Cum Midnight 13
Chapter 13
Evening Romance
Nick had his arm casually around Gaspard as they walked on a bridge over a canal. Gaspard stopped to look out at the sights.
“Beautiful. I wish I had my paints and a canvas.”
“Maybe you’ll come back one day,” Nick said, smiling.
“Maybe,” Gaspard said, sadly. “I understand.” He turned and walked silently across the bridge with Nick’s arm still around him. The blue and white delftware in a shop window caught his attention and he stopped again. “Once I did a portrait all in blue and white. It was interesting—and just a little spooky.”
“Was it a portrait of a former lover?”
Gaspard laughed. “No. Just a girl I knew when I was at art school. Anyway I burned it—the portrait. One of my friends said it looked possessed and then I couldn’t shake that idea from my mind. You know how crazy artists are… we get strange ideas.”
“Actually I don’t know how artists are, Gaspard. You’re the first one I’ve ever been intimately acquainted with.”
Gaspard turned and walked toward a store featuring wood clogs. He picked a plain one up and stared at it. “It would be interesting to paint a scene on a pair of these. Different at least.”
Nick turned to the cashier and then the clogs before walking up and paying for them. Gaspard clutched the bag with his clogs and walked as if lost in thought.
“Okay,” Nick said. “Whatever I’ve done I apologize. I’m an inconsiderate jerk what can I say?”
Gaspard laughed and put his head on Nick’s shoulder for a moment. “You’re not a jerk but then again neither was Ryan. At least not to me.”
“Oh. I get it now.” Nick turned so he could face Gaspard and looked him squarely in the eye. “I’m not using you. It was the you’d be back comment that bothered you isn’t it.” He saw Gaspard glance downward. I didn’t say we’d be back. Maybe I thought you’d be tired of me by then.” He smiled.
Gaspard kept walking and Nick put a firm hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Listen. I’m on an important case here. Two lives are at stake and that has to be my priority right now.”
“I’m sorry,” Gaspard said. “You’re right.”
Nick put his hand gently under Gaspard’s chin and lifted his head up. “I like you a lot. You’re a nice guy. You make me wish I was an artist so I could capture your beauty.”
Gaspard smiled. “That was the nicest thing you could say to me. Let’s find a place to eat.”
The two walked until Nick suggested a restaurant named Sama Sebo where they could share an Indonesian Rijsttafel or rice table. They went inside a dimly lit restaurant that had windows in the front and soon a server set up the dinner consisting of seventeen different selections featuring chicken and various side dishes, sauces and dryboiled rice. Gaspard was quite taken with the selection, and was enjoying himself.
“So, tell me. What does it take to be an artist?”
“Love,” Gaspard said, putting his fork down to face Nick. “Love for the subject, love of the craft itself and a desire to capture that thing you love.”
“And what if you’re doing a portrait, like the one you did of that girl. Did you love her?”
“I loved her look at the time and I wanted to capture it. But no I didn’t love her.”
“Did you do Ryan’s portrait?”
“No. I tried sketching him a few times but I was never happy with the results. Now I know that it was because he was holding something back. Who he really was. I’d much rather try to do your portrait.”
“What do you love about me?” Nick said, putting a fork full of food in his mouth.
“You’re trying to put me on the spot now, but I’m game. I love your manliness. There’s a masculine air around you that’s intoxicating. And your chiseled looks match that.”
Nick was taken back by Gaspard’s honesty. He liked it.
“My turn,” Gaspard said. “What’s with you and François?”
“Good friends, that’s all.”
“That’s not all, Nick, come on. I was honest.”
“Okay, I give. But I was being honest. I guess you could say we’re fuck buddies but mostly good friends. François is a good man and a lonely man. He’s also a widower who feels that being with a woman would dishonor the memory of his wife.”
“Hmm… well that just doesn’t make sense. Why would his wife care if he finds another and did being true to her turn him gay or—”
“You’re an artist, you should understand the fluid nature of people. François and I were there for each other on a former case and we got to trust each other. Throw in that, loneliness and a healthy dose of horniness and you’ll understand François and me.”
“It makes sense when you explain it like that. Thank you for tonight. It’s been nice. I have another question.”
“Shoot. Bad word choice—go ahead and ask.”
“What’s gonna happen while we’re here? Do you know what this auction that Ines has mentioned is all about? And will Ryan be there?”
“I’m not one hundred percent sure how things will go down. My immediate plans are to get a missing brother and sister safely back home. My guess is that they are the merchandise being auctioned off.” He heard Gaspard gasp and waited a second before continuing. “Ryan will most probably be there.”
“How do we handle him?”
“Remember that he has no reason to suspect anything. He thinks I’m Ines’s bodyguard and he knows you escaped the chateau with us.”
“But weren’t you worried he may want to silence Ines and us.”
“Yes but I’m guessing Ines is better connected than Ryan is.”
The waiter walked up to their table and handed Nick a note. Nick read it and stood up.
“I’ll be right back Gaspard. Don’t let anyone clear my place.” He smiled and put his hand on Gaspard’s shoulder for a moment as he walked toward the back of the restaurant, past the kitchen and into the alley. François was waiting there. He walked up and kissed both Nick’s cheeks before speaking.
“Ryan is already here. I talked to Ines briefly and she gave me address of the auction. Both the brother and sister will be there. So will a lot of customers and their bodyguards. You need to have a quick way out. I’ll be waiting with a motorboat behind the venue to get them out. The less fuss the better but you need to have a plan.”
“How long have I got?”
“They moved the auction to the night after tomorrow. Not much time but that’s all you got.” He walked forward and kissed Nick on the lips but felt him back away. “I’m sorry. I’ve interrupted something between you and the French beauty.”
Nick tried to speak but felt François finger against his lips.
“No need to say anything, old friend,” François said. “He seems nice enough and you deserve it. But I won’t say I’m not jealous.”
“Still friends,” Nick said.
“Always,” François said, kissing both Nick’s cheeks again. “You’d better get back in there before someone steals him away.”
“No chance of that,” Nick said laughing. “When will I see you again to tell you my plans?”
“Ines will know how to reach me.”
“Does Ryan know about me and what I’m doing here?”
“No, Nick. You’ve been careful and I was purposely careless in France. He thinks the cops are after him but has no idea that you’re here on a case. As far as he knows you’re just Ines’s bodyguard.”
Nick walked back inside to Gaspard. The two finished eating and walked back to Ines’s home which was empty.
“I spotted a small boat out back,” Nick said. How’s about we take it for a ride?”
Gaspard agreed and after Nick grabbed a blanket from their room and some drinks from the fridge they headed out back and into the small boat. They boated slowly on the water exploring out of the way places. Gaspard looked at everything with the eye of an artist.
“Stop here just for a moment,” Gaspard said.
They had stopped in an empty, secluded, water alley surrounded by windowless and abandoned brick buildings. In front of them was a large ornate church and the moonlight made its stained glass window shine.
“That would make a beautiful painting,” Gaspard said.
“I don’t know,” Nick said looking across the water at the church. “It’s pretty but it’s missing something.” He looked at Gaspard laying back on the seat under the blanket. When he was sure he had his attention, Nick started doing a sexy striptease. He stripped off his light sweater and shirt. After which he kicked off his shoes and socks.”Let’s make this a truly religious experience.” He pulled both his pants and underwear down so he stood nude in front of Gaspard who was silent. “Got nothing to say.” He shook his cock at him and heard Gaspard laugh.
“I’m just trying to memorize all this, Nick. You in all your glory with the church behind you.”
“Stop trying to memorize and just enjoy the moment.” He walked toward Gaspard and got under the blanket. Taking Gaspard in his arms Nick kissed him with all the passion that was in him. “Hurry up and get your clothes off.”
Gaspard took his clothes and soon both of them were nude. Nick ducked under the covers, knelt on the bottom of the boat and began sucking Gaspard’s cock. The groans coming from him encouraged Nick to continue. His hands began playing with and tweaking Gaspard’s nipples. Instead of moving on, Nick decided to concentrate on Gaspard’s cock and sucking it harder and harder until his mouth was filled with Gaspard’s thick cum. He then switched places with Gaspard who did the same for him.
It was a quiet night and the two of them enjoyed laying quietly in each other’s arms while being comforted by the gentle rocking of the boat.
“This is nice,” Gaspard said.
“Yeah it is. What do you say we continue it for at least another week or two?”
“What?” Gaspard said, shocked.
“You said you’d like to paint some of the sites here. We’ll pick you up some painting supplies. I don’t have any cases coming up after this one is done. And François will make sure the siblings get back home safe. So what do you say.”
Gaspard looked at Nick and kissed him. “I say yes.”
To be continued
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