This is the continuation of my story about Todd, 25, a physician assistant, and Luke, 20, who first meet in a medical appointment that doesn't quite go as either planned. This posting is an in-depth relationship story that will build slowly. I plan to post subsequent chapters often, so please check back. Or let me know if you'd like to get an e-mail from me whenever I post one.
No minors were harmed in the writing of this story, but if you are one please go find something else to do. Please do not reproduce this story in any form without the permission of the author. Your feedback is appreciated.
Damian nvtahoeus@yahoo.com
LUKE AND THE RED CANVAS SHOES
END OF PART 4
All I knew was that I wanted Luke like nobody I'd ever wanted before. But I also wanted to give him time to get completely comfortable with me. We'd made a lot of progress in a short time, but I wanted see more joy in those eyes of his, rather than the fear and forlornness that had seemed to radiate from them up most of the time until this week.
As I slipped into dreamland I hugged my pillow tightly and pretended that it was Luke.
PART 5
To break from the "professional" relationship that had initially brought us together, we had mutually agreed that Luke would continue to see Dr. Webberley on Wednesdays -- my day off -- whenever possible. That's where he was the Wednesday after our pizza date, so I decided to bike over to Lloyd's house and see if he was sitting in the driveway as usual. He was very predictable in that regard.
After some initial chit-chat about the weather and what-not, the conversation turned -- as I hoped it might -- to Luke.
"You know, Todd, it pleases me to see that you and Luke are apparently becoming friends. He gets tired of hanging around here all the time with me, and he didn't have any friends that I was aware of until he met you. He looks up to you, you know."
"Luke's a great kid...er, guy...Lloyd. I like him a lot. I guess you probably know he told me about how he came to move down here with you."
"Yes," Lloyd said, looking away sadly. "My son and his wife didn't do right by either of those boys. I wish David had come to me the way Luke did. I would've gladly taken him in, too. By the time I learned he'd run away he had already gone back home -- which makes me sick to think about. Now he's turning out like his dad and it's too late. I'm hell-bent on being sure that Luke doesn't do the same thing."
"I don't think you have to worry about that. Luke is very happy living with you and being away from...all that."
I was trying to be careful not to say to Lloyd how I felt about his son -- Luke's father -- but I could tell he was disgusted with him as well.
"If you ever get tired his attentions, let him down easy, Todd. I know my grandson -- finally after too many years of separation from him -- and he'd be crushed. Like I said, he really looks up to you. He talks about you all the time."
"He does? That's nice." I felt a warm sensation in my gut hearing that. "I like Luke, too, and I don't...think you have anything to be worried about. He's always welcome at my place."
"Well, you're welcome here any time, too. In fact, why don't you come back over for dinner tonight, if you're not busy? It won't be fancy, but I think I could put something decent together, with Luke's help."
"That's really nice of you, Lloyd. I don't mind if I do."
On the way home I thought more about what Lloyd had said about Luke looking up to me. While it pleased me greatly, it also seemed like a big responsibility. I felt like I was wearing a lot of hats -- big brother, mentor, sounding board, role model. Would I be able to be all those things to Luke and still bring him along to the kind of intimate relationship I so desperately wanted with him? I wanted to throw off all those hats -- and all my clothes -- and just be his lover. Was that asking too much?
By 5 p.m. the sky was looking stormy, so I decided to drive my car back over there rather than bike or walk. Luke was happy to see me when he met me at Lloyd's front door, but he also looked despondent about something.
"What's up, buddy?" I said. "Did you find out anything from the doc today?"
"Yeah, maybe. Come on in and have a drink with Granddad and me and we'll talk."
Because of his fundamentalist upbringing Luke had never touched alcohol until he moved to Denver. He said that Lloyd liked a gin and tonic every evening before dinner, and Luke had come to like the same. Lloyd mixed three for us and we sat in the living room.
"Well, I've already told Granddad. Dr. Webberley didn't find anything wrong in my upper body, but he wants me to have some more tests run below the belt. He said that he suspects that I might have a growth on my intestines that may be causing me to bleed slowly and be anemic. He called it a Meckel's something-or-other."
"A Meckel's diverticulum probably," I said, thinking back to my medical training. I'd never had a patient with one, but I knew it wasn't something to ignore.
"Yeah, that's it. He said the only way to fix it would be to have an operation. Kinda scary, huh? No wonder my dad said I wasn't much good at farming -- I had anemia and I didn't even know it till I came down here."
I felt for Luke. He'd probably been much better at farming than his dad had been at parenting. But here he was only 20 years old and was facing possible abdominal surgery. I had to come up with something reassuring to say.
"You know, Luke -- pardon me for slipping back into the doctor/patient mode for a minute -- but this could actually turn out to be a good thing. If this really is the cause of your anemia, this surgery could fix you up so you don't have to take iron medication long term. That stuff is hard on your stomach to absorb."
Lloyd had been quiet up till now, but I could tell he was troubled.
"Would they have to open him up to fix this Meckel's thing, Todd?"
"It's done laparoscopically these days. He'd probably be in and out the same day."
They both looked relieved.
"I'm glad to hear that. I had abdominal surgery about 40 years ago, and it was no picnic."
"Well, I'm glad to say that things have improved a lot since then. Luke might not feel good for a day or two, but it's not the big deal that it used to be. I'd say don't worry too much about it yet until they run more tests. We'll be there for you, buddy."
I looked over at Lloyd, and he nodded. Luke looked for a second like he was going to cry but pulled himself together. I think he was really touched by my comment. Given his crappy childhood, he no doubt wasn't used to people "being there" for him.
"Thanks, Todd."
"Is that meatloaf I smell cooking?" I asked.
"Yes. Granddad and I put it together from a recipe he had. I'd better go check on it. You want a refill on that drink?"
"No thanks, Luke. One is plenty for me. I need to find my way home, you know."
"Well, not too soon, I hope," he said, patting me on the shoulder as he walked by my chair on the way to the kitchen. I found his touch electrifying -- all the way down to a sudden hardening in my shorts.
Dinner was simple but delicious. The guys had tossed a salad and fixed some mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables for side dishes. We washed it all down with some red wine that I had brought and enjoyed a piece of store-bought cherry pie for dessert. Despite his anxiety over his health issues, Luke got noticeably mellower as the evening progressed, even laughing at some of Lloyd's lame jokes. More and more he seemed to be inching out of his shell, but it was going to be a long trip.
High winds and lightning had whipped up while we were eating, and by the time we were done it was raining cats and dogs. I wanted to stay a bit longer but felt like it would be best for me to scoot on home. I thanked my hosts for the great dinner and made my way to the door.
As I looked out, however, I knew it would be unwise to leave just then. I would've been soaked before I even got to my car.
"Why don't you stay for a while longer, Todd?" Lloyd said. "It's not fit for man nor beast out there right now."
"You're probably right. Maybe it'll slack in a few minutes. You got a game or something we could play for a while?"
"Well, I love cards," he said with a grin. "I've been teaching Luke to play gin rummy. That's not a game for three, but we could play hearts -- do you know that game?"
"I think I've played it a few times, but it's been a while," I said.
Lloyd dug out the cards while Luke and I cleared the table and filled up the dishwasher. Coming from a home where playing cards was almost in the same sin category as premarital sex, Luke was a little bewildered at first, but he caught onto the game after a few practice hands.
Lloyd won most of the hands, but it was a blast to hang with these two. Before I knew it, it was 9:30, but the rain hadn't let up a bit. Looking out the window, we could see that there were several inches of water in the street, and cars were inching by.
"You'd better stay here tonight, Todd," Lloyd said. "There's no way you'd make it home without getting drenched."
I had serious reservations about accepting his offer -- not the least of which would be the sleeping arrangements -- but I could see that he was right.
"I'm bushed, fellas. It's past my bedtime," Lloyd said as he excused himself, leaving Luke and me alone. I thought Luke looked he had mixed feelings about this unexpected development. I still didn't know where I was supposed to sleep, but Luke turned off the lights in the living room and kitchen and started down the hall to what I assumed was his room.
"Come on, Todd. There's a spare bed in my room -- unless you'd rather sleep on the couch."
"You sure, Luke? I wouldn't want to put you out. Where would you prefer that I sleep?"
Halfway down the hall, he suddenly returned and took my hand. The decision had apparently been made. I'd been dreaming of my first time to sleep with Luke, but this wasn't the arrangement that dreams were made of.
First, we weren't alone in this house -- Lloyd was in the next room. I had envisioned us sleeping together someday in my apartment, but not 20 feet from his grandfather.
Second, there were two twin beds in Luke's room -- one unmade one that was obviously his and one piled high with his sundry possessions. He obviously wasn't a neat-freak like me.
"Sorry about the mess. I'll throw this stuff over here and look for some clean sheets and a pillow for you."
He rummaged in the hallway linen closet while I stripped down to my boxers. His eyes took me in when he came back and found me that way, but he didn't say anything. We made up the spare bed together, and I asked him if there was a spare toothbrush in the house.
"Granddad gave me a pack of them when I moved in here. Let me show you."
I followed him to the bathroom next door, where I brushed my teeth with the door open. Not seeing any spare towels, I resisted the idea of taking a shower until Luke appeared at the door with a set of them for me.
He didn't seem to want to leave his spot by the door, chatting on about the bad storm and how glad he was that I hadn't tried to drive home in it. I opened the shower curtain and stripped off my boxers.
"How does this faucet work, Luke?" I said in all innocence. I hadn't seen one like it before.
"I'll show you," he said. I stepped aside to let him past, but not very far. Our bodies touched as he slid past me to adjust the faucet for me to get the shower flowing, and I felt myself chubbing up from the contact.
"There," he said. "Just turn this knob for your temperature." He turned back from the faucet in my direction, and our eyes met briefly. The back of his hand grazed my thickening penis, and his face turned red. My pulse racing, I stepped into the tub and pulled the curtain closed.
"There's room enough in here for two, Luke."
No answer. Either he was ignoring me or he'd gone back to his room. Oh, well, it had been worth a try, I thought as I soaped myself up. I finished up quickly and opened the curtain. No sign of Luke, but I noticed he'd left the door open. I grabbed my towel and dried myself off. I searched around for my discarded boxers, but they were nowhere to be found. Hmm...
Wrapping the towel around myself, I turned off the bathroom light and padded barefoot to his room. Curiously, I found my boxers lying on the end of my bed. Luke was already in his bed, covered from the waist down by his sheet. He was bare chested and looked deliciously sexy in the dim light that glowed from the lamp between our beds.
"What's the dress code for sleeping here?" I asked with a smile, hoping that he was nude under that sheet but wondering how I'd control myself if he were. He drew his sheet back far enough to reveal a pair of boxers. Drat.
"I put a clean pair of boxers there on the end of your bed," he said quietly. "You can borrow them for tonight."
In the dim light I hadn't noticed that the boxers I saw weren't mine. I dropped my towel and slipped the clean boxers on. Luke never averted his eyes. I realized he could have left the loaner pair in the bathroom with my towel, but he'd made me bare myself in front of him again by putting them on the bed.
"Thanks, buddy. They're a little snug on me, but at least they're cleaner than mine. Where'd you put my dirty ones?"
"Over there with the rest of your clothes."
I returned to the bathroom to hang up my wet towel. I closed our bedroom door when I got back. We were as alone as we were going to get with each other now.
"Todd?"
"What, Luke?"
"Would you sit here a minute? I want to ask you something."
My stomach did a little flip as I wondered what he was going to say. I sat on the side of his bed facing him with one bare leg up.
"What's on your mind, buddy?"
"Um, what did you mean earlier tonight when you said you'd be there for me if I have to have the surgery?"
"Well, I can't literally be there during it, but you're my friend now and I'll do anything you need till you feel better. And I mean anything. I'll even take time off work if you need anything that Lloyd can't do for you."
"Why are you being so good to me, Todd? What's in it for you?" he said with tears in his eyes.
I had to stop for a minute and think about how to respond.
"I don't know, Luke. I just like you a lot, and I feel like it's mutual. You're just a very easy guy to be with, and I get a lot out of being with you."
It felt like a lame answer, but it was the best I could do without telling him that I wanted to make love to him more than anything in the world. At this point I still wasn't sure if he was straight, gay, something in between, or none of the above. This much I did know -- he had to be a virgin. I could just tell.
Putting my left hand on the other side of his torso, I leaned over with my right and stroked his hair a bit.
"You've been through a lot, my friend. You're just finding your way in life after a rough start. If you'll let me be a part of it, it would be my pleasure. I want to see you happy for once in your life."
"I am happy. Now. I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't found Granddad...and you. You scare me a little, but I'm learning to appreciate you, too. More every day."
"Why do I scare you?"
"I don't know. It's just that you're older. You're practically a doctor. And I feel like you can read my mind sometimes."
"Well, I can't. I often find myself wondering what's going on in that handsome head of yours."
"I've just never in my life met anyone like you," he said, suddenly sitting up. He put his arms around my neck and held me tightly, just like he'd done at my apartment door the last time he'd left there. Only this time we were bare chested. His skin was so silky soft, and he smelled so good.
"Should we sleep now, or do you need something else?" I said after a while, hoping against hope that it was something else.
"We should get some sleep, I guess. Thanks for holding me."
Tearing away from his embrace was the hardest thing I've ever done. I couldn't resist giving him a kiss on his forehead. He didn't kiss me back, but the look in his eyes told me he was glad to get one.
"Good night, Luke."
"Good night, Todd."
I stood up and turned the light off, my cock blatantly tenting the boxers he'd loaned me. I wished I could turn off my mind, too, but it kept spinning most of the night as I tossed and turned with erotic frustration and unfulfilled yearning. I didn't know how much more of this I could take.
Before I'd even gotten undressed the night before, I'd set my cell phone alarm to wake me up at 6:30. Thursday was a work day, and I needed to go back home before going to the office. I woke up at 6:20, however, and shut the alarm off. I got up quietly so as not to disturb Luke. He looked like such an angel purring away on his stomach with his hands under his pillow. His top sheet was half off, so I saw his back and one knee sticking out.
I slipped my clothes on, leaving Luke's loaner boxers on the end of my bed and putting my own slightly dirty ones on. I didn't think I should carry them out of the house in my hands, which proved to be a wise choice when I ran into Lloyd at the kitchen table sipping his morning coffee.
"Good morning, Todd. How did you sleep?"
"Just fine," I lied. "Good morning to you, Lloyd. You must be an early riser."
"We retirees ought to be able to sleep in, but I still wake up about 6 every morning. Would you like a cup of coffee before you leave?"
"Thanks, but I'd better get on my way home. I need to stop there before going to work. Thank you so much for the invitation to sleep here last night. I hope the storm damage wasn't too bad."
"Well, the morning news said that some tree limbs are down, so be careful out there."
"I will. Thanks again, and tell Luke I said good-bye. I didn't want to wake him so early."
"He's never up till 8 or so, but I'll tell him. You have a good day now, hear?"
"I will, Lloyd. You, too. Maybe I'll see you Sunday if I go biking."
"The coffee pot's always on. Bye now."
I talked to Luke by phone Thursday and Friday evenings, and he came over to my place on Saturday for a bite to eat and to watch a movie with me. We fit together so nicely on the couch, with him leaning against me with my arm around his shoulder. It was a bittersweet moment that I would treasure and remember for a long time.
We sat there contentedly, both of us blissfully unaware of how this comfortable new direction in our lives would soon take an unwelcome turn.
(To be continued in Part 6 soon)
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Damian nvtahoeus@yahoo.com