This is a fictional story. It is based on many experiences and fantasies of the authors. If you are really into graphic sex, it may not satisfy your purpose for coming here. If you like to hear of real love and real teen angst, with a little sex thrown in, you are in the right place. There may be some amount of graphic sex between males. If this is objectionable to you, or you are legally too young to be here, you are cordially invited to press your back button.
Cast of Characters:
Leonard Kirk Harston (Lenny)
Lawrence Olivier Goodwin (Rennie)
Mrs. Harston, Lenny's mom
Mr. Harston, Lenny's dad
Mr. Goodwin, Rennie's dad
Mrs. Goodwin, Rennie's mom
Joy -- Rennie's older sister
Jennifer -- Rennie's younger sister
Bobby -- Joy's husband
Seth -- Lenny's friend
Luke -- Seth's lover
Chris -- Seth's Brother
Criag -- Chris's lover
Jake Smith -- Seth and Chris's cousin.
Colin -- Jake's husband & Bobby's brother
Morty -- Rennie's Cousin
Ursula -- Jake & Colins daughter
Uri -- Jake and Colin's son
Carrie -- Jake's sister
Uncle Jake -- Jake's dad
Aunt Lindy -- Jake's mom
Renate -- The Goodwin's housekeeper
Etta -- the Smith's housekeeper
From Chapter 10:
"So why don't you stop?" I asked Bobby.
"I don't know. I don't plan these things. They just happen -- in the moment, so to speak."
"Why don't you get help?"
"You mean a shrink?"
"Yup! Your rich now, Bobby! You can afford the best. And you don't have to worry about publicity like the other clients that go to those high priced guys."
"I don't know."
"What?"
"I -- just -- don't know. I've never considered it before."
"I think you should. I think they can help you." I may have been a bit naïve. But I had not too long ago taken a psych class, and I was convinced.
"Okay."
"What?"
"Okay -- I'll do it. You're right."
Wow! I repressed the urge to spit on my hand and polish it on my shirt! Did I do that?? Cool!
"Bob -- take Ren with you?"
"Yeah -- good idea. I'll try."
Chapter 11
Bobby really took me seriously, which really surprised me. Somehow, I don't expect someone that old to take advice from a 19-year-old. Especially one so screwed up as I - - -feel! And he got Ren to go with him. I don't know how much therapy he got for his sexual addiction -- if that's what it is. But the shrink seemed to be helping them with their despair from losing their family.
One happy result maybe was that Rennie didn't mess with drugs after that one time. He is back to his sweet self. He is not so emotional as often. He told me that he and Bobby had a couple screaming sessions -- well, exercises -- with the shrink, to get rid of some of the frustration and rage that accompanies grief this heavy. Whatever it was, it seemed to be working.
We moved into our duplex. I kept my own room at first. The Doctor convinced Rennie that was a good idea. But more and more, we are "spending the night" in one or the other's room. Ren's a lot more adventurous than I am. I think we've tried just about everything. Well maybe not everything. Fisting seems a little too much to both of us. Or putting live animals inside us. We both agreed that we didn't want to do that.
But we love to kiss, fondle, tickle, oral and anal sex. We tried the tying each other up thing. I think he liked it a little -- when he was the dominator. I don't care for either, and he definitely doesn't like being dominated. We just like treating each other as equals. Rennie likes topping best, and that's good, because I LOVE the bottom! We both do both, but that's our favorites. I think I like faux-ing better than fucking. He is so short -- or rather I am so tall, we can't kiss while we are fucking, but when I fuck his hand -- faux-ing, I can kiss him and really get into it. And his hand has much better control than his butt!
I love it also when we are finished and we just lie there -- not even cleaned up -- and feel each other's warmth. I guess that's my "female side", because Ren doesn't get into it as much as I do. But he does it just because I like it so much. I love that boy so much.
He still hasn't asked me again about marrying. I was sure he would when we heard that even Seth and Luke had gotten married. But he didn't. I didn't feel like I could ask him. I still felt somewhat like a beggar.
After we had been moved out of the big house about 3 months, Bobby took a turn for the worse. I guess being all by himself in that big house got to him. He went into a deep depression. Ren talked to the shrink and asked if maybe we should invite him to come stay with us. Rennie was still seeing the doctor too, so he had a good rapport with him. The shrink said that if it would not disrupt our lives too much, he thought that would go a long way toward helping Bobby.
I offered to move out of my place and into Rennie's, and give my room and condo to Bobby. I was disappointed when Bobby said no. He would rather just sleep on the couch. He said he felt he had imposed on our life too much already. I would have insisted more, but Rennie wasn't supporting me in it, so I didn't press it. Bobby slept on Rennie's couch. It wasn't the living room. There was a bedroom opposite Ren's room that Rennie made into a den. It had a hide-a-bed in it. He had started doing his studying there.
One of the first things Rennie had done when we moved in, was he had a fireproof door installed between the condos. It was always left unlocked. One morning I woke up early. I felt uneasy about something -- a dream, maybe, that I couldn't remember. Many times, Rennie had come into my bed late in the night, when he was depressed -- or horny. I had never done that.
I quietly opened the door between our places, and hearing nothing, I went up to Ren's room. He wasn't there. I could hear Bobby breathing in his room, and the door was slightly open, so I peeked in. The first thing I saw was Rennies perfect swimmers butt. He was naked and on top of Bobby's naked body. Something in side me seemed to die. I started to close the door quietly, when something caught my eye. I opened the door and slipped silently over to the bed. What caught my eye was a wash cloth. It was obviously used to clean up after they -- did whatever they did. I stifled and choked off a sob, and left as quietly as I could.
Back in my own bed, I started crying -- first into my pillow, then I couldn't hold it back. I wailed. Through my cries I heard my door open. I looked and through tear-blurred eyes there was Ren, standing nude in front of me. I cracked.
I sprang up from my bed, and with more strength than I knew I had, grabbed his arm and literally dragged him to the door between the places and threw him into his place. I saw Bobby standing -- nude also -- in the hallway. Over the pounding in my head, I heard, "Im sorry, I'm sorry, - Lenny please, talk to me I - "
SLAM! I threw the door closed. I had enough money in my pocket to get a cab to the Smith's. Etta seemed ready for me. Jake and Lindy told me I could stay up in the guesthouse as long as I wanted. I went to school the next morning. The Smith's lived not far from the University. As I was walking from my advanced calc class to the library. He presented himself in front of me. I thought he was about to offer another apology. I was wrong. Well, at least partly.
"Lenny, I can't imagine how you must feel."
(WHAT?)
"I want you to know that I have no bad feeling toward you."
I stood there stunned. He has no bad feelings toward ME!!
"I know it must have been hard for you to see what you saw -- Bob and me -- but to just up and leave like that -- was that fair?"
"Fair? FAIR, Rennie?"
"Yeah. We have been through a lot! The doctor told us we were justified by our grief for what we were doing."
"Doing? You mean that wasn't the first time -- at least in the new place?" I asked incredulously.
"Well, what did you expect?" he asked me, sounding defensive.
"Rennie -- that doctor of yours is full of shit! There IS no excuse for what you did -- or rather what you have been doing! I've heard of shrinks telling their patients that anything they do is not their fault. That's crap. I don't buy it! Ren, I would have walked of a cliff for you two months ago."
"Lenny?" he was sounding desperate. "Think of what you're leaving behind! Your car, your place -- all of - "
"NO! No, Rennie, not mine! YOUR car and YOUR place. You made that very clear to me several weeks ago. I had myself convinced that you were under the influence of drugs - "
"I was!"
"And that's what made you say those things."
"It was, Lenny -- it WAS!"
"Ren, I'm sorry to point it out to you -- but you just did it again."
"What!!??"
"You just tried to BUY me with `my' stuff -- which never was mine!"
"It WAS! I let you choose which one you wanted!"
"You're pathetic!" I said.
"ME!!?? Why me!?"
"You're like a little girl playing house. It's all okay when things are going your way. But when they don't you tell your little friend to go home!"
"What are you talking about? I DID give that place and the car to you!"
"Are they in my name?"
"No, but - "
"Are you going to put them in my name?"
"Well, not if you don't come back!" He said. He just didn't get it
"Go home, spoiled little girl! I will be fine without your stuff!"
I clutched my books and ran in the other direction. He didn't try to follow. I didn't stop running until I got up to my bedroom, over the Smiths garage. I slammed down on the huge king sized bed, and cried and cried for hours. I went to sleep and woke up early evening. I started to cry all over. I truly don't know what I would have done if he had actually apologized, and asked forgiveness again. All I knew was it was over -- and my chest felt like it was going to split in two where my heart was. Wailing, I fell asleep again.
I woke up to hands rubbing my back. I looked at the clock. It was 9:30 PM. I wondered if I had had a bad dream, but when I woke up a little more, I saw I was in the Smith's guesthouse. I had a sheet over my fully clothed body and Jacob Smith was rubbing my back. When I stirred. He gave way. I half sat up. The room was darkly lit.
"How are you doing?" He said gently.
"I just want out. I wanna die. But I know that's not the way."
"You are right about that."
"Does it ever go away -- this sharp pain in my chest and abdomen?"
"The pain in your chest is your heart. It has been broken to be sure, Lenny. Only time and maybe a new friend can ease that. The pain in your stomach may be because you didn't eat dinner. Did you eat anything for lunch?"
"No."
"Breakfast?"
I shook my head no. "I wasn't hungry."
He half lay on top of me -- not in any sexual way -- but to let me feel his warmth and concern. "Maybe you could eat something now." When I didn't answer, he gently pulled me up. "You need to eat, Lenny."
I wasn't in any shape to argue. He led me down the stairs and into the kitchen. "No one else is around right now -- don't worry." He fixed me a sandwich and a glass of milk. I stared at it for a time. Jake was siting there watching me, with concerned eyes. I took a couple bites and then a large swallow of milk. All of a sudden I had to run to the sink and lost it all. I started crying again, snot and vomit coming out of my nose and mouth.
I hit my head on the edge of the sink as I collapsed to the floor. I felt large hands pick me up and carry me up to a bedroom and he laid me on the bed. I knew he was undressing me, and even felt like I could help a little, but I didn't care. It was some bit of comfort letting Uncle Jake do this for me.
"How is he?" I heard a voice as if it was coming through a fog. "Is he -- sick?"
"He's sick all right. But mostly his heart is broken."
"HE not sick. He need love from his famly."
"His parents don't want any contact."
"His momma do. Mommas allus do."
I was only half conscious. When I heard Etta say that about my mom, I started to cry. Next thing I knew, I was lying on Etta's lap, and she was rocking me and stroking my head. I blinked and it was not Etta, it was my mom. I felt such a surge of relief and -- love -- then in an instant it was Etta again. But the good feeling remained. I let myself be rocked in the arms of love. I closed my eyes.
"Oh, my baby boy!" I heard out of the fog. Then my eyes focused in on my mom again. I knew it was Etta, but it felt good. "Oh, my poor baby, why don't you wake up?"
Was it my mom? It WAS. I was not able to even respond. "There is a bump on his head. What happened?" My mom asked.
I didn't hear the answer. "Oh, my sweet Leonard, do you even know who I am?"
"Of course I do -- you're my mom!" I heard a voice outside me say. I felt my head turn toward her voice and a small hole opened up in the fog, and my mother's concerned face was at the other end. The fog seemed to move outward until it was almost gone. Then it closed in again as if it were the iris in a camera lens. Next thing I knew, I woke up and I was being rocked again by Etta. I looked up at her.
"You momma loves you very much bean-boy."
"Where is she?"
"She coon't come."
"But she was here -- I saw her."
You daddy woon't let her come. But her love fo you be strong. She come ina spirit when you needa her."
"How long - ?"
"Lass night you spirit went into you safe place after you tried to eat a sammich."
"Oh. That seemed like a week ago."
"Oh no, Bay-bee, there be no time ina spirit world."
"I thought I heard R -- R -- Rennie."
"He come here too. But we sent away. Mista talk to him. He good boy -- not fo you."
I didn't want to believe her. I didn't believe he was a "good boy", and I didn't want to believe that he was not for me! All I wanted was for him to come back and rescue me. But I could not deny what she was telling me -- it felt true -- it was true. My heart felt like any minute it would stop altogether. I wanted it to. But the fog was gone and it was time for me to get up and go to school. I took a long hot shower. I closed my eyes and he was there beside me, looking cute and sexy with his strong swimming legs. I opened my eyes and he was gone.
At school, everything seemed too bright. Like I needed sunglasses. Everything was hard to look at. Whenever I closed my eyes for longer than a blink, he was there, speaking words I couldn't hear, or just winking at me. A girl I never noticed before asked if I was okay. I smiled shyly and shrugged.
That night I had a ton of homework. I felt almost delirious from lack of sleep. I crashed about 8:30 PM. I just laid down on the couch for a moment. Soft knocking awakened me. I said, "Who is it?"
The door opened slightly, and Rennie stuck his head in the door. "Dude! I've been calling you!"
"I've been here all night." I said, almost ecstatic to see him, but afraid to show it.
"No dude! I mean in my dream. Can't you hear me?"
My hand slipped off the couch and hit the floor. I woke up. I looked at the door. It was true. It was only a dream. I willed my self back to sleep, but I could not. I got up and ate some ice cream, then read for about an hour, did some calc problems and went to bed.
As soon as I was asleep, there he was again. I knew it was a dream this time. "I wonder if he knows this is my dream?" I thought to myself.
"I know." He answered without opening his mouth. What do you want me to do?" He asked.
Without saying or even thinking anything verbal, he got it. He came over and laid down on top of me. I felt warm all over but couldn't feel his weight. He kissed me, and I got all the feelings, but could not really feel his lips. He smiled and then his mouth just kept opening bigger and bigger, until a hideous looking monster came out of his mouth. I knew it was a dream the whole time so I opened my eyes and stared into the darkness. I saw him smiling at me from the darkness and cried. I wondered if he was crying too.
I woke up to the song, ""Love me or Leave me". It was playing on an oldies station that one of the other guys had on the radio. I at first teared up, then smiled at the irony.
I lived one day at a time. And one night at a time. The Smiths were so very sweet to me. I told Etta I was looking for a job, and that same day, I got a visit from Uncle Jake. Yeah, I called him that now -- it seemed more appropriate than before.
"I don't think you should get a job yet, Lenny." He told me. I didn't take much convincing. "Just concentrate on your studies. We love having you here. We really miss our other boys."
That same evening I went down to eat with them and when I came back up, I was startled by a figure sitting in the darkness, in the corner of the room.
"Hey, Len. Sorry to scare you."
"Bob -- by! What - - ?"
"Ren asked me to come by. He doesn't feel welcome here."
I turned on the light. "Hmm -- and you do, huh?" It was a cold thing to say -- but it was how I felt.
"I guess I deserved that. I'm not asking for your forgiveness -- not now -- I know that would be hard. But can you -- that is -- Rennie wanted me to -- um - "
"Did Ren send you here -- really, Bobby?" I asked him and stared him down.
"Uh -- well -- (sigh!) no."
"Then why did you com?"
"Lenny -- Neither of us is happy. And what we are doing -- seems -- somehow -- wrong."
"Why? What's to stop you?"
"Lenny -- he's my wife's brother!"
"Then stop." I said it simply. "Or did your shrink say that you should explore this relationship"?
"He's a jerk!"
"I know."
"But I know if you came back, Ren would be glad."
My heart ached so much as I told Bobby, "No, Bobby. He would be glad -- and I would be glad. But it wouldn't work. You two are going to need to somehow get over this -- and each other -- or accept that it's okay for you to be together. My plans don't include him any more." My heart was pounding so hard as I was calmly saying all that! And it ached more that I knew was possible.
Bobby hung his head. "Well, I guess you know what's best for you." He turned to leave.
"Bob?" He turned back. "It's best for you too." I walked to him. "Give Ren this." I hugged him. He looked up into my eyes, which were so far, dry. His were shiny.
"Damn, Lenny, I didn't know I could miss you so much!" And he kissed my neck. I pushed him away just before he planted one on my lips.
"Bye, Bob."
He backed out the door, and then turned and went down the stairs. I took the two steps to the window and watched as he got into "my" car and drove out of the Smith's driveway. I turned and walked back to the couch. I sat down. The pressure in my abdomen was unbelievable. Without much prompting a huge wail came out of my throat, and I felt better. It was so hard to stand there and tell him to go. And to tell him that Ren and me were no more.
The next day, Tuesday, I saw that girl again who asked if I was okay. "You look better." I wondered if she was lying. I didn't feel better.
"Thanks -- I guess."
"I'm Shelley."
"Nice to meetcha. I'm Leonard."
"Can I ask you something?"
"I guess."
"It's kind of personal -- and -- well, never mind."
"Oh, you can't get way with that! You've said too much now. You have to ask me now!"
"No. No -- really -- it's none of my business!"
By now I had guessed what it was she wanted to know. But I wondered why she was so curious about it. I had known for some time it was kind of obvious.
"Why play games like this. You wouldn't have started this if you didn't want to finish it. Just ask me and let me decide if it's too personal."
She really did look embarrassed and -- even repentant. "I -- now that I am standing here talking to you -- I am embarrassed. I had no right. But -- er -- are you -- um - "
I just smiled and let her stew for a moment.
"Do you like guys?"
I decided to play with her a bit. "Well, I guess. Well, I mean, as much as the next guy. I mean every one is different. Some I like -- some I don't. Do you?" I could tell she was near breaking point now, but she started this.
"I mean -- do -- do you -- um -- like -- girls?"
"Are you trying to get me to ask you out? Because if you are, you're going about it kind of weird. Yeah, I like girls -- but I won't be asking you out." I leaned down very close and whispered, "I'm gay."
She was already pink. At this revelation, she turned scarlet. "I -- I'm sorry -- I didn't mean -- I mean -- I feel so stupid!"
"Isn't that what you wanted to ask me?
"Yeah." She looked very chagrinned.
"Well, it's okay. I don't make it a priority to tell everyone, but yes I am gay. May I ask you why you asked?"
"Well -- I don't know -- I know this guy, and - "
"I'm still hurting from my last relationship."
"I could tell. I just wanted to -- um - "
"Rescue me -- and your friend at the same time?"
"I guess. He's hurting too. He may not even be your type. But you could at least be friends -- cry on each other's shoulders or something."
"Uh -- heh -- that's kind of a girl thing. Tell you what. If he wants to meet, I guess I can at least say hi."
She brightened up. "What? Oh! Okay! I think you two might hit it off -- I mean as friends -- you are both kind of -- um - "
" -- nerdy?"
"I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say -- intellectual. I think he's bit older than you though."
"Which wouldn't be a problem -- if we were only friends -- right?"
"Right."
I gave her my number at the Smith's. She thanked me. I thanked her.
She called that same night. I could tell -- even through the phone -- that she was trying her best to not sound too excited. "Leonard, can you meet us at Denny's tomorrow at noon?" I almost instinctively said no. Noon on Wednesdays was when I used to meet Ren for lunch. With huge lump in my throat I said, "Yeah -- I can do that."
I kept telling myself the next morning that this was nothing. This was just a meeting -- maybe a new friend -- that's all. All the while I was shaving extra carefully, and making sure every hair was in place. I casually threw on my best plaid shirt and jeans -- the ones that were slightly baggy and made me look even taller -- and skinnier -- I liked that look. I picked out a pair of socks that perfectly matched the salmon color in the plaid, and then the dark brown deck shoes Ren bought for me.
When I got to Denny's I saw them sitting at a table and headed that way. She had made sure she was siting so I could see her -- so his back was toward me. He had dark brown, very curly hair. As I got near, she smiled.
"Leonard!" She said. "you look gr -- er -- nice."
As she tried to remove her foot from her mouth, HE got up. I had to consciously will my mouth to stay shut! He smiled slightly, and said, "Hi, I'm DeVon."
His voice was a deep and mellow baritone. Now I knew why she wanted to introduce us. He was at least an inch taller than I. He was also at least part black. He had the most full, sexy looking lips! His skin was dark brown -- more like a well tanned surfer. His big round eyes (light blue) sparkled as he waited for me to say something.
"Hello. I'm Leonard -- er -- Lenny." I thrust my hand up and out toward him clumsily. He surrounded it with a very warm, firm right hand. He looked straight into my soul.
"Nice to meet you. Please -- sit." I noticed a long scar on his left cheek.
I looked from one to the other, wondering if I should sit next to Shelley -- or DeVon. Shelley got up. "Well, I have a class -- and I expect you guys have a lot of guy-talk anyway, so -- see you later."
We both watched he walk out the door. DeVon looked back to me. "She doesn't have too much finesse, huh?" I laughed. "I've never known anyone actually named Leonard. The only Leonard I even know of - - -"
" - - played Spock on Star trek?"
He smiled widely. "Yeah! So, now that I've made a fool of myself -- ridiculing your name - "
"Well, your name's not exactly one you hear every day. How do you spell it?"
"D-e-V-o-n."
"Sounds like Deh'-vun to me."
"That was my dad's name. My mom capitalized the "v" making it Dee Von'."
"Okay, now that we've picked each other's names apart, how do you know Shelley?"
"She didn't tell you? She's such a nerd! She's my cousin."
"She is?" I said a little too incredulously.
"Yeah. Our dad's were brothers."
"You keep referring to your dad in the past tense."
"Yeah. He's dead."
"Oh God, man I'm so sorry!"
"It's nothing. He died in childbirth. I never knew him." He said with a perfectly straight face. I looked at him as if he were crazy, and tilted my head. He started laughing. "Sorry! I love doing that to people! He died soon after I was conceived -- a freak helicopter accident -- national guard. My mom wanted to name me after him but DeVon fit in better in the black community."
"Oh." I tried to think of something intelligent to say. I couldn't.
"Trouble was -- I didn't."
"Huh?"
"Fit in. My name was not all that unusual down in west Los Angeles. But a gay, not-quite-black guy didn't! It seemed everyone hated me. I wasn't black enough for the blacks -- and not white enough for the whites. They were so polarized anyway -- against each other. I was just this ugly in-between kid."
"GOD! But you're beautiful! They surely could see that!"
No, I didn't say that. But I was thinking it! I was still dumb-struck.
"You're kind of quiet, aren't you?" He said. "Well, I'm probably blowing you away with my life story. Sorry. Where are you from?"
"Right here. My parents were -- well, obviously -- star Trek fans. My middle name is Kirk!"
"Hahahaha! You're kidding me now -- aren't you?"
"Nope! My dad was a serious Trekkie. And my mom went along with it. She goes along with almost anything my dad does!"
"Wow! That sounded bitter. What's up Bub?"
"I'm the only boy -- only child -- they -- HE -- and that means they -- have disowned me."
"For being gay?"
"Yeah."
"I sometimes wonder what my dad would have thought. My mom says he would have been cool with it."
"So she knows."
"Oh yeah. She moved us up here after I got this." He pointed to his scar. "It was in the 4th grade. A big fifth grader -- black -- got me in the schoolyard with his switchblade.
"But how -- wasn't that against school rules?"
"Haha! Trying to kill another student? Yeah they frowned on that."
"NO! I mean to have a knife at school."
"There were no metal detectors then. He was expelled, and sent to juvenile hall. An stinkin' ACLU attorney had him back in school a week later. We moved the week after that. Luckily my mom worked for the state and they relocated her here."
"How -- I mean -- when did you know you were -- gay?"
"Heh. In the fourth grade. That's why he slashed me. His older brother -- eighth grade -- and four others had already cornered me in the bathroom and raped me. I never told my mom about that -- or anyone else -- at the time?"
"My GOD! Why not.?"
"I was ashamed."
"YOU were ashamed!!??"
"Yeah -- well, I was only nine. But even at nine I knew that a guy wasn't supposed to LIKE that."
"You what??!!"
"I was humiliated, but I liked it! Those big eighth graders and their big tools -- I worshiped them when they weren't looking. This kid's older brother was the only one to notice that I liked it. He decided he liked using me -- so he made me his bitch. Secretly, of course -- he protected me from the other guys -- as long as I let him fuck me. But he couldn't protect me from his own little brother. His brother got jealous because the older guy treated me better than him. That's why he slashed me."
"Wow! That's quite a story. You should write it down!"
"I don't have to -- my friend Steve is writing it for me."
"Oh."
"May I take your order?" the waiter asked.
Quickly, I said, "Just a coke for me. I already ate."
"You came to meet at noon, at Denny's and you already ate? C'mon! You look famished! I've saw the way you eyed that chicken fried steak that just passed! I'll have the sampler, and my friend will have the chicken fried steak. And I want to check."
"Thanks." I said. I was embarrassed. He saw right through my excuses, and knew I couldn't afford to eat out. I got quiet after that.
"I -- hope I haven't offended you." He said after we finished.
"Well, maybe not offended. Embarrassed would be a better word. My parents kicked me out, so I'm not exactly flush with cash."
"You're not -- erm -- homeless - - - are you?"
"No. A very kind family has taken me in."
"Oh. And they don't have the means to give you some pocket money -- Wow! Isn't that just typical? Barely enough to sustain themselves, and they take in someone in need."
"Uh -- it's not QUITE like that. I think they just don't want to insult me. I eat most all my meals in the big house!"
"In the what?" He sounded incredulous.
"Oh! I live in a flat above their garage. Three bedrooms! I'm the only one there. Used to be three couples living up there."
"Oh! Heh! I took that completely another way. Guess it was going back to my own roots."
"Huh?"
"My great-grandfather died a few years back. He used to talk about how his mother was allowed to eat in the big house kitchen -- if she was a good slave. You know, did what she was told. Didn't try to learn to read or write. Cooked the massa's meals and cleaned up after them hand and foot. That kind of stuff."
I was still kind of speechless. I never could imagine how a human being could treat other human beings like animals. As I was thinking about that, he said, "Um -- I haven't insulted you, have I?"
"Hm? Oh! NO! Not at all. I'm sorry. I was kind of out in space there for a moment."
"Heh -- like Spock, huh?"
I smiled at that. "Sort of. Sometimes I'm a bit of a deep thinker, I guess."
"Lenny, do you think you'd be interested in seeing me again?"
"I -- well -- its kinda soon. I don't know if - "
"Yeah, Shelley told me you were recently hurt. Me too. But I mean just as friends. Buds. I sure could use someone to talk to -- maybe commiserate with."
"I -- I guess that'd be okay."
"There's a par -- er get-together of a bunch of guys on Friday night. Why don't I pick you up and we can go -- as friends. Who knows? Maybe there will be someone there who will sweep one of us off our feet!"
"I -- yeah! That sounds good. Where is it?
"A friend of mine has a beach house. I'll pick you up at 7:00. That's early for the party -- I mean get-together -- but I thought we'd get a bite to eat first."
"My treat this time!"
"N --nooo -- You can treat next time. I don't invite someone out and then make them pay."
"Well -- okay, I guess I will let you insult me one more time." I smiled. I hope he took it as a joke.
"Okaaaay -- soooo -- where do I pick you up -- oh! Did you drive here?"
I was embarrassed again. "No. It's not very far to walk."
"I'll take you home. That way, I'll know where you live - - okay?"
"Okay."
We finished up our lunch and I was embarrassed once more. Not even enough to leave the tip! I mean when someone takes you out to dinner it's the least you can do! When we got to the Smith's, he said, "Wow! You live here? I have noticed this home before. Mind if I come in -- see where you stay?"
I was nervous about that but I said okay. He seemed nice enough, and -- well, I don't know Shelley that well, but I trust her that he's a nice guy. "Uh -- okay - Sure!"
We stepped in the front door. "Interesting setup."
"The Smith's son had it built to his specifications." I said, then, "You should see the showers!" Then I realized the implication of what I said. "Er -- I mean -- well, come look! It's quite different for a flat."
I led him through my bedroom to the showers. "Wow! Like a gymnasium shower. Interesting."
"Yeah. And each bedroom has its own toilet/commode room. This one is the only one with a tub, though."
"Kewl! A soaking tub for two! Nice touch. Is that your Entertainment center?"
"Naw -- it came with the flat."
"These Smith's -- are they -- I mean -- there was a guy who graduated high school a couple years after me -- great athlete -- Jake Smith."
"That's their son!"
"Do you know him?"
"I've met him. Crazy guy." I said. "He and his partner, Colin, have 2 children, and live in Vermont, now."
"WHAT?? Jake the Jock (that was his nickname) was gay??"
"Duh!"
"But you don't get it. He was such a jock. He ran around with the jocks! If they ever knew he was gay - "
"They probably didn't. Anyway, that's the place. Thanks for running me home."
"Uh -- no problem. Well, I guess you have stuff to do for the rest of the day?"
"Yeah -- a ton of research!"
"Okay -- then I guess I better go. See you Friday at 7:00, then."
I walked him to the door. He reached his hand out and grasped mine. I glad that we - "
Our eyes met and he stopped mid-sentence. After a long moment, I said, "Yeah. Me too. Uh - "
He pulled me in and kissed me lightly on the lips. I totally melted into his arms. It felt so right! We kissed deep. I felt his whole body touching mine, warming and tingling.
He stepped back. We both sighed deeply. He pointed at me and winked slightly. "Just friends!"
"Just friends!"
Note: Really? Just friends? A nice way to start a friendship, as I see it! Comments are welcome! Please put "Lenny" on the subject line and sent to Steve at s4d@hotmail.com. Thanks and love, Steve
Bottom line: Love will Rule in the end.