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"BRIARWOOD"
aka "Whence Cometh My Help"
R.S.V.
A dramatic saga
by
Ritch Christopher
literary enhancement
by
Les Martin
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BOOK ONE
Chapter Six
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"I believe that since my life began,
the most I've had is just
a talent to amuse.
Heigh ho! If love were all,
I would be lonely"
Noel Coward
"Bitter Sweet", Act II.
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It was Sunday afternoon, mass was finished at the church, and at the parsonage, Jay was scurrying around like a bunny rabbit in heat. Everything had to be 'just perfect'...the plates, the glassware, the silverware, the napkins and tablecloth, everything! Each dish he was preparing had to be started at its own particular time so that everything would be cooked and ready at the same time. Perhaps it was the new meds or the broccoli or the excitement of the day, but whatever it was, something had given him a surge of uncontrollable energy.
Three days had passed since Roger first arrived and, by now, he and Jay were "old friends" and the best of buddies. That was one thing for which Cliff could be thankful when he said "grace" later that evening. Cliff was anxious for everyone to meet under the wave of each one's newly found freedom to exhibit the lifestyle he hoped to pursue. He had seen Rob and Timmy once since Tuesday night when they began their relationship...and they were hot and heavy in love. or so it would seem. Cliff had only spoken briefly to Troy to confirm his attending the dinner party. Cliff didn't mention "us", nor did he tell him about Roger as Cliff would practically rather die than hurt Troy who was in dire need of Cliff's help.
The dinner was expected to be served around 7:45, as soon as they got home from Evening Prayer. Rob and Timmy came over to the manse about 4:30 and wanted to know if they could "rent" a bedroom for about an hour. Suddenly Cliff felt he had turned his house into a brothel. Who cared, as long as it was done in the name of love?!! Everyone that could be happy SHOULD be happy, and suddenly that included Cliff.
Before Rob and Timmy began their love-making session, Jay ran into his room and changed the sheets and even heated a couple of wet towels for them to use when they were through. Jay didn't miss a trick! Cliff knew he was a "jack of all trades" including fulfilling the duties of a chambermaid. Roger had taken it upon himself to be in charge of the wine, despite protests from Chef Jay, the rectory's "galloping gourmet". Roger had refused to attend Sunday morning mass and had driven over the state line to find a liquor store that wasn't restrained from opening because of "blue laws". This also gave him a chance to get a better look at Briarwood. He knew Cliff was hoping Roger would like it enough to move there permanently. Each night since he had arrived, their own love-making had gotten better. Cliff was more in love with Roger now than he had ever been and he had the feeling Roger felt the same way. Roger returned around 5:00 PM to hand over his wine purchases to the chef who had also had decided to play hooky from Evening Prayer.
While Cliff was at the church conducting the service, the following episode occurred between Roger and Jay....Later Sunday night, Roger conveyed the whole account to Cliff....
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"How's the feast coming?", Roger asked Jay.
"Just super-duper! Everything's right on schedule. I just hope the invited guests are." Jay replied.
"Do I hear voices coming from your room or is that a TV?" Roger asked.
"It's kinda a soap opera, only it's live."
"Who is it, pray tell?"
"Don't worry, Roger. It's not Cliff if that's what you're thinking. It's the product of Cliff's matchmaking in the confessional booth." Jay joked.
"Pardon?"
"You see, Roger, Cliff has this game he plays where he thinks he's a 'priest-host' on this game show. The contestants enter this soundproof booth, commonly known as a confessional, and Cliff asks them these questions. You know, like, 'Bachelor Number One, how long have you been gay and, if you were looking for the perfect lover, what would be his qualifications?" Things like that and based on the answers the contestants give, Cliff pairs them up and gives them a one night stay in the bedroom of their choice at the church rectory...all expenses paid!"
"You've GOT to be kidding?" Roger mused.
"Well, that's how it looks from a comedic viewpoint."
"Who's in your bedroom, if I may ask?"
"To be perfectly honest, they are two guys that came to confession last week. They're both members of the choir, and when they both started spilling out their guts to Cliff and telling him about their personal problems,...well, the first thing you know, unbeknownst to either of them. Cliff arranged a surprise meeting for the two of them this past Tuesday night...and an hour later, they were naked in the middle of Cliff's bed, without Cliff, of course, and making the noisiest and nastiest noises I've ever heard two 'ladies' make...and they've been together ever since...End of story."
"You ARE a card, Jay. No wonder Cliff thinks so much of you."
"Yeah, but not enough..."
"Whaddya mean?"
"I had my claws all set to snare him until Troy came into the picture. Then Cliff set Troy aside once you arrived. Now it's obvious that Cliff is totally in love with you."
"I'm sorry if I spoiled your plans."
"You didn't, really. In my physical condition, you learn NOT to make plans, at least not long term ones, anyway."
"How do you feel with the new medications?"
"It may be psychosomatic or just wishful thinking, but I've had more energy the past few days than I've had in almost a year...Of course, meeting Cliff might've had something to do with it."
"Maybe it's a combination of everything...new friends, a new place to stay, a new doctor, new meds, a new outlook on life...everything!"
"I swear, if you had said "new broccoli", I'd've hit you with a cast iron skillet!"
"Who knows?...Maybe it was the broccoli." Roger retorted.
"Let's just say that the broccoli has given my asshole new energy."
They looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing as Jay checked the oven and its contents. Then Roger asked, soberly, "Jay, this Troy that you mentioned, did Cliff and he...have a thing going?"
"No, not exactly. I've never met Troy. Tonight'll be the first time I've seen him, but he has some mysterious problem that Cliff won't or can't talk about...and Cliff wants to help him resolve it. And besides, Roger, this is only Cliff's second Sunday to celebrate mass and he's only known Troy a little over a week. They couldn't've fallen in love that quickly."
"Why not?...You did..."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you fell in love with Cliff that quickly."
"My God, does it show that much, Roger?"
"I could tell the first time I saw you look at him...Remember, Jay, I am or WAS a priest, too, and I love Cliff, too...so I know how YOU feel when you look at him. I SHOULD know---I look at him the same way." Roger said calmly.
"We're on opposite sides looking in the same direction."
"You might say that."
"But Cliff is only looking in ONE direction...toward you."
"Don't be too sure, Jay. You see Cliff has a big heart. He's also a Gemini, and Gemini's are capable of loving more than one person at the same and loving both parties equally...So you shouldn't count yourself out of the running just yet."
"How do you know so much about Gemini's, Roger?"
"I'm one, too. Only ten days separate Cliff's and my birthdays."
"And you feel like YOU could love two or more people at the same time?"
"Yes, I could. Who knows? Maybe I will, again."
"Roger, you and Cliff are so different, and yet so much alike."
"I know that...one of the sides of me that loves him is a classic example of narcissism. I see myself when I look at him."
"I guess it's not fair to me and the rest of the world that people like you two should meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after. Where do the rest of us desperate people go to find love?"
"Sometimes you don't have to look farther than your nose."
"Roger, if I weren't infected with the "Big A", do you think a person like you could fall in love with someone like me?"
"Jay, I truly believe someone could fall in love with you, in spite of your "Big A" problem...I mean, Cliff did, apparently...and so could I."
"You mean that, don't you?" The total sincerity in Roger's voice forced Jay to drop his usual bantering attitude.
"I said it. and if you can believe Cliff, then you know I don't lie."
"It's funny, I never thought of it before, but Hester Prynne and I had a lot in common. We both had adulterous ideas and were both branded with big "A's!...different kinds, of course...I can see now why Cliff has never stopped loving you, all these years."
"Jay...come here a minute..."
"Why?"
"Don't ask...just come here."
Jay walked slowly toward Roger with his gaze fixed questioningly on Roger's eyes. Roger put one hand on each of Jay's shoulders and pulled him closer and kissed him, tenderly and gently. Jay didn't seem to respond. He just stood there motionless and transfixed in wonderment as if he had just been knighted or received a medal or a special honor.
"Why did you do that?" Jay whispered with his eyes still closed.
"I thought you needed it...and because I wanted to."
"You know you're playing with my psyche, don't you?"
"I'll be very careful not to hurt you. You see, if Cliff loves you and has a place in his heart for you, then it's only natural I do the same. Nearly all my life, I've copied everything he did...even when we were little...everything he did, I wanted to do. Everything he wanted, I had to have it too."
"Even so far as becoming a priest yourself?" Jay asked.
"Guilty...That's the real reason I became a priest. I wasn't "called" like Cliff. I followed him into the priesthood. I guess that's why giving up my church was so easy for me. I would have given up everything just to be near him again."
"And where do I fit into the picture?" Jay asked, almost fearfully.
"You'll become a part of my heart as you have Cliff's...and from there?...We'll just let the cards fall where they may."
"Are you going to tell Cliff that you kissed me?"
"Yes, but he won't mind. He knows you NEED to be kissed and you NEED to be loved...NOT pitied, but loved."
"You think you love me, too?"
"I thought you were the smart guy with all the answers...you tell me!"
"Before I answer, I want to be sure that Cliff knows about this and we're not cheating behind his back."
"That sounds fair...only now, will you just relax and learn to accept love when it's offered to you?"
"I'll try." Jay said, smiling. "OH, MY GOD! I'd better check the broccoli casserole and see if it's burning!"
"Let the goddamned thing burn, Jay. Let it burn!"
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"I believe the more you love a man,
the more you put your trust,
the more you're bound to lose.
Although, when shadows fall, I wish that only
somebody splendid really needed me,
someone affectionate and dear.
Cares would be ended if only he
wanted to have me near."
Noel Coward...continued.
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Cliff arrived home shortly after 7:00 PM, which gave him about half an hour to change clothes and add the finishing touches before Troy arrived. Rob and Timmy still hadn't emerged from their tête-à-tête in Jay's bedroom. Jay seemed a little proud as he announced to Cliff that he had volunteered his room to Rob and Timmy as their temporary trysting place.
"How's everything going?" Cliff asked, wondering if he had interrupted something.
"Everything's ready except the Pepto-Bismol-after-dinner-drinks." mumbled Jay with a grin.
"How was your service?", Roger asked Cliff.
"Sparse crowd, but responsive...Jay, would you do me a favor and go rouse the two sleeping princes?"
"Sure. I bet they've worked up a big appetite by now." He hummed a few bars of "The Man That Got Away" as he went down the hall toward his room.
Cliff went over to kiss Roger. "How was your afternoon? Did you have a nice drive around Briarwood?"
"Yes, it's a pretty little town."
"Were you enticed enough to want to live here?" Cliff asked, almost nonchalantly.
"Cliff, I would live on skid row to be near you." Their eyes met for a moment and they seemed to melt into each other's mind.
"Did you get to know Jay better?"
"A little. He's a sweet kid. I'll talk to you later about our conversation. I don't want him to hear me talking about him."
"Fine. Do you think they'll ever find a cure for that stuff?"
"I'm sure of it! There might be one right now, only we don't know about it, and the goddamned drug companies that are getting rich off these high priced "cocktails" are buying off medical agencies to prevent the release of it."
"It doesn't speak well of what we have become as human beings. If certain groups had their way, we'd go back to beating tom-toms and dancing around a fire, like witch doctors."
"I wanna help Jay, Cliff. I wanna help him get well. I've got all this money and don't know what to do with it. If you hear of any doctor or any logical sounding treatment...or if you hear of anything he wants or needs, let me know. The price is not too high for helping him."
"Sounds like Jay kinda got under your skin a little."
"Maybe....you should know...you've looked into his eyes..."
"I know. I saw it the first time I saw him down by the lake. He sorta gets to you...like a little lost puppy. You want to pick him up and give him all the affection, love, and care he's missed most or all of his life."
"Sssh, I hear him coming..."
"Well the troops have arisen." Jay said as he entered the kitchen. "They hadn't slept a wink...must've been that pea I hid under the mattress...", and then in a southern accent he added, "Heavens! I just can't imagine what they could have been doing in that bed all this time...God knows, I can't find ANYONE,...I mean...ANYTHING to do in it when I lie down."
"I'll buy you a vibrator in the shape of a broccoli spear," Cliff joked.
"I've already got broccoli vibrating out of my ass. Why would I want to shove more up it?"
"Let's say it's part of your medical regimen." Cliff answered.
"Yes, Mom", he retorted, sticking out his tongue at Cliff.
"What time is it?" Cliff asked, changing the subject.
"It's ten till eight." Jay answered.
"Troy should've already been here, or called, or something."
"He'd better hurry because everything is hot and ready, and one thing I won't do is serve a cold dinner."
"Why don't we sit down at the table, Cliff? I'm sure he'll be here soon", Roger reassured.
Rob and Timmy came into the dining room with the expected smiles on their faces.
"Rob, Timmy, you already know Jay, and this is my best friend, Roger...Roger, these are two new friends of mine who sing in the choir."
They all exchanged cordial "hellos", shook hands, and sat down at the dining room table which Jay had arranged to look like something right out of Martha Stewart's web site. If Martha had seen it she would have told Jay, "It's a good thing".
Jay started out by serving the appetizer, followed by the soup and salad. The four who were seated provided an abundance of "oohs" and "aahs". Then he served the entree while Roger poured the wine. It was now 8:30 and still no word from Troy. Cliff's food wasn't digesting well from worry over him. Something had to be wrong or Troy would've called or something. Cliff knew there was no way of reaching him for fear Kitty Marsden would suspect something as Troy always lied to her about visiting his father in a nursing home on Sunday evenings. That was the excuse Troy gave to get one night's freedom away from her and Kendall. By nine o'clock, everyone sat looking at the dessert, wondering if he had room in his stomachs for one more course.
All through dinner, Rob and Timmy seemed to be in a world of their own, constantly glancing at each other, breaking out in enormous smiles for no reason that was apparent to the other diners, occasionally feeding each other bites of this or that, each using his own fork to transfer food to his lover's lips. Roger made a point of keeping a continual flow of chit-chat with Jay every time Jay had a chance to sit down in between serving the various courses. Roger hoped that the witty banter would prevent the other guests from noticing how worried Cliff was that Troy hadn't arrived, hadn't phoned. Finally the meal was finished and was proclaimed a complete success for Jay as chef and so they all retired to the living room. Rob and Timmy took turns entertaining, one accompanying on the baby grand while the other sang some Broadway show tune. They both had very good voices and excellent taste in music, singing many songs by Stephen Sondheim, Anthony Newley, and Jones and Schmidt. No one knew where he got it, but Jay made a spectacular entrance wearing a large feathered hat and a long red boa as he vamped around singing, "Flaming Agnes" from "I DO, I DO". At the conclusion of his 'performance', the entire group applauded his "artistry".
All too soon, it was eleven o'clock and time for Rob and Timmy to leave. They praised Jay for the dinner and thanked Jay privately for the use of the room, then bade their fond farewells. Roger, Jay, and Cliff began the task of cleaning up and washing the dishes. Cliff's arms were soaked to his elbows in Dawn dishwashing suds when the doorbell rang. Jay went to answer it and Cliff heard him talking quietly to someone. Cliff, assuming it must be Troy at last, all but ran to the front door to meet him. But it wasn't Troy at the front door. Instead, it was two Briarwood policemen. Cliff froze in his tracks, a sudden pall falling over the night.
"Cliff, these gentlemen are here to see you." Jay said somberly.
Roger came to the door to stand beside Cliff.
"Father Cliff?" the first policeman spoke.
"Yes?"
"We were given your name and address to contact."
"What's wrong?" Cliff asked.
"Father, I'm afraid there's been an accident involving one of your parishioners."
"Who...which one?"
"All we got from the hospital was the name, Troy Wilkinson.
"Oh, my God! Is he dead?"
"We don't know. He was apparently alive when the ambulance brought him to the hospital. He kept asking for you."
"What kind of accident, if you know?"
"A car accident."
"Were there any other cars involved?...Was anyone else hurt?"
"No, I'm sorry to say it looked like an apparent suicide attempt. There were no skid marks, no sign of the car being out of control, just a straight shot into a large oak tree."
"Good God, Troy wouldn't try to commit suicide!" Cliff all but screamed. "Which hospital and how do I get there?"
"He was taken to St. Anne's down on Piedmont...It's not far...only about fifteen minutes from here...Would you like for us to take you there?"
"That's all right, officer." Roger interjected. "I can take him there."
"If you want to follow us, we'll turn on the red light in case there's any late night traffic." the second policeman said.
"That would be great, officer." Roger said.
"Jay, will you be all right if we leave you here with all that mess to clean up?" I asked.
"Don't worry about the fucking mess...JUST GO...Troy needs you." Jay said, firmly.
Cliff got into Roger's Lexus with him and the police escorted them toward St. Anne's. What was suppose to be a fifteen minute ride, seemed more like an hour. In between wiping tears from his eyes, Cliff prayed, but feared the worst. "Dear God, don't let this be happening!...NOT NOW!...NOT to Troy!!" Cliff would never know how Roger managed to think of it, but before leaving he had grabbed Cliff's black blazer and priest's collar which Cliff donned on the way. When they arrived at the hospital, Cliff jumped out of the car without even thinking of closing the door. He ran through the sliding emergency room doors and headed for the nurses' station.
"Hello, I'm Father..."
"Cliff," the nurse said before he could finish giving his name. "We've been expecting you."
"My friend, Troy?...How is he?" Cliff asked, panic stricken. "Tell me, is he alive?"
"He's alive and he's been asking for you." she said.
"His condition....how bad is it?"
"Troy's suffered a concussion and he's been x-rayed for neck and back injuries. The doctors are with him now. Troy may experience some paralysis from his accident. His condition is listed as grave, so you'd better go on in."
Cliff wanted to rush to Troy's bedside, but he was so stunned, his legs were moving so heavily he felt he was trying to walk upstream against a torrential cascade. Cliff could see Troy, not ten feet away. There were three doctors and two nurses tending to him. There were all kinds of tubes and wires hooked up to his body with the magnified sounds of beeps and whirrs. Troy's eyes were wide open with panic and fear as he watched the medical crowd hovering over him. His visual focus changed as he zeroed in on Cliff approaching down the short hall leading toward the curtained cubicle. Cliff also thought Troy managed a smile once Troy recognized him.
Weakly, he uttered, "Father Cliff?"
The medical team parted, just enough to let him get near the bed.
"Yes, Troy," Cliff said, "I'm here."
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"...letting you down."
"Don't talk like that...You didn't let me or anyone down...What happened?"
"Are you here to give me final unction?"
"No, I'm here to make sure you get better."
"What I did...it was wrong, you know."
"What you did...did you do it on purpose or was it an accident?"
"I knew what I was doing, Father...I had no choice other than what I was doing when I aimed my car toward that tree...."
"But why? I thought you were coming over to my house for dinner with a bunch of friends...where we could talk."
"That was my plan when I left the Marsden house."
"What happened? Why did you change your plans?"
"I was heading down Oak Street. I think I was in a pretty good mood and then I saw this woman about a block away, starting to cross the street."
"And to avoid hitting her, you wrecked your car?"
"No, Father, it wasn't that way at all...The closer I got to the woman, the more she looked like Kitty...and suddenly I had this irresistible impulse to run her down and get my life back , get what's left of it back to normal...So I slammed my foot on the accelerator and headed my car straight toward her...and when I was about fifteen feet from hitting her, the woman looked up and I got a good look of her face...It wasn't Kitty!...It was some woman I'd never seen before and she looked so frightened! I jerked my steering wheel to the right, just enough to miss her...I DID miss her, but at the rate of speed I was moving, I had no alternative but to head my car directly toward a huge oak tree..."
"You weren't trying to kill yourself then?"
"No, I was trying to keep from killing the woman!"
"Thank God for that much!"
"Father Cliff, am I going to die?"
"No, of course not." Cliff tried to answer him with assurance, not really knowing the real truth. "You're gonna be fine and up and around in a day or two...I'll even have Jay, at my house, save you some leftovers from the feast you missed tonight."
"That would be nice", he said rather unconvincingly.
Troy's eyes began to roll and his eyelids started fluttering.
"Doctor, what's wrong????" Cliff shouted.
"Sssh. Nothing's wrong, Father. Apparently one of the pain meds is kicking in and he's about to drop off to sleep....His vital signs are all normal." said the doctor-in-charge. "I'm afraid that's all he'll be able to talk tonight...We have several more tests we want to run and we'll keep a constant monitor on him. You can wait outside or you can leave your number with the head nurse and we'll call you if there's any change. I don't think we'll know anymore about the extent of the paralysis until tomorrow morning when we can give him some more sensory tests."
"Thank you, Doctor...but you DO think he's going to be all right? I don't want to leave if there's a chance I should be here...You see, Troy has no REAL family and I was elated to think he called for me. I just want you to know I'm very close to him and I would like to be thought of as his brother, if you know what I mean."
"I can assure you, if his blood pressure, heart, and respiration rates remain the same throughout the night as they are now, he should be just fine."
"In that case, I WILL go on home...but please call me immediately if he shows any sign of getting worse."
"I promise." the doctor said, "and I'm too old and mean to start breaking promises to a priest. Go home and get some rest. He'll need to see you tomorrow."
"Thanks, Doctor."
Cliff went back to the waiting room and gave the nurse his complete name and phone number.
"...and one more thing," Cliff added. "if a Kitty or Kendall Marsden should happen to call, inquiring about Troy, please don't tell them anything. I'll tell them whatever I think they need to know."
"Yes, Father." the nurse said as if she were a school girl who had been called to the principal's office for detention.
Once outside the ER sliding doors, Cliff collapsed in Roger's arms. Roger held him tightly.
"How is he?" Roger asked.
"Not good, Rog, but the doctors say he'll pull through...only they're not sure if he'll be permanently paralyzed."
"Do you know if he was trying to commit suicide?"
"He says he wasn't...He did it to keep from killing a woman who reminded him of Kitty Marsden."
"Who's Kitty Marsden."
"Come on, let's get into your car and go home. Since you're a part of me, I'll break my vow of silence and tell you the whole story on the way."
By the time they reached the rectory, Cliff had told Roger everything, leaving out no details about Troy's visit the previous Sunday night. Upon arriving, they didn't get out of the car. They just sat there, conversing in private.
"You were falling for Troy, weren't you?"
"I don't know, Rog. I don't think so...It's just that he seemed so hopeless and so helpless in his situation, I had to do everything I could to help him...and the worst part of it is...so far, I haven't been able to do one goddamned thing to help him."
"This Kitty Marsden must be some kind of a rich bitch to think she can own slaves in the twenty-first century."
"No, Rog, actually when you meet her, she's pretty nice. Kendall is nice and doesn't show signs of being demanding. I can see how Troy could've been easily taken in."
"Are you going to call her and tell her about Troy?"
"No, I want her to sit up all night and wonder if he's coming back or not."
"I think we should go in and tell Jay what happened if he's still awake."
"OK. But first, you told me you would tell me about the conversation you and he had while I was at Evening Prayer."
"Oh, that..."
For the next fifteen minutes, Roger talked and tried to convey exactly every sentence, every inflection, and every detail that had transpired between the two of them. When he finished, he sat there quietly, waiting for Cliff to respond.
"So...you've fallen for him, too." Cliff joked, accusingly.
"How could I help but..."
Cliff continued his chiding. "The first time I leave you two alone, you wind up kissing him. It's a good thing I didn't have to celebrate high mass or only God knows what would have happened. Am I supposed to be jealous?"
"Jesus...you've got room to talk when I have to rush you to the hospital to visit one of your no-shows...How about Troy?...Should I be jealous of him?"
"No, you fool, once you get to know him, you'll love him the same as I do...the same way we both love Jay."
"It's hard to believe...we've only been living together for four days and we already have a family." Roger said, smiling with a proud satisfaction.
"Pretty scary, isn't it?"
"Along with Jay and Troy, should we include Rob and Timmy?"
"They need us almost more than anyone."
"Jesus! What's their problem?"
"Am I going to have to relay to you EVERY secret I hear in the confessional?"
"Only the ones you get involved with personally."
"I don't get involved on purpose...."
"Yeah, but when you do, it's 'Katie, bar the door'!". You've been here two weeks and you've already have adopted four sons almost your own age."
"I'll repeat what I asked you earlier...'You still wanna be a parson's wife, Rog?"
"Only if he's a good husband in bed!" he mused. "Would you mind if I found that out for myself?"
"Rog, my love, I think a good long drink and a good hard fuck is exactly what I need."
"Would be you embarrassed if I picked you up and carried you across the threshold?" Roger's smile explained away his cavalier attitude.
"I think I should be the one to carry YOU. After all, you don't have a job and I'm the breadwinner in this family."
"If you try to pick me up, there goes the fucking for the rest of the night...maybe even for a year!"
"All right, I'll concede." Cliff said. "We'll just hold hands like two old folks and walk up the drive together. I don't want you to tire your...er, your male apparatus. If I just get a repeat performance of last night's activities..."
Luckily, Jay had already gone to bed which gave relieved Cliff, in that he wouldn't have to give an hour's oral dissertation about Troy's condition. Instead, Roger and Cliff tiptoed into the bedroom, closing the door quietly. The end-table lamps were already on, giving a low-keyed atmosphere to the space. They stopped, facing one other and, without speaking, began to remove each other's clothes. Once naked, the two stood there, holding both hands and looking longingly into each other's eyes.
Cliff's thoughts seemed to thunder in his head---'God, I love him. He's matured emotionally over the past year and was completely understanding of my needs and the needs of others.'
They edged toward the bed, lay down, kissed gently till their physical urges overcame all else. Then they made passionate love and fell asleep in each other's arms. The next sound Cliff heard was the phone ringing...seeming louder than usual!!
"Want me to get that?" Roger asked.
"No, love, I left my number with the nurse at the hospital in case there was any change in Troy's condition." Cliff said to Roger, but to himself he prayed, "Oh God, please don't let it be bad news....Please, please, please, don't let Troy be dead!!!"
Cliff knocked the receiver off the cradle of the phone and it hit the floor with a thud before he nervously tried to retrieve it.
"Hello?" Cliff screamed.
"Father?"...It was a familiar woman's voice. It must be the nurse at the ER, he told himself.
"Yes?" He answered, holding his breathe.
"This is Kitty Marsden. You know Troy Wilkinson, don't you? The young man who comes to church with Kendall and me?"
"Yes, yes, I do. I shook his hand while he was leaving mass last Sunday."
"You haven't seen or heard from him tonight, have you?
"No, Mrs. Marsden," Cliff lied, "no, I haven't. Why should I have seen or heard from him...?"
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(To be continued in "Briarwood" BOOK ONE-chapter seven)