Connected 31
SUMMARY: At a time of national turmoil, the lives of four boys become connected as each struggles to accept his sexuality and to address the challenges he faces in life. To the extent the boys succeed in coming to grips with those challenges, it may be in ways that prove surprising or troubling. This story is also being published on my blog and you can find a longer synopsis there. While some events, locations and features in the story have been moved forward or back in time for dramatic and other purposes, it takes place during an era when prejudice against homosexuals is rampant and the gay revolution in America is still in its infancy. Italics are typically used within the story to indicate what a character is thinking or saying to himself. Any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental.
WARNING: Sex is not the primary focus of this story. If you're looking for erotic content, you'll do much better with other stories on Nifty. While sexual content is secondary and incidental, the story does include some scenes that depict sex and violence, sometimes graphically depending upon the characters and circumstances involved. For that reason, the story is intended for mature audiences only. If you do not wish to read such material or it is illegal for you to do so, please look elsewhere. The story remains the property of the author and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission. It is protected by the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. You may download a single copy to read offline and to share with others as long as you credit me as the author, but you may not use this work for commercial purposes. You may not use any of the characters, bars or other fictional locations described in the story in your own work without my explicit permission. Nor may you use, alter, transform, or build upon this story in any way.
AUTHOR NOTES: This is my first effort at writing a story. As a general rule, I only plan to publish one chapter a week, usually on Thursdays. This story may or may not be moved to a different section than this one in the near future, but I can't tell you where or when because I don't make those decisions. If you don't find it here, you'll have to look around for yourself. The latest chapter will always be posted on my blog before being published here. You may want to bookmark the location of my blog in the event you cannot find the story here at some point in the future and you wish to continue reading it: https://cafepalermoannex.wordpress.com. As always, comments and constructive criticism are welcome. Flames will be ignored. If you would like to let me know what you think, feel free to contact me at kitkatkid@planetmail.net. Thanks for reading the story. I hope you enjoy it.
THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER: In Chapter 30, Danny, Sean and Teddy throw a party for Tommy at Exiles & Castaways on a Monday evening to celebrate the fifth anniversary of his arrival in Washington and his upcoming birthday. Before the party begins, Tommy and Danny have dinner together at McDonald’s and end up discussing Tommy’s love life. Danny is after Tommy to find a boyfriend, but Tommy deflects his efforts by claiming he doesn’t want or need one. At the party a bunch of toasts are made, then the boys at the party roast Tommy over some of the mishaps he’s experienced over the previous five years. Tommy is given a bunch of gag gifts. By 11 p.m. most of the boys have drifted off and Tommy is left alone at the bar with Sean and Teddy. Then a stranger arrives and it becomes apparent from his stares that he’s interested in Tommy. Sean and Teddy encourage Tommy to approach the guy, but he doesn’t do so immediately. Finally, when it becomes apparent the stranger may on the verge of leaving, Tommy decides to approach him.
CONNECTED
Part III - Desperation, Degradation and Despair
Chapter 31
Grinning at Sean and Teddy, I stood up and walked across the bar toward the table where the dude was seated. He looked up as I approached and stared at me like a deer caught in a car’s headlights back in Vermont. I could tell he didn’t believe I was approaching him like that. He even looked over toward the door to see whether he could escape. But I was moving too quickly for that and he knew it so he just slumped back in his chair. He was nervous, no doubt about it, and I liked that.
Pulling out the chair on the opposite side of the table, I sat down and looked over at him. I gave him a quick smile, enough to let him know I wasn’t mad but not enough to put him fully at ease.
“Do I look as good up close as when I was sitting back there?” I asked, pointing to the table where Sean and Miss Teddy were still sitting, smirking at the two of us.
He didn’t say anything for a moment, then nodded.
“Better,” he said. “Umm, you look even better up close.”
“Oh, jeez, thanks for the compliment, Mister,” I replied. “My name is Tommy, by the way. What’s yours?”
“Andy,” he replied, tersely.
“Well it’s nice to finally meet you, Andy,” I said, holding out my hand so he could shake it. “Truth is, I was getting kind of lonely back there waiting for you to come over and say hello to me. I was beginning to think you didn’t like me or something.”
“I, umm, well, I mean, umm, you were ... you were with your friends and, umm, well, I didn’t want to impose,” he stammered.
“I didn’t, umm, I didn’t think you would be interested anyway,” he added, staring down at the floor. “Sorry.”
“I’m interested, Andy,” I replied, determined to keep up the pressure on him. “I’m interested in lots of things. Like right now, I’m kind of interested in knowing what brings you here this evening. I mean, my friends and me come here a lot and none of us has ever seen you here before. What’s the special occasion, Andy?”
“Nothing special,” he responded. “I mean, umm, I was just working late and, well, umm, I guess I was kind of frustrated with what I was working on so I thought maybe I would have a drink before I went home. That’s about it. Nothing special.”
“Where do you work, Andy?” I asked.
It wasn’t something I would normally have asked because most of my customers didn’t like having someone prying into their business like that. But I wanted the dude to feel pressured to see how he would react.
He hesitated momentarily, as if he was trying to decide how to respond. Then he provided an answer I had heard a million times before.
“I work for the government,” he said.
It didn’t surprise me. It’s what guys in Washington said when they didn’t want to tell you exactly where they worked. But I wasn’t about to let him off the hook.
“It seems like everyone in Washington except me and my friends work for the government, Andy,” I responded. “Care to be more specific?”
He shifted in his chair. He was uneasy with the grilling I was giving him, but too polite to tell me to mind my own business.
“I work over on Capitol Hill,” he finally said, nothing more.
But that was enough to give me still another opening.
“Wow. That’s impressive, really impressive,” I said, trying to stroke his ego a little before moving in for the kill.
“You came all the way over to this place from Capitol Hill just for a drink. I’m impressed, Andy, truly impressed. I mean, the last time I checked, there were lots of bars over on Capitol Hill, but you decided to drive all the way over here instead.”
“Someone, umm ... well, I mean, a friend mentioned this place to me one time,” he responded, defensively. “He said it was, umm, different from the bars I usually go to. I thought I would check it out. It was on the way home, kind of.”
He was actually pretty quick on his feet for being so nervous. I decided it was time to push him to the edge again.
“The thing is, you’ve been nursing that drink for a long time now, Andy,” I said. “You must be having a really good time over here. Am I right about that?”
“I don’t know,” he replied, looking away momentarily, “kind of, I guess; but, no, umm, not really. The view was nice though,” he added, smiling at me for a moment.
It was one of those shy, hesitant, smiles and I could tell he was hoping that last remark would disarm me. But I was having too much fun toying with him by then and wasn’t about to let up.
“Well now I really feel bad,” I said. “Here you come all the way over from Capitol Hill and you didn’t have a good time. Are you interested in having a good time, Andy?”
“Umm, well, I dunno,” he said, his eyes drifting away, his hands fidgeting on the table.
If anything, he was more nervous now, more uncertain, not really sure what to say in response to my question. The thing is, he knew what he wanted, but was afraid of being rejected. It's what gave me the power.
“Umm, maybe; if you are, that is,” he continued. “I mean, well, umm, I don’t want to impose or anything. I know it’s late and, umm, you’re here with your friends and all.”
“It’s never too late to have fun, Andy,” I replied. “If you really want to, of course, want to have fun with me, that is,” I added.
“I do,” he said, suddenly looking across the table into my eyes.
So he had finally decided to take the risk and commit himself and I knew he was telling the truth. He wanted to have a fun time really badly. That had been obvious for a long time. Whether he actually would given what I had planned was an entirely different story.
“With me?” I asked, coyly. “Are you sure? What’s so special about me?”
“I dunno,” he replied. “I mean, umm, you’re young and you’re cute and you seem really masculine. I like all of those things. And the fact you seem to know what you want, umm, and aren’t afraid to go after it. Like coming over here, for example; I could never do something like that.”
“Oh, I see,” I replied. “You like guys who take charge of things. Is that it?
“I guess,” he responded, looking away momentarily again. “I mean, yes. I do.”
“Well then it shouldn’t be much of a problem, should it?” I replied. “I like taking charge of things. But it’s not just about what I want, Andy. It’s about what you want as well. So why don’t you tell me exactly what it is you want?”
“Umm, well, I dunno,” he said, coughing and shifting around in his chair again. “Umm, would you be interested in, umm, I mean, well, umm, would you be interested in coming back to my place with me, maybe?”
“And where would that be?” I asked.
“It’s in Maryland,” he replied. “Takoma Park. Just over the border from D.C. It’s not all that far.”
“Well, you know, that’s the thing,” I replied, deciding it was probably time to stop toying with him. “Now if you had come over to my table and asked me that an hour ago, Andy, I might have considered it. Maybe I would have. Maybe not. But the point is you didn’t come over and now it’s a lot later and I’m a lot more, umm, how should I put it? A lot more tense, Andy. So, no, thanks for the offer, but I don’t want to go back to your place. Do you have any other ideas?”
He just sat there silently looking at me.
“No,” he finally said, staring down at the table.
He was crushed by the rejection, no doubt about it. I even felt a little sorry for him. But I wanted to see just how desperate he was.
“I mean, well maybe we could think about some other time, when it isn’t so late?” he suggested, looking up into my face, his eyes pleading with me in a low key kind of way.
I remember being drawn to those eyes for some reason.
“I would still be interested in getting to know you better, Tommy, even if not tonight; as a friend, I mean. I would like that a lot,” he said.
By then I could almost taste the hope in his voice.
“Sure,” I responded. “We could be friends, I suppose. But why wait for some other time? If you want to know the truth, Andy, I’m looking for a friend right now. So I’m thinking I’m going to go over there,” I said, pointing to the bathroom door.
“They have really nice restrooms in this place, Andy,” I added. “Clean. Quiet. And on a night like this, real private too, if you catch my drift. It would be a great place to make a new friend.”
And with that I pushed the chair back and stood up.
I could see the momentary confusion in his eyes, then the shock, as it finally dawned on him what I was suggesting. It didn’t surprise me. To be honest, I didn’t think he would do it. It had been fun playing with him because he seemed so totally helpless around me, but now it was time to find out. I walked over to the restroom and pushed open the door.
Turning around, I flashed him the kind of smile he had been looking for all evening but had yet to receive. Then I went into the bathroom and walked over to the end stall, the large one for handicapped people, where I stood waiting silently, swinging the door back and forth.
A couple of moments later I heard the door being pushed open and Andy walked in. He just stood there momentarily looking at me until I smiled, crooked my finger and wiggled it, motioning for him to come over.
He didn’t hesitate at all, which kind of surprised me. Instead, he just walked over and brushed past me into the stall.
I closed the door and slid the lock closed. Then I turned around and took a really close look at him.
What I saw was a pretty good looking guy, older than me for sure, but definitely not all that bad in some ways. He was almost exactly my height and not very much heavier than me as best I could tell; and, like I already knew, he was dressed really nicely as well. He had brown hair, the kind you knew would curl up when Washington’s humidity kicked in, and brown eyes I hadn’t really studied that closely up until then. When I did, there was something about them that seemed familiar to me, but I couldn’t really put my finger on it.
Smiling, I slid one of my fingers down his face softly. He seemed to tense up momentarily, then I heard him sigh really softly.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Andy,” I said, grinning at him. “Try to relax.”
When I moved closer to him, he took a small step back away from me like a frightened boy would, then caught himself and stopped and just stood there staring at me. He was ready to surrender by then and let me maneuver him against one of the walls. He didn’t resist when I pressed my lips against his very gently.
He just stood there, waiting. He was waiting for me to take charge so I did.
I pushed my tongue into his mouth really deep and began frenching him as hard as I could.
The surprising thing was his response. He was totally into it almost immediately. He wanted what was about to happen, wanted it real badly, and I could almost taste the hunger he was trying to quench as the two of us stood there silently while he let me explore his mouth.
I could already feel some of the tension being released from my body. By then I knew he would do whatever I wanted and I remember liking that, liking it a lot.
This is going to be fun, I remember thinking; and, boy, are you in for a surprise later, Mister, as I thought about what I was planning for him. Five years on, it would be the perfect ending, payback time once and for all.
I moved back away from him and slowly stripped off my t-shirt, tossing it on top of the stall door. Then I began unbuttoning his. When I was finished and began tugging, he just lifted his arms and allowed me to strip it off and place it next to my own.
I remember being surprised when I took a closer look at his chest. The shirt hadn’t really done it justice at all because I could see it was really nice; tight, fit and smooth.
“Nice,” I said, smiling at him and letting my hand explore his chest softly. “Very nice. And smooth too. Just like me. I like guys who are smooth.”
I raised my eyes from his chest to his face. He was even better looking up close than from a distance. Usually it was the exact opposite for me, but there was something about his face that interested me. It was one of those baby faces with a mouth set off by dimples and held my attention for some reason I didn’t really understand. I mean, he was too old to be cute like Teddy, Sean, and the rest of the boys I was friends with were cute. But too young to be distinguished like Ray. Handsome didn’t seem like exactly the right word either. He was some kind of weird combination of all three. And something else too it seemed.
As I stood there struggling to figure it out, it suddenly came to me. It was those brown eyes of his. There was just something about them. It wasn’t lust because I knew what lust looked like by then.. But there was definitely some kind of hunger there, some kind of longing, and something else I was having trouble with. And then it came to me.
Sadness. I could see sadness in those eyes and I wondered why he was sad. It reminded me of Josh for some reason. He had the same kind of little puppy dog eyes as Josh.
Stop it, Tommy, I remember telling myself. Tonight isn’t about liking this dude. It’s about making him suck your dick so you can get off. Stop with the thinking and get on with what you came in here for.
We stood there alone together, silent for just a moment, then I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his once again. We began kissing, slowly at first, then more and more passionately. He wrapped his arms around me, then pressed his tongue into my mouth and began to explore it. I was surprised at just how much passion there was in his kiss. I remember becoming more and more aroused the longer he held me tightly against him, using his hands to rub my back gently. He seemed to like rubbing my back and to know what he was doing because the touch of his hands on my skin was both arousing and soothing.
“I like that,” I finally whispered to him. “Those hands of yours have a really nice touch. But why don’t you take off my shorts. It’ll make it easier for you to do what you want to do.”
He hesitated at first, then tried unbuckling my belt. His hands were shaking really badly and I remember being surprised at just how nervous he still was, but eventually my shorts slid off. I wasn’t wearing any briefs that night and I could tell he was shocked by that. But he picked up my shorts from the floor and handed them over to me. I just tossed them over the stall door.
Then I placed my hands on his shoulders.
“It’s time, babe,” I said.
He knew what I meant and didn’t resist when I guided him down to his knees.
No matter how many times I did that, it was always a thrill for me. Seeing a guy down on his knees getting ready to do me was a turn on, no doubt about it. It was a visual reminder to both of us I was the one in charge. With some guys, it was an even bigger thrill than actually getting off; and with older dudes, it was my way of paying them back for everything they had done to me over the years, especially that asshole at Traveler's Landing five years ago.
I was a little surprised he did it so easily because he seemed masculine enough in a way. His voice didn’t sound funny like a lot of the dudes who did me and his mannerisms were normal enough. But there he was, down on his knees just waiting for me. Later on, when his mouth was full, I was planning to taunt him about it verbally, not in a nasty way like some of the guys liked to do but gently, just enough to let him know how much I liked his submissiveness.
“Are you ready for some fun, Andy?” I asked as he stared up at me.
I could tell he was probably thinking it through in his head, rationalizing it to himself.
I’ll never see him again, he was thinking. No one will ever know I did it down on my knees in a bathroom stall.
I didn’t really care what he was thinking. Whatever it took for him to do it was fine with me.
I lifted my arms and locked my hands behind my head, then slowly began rotating my hips to entice him forward.
It had the desired effect because the next thing I knew he was positioning his hands around my hips. I responded by placing my hands on his head. Then, smiling down at him, I pressed his head forward toward my groin and he didn’t resist. By now I was curious about what sex would be like with this dude, whether he was someone who knew the difference between sex that would leave you yawning and sex that would leave you weak in your knees.
There hadn’t been very many guys capable of leaving me weak in the knees over the previous five years, not many more than Danny and Teddy to be perfectly honest about it. But some had been better than others and I wondered where this dude would eventually fit on my personal rating scale.
He took my cock in his hand and gave it several long, sweeping, licks, causing me to shiver in delight. Then he began to gently nibble the area where the shaft and the head come together. It felt really good and I remember tilting my head back and just trying to soak in the sensation. I was relaxed now, totally relaxed.
It came as a surprise when he suddenly stood up, leaned over and stuck his tongue in my ear. I hadn’t expected something like that and I remember squirming, at first in surprise, then in delight. My ears had always been one of my zones, but not many guys knew that or were into it for that matter.
He worked one ear until I began sighing and then moved on to the other. He seemed to know when I was totally satiated, moving down to my neck and then on to my shoulders and nipples. My nipples were as sensitive as my ears, and I remember letting out a soft moan when he started working them over. The whole thing was good, very good. By now I was really enjoying myself.
Glancing down, I could see the bulge in his pants and knew he was enjoying the whole thing as much as me. I remember smiling about that. I’m not really sure why.
He maneuvered me around and against the side of the stall, then gently lifted my arms and pressed them against the wall. Leaning in, he started to lick my armpits, first the left one, then the right. It came as a surprise, a total surprise. No one had ever done that to me before and I was completely overwhelmed by the sensation. I hadn’t showered since the morning and he must have known I hadn’t been using a deodorant, but he didn’t seem to mine. In fact, he seemed turned on by my scent and the taste of the stubble beginning to form under my arms.
“Oh, fuck,” I moaned. “That feels so good, so freaking good.”
Eventually he moved back to my chest and started working his tongue down my stomach. He played with my belly button momentarily, then headed south really slowly. He was teasing me now, playing with me, and it was having the effect that he wanted. I was lifting my hips now, thrusting forward, trying to get him to do what I wanted him to do. By the time he kneeled down again I was into it, totally into it, and definitely looking forward to more.
This dude is good, I remember thinking. He knows what he’s doing, but I got to keep letting him know who’s in charge here.
“Go for it, babe,” I said, softly. “You know what you want to do.”
But even though I was fully aroused now, even anxious for him to do it, he decided to bypass my groin for some reason and pressed his face, nose and tongue deep into the crack that separated my thigh from my groin. It was that area where the heat produces sweat when you’re aroused and the cooling effect of his tongue just totally overwhelmed me.
“Oh, Jesus,” I moaned as my hips jerked involuntarily from the sensation and I spread my legs wider to let him go deeper.
It felt so good, so damn good, and the pleasure only intensified when he used two of his fingers to work the same area on my other leg, rubbing the sweat gently away, then using his tongue to cool it down as well.
I was still leaning against the wall just enjoying the whole thing when he lifted my leg and started kissing my foot.
“Oh, Jesus, what the fuck is he doing now?” I remember thinking.
It was still another thing no one had ever done before and the longer he did it the more aroused I became. He began running his fingers between my toes and that sent shivers racing throughout my body. It was low, really low, but I was moaning continuously now from the pleasure I was experiencing. I hadn’t done that in a long time.
I’m not exactly sure when he refocused, but the next thing I knew he began working my balls with his tongue and his mouth while caressing my thighs with his hands and his hair.
“Fuck,” I said, squirming with delight.
It hadn’t really been part of my plan to let him know how good he was doing, but by now I couldn’t conceal it. He began to intensify his efforts, sucking my balls, then slowly working his way up my shaft toward the tip.
When he gently began working the spot he had been searching for with his tongue, I found myself moaning even louder.
I was practically begging him now.
“Oh, fuck, do it,” I pleaded. “Suck it. Suck my cock, girl.”
I remember feeling kind of ashamed and embarrassed about dropping those words on him. I guess I was trying to show him I was still in charge even though I knew I was lying. By then I couldn't deny it. I was totally turned on and only too willing to let him do whatever he wanted.
Slowly the two of us found a rhythm. My hips and his head began swaying back and forth gently while I pressed my cock ever deeper into his mouth. Within minutes my moaning grew more insistent.
I could feel it starting to build inside me now, slowly at first, then more rapidly. My plan going in had been to let him suck me for a while to see how good he was at it before pulling out and giving him a facial. It seemed to me that would be the final exclamation point on a celebration of my fifth anniversary in Washington.
But now, fully aroused, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that anymore. I mean, the guy was trying real hard to make me feel good and the truth is I was feeling more than just good. I was feeling totally primed and ready. I’m not really sure why, but I decided to abandon the plan.
“Oh, fuck,” I gasped, “I’m going to cum now, babe.”
I wasn’t even sure why I did it, but I pulled my hips back and hesitated momentarily, offering him a chance to pull off if he wanted. But he had already made the decision and continued working the spot with his tongue in an effort to intensify my climax even more.
I just shrugged, then pushed my hips forward as deep as I could. For a moment I thought he was about to gag as I deep throated him, but he was able to suppress the reflex.
“Oh, fuck, yes,” I moaned. “Take it, babe.”
Omigod, YES, I remember screaming to myself as I exploded.
It just seemed longer, more powerful, and so much better than anything I had experienced in a really long time; and it was just so freaking intense.
I just stood there forever savoring the whole thing.
So good, I remember wimpering. That felt so fucking good.
When it was finally over, when there was nothing left for me to give, I pulled him back up to his feet.
“Fuck, that was hot, really hot,” I said and I was still breathing deeply. “Thanks, Andy! That was an absolutely primo blow job. And I’ve gotten a lot of them over the years.”
It was the truth, no doubt about it, but I wondered why I had told him. I didn’t usually show emotion like that in front of guys. But for some reason I wanted him to know he had done good.
“Thanks,” he responded, softly, keeping his head down as he tried concealing his face from me. But he couldn’t and now I could see why he was trying to conceal it. He was hoping I wouldn’t notice.
“Oh, jeez, what the fuck is that all about?” I said, smiling at him.
“What?” he responded.
“You’re blushing, dude,” I said, reaching over and touching his cheek gently with my hand. I could feel the warmth radiating from it.
“It almost makes you seem kind of sweet and innocent.”
He didn’t say anything. He just tried to look away from me again. At first I wasn’t going to let him even though I could tell he was embarrassed. And then for some reason I didn’t want him to be. I’m not really sure why, but I just felt like he needed a moment alone so I let him look away like he wanted to do.
When he finally looked back over at me, the color was gone and he reached for his shirt, trying to disentangle it from all of the clothes hanging over the door. I guess he assumed the fun and games for the evening were over.
No way, I remember saying to myself. You’re way too good to let you off this easily, babe.
“What’s your hurry?” I asked, backing him against the wall. “You can leave if you’re not enjoying yourself, but personally I’m having a terrific time.”
I began kissing him again with renewed passion. When he tried to squirm out of my grasp, I placed my hand on his crotch. His body went limp and he started moaning. He was easily aroused, no doubt about it, and once he was I took his hand into my own and placed it on my cock. Not surprisingly, it responded instantaneously and the next thing I recall he was down on his knees again.
By now I was talking up a storm, telling him how much I liked it and more. It didn’t take very long. I wanted it even more now and by then he knew how to get me there quickly.
“Oh, fuck,” I moaned. “Jesus, do it, babe.”
If anything, the second ejaculation seemed more powerful than the first, but all I could think about was the pleasure I was experiencing. I think he knew it because he lingered there longer than he had to and brought me down slowly. It was pretty obvious I wasn’t the first guy he had ever sucked off.
Standing up, he reached for his shirt again. But I prevented him from getting it. Leaning over, I began kissing him passionately again while rubbing my hand against his crotch. He had been totally hard the whole time, but had yet to get off. The more I continued rubbing his crotch, the more insistent I could feel his cock becoming.
He tried squirming out of my grasp and finally managed to pull his mouth off of mine.
“Stop,” he gasped, warning me. “I’m going to cum if you don’t stop.”
It was a mistake, of course, because it only caused me to intensify my efforts. I pressed my mouth against his once again and began working his crotch even more vigorously with my hand. I hadn’t even planned to do it, but now for some reason I wanted him to get off really badly.
“Oh, Jesus,” he moaned, softly, as he exploded into his briefs. I could feel him ejaculating and it was powerful and that turned me on a lot for some reason I can’t really explain.
I just stood there smiling at him while he did it and continued rubbing his crotch softly. I rubbed it until the evidence thoroughly soaked through to his pants.
“Oh my,” I said, staring into his eyes. “My hand suddenly feels kind of wet. Why is that, Andy?” I added, giggling. “Did you have a little accident, girl? Did you wet those panties of yours?”
I mean, it was cruel and it was amusing and I shouldn't have said it, but I was smiling at him now and said it in a really nice kind of way and he knew it. He seemed embarrassed, but didn’t protest. By then he was limp in my arms and I liked that.
I’m not really sure how long we spent in the stall that night together. We probably would have been there all night if my friends hadn’t come checking on me.
“Hey, Tommy, are you in that stall?” Sean asked. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I responded. “I would invite you in, Sean, but I’m a little busy here if you catch my drift.”
Both of them started laughing.
“Okay,” Teddy said, after finally suppressing his giggles. “But with the amount of time you’ve been in there, you should be able to pay the whole bill, not just your share.”
“Whatever,” I responded. “Just feel free to turn the lights off on your way out Teddy,” I added.
Even after that, it seemed like we made out for a long time. And I’m sure it would have been longer if I could have had my way because I was clearly enjoying myself that evening. It had been a long time since sex had felt that good. But he was finally able to get his shirt on, get the door open, and slip out of the stall. I emerged right behind him, pulling my clothes back on while he watched.
“Do you want to come back to my table with me?” I asked, surprising myself with my own question. “We could, umm, well, we could talk some more, you know, maybe get to know each other better.”
He hesitated momentarily, trying to decide.
“It’s getting late,” he finally responded. “I really should be going.”
I think I could have persuaded him to stay, but it just wasn’t my style to do stuff like that.
“Well, don’t be a stranger,” I said, as the two of us exited the bathroom. I leaned over and embraced him, then kissed him gently on the lips. I flashed him a grin and could feel him go totally weak in his knees. He would have fallen if I hadn’t held him tightly against myself.
Eventually, he was able to stand without help. He started to walk toward the door, then turned and looked back over at me.
“Can I ask you a question?” he asked.
“Sure,” I replied. “Ask away.”
“How old are you?”
“How old do you want me to be?” I responded. “I can be whatever age you need me to be.”
“I want you to be at least eighteen years old,” he replied, “but my eyes tell me you’re more like sixteen maybe.”
I got that a lot from guys because I still looked younger than I was.
“Well you’re in luck, Mister,” I said. “Your eyes are wrong. I’m nineteen, about to turn twenty. So you got what you wanted, just like I did. They won’t be sending you to jail for what you just did to me in there, babe.”
“It would have been worth it,” he said, returning my smile.
“Nothing is worth going to jail for, Andy,” I replied. “Believe me. I’ve been there a couple of times.”
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that,” he responded.
“But you’re wrong about that, Tommy,” he added, looking at me earnestly. “Some things are worth going to jail for. I’ve been there a couple of times myself, just like you. And I know some things are definitely worth going to jail for.”
“Like me?” I asked, arching my eyebrow skeptically.
“Maybe,” he said. “But stopping an unjust war, that would be worth going to jail for, Tommy, don’t you think?”
It came out of nowhere and just floored me completely. I mean, it was the weirdest thing anyone had ever said to me right after sex.
“Maybe,” I responded, shrugging my shoulders. “I dunno. But most dudes aren’t really interested in my views on the war and I don’t really know a lot about it in any event.”
“By the way, how old are you, Andy?” I asked, turning the tables on him.
“I’m thirty,” he responded, without hesitating. “And I’m interested in your views on the war, Tommy. We should talk about it sometime. I would like to hear what you think. I really would.”
I could sense he was looking for some kind of reaction from me, but it was all just too weird. When I didn’t say anything, I could see the sadness return to his eyes momentarily. Then he just turned and walked away.
I was sorry to see him go. I’m not really sure why exactly, but I was.
When I got back to the table, Teddy and Sean were all over my case with questions.
“What the hell were you doing in there, Tommy?” Sean asked. “You were in there with that guy forever. I mean, Christ, Teddy kept saying we should go in and make it a foursome. That’s how long you were in there.”
“We were discussing the war,” I responded, smiling at him.
I didn’t want to tell them what had really gone on.
“You know, that war in Burkistan. The guy wanted to know what I thought and we were talking about it.”
“There’s no way in hell you’re going to get away with bullshitting us, Tommy,” Teddy piped up. “Inquiring minds want to know. Everything. Right now. And don’t even try to resist, girl.”
“Do I get all over your case when you guys go off with someone?” I asked, doing my best to deflect their inquisition.
“Yes, you do,” Sean replied, grinning. “So stop stalling. We want to know all of the details, especially the sordid ones.”
“All I’m going to say is that the guy is good,” I responded, “very good; and older than either of you thought too. That dude is thirty. Do you believe it?”
“Really?” Sean replied. “I would never have guessed that. But, hey, if that’s too old for you, I’ll gladly take him.”
“I can’t imagine why he would be lying about it,” Teddy added, “so it’s probably true. I hope I look that good when I’m thirty. And, by the way, speaking of good,” he continued, “what do you mean by good? Good exactly how? Come on, Tommy, cough up the details.”
“Let’s just say he took my body places it’s never gone before,” I replied, grinning. “I mean, that fucker has a magical tongue and he knows how to use it.”
It went on that way for another five minutes or so as I paid our bill and they pressed for the details. I tried to avoid getting into specifics. I had never been a big one for kiss and tell. I wasn’t ashamed of what I did with guys, but I always felt that what happened in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom.
Or in the stall in this case, I suppose, I remember thinking, then grinning. Jesus, that was freaking hot!
We pushed open the door and left. It had turned out to be a terrific celebration for me after all. As we walked back toward the Palermo, I remember thinking I would like to see that dude again. But five years in I knew better than to place a bet on that.
Guys like that lived in an entirely different Washington from me, one where money and power were the currencies traded and happy endings were the norm. The commodities traded in my Washington were money and flesh, and there were never any happy endings, just moments of fleeting pleasure like the one I had experienced that evening.
[End of Part III]
[There is an introduction to Part IV on my blog]