," Hunter replied.
"I hear you've got a little problem with your immune system. Is that right?" John said.
"It's more than just a little problem, John. I've had it for a few years," Hunter replied.
"Pardon my asking, Hunter, but is Lee your other half?" John inquired.
"I don't know, John, why don't we ask him?" Hunter looked directly at Lee and said, "Are you my other half?"
"You'd better believe it! From now on and for always!"
"I guess we both heard the answer, John."
"How long have you two been together?"
"Since Monday..."
"Wow, love surely works fast in New York!" John joked.
"When you have AIDS or are HIV positive in New York, love HAS to work fast!"
"Now this is just gonna prick your arm just a little. I want to fill up about four of these containers," John said, putting the needle into Hunter's arm.
"How long are you staying in New York?" Hunter asked.
"I'm leaving as soon as I finish drawing your blood."
"You flew up here, all the way from Briarwood, to do this for me?"
"When the boss calls and wants you to do something, at the Institute, we do it immediately."
Hunter looked at Roger. "You went to all of this trouble and expense just to have my blood checked?"
Before Roger could answer, Cliff spoke up, "Hunter, you'd better get used to this kind of treatment. Once you're a Briarwood Boy, there is no limit to what Roger will do for you. I don't know how religious you are or if you go to church regularly, but I'm sure you've heard of your Father in heaven?"
"Sure, it's in the Lord's Prayer..."
"Then, meet your father on earth," Cliff added.
Roger looked at Cliff and replied, "You know how much I love you, Cliff...and for how many YEARS, I've loved you, but sometimes you are so full of bullshit, I think I could fall in love with you all over again."
Everyone, including John, laughed heartily.
John finished taking Hunter's blood and put it in a medical packing case and stored away his implements.
"Well, I guess I'll be on my way back to Briarwood," John said.
"Thank you, John!" Hunter said.
"You were very nice to leave your duties at the Institute to do me this favor," Roger said.
"It's just part of my job, sir!"
"John, might I ask if you have a girlfriend?" Roger asked.
"Uh, no sir?"
"A boyfriend, then?"
"Well, yes sir, I do."
"That's fine. When you get back to the Institute and drop off Hunter's blood, why don't you call your boyfriend and see if he can get away for the weekend?"
"Sir?"
Roger handed a sealed envelope to John. "Here are a couple of tickets for an all-expense-paid trip to the Caribbean. Have a good time on me!"
"But, Mr. COLE! I couldn't..."
"I'm the boss and you'll do exactly as I say. Hell, stay a week or two!"
John looked at Cliff to ask, "Is he serious?"
"As a coronary thrombosis!" Cliff said.
"Well, thank you, sir!"
"Thanks for helping one of my boys, John!"
"Anytime, sir."
"Oh, John, tell Dr. Andrews in the lab that I want every known anti-viral HIV drug that we have to be tested on Hunter's blood. We have conquered so many strains of that goddamned virus, I pray that we have ONE that will knock the ever-living-holy-shit out of Hunter's!"
"If we don't have one, Mr. Cole...bet your bottom dollar that we'll find one."
"Do you see why I like to hire people with positive attitudes at the Institute?" Roger asked Cliff. "Because 'I'm' such a positive person, myself!"
"Heaven help ALL of us!" Cliff joked while hugging Roger.
John shook everyone's hand, picked up his gear he had brought with him from Cole and left.
"That's a fine young man!" Roger said. "I'm glad he has a boyfriend! He SHOULD have one!"
"SO...Dolly, what do you have planned for all of us tonight?" Cliff asked.
"Well, we won't hear anything from the lab for a couple of days...AND, we won't hear about Hunter's audition until 'later'! Why don't we call up Billy and Marc and see where they would like for all of us to have dinner...maybe even catch a show. What's playing that you'd like to see, Hunter?"
"There's a new dance show at the Barrymore Theatre...all guys! It's called 'Heelz With Soulz', but I've heard it's sold out for months!"
"I LOVE a good challenge! How many seats do we need?"
"Six!" Cliff said.
"Good!" Roger said as he went into the bedroom to pick up his cell phone. He was gone about two minutes and came back. "How would six seats on the sixth row, center, orchestra do?"
"My GOD!" Hunter exclaimed, excitedly. "How did you get 'em?"
"Don't even ask!" Cliff said to Hunter, quietly. "Next time, ask him that you'd like to go to the moon on the Challenger and see what Roger can do!"
"I guess Lee and I had better get back to our place and change clothes if we're going to dinner and a show!"
"We might have time to shower...if we shower together!" Lee said, smiling.
"You two guys make a handsome couple," Cliff said. "I hope you live together as long and as happy as Roger and I."
"THEY WILL!" Roger replied with confidence.
Hunter and Lee donned their jackets to leave for the townhouse when the hotel phone rang.
"Hello?" Roger said. "Oh, hi, Rob! How did the auditions go? Oh? I guess both of you must be worn out to a frazzle. Tell me! Is Tim in ear's range? Good! On the Q.T., what did he think of Hunter's audition?" Roger listened to Rob's reply which took over a minute. "Oh, he did, huh?"
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(To be continued in "Briarwood"...Book Nine..."A-New-Heaven-And-A-New-Earth", chapter 102.)