READERS: As always, thank you for your emails. I have received an incredible amount of emails from people requesting to be on the email update list. If you would like to be on the list, please email me at ehlrich@hotmail.com and put EMAIL LIST in the subject. If at any time you wish to be removed, please put UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject.
Also, I would like to apologize for the delay in getting Chapter 12 out to you guys. As always, your comments are welcome and appreciated. ehlrich@hotmail.com
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I felt the soft touch of Derek's hand across my cheek. He looked into my eyes with a longing that I had never seen on his face before. His head turned slightly as he closed the distance between us. When his lips touched mine, I inhaled deeply and felt myself slip into a state of pure bliss. It was as though he knew exactly how I wanted to be kissed. The gentle pressure of his lips was perfect. The emotion of the kiss was that of love with reserved passion. I allowed myself to become lost in him and let the boundaries of our physical bodies blur in my mind. The kiss was perfection.
As I was kissing Derek I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me from behind. I knew instantly that they were Gary's. His lips began to trace a line of kisses across my shoulder and up to my neck. His embrace was firm yet loving. I now felt as though I were melting into their two bodies.
Derek's hands had been on my hips but were now beginning to wander and rub along my body. When his hands made contact with Gary's arms, he ran his hands up the strong arms that were still holding me tightly. Gary's kisses became more intense and Derek's followed suit - becoming more passionate.
Gary unclasped his hands and pushed his right hand across my abdomen and then down my right leg. I felt my entire body responding to his teasing strokes up and down my leg.
Derek pulled away just far enough so that the tips of our noses were touching before looking me in the eyes. His beautiful eyes pierced my soul as he whispered, "I love you". Before I could respond, Gary had come around to face me and repeated Derek's profession of love.
"I love you too," he said. "We both do. Very much."
"And I love both of you." And then my brain started to wander from the fantasy my dream was creating. "I'm just so confused."
"No confusion," Derek replied in a soft, sultry voice. "Not now. Just pleasure."
Derek brought his lips back to mine and resumed his passionate kisses.
Gary dropped to his knees and angled himself so that, despite the fact that Derek was in front of me, he could reach my now fully engorged cock. When I felt his mouth envelop me I let out a moan and Derek responded with a moan of his own. He knew what Gary was up to and it was getting him hard as well.
Gary's mouth was warm and very moist. His strokes up and down my dick matched the pressure and pace of Derek's soft lips on my own. I could feel his tongue tracing the underside of my shaft. He was expertly taking me all the way down his throat and moaning when he had fully swallowed me. It felt amazing.
I tried to picture in my mind just how beautiful the three of us must have looked at that moment. Although none of us were Greek Gods, our bodies were well formed. Gary's broad shoulders and muscular back must have looked incredible as he knelt before me. Derek's soft skin was glowing in the pale light of the moon that was coming through the window. And I was in heaven.
I felt Gary's mouth pull away and could tell from the increase in Derek's intensity and shift in position that he had moved from my cock to Derek's. I reached my hand up to Derek's head and ran my fingers through his hair. He let out a quiet whimper as I stroked the back of his head.
Gary stood up after a few minutes of attention to Derek and we broke our kiss. Gary's lips quickly replaced Derek's and Derek's lips found their way to my dick. I could feel his strength in his kiss. He was definitely the most muscular of the three of us and his lips felt like those of a strong man.
Derek teased my cock for several minutes by running his tongue around the head. It was so intense that I almost felt lightheaded. And then, finally, he allowed the head to penetrate his lips. He wrapped his hand around the base and used his mouth to cover the rest. His grip was firm while his mouth remained loose and gentle. I could feel the cum building up inside of me. Derek must have felt it too because he paced himself perfectly to avoid my orgasm from coming too quickly.
When Derek stood up, I broke my kiss with Gary and got down on my hands and knees. Gary knelt behind me and Derek knelt in front of me. I had an erect cock at either end of my body and I felt each of them enter me simultaneously. It was an incredible feeling. Each of them was pumping slowly in and out of me, matching each others pace perfectly.
Their pace never quickened and yet I could feel their orgasms creeping up slowly. Gary's dick was penetrating my ass slowly and then pulling out by only a few inches. He was leaving himself quite deep inside of me. Derek's erection had become so swollen that I could feel the ridges of his cock as they passed my lips.
Derek was the first to cum. He continued to gently slide himself in and out of my mouth as each shot flew to the back of my throat. His moans of ecstasy were quiet but obviously intense. Watching Derek's reaction to his orgasm was more than enough to send Gary over the edge and shot after shot of cum filled me on each end.
After they had both pulled out, they motioned for me to lie down on my back.
Each of them then brought their mouths to my now throbbing cock. They took turns tonguing my balls, licking the shaft and then swallowing it deeply. I felt myself getting close and my breathing quickened. I felt both of their mouths move away and looked down to see each of them with their tongues out while Derek stroked me.
When the first shot from my orgasm came out, it landed on Gary's tongue. He immediately leaned in and began kissing Derek as the rest of my cum covered both of their faces. It was one of the sexiest things I had ever seen.
Derek and Gary broke the kiss and came up to lay down next to me. Gary on my right and Derek on my left. Each of them placed an arm across my chest and whispered, "time to wake up."
"But, I don't want to," I replied.
"I know, but you've got an appointment to go to the hospital for follow-up X-rays," my mother's voice answered. I had fallen back to sleep after my phone calls with Derek and Gary. It had all been a dream. A wonderful dream that was now being interrupted by my mother. I moved the blanket quickly to cover up the erection that she had probably already seen when she entered the room. "I'll come back in a few minutes to help you get ready," she said as she walked over, kissed me on the forehead and then walked into the other room. Nothing kills an erection faster than a kiss on the forehead from your mother. Ah well.
Although the sex in the dream was phenomenal, what amazed me was that, for the first time, I had dreamt about having sex with Derek. Somewhere in my mind, I was actually allowing myself to consider what sex with him might be like. Sometimes, I loved my imagination.
"Excuse me....sir?"
Gary was awoken from a sound sleep by the stewardess. They had landed in Columbus and everyone except for Gary and a few straglers had disembarked.
"Oh," he said and let out a yawn before continuing, "I take it we're in Columbus."
"Yessir. We landed about fifteen minutes ago."
"Must've been a smooth landing," he chuckled.
"Must've been a deep sleep. Captain Markley isn't known for smooth landings," she laughed. "Can I help you with anything."
"No, no. I'm fine."
"Very well then. Take your time getting up and thanks for flying American," she smiled flirtatiously.
"Thanks," Gary said with a devilish grin of his own as she turned to walk away.
He stood up from his seat and stepped out into the aisle. His whole body felt slightly cramped from his in-flight nap. Gary's long arms reached up to stretch and, due to his height, the tips of his fingers touched the roof of the plane. His red Abercrombie T-shirt came up above his jeans to expose his lower abs before he brought his hands to the overhead compartment to retrieve his carry-on. He had brought a book to read and kept most of his personal items in there along with a change of clothes. The last time he had flown, his luggage got lost for two days and he was glad he had followed Karen's advice.
As he pulled his bag down, he allowed his mind to wander back to that trip. He and Karen had decided that, to celebrate their anniversary, they would go on a trip to Las Vegas. Karen had flown so much more than Gary and was full of advice. She had always looked out for him.
The thought was enough to erase the smile that had briefly appeared on this face from his interaction with the flight attendant. He also remembered what was waiting for him when he stepped off the plane. His bible-thumping Aunt was probably standing there with his two adopted cousins and his Uncle was probably at the church, helping with some crazy function.
When Gary walked down the aisle and exited the plane, his stewardess smiled and told him to enjoy his stay in Ohio. He thanked her, despite his desire to sarcastically reply with, "we'll see."
'Sure enough', Gary thought to himself as he passed through security and saw his Aunt and cousins.
"OH! Gary! Thank the Dear Lord above," she said as she reached out to hug him. "I was beginning to worry. Is everything okay?" Gary laughed to himself because he could almost hear her capitalizing the "D" and the "L".
"Oh yeah. I just ended up falling asleep on the plane."
She kissed him on the cheek and then pulled back to survey her nephew.
"Look at you! All buff," she giggled.
"And you look great! Mom said you lost weight but she didn't mention just how much!"
"Ohhhh. Dr. Atkins is my savior. Oops!" she laughed. "Well, next to the big J.C., that is," and she let out another laugh. Gary had forgotten how many corny jokes his Aunt made and just how funny she found herself to be. Gary chuckled with her. Fortunately, he enjoyed her corny sense of humor. He could've done without the immediate Bible reference but oh well.
She did look good though. The last time he had seen her, she had weighed close to 250. She now looked like she weighed closer to 160. She still hadn't done anything about her curly hair though. It, unfortunately, mad her look about 10 years older than her actual age of 39. She had a big, beautiful smile to match her big brown eyes.
"You remember Julie and Marc, right?"
"It's been a few years but, yes, I do. You two are so grown up now," Gary felt old just saying it. His Aunt & Uncle had adopted two kids after learning that she couldn't have children of her own. Julie was 14 years old the last time he had seen her (18 now) and Marcus was 13 (now a very attractive 17 year old).
"Julie. Marc. Don't be rude. Say hello."
"Hey Gary," Julie blushed. She hadn't remembered her cousin being quite so attractive.
"Hey, G." Marcus had bonded with Gary the last time they had seen each other. They shared an interest in music and Marc was looking forward to jamming with his cousin again.
"Well, we'd best be on our way. We've got to stop and pick up your uncle at the church. He's helping to set up for bingo tonight. What d'ya say there, G?" She laughed at herself for trying to be cool and calling him "G". "Feel like joining us old-timers for a little bingo action?"
"I don't know. Sounds like it might be a little too exciting for me to handle." Marc and Julie chuckled.
"Oh, now don't make fun. Our bingo games can get quite rowdy!"
Gary laughed and thought to himself that maybe his visit wouldn't be all that bad as they headed out of the airport.
When Karen left her room to head out to work, she smelled the fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen. She rounded the corner and saw Stacey standing in her underwear with her new beau in a similar state of undress.
"Oh! I'm sorry. I...."
"Kare. Don't worry about it. It's not like we haven't seen each other naked before. And he's got boxers on. Come in and have a cup of coffee with us."
Karen only had a few minutes but she wanted to talk to Stacey before she left for work and this seemed like as good a time as any.
"Mornin', Josh."
"Hey, Kare. How's it goin'?"
"Not too bad," she replied as she poured herself a cup of coffee in her travel mug.
"You're off pretty early," Stacey chimed in.
"Yeah, I'm pickin' up an extra shift today."
"That's cool."
"Hey Stace," Karen said nervously. "I've got something I need to talk to you about."
"Okay? What's up?"
"Should I leave," Josh asked.
"No, no. It's all good." Karen turned her attention back to Stacey. "It's about Andrew."
"Uh oh."
"Well, kinda 'uh oh' but not really."
"I'm picking up a few extra shifts at work to try to pull in some more money so that I can afford Andrew's part of the rent."
"What?" Stacey was a little floored by Karen's forwardness.
"Yeah, I know. I should've talked to you about it first but I think that I can afford to pay it and I honestly can't see how he could possibly move back in here."
"Uhm...Kare, I don't know if this is the best time to talk about this." Stacey was completely unprepared for the conversation and honestly hadn't thought that far ahead. Karen was right. The two of them probably couldn't co-exist BUT she hadn't thought about all the logistics that much.
"Well, I just wanted to put the bug in your ear. I mean. It really does come down to him or me," Karen said very matter-of-factly.
"Wow. Uhm."
"I know," she interrupted and then kissed Stacey on the cheek. "Just somethin' to think about." Karen turned away and made a quick exit from the kitchen. "Buh-bye," she yelled from the living room and then closed the front door.
"Holy shit," Josh said. "That was pretty strange."
"Uhm...yeah! Here, Karen, have some coffee. Oh, and while you're at it, why don't you just DROP A MAJOR FREAKIN' BOMBSHELL first thing in the morning!"
Josh laughed. "How do you LIVE with her? She's been so Jeckyl and Hyde ever since this whole thing started."
"Well, put yourself in her shoes. Imagine if I suddenly told you that I slept with a chick."
"Can I watch?"
"Perv."
"And THAT is why you love me."
"Hardly."
"Ouch."
"Awww," she said making a silly, pouty face, "did I hurt your feelings?"
"You're such a pain in my ass."
"And THAT is why YOU love ME!" She said with a smile.
"Hardly," he mocked. She replied by sticking out her tongue.
"Don't stick it out unless you intend to use it."
She stuck it out further.
"Dirty girl!"
"Uh huh," she replied slyly.
"Now, THAT is why I love you."
"Oh yeah. Follow me, sexy. I'll show you just how dirty I can be!" She said as she ran down the hall to her bedroom and Josh chased after her.
===============
"And so, ladies and gentleman, that is why AmCorp Marketing & Distribution should be the company to introduce your product into America."
Derek had exuded the kind of poise and confidence of a seasoned professional during his presentation. He could tell that he had made an impression on his potential clients.
The CEO of the company was a rather striking young woman. She seemed to be about Derek's age. Her hair fell just below her shoulders and her beautiful eyes complemented her hair color perfectly. She paused just long enough to leave an awkward silence before addressing Derek.
"Well, I must say. I'm very impressed. Your company has represented some major clients and, if you can promise us the same results, I would be quite happy to begin contract negotiations."
"Our track record is virtually flawless and I'm extremely confident that your product would do quite well in the American market."
"It's all set then," she said as she rose from her chair and walked to Derek. She extended her hand to him. "You've just earned another client."
Derek shook her hand and smiled. "I promise you that you will not regret this decision, Ms. Gabriel."
"Let's hope not." A smile graced her face and she turned to escort Derek out. "Now let's go celebrate!"
The board of executives stood up from the table and followed them out of the room. Angela and Derek turned down one hall and Derek noticed that the rest of the board turned down another. When they were out of earshot, Angela leaned over to Derek.
"So," she said, "I have to ask. How old are you? OH, and don't call me Ms. Gabriel. It's Angela."
"Okay, Angela," Derek chuckled, "I'm 26."
"And, do you find that you have to really prove yourself to those that work under you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I've had to work very hard to get the respect of everyone in this office. They were all very skeptical when my father left the company to me in his will."
"Your father passed?"
"Two years ago. I was your age when I took over the company."
"Wow. I thought I was being loaded with responsibility just by coming here."
"You handled yourself very well. Personally, I hate putting on the corporate face. It's the 21st century for crying out loud. I would much rather have a casual-corporate environment. But, the board feels otherwise.
So, I'm trying to ease them into the idea."
"Gotcha."
"I think once some of the older board members retire, I'll be able to introduce some more changes."
They stopped at the elevator and she pressed the button to head to the ground floor.
"OH! I have to grab something out of my office," she exclaimed. "You can take this one down and I'll meet you in the lobby."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I'll be right back."
Derek stepped into the elevator and headed to the lobby. He decided he would take this opportunity to call his father and pass on the good news. Derek dialed the number as he stepped out into the lobby and his Dad was quick to answer.
"Hello?"
"Dad!"
"Der! How'd it go?"
"Well," he paused for effect, "we've got a new client."
"I KNEW you could do it!"
"Thanks, Dad."
"So. I have a little surprise for you. Kinda like a bonus for signing your first account."
"Really?" Derek got excited. "What is it?"
"The cabin," his father said plainly.
"What?" Derek was completely floored. He had expected his father to say something like "a check" or "a new stereo". He never expected the word "cabin" to be included anywhere in the conversation.
"Yeah. I'm signing the cabin over to you."
"Jesus. Dad. That's....one big bonus."
"This is one big account. And it's not like it doesn't come with a price."
"Okay?"
"Well, I still want you to be responsible for the place so you'll actually be purchasing it from me. I'll sell it to you for a very reasonable price and your monetary bonus from this deal will cover the down payment. So, you will still have an actual mortgage."
"That's awesome, Dad!"
"I want you to understand that you're genuinely buying this. It's not a gift. You've earned your bonus and you will make your payments or you'll lose the house. Plain and simple. The only real break that you're getting is that I'm knocking off a decent chunk of what I could actually sell it for. But I'd do that for any family member."
"I don't know what to say."
"Say that you're happy and that you understand what a great job you're doing."
"I am happy, Dad. Very happy. Happy that I made you proud."
"You most certainly did."
Angela walked up to Derek. He noticed that she had changed into a much more casual outfit and he suddenly felt very overdressed.
"Hey, Dad. I have to go. Angela and I are going out to celebrate."
"Angela, huh? On a first name basis, already? You turnin' straight on me?" his father laughed.
"No worries on that one," he laughed in return.
"You know I love you just the way you are."
"Likewise, Dad."
"Alright, I'll let you two go celebrate. Just don't get the new client drunk, okay?"
"Deal. I'll talk to ya' later."
"See you soon."
"Bye."
Angela smiled at Derek.
"Sorry," she said, "I just had to get out of that suit."
"Mind if I take off the tie?"
"No, no. Not at all. No need to stand on ceremony."
Derek loosened and removed his tie, stuffed it in his jacket pocket and took off his jacket as they headed out the door and into the beautiful air outside.
"So. How'd you like to get the tour of the city from a native?"
"I'd love to!"
And, with that, they headed out to explore the sites of Rome. Derek felt as though he were on top of the world. All that was missing was Andrew.
"SINNERS!" The preacher yelled. "All of us are sinners! Whether we sin in our thoughts or our actions, we are all sinners."
Gary rolled his eyes. Was this what he was going to have to endure for the duration of his trip?
"And, in today's sermon, I want to tackle an issue that has recently come to light in the news and in government. Let's talk about - the gay epidemic." The preacher's topic of choice garnered a few grumbles from the church as they all talked briefly amongst themselves as to how disgusting it was.
'Oh shit,' Gary thought to himself. It was as if the preacher knew Gary was there and that he was wrestling with this very issue.
"Homosexuals are threatening to demoralize our society. And, frankly," he continued, "it is an abomination. A very blatant slap in the face to the Lord himself."
"That's a tad extreme," Gary mumbled under his breath, prompting a strange look from his Aunt. Gary simply replied with a fake smile and then turned his attention back to the pulpit. The bible verses were being spewed out like vomit and Gary thought he just might do the same. He decided that now might be a good time to excuse himself to the bathroom.
As Gary stood up, he noticed another guy doing the same and they both turned to walk down the aisle at the same time. Gary walked past the bathroom and out the front doors of the church. The other gentleman followed.
They stood on the steps for a moment before the other guy broke the silence.
"What a load of horseshit, huh?"
Gary chuckled. "It is a little over the top."
"They make it sound like it's the most evil thing ever. And, what the preacher is failing to mention is that in some of those verses, it also talks about stoning your wife if she misbehaves or not mixing certain kinds of fabric in your clothing."
"Really?"
"Yep. You should read it. It's quite amusing."
Gary laughed again and the silence returned. He also felt a blanket of awkwardness sweep over the two of them before the other guy broke the silence again.
"Tom. Tom Wilson."
"I'm Gary."
"So," Tom paused, "are you....uh....seeing anyone?"
Gary was completely shocked at how forward his new acquaintance was being and didn't answer.
"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to assume. I just thought that..."
"No, no," Gary replied. "It's fine. I just...already have a boyfriend. And you just kinda threw me." Gary was shocked that he said he had a boyfriend. It just rolled out of his mouth without him even thinking.
"Oh! I'm sorry. Is he inside?"
"No, he's actually in New York."
"My wife's inside."
Now Gary was really shocked.
"Your wife? Dude. I think maybe you should go back inside."
"Great. Another one that's judging me. Just what I need. Thanks a lot, asshole." Tom turned and walked back towards the church. He hadn't heard the doors open and bumped into a teenager on his way back in. Gary hadn't heard the doors either and didn't even bother to turn around when Tom left.
Shortly after the church doors closed, a voice came from behind Gary.
"So," the voice said, startling Gary. When he turned, he saw his cousin standing there with a grin on his face. "Someone has a little secret."
"Shit. What the hell are you doing out here?"
"Mom sent me to find you. And it looks like I found more than I bargained for." He walked down to Gary and ran his finger down Gary's arm.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"Thinking about an arrangement we might come to."
"An arrangement? What are you talking about?"
"Well," he smiled, "I'm assuming that my Mom doesn't know about your little butt-fucking adventures."
"Jesus! What is with all of you people around here?"
"We just tell it like it is. Now, let's talk about the price of keeping me quiet."
"What is it that you want?"
His cousin looked him right in the eye, smiled devilishly and said, "Blowjobs, G. Regular blowjobs."
"You MUST be joking," Gary scoffed.
"Oh no. I'm not, dear cousin. I want head on a regular basis. Whenever I ask for it, your queer ass has to drop to your knees and worship my dick."
"WHAT THE FUCK!?!"
"What's the matter? Don't you want a piece of fresh meat?"
"I came here to sort all this shit out and, so far, within the course of one day I've had a preacher shoving religious propaganda down my throat, a random parishioner hit on me and my cousin blackmail me with sex."
"Welcome to Ohio."
"You're a little shit."
"Oh, you have no idea."
"So, does Aunt Mary know that you're gay?"
"I'm not gay," he laughed, "but I figure, a blowjob is a blowjob. Besides I'm getting sick of my sister giving me head all the time."
"WHAT? You really are a sick fuck."
"She's not my real sister. It's not like it's incest. And it's not like I don't return the favor."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this."
Gary saw the church doors open again and his Aunt appeared in the doorway. She looked rather pissed at the sight of the two of them standing there so casually.
"WHAT are you two doing out here," she yelled immediately after the doors closed behind her.
Gary stammered with an answer, "I...just...needed some air. It's stuffy in there. And I started to feel nauseous."
"And I was just making sure he was okay," his cousin chimed in. "He looked pale." Gary HAD turned a shade of milky white from all of the insanity he had just experienced. And, as his Aunt approached him she noticed the color of his skin.
"Oh, my dear! You don't look good at all! Why don't you sit down and stay out here until you feel better. But, YOU, need to get back in there," she said, addressing Marc.
"Yes, ma'am," he said sarcastically.
"Don't you get sassy with me, young man. Inside!" She put her hand on the back of Gary's head. "And, you, just sit down and relax. We'll be out in a bit."
"Thanks, Aunt Mare."
'How do I get myself into these situations?' Gary thought to himself.
"Andrew! How nice to see you again," Dr. Jenkins said as he walked in to see me and Dad sitting in the room. "And, Mr. Branson," he said as he shook my fathers hand.
I had been for my X-rays the day before and my Dad volunteered to take me to my appointment to see Dr. Branson. I was a little shocked but I guess it was all part of my Dad trying to show more of an interest in my life.
"How's it goin', Doc?"
"Not too bad. And things are looking up for you as well."
"Really? How so?"
"Well, let's just say that things are healing remarkably well. The x-rays look great and it looks like you're ahead of schedule in the healing process."
"That's awesome! How much time have we shaved off this stupid cast?"
"Quite a bit, actually. I'd say we can probably take the cast off and go with a less restrictive brace next week."
"That's awesome! I can't wait to get out of this stupid thing."
"I know. They're not fun," Doctor Jenkins said as he patted the cast gently. "I'll see you next week and as long as everything looks as good as it does today, we'll have that thing off of ya', okay?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Thanks, Doctor Jenkins," my Dad said.
"You're both very welcome. Take care."
We got up and followed the Doctor down the hall and into the reception area.
My Dad opened the door for me and I hobbled my way out to the car. I was getting pretty good with the crutches. A little too good if you ask me but I guess that's a good thing.
When we got settled in the car, Dad pulled away and we started to head for home.
"Hey, Dad."
"What's up?"
"Can I talk to you about something?" I couldn't believe I was going to attempt to talk to my father about Derek and Gary but I figured, 'what the hell, he wanted to be involved in my life.'
"Of course," he said with a smile.
"I'm really confused."
"About?"
"Derek."
"Why," he asked, looking at me in the rear view mirror. I had to lie across the back seat to accommodate my annoying cast.
"Well...before he left, he told me that he was in love with me."
"Wow. That's got to be a hard pill to swallow."
"Exactly! I mean, we've been best friends for how long now?"
"Gosh, years. Since you guys were kids!" Instantly, a flash of Derek & I as kids flashed in my fathers' memory.
"And now, all of a sudden, he says he's in love with me."
"And he said specifically 'IN' love?"
"Oh yeah, he was quite clear."
"So, how do you feel about all of this?"
"Good question. After everything that has happened with Gary, I just don't know what to think."
"Well, do you have any romantic feelings for Derek?"
"Well, kinda. I mean, a little. Shit. I don't know what I mean."
"Try to elaborate."
"He kissed me before he left." I saw my Dad wince a little at the thought of his son kissing another guy but he tried to hide it.
"And?"
"There was this electricity between the two of us that I hadn't felt before."
"Hadn't felt or hadn't acknowledged?"
I paused. I wasn't sure how to answer my father's question. Could it be that I had feelings for Derek all along but only treated them like a strong friendship.
"That's a good question, Dad. I don't know."
"Somethin' to think about."
"Yeah..."
"And, what about Gary? What's up with him?"
My Dad surprised me by actually continuing the conversation. He was so hard to read sometimes.
"He's complicated. More complicated than Derek and I."
"How so?"
"He has NO idea what he wants. One day he's telling me how much he loves me and the next day he's missing his girlfriend."
"Of course he's going to miss her. They've been together for a couple years."
"Yeah, but it's more than that. He MISSES her. I think," I said without thinking, "he just misses pussy." My father laughed. "Shit, Dad. Sorry. Didn't mean to be so blunt."
"It's fine. You certainly didn't offend me."
"Cool."
"So, it sounds like Gary has a lot of thinking to do."
"Definitely. And, in the meantime, he's just keeping me on a string."
"Well, how do you feel about him?"
"My feelings for him are surprisingly intense. I just don't know how practical of a relationship it is."
"Forget practicality for a second. When you say 'intense', what do you mean exactly? Is it intense in a puppy love, new relationship kind of way or is it a more lasting kind of intense?"
"I think part of it is infatuation. But, then there's also the fact that he's everything I would ever want in a man. With the exception of his indecision. I mean, he's strong, he's smart, incredibly handsome and wonderfully sweet when he wants to be."
"I sense a 'but' in there."
"You're right. He has hurt me so much already. And I know that this isn't going to be a quick process for him."
"Is he worth waiting for?"
"I can't answer that. Especially when I have someone like Derek just sitting in front of me."
"Meaning?"
"I don't want to lead Derek on and the possibility that something might blossom between the two of us is too nice to ignore."
"Sounds like you just answered some of your own questions."
I smiled. "Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?"
Dad smiled back at me.
"Dad?"
"Yeah, sport?"
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"For being here for me."
"I missed out on a chance to have a good relationship with you for years and years," he paused and looked back at his son. "I'm not about to let that happen anymore."
"It means a lot to me that you're trying so hard."
"I know that I'm not always the easiest person to talk to with all of this relationship stuff. I'm still getting used to the idea of your being gay. I don't always understand it but I'm trying."
"And that's all that matters in my book."
"I love you, kiddo."
"I love you too, Dad."
Dad and I continued our ride home in silence. The silence, however, was short-lived when my cell phone rang. It was Stacey.
"Hey, girl!"
"Wassup baby?"
"Not too much. Just left the doctors office."
"And?"
"And they said that I might be able to have this beast off my leg next weeks."
"Wow! That was quick."
"I know. But I'm not about to argue. And I'll still have to wear a brace."
"That shouldn't be too bad."
"Anything's better than this. So, what's goin' on?"
"Well, I kinda need to talk to you about something."
"Yeah, I have a few things to fill you in on too. But you go first."
"No, no," Stacey said. She was dreading this conversation. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss the living situation and she would delay it as much as possible. "I insist. You go first."
"Well, Derek called me this morning."
"And?" Stacey knew exactly where this was going but didn't want to let on.
"He told me that he's in love with me."
"Holy shit!"
"Yeah, tell me about it."
"So, what did you say to him?"
"I really didn't have much of a chance to say anything. He told me not to respond right away and to take some time to digest it all. He was calling from the plane."
"Wow."
"That's only half of it. Guess who called me next?" I didn't wait for her to answer. "Gary."
"Oy. I am so sick of hearing that name."
"Stace."
"Sorry. Let me rephrase. What did the little fucker want now?"
"I'll ignore the little fucker part of that question. He wanted to tell me that he loved me and he'll miss me."
"What a sack of horseshit."
"I don't know Stacey. He sounded somewhat genuine."
"He doesn't know how to sound genuine right now. He has his head permanently implanted up his ass. Even when he pulls it out, they only thing coming out of his mouth will be shit."
"Ouch!"
"Well, he deserves it. He has hurt two of the most important people in my life. And now he's driving a major rift between all of us."
"I can only imagine what it must be like living with Karen right now. How's she doing?"
"Slightly bi-polar but okay otherwise."
"Ick."
"Yeah, she's finally going to see a therapist. She's a little messed up over this whole thing and I think this will be the best thing for her."
"Good. So, what do you think about Derek?"
"I think you should jump him."
"STACEY!"
"Oh wait - I'm sorry - let me try again. Jump at the chance to be with him.
Yeah. That's what I meant."
"Whatever. I think you meant what you said the first time around."
"True enough."
"Seriously, though. I don't know what to do. I mean, I've been talking to my Dad about all of this and.."
"I'm sorry, what? Did you just say you were talking to your father about your homosexual affairs?" she said in a valley girl voice.
"Uhm, yeah." I responded in the same voice.
"Oh - my - god. Since when did your father develop an interest in your love life."
"Recently," I responded, returning to a more serious tone. "But we are digressing from the original subject. I was talking to Dad and I think we kinda came to the conclusion that Gary is no good for me and I should try things out with Derek."
"Wow! You two are virtual super sleuths! How on EARTH did you solve that little mystery?"
"Sarcastic bitch."
"Damn straight! Oh! Wait. I mean Damned Gay!"
"You're just insane, you know that, right?" I said as I laughed.
"Yes, the men in the white coats are knocking at my door as we speak."
"I believe it. Now, can you just be serious for two seconds."
"Ugh. If I must," she said with a sigh.
"What do you think of all of this?"
"Andrew, I can't tell you how you feel or what to do."
"I know that."
"You interrupted me."
"Sorry."
"That's fine. Now shutup."
I laughed as Stacey cleared her throat.
"As I was saying, Andrew. I can't tell you how you feel or what to do but, I can tell you that you and your father are right. Gary is no good for you right now and I'm not sure he ever would be. Derek, on the other hand, is perfect. He's got a good head on his shoulders, a good job and he knows you better than anyone else in the world. Including me. Which is scary."
"Can I speak now?"
"Do ya' have to?"
"Remind me why I talk to you again?"
"Because you love me!"
"Ahhh yes. Love. That evil four letter word."
"Yeah, I prefer Fuck. It's a much nicer four-letter word. So versatile. And functional! Josh and I just put that word to the test about an hour ago."
"Awww, come on."
"On my chest. Yep, he sure did. I think I'm still a little sticky."
"Could you be any more graphic?"
"You want a blow by blow," Stacey laughed.
"I think I'm going to ignore all of your silly comments from now on."
"Wow. We'll never speak again. Besides, it's entertaining and you know it."
"True." I decided I would, yet again, try to get serious. "So, do you really think I should try something with Derek."
"I think that when he comes back, the two of you should go on a date. An honest to goodness date. What can it hurt? See if there are any sparks."
"Wow, behind all that foolishness there really is a brain, isn't there?"
"Yes, I do have good ideas. They're few and far between but they do happen."
I gasped. "I think I might actually listen too."
"That'd be a first."
"That's enough outta you. Now, what did you have to talk to me about?"
Stacey's stomach dropped. She had forgotten that she was the one that had called me. Not the other way around.
"We don't really have to talk about it right now. You seem so happy."
"Uh oh. That implies that this will make me unhappy."
"Drew, I'm in a tough spot."
"Uh oh."
"Well, Karen confronted me about the living situation."
"Uh oh," my third 'uh oh' drew a look from my father.
"Stop saying that."
"Okay, then you'd better elaborate!"
"She basically said it's her or you."
"What do you mean? If I come back there, she's moving out?"
"Yeah."
"Shit."
"And, right now, she's agreed to pick up your half of the rent."
"WHAT?"
"And it doesn't seem right to take money from your parents if you're not actually living here."
"What the hell, Stace?"
"I can't afford to kick her out. I just can't."
"Well, I understand that but what right does she have to put you in that kind of position?"
"I know. It's so tricky. I wish things were simpler."
"What if I moved back in and I picked up my rent AND hers?"
"Jesus, Drew. Don't force me to make that kind of decision."
"Why not? She is!" Now I was starting to get angry.
"But I know you can't afford your rent AND hers."
"Not right now but I will be able to. And, besides, we can look for another roomie."
"Are you serious about this?"
"Maybe."
"I don't know, Andrew. I just don't know."
I felt betrayed. I had known Stacey longer than Karen had. Why would Stacey choose Karen over me? Why was there any confusion over this one? And then, it occurred to me.
"I'll talk to her."
"What?" Stacey paused. "Who?"
"Karen."
"Are you insane? She'll knock your teeth into the back of your throat just for fun."
"So I'll call her."
"She'll hang up on you."
"Well, this has got to stop. Gary hurt me too. We have something in common now."
"Not really, sweetie. She didn't steal Gary from you. You betrayed her, not the other way around."
"Whose side are you on here?"
"I'm not on anyone's side. I just see things the way they are. Karen has a right to be pissed at you."
"I know that."
"Then how can you expect her to get over it so quickly?"
"I don't. I just think we should start talking about it."
"Not a good idea, Drew. I'm tellin' ya'".
"So, what am I supposed to do, Stacey?"
"I don't know."
I half chuckled into the phone. "That's great, Stace."
"Don't blame me for what you did."
"I'm not blaming you!"
"No, but you're taking it out on me. You can mix our friendship with this apartment. You just can't. I have to pay the rent every month. It's in my name. I have to look out for what's best for me. It has nothing to do with our friendship."
"I'm sorry." I realized that she was right. And I also knew that there was no way I could afford to stay there if I had to pay 2/3 of the rent.
"I just don't want you to think I'm choosing her over you."
"I know."
"You'd better know that."
"I do."
"So, can't you stay with your parents for awhile?"
"I can. I just wish I didn't have to. And right now, there's no need to make any decisions. My stuff is staying there for awhile and my parents have already paid for this month. We've got time to figure this out."
"You're right, kiddo. Shit! Listen, she's pulling in right now. She's just getting back from her therapy appointment. I gotta go."
"Alright."
"We'll talk more about this later. I love you, sweetie."
"I love you too, Stace."
"Bye."
I hung up my cell and my Dad looked into the back seat.
"Everything okay?"
"Not really." I threw my cell phone across the car and it bounced off of my cast. An ironic reminder of why I was stuck in the back seat of the car. "I might be losing my home."
"Why? Your mother and I already paid your rent and have offered to do the same for at least another month!"
"That's what I said to her too. But apparently, Karen really doesn't want me to be there next month."
"Well, it's not Karen's decision. And if we're paying rent, you have as much of a right to that apartment as she does!"
"Exactly!"
"But, you know, of course, that if anything does happen, you're welcome to stay with us for as long as you'd like."
"I know. Thanks."
We pulled into the driveway and my Dad helped me out of the car. We went inside and I made my way into the living room.
"I'm gonna go call your mother and let her know how everything went."
"Alright."
"Why don't you give Derek a call and see how he's doing," my Dad said as he winked at me and then disappeared into the kitchen.
"I don't even know if he'll have service out there," I said out loud but to myself.
I picked up my cell and dialed his number.
Angela had taken Derek to a lovely café to discuss the details of the contract over lattes. They had spent the previous day sightseeing and Derek was thankful that he'd be able to give his tired legs a rest.
"So," Angela said to Derek, "do you have a girlfriend?"
Derek inhaled some of his latte and almost choked.
"Sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to make you choke!"
"It's fine. You just caught me off guard."
"Oh, I'm not trying to make a pass at you or anything."
"And, why not?" Derek said with a laugh and a smile.
"Because I," she said and then took a sip of her latte, "have a crush on someone else."
"A crush but not a boyfriend."
"No, not yet. I haven't even told him yet."
"Well," Derek said nervously. He always hated coming out to people. It just seemed awkward to work into a conversation. "We have something in common."
"What's that?"
"We both have boys that we have crushes on."
She laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"I thought you were too cute to be straight!"
Derek chuckled, "Now what is that supposed to mean."
"All the cute ones."
"That's very flattering."
"It's very true. You're adorable."
"Thanks. And, you're a very attractive woman! If I was batting for the other team, I'd totally be hitting on you right now."
"I think you should stick around."
"I'm sorry?"
"You're a boost to my ego. Therefore, you can stay."
"Ahhhh," he chuckled, "I see." And then his cell phone rang. "Excuse me for one second."
"Absolutely."
He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. When he saw "Drew" on the screen, his heart fluttered.
"Hey there gorgeous." Derek mouthed, 'it's him', to Angela and she smiled.
"Hi! I was afraid you wouldn't be able to get a signal out there."
"I've got service. It's just not in-network."
"Eeeew. I won't keep you very long then."
"No, no. I can talk for a minute or two."
"You busy?"
"Just having coffee with my new client."
"YOU GOT THE ACCOUNT!"
"I sure did."
"Congratulations!"
"Thanks," Derek couldn't stop the goofy smile from appearing on his face. He loved hearing the sound of Drew's voice.
"That's so awesome."
"Thank you. So, what's going on back in the states?"
"Oh not much. The doctor said my leg is healing really well."
"Great!"
"And Stacey just told me I have no place to live."
"Not so great."
"Yeah, tell me about it."
"What happened?"
"Karen doesn't want me there."
"So what! It's your place too."
"Yeah, but right now, she's the one with the money."
"Ohhhh. Have you made up your mind on whether or not you're going to sue the woman that hit you?"
"We filed all the insurance paperwork but haven't decided anything beyond that."
"So, what are you gonna do as far as the apartment goes?"
"Stay with my parents for awhile I guess."
"Everything will work itself out." Derek said, wishing he could make everything alright.
"I know."
Derek paused and then looked over to see Angela staring off into space. "Drew, I hate to cut you short but I kinda have to go."
"Oh, no, no. It's fine. I just...wanted to hear your voice."
"It's good to hear yours too," Derek felt his heart flutter again.
"I can't wait to see you again."
"I'll be leaving here in a few days."
"Call me sometime if you have a chance." It was my turn for the heart flutter.
"I will."
"Talk to you soon."
"I love you," Derek had ended his phone calls to me this way so many times before and yet, this time, it seemed to have a much different meaning.
"I love you too."
Derek hung up the phone and placed it in his pocket.
"Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear some of that. Is your friend okay?"
"Oh, yeah. He was in a pretty bad accident but he's doing okay healthwise. He's just having to deal with the ripple effect that the accident created in his life."
"I see."
Derek's face lit up. He allowed himself to run with the thought that had just popped into his mind and his smile grew even more.
"What're you smiling about," Angela inquired.
"I just got the most wonderful idea."