Jim and Pete
Chapter 1
Jim had been at Fairday for about an hour. He didn't really know why he was there. It was the first time he'd been to anything like this. He'd only been in Perth about nine months; come down from Geraldton, just finished his degree up there, that he'd taken through the Aboriginal Studies Centre with ECU and he'd found a job with one of the State Government departments down here. He was happy enough, developing a new life on his own, but he felt there was something missing. He'd known he was different, ever since he was quite young, nine, ten years of age; he'd had these funny feelings and they'd stayed with him all through teenage years and into uni, but he'd never followed them through. Geraldton was too small a town and he was too frightened of his family, they wouldn't understand, they'd possibly even beat him up, throw him out on the street, so he kept it all bottled up, but now he was in Perth, on his own, he could do his own thing.
The office where John worked was only a short way away from the famous James Street in Northbridge and when he'd gone down that way for a colleague's leaving do, he'd seen these signs about this Pride Festival. He'd somehow, despite his family background, heard that Pride had something to do with gay and he'd gotten hold of a program. In the program he'd read about this thing Fairday and it said it was a good day out; he wasn't too sure what it was all about but he thought he might be able to get some answers, answers to questions he'd had running around in his mind for nearly fifteen years. So, here he was, he'd wondered around for about an hour, checking everything out, and then it happened. He saw this guy across the other side of a room, in fact, not a room, but just a little rotunda thing where there was a bit of information being handed out by the Pride guys. He was only three good strides away, but Jim just stood stock-still and couldn't move. He didn't take three strides across that stage, he took a dozen shuffling, little baby-like steps, but eventually he got to the queue for that desk, that table where that guy was sitting, that guy that he knew he had to talk to. The guy was clearly in his late forties but something about him called to Jim. He looked as though he might be able to help him. There were a couple of guys in the queue and Jim waited patiently. After only a couple of minutes the guy was free and Jim said, "Hi". The guy replied "G'day, my name's Pete, what's yours?"
"Oh, I'm Jim and I thought you might be able to help me." "I want to know something about what being gay is all about." "I think I'm gay but I don't really know."
Pete tried to direct Jim to one of the counsellors, but Jim interrupted him.
"Look, I chose you! Is there any chance we can go and talk somewhere, maybe go and have a drink over there? You look nice and kind and I know that I want to talk about this with another guy. I've never really related to people my own age and the counsellors are all too young!"
Pete knew it wasn't really his role but something in Jim's manner said to him that this was a time to break the rules, and he had that basic counselling training many years before, plus his "Walk to Emmaus" experiences and the time as a church elder, no to mention that "Time to Think" course; he was sure he could cope and, anyway, he had a soft spot for younger guys. He hadn't had his lunch break yet so he stepped over to Graham, the volunteers' co-ordinator, and asked if he could take his break. Graham smiled and winked, he'd seen Jim in the queue and could see that something special was maybe about to happen so, in his openly gay way, he said "Of course, darling, off you go, have fun!"
Jim and Pete walked over to the drinks tent. Pete ordered the drinks, a Solo with a dash of Pink Grapefruit Juice, as a Pride volunteer he'd made sure that they had got that special juice in, and an Orange Juice for Jim. Pete was too excited to buy that burger he'd planned earlier in the day, so he just got a pack of Smith's Barbeque Crisps.
They sat down at a table over in the corner, farthest from the bar. Pete put his left hand on the table, hoping that maybe Jim would take hold of it, and said "Well, what's up then Jim?"
Jim started to speak and falteringly said, "I think I'm gay, but I don't know what to do", then suddenly, without warning, he grabbed hold of Pete's hand, leaned forward and kissed him full on the lips. Pete was a little taken aback but, at the same time, he didn't mind. He gently slipped his right hand on to the back of Jim's head and just held him there in that lovely kiss. Jim, in a way he couldn't really understand himself, slowly opened his lips and stuck his tongue out; Pete duly responded and soon they were swapping spit and engaged in a tongue duel. The table was still there between them and so Pete broke off the kiss. Jim looked a little surprised and thought to himself 'Have I done something wrong', but Pete quickly said "Look, let's go over there in the shade, we'll be more comfortable without this table between us."
Still holding hands they got up and walked together, over to a spot under one of Russell Park's giant Moreton Bay Fig trees. They each took a sip from their drinks and put them down on the concrete edge of the garden bed. Just about simultaneously they put their arms round each other and were back into their kissing fest, neither of them felt embarrassed as there were a number of other boy-boy and girl-girl couples in similar embraces just nearby, infact they were scattered all over the park on that one special day of the year when Perth's gay community takes over Russell Park to celebrate their freedom and just have a great day out as a community.
It was a nice warm spring day and both guys only had a t-shirt on, up top. Pete was in his white Pride shirt with the word VOLUNTEER printed in big red capitals on the back. Jim's shirt was a plain red one with a small aboriginal flag motif stitched on, just over where his left nipple was. Jim was also carrying a jacket that he'd laid on the ground beside him.
Within a minute or two they both started moving their hands all over each other. Pete could tell Jim was a little shy, despite the sudden kiss of a minute or two before, but he was also clearly up for some fun, and so Pete slipped his hands in under Jim's T-shirt, the right up the front and the left up the back. Pete knew Jim was enjoying this new experience as he felt Jim's bulge grow just where it was resting against his own stiff woody. Jim followed Pete's lead and slipped his hands into direct contact with Pete's slightly hairy chest; soon they were both stroking, and tickling, and giggling, and pinching each other's tits.
Jim suddenly now knew that he was definitely gay, he liked older guys, certainly this one at least, and he also realised that this was the best day of his life, and also the first day of the rest of his life. After a few minutes more Pete moved his right hand down and cupped Jim's bulge. Jim liked that very much and, in response, kissed Pete even harder; soon after grabbing hold of Pete's own lovely big bulge.
All too soon, Pete said he had to get back to the volunteer's desk. Jim grabbed both Pete's hands and said, imploringly, "No, do you have to?" Pete, with regret, said "Yes, but look we can hook up later, I've got a short fifteen minute break at 5.30 and I'm through by 8.00. Pete continued, "Look why don't you come and sit down on the grass near the rotunda where we can see each other all afternoon, I've got a blanket and you can sit on it." Jim sighed a little, but said "OK".
They both slugged down their drinks and walked hand in hand back to the rotunda; Graham saw them coming back and smiled to himself. Pete gave the blanket to Jim and he walked a few yards away and lay down on his chest with his head cupped in his hands. He could still see Pete's head in profile and felt as though he were in seventh heaven.
He reflected back on the last few months and particularly the last couple of weeks. Having moved down from Geraldton in January when he landed that Graduate position at the Department for Community Development, he had settled in a nice comfortable flat in Subiaco, only five minutes walk or two minutes jog from the station. He'd felt a bit lonely at first, but soon came to enjoy the freedom of truly being his own boss for the first time in his life. He still felt there was something missing in his life though and this caused him to get quite depressed at times; then only two weeks ago, he'd gone out with some of the guys and gals from work for lunch when Mike, the Branch Head, was leaving. They had all gone to a restaurant down in Northbridge that good old Mike enjoyed. This was a part of town that Jim had never been to before as he'd heard it was a bit risque and his upbringing had led him to steer clear of such areas. He had seen this sign, though, about the Pride Festival, in the Arcane Bookshop window, and had promised himself he would pop back later and find out more.
Instead of going straight home on the train that night he wandered up William Street, it was late night shopping, and he stepped into the bookshop. He felt quite shy and uncertain, especially as the only shop assistant was a lady, but he summoned up his courage and asked her what this Pride Festival thing was all about. The very kind lady told him a bit about the annual Perth gay and lesbian festival and offered Jim a free program. Just then another guy stepped into the shop and the shopkeeper seemed to know him, as they immediately started talking to each other. Jim took the opportunity to quietly and quickly step back outside, but he made sure he was carrying the program under his arm: on the way to the station he stopped briefly to open his briefcase and put the program away; he told himself he would read it when he got home. Over a dinner of shepherd's pie, his favourite -- he'd always enjoyed making it for the family back home, when it was his night to cook -- Jim read that paper from cover to cover. While many of the things interested him, he was still a little uncertain of himself, but he saw the information about Fairday and the fact that there would be lots of people there who, between them, knew just about everything there was to know, about all thing's gay. He just thought that this was the time to 'bite the bullet' and confront those mixed-up feelings he'd had since before he was ten.
So, it came to this morning, he'd been awake nearly all night with a mixture of excitement and dread, but he had promised himself he would not back out, so just after 11.00 he got up, washed, trimmed his goatee, put on some nice men's perfume, the sexiest but, at the same time, most comfortable, casual clothes that he had, and went down to the train station. By just after 11.30 he was walking up William Street, on his way to Russell Square. He turned left into James Street and saw there was quite a crowd heading in the same direction that he was; some were wearing some rather strange get-outs but he stole himself to fight his revulsion and his repressed upbringing and strode on to Russell Square. He had wondered round for nearly an hour and spoken to some people at a few of the information tents but then, suddenly, out of the corner of his left eye, he had seen, what for him was, a vision splendid; the guy was really only an average looking guy, in fact he knew that many guys would probably think he was butt ugly plain but for Jim this was just the kind of guy he'd been looking for all his life. He looked to be in his forties and he looked gentle and kind and he was the one, he decided, who he was going to get some help from. Now, just over two hours later he was lying on that guy's blanket and staring at this vision, whom he now knew was named Pete.
Pete and Jim stole glances and blew kisses at each other all afternoon. Once Pete looked over and Jim was gone but the blanket was still there, then he saw him in the distance queuing at the portaloos, all was still OK, relief. Only a brief while later Jim was back and just as starry eyed as before. At bang on 5.30 Pete got up and simply ran over to Jim. Picking up the blanket he grasped Jim's hand, gently and lovingly, but firmly, and they skipped off together to their spot under the Moreton Bay Fig. By now it was a little cooler and Pete had donned a red jumper, while Jim had his jacket back on, but they spread the blanket down and got back to their snogging.
Fourteen minutes later, Pete felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Graham, and said, a little impatiently, as he was a little annoyed to have had his pleasant break so rudely interrupted, "Yes, I'll be back in a minute". Graham, a gentle and caring guy, replied, "No, Pete, look things are quietening down and there's lots of volunteers this year. I know you've been looking for a boyfriend for such a long time and it seems this is your day. Get on home with your new found friend." Pete tried to protest as he didn't want to let Graham down, but Graham wouldn't hear anything different and said he would call Pete later in the week to confirm his volunteer roster slots for the rest of the Festival.
Pete couldn't believe his good fortune and asked Jim what he wanted to do. Jim just said, with a puppy dog look in his eyes, "Whatever you want to do", and so Pete tenderly asked "Would you like to go back to my place." Jim nodded his assent, they stood up, folded up the blanket, rushed back to the rotunda to pick up Pete's bag, and they were out of there, like two schoolboys let out of school early. Pete relied on the public transport, so they caught the Blue Cat down to the railway station, just caught the 6.02 train to Fremantle and the 6.36 bus to Kwinana; by 7.15 they were at Pete's door.
Pete unlocked the security door and then the main door, stepped back and invited Jim in to his home. Jim, with a big grin on his face, jumped across the threshold. It had been nearly four hours since his last trip to the bog and so he asked Pete where his loo was; Pete directed him to the last door on the left of the corridor, that ran right through the house, and said he would put the kettle on.
Jim reappeared about a minute later, came up behind and quietly slipped his arms around Pete's waist, Pete grabbed both Jim's wrists, leaned back a bit and they kissed. Pete asked Jim if he wanted a drink and Jim asked for white coffee. Pete dug around in the back of his cupboard and found some instant. Soon after Jim had his coffee, and Pete had a drinking chocolate.
Pete led John out of the kitchen to the couch in the lounge room. The drinks were sipped and then put down, one at each end of the two side tables, sitting at either end of the couch.
It had been a long day for Pete, he'd been up at 5.00, and he fell back a bit onto the big cushion at the right hand end of the couch, but he gently invited Jim to lie back on his chest, which Jim of course did. The gaze of those two pairs of eyes melted into each other and they both felt content.
End of Chapter 1
If you like this story, or have any constructive feedback please e-mail me at phmkhunt@hotmail.com
N.B. Jim is 23, Pete is 48
Chapter 2 - The first night in bed together and the next morning