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"BRIARWOOD"
Copyright Ritchris, 2005
aka "Whence Cometh My Help"
Copyright Ritchris, 2003
Revised Version
A dramatic saga
by
Ritch Christopher
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BOOK SIX
"BRIARWOOD U"
Chapter-Fifty-seven
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Jim stumbled around in the kitchen, trying to make a morning pot of coffee, all the time thinking that last night had to have been the longest, and shortest night of his life. At times he had thought it would never end, while at other times he wished it would go on forever. Tom had sensed Jim's fear, his jangled nerves, and also his doubts, as Tom let still another facet of his personality emerge. Tom took the sex slow and gentle, letting Jim familiarize myself with each new action---well, new to Jim, at least. Sometimes Jim must've appeared dense judging by his reactions to some of the things Tom encouraged him to do. Instead of getting angry or becoming impatient, Tom patiently demonstrated what he wanted Jim to do until the light dawned and Jim completed the task Tom asked of him.
Jim showered again at the conclusion of their sex, but not because he felt dirty, physically, morally, emotionally, or otherwise. He wasn't sure he knew how he felt. The sex had been both stimulating and gratifying. Jim had done things he'd never dreamed of doing, but, with Tom, everything seemed OK, even natural---Jim had not been disgusted or turned off, He was a bit scared, even surprised when he realized he had performed his first oral act on a male, but the extreme pleasure he'd received while copulating Tom anally had been a sheer delight for Jim, but Jim wasn't ready, or agreeable, not just yet, to have Tom reciprocate the action on him. Maybe...in the future... Yes, there would be a future time. Jim had made his mind up before he began that this was to be a one shot experiment and he'd never pursue these prurient acts again. But that was like eating one Lay's Potato Chip and vowing not to eat more than one...or dipping your finger in your mother's divinity icing and saying you didn't want more. Jim DID want more...but only if it involved Tom. Jim was convinced he hadn't suddenly turned gay, not just in one night. He wasn't going to make a habit of looking at other men or watching the team shower, seeing them in a new light. No one else interested him...only his new quarterback. After all, Jim was married and Jim was straight. He was convinced that he genuinely felt something for Tom...maybe the 'father/son' syndrome...maybe not. He wasn't sure about the real reasoning behind his action with Tom, but he was glad he had done it.
Now Jim was toying with the question of whether he should tell Nina or not. Suggesting that he do something is one thing, but for Jim actually to have done it?...That might be a horse of a different color. Hell, she had given him her permission, but he had still given her grounds to divorce him. That's the last thing Jim wanted...to lose a wife like Nina---that wasn't worth all the Tom's in the world. If she had slipped down the stairs while Tom and he were engaging in their sometimes 'loud' sexual activities, then Jim ran the risk of lying if he were to deny it to her. However, if she'd gone to sleep before Tom and he began, then maybe she wouldn't know, although she would have unproven suspicions. Shit, the Nina problem made Jim more ill at ease than the sex with Tom.
By the time Jim finished showering and dressed, it was only 5:30 AM. He knew that Father Cliff was an early-riser and sometimes arrived at St. Genesius at 6:00AM on days that he celebrated a 7:00AM early mass...although Jim ran the risk of meeting Father Chris, Cliff's assistant. No member at St. Genesius was ever certain which priest would perform which service with the exception of Sunday high mass at 11:00AM. That was always celebrated by Cliff. Jim quietly slipped out of the house and coasted his car down the drive, not starting the ignition until he was in the street. Then he headed toward the church. It was not even 5:45, but indeed, Father Cliff was already there, not Father Chris. However since it was no secret that Father Chris was also gay and his long-time partner was Dr. Middleton, administrator of Cole Institute, Jim could have talked with Chris just as easily as Cliff. Jim walked around to the back of the church and tapped on the window of Cliff's study. At first, Cliff was startled, but as soon as he recognized Jim Kerr, Cliff smiled, going to the back door to invite Jim in.
"Hey, Coach!" he said. "Come in."
"Father," Jim replied, rather sheepishly.
"You missed mass on Sunday. Are you here to make it up?"
"Not exactly, Father, I need to talk with you."
"Well, if you're here for me to pray for a victory for Friday night, I always do. BUT, if you're looking for some secret new plays to teach to your team, you'll have to talk to Roger. He's the Monday morning water cooler quarterback in our household."
"How is Roger?"
"Still leading the crusade against AIDS!"
"I hope you're both coming to this week's game!"
"Neither of us would miss it."
"I have a new star which might just surprise Roger."
"Oh? I'll be sure to tell him. Jim, would you like a cup of coffee? I don't always fast before communion and I've just made a fresh pot."
"Thanks, that'd be great."
Cliff poured two cups and set them on the desk, inviting Jim with a look to sit across from him.
"I can't help but wonder why you're here so early. Is everything all right?--is Nina OK?"
"Yes, Father, we're both fine." Jim said, sipping the hot coffee. "Perhaps, for what I have to say, I should wait until confession, but I didn't know whether to say my piece 'parishioner to Father', or 'man to man'."
"You seem upset, Jim." Cliff said, concerned, his eyes focusing on Jim. "If it's something important enough to bring you to church this early, why don't we just talk, 'Jim to Cliff'?"
"I've always respected your position, Father. I've never called you 'Cliff' before."
"The title 'Father' doesn't make me holy, Jim. When I take off my vestments and my collar, I'm a man, the same as you. So, just for now, call me 'Cliff'. As you seem to recall, I usually call you 'coach'. A title is used for respect, nothing else."
"Thanks,...Cliff." Jim managed to say to him.
"Now, what's got you so revved up? You worried about the game with Westfeld Academy next weekend?"
"Not as much as I should, I suppose..."
"Then, what is it?"
"Father, can I speak openly to you?"
"We're Jim and Cliff now, remember? Say anything you like."
Jim found Cliff was always so easy to talk with. In all the years Jim had known him, Jim had never heard him say a cross word about anybody except when he took a notion to lash out at the Republican right-wingers during one of his sermons. But then, what Jim had to say was beyond the realm of the things Jim had told him in the confessional. Jim wondered if his latest 'sin' would shock Cliff...
"Cliff, speaking as a layman and not as a minister, do you think it's possible to...love more than one person at a time equally?"
"I suppose," he replied. "We share and receive our love in different degrees, but that doesn't always mean we love one person more or less than another. For example, if I were to ask you, now, whom do you love more, Nina or your mother, how would you answer?"
"I....couldn't."
"Let's say, when you were a kid and had a pet dog, and he was the most important thing in your life, did you love him more than your parents...or the same?"
"I guess I loved him as much, only in a different way."
"Then you get my gist." Cliff said, pleased, sipping his coffee, giving Jim a split second to adjust to the moment. "Are you trying to say...there's another woman in your life besides Nina?"
Jim paused and almost gulped before he could answer, "No, well, not... really. But there IS someone..."
"I apologize for my directness, Jim, but I saw you grimace a little when I said, 'woman'."
"Yes."
"Is there...a man...in your life?"
Again, Jim paused before answering.
"Cliff, you're gay, aren't you?" Jim said it without making it an accusation.
"Yes, I've never tried to hide it. All the members of St. Genesius have known about Roger and me since he moved to Briarwood. Neither of us has ever had to hide our relationship, nor do we think any relationship should be flaunted."
"I don't mean to pry, Cliff, but has there ever been anyone to come in to either yours or Roger's lives where you were tempted to... well, let's say stray a little bit?"
"There have been dozens to come into both our lives and most of them we loved, but that brings me back to my original theory, you love someone or many 'someones' on different levels. Roger and I have never loved anyone on the level we keep special for ourselves. I'm sure you've heard of Roger's and my 'Briarwood Boys'?"
"Who hasn't and WHO doesn't envy any one of them?"
"We have close to a dozen whom we've all but adopted. We call them our own even though most of them have real birth parents living...but Roger and I love each of them deeply and dearly."
"And you've never condemned homosexuality, have you?"
"No, I haven't. Neither has the church. If the church did, then I'd've have a big problem working as one of its ordained ministers. "
Jim paused once more, then plunged ahead into the unknown.
"You see, Cliff, there IS a man in my life. Well, not a man, a boy."
"I see." Cliff's voice betrayed his possible concern, but allowed Jim to take his own pace in this most personal moment.
"Cliff, I had sex with him," Jim said, finally.
"It was consensual?"
"Yes, Cliff. I can't blame my feelings on him, but he was the first one to express love for me."
"And now you feel as if you're trapped in a triangle?"
"Yes, and no. You see, Nina was aware of his feelings for me before I was."
"Nina knows then?", Cliff said quietly, sitting forward without realizing it.
"Yes, Cliff, and it's almost as if she's giving her approval of my relationship with him. Nina doesn't know that he and I have had sex, but she actually suggested that I sleep with him."
"Nina has always been wise for her years," Cliff said, in a nudge toward further honesty.
"But, Cliff, I still love Nina, the same as I always have...and she loves me. How can she be so open minded about it? It can only be her love for me. Of course, if she finds out about the sex, she might feel differently."
"I doubt it, Jim. Nina loves you. She recognizes a void in your life... some need she can't fulfill and she wants to see you happy at any cost."
"That's what I keep saying to myself, but then... Cliff, I've never had a homosexual thought in my brain, not until the past week."
"And it scares the hell out of you, doesn't it?", the gentleness in Cliff's voice betraying his concern.
"That's putting it mildly!"
Cliff's eyes probed mine. "Do you love this boy?"
"I'm not sure. Nina says that he loves me."
"And your feelings for Nina haven't changed?"
"None, in no way whatsoever!"
"Then...?"
"Cliff, can someone become gay overnight? All that I studied in school taught me that homosexuality was genetic or something you were born with, not something that you suddenly decided to do, to change your whole life and your whole way of thinking at my age."
"There are many inexplicable things about the psyche and human nature. Maybe it's something that has been lying dormant in you since you were a child."
"You mean, like diabetes or cancer, or something like that?"
"Not really, but they can be used as analogies."
"Cliff, I played sports through high school and college. I had roommates, some of whom I slept naked in the same room with, night after night. I showered with them, my teammates, and my peers. I can't recall ever having any sexual desires for any of them, not even noticing them when they were undressed. Why now?"
"This is not a good example, but have you ever been to a large smorgasbord where you walked down the line, seeing hundreds of foods, but saw nothing that appealed to your appetite? And then, toward the end of the table, you see something such as calamari or escargots, something you've seen or heard of but never tried? And suddenly you're aware of a hunger for that food. You decide that once, just once, you'll try something different, so you pile a half dozen escargots on your plate and dip them in garlic butter, and suddenly---'WOW'! That's the greatest thing you've ever tasted in your life! Why had you waited all these years to sample them? I'm not comparing a man's genitals to escargots, but---well, do you get my point?"
"Yes," Jim said, smiling in unconscious relief. "I think I do."
"Of course, you still like roast beef, ham, and turkey, but you've found something you like just as well."
"Yes, Cliff, but it's not a mortal sin to try escargots."
"And as a solidified member of St. Genesius, who says being gay is a mortal sin? Do you think I'm going to judge you and damn your soul for being human?"
"Maybe not you, but society, and my job might."
"Jim, have you ever seen the guys on your team looking at one another suspiciously in the shower after a practice or a game?"
"Now that you mention it, I guess I have."
"Did you pull them aside and take them into your office, privately, and give them hell for it?"
"Well, no."
"Why not?"
"I guess what they do in private is none of my business."
"How many guys do you have on your varsity squad?"
"Forty."
"Then, according to the latest statistics, eight of them are gay, or at least have gay feelings."
"You're kidding?"
"Jim, where have you been? This is the twenty-first century."
"I don't know."
"Let's suppose eight, ten, or even twelve of them ARE gay. Does that make them play any worse, or any differently, than the straight ones?"
"No."
"So? Jim, gay students are no longer the ones who major in art, drama, and dance. The pro football teams are full of gay players on their rostrum. They're just afraid to announce it to the public, because millions of dollars are at stake, but that doesn't mean that they're not having gay sex when they're on the road or at home. Billy Bean, the major league baseball player came out. Look at Greg Louganis! He's not only gay, he's HIV positive and still he has four Olympic gold medals around his neck. Is he any less of a man than his straight competitors?"
"No, of course not. He's a sports legend and he always will be."
"Then let Greg be an example for you."
"I'll try, Cliff."
"I would like to discuss this further with you, but it's almost time for morning prayer and communion. Would you like to stay?"
"I would love to, Cliff, but I have two people asleep at my house, one I'm sure I love...and another...well, that remains to be seen., and I'd better hurry home before either of them gets up for breakfast and finds me missing."
"Will I see you at church next Sunday?"
"Only if you're at the game on Friday."
"Do Roger and I ever miss a BU game?"
Jim laughed. "No, you're both always there, rooting in our corner."
"And we're always here rooting for you, when and if you need me or Roger, Jim."
"I know this might sound strange to you, but before I leave, can I for a blessing?"
"You already have mine, but if you want God's as well, please kneel quickly."
Jim genuflected on one knee and Cliff placed his thumb on Jim's head to make the sign of the cross...'In the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit, Jim rise and go forth and make the world a better place."
Jim stood up and Cliff reached forward and embraced him.. Jim responded by placing his arms around Cliff. The two held each other for a few moments and Jim felt the tension leave his body. His problems weren't exactly solved, but he felt Cliff had pointed him in the right direction in search of Jim's quest of loving two people at the same time.
Jim rushed home to find that Nina and Tom were still asleep. He carefully awoke Tom by kissing his forehead. Jim made no mention of where he had been or his discussion with Cliff. Jim wanted Tom and Cliff to meet later, but not just yet. Jim had not mentioned Tom's name to Cliff, so the anonymity of Jim and Ton's relationship would remain a secret until, or if ever, the time arose.
Jim told Tom to play innocent to the hilt at the breakfast table and to not let on or give a clue about their adventure unless he and or Jim got the impression that Nina 'knew'. That phrase brought a smile to himself. There's an old popular standard song, "I'm so glad that Nina never knew till now". Ha! If that were only true, because it was Nina who first knew about Tom's and Jim feelings toward one another...even before they were aware of it. Nina had always been a 'smart cookie', a lady with great perception. Jim supposed that's why he'd never lied to her ever since he'd known her.
Tom entered the kitchen before Nina came down from upstairs. He was holding the uniform he'd brought with him, dirty from the yesterday's practice. It was all clean and on a hanger.
"Did you do this after you left me?" Tom asked, holding the uniform head-high.
"No, I did." answered Nina as she entered the kitchen. "I saw it in a bag that Tom left in the den. I woke up around two this morning, came down, saw the dirty clothes, washed and dried them, and ran a warm iron over them while you boys must've been sleeping. I didn't see you, Jim, so I just assumed you'd decided to crash in the guest room with our guest."
Jim was bowled over by her remark. It was one of those rare times when he couldn't tell if she was being sincere or sincerely sarcastic. Jim looked at Tom to get a reading of his expression. The blood had drained from his face and he looked pallid and speechless, a kid who got caught with both hands in the cookie jar.
"That was nice of you, darling", Jim managed to say.
"Uh...yeah, Nina, thanks!" Tom echoed.
"I certainly hope you boys slept better than I," she said. Jim felt as though she was baiting him or setting a trap for him waiting for him to make the wrong response.
"Oh?", is all Jim could reply.
"Yes," she added. "I had this tremendous sinus headache and awoke with my right sinus passage congested."
"I'm sorry." Jim said, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"It's all better now. Why don't you boys sit down at the table while I cook breakfast?" she said.
"Nina, let me help you!" Tom offered.
"OK, Tom. Look in the refrigerator and get about six or seven eggs, break them in that white bowl by the sink and kinda whomp 'em up. Think you can handle that?" Her smile warmed Jim's heart toward her.
"Sure!" Tom said rushing to get the eggs...anything to get busy and avoid the conversation.
"Jim, I see you've already got the coffee brewing, why don't you start frying some sausage and bacon while I go to the front porch and get the morning paper?" she said, leaving the kitchen.
"Do you think she knows?" Tom asked in a loud whisper after Nina had gone.
"Hell, yes, she knows!" Jim said. "I know her too well,"
"Do you think she'll say anything?" Tom asked nervously.
"I'm sure she will. It's just a matter of when and how much she'll say."
"Do you think I should make a fast exit before she gets back?"
"Heck, no! You can't walk to school from here---it's too far. She'd stop to pick you up in our car before you ran halfway there."
"I COULD go shower again, I suppose," Tom said.
"No, just act normally and we'll face the music together, when and if she starts conducting," Jim said to Tom as Jim placed two skillets on the stove and went to the crisper where the bacon and sausage were kept.
Nina returned, reading the morning headlines of the paper.
"Anything happening in the news?" Jim asked, hoping to start a morning conversation.
"Yes," she continued to read, "Seems like the President has warned France that he'll blow up the Eiffel Tower if the French don't give us the terrorists they've captured."
"You're KIDDING!" Jim exclaimed.
"Yes, I'm kidding, but it wouldn't surprise me if he did." she said, smiling, but not looking up from the paper. She added, "I think someone had better show him how to tie his shoes before he goes off on a foreign affairs tangent."
"He IS an asshole," Jim said, agreeing with her.
"Here's an item in the newspaper...something that he DID do." she remarked.
"Oh? What?" Jim asked with genuine concern. He wanted to keep the morning talk focused on items in the news if it was possible.
"He vetoed the bill that Congress had passed, doubling the funding for AIDS research."
"That stupid son-of-a-bitch! He'll probably ask that that money go to his supporters from Halliburton or the pharmaceutical companies and make them richer than they already are." Jim said, putting bacon in the pan. "Boy, the right wing rules this country its own way when it comes to helping others. That makes it even tougher, since AIDS is on the rise once again."
"I suppose people are just going to have to practice safer sex until he gets out of office. Thank God, AIDS is something we don't have to worry about." she said. Somehow she had managed to turn the topic of conversation from terrorism to sex. Jim held his breath waiting on her next remark. "Tom," she continued, "pardon my being so personal and blunt, but do you practice safe sex?"
"Yes, ma'am. Always!" Tom replied, his voice quivering. Now both Tom and Jim were on edge.
"I just asked because so many young men your age are careless and think that they're immune. They assume the people they go to bed with are trustworthy, but that's often not the case."
"Nina, I've always been careful." Tom replied.
"I'm glad to hear that. That means that Jim is safe then."
"Pardon?"
"Nina?" they asked together.
"Did you two think I was blind or that I'd lost my senses when I discovered you were spending the night together?"
"Nina, please!" Jim interrupted, "Can't we discuss this when the two of us are alone?"
"Why? Tom is involved. Why can't the THREE of us discuss it now? We have an half hour before it's time to leave for school." she said, looking up and folding the paper.
"All right," Jim said, turning the heat off under the skillets. "Let's discuss it then. Tom doesn't know, but I seem to recall it was your idea that I spend the night with him."
"You're right, it was my idea. I just want to know who profited the most from my suggestion and who profited the least! Did you enjoy yourself, Jim?"
"Yes," Jim said reluctantly, "it was...it was...'different', if that's what you want to know."
"Wait a minute," Tom interjected, "are you saying I was the guinea pig of some plot or scheme hatched up between the two of you?"
"No," Jim said, firmly.
"Well, yes and no." Nina corrected Jim.
"Then I should be let in on as to who is telling the truth." Tom said, staring at Nina and Jim pointedly.
"Tom, it's been obvious to me since the first time I saw you and Jim together that something's going on, or at least I saw the way you were looking at my husband."
"Nina, I don't think that..."
"Don't deny it, Tom. Jim was looking at you the same way, although he didn't know it until I made him aware of it last night after you had gone to bed."
"Nina, please!" Once again, Jim pleaded, trying to ease the embarrassment.
"I would just like to know if my little experiment worked or not." she asked.
"What experiment?" Tom exclaimed.
"I wanted Jim to find out if his gay imaginings had substance or if it was just a whimsical fantasy, the kind a man often gets in his seventh year of marriage."
"Nina, I don't think that the 'seven year itch' refers to homosexual encounters." Jim said in defense.
"Jim, darling, this is the twenty-first century. Morés have changed and illicit affairs are more open now. Who knows? I might decide to have a lesbian fling myself."
That very idea rocked Jim. "Nina, this is ridiculous!" he said. "If you want to know what happened between Tom and me, I'll tell you. Please let's not make some Spielberg spectacle out it. Do you want to know the details? I'm afraid I can't tell you those with Tom standing here."
"I don't need any lurid descriptions. I'm just trying to find out what you had learned about yourself once the night ended."
"Nina, this conversation can do no good. All I can say is that it was a first time experience, as if I'd taken my first plane flight or stood up on a surf board. I really had nothing to compare it with. Going to bed with a male is totally unlike going to bed with you or any other woman. When I said it was 'different', that's exactly what I meant. Yes, I enjoyed it. I'm not sure I could stand a steady diet of it, but I'm glad I tried it. Now can we go on with breakfast? The rate we're going, all three of us will be late."
"Very well," she replied, "I just want both of you to know that I'm not jealous. I hope neither of you was disappointed with the other. Tom, I'm sorry if you felt you were victimized. That was not the point of the experiment...and, Jim, I apologize to you also, if you think I forced you into something I felt you already had a yen for."
Jim was angry that she had brought up the subject. He was even more embarrassed to have this conversation in front of Tom. Two nights ago, Jim had gone to Tom in Tom's grief. Last night Jim had gone to him to satisfy his own curiosity, so, in a way, Jim supposed Tom HAD been a victim. Jim wished he had had a longer talk with Tom before breakfast because, after Nina came into the kitchen, Jim still hadn't weighed the intensity of how he felt about Tom now. He honestly couldn't say that Tom and he had made love. They'd had sex...and how they'd had sex! But making love was not Jim's intention. The litmus test of how Jim felt could only be found during his next shower session when he was alone with his thoughts. While Jim was showering, just before he went to Tom's room, Jim had truly desired Tom's body and his sex. That was something Jim wasn't prepared to admit to Nina, or to Tom, for he was barely sure of it himself. Jim thought the thing he remembered most about last night's escapade was feeling the weight of Ton's balls when Jim held them in his hands. They were young, healthy, full of life, and large. Jim marveled how they contracted upward into his scrotal cavity just before he reached a climax. He'd never seen anyone's semen that close except his own. It was odiferous like some aphrodisiac. Jim had yearned to taste it, and he did. Jim had never tasted his own, but Tom's was sweet, like flavored yogurt...but instantly, habit forming. One taste wasn't enough, it only made Jim crave for more.
Jim had worn a condom when he entered Tom, but he had longed to know if Tom was free from disease or infection, because Jim, wanted to explode the milk of his manhood into Tom's muscular body, claiming it as HIS, the way one would plant a flag on newly conquered territory and unconquered terrains and plateaus were getting more scarce every day. In recent years, Jim always climaxed inside Nina, knowing it was safe from disease and with no chance of her getting pregnant due to the abortion which had left her sterile.
Once the verbal battle had been set aside in a temporary truce, the three commenced cooking breakfast. They had to eat in haste because of the time they'd wasted and left for school, arriving with no time to spare.
Jim didn't see Nina for the rest of the day, primarily because the language and science departments where they taught respectively were housed in separate buildings. Nor did Jim see Tom until after the final bell when the team met for after-school practice.
Tom was either brave or a true gentleman. He listened to all Jim's coaching and responded accordingly, following Jim's directions to a tee. Tom seemed more relaxed at practice and with the guys than he had demonstrated the day before. Two things were for certain...the kid was a natural quarterback and he knew how to play the game of football. He took to the playbook as if he'd written it. Dan and Bud only had to show him the play one time and Tom followed every letter of the call. The rest of the team was pulling for him because they knew they finally had a winner playing with them. The guys showed more teamwork, more cooperation, topped with new spirit and enthusiasm, more than Jim, Bud, or Dan had ever seen them display. Jim only hoped there wouldn't be a problem about showering as Jim had anticipated from Tom's action twenty-four hours before. Jim worried even more when Harm slapped him across the butt and said, "Great practice, buddy, let's go shower!", because Jim had remembered how Tom had queried him about Harm's sexuality. Tom might have an attraction there that neither of them was yet aware of. Jim was even more surprised when Tom agreed to go to the showers with Harm and the rest of the team. Plus Jim suddenly remembered the statistics Cliff had given him saying that out of forty players, eight of them were probably gay. OK, Tom was one, but who could the other seven be? HARM?
Jim thought, "Jesus! I hope to God Cliff was wrong for the first time in his life!'.
Jim wanted to go spy, but he ran the risk of Tom's thinking Jim was checking up on him, while at the same time, if Tom found himself getting aroused in the shower, Jim wondered how would Tom cope with the ribbing and teasing the team would give him. Jim felt as if he needed to be there to protect Tom, just in case.
'What if Cliff WASN'T wrong and his stats were on the shy side of eight? Might there be ten, twelve, or even fifteen members on his squad that were homosexually inclined? Which ones? If that were true, they had learned to keep their secrets better than Jim ever could, he supposed. Jim slowly sauntered into the locker room and pretended to check on some of the equipment that needed repairs before Friday's game. Most of the team had already showered and gotten dressed before he arrived. Tom was still at his locker, still wearing a jock. Jim supposed that the object of Tom's plan was to wait until everyone had left in spite of what he'd said to Harm, then he would enter the shower by himself. All the team had dressed and left except Harm who was still joking with Phil, Howie, and Wiley, the three Jim had invited to dinner Saturday. They were stragglers, like today, taking long showers, being close buddies. The four of them were involved in their usual horseplay when Tom joined them in the shower. They had either forgotten Jim was in the room or had chosen to ignore him as they slapped each other on the butt and grabbed at one another's crotch. Tom got under a shower head completely on the other side of the shower for safety and to watch them and their water shenanigans.
"See, Phil," Wiley said, "I told you Howie had the hots for you! Look, he's getting hard."
"On your life!" Howie yelled, "I was standing here thinking about your mother. Does she still put out for the mailman like she does for me, Wiley?"
"Hey, look!", Wiley shouted, "Phil's getting a boner too! Who's mother is that for, Phil?"
"None, Wiley, this one's for you, kid!" Phil joked.
"Oh, no!" Wiley replied, "I don't like 'em that little! How the fuck can you stand up to pee with that little dick, Phil? You oughta squat so you don't pee on yourself."
"Shit, man!", Phil replied, "When it's all the way up, it's more than you can handle!"
"You mean you have another inch to go with the one you're already showing?"
Tom was eyeing the naked teammates across the long shower stall and was quietly amused by their conversation. He felt a little more at ease, seeing that two of the four already had hard-ons, so if he should get aroused accidentally, then no one would think anything about it.
"Come here, Wiley," Phil commanded, "and watch this!" Phil reached down and began manipulating his organ until he had about a seven-and-a-half inch erection. "Top that!" he said with pride.
"Fuck, that ain't nothin'" Howie answered. "Look, here!" Howie had squeezed his manhood until it was longer that the one Phil was touting. "Now, what you got to show us, Wiley?"
"Sorry, guys, I concede. I can't even come close to matching either of yours. I guess when you were born the doctor must've pulled you out of your mother's womb...dick first. Me? I was pulled out head first. That's why I've got more brains than you idiots," Wylie replied.
While the three of them were bantering, Harm kept his back to them about six shower heads farther down the shower room. Tom was still a good twenty feet away from all four of them. He watched as the three exhibitionists tiptoed up behind Harm. Suddenly they grabbed Harm from the rear and spun him around.
"Let's see what the center has to offer!" Howie said.
"Hey, get away from me, you perverts, I don't like these games!" Harm said, halfway seriously.
"Kootchy koo, let's tickle under Harm's balls and see if he's got anything to show off."
"Now, look," Harm said, "I'm warning all three of you..."
That's all it took to egg them on. The three of them tackled Harm and he landed on his back. Phil straddled Harm's knees while Wiley pinned Tom's shoulders to the floor with his knees. This left Howie free to do anything he wanted to Harm as he reached down and gripped Harm's penis and began whacking him. Naturally, the more Wylie stroked, the longer Harm's penis arose in Wylie's hand. No one had a ruler or measuring tape, but the three pranksters were sure that Harm's rod was at least nine inches, maybe longer.
"Good God Almighty!" Wylie exclaimed, "'The Dick of Death'!!!"
"Shit, man!" Phil chimed in, "Do you ever use that thing on Shirley?".
"I'm not telling you anything, you assholes, just let me up!" Harm yelled.
"My God, if you did, I'll bet her pussy's stretched so far out of proportion, it must sound like a waterfall in a cave when she goes to pee!" Howie added.
The three of them turned around and noticed their new quarterback way down at the end of the showers.
"Hey, Tom!" Howie yelled, "Come get a look at this thing that could attack your hands when you take the snap between his legs!"
"That's OK," Tom replied, "I'll take your word for it!"
"Aw, come on," Howie added, "You may never get a chance to see the eighth wonder of the world again!!"
The whole time while the boys were yelling back and forth, Wylie had continued stroking Harm. Harm had stopped his resistance and was lying on the floor, enjoying the hand massage. Suddenly Wylie was aware he'd gone too far as he felt the rod about to spring forth in his hand.
"Hey, meathead! You're not going to cum on me, are you?" Wylie screamed.
"Too late!" Harm shouted back at him.
Harm's eruption would have challenged Mt. Vesuvius. Never had any of the three on-lookers seen such an array of spurts. The sperm went approximately four feet in the air, stream after stream, spew after spew, hitting all three of their chests and faces. One large dollop landed on Phil's nose. Wylie used his second hand to cap the geyser which completely covered his palm.
"Good God!" Phil exclaimed, wiping his nose and face, "Harm's a walking sperm bank."
Wylie quickly added, "Never have so few strokes emitted so much on so few."
All of them began to laugh, including Harm who laughed the loudest. None of them realized Jim had witnessed the entire episode. Jim laughed so hard he had to lean against one of the metal lockers. The Three Stooge's routine had saved Tom from any embarrassment he might have suffered from his erection problem, otherwise, because he was laughing just as hard as they.
"Harm, you've just declared war!" Wylie hollered. "Come on guys, let's pay him back...You, too, Tom. Come over here!"
Tom didn't know what was going to happen but it seemed harmless enough. Wylie quickly positioned Phil to stand on Harm's right hand with his bare foot, while Howie took the left hand. Wylie sat on Harm's naked thighs and the three of them had him harnessed to the floor. Tom walked over to Harm's side and looked down at the captured prey.
Wylie looked at the three captors and said, "All right guys...on three...start jerking!...One...two...three.
On Wylie's cue, Phil, Howie, AND Tom starting masturbating with their penises all pointed downward at Harm's prone body.
"Last one to cum is a fairy!" Wylie said, as he joined his teammates in the manual exercise.
Phil yelled into the locker room, "Hey, Coach! Wanna come cum on Harm?"
"No, thanks, I learned years ago never to stand in harm's way." Jim joked.
"Oh, God!" they all groaned, "Coach, that was a pretty bad pun."
"Well it was all I could CUM up with." Jim replied. "You boys go ahead and have your fun...Just make sure all the shower heads are turned off when you get through."
"We will, Coach!" one of them yelled.
Jim knew it was time for him to leave, but for some reason unbeknownst to him. Jim wanted to stay. He was suddenly interested in looking at their naked bodies and their erections that were about to achieve orgasm. Tom was following suit, emulating them, but he kept his eyes locked on Jim as he jerked himself. Everything Cliff had said to Jim had turned out to be true. His best players? Gay?
Phil was the first to ejaculate. He sprayed half of Harm's chest with his jism as Howie did the same thing to the other side. Wylie, all but straddling Harm's crotch, was the next to shoot. His semen went all over Harm's waist territory and beyond. To prove he was one of them, Tom shot his load onto Harm's midsection.
"OK, guys!," Wiley added, "Now the four of us are going to give Harm a skin treatment. Get on your knees and lets spread him with that teen cream, fortified with protein so that hair will grow all over his body."
The four teammates surrounded their center, as four hungry lions would to a zebra, rubbing their liquid deposits all over Harm's body until he was sticky and gooey from head to toe. Harm didn't stop them as he relished the attention they were reeking on him.
"I hope you guys had your fun," Harm said, "but you won't know when or where you'll be when I decide to get even with you. It may be in a group or it may be individually, but, believe me, you'll know when it happens."
This was nothing new for Harm and his three regular compatriots. They'd played jokes on each other all the time. Tom was glad he'd been accepted enough to join their inner circle of friendship. While standing in the locker room observing, Jim got the same pleasure, watching Tom unofficially join the team.
When Jim was satisfied that there was to be no problem or fights, he left the four of them, still in the shower having fun heaping havoc on the fallen Harm. This was also a sneaky way of making Jim's escape from Tom. Even though Jim wanted to talk with Tom privately, Jim didn't want to put himself in the situation of Tom's wanting to go home with him for a third consecutive night, since, at the moment, Jim didn't like the real possibility of repeating last night's performance. Jim needed time to be alone with Nina and iron out any harsh feelings she might've had. Jim saw Jerry, the custodian, and asked him to lock up for him when the guys were finished getting dressed. Jim drove to the entrance of the language lab and saw Nina waiting for him. He rolled down his window and gave her a wolf whistle and a wink.
"Hiya, toots! Wanna go for a spin in my jalopy?"
"Whacha got in mind, Jughead?" she replied, getting in the car.
"That's not fair," Jim whined. "You're not playing fair. You've always called me Archie. What's with 'Jughead' all of a sudden?"
"I don't know, it just seemed right at the moment. I didn't mean anything by it. If I had, I'd've called you Reggie, the obnoxious roué."
"Ouch! Do I detect venom seeping from the tongue of the viperess?"
"No, darling. I said all I had to say at the breakfast table this morning. As far as I'm concerned, the incident is over and the matter is closed...That is, unless you decide to bring the topic up again."
"Don't forget, Nina, it was your idea, not mine!" Jim said, in self-defense.
"Well...maybe I was wrong. That would be a first, though," she teased.
"You know, Nina, I'm beginning to see a streak of jealousy in you. You've never shown that before."
"That's because I never had Goldilocks sleeping in Papa Bear's bed... WITH Papa Bear before!" she snapped.
"Things are becoming clearer. You gave me permission to sleep with Tom, thinking that I wouldn't, and since I did, all of a sudden I betrayed you. You're jealous of a boy!"
"That's what's so goddamned ironic, I'd feel better if you'd slept with that girl...your student that chased you for a whole year. I never dreamed it would be so demoralizing for a woman to find out her husband went to bed with someone of his own gender." There was a tiny quiver of hurt in her voice. "How do you think you'd feel if I had gone to bed with a woman."
"I'm not sure," Jim replied, "but 'she' wouldn't affect me in the same way that Tom did you. At least I would be relieved, knowing that you wouldn't get pregnant."
"Oh? Are you telling me that you or Tom will be missing your period this month?"
"No, dammit! You know what I mean!" Jim said.
"You DID use a condom, didn't you?" she interjected. "That is...if you did anything where you might have needed one." She was fishing for details and Jim knew it!
"Yes, Nina, I used a condom! Are you satisfied."
"That means you fucked him!"
"Not necessarily!"
"But you did!" she said, topping Jim's volume. "Did he use one with you?"
"NO!"
"He fucked you unsafely?"
"No, Nina, he didn't. I didn't let him. I didn't want to." Jim said, almost regretfully.
"Then, what did you do?...NO!! Don't answer that! I don't want to know!" she added, quickly.
"You do, or you wouldn't've asked." Jim said.
"Oh, Jim, don't tell me you went down on him..."
"All right, I won't!"
"But you did, didn't you?"
Jim didn't answer her.
"Jim, how could you?...The very idea of that revolts me!"
"Why? You used to go down on me when we were first married."
"But---that was different."
"In what way? Let me ask you something. Would you ever go down on another woman?"
"Heavens, no!"
"Why not?"
"Even though I have a vagina, putting my mouth on someone else's would make me sick to my stomach."
"And putting a penis in your mouth doesn't?"
"Not as much."
"Well, maybe my feminine side erupted and I found the male sex organ more attractive than the female's. You do...or you did!"
"I see your point, although I don't completely agree with it."
"Nina, I thought you didn't want to discuss this any more."
"I don't!"
"Then enough's been said. All right?"
"All right."
They remained silent the rest of the way home. Then the two fixed a light dinner and took it into the den to watch TV rather than creating a different topic of dinner conversation. When they were finished eating, Jim gathered the dishes and put them in the sink to soak. When he returned to the den, Nina had gone to the bedroom to put on her nightgown and robe.
"Hey, Nina!" Jim called from downstairs.
"Yes?"
"You wanna watch that Bruce Willis movie on Cinemax? You know, the one you've been dying to see?"
"You mean the one where he plays the transvestite?"
"Yes."
"No, thanks. There's been enough perversion in this house during the past twenty-four hours...I'm tired and think I'll just go to bed."
Jesus! She didn't want to talk about what happened, but she kept bringing up the subject with her insinuating remarks. Jim went to the bar and made himself a stiff drink. He wasn't ready to shower yet, so he would use alcohol to rid his tension. He, too, opted not to watch Bruce Willis. Instead he surfed the channels until he found and old 'B' movie starring the 'sexless' sexpot, Tracy Lord. Watching her would turn Tom Cruise gay...or had she? But the film was diverting, if not stimulating.
It was nine-thirty. Thoughts of Tom crossed through Jim's mind as he watched the sex scenes. He wondered what Tom was doing and what he was thinking, alone in his dorm room. Fifteen minutes later, Jim called the dorm monitor.
"Hi, Harry, this is Coach Kerr. I'd like to speak to my new quarterback, Tom Summerfield. Would you go to his room and call him to the phone?"
"Yes sir." Harry replied, "just hold the phone and I'll go get him."
Three minutes passed before Harry returned to the phone,
"Coach?"
"Yes,"
"He's not in his room."
"Oh?"
"No, sir. One of the guys said he'd seen Tom go out to dinner earlier with Harm Lewis and they're not back yet."
"All right. Would you leave him a note, or if you see him, would you ask him to give me a call? My number is on the faculty emergency phone list in your directory."
"Yes sir, I will."
Jim went back to the TV and flipped a few more channels. A movie was coming on the Movie Channel called, "Making Love" with Kate Jackson. That sounded tolerable so Jim began to watch and became more and more engrossed as her husband, played by Michael Ontkean began to doubt his sexuality and became infatuated with Harry Hamlin, later the star of "L.A. Law". Forty minutes into the picture, Michael and Harry were locked in a kiss and were naked in bed together. Jim's hand slipped between his legs only to discover he was fully aroused. The movie ended at midnight and Tom still hadn't called.
Once more, Jim called the dorm and Harry answered.
"Harry, did Tom ever return to the dorm?"
"I didn't see him, sir."
Jim panicked with fear that Tom had returned to the bar where the police had found him Friday night. There was so much at stake, especially the upcoming game on Friday night, as well as the police putting Tom on 'partial watch' which amounted to a form of probation. Damn! If Dean Connelly found out, he'd have Jim's ass!
Not telling Nina he was going out, Jim quietly went out the door, started his car and headed toward the dorm. The first thing to do would be to talk with Harm. Harm knew how strict Coach Kerr was about players' curfew, especially during the week right before a big game. Jim parked the car and went to the monitor's desk where he saw Harry.
"Hi, Harry!"
"Coach?"
"Still no sign of Tom?"
"No, sir."
"Can you tell me Harm Lewis' room number?
"Two-fourteen, sir."
"Thanks, I won't be but a minute. I have a couple of new plays I want Harm to look at before practice tomorrow afternoon."
"Go on up, sir."
Jim climbed the stairs by twos and quietly raced down the hall, counting room numbers as he sped.
He tapped lightly on two-fourteen and waited a couple of minutes before Jim heard the door lock unlatch. Harm greeted his coach, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around him.
"Coach! What are you doing here? It's after midnight!"
"I..uh..had a late meeting and dropped by, hoping to see if Tom was all right after his first full day of school and football practice, but he wasn't in his room. Harry at the front desk told me you and Tom had gone out for dinner and..uh..I..uh..was wondering if you'd seen him?"
"Well, uh..sure, Coach,...I...uh...saw him around seven o'clock."
"Do you know where he is now?" Jim asked with urgency.
"Uh...well.." Harm stammered.
"COACH! IS THAT YOU?" came Tom's voice from inside Harm's room.
"TOM?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you OK?"
"Never better! Come on in." Tom called.
"Coach, let me explain..." Harm said, blocking his doorway.
Jim ignored Harm and pushed past him into the room. Tom was lying in the only bed, totally naked, looking happy, but surprised to see Jim.
"Harm and I had dinner and then we came to his room to watch DVD's and discuss a few of Friday's plays. It got late so I just decided to spend the night with him." Tom explained. He wasn't at all embarrassed because he didn't attempt to cover his nudity.
Jim wasn't sure if Tom was trying to make him jealous or if Tom was trying to brag that he'd convinced Harm to go to bed with him. Poor Harm was standing in the middle of the floor, not knowing what to say to his coach. His face was flushed because he felt Jim discovered his most hidden secret. Apparently, Harm HAD wriggled his butt when Tom took his snap.
"Coach..I..uh..." was about all Harm could say.
"Don't worry, Harm. If you have anything to hide, your secret is safe with me." Jim assured him,
"But, it's just that I...well...I..." Harm tried, once again.
"Let me interpret what he's trying to say, Coach." Tom said. "He says that he's been in the closet for years but he's finally glad that you found out what a great cocksucker he is!"
Jim thought Harm would explode as Jim broke into laughter over Tom's translation. Tom was laughing, too.
"Relax, Harm," Tom said. "Coach knows all about me and it's OK if he knows about you, too. Coach is a great guy and he's very understanding. He knows about guys like us and he doesn't give it a second thought."
When Harm could phrase a whole sentence, he pleaded, "Coach, promise me you won't say a word to any of the rest of the team. Some of 'em are red necks, you know, and they'd either quit the team or make my life hell."
"You mean no one knows?" Jim kidded.
"Well, just Tom...and now you."
"Jesus! It seems to me that the last time I saw you, you were covered in gobs of jism from Howie, Phil, and Wylie...and they didn't seem to mind," Jim said.
"Yeah, but they were just kiddin' around. They didn't mean it for real. If they'd known I was enjoyin' what they were doin' to me, well...I don't know what would have happened."
"Well, you found out when Tom came to your room, didn't you?"
"Yeah! He nearly shocked the shit out of me!" Harm said.
"Then I fucked the shit out of him!" Tom added.
"Damn, man! Do you have to tell everything all at once?" Harm asked him.
"I told you, Coach doesn't care. Do you, Coach?"
"Not as long as it doesn't interfere with the game." Jim said, still unsure of what he felt.
"Well, we were just following your instructions." Tom said. "You did tell us to get to know each other."
"I'd better be careful what I say next time." Jim added, trying to smile.
"Coach, you wanna take off your clothes and go a round with us before you go home to your wife?" Tom asked, innocently.
Jim gave Tom a warning look. He hoped and prayed Tom hadn't told Harm about his and Jim's escapade.
"No, gentlemen, I appreciate the invitation, but I'll respect your preference if you'll respect mine."
"Yes sir!" Harm said.
"Then, now that I know that you're OK, Tom, I'll be off." Jim said, leaving, "You guys better knock it off and get some rest. We're gonna have a heavy-duty practice this afternoon."
"We'll be ready for it!" Tom said.
"Well, good night, boys"
"'night, Coach" they said in unison.
Jim closed the door and stood there holding the doorknob behind him, trying to regain his composure. He was shocked and as he walked down the hallway of the dorm, he began to feel betrayed. Tom had been unfaithful to him. Fuck! UNFAITHFUL TO HIM? Tom and Jim didn't have a relationship. What prompted this feeling? Why did Jim suddenly resent Harm? Harm was in the arms that had embraced Jim, some twenty hours earlier and Jim was suddenly jealous as hell.
Jim was angry and depressed when he drove home. Boy! Nina would love to know what Jim had just seen. She would be delirious with delight. Goddammit!! If Jim had only brought Tom home with him for dinner tonight, none of this would've happened. It was partially Jim's fault for denying his feelings...but at the time, Jim hadn't been aware of his true feelings. God--Jim Kerr, the BU football coach, had a crush on his quarterback and the idea of it was driving him insane. Jim knew he'd have to jerk off at least three times in the shower when he got home, just to relax. That's when Jim discovered he'd been so preoccupied with his thoughts, he'd completely driven past his house and never noticed it.
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(To be continued in "Briarwood" BOOK SIX--chapter-fifty-eight.)