As always, without my proofreaders, George and Meg, this story wouldn't be ready for you guys to read. They are my lifeline to keep me as correct as possible when it comes to grammar and punctuation. You guys are the best—Thank you!
To you, the readers, thanks for hanging in there for another chapter. I've been on a writing frenzy lately, and I hope to keep it going. Almost done with chapter 13 and hope to have it out in a couple more weeks. So, keep checking back.
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As always, I hope you guys enjoy the latest chapter. Thanks, again.
The Boy Who Cried Sapphire Tears -- Part 12
The remaining days of Christine and Don's visit flew by. Blake no longer had his cousins to introduce them to since they have already moved to Los Angeles. So they spent the weekend they had together just visiting the town of Missoula and looking through the antique shops, something Christine enjoyed doing, but something Blake and Don only tolerated. It made her happy, and that's what counted to both of them. Sunday afternoon, Don and Christine packed everything that wasn't necessary for the following day.
After dinner, Don and Blake went to the lake for a swim, and when they returned, sat on the front porch with Mama, Papa and Christine. More stories were told from Mama about many a time in the drag era of her life that left everyone howling with laughter. Papa, on the other hand, told stories from the audience's perspective before moving on to tell a couple of interesting, yet edge-of-your-seat, war stories. Hearing one of their stories was like stepping back in time. They gave so much detail that it was hard for Blake to pull himself away to go to bed, but he knew he had to go. After listening to the umpteenth story that night, Blake got up and told everyone goodnight. Don and Christine wanted to be at the airport by eight, and Blake said had he would take drive them.
When he got in his room, he had just settled down when Todd called him.
"Hey, Puppy," Blake said, answering the phone.
"How are ya tonight?" Todd asked.
"Good, just tired. Had a great visit with Mom and Dad and now I don't want them to leave. I miss them, and I miss home, but most of all, I miss you," Blake said wearily.
"I know, Baby, I miss you, too. But you'll be here in a couple of months. It's just around the corner," Todd said.
"Which reminds me: I need to let them know my vacation week. Let me know what week works for you."
"I will," Todd said. "So, tell me what y'all did today."
Blake recounted his day with Christine and Don and then they moved to other topics. The call didn't last long, they just wanted to hear each other's voice, more than anything, and Todd promised to call on Monday, if he didn't get a chance, explaining that he and Robert might go and catch a movie and dinner tomorrow night. They said their "I love you's" and hurried off to sleep.
Blake took Christine and Don to the airport, said goodbye to them, wishing them a safe flight. As he walked back to his car, found he had pools of tears in his eyes. He had missed them greatly, and was sad to see them go. He gave a small laugh at the ridiculousness of his crying, seeing as he just spent five days with his parents. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, and moved off to watch the plane take off. When he could no longer see it, he turned and headed back to work.
After work, he has just finished his shower and came back to his room and found five missed calls—all from Todd. He immediately got worried, because there was no voicemails or text messages. Thinking something bad had happened to Christine and Don, he dialed Todd's number and waited with baited breath.
"Oh, my God! You are not going to believe what happened!" Todd said in lieu of a greeting.
"What? What?" Blake asked, fear melting into confusion at the excitement he heard in Todd's voice.
"I was out playing basketball with Ro—"
"Does this have anything to do with Mom and Dad?" Blake asked, getting to the heart of it.
"No, why?"
"You scared me half to death. Don't ever call me five times in ten minutes and not leave a message or a text! I thought their plane went down or something and you were frantic," Blake scolded.
"I'm sorry, Baby," Todd said, hearing Blake's concern. "I heard from them earlier. They made it home okay. But this thing happened to me."
Finally able to breathe properly, again, Blake said, "Okay, what happened?"
"Okay, I was out playing basketball with Robert and a couple other guys when..."
"Swish!" I said, looking at Lucky.
"Lucky shot," he told me, as he was on the other team.
"Bullshit!" I looked over at Tony and said, "That was skill, right?"
"Of course," Tony answered with a huge smile.
The four of us played for an hour or so, then this guy walked up to the fence and started snapping pictures. We noticed him, but paid him no mind. There we were, all four of us shirtless and sweating, and he was taking pictures. At first, I thought he was just a dirty old man, but after about ten minutes, he stopped shooting us and just watched. About five minutes later, unbeknownst to Robert, one of his shoes came untied and as he got the ball, he tried to move his left foot, only to find it wouldn't go anywhere, and he fell over, throwing the ball toward the guy.
Keith went to get it, and when he stood up, he looked like he was talking to the guy. Then a second later, he looked back at us, and then came jogging over.
"That guy wants to talk to you," he said, looking at me.
"What for?" I asked.
"He said something about a job," Keith answered.
I looked between the guys, back to the man, and then back to the guys. "No matter what money he offers, I'm not sleeping with him." They started laughing.
I grabbed the ball from Keith and dribbled it for a second, watching the guy. I couldn't decide if I wanted to find out what he wanted to tell me, or continue playing ball. He started motioning me toward him, and finally, curiosity got the better of me. Throwing the ball back, I said, "If I'm not back in ten minutes, send a search party."
I walked the twenty or so feet, and when I was in earshot, he greeted me and asked, "You got about ten minutes or so to spare? I want to talk to you about a possible job. Name's Marvin Boggins."
"Has this got anything to do with sex?" I asked, getting straight to the point.
"Are you kidding?" He asked, wide-eyed and flabbergasted. "My wife would beat the shit outta me if she thought I was out looking for sex...especially with a guy, seeing as how I'm straight."
"Then, whatcha want with me?" I asked, confused.
"I'm a scout. So, you got ten minutes, or what?" Marvin asked, exasperated.
Curiosity, again, got the better of me and I nodded my head.
"Here, let's sit and talk for a minute," Marvin said, pointing to a bench nearby.
I started walking down the fence to meet him and asked, "What kinda scout?"
"Models," he answered.
"Models?" I repeated, still confused.
We got to the bench and sat. I straddled the stone bench as he sat facing forward.
"I've been hired by a company who is looking for a fresh new face for a clothing line. I've been traveling around the city looking for, as they said it, `stunningly beautiful men with muscle.' Do you know how hard it is to find that when you're a straight guy?"
Todd smiled and said, "Actually, it's pretty easy. I see tons of 'em every day."
"On the prowl, huh?" Marvin grunted.
"Nah, I gotta boyfriend, but it's still nice to look."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," he said. "Look at that honey there," he said, distracted. His eyes followed a twenty something girl in a sports bra and very short shorts as she jogged past. Shaking his head, he looked back. "Anyway, I've found a few guys here and there, and after getting a few pictures, some of them were good, others not so much. I introduced myself, like I'm doing with you and told them what I'm about to tell you."
He took a breath and started. "Like I said, a new company has hired me to find some guys. They didn't tell me what the clothing line is, only that they wanted fresh faces of normal' people," he used air quotes as he said the word normal. "They aren't looking for professional models—they want a new face. They want their product to be seen as affordable for everyone and I guess they think a normal' everyday guy can help portray that."
"Okay, you don't know what the clothing line is. Do you know the salary?" I asked, questioning.
"Nope, only said it would be worth it. They're looking for one guy now, exclusive to them for the first year, or something like that. Maybe looking for a second one later. Guess they want to see if their product takes off first."
"I've never modeled before," I said to Marvin.
"Doesn't matter," he said, grunting again.
He had two cameras hanging around his neck, both of them on the left side of his very large belly. As I sat there and watched him, thinking about what he was telling me, I saw him lick his lips. Thinking he saw another girl, I turned, but realized it must have been food he was craving at that point.
"So, whadda ya say?" Marvin asked, looking back at me.
"If I say yes, how does this work? What's next?"
"I'll be looking around for the rest of the week. They want me to find at least twenty five possibilities. The more guys I find and bring back to them, the more money I make, so you can best be sure, I'll be out all week. Plus, I get a bonus if I bring in the winning guy."
"So, you're not the only scout then?" I asked.
"Nope. Got five of us lookin'. So...at least a hundred and twenty five guys to show 'em. Don't expect any will be dups, so the field'll be big. Anyway, next week, we turn in our finds and their information, and that's all for us. Next, they'll be going through what we got and sortin' `em into piles, I expect. Then in another week, I guess, if they want to see you in person, they'll call you. How old are you, anyway?"
"Twenty one last month," I said, proudly.
"Good, perfect age," Marvin said. "So, you interested?"
I looked over at the other three, still shooting baskets and thought about what it might mean. Then I thought of another question.
"Is it a national campaign?"
"'S far as I know."
Marvin kept his eyes on me and I thought about how cool it'd be to be a model, just once. I never thought I was attractive enough, but Marvin thought otherwise. Or maybe it's just my muscle talking. I looked around again, thinking of Blake's reaction if he saw me in a magazine or something and it made me smile.
`Holy shit, Todd. You're in "GQ"!' and then he'd go on telling me how good looking I am, as he does often, while showing me my own picture in some magazine as proof of what he's always been telling me. I would smile at him, try to grab the magazine out of his hand, to which he would promptly get up and get out of my arms' reach, while continuing to praise me. Then, in the briefest of moments, where there was a lag in his explanation, I would get up, tell him how he is much better looking than I and how it should be him in that magazine instead of me. Before he could protest, as I most certainly see he would do, I would grab him and silence him with my lips against his own.
I wanted this moment.
"Yeah, I'm interested." `If only to see Blake's face!' I thought. "What do I need to do?"
"Great!" He reached in his camera bag and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Fill this out while I check my cameras."
I filled out the information and contact sheet and waited while he refilled his Polaroid camera with film. When he was done, he asked me to stand.
"No need to smile for this one, if you don't want. Just goes with the sheet, there," he explained, snapping the picture.
When the instant picture fluttered out of the front, he grabbed it and laid it on the sheet. Taking that camera off, he moved away from the bench and had me stand on it. He took a couple of shots of me looking around, acting normal. Then he had me look serious, which was hard to do being shirtless and covered in sweat. A couple more, asking me to give a sexy look, which I think I failed at, miserably. Put Blake in front of me, and I'm sure I could have, but with Marvin my only focus, it was difficult.
"Want me to put my shirt on for a few?" I asked.
"Nah. They want muscle. Might as well show it to `em."
After a few more clicks, he told me he got what he needed. He walked up next to me, turned his back on me and started flipping through the pictures. Either Marvin knew how to work a camera, or I wasn't looking half bad today. My hair was a mess, matted in some places because of the sweat, and then spiky in every different direction in other places where I ran my hand through it.
My yellow basketball shorts gave away a bulge that I wasn't intending to show, but then, that's what boxer-briefs do for me. I hope it doesn't turn them off to me as a candidate. My body shown fairly nice with a tan and my flawless skin, to which I have always been thankful, looked...well...flawless. All in all, I took some great pictures today. And I think, if I'm chosen, it could be a lot of fun.
Blake had not said a word through Todd's entire story. He hung on every syllable, wanting to hear more, and becoming more excited the more he heard. When he finally realized that Todd finished, he could barely speak.
"They're gonna choose you. They have to!" Blake said, enthusiastically.
"Well, I'm not getting my hopes up, just in case. Although, it would be kinda exciting, I think."
"Yeah. Then I can show everyone an ad in some magazine and say, `That's my boyfriend.'"
"You wouldn't," Todd said, teasingly.
"Hell yeah, I would. You wouldn't be embarrassed, would you?" Blake asked, cautiously, thinking there wasn't any way possible that Todd would be embarrassed about anything.
"Nah, probably not. I can just picture myself modeling suits."
"Yeah, well, you look sexy in a suit," Blake said, smiling as he said it.
"When have you ever seen me in a suit? I never wore a jacket on our dates," Todd asked.
"I know it was a sad day, but I couldn't help but notice—Bobby's funeral."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. God, he'd never let me hear the end of it. `You—a model? Who're they kiddin'?' That's what he'd say," Todd explained and gave a laugh.
"Well, I think they'd be crazy not to choose you. Especially if it's underwear they want you to model."
"Oh, God. I don't know if I could do that. I'd be showing too much."
"Yeah, right. If it's underwear, you got the perfect ass and cock and balls for it. You fill out underwear superbly! Makes my mouth water every time."
Instinctively, Blake's hand started running over his crotch, remembering what Todd looks like in underwear...and less.
"You're touching yourself, aren't you?" Todd asked, laughing.
"Can't stop thinking of you. You get me so excited."
"Well, then, how about you imagine me with you in the bed, my hands running over your body, finally grabbing you by your hard shaft and giving you a few pumps."
Blake closed his eyes and imagined what Todd was saying, and trying to remember the feel of Todd's hands over his skin.
"Please, don't stop," whispered Blake.
They talked for another twenty minutes, saying sexy and dirty things to each other, helping each other to a wonderful climax. As soon as Todd grunted his final grunt, Robert came in from the bathroom, drying his hair. He smiled over at Todd and continued drying himself. They hung up three minutes later—Blake in his empty bed and Todd with his arms wrapped around Lucky.
As their sophomore year was coming to a close, Todd and Robert mentioned their apartment to a few people and how they were looking for roommates. Before the semester ended, and he headed off to Montana, Todd, along with Robert, interviewed the possible candidates in preparation for the next year. From the interviews they gave, Keith and Tony were their first two picks—and a few problems followed with other interviews—before they found the last two worthy candidates.
Keith was twenty, a sophomore at NYU studying law. He comes from a very affluent family in Massachusetts, where his father is mayor of a small town outside of Boston, with the ambition to move into state politics, then maybe, just maybe, one day, he might be a United States Senator. His mother is and always has been a stay at home wife. With him being the youngest of three, an older brother and sister, both having graduated college already, he was the last to leave the family nest. He is straight and has a girlfriend back home. He stands about five foot eight inches with blonde hair, brown eyes, swimmer's build and very athletic. Played baseball, basketball and soccer in high school. He, like Todd, always wanted to live in New York, and figured, why not do it going to school?
When Keith first walked in the apartment for the interview, he was amazed at what he saw, but his amazement dispersed and he took control of the meeting, at least, for the first few minutes. Having been told by Robert about the place, Todd found he was a bit arrogant, but not in that annoying kinda way. Todd could tell that Keith liked to be in control of things, without controlling them, if that makes any sense.
"So, which room is for rent?" Keith asked.
Todd gave a smile and said, "We got two rooms for rent, but they're both made for two guys. They're like dorms, only with a bigger common room."
"You mean, you're charging a thousand to share a room?" Keith asked, with a little attitude.
"This apartment costs $7500 a month. A friend of mine owns it and the building. He's giving us a discount," Todd explained, keeping his irritation under control. "How much is your dorm?"
"$13,500—"
"And that's for only nine months," Todd supplied, cutting Keith off. "This is $12,000 for a full year. Over the summer, you won't have to move out and Pax has agreed to a discount of half price for the three months."
"Really?" Keith asked, showing surprise for the first time.
"Yup," Robert piped up, and added, "and after Todd leaves, Pax has offered us a discount if we stay in the city and wish to live in the building."
Once Keith finally agreed that it was a fair deal he was being offered, they continued with the interview. The only other time Todd found Keith's arrogance coming through is when he wanted to be honest and let Keith know about Blake.
"So, you're gay?" Keith asked.
"Yeah," Todd said. "Blake comes to visit every October for a week. Are you gonna have a problem with any of this?"
"As long as you don't touch, we'll get along fine," Keith said.
At that point, Todd's boiling point was hit. Thinking he was giving a low blow, he responded, "Yeah, like you're the one guy that every person in the world wants to touch. Anyway, if I did, you'd be my bitch, whether you liked it or not."
Todd stared, waiting for a retaliatory comment, but was surprised when he saw Keith wearing a small smile. "I like you. You're tough, got a good personality, and aren't afraid to say what you're thinking. I like honesty, and if you both agree, I'd like to be considered as a roommate."
Robert was just as surprised with Keith as Todd was. They were both expecting a completely different response, but instead, Keith kinda put them in their place with his answer. They looked at each other and Todd turned back to Keith and said, "We'll make a decision in a couple weeks. We still got a few more interviews to give."
"Sounds good." Standing, Keith added, "It's good to meet you. Robert's mentioned you a couple times. It's good to finally put a face with the name."
Todd looked at Robert, puzzled, then reached for Keith's outstretched hand. "Yeah, you too." Before Keith pulled away, Todd added, "If we're being honest, try and lose the arrogance. We're both down to earth guys looking for the same. There doesn't need to be any competition between anyone here."
"Yeah, people have told me that, but it's not arrogance, it's confidence."
"Confidence? You told me not to touch you just because you found out I'm gay."
"Hell, I didn't mean it. I just did that to get a reaction, and you're reaction was honest. That's what I was looking for."
"So," Todd said, thinking. "Does that mean I can touch you?"
For the first time, in Todd's and Robert's presence, at least, Keith faltered and was speechless. He opened his mouth, but then closed it. As he opened it again, Todd cut him off. "It's cool, dude. I was just fuckin' with ya. I got Blake and that's all I need."
Relieved, Keith turned and headed to the elevator. After he left, they were staring at each other, still looking confused.
Later that afternoon, they had an interview with another guy named Tony. He was a friend of Todd's from his English class. Tall and black, standing about six foot one inch with black hair and brown eyes. He was also straight, but didn't have a girlfriend at home or in the city—as of yet, he kept saying. He hailed from Detroit and wanted to get out of that city. His dad works at the Ford factory and his mom is a secretary to an accountant. Even though his parents brought in decent money, they could never seem to move too far away from the ghetto, as he called it, until recently. They caught up on all their bills and wanted to get somewhere they weren't afraid to call home. In Tony's senior year of high school, they moved to the suburbs of Detroit and Tony started applying for scholarships and assistance for college. With his grades, his wish was granted when he got accepted at NYU. He didn't know his major yet, but was working on his core, thinking about a major and switching it, in his head, at least, every other week.
His interview was pretty smooth. No bumps on Todd's or Robert's end, but Tony felt he gave an awful impression to Robert. Knowing Todd, it was easier to talk to him. He was a bit shy around Robert for the first ten minutes, before he finally seemed to relax a bit. He understood the arrangement and didn't have a problem with it. He only voiced that he wanted a roommate who was courteous enough not to throw parties while he was studying. The only hitch in the plan was the price. Todd really liked Tony and Robert was beginning to like him too. In response to the price, Tony's features fell with disappointment.
"Not sure I can afford that. My mom and dad only have to pay about $6000 a year with all the assistance I get from the school. A thousand a month will be too much."
Looking at Tony, Todd made a quick decision and said, "Let me talk to Pax and see if there is anything he can do. Don't go signing any other leases yet. I want you in this apartment. We get along great in class, and I know we'd get along well as roommates."
"Okay. Any idea when you'll be able to get back to me?"
"This afternoon. I'll talk to Pax and as soon as I can get an answer out of him, I'll give you a call back."
"Thanks, Todd," Tony said, reaching for his hand. "I really appreciate this. I wanna live here...it's too awesome." Releasing Todd's hand, he reached for Robert's. "I look forward to getting to know you better, too."
"Yeah, bro, you too. You like basketball?" Robert asked.
"Is the Pope Catholic?" Tony asked, dripping with sarcasm.
Robert laughed. "Okay, I look forward to a little one on one down at the courts after you move in."
"If I move in," Tony corrected.
"Like I said," interjected Todd, "I'll see what I can do with Pax."
After Tony left, Robert asked if he thought Pax would mind giving Tony a discount.
"Nah. He basically told me to charge anything I wanted to the roommates. Pax doesn't care about the money. He won't care that I'll offer Tony a discount."
"How much are you thinking of?" Robert asked.
"I was thinking about halving it. Five hundred a month. That'll equal his $6000 a year for the school."
"I like him. I hope his parents will say yes. He seems like a good guy," Robert said.
"From what I know of him, he is," Todd answered.
Todd waited for two hours and gave Tony the call he promised. When he told Tony the news, he called his parents straight away. After only seven minutes, exactly, Todd's cell rang and it was Tony saying that his parents agreed. All three of them got together that night for a quick bite and to talk about the new arrangement.
Tony had mentioned that he had a friend who was looking to get out of the dorm and that if it was okay with Todd and Robert, he'd like to tell him about the apartment.
"What's he like?" Todd asked.
"Hard worker, determined. He wants to end up on Broadway. He loves the theater and musicals most of all," Tony said.
Todd and Robert looked at each other with a glance that knew what each other was thinking.
"Um, Tony, I really don't want another gay guy in the apartment. I don't want any problems with anyone," Todd explained.
Tony looked at Todd and Robert and busted out laughing. His laughter got the better of him so that he couldn't speak for a good five minutes. When he finally calmed himself, he said, "Nicky isn't gay. I know...Broadway...musicals. You'd think so, but he's totally straight."
"Oh, I just assumed..." Todd said.
"It's cool, Todd. I had the same reaction when he told me his ambition. He clarified straight away that he wasn't gay."
A few days later, Todd got a call from a guy named Nicholas. Nicholas, Nicky, as he likes to be called, wanted to get away from the dorms because his first two years were hell. Both of the roommates he was placed with were inconsiderate, noisy, nosy guys who always thought their shit didn't stink. He didn't want to chance a third guy the same way.
Nicky is from Colorado, majoring in theater and acting. He was about five feet eleven inches in height, red hair with green eyes and is going to be twenty one in late November. He comes from a middle class family, and was all about the theater and drama in high school. Not too athletic, but he did enjoy watching sporting events instead of participating in them.
"Forgive me for asking, but we've asked the other three guys, including Tony, this question, so I'm just gonna ask. What is your sexual orientation?" Todd asked. He didn't want any indication to get back to Nicky of his and Robert's assumption, so he decided to be direct.
"Completely straight. Had a girlfriend back home, but we broke it off after my first six months away. She said she found someone else," Nicky explained.
"Well, just so you know and it's not a surprise, I'm gay," Todd volunteered.
"And you?" Nicky asked of Robert.
"Straight."
Nicky thought for a moment and decided to reveal a little extra he usually didn't tell anyone. "I don't have a problem with anyone. When I was in high school, I actually experimented a little with a couple of guys."
"You experimented?" Robert asked.
"Yeah, just didn't seem to be my thing," Nicky said.
"Did you not like it after the first guy you tried it with?" Quizzed Robert.
"Not really," Tony said nonchalantly.
"Then, why try it again?" Todd asked.
"Well, the first guy wasn't physically attractive. He was okay, I guess, but I didn't see any attractive qualities in him, at least, for me. The second guy was better looking, again, to me, and that maybe looks had something to do with it. I figured out, when it was over, both times, that looks of a man had nothing to do with it. I just couldn't perform because I couldn't get excited."
"Does that mean you were catcher?" Todd asked, trying to be discrete.
"Catcher?" Nicky asked, puzzled.
Todd smiled, wondering how he was going to explain this without being too crude. He was saved from the explanation, however, when Nicky's eyes got big and he quickly said, "Oh, HELL no!" He let that sink in for a second, seeing as how Todd was laughing, and then added, "We never got past blowjobs. Well, mainly he blew me. I tried, but I kept gagging."
Todd gave a quick glance at Robert and Robert looked away, remembering how he did the same thing when he played with Todd and Blake. `Keep practicing...you'll get better,' thought Robert.
The rest of the interview was smooth and the three of them got along great. By the time Nicky pressed the call button for the elevator, Todd offered him a place, to which he quickly accepted.
Todd and Robert had four other interviews, but they all went horrible. The first guy, Devon, loved to party and when he realized it wasn't going to be a party pad, he was no longer interested. Which was good, because Robert and Todd had both decided he wasn't right for the place.
Daniel was the second and when he revealed he was gay, Todd told him kindly that they didn't want gay guys in the apartment.
"What?" Daniel asked with attitude, standing quickly. "Can't stand fags?"
Todd and Robert both stood, but not as fast as Daniel. Todd smiled and said, "Actually, no. I love them."
Daniel stood frozen, confused. "You love them but you don't want any living here?"
"No. See, I'm gay, and I don't really want other gay guys in the apartment."
"You're not gay!" was Daniel's retort.
By way of an answer, Todd reached over and pulled Robert into a kiss. A few seconds later, he broke it and said, "Yes, I am, but I'm not proving it any more than that, so don't ask for a blowjob."
Robert stood still, shocked at what had just occurred.
"And also, my boyfriend told me I couldn't have any other gay guys in the house, at least to live. He's very jealous, you see. Big, huge black guy who plays for the San Francisco Giants. His stature fits the team name." Todd gave an `I'm sorry look' to Daniel and Robert looked away, trying not to laugh. "I'm sorry, but I really can't let you live here. My boyfriend wouldn't like it."
Daniel finally thawed and stormed out of the rec room and headed to the elevator. Once Robert heard the doors close, he ran to the door and looked down the hall to make sure Daniel was gone. Walking back to Todd, he said, "Big black guy who plays for the Giants?"
"I had to do something to get rid of him," Todd said, laughing.
A minute later, Robert started to get nervous. "What if he tells anyone about the kiss?"
"Who does he know that we know? Don't worry about it. He won't say anything."
The third applicant was another Daniel, and he was too shy and timid. Todd and Robert asked him questions and he gave short, one word answers. Immediately they knew he wasn't for them. As the doors to the elevator closed, Todd called, "I'll let you know soon."
The forth guy, well, he was probably the worst. His name was Paul, he was a musician, and currently majoring in recorded music. The interview seemed to go great until the orientation question was asked.
"Are you gay or straight?" Robert asked.
"Me? A fucking fag? You gotta be kidding me. I can't stand those fudge packers. They get on my nerves. No, if you ask me, they should all be shot. Don't leave one of them behind."
Todd immediately started to boil, but held in his anger for just a bit longer. "You realize that if you shoot them all, there will be more. Gay people are made by straight people, you know."
"No they aren't. It's a fucking choice. They choose to be that way, to be...abnormal. And then they want us to respect them. You gotta be kidding me." Shaking his head, he finished, "Nope, we need to get rid of all of `em."
Standing, Todd looked over and said, "Here, let me introduce you to the elevator. You're not getting the room, and I'm not sorry about it."
"What the fuck, man?" Paul asked. "Why not? This place is bitchin'."
"Yeah, and it'll be bitchin' for someone else. I'm gay and I know you and I wouldn't get along, so it's best you leave now."
"You? A faggot?" Paul asked, surprised.
"This is your last warning. Use that word again, and I'll introduce your face to my fist, now get the fuck out," Todd declared, with his even tone of voice. Anger was rising fast, but Todd was keeping it under control.
"You people are the reason there's AIDS and other diseases in the world. You all should be shot, bunch of unnatural faggots."
That was Todd's tipping point. He stepped forward, reared his fist back and was about to make his first punch to Paul, but Paul, with all his big talk, got scared and flinched backwards, tripping over his feet, falling flat on his ass.
"Get the FUCK OUT!—or next time, I will hit you," Todd said, finally showing his anger, while pointing to the elevator.
With a last look of disgust mixed with fear, Paul pressed the button to call the elevator and the doors opened immediately. A moment later, he was gone.
Robert picked up the house phone and called down to the lobby desk.
"Nigel, this is Robert in the penthouse. There's a man coming down the elevator now. Can you please make sure he leaves the building?"
"Certainly, Mr. Robert. Is there a problem?"
"He tried to start some problems up here during his interview. If he gives you a hard time, feel free to throw him out or call the cops."
"Thank you, sir. I'll take care of it."
Robert hung up the phone and turned to Todd. "Wow, what a prick."
"Yeah, he was. I can't stand people like him," Todd said, pulling Robert close and draping an arm across Robert's back.
"I know, me, too," Robert agreed. "But I have to say, seeing you about to hit him, well, that was kinda sexy. The anger in your face, the muscles bulging, and that fist about to swing. Got me a little excited, to be honest."
Todd smiled and glanced at Robert. "How about we get a shower and then get in the bed for a little fun?" He asked, suddenly feeling horny.
For an answer, Robert took off his shirt and was working on his belt and pants as they walked into their room, Todd closing the door behind them.
About three days before the spring term ended, they had one last interview to a guy named Ricky. He comes from Texas and his accent made Todd sound like he was from the north. Ricky's drawl and country tone spilling from his mouth when he talked was actually kinda sexy to both Todd and Robert, though they never told him that. Ricky is Hispanic, nineteen and was going to be a senior the following year. Through grade and middle school, his teachers found out that he was actually bored in their classes and he was making perfect grades in everything. With his parents approval, he skipped fourth grade completely, going from third straight to fifth. It also happened again in middle school. After his seventh year, his teachers and parents agreed to let him skip his eight grade and go straight to high school. He found it more difficult, but at least he wasn't bored anymore. By the time he graduated, at sixteen, he was the youngest Valedictorian his high school ever had, having graduated with a 4.36 GPA.
Like Keith, Ricky was also studying law. His ultimate dream was to become the youngest person on the Supreme Court of the United States. He knew he had a long way to go, but his ambition was his motivation and he wasn't going to let anything or anyone stop him from doing everything he can to make it there. Because of his ambition to learn all he could in high school and college, he barely had time for a social life, and found no time at all for a girlfriend. Though he did, once every third blue moon, find a hookup, he couldn't find the right girl who could understand his hard study habits. He wanted a girl who could be supportive and understanding instead of nagging about not spending enough time with her. He promised himself that this year, he was going to make more time and find his first real girlfriend.
By the time the interview was over, Todd and Robert had already offered him the last bed. He said he'd have to talk to his parents to find out if they could afford it, and he'd get back to Todd. Todd told him if the rent was too high, he might be able to talk to the owner and see what he could do, so not to give up hope on the apartment yet. Ricky shook both their hands and thanked them for the interview.
As he got in the elevator, Todd asked one last question, with his hand on the door, holding it open.
"Is it true? That everything is bigger in Texas?"
Ricky looked puzzled for a moment, then saw Todd glance at his crotch and immediately gave a huge smile. During his interview, Todd told Ricky that he was gay, and Ricky had no problem with it at all. His response was simple: "Maybe one day, you'll get to see for yourself...from a distance, of course." He gave a wicked smile after his answer.
Todd removed his hand and smiled at Ricky as the doors closed. As soon as he was on his way down, Todd and Robert started discussing if Ricky was being honest or teasing. This discussion lasted into the night.
Before everyone left for the summer, they moved the things that they would normally take home with them into their new rooms. All except Ricky. He still had to get approval from his parents. When everyone was done moving things in, Todd walked them down and got their finger prints in the system to use the elevator.
A week into summer vacation, Ricky called Todd and told him that his parents approved, and that if it was still available, he'd like the place. Todd told him it was his and asked when he'd be back in New York so he could move in before the semester.
When the summer was over and everyone made their way back to New York, Todd and Robert knew they found the right fit for their apartment. The guys could sometimes be rowdy, but after the semester started, they found that the rowdiness usually only happened on the weekends, when the studying was over—or on a game night, with Todd leading the charge.
Robert had made the decision, only when asked, to tell his roommates that he was straight. He did this for Todd, because Robert didn't want the other roommates thinking that he and Todd were sleeping together, knowing Todd has Blake as a boyfriend. They might not understand the arrangement that Todd and Blake had and he didn't want Todd in an awkward position of having to explain anything, if he explained anything at all.
Three weeks had passed since the beginning of the Fall Semester and Todd was too busy with school to even remember about Marvin Boggins and the reason they met. That is, until he got a phone call from a number he didn't recognize. He knew it was a New York number, so he thought maybe a roommate lost their phone or something and picked it up.
"Hello," Todd said in a cool voice.
"Hi, may I please speak to Todd Blyth?" asked a female voice.
"This is he," Todd said puzzled.
"Hi, Todd. My name is Melony Fitzpatrick. I'm calling from De-Briefs NYC."
"Yes, ma'am," Todd said, having never heard of them before.
"I'm calling regarding your model pictures we have from a Mr. Marvin Boggins."
Immediately, a light bulb went off and Todd started to get excited. "Oh, yeah. Hello, how are ya?"
"I'm good. The reason I'm calling," Melony began, "is because we've looked through all the models that the scouts found for us and we've narrowed down our search to five guys." Todd felt the excitement drain, he knew he wasn't one of the lucky five. "I just wanted to let you know that, if you're still interested, you're one of the five we've chosen to come in for a photo shoot to pick our final model."
Todd's smile split his face in half. "Really?" He asked in disbelief.
"Yes, sir." Melony hesitated for a moment. "You are still interested, aren't you?"
"What? Oh, yeah, most definitely. This is so awesome. I completely forgot about all this." He paused for a moment. "What do you need me to do?"
"Are you free this Saturday? Around two?" Melony asked.
"The day after tomorrow? Uh, yeah. I don't have any plans," Todd said.
"Good. Do you have a pen?"
Todd reached for a pen and some paper and said, "Ready."
"Okay, we're located at 550 Fifth Ave, suite 5A. You're over at NYU, aren't you?"
"Yes, ma'am," Todd said, as he finished writing the address.
"Good. If you're coming by subway, take the `D' line, north to Rockefeller Center. When you get up on the road, you wanna go east on 48th Street for one block, then turn right down 5th Avenue. We'll be on the third block, on your right hand side. Enter the building and come to the fifth floor."
"Awesome!" said Todd. "I'll be there at two, right?" he asked, writing it down next to the directions.
"That's it," Melony said.
"Do I need to bring anything?" Todd asked.
"Just you and your ID. This is just a test to see how you look and perform for a professional camera. We'll tell you all about the company when you arrive and give you an idea of our advertising plans. You're our last call back. All the other's have already done theirs, so you'll know in a day or two who we've chosen."
"That's awesome, thanks," Todd said, failing to lose his smile.
"Here's my number at the office just in case you're running late or something."
She gave Todd her number and reminded him not to forget his ID. They said their goodbyes, and Todd thanked her one last time. After he hung up, he called Blake immediately to tell him the news.
"I told you they'd be stupid not to choose you," Blake said, smiling just as big as Todd.
"Well I didn't want to get my hopes up. Still don't, just in case. She said I'd know by Monday or Tuesday."
"Did she tell you what you're gonna be modeling yet?" Blake asked.
"Nope. She said they would tell me about the company and their plans for advertising when I got there."
"Oh, this is so exciting," Blake said. "I bet you get the job. You're too sexy not to."
"Well, we'll just have to wait and see," Todd said.
Blake got quiet and Todd asked about it. "I miss our dates. I wanna see you and to be honest, I'm a little horny too."
Todd's smile, if possible, got even bigger. "I know, me too. I miss you so much, but October isn't too far off."
"It feels like forever," Blake said, gloomy.
"Now, don't do that. I'll feel bad if you start acting all sad," Todd said.
"Who's acting?" Blake retorted. "How about tonight, a date? I haven't seen you in two weeks."
"I know," Todd said, looking at his watch. "I should be done with my homework in about an hour or so, then I gotta get a shower. How about ten, my time? I'll tell Robert I need the room for a little bit. He won't care."
"He can be in the room, he just can't participate with you. Not during one of my dates," Blake said, defiantly.
"A little jealous, are we?" Todd asked, teasing Blake.
"Not at all, but when I get such limited time with you, I want you for me and only me. He can do whatever to you when I'm not there, so this date time is only for me."
"I'll let him know. He might want to watch a game, if there's one on, with the other guys."
"How's that going, by the way?" Blake asked.
"Great. No problems at all. The fridge is divided into six sections, the pantry is too. We're responsible for our own food, unless we have a guy's night, then we pitch in and get steaks or whatever. We pick up after ourselves, and if someone leaves something out, we let them know. Everybody is courteous with the others, especially when studying. We couldn't have found any better roommates. Now this places feels more like a home, instead of a lot of empty space."
"I'm glad it's working out, Puppy. Sounds like you're happy and have made some new friends."
"I am and I have. These guys are great. Listen, let me finish my homework. I'll be online and ready at ten, so just dial me up and click me on."
"Okay, Todd. I love you," Blake said.
"Love you more, baby," Todd said, then hung up.
Their date was as romantic as it could be, being 2000 miles apart. Robert did choose to enjoy a game with the other guys in the rec room, instead of crowding Todd and Blake during their alone time. At eleven, Robert received a text from Todd saying that the date was over. That was all he was waiting for. He told the other guys goodnight and headed off to bed.
Saturday rolled around and Todd was less excited than before, being a lot more nervous. This job was down to him and four other guys. He hoped they didn't have the pictures of the other guys out or hung up or anything—he didn't want to feel intimidated by anyone. He left the apartment at 1:15, just to be sure he had enough time to get to the office. By the time he got to the Rockefeller Center subway stop, he had over half an hour still to go. As he walked, he passed a Starbucks and decided to stop in for a small iced coffee, just to have something to do. After getting his coffee, he idly walked the three and a half blocks to the office building, looking at the shops on either side as he did.
When he finally reached 550 5th Avenue, he looked at his watch and saw that he had about ten minutes to go. Instead of waiting, he figured that being a little early was so much better than being even a little late. When he arrived at the entrance to their office, he saw on the door the name of the company—De-Briefs NYC. The writing was all capital letters, but they were all curvy. For instance, the E' looked like a C' with an extra line sticking out of the middle of it. And the hyphen was the letters NYC', only in a smaller font, and in orange. The words "De' and Briefs' were in grey. Sadly, the logo still gave no indication as to the nature of the product he would be modeling, but because of the company name, he would guess it was briefs. He smiled to himself as he heard Blake in his head: `Told you they were going to have to model underwear. This is going to be awesome! You'll be all over the country—wait! What if you're on the billboard in Time Square?' Todd smiled to himself with that last thought, and then flushed, slightly, with embarrassment.
"Hi. Are you Todd Blyth?" The girl behind the counter asked.
"Yes, ma'am. Am I late?" Todd asked, thinking he might have mixed up the time with something else.
"Not at all." Looking at her watch, she said, "A little early, in fact. That's good. Melony told me to send you straight to her when you get here."
"Okay, um, where should I go?" He asked.
"Down the hall, third door on the right."
"Okay, thanks." He started walking away, then stopped and turned around. "Have you been here for the other four guys that came in?"
"Sure have. I really love my job," she said, a little dreamily.
"In your opinion, do I really have a chance, from what you've seen?"
The girl stood up and gave a quick look around and leaned in, to which Todd stepped even closer. "So far, you blow the other guys outta the water. Now, depending on whatcha got going on downstairs and the rest of your body, I'd say, in my opinion, which counts for nothing in this office, mind you, well, if it was up to me, you got the job, hands down."
Todd smiled, feeling a little better, and said, "Thanks. I needed that little boost."
The girl behind the counter smiled as her eyes started to glaze over with lust taking over her heart.
He turned and headed down the hall. The third door came up and he looked inside the open door and saw a woman talking with a guy sitting on opposite sides of a very large wooden desk. When she saw Todd, she looked up and asked, "Todd? Todd Blyth?"
Todd smiled and stepped in the office. "Yes, ma'am. Are you Melony?"
"That's me," she said, standing, and reaching for his hand. He stepped up and shook it and she introduced the gentleman sitting with her. "Todd, this is D'Wayne," she said, pronouncing it D' and then Wayne'. "But we all call him `D'. He's our photographer. This man is what turns you into art."
D'Wayne stood and looked at Melony and then at Todd and said, "Don't listen to her. I just hit a button, while moving around the subject. The camera does all the work."
"Right," Todd said. "I bet you do more than you're letting on. I have a friend who's a photographer. I know the patience it takes for that perfect shot. But the modesty is refreshing in this town. Kinda reminds me of home."
"Which is where?" D asked Todd.
"Atlanta, Georgia. Home of the Braves, Stone Mountain and Coca-Cola."
"Love Atlanta. Done a few photo shoots down there in the city park..." D snapped his fingers, looking for the name of the park.
"Piedmont?" Todd asked helping him out.
"Yes, exactly. Beautiful park, and I love the skyline over the trees."
"Yeah, I like that too, but it's nothing compared to Central Park with the New York skyline, though," Todd said.
"True," D said and then looked at Melony.
"Remembered I'm here, didja?" Her smile let them both know she wasn't serious. "Todd, why don't you have a seat and let us tell you a little about the company."
Todd took a seat next to D and waited for Melony to start.
"De-Briefs NYC has been up and running for about six months now. If you haven't guessed by the name, we do underwear for men. Athletic looking, everyday wear underwear for men. We got three slogans for the ads. Depending on the pictures we use, depends on the slogan. `Doing is better than telling. Doing is better than touching. Doing is better than seeing.'" Melony explained.
A moment passed. "I'm afraid I don't get it," Todd said, confused.
"Debriefing is better than telling, touching or seeing. Picture a guy in underwear on a page, under it, our name, De-Briefs NYC. Below that, one of the three slogans. Something like that."
"Okay, I think I understand," Todd said, imagining what she explained. "But what makes your underwear different from all the others?"
"Well, first off, the sexiness of the look. The fabric and the better hygienic qualities. You see, our underwear is all cotton around the butt and legs, except for the pouch. That's made out of a Bamboo/Nylon mix. It's about 95% bamboo, which allows the fabric to breath a lot better than cotton. And the nylon is to help it keep its shape against the package as it's being worn."
"Sounds...different," Todd said, but he was intrigued.
"Well, we've worked hard to get the product just right. D wears De-Briefs. How would you describe them, D?" Melony asked.
"They're more comfortable than any other underwear I own." Looking at Todd, he asked, "You know that underwear that conforms around your junk and it's pushed where ever the underwear take it?"
"Yeah," Todd said, understanding.
"This leaves your junk where it's supposed to be—up front. You put everything in the front pouch and it feels great. No more sittin' on your balls, or squishing them between your legs. Once you try on a pair, you'll understand," D concluded.
"Now, that sounds interesting. What's your ad ideas for the product?" Todd asked Melony.
"Print, billboards, magazines, online, and maybe in a year or so, television. Our target audience, as you know, is men, but we're making two different ads. We want to target straight and gay men. Straight men will get it when their girlfriends or wives say they like it. Gay men will get it because they think it looks sexy or cool. To be honest, I think they will be our main target, but we want all guys to buy our product."
"So, what ideas did you have in mind for the model for these two ads?" Todd asked.
Melony gave a flick of her eyes to D, unsure if she should go into the full details, before she answered. If Todd was chosen, he was going to find out eventually, so she told him everything. "The way we were going to target the straight man is with a hot girl in the picture too, maybe wearing her boyfriend's underwear and his work shirt, buttoned about half way up with her hands on the waistband of his underwear, looking like she's about to take them off. The only way to get straight guys to look at an underwear ad with another scantily clad man in it, is to have a hot chick," Melony explained.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Todd said, picturing himself rolling around on a bed with a girl, and imagining Blake's face. `Get away from her! Todd! She's a girl!' At that thought, Todd had to smile, but kept in a laugh, because Melony continued.
"As for the gay side, well, just about the same thing, but with another guy. Two guys, both in our underwear, in everyday situations at home. Getting ready for bed, waking up and reading the paper, relaxing on the weekend. That type of thing," Melony hurriedly finished.
"Okay," was all Todd could think to say.
"Listen, we've already had one guy pull out of consideration because he couldn't get past the gay thing. He flat out refused, so he's no longer up for consideration. Two other guys had to get talked into it, telling them what to expect. The last guy, well, he didn't care, but said his girlfriend might," D explained, adding a laugh after his explanation of the girlfriend.
"So, you gonna have a problem with the gay thing?" Melony asked.
"Not at all, but the straight thing, well, that'll be new to me, at least in underwear," Todd said.
"I don't get it," D said.
Before realization hit him, Melony, visually shocked, asked, "You mean...you're gay?"
"Yup. Completely out of the closet and locked the door behind me."
Shock fading from Melony, she asked, in all seriousness, "Do you have a boyfriend?"
"Yeah. Blake. He lives in Montana."
"Is he gonna have a problem with you and another model acting in your underwear?" Melony asked.
"Not a bit. He was more excited about the possibility of this job. And somehow, he knew it was going to be underwear," Todd said, smiling.
"Well, that's a relief," Melony said.
There was a silence that engulfed the room, and before it became uncomfortable, Todd asked, "So, when do I get to try on the underwear?"
Looking over her notes, Melony said, "Looks like everything is covered. Oh, nope. I need your ID...to get a copy. The salary we'll talk about if you're hired, and the contract will be signed then, too."
"What contract?" Todd asked, handing over his ID.
As Melony scanned it into her computer, she answered. "It's a contract with all negotiations we'll discuss, and an exclusivity clause as well."
"Exclusivity clause? For what?" Todd asked.
"It means, you can't go and model for anyone else for two years." She handed Todd his ID back. "You'll be, if you're hired, an exclusive De-Briefs NYC model. You'll be the face of De-Briefs for two years. As of now, we're looking for one guy, just to get the brand started, and if it goes well, we're hoping to get a couple more within a year, but you will, again, if you're hired, still be the main face of the brand. You'll get most of the ads, you'll get the first and last spots on the runway, and if we get to TV before you're contract is up, you'll be the first we offer the spot to."
"This all sounds too good to be true," Todd said, running through the possibilities in his mind.
"It's all true, at least, for one guy right now," Melony said. "But first, I need to get you to sign this. It just states that you give us permission to take your pictures and to use them for decision making purposes, but we're not allowed to use them for anything else, unless you're the one that's hired as our model."
Todd read it over, as best he could, because of the legalese, and signed his name. Nothing stood out to him that sounded fishy, so he put his trust in Melony. Handing it back to Melony, D said, "Well, if you're ready, sir, shall we?" D stood, looking at Todd.
"Yeah. I'm excited to see the brand," Todd said, joining D.
"Excellent. I'll let Roger know you're here," Melony said, as D led Todd to the studio.
Melony practically ran to Roger's office as soon as D and Todd were out of sight. When she arrived, she was practically out of breath.
"Roger, he's here," Melony said, breathing deeply.
"And?" Roger asked, swiveling his chair around to look at her.
"He's more beautiful than the others, and he's about to get in the underwear. Oh, God, I bet he's gonna look sexy. I wish I could see the shoot. Damn that D! He wants them to be comfortable without any girls around."
"Girl," Roger said, in a drawn out voice, "you know I'll give you all the details when I get back. But, if he's as good looking in person as he is in his pictures, I might have to make a detour to the bathroom first. You know, to spank one out."
Melony smiled and slapped Roger on the butt. "You are twisted."
"No, I'm a single gay man who's horny."
"Well, he's not. He's gotta boyfriend in Montana," Melony explained. "So, hands off."
Roger looked at her, then at the wall, like he was looking through it to the studio, then back at her, and took off running. Melony couldn't help but smile at his eagerness.
When Todd and D arrived at the studio, Todd saw the professional setup. Three big light stands with white coverings. He'd seen these in TV shows and movies and such. They were facing a black wall and there was a chair sitting on the floor in front of the wall. Outside the ring of the actual shooting place, lay a table, full of underwear of different colors and patterns.
As they arrived, D said, "Are you shy?"
"Not really," Todd answered.
"Well, you can change here, if you like, or there's a dressing room at the end of the room, over there," D explained, pointing to the opposite wall from where they entered.
"Oh, no, this is cool," Todd said, starting to remove his shirt.
"Just put your things in that chair, there." D indicated a chair about five feet away.
As Todd stood in his own underwear, he came back to the table and looked through the underwear laid out before him. "Which one do you want me to put on first?"
"Doesn't matter. Pick your favorite," D said, playing with his camera, not looking at Todd.
Todd looked through the fabric and decided on the solid white one first. Stripping his own underwear off, he slipped the new underwear on, and was amazed at the feel of the fresh fabric against his skin. After he placed his package in the front pouch, he let out a sigh.
"Everything okay?" D asked.
"This feels awesome. I know what you mean now. Everything up front—fantastic."
"Yeah, they are comfortable," D said. A moment later, the door opened and in walked a medium height man with a beer belly on him. Todd gave a nod, and heard D speak. "Todd, this is Roger. He's our lead ad advisor. He's the one that talks to the ad companies. Roger, this is Todd Blyth, our last model."
"Great to finally meet you, Todd. You took some good pictures with the scout. I was impressed."
"Thank you, sir," Todd said.
"Oh, please, call me Roger. I'm just a few years older than you," he said, smiling. He knew he just told a lie and he was sure Todd knew too. At forty seven, that was almost a couple decades.
Todd smiled, and kept his thoughts to himself. A moment later, D called him.
"You ready?"
"Uh, yeah. I don't know what I'm doing though, so please be a little patient with me."
"Don't worry. You'll be fine. Let's just start with you facing the camera. I want smiles and regular faces. Don't try to act or look surprised. If I want or need a look, I'll let you know. Might even pose you in a few. But let's just start out slow."
"Cool," Todd said, moving over to the black wall.
The first few minutes had Todd looking at the camera. Some he was smiling in, others he wasn't. When that first round was over, he was afraid he was going to see spots in his eyes from the flashes for the rest of his life. The next round had D put Todd in a few poses, and he told Todd of the facial expressions he was looking for. The chair was used as a prop in this round. He was standing in front of it, then behind it, then sitting in it, all to D's direction. When that was over with, D asked Todd to choose another pair of underwear for the next round.
As he stripped down, he was facing Roger, who was trying to take as many mental pictures as his mind would allow. He was also trying to remember every succulent detail to report back to Melony—which caused him to feel a stirring in his pants. Watching Todd put on a camouflage pair of boxer briefs next, he walked back to the spot and awaited D's direction.
After another thirty minutes, D told Todd to change again and this time, he asked Roger what his favorite underwear was. It was all the same to him; he just wanted someone else to pick out a pair for him. Roger walked over and looked through the selection and picked out a solid yellow brief and handed it to Todd.
"Yellow's always been my favorite color," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.
But Todd caught something that he couldn't identify right away. Without another thought, he stripped down out of the camouflage and slipped on the solid yellow underwear, then walked back to the photo area and waited.
"Okay, I want you to do your thing. Act sexy, or silly, or angry. I don't care, but I want to see you come out through the lens," D explained.
"Sexy?" Todd asked, a little skeptical.
"Yeah. Act like the camera is your boyfriend. What kinda come-hither looks would you give him? That's what I want to see. Give me sexy you."
Todd gave a little smile, and a flash surrounded him.
"Beautiful. Give me more," D called out.
Todd lowered his head—FLASH—looking at the floor—FLASH—then lifted it just enough to show one eye peaking through his hair. FLASH. FLASH. FLASH
"Fantastic."
Todd lifted his left hand and ran his fingers through his hair—FLASH—and held it up on top of his head—FLASH—while giving a snarl to the camera—FLASH.
"God, you're a natural. Come on, give me more sexy," D yelled out.
Todd put his left hand on the waist band of the underwear—FLASH—and hooked a thumb inside—FLASH—and gave a small tug down—FLASH—showing how far down his oblique muscles went. FLASH. FLASH.
After showing a little too much pubic hair, he pulled the underwear back up and turned around and showed his ass, while looking over his shoulder, all the while, the flashes were filling the studio. A few more poses later, whatever he could think of, he ended up in the chair. At first, his legs were spread open, nonchalantly, and then he closed them, leaned back and crossed his ankles. Then, right before D called it quits, Todd's final pose was his right leg hanging over the arm of the chair, left leg spilling off the front of the chair, and his head back with his right arm around back of the chair, holding onto the opposite side, while his left fingers were slowly sliding under the waistband of the underwear.
"We're done?" Todd asked disappointed.
"Yup. I think we got what we need. You've never modeled before?" D asked Todd.
"Nope," Todd said, walking over to the chair with his clothes in it.
"It must be in your blood then. None of the other guys were this relaxed. You just let it flow."
"I just did like you told me," Todd said, about to strip out of the underwear.
"Keep 'em. And the other two you modeled, if you want them. You'll be one of the first."
Five feet away, Roger's face fell with disappointment.
"Awesome. Thanks, D."
"No problem. Finish getting dressed. I'm gonna get these downloaded to the computer, and I'll show you the pictures before you leave. Roger, you'll show him to my office, won't you?"
"Of course, D. Go on. I can handle him...I mean, it." Roger turned the color of a ripe beet. As much as he was thinking about Todd, and what he would love to do to him in a horizontal position, he couldn't believe he had just made a slip like that. He couldn't look Todd in the eye after that.
And finally, Todd understood what it was that he couldn't identify. He caught the slip, and knew that Roger's presence wasn't just for the photo shoot. He had other interests that Todd hoped he was able to help Roger with...if only in fantasy.
When Todd finished dressing, Roger led to the way to D's office. On his desk sat three computer monitors. Above his desk, on the wall, was a huge flat screen TV, which showed what the middle monitor showed on his computer.
"Todd, these look great," Melony said, bending over D's shoulder, looking at the smaller pictures, and pointing to the ones she wanted to see full screen.
As they flipped through the pictures, Todd was actually impressed with what he saw. His modesty always got the better of him, when it came to his looks. He knew he was cute, even though Blake corrected him and told him how fantastic looking he really was, but Todd always thought that's what a boyfriend was supposed to do—lift you up higher than you think you are. But as he looked at his pictures, he couldn't help but think that he looked damn good, which made him feel weird inside. What he felt inside was confidence, coming out, full force, and he liked it.
"So, whadda think?" D asked Todd.
Searching his memory bank for words, he finally said, "They're amazing. I can't believe that's me."
"They are, buddy. You think you might like this?" D asked.
"I could get used to it," Todd said, smiling.
"Well, we'll be calling you by Tuesday to let you know one way or the other," Melony said.
"Sounds great," Todd said, standing. "Is there any way I could get a couple of those pictures? My boyfriend's gonna shit a brick when he sees this," Todd asked, a little apprehensively.
D turned around, grabbed a memory stick and plugged it in his computer. A couple of mouse clicks later, he pulled the memory stick out and handed it to Todd. "That's all of `em. Just don't go showing a lot of people yet. The underwear is still a secret until the big reveal."
"Oh, yeah. Of course. Just Blake. I still gotta get used to seeing me in underwear in pictures before I could show anyone else," Todd said, trying to sound convincing. He already had plans to email a few to Tristian for his profession opinion, to which he would surely show Pax. And then, of course, Robert and the roommates, and then maybe even surprise his mom and dad. Yeah, there were a few people who were going to see the pictures.
As Todd pocketed the memory stick, Melony asked, "Do you have class on Tuesday?"
"I do. I get out at 3:30."
"I'll call you at four with our decision."
"Awesome! Well, thanks again," Todd said, shaking each of their hands.
"It's our pleasure," Melony said.
As Todd walked out of the office, Roger opened his mouth to speak, but Melony put up her hand to keep him quite. She listened until she heard Allison, the girl at the front, tell Todd goodbye, then the door closed.
"Tell me everything," Melony said, attacking Roger.
"Baby girl, you won't believe it. Fucking perfect in every way—and in every place."
D smiled and shook his head as he turned his attention back to his monitors as Roger told Melony everything.
To be continued...