Second Chance, Chapter 7
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This story contains descriptions of love and sexual fulfillment between people of the same gender. If possessing or reading this kind of material is illegal where you live, please leave this site at once.
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Ch.7
After breakfast on Saturday morning, Scott called Tina to break the news and see how things would go. He dreaded listening to her reaction, but he didn't want to put it off any longer. Ben suggested that he use the phone with the answering machine in order to record the conversation for proof of her attitude in case it was needed. Ben put his ear next to Scott's while Eric and Josh picked up one of the extensions in order to listen also.
Tina sounded a bit annoyed about being disturbed before 9:00 but seemed eager for the opportunity to berate her ex for forcing their son to go on the trip.
"I hope he's alright! You had no business making him do something he didn't want to!"
"He's fine. He ended up loving nearly every minute once he got used to it. In fact, he and I have gotten to know each other so well that he wants to live with me."
"What did you promise him? He certainly wouldn't want to give up being here. You can't even begin to match the things I've given him. He'll have to give all that up including the car."
"I paid for half of that and it was a gift after all."
"Eric doesn't know that you did, so I'll give it to Tony. He's going to be my step-son in a few months anyway."
"Good Lord, NO!" Eric burst in. "He's as creepy as his father. You can't be serious."
"Eric, honey, is that you? Are you okay? Mama's missed her baby."
"Mother, please! How can you talk like that? You've just admitted that Dad paid for half of my car and not Mr. `Roman god' like you told me. You act like you care, but you haven't cared enough to see me in a play and you've only gone to two swim meets in the past year. Give me a break!"
"Eric, you've turned into a nasty little beast in just a week's time. I'm not sure that I want you living here, especially with your attitude toward Antonio. Has your father been giving you drugs and booze? What has he done to you?"
"He wouldn't even let me have a beer like you would have. And as far as drugs, the only narcotic he's given me is love and that's a powerful one."
"Tina, I've already talked to the judge and he says that Eric is old enough to choose where he wants to live. He can even decide whether or not he wants to spend two weeks with you each year. There's essentially nothing that you can do about it. You might as well not risk alienating him altogether by making us sue for the car. I have a good lawyer who's advising me and says he'll take the case pro bono."
"Well, it's probably just as well not to have him underfoot," Tina said. "It will make my marriage to Antonio much smoother. Eric simply refuses to be nice to Tony, and Tony is such a sweet boy."
Eric put his fingers toward his mouth in a gesture that implied gagging.
"Your `Sweet' Tony sent me copies of your email love notes to your precious Antonio. I can forward them, or would you like me to describe what you said you wanted to do to him next time you shared a room at a convention?"
There was dead silence on the other end of the phone for a whole minute. The line was still open, so they knew she hadn't hung up.
"Okay, you can have the damned car and all your other shit, but I want you to destroy those emails."
"Not a chance," Eric countered. "I'll be there to get my `shit' and I'll keep the emails until everything is settled at least. Then, you'd better pray that I don't give them to Sweet Tony's mother so she can really put the screws to Antonio."
"Okay, I'll sign whatever papers I have to and you come as soon as possible. The quicker your crap is out of here the better!"
Then Tina slammed down the receiver.
"Bravo!" Ben cheered. "Eric, you did a wonderful job. Have you considered becoming a lawyer? You put her on the run and didn't let up. You knew all the buttons to push."
"Yeah, but it still hurts. Did you see how quickly she turned from acting like an overprotective, indulgent mother to wanting to be rid of me? It's like I'm garbage to be put out on the curb."
"Don't take it personally, Son. Your mother has always turned on people who didn't agree with her. It's just her way. She'll come around later."
"Right now, I couldn't care less!" Eric exclaimed. "She's never been very affectionate, but this is over the top."
Josh came up behind Eric and hugged him. He hated to see his buddy hurting. Josh had lost his mother, but had never lost her love. Poor Eric had his mother, physically, but not emotionally. Losing his mother that way must be worse than losing her to death.
Some wag is quoted as having said: "When the going gets tough; the tough go shopping." And, that's what the guys did to lighten the mood. They went to a furniture shop to pick out new beds and mattresses. The adults got a king sized unit with two remotes that allowed them to raise various parts of the bed like the ones in hospitals.
The boys settled on matching queen sized mattresses and headboards that they agreed were their favorites. They figured that it would be easier to move from one to the other if both appearance and comfort level were the same.
"I think we'll be bed-hopping a lot," Josh whispered to Eric when the clerk was out of earshot.
Both boys went into fits of laughter. It wasn't that funny, but the fact that Josh had quickly run a wet tongue in Eric's ear after he said it helped add to the hilarity of their secret exchange.
Josh was relieved to hear Eric laugh. He was going to do whatever it took to make him forget his mother's cold-hearted, erratic behavior. He assumed that Eric would have moments of sadness, but he was determined to stand by him and make him feel better.
Because the furniture store had been suffering from the stagnant economy, the owner was bending over backwards to make her customers happy. She gave the men excellent prices and offered to have the things delivered that very afternoon.
It didn't hurt her to do it because her delivery men had little better to do than sweep out the truck and try to look busy. They were actually happy to have something constructive to do.
Because of the good deals they were getting, Ben purchased a couple of new dressers that matched the boys' beds. He would put the old ones in the rental apartment. He could have gone bargain hunting for used things for his tenants, but considering the time and gas it would consume, this seemed like a better way to go.
Scott said that he'd treat if someone could recommend a good spot for lunch. They soon made their way to a little mom and pop's place that served homemade soup and sandwiches. Everyone got filled up.
"Now that we're not starving, it might be a good time to stock up at the grocery store," Ben suggested. "We can do that and still get home before the furniture is delivered."
With the help of their sons, the men filled a grocery cart in no time. The boys made healthy choices because they had learned the dangers of eating too much junk food. They both respected their bodies and didn't want to become part of the statistics on obesity or circulatory problems later in life.
The latter part of the afternoon was taken up with rearranging furniture and setting up their bedrooms. Fortunately, the store had thrown in a set of sheets for the king sized bed so that the men didn't have to make another shopping trip. There were a couple of queen sized bedding sets in the linen closet which would do fine until the boys decided on color schemes.
Eric settled back on the new bed in the room that was to be his. He still needed to shop for a comforter and window treatment, but he had a great mattress and a loving guy in the next room. Right now, he was waiting for Josh to return from the bathroom and join him.
The two snuggled close together and soon fell asleep. They would have another photo for their memory album because Scott tiptoed in to take their picture.
The weekend went too quickly for all concerned. They had a fantastic time together which certainly didn't hold back the hands of time. Josh said that they should have chosen really boring things to do to slow it down. However, he had to admit that nothing he did with Eric turned out to be dull.
They didn't do anything extraordinary. They went to church on Sunday morning and spent the afternoon at the local city swimming pool. Then Josh took Eric to see the school and the park.
At the pool, several girls that knew Josh came over to check out the hot new guy who was with him. They assumed that Eric was his cousin and neither boy corrected their impression. It did amuse them that the girls were flirting so actively when there wasn't going to be any future in it.
Garret, another guy from Josh's swim team came over to hang with them after seeing them swimming together. He was very friendly and was excited to hear that Eric would be going to their school in the fall.
"We can always use another swimmer! We have a good record and you could help us become a powerhouse."
Eric had the feeling that he was going to like it here. He seemed to be fitting in with kids that Josh knew. Now, if they could just keep their sexual orientation under wraps...
All too soon, it was Monday morning. Eric and Scott got up pretty early in order to make the drive back to Scott's home in time to do their grocery shopping and to confirm that all-important appointment with the judge.
It was interesting to see how cheerfully Eric faced the day. He didn't grumble when the alarm went off. He had set it for 15 minutes before he had to get up so that he and Josh could say their personal goodbyes in the shower. Sex is a great motivator!
Scott marveled at the transformation that his son had gone through. He was pleased to see that Eric had not gone back to being grouchy in the morning. He had half expected that he might. The "new" Eric was an absolute delight to be around anytime of the day.
Ben prepared a big breakfast for his guests before he had to leave for the office. Everyone would be leaving but Josh.
Scott and Ben hugged and kissed openly in the drive behind the house. Josh and Eric were hugging, but holding back on the kissing at first. They pulled back slightly looking each other in the eyes and grinning. Then their lips met in a kiss worthy of a newly married couple.
"Wow, I hope that holds you until you come back," Josh joked. "Don't forget to IM me as soon as possible. I'll check my laptop around noon."
Alone in the house, Josh ascended the stairs to his studio. He had an inspiration for a picture that he wanted to work on before it dimmed in his memory. Of course he had digital pictures to help him, but he didn't think that they really captured what he wanted to paint.
He set the alarm in his watch for 12:00 so that he wouldn't miss getting on his computer in case Eric was back at his dad's in time to IM. Josh was missing him already.
He chose one of the large Masonite panels that he had prepared with a mixture of gesso and pumice. The sandpaper-like finish was perfect for pastels. With a piece of charcoal, he laid out a tentative composition. Then he opened his case of Rembrandt pastels and began to apply color.
Josh worked rapidly, blocking out the main colors and values and then slowed down as he began to work in details. He was so lost in the process that he jumped when his alarm went off. He couldn't believe that nearly four hours had passed.
He turned away from his work and descended the stairs to his room where he picked up his laptop. From there, he went down to the kitchen to prepare lunch from the leftovers of last night's dinner. The medium rare roast beef would make an awesome sandwich on the bakery whole wheat bread they'd picked up at the grocery.
While Josh had been working on his painting, Eric and Scott were on the road. Scott thought that he should drive until they got out of city traffic, but Eric scoffed at the notion.
"I've driven in downtown Chicago, Dad. Do you think traffic here is going to scare me?"
Scott smiled and handed over the keys. He was so relaxed with his son behind the wheel that he fell asleep before they were even halfway across the city.
Eric was pleased that his father trusted him to that extent. He was finding that he loved this man more by the day. He regretted that he had spent years believing the lies his mother had fed him. It wasn't that he had accepted them whole-cloth, but he had been too spoiled by the things she had bought him to confront her.
A couple hours later, Scott was driving and Eric was napping. Both of them had removed their shirts in order to catch a few more rays on the way home.
Scott glanced over at his sleeping son and marveled at the way the young man was developing. His muscles were nicely defined, especially his abs. Scott envied him that, because he had gotten a bit soft around the middle. He'd have to join Ben's health club to see if he could find his six-pack.
Eric cried out in his sleep mumbling something about his mother that Scott couldn't quite understand. He felt bad for Eric. No boy should be treated like he had been by Tina when she turned on him. Scott would do his best to make up for her lack of genuine affection.
It seemed as if Tina had regarded their son as a trophy to prove that she had come out the winner in the divorce. If she had him, then she came out on top. Now that she had moved on to other victories, Eric was expendable. That had to hurt!
Before Josh had finished eating his first sandwich, he got a message from Eric. He quickly responded. The two IM-ed for several minutes before both paused to fix more food.
It was great to know that Eric had arrived safely and that he would be going before the judge on Wednesday. It would be another step toward bringing the boys together. Josh could scarcely wait.
Having finally signed off around 1:00, Josh went back up to put a few finishing touches on his work. He reduced the focus on background details by softening their value contrasts. Then he punched up a few highlights on the figure and face to draw attention to what was most important in the composition. When he stepped back to look at it again, he was pleased and surprised. Eric looked like a Greek god kneeling on one knee dipping a small pan into the lake. Josh had posed his nude lover in a way that didn't show his genitals, but certainly displayed his lean, muscled physique beautifully. It couldn't be termed pornographic, but it bordered on being erotic. Anyone who appreciates a toned, male body would be pleased to have this life-like painting hanging on the wall.
"Wow, I've never done anything this good," Josh said to himself. "I guess it's the subject matter. God, I love you, Eric!"
Eric indulged in one of his favorite pastimes in the afternoon. He sat at his laptop writing in his journal about the trip and about how it had affected him. He didn't leave anything out including the intense anger that he had felt toward his father in the beginning. He wrote about Josh most of all. He recorded in detail their conversations and sexual play. He thought that some of his musings could be worked up as a young adult short story. Of course, he would have to censor a number of things if it were. A smile crossed his face as he envisioned the reaction on some teacher's face if he used it "as is" for an essay on -- "What I Did on My Summer Vacation." Eric thought that "Whom I Did on My Summer Vacation" would be a better title!
Scott was busy on his computer too. He had caught up on some of his work while at Ben's house, but needed to put in a few concentrated hours in order to have free time to work on the house. He hated to be holed up in his office away from his son, but he had no choice, especially if he was going to be ready to meet with the judge on Wednesday. He wasn't sure how he was going to find time to make dinner. He decided that he'd better discuss this with his son.
"Eric, would you mind making our supper tonight? If you'd rather not, we can go out. I'm sorry, but I'm really overloaded right now."
"Not a problem, Dad," Eric replied. "I'll check the freezer and see what I can whip up. It won't be fancy, but it'll keep us from starving."
Scott was not expecting the succulent aromas that were wafting toward him from the kitchen. He could barely concentrate on the last of his work.
Twenty minutes later, Eric told him to wash up and come to the table. Scott smiled at the reminder to wash his hands. How grown up Eric sounded -- just like a father.
Eric's "not fancy" meal turned out to be chicken crostina made from a recipe that he'd found on the Internet. There was a large salad and hot garlic bread that he'd made from a loaf of French bread that he'd discovered in the back of the freezer. Eric had even opened a bottle of white wine that he had iced to a perfect temperature. He poured a glass for his father and looked hopefully at the empty goblet by his own place.
"Okay, you may have a small glass with dinner. Just don't get in the habit of it. Alcohol messed me up and cost me a lot of time that I could have had with you. Don't fall into the same trap."
"Thanks, Dad, I'll be good. I promise!"
Eric reveled in the praise that his father heaped upon him for his cooking. It was all genuine and from the heart. Scott had not tasted Italian food of this quality since his visit to Italy the summer after his college graduation. Eric had a gift.
"I would have searched for something authentic like gelato for dessert if I'd had the time. You only have vanilla ice cream in your freezer and it looks like it's seen better days."
"I'll clear the table and fill the dishwasher and we'll go out to a place I know that has lots of flavors of ice cream. It's the least I can do after this exquisite dinner," Scott insisted.
Scott made good on his promise. After the two of them had had their dessert, Scott treated Eric to a movie that he knew his son wanted to see. On the way home, he let Eric drive.
Authors notes:
Here is a link to the recipe that Eric used when he cooked his awesome dinner.
http://www.elementarychef.com/olive-garden-chicken-crostina/
Thanks to all who wrote since last posting: Jim W, Jim C, Baruch, Paul L, Paul R, Tom A, Greg, Chea, Danny F, Mike, Polar, Rick M.
A special thanks to my editors who work diligently to find typos and unclear sentences. I also bounce ideas off of them and they help clear up passages that need reworking.