The New Co-Worker

THE NEW CO-WORKER by Sean Scott

[Author's note: This story contains sex acts between men, and is thus intended for ADULTS ONLY. If you are not an adult who wants to read this kind of smut, please do not continue.]

Jared poked his head above his cubicle to see if Mark had returned. He hadn't. Sitting back down, Jared click open his browser to check the day's headlines. Nothing much happening.

His phone rang, and he picked up the receiver to hear his boss, Hank, start talking without waiting for Jared's hello. "JD, we'll be getting a new designer this afternoon. He'll have Booth's old cubicle. I'd like you to get him set up with his computer and phone," Hank said.

Jared hated how Hank always called people by their initials. And this new chore didn't sit well with him either-- but the boss is the boss. "Sure, Hank. Will do." Jared figured brevity was the best policy when it came to Hank. Hank was a jerk, and the less time spent in conversation, the better.

"Dude, where you want to go for lunch?" It was Mark.

"Where did you go?" Jared asked.

"Piss." Mark said.

"Dude, its ten minutes till lunch time. You couldn't wait?"

Mark sat his butt against the desk in Jared's cubicle and said indignantly, "I'm not going to waste my lunch time going to the bathroom, man."

Jared smiled. "How about Charlie's?" he suggested.

"Not in the mood for heartburn, man," Mark quipped. "It's Friday, dude. I can't afford the indigestion over the weekend."

"Aw, come on," Jared argued. "We haven't been there in weeks."

Mark looked up to the ceiling and shrugged his shoulders. "Okay," he relented. "Maybe I'll have a salad."

"That's gay, man," Jared smiled.

"Yeah, right," Mark said in his customary derogatory tone. "I just don't have a steel stomach like you do.

Lunch was filled with the usual banter between the two men. Mark's subject matter surrounded his plans for the weekend. He and Tiffany were going sailing. Getting a sitter was next to impossible. His brother was fired from his job. Blah, blah, blah.

Jared listened quietly but wasn't shy about inserting his opinion when warranted, nor did he shy away from his own plans. "Extremely hot date tonight," he told his best friend. She's a receptionist for a law firm. Mark knew that whoever it was, she'd be hot. Jared had the looks-- great build, handsome face-- and the "type A" personality to be as picky as he wanted. Virtually any girl was his for the asking.

"Sounds nice," Mark smiled. "Man, sometimes I wish I wasn't hooked up with Tiff. It's hard keeping myself just to one woman," he grinned. He lifted his arms and stretched long and hard.

"Your choice, man," Jared said, swallowing the last bite of his sandwich. "I'm too young to settle down yet," he went on. He surveyed the restaurant as he talked, as if looking for new prospects. "So many women, so little..."

"So little dick, bro," Mark interjected at just the right moment, laughing.

Jared squinted. "How would you know?" With the timing and gestures of a professional comedian, he looked down at his crotch, then back up at Mark, "You been looking?"

That set Mark laughing all the more, and the two men giggled all the way out of the restaurant-- many female (as well as some male) eyes thoroughly checking out Jared's muscular, gorgeous body as the two men left.

As the post-lunch sugar low began to set in, Jared and Mark sat in their cubicles, each working on the ad campaigns they were assigned. In the background, on the fringes of his consciousness, Jared heard the bell for the elevator ring. Momentarily he was startled from his task by Hank's voice. "Jared, here's the new designer I told you about."

Jared stood while he finished up a final click on his computer. He turned around to see Hank, but immediately his eyes were thrown upon a huge mother-fucker of a man. I mean huge. This guy was three or four inches over six feet tall, and his physique was packed with muscle-- check that-- it was bulging with muscle, even under the dress shirt and slacks he wore. His clothes contoured his body like they had been tailor-made, accenting every mound, every ridge, every powerful curve. And to top it all off, he had the chiseled features of a model and the deepest, darkest, most gorgeous eyes Jared had ever seen.

Gorgeous? That wasn't a word Jared had ever used when contemplating another man; but for some reason that's exactly the word he couldn't get out of his brain when he looked at this guy's face. Gorgeous was the word for the face, and buff was the word for the body-- although buff seemed inadequate to sum up his muscular frame.

A totally foreign emotion began to wedge its way into Jared's psyche: Envy. Jared had always been a jock-- a lady's man, a sports nut, a confident man who was totally comfortable with himself. Sure, he admired some guys-- the sports heros that everyone looks up to; but envy never occurred to him because if he saw someone who had what he wanted, he simply set some goals and went out and got it for himself.

This guy, however, was unattainable. His manliness and obvious personal power were at once overwhelming and seductive. He was totally out of Jared's league.

Seductive? That word didn't actually pop into Jared's consciousness, like gorgeous had, but if he were to spend a few sessions on the shrink's couch, he would have realized that seductive is definitely a word he would use to describe this Adonis.

Man, these were weird feelings. Jared found himself standing there, coming back from somewhere-- somewhere where his thoughts had taken him for the past few seconds. He was hearing words. He was trying to respond, but not responding. He heard his mouth finally say something, but he wouldn't be able to tell you what the words were.

"Jared? Is something wrong?" It was Hank talking now. That much he could tell.

Shit. I need to say something! I'm standing here like an ass!

"Jared. Are you okay?" Hank persisted.

"Uh. Yeah." Jared looked down at the floor, hoping that if he could locate his feet, they would stay where they belonged and continue to support his body. Fuck! What is happening to me? "Yeah. Sorry. I guess I got light-headed. Maybe stood up too fast. Just had lunch..." his voice trailed off as he leaned his butt back against his desk to steady himself.

The blood finally returned to his brain, and Jared composed himself. "Sorry, Hank. I'm fine."

Hank's expression of concern wasn't overdone, but it was genuine-- even for a jerk of a boss. "Well... Jared, this is Gordon West. He's taking Booth's old cubicle."

"Good to meet you," Gordon said, extending his hand.

As if instantly repaired from his initial trauma, Jared extended his own hand and smiled, shaking Gordon's. "Good to meet you, Gordon." The guy's grip was firm and powerful, and even though Jared got the distinctive sense that this giant of a man could have-- and somehow should have-- gripped harder, he was sensitive and gentle. As Jared's confidence returned, at least externally, the eyes of the two men met and seem to search deeply; each of them looking into the others' soul to see what he might see-- weaknesses perhaps? Secrets?

If Gordon found a secret-- and no one knows if he did-- it was probably a secret even to Jared himself. The playboy was rarely introspective, and he certainly didn't dwell on his own weaknesses or shortcomings, let alone admit any to himself.

"Gordon, Jared will show you your station, and get you acquainted with the office," Hank said.

"Thanks, Hank," Gordon smiled, breaking his eyes off Jared and looking back at his new boss.

Holy fuck, let go of his hand! Jared's brain was screaming, and yet his fingers were slow to get the command.

Finally.

Hank turned and left the two men, heading back to the elevator.

"So," Jared started, "you have some design experience already?"

"A few years," Gordon answered, "I was at McCann & Broadlink in Baltimore for awhile."

"Really," Jared said. This guy looked at once mature and young. Too young to have two years experience at anything. But his physique-- all those muscles-- that incredible development-- it was a body that no 21 year-old could ever attain. Jared smiled as he looked up at the protege. "Cool." He motioned for them to exit his cubicle and they made their way to Booth's old place. As they walked, Jared said, "I started here four years ago. Graduated in '03 from USC with a business degree but hated business."

Gordon chuckled politely.

"So, I connected with a few of my friends and landed this job. It's not California, but you gotta love the New York buzz," Jared said. They arrived at the cubicle. It was empty except for the desk, phone, computer and filing cabinet. "A guy named Booth used to have this place. We called it Booths's booth," he said.

Another polite laugh from the insanely muscled man.

Jared turned to Gordon, again shocked by his size and mind-numbing good looks. Gordon's business-cut brown hair had decidedly blond streaks running through it. They just had to be natural, though. No stylist could do that good of a job on color. His tan skin was a perfect compliment to his hair. His green-brown eyes almost glowed-- as if they were agates, lit by a small fire from behind. And they were surrounded by dark lashes and eyebrows. To describe more would take time that Jared didn't take at this time. He tried to jump-start himself back to the here-and-now by asking Gordon, "So are you from Maryland originally?"

Gordon's massive presence was imposing, and yet he stood comfortably. He was confident. He seemed aware that his body was intimidating, but at the same time he somehow managed to operate past that fact, not self-concerned-- not at all conscious of his effect on others. He was indeed a contradiction: overwhelming strength and underlying sincerity. "No, I was raised in Nebraska. We moved to St. Louis when I was in high school. Went to college in Kansas City."

"Nebraska, huh?" Jared said. He allowed himself, now, to more overtly gaze at Gordon's body. "I guess that explains it."

Gordon knew exactly what was coming. He'd heard it a thousand times before. But out of politeness, he feigned ignorance. "Explains what," he said.

Jared's raised eyebrows and the trace that his eyes followed over Gordon's rippling shirt was all the answer that was needed, but Jared vocalized his thoughts anyway. "...where you got all those muscles," he said. "They must feed their boys the same corn-fed diet they give their cattle out there in Nebraska." It wasn't that unusual for Jared to say something like that to a guy who was well-built, but it was unusual that he had such weird feelings as he said it to Gordon.

It was pretty much the same phrase Gordon had heard before-- something about being corn-fed and having so much muscle. He laughed politely. "Well, we didn't have any cattle, actually. Raised crops mostly."

Well, there it was. The subject had been broached. It felt good to Jared to get it out of the way. Why, he couldn't tell you.

"You must have a pretty full trophy room, huh?" Jared probed.

"Naw, I don't compete," Gordon answered.

Jared found that difficult to believe, and his expression showed it. "You're kidding. Man, you could rock everyone on stage," he said.

Gordon looked right into Jared and smiled, "I guess I just like to do my rocking off stage."

Jared decided that an immediate retreat was in order, although he couldn't really even pinpoint what it was he was retreating from. He was confused. There were a lot of weird, and new, feelings inside-- feelings that he would never be able to totally sort out.

"Well" Jared said, turning to look at the computer on the desk. "Here's your place. That's a computer right there. And that's a telephone." He hoped his smugness would make him look relaxed.

"And what's that?" Gordon smiled, pointing at the file cabinet.

"That's a file cabinet." He turned back to Gordon and said, "Well, that completes the tour of your cubicle. Do you have any questions?" He smiled and Gordon seemed to appreciate his sense of humor.

"Yeah," the huge man said, moving toward the phone. "What's the number to your cubicle, in case I need some help?"

"2283," Jared said.

Gordon instantly said, "Buff."

"Buff?" Jared asked.

"B-U-F-F. That's what 2283 spells on the keypad."

"Wow, you're quick, man," Jared said. "Are you a savant or something?"

Gordon grinned. "Don't think so. Just good with numbers and letters ...and things."

"But wait a minute," Jared said, "I think that number should belong to you." He smiled.

Gordon smiled too. He looked closely at the phone and said, "My number is 2444. B-I-G-G. Big-G," he smiled. "That'll do."

The coincidence of this phone spelling stuff wasn't lost on Jared. Unbelievable, he thought to himself. And as he thought it, he could feel Gordon looking at him again-- with that same, dizzying look that had shaken him when they had first met. Jared leaned back against the file cabinet, trying to look relaxed when actually he was weak and light-headed again. The weakness was accompanied by those really weird feelings again, too; that envy thing-- and the inescapable realization that this Gordon guy was someone he wanted to get to know better. He liked him-- a lot-- even though he hardly knew him. But there was a lot more than just like here. What it was, Jared couldn't really define; but he was uncomfortable with the feeling, he knew that much.

That was about as much introspection in two minutes that Jared had had in the past five years. It was really not like him at all. Whoa. That's enough.

He talked with Gordon for another ten or fifteen minutes, acquainting him with a few office procedures. On many occasions during the course of their conversation, Jared found his eyes wandering onto-- and all around-- Gordon's ginormous chest and shoulders. Occasionally, Gordon sat in his chair and Jared showed him a few things on the computer, and as Jared stood behind him, he couldn't help but notice Gordon's bigger-than-life traps and his thick, muscular neck.

And of course, then, there were those guns-- bazookas, really. Gordon's shiny blue dress shirt was filled to overflowing with powerful muscles, and the sleeves were where your eyes just couldn't help but return to-- time and time again. You just never got used to the size of those arms.

Jared spent more time than he really had to with Gordon. And he kept trying to figure out why. But one conclusion he did come to was that this Gordon guy was a really cool dude. Great personality to go along with that unbelievable body. And although he was a little confused about the whole afternoon, he did know that he thought Gordon was really cool, and he wanted to be friends with him.

"Well, that ought to get you pretty much situated," Jared finally said. "Just give me a call if you need anything."

"Will do, man," Gordon smiled. "Thanks a lot for the help. I really appreciate it. I've got your number."

Jared liked that. He found himself hoping that Gordon would call him. That was a weird thought, but he really did hope that.

Gordon didn't call; and Jared found his thoughts returning to the huge guy. Finally, at about 4:00, Jared decided to check in on Gordon's cubicle and make sure he was doing alright. But Gordon wasn't there. Maybe he had some kind of meeting-- orientation or something, Jared thought.

As people were leaving for the day, Jared made another stop at Gordon's cubicle. Score. Gordon's broad shoulders, wide back, tiny waist and huge legs (and awesome butt-- butt? Why am I looking at this guy's butt?) were overwhelming. "So how'd your first day go, dude?" Jared asked.

Gordon turned around; he was holding a piece of paper that he'd been reading as he stood with his back to Jared. "Good, man. Really good."

"Awesome," Jared said. And for some reason, the following words just fell out of Jared's mouth, "Hey man, you doing anything after work? Want to catch a beer or something?" Why he asked that he didn't know. He had a date with Sierra, and he knew it. As soon as he made the offer, he felt sick.

"Aw, thanks, man," Gordon said. "But I really need to unpack. I'm just getting settled into my apartment and it's a real mess."

Jared was relieved.

Dinner with Sierra was really nice. This was Jared's second date with her, and she was one of the hotter girls he had ever dated. As they ate, he had a hard time not getting aroused, just looking at her and thinking about what the rest of the evening held. If it was anything like their first time, it was going to be a very steamy night.

And it was funny; every once in a while he imagined what she'd be like in bed with Gordon. That was pretty unusual for Jared. He'd never really done that before. But the images were pretty erotic-- really hot. He was becoming more and more turned on by the minute. By the time they finished dinner and went to his place, Jared was like a stallion in heat. Sierra didn't know what hit her. It was the best sex Jared had ever had.

Saturday night was the same thing. Jared really didn't give it a second thought, because he really was enjoying the sex with Sierra.

He didn't give it a second thought, that is, until Sunday. Sunday, he just kept thinking about the sex, and he started to realize that more and more, those sex scenes playing out in his mind featured Gordon more prominently. Still, it didn't concern him.

Monday morning, Jared found himself really looking forward to going to work. He felt like a million bucks-- strong, virile, full of energy and anticipation; all feelings he was used to, but just not quite in this abundance. And on a Monday morning, it was a little unusual to feel so lively. As soon as he threw his stuff in his cubicle, he darted off to see if Gordon was in yet.

Oh yeah-- he was in. And he had apparently gotten a hold of the company dress policy, because he no longer wore a dress shirt and slacks. He must have found out that advertising designers are allowed a little more leeway than the ad execs. He had on a yellow polo shirt with thin blue stripes, and faded jeans. Oh my gggodd. Jared certainly wasn't expecting this. I mean, that short sleeved polo shirt hugged everything on Gordon's upper body. Shit, the guy looked incredible! Beyond incredible! Just huge muscles everywhere! But for all those bulging muscles, he was so lean-- even skinny, when it came to his waistline. He was almost built kind of like a swimmer, with a long torso; but no swimmer anywhere would have this kind of bulk on him. And those arms! Everything about Gordon's physique was astounding, but his arms were slightly more astounding. And of course, those faded jeans were filled out with more muscles than should have been allowed. There was no way that these pants were off the shelf.

"Hey man," Jared said when he finally pulled himself together. "Did you get everything unpacked?"

Gordon turned and smiled at Jared, sticking his hand up and out in a thumb-up handshake. "Yeah, I did-- most of it anyway," he smiled. "How about you? How was your weekend?"

"Tops," Jared said. "Went out Friday and Saturday with this really hot girl I met last week. I'm tellin' ya', man, it was hot."

"Cool, cool. Yeah, now that I'm getting settled in here in the city, I'm looking forward to catching some action of my own, dude," Gordon smiled.

Jared leaned back against a filing cabinet and said, "Well, you certainly won't have any problem finding some of that, man. I bet you have a black book thicker than the Bible!"

Gordon laughed a really hearty laugh-- one where his whole body was into it. And it just warmed Jared to the bone. God, he was so cool-- and he thinks I'm funny! New thoughts for Jared to have in that intensity, but the thoughts overshadowed any question of them.

The two men exchanged a few more sentences, and then Jared returned to his cubicle.

"You getting the new guy settled in?" Mark asked as he peeked over the top of the cubicle wall.

"Morning, Mark. Yeah, I think he's going to do fine," Jared replied.

Mark kind of leaned onto the half-wall with his forearms on top. "Man, that dude is the most buff guy I've ever seen! He must have his desk stuffed with 'roids!"

For some reason, that came across to Jared as kind of harsh. Of course, Gordon had to use steroids-- I mean, a man can't get that big without doing something to enhance his body-- can he? But Jared didn't like hearing it, or thinking about it. Gordon looked cool-- not like some freak you see at the gym-- all puffed out and gross. "Yeah, right," Jared said sarcastically. "He's probably just a chemical factory." Then his tone changed a little, "But I'd be willing to try some of those chemicals, man, if I could look that good."

"Dude," Mark said. "You're doin' alright. He's probably so stuck on himself that he lives in front of the mirror. Don't sweat it, man." Then without taking a breath he changed the subject. "So how was Friday night with Sierra?"

"Hot, man," Jared smiled. "And Saturday night was even better."

Mark grinned. "Man, that is one hot chick. You are so lucky."

"Skill, man. Skill. Luck has nothing to do with it. I can't help it that I know how to satisfy the beautiful women," Jared smiled.

The two men continued to banter for a few more minutes and then settled into their respective cubicles and got to work.

By the afternoon, Jared was hornier than hell, and his mind was filled with images of Sierra, and-- in the background somewhat-- Gordon. He occasionally glanced down and looked at his own muscular arms and wondered how much bigger Gordon's were than his. Nevertheless, Sierra did seem to enjoy Jared-- a lot. No wonder-- their sex had been out of this world.

Monday night basketball was awesome that week. Jared played his heart out, and even Mark had a hard time guarding him.

By Thursday, Jared found himself in Gordon's cubicle whenever he had a free minute. The two of them seemed to click. Really well. When they were together Jared felt like the king of the world. And when they were apart-- well, Jared found himself wishing they weren't.

"You hooking up with Sierra tonight?" Gordon asked Jared as the two of them got ready to leave on Friday afternoon.

"Yeah," Jared answered, "she just can't stay away from me."

Gordon grinned.

"How about you? You find any New York numbers in your black book?" Jared asked.

Gordon's dimpled smiled just killed Jared. "Naw, no one in the city, yet. But I'm planning on changing that this weekend, man."

"Oh yeah?"

"Gunna hit some bars, maybe," Gordon said. "You know of any good ones?"

"Oh, yeah, man. You have to check out Onion's. It's down on 42nd. They have hot women just crawling all over that place!"

"Onions," Gordon said, sounding like he was making a mental note. "I'll check it out."

"Oh-- and try their Colossal Burger, man. They're huge," Jared said. Then he looked at Gordon's torso and said, "Although you'll probably need two of 'em." He laughed and punched Gordon lightly in the shoulder.

"Been known to eat more than one entree," Gordon smiled.

Jared and Sierra caught a bite to eat after work, and then Jared had a flash of inspiration. "Hey, you want to go get a drink at Onion's?" he asked his gorgeous date.

Sierra agreed, and the two caught a cab and ended up at Onion's at about nine o'clock.

Of course, Jared's eyes wandered all over the place; much to Sierra's irritation. But what she didn't know was that Jared wasn't checking out the girls, he was scanning to see if Gordon was there. The couple stayed for a few hours, and after seeing no sign of Gordon, Jared suggested they retire to his apartment. It was another night of extremely hot sex, but Jared found himself somewhat distracted.

The weeks wore on; Jared and Sierra kept dating-- pretty unusual for Jared to stay with the same girl for more than a few weeks. Gordon and Jared found their friendship growing closer. They'd talk every day-- at length; and even during the weekend, they got in the habit of calling each other, sometimes more than once a day. Despite his relationship with Sierra, Jared found himself forming a very close bond with Gordon, who, interestingly, never did show up at Onion's, and never seemed to divulge anything about his dating life, despite Jared's willingness to talk about nearly every aspect of his relationship with Sierra. What he didn't talk to Gordon about was his unusual feelings about their friendship. He really liked Gordon, more than he had ever liked a guy before. He wasn't gay or anything-- no, he never allowed himself to venture into his psyche far enough to evaluate that possibility; but he was forming a bond that was very strong. It was emotional, and even though he wasn't able to see it, it was sexual.

All the time Jared spent with Gordon was taking a toll on his friendship with Mark. It wasn't intentional, but it was evident. The two grew further apart as he grew closer to Gordon.

It was in the middle of the week, and Gordon had stopped by Jared's cubicle to get some information on a new advertising client. Jared was showing Gordon something on his computer screen. Gordon stood behind Jared as Jared sat at his desk. Then, totally naturally, as they talked, Gordon placed his left hand on Jared's shoulder as he bent over to point at something on Jared's screen with his right hand.

But to Jared, the touch was like a charge of strength and confidence going through his body. And Gordon left it there after he was done leaning over. In fact, he then put his right hand on Jared's other shoulder and gave his traps a little squeeze. And then another. "That looks really good, man," Gordon was saying. "Looks like you've done your research on those guys," he said, giving the young stud another squeeze.

Jared nearly froze. Fuck, that felt good! I mean, it wasn't merely the gentle massage that Gordon was giving, but the fact that Gordon was giving it! Regardless of how strange it might have looked if someone happened to pop into his cubicle, Jared said nothing, nor made any move to indicate he was in any way uncomfortable.

And still Gordon's strong hands remained on Jared's thick shoulders-- way longer than normal.

Jared and Gordon had, for all intents and purposes, concluded the business that Gordon came to see about, yet Jared desperately wanted Gordon to leave his hands exactly where they were.

After a weird silence, Jared finally said, "Man, you ever take massage lessons? That's really relaxing."

Gordon chuckled softly and said, "No dude. I haven't. Guess I just have the touch."

And so the physical touching barrier had been broken, however innocently and however slightly. But from that point on, there was a lot of patting on the backs, long handshakes, and an occasional friendly hug. After awhile you'd think that both guys were Italian or something, the way they always seemed to "talk" with their hands and arms.

More weeks passed, and Jared found himself thinking about Gordon constantly. I mean-- he was obsessed. Always, he'd wonder what Gordon was doing at any given moment-- what the giant musclehunk was thinking-- if Gordon was in public, what others were doing in reaction to his impossible good looks and unbelievable build. Jared had almost completely stopped dating, and he found himself masturbating more than once a day-- usually with thoughts of Gordon streaming through his mind.

Then one Saturday when the two men were leaving a Yankee's game, Jared asked Gordon if he wanted to come over to his apartment and hang for awhile. Gordon agreed-- not unusual, since they spent a lot of their free time together, and the two soon found themselves at Jared's place, sitting on the couch, watching TV.

And then, while they slouched on the couch, Gordon put his hand on Jared's knee and said, "Thanks, man, for having me over-- I really appreciate your friendship."

That was okay. I mean, nothing unusual about that. But then, he kept his hand on Jared's knee. He just left it there!

As they continued to watch the movie, Jared realized that this just wasn't normal, and yet he liked it. He didn't want Gordon to move his hand.

How weird is this? Jared thought to himself. He tried to sneak a look at Gordon's muscular hand (and forearm) as it rested on his leg, and yup-- sure enough, it was still there! God, this is cool. But then he became confused. But this is really weird.

As he wrestled in his mind, he also found something else happening within himself. He was getting aroused. Big time. In fact, in a minute, his growing boner would be requiring some major re-adjusting in his pants.

What's going on here? It hit Jared kind of hard, all of a sudden. He started to feel very uncomfortable with his feelings-- with this arousal. I'm not gay, he heard himself think loudly to himself. After what seemed like an interminable amount of time, Jared finally forced his hand to move onto Gordon's hand. His intent was ostensibly to grab Gordon's hand, maybe give it a friendly shake or squeeze and then remove it nonchalantly. That was his intent. But as soon as his hand slid on top of Gordon's, it just stopped! He commanded his hand to move, but it wouldn't obey. No, this wasn't some kind of mind control being exerted by Gordon-- this was all coming from within the conflicted mind and body of Jared.

So, there they were, these two jocks and hunks of muscle (granted, one of them was blatantly more muscular than the other), sitting on the couch watching TV, with Gordon's hand on Jared's knee, and Jared's hand seemingly holding Gordon's hand there!

Jared's heart pounded. Gordon made no effort to move his hand. In fact, he just kept watching the TV, as if where his hand was, and where Jared's hand was, was perfectly normal.

Jared's cock was approaching the breaking point. He was so horny, and so stimulated just by sitting next to his idol, let alone having this physical contact with him! Goddd, what is going on?!

Then, Gordon gave Jared's knee a good squeeze and slowly flipped his hand over so that their palms met. His big hand enveloped Jared's. He squeezed it and said, "Dude, I should get going. I didn't get much sleep last night and I think I need to get to bed." With that, he kind of shook Jared's hand a little, cupped his other hand over their joined hands for an instant, and then broke the whole grip, standing up at the same time. It seemed a normal, non-threatening ending to a normal non-threatening time watching TV. At least, it came across that way from Gordon.

Jared, on the other hand, felt anything but normal. He stood up, following Gordon's lead. His cock was painfully snaking down the wrong direction at this point, but there really wasn't anything he could do about it without being obvious. He made a few attempts to talk Gordon out of leaving so soon, but they weren't effective; nor were they really very heart-felt. Jared was so confused at this point, he didn't know whether to spit or wind his watch. Wanting Gordon to stay was definitely a strong, strong force within him. But wanting to sort himself out was just as strong. As he closed the door behind Gordon, Jared found himself almost crumbling in a heap of emotions. He managed to make his way back to his bed and throw himself on it before he unloaded a torrent of eye-blinking, confused outbursts that consisted of tears, mumblings, rants, hitting the pillow, out-loud questions, introspective trips to the mirror, and-- ultimately-- a passionate session with his right hand on his middle leg, spewing a huge amount of himself all over his comforter. Shit, I'm going to have to take that to the dry cleaners now.

The next day, Sunday, Gordon called Jared at about noon. Shit, Jared loved how Gordon always thought about him and called him so much. Over night, Jared had sorted out none of his issues, but the prospect of meeting Gordon over lunch seemed to nullify his confusion. As he rode the subway to their agreed-upon restaurant, he felt good. Really good.

It was a hot August Sunday afternoon, so it should have come as no surprise that Gordon would wear a tank top-- especially to such a casual joint. But Jared was totally unprepared for it. He had seen Gordon in T-shirts, but that was the most amount of exposed muscle he had as-of-yet seen of the giant's physique. The lavender cotton tank top was loose-- not the skin-tight kind that just begs people to gawk; but that didn't stop people from gawking at all. I mean, my GOD he was huge-- and ripped to shreds-- and so proportionate and downright beautiful. His tank top draped untucked over a pair of denim shorts that hugged his muscle-butt sensually. Holy mother fucking shit, he had the most taut, hard ass in the world! And his legs-- something that Jared had only seen once before in shorts-- they were simply amazing! Just freakin' huge masses of ripped muscle!

The two men ate and laughed and had a good time. For all his intimidating muscle, Gordon always put Jared at ease.

As had become Jared's habit, he kept one eye on Gordon and the other eye on the crowd around them, watching and listening to their reaction to the muscleman. Jared wasn't disappointed today. Whispers of, "Holy shit, did you see that guy?" were accompanied by stares and even pointing. Gordon practically had cars crashing in the street as they ate at the outdoor cafe.

After lunch they decided to do something really touristy-- take the ferry out to Staten Island. The view of the city was just fantastic, and the cool marine air was a welcome relief from the scorching heat of Manhattan. By late afternoon, they were hungry again, and they found some hotdog stand and shoveled in some food, along with a few beers each.

As Gordon wolfed down his third hotdog, he seemed to get an inspirational idea. "Let's stay over night here," he said. "I know this really cool place-- right on the water."

"You're kidding, right?" Jared laughed, half-questioning, half-believing that Gordon was serious. "We have to work tomorrow."

"Call in sick," Gordon said, taking a drink of water. God, that arm.

"Sick? Are you really serious?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I am!" Gordon said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself. "Let's do it! I'll call and see if this place can get us in."

"It's August, Gordon," Jared said. "Who's going to have a vacancy this time of year?"

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Gordon sighed.

The two men finished their meal; Jared asked, "You'd really want to call in sick?"

Gordon smiled and said, "Well, maybe not. But the concept is a good one. We should see about making reservations and doing it some time. We could take one of our optional holidays..."

Jared gazed off onto the water. Another ferry was approaching. That Gordon even suggested spending the night somewhere with him was pretty amazing-- and tantalizing. "Looks like the next ferry is arriving. You want to catch it?" Jared asked.

"Yeah, we should probably be getting back."

The trip back to Manhattan was quiet for both men. Jared again enjoyed watching the people on the boat as they caught glimpses of Gordon. He truly was a show-stopper.

There was the occasional close contact with Gordon, although nothing like that episode in the apartment. Jared spent most of the time introspectively examining both himself-- and Gordon-- for signs of something more than platonic friendship. But the closest the two men came to real contact was when Gordon came up behind Jared as Jared leaned against the railing while he watched the approaching Manhattan skyline. Gordon placed both hands on the rails, next to the sides of Jared's body, momentarily trapping him. But he didn't let it last long, and soon they were disembarking the ferry and heading back to their respective apartments.

Monday morning was, well, a Monday morning. Kind of depressing, especially when memories of the previous day kept flooding Jared's mind. At mid-morning, Jared's phone rang.

"Dude, can you get next Monday off?" It was Gordon, calling from his cubicle.

"Well, I suppose I could. Why?"

"I got reservations for the place on Staten Island I was telling you about," Gordon said.

"Really? Uh-- well, sure, I guess," Jared said. It was a confusing bit of news. He really hadn't been sure that Gordon had been serious.

"Cool. I'll confirm them. We have Saturday and Sunday night." Gordon hung up, and Jared did likewise. He was confounded, but excited.

The week plodded away very slowly. On Thursday afternoon, Jared was going mad-- not necessarily with anticipation, but just with the questions about Gordon's thoughts and intentions for the weekend. Fortunately, Jared found himself at Gordon's apartment after work that evening-- not an unusual occurrence at all, but a welcome one for the question-riddled Jared. God, he was smitten with Gordon; but he hadn't even gotten to the point of admitting that to himself. But before the evening was over, he would.

They sat watching the Yankees on TV. Gordon's muscular physique was shown off to its best advantage in the muscle shirt he was wearing. Jared had taken to sticking to T-shirts whenever he hung around Gordon, just because he knew he couldn't compete with him. After Gordon got up to get two new bottles of beer, he didn't return to his previous seat. He took up position right next to Jared on the couch; not too close, but close enough.

Jared stole some looks at Gordon's insanely sized and defined quads as they watched the game. Gordon did a stretch/relax move and Jared found the muscleman's forearm right behind his head, resting on the back of the couch.

God, he must come from a really affectionate family. After a few minutes, Jared started to feel Gordon's fingers and palm on the back of his neck. He was ostensibly rubbing Jared's tight neck muscles.

"You should have been a masseur, man," Jared said.

Gordon didn't say anything. Jared was getting turned on.

Finally, the tension came to a boil in Jared. He had to know, one way or the other. He turned to Gordon and looked at all of his muscles; all of those flowing, taut, defined, huge muscles. And that gorgeous face. Not a hint of a blemish on his skin anywhere.

Gordon turned to Jared, sensing his stare. "What," he said.

"Do you have even a clue as to how... how perfect you look?" The words fell out of Jared's mouth relatively easily, surprising them both.

But Gordon's slightly raised eyebrows almost immediately returned to their previous position, and then his eyes softened. "Do you want me to put on something else?"

"No," Jared fought back a smile. It wasn't the response he expected-- not that he knew what he expected. He just knew that this response was better than it might have otherwise been if Gordon didn't like what Jared had said.

"Sorry, man," Gordon said innocently. "I kind of sensed that you were having trouble with the whole situation."

"You did?"

"Yeah. That's why I've been trying to help you relax-- with the neck rubs, and stuff."

"And what I feel-- what I feel about-- you-- it doesn't bother you?" Jared asked.

Gordon's eyes twinkled. "Naw. Not at all." He took a sip from his beer. "I get it a lot."

It didn't come across at all as pompous or egotistical. It was more just a statement of fact, not something that he relished in.

Jared felt a cold shiver. It was a devastating revelation to come to the conclusion that he had "feelings" for another man. And it was even more devastating that he admitted it verbally to Gordon even before he admitted it to himself. Somehow, his words formed his thoughts perfectly, instead of the other way around. He looked down at the floor, not knowing what to do or say next.

"I take it, you are new at this," the muscular god smiled.

"New at what."

Gordon paused, thinking how to phrase his thoughts correctly. "New at admitting these feelings to yourself-- and to others."

Jared let out a huge sigh-- or maybe it was a groan. His heart rate had increased. He didn't know how he had ever gotten to this place. Here he was, the playboy of the company, admitting that he was attracted to another man. "I-- I think maybe I need to step back a bit. Maybe I should go. This is really weird for me."

Gordon wasn't fazed at all. "Suit yourself, dude. But don't feel like you need to leave because of me. I have absolutely no negative feelings about what you're going through. If you want to talk about it, I'd be glad to help if I can."

"I think you are the wrong person to talk to about this. You're kind of at the center of the whole issue."

"You don't think I could be objective?"

"No," Jared said. "Not with this stuff. I should go." He stood up and Gordon did likewise, escorting his guest to the door.

"Dude, I hope I'm not scaring you off," Gordon said with a reassuring smile.

"No, it's not you. I just need to be alone for awhile," Jared said as he opened the front door.

"No problem. But can you call me when you're ready to talk?"

"Talk? What do you want to talk about," Jared asked.

"I just want to be a friend, man."

Jared thanked Gordon, and left. It was a long walk home. How can I be attracted to a man? As he turned the key in his door, he heard himself think, I think I love him. God, what is wrong with me?

Sleep barely came for Jared. The next day, Friday, work was the last thing on his mind, and it showed. He barely accomplished anything all day. Gordon was around, but he kept his distance; not wanting to push himself on Jared. When the day was done, Jared was one of the first people out the door.

Later that evening, his cell phone rang; it was Gordon. Jared answered it.

"Just wanted to know how you're doing, man," Gordon said.

"I'm actually doing pretty well. I'm sorry about running out on you like that. My head was really tied up."

"Hey; I think I'm the one who needs to apologize, dude. I didn't mean to freak you out. I guess I'm used to making moves on guys who are tenured members of the team."

Jared laughed. "That pretty much says it, man. This is really new territory for me."

"Well, don't sweat it. If I do anything to make you uncomfortable, you just let me know," Gordon said.

"Thanks."

"We still on for tomorrow?"

"You bet," Jared smiled into the phone. "Two o'clock, right?"

"Yup. I'll meet you down at the ferry terminal."

• • • • •

The summer New York weather remained true to form-- it was unbearably hot and humid. But, as before, as soon as the ferry moved out onto the water, the cooler marine air brought relief. Gordon stood at the railing, watching the skyline of Manhattan recede, and Jared stood next to him. Jared finished an ice cream cone and walked over to a trash can to get rid of the paper and napkin he had. As he walked back to Gordon, he was overwhelmed at the backside of the man. Gordon was merciless, in that he had dressed in a rather skimpy tank top and some very tight, ass-hugging shorts that left little to the imagination as far as his glutes and ass went. The "V" taper of Gordon's lats and his tiny waist-- along with those broad, powerful shoulders-- made Jared almost wince with the pang of desire.

Jared walked up behind Gordon and put his hands on the muscleman's waist. Gordon didn't move, other than to slightly acknowledge Jared's presence.

"God, you are unbelievable," Jared said. He moved and stood beside Gordon.

Gordon turned to Jared and asked, "Why'd you move?"

Jared looked around at the other passengers on the ferry, "Aw, I just didn't want to be too obvious, I guess."

Gordon smiled.

A few hours later the two men found themselves in a bed-and-breakfast being shown through the common living room to their room by the innkeeper. There was a couple in the living room, and as Gordon and Jared passed, their eyes glued to the two men, both of whom had bodies that were well above normal, as far as musculature goes-- but of course, it was Gordon who got most of the attention.

"Breakfast is family style, and we serve at 8:30," the innkeeper said as she showed the men their room. "And don't forget about the hot-tub on the patio," she added, unable to hide her appreciation for Gordon's body, obviously hoping to see more of it out in the sun.

After the innkeeper left their room, the two men threw their overnight bags onto the lone queen bed in the room. There was a sun porch area that was quite large, and an additional sitting area next to the bed. The view was spectacular.

Gordon poured two glasses of ice-cold lemonade from the pitcher on the sun porch and handed one of them to Jared. It was good-- not too sweet. Although there was air conditioning, the room was a little stuffy. Jared turned on the ceiling fan to get the air moving.

They both stood in the sun porch and looked out over the water. Gordon put his glass down on an end table and then put one arm around Jared's shoulder. "I'm glad we're here," he said.

Jared was surprised at how Gordon's hold relaxed him. He felt a rush of peace and contentment, melting away his anxiety.

Gordon turned his face to Jared and pulled him a little closer. The two men looked into the eyes of the other. Their faces drew closer and as they cocked their heads to avoid smashing their noses, their eyes closed and they began a long, slow kiss. It was tentative at first-- especially on Jared's part. But Gordon didn't rush anything. Within seconds, though, weak-kneed Jared was completely overcome, and he pressed his body against Gordon's and they embraced passionately. The kissing became rather "involved," and hands moved up and down, everywhere; soft, sensual moans could be heard. Jared pushed his crotch against Gordon's, and he was met with immovable solidness. After a few moments, their tongues withdrew and their lips parted. Gordon smiled, waiting for Jared to open his eyes and close his mouth. Eventually he did, and he smiled back at his musclegod.

"I don't know about you, but I could use a dip in that hot-tub she mentioned," Gordon said softly.

God, what a tease.

"Seriously?" Jared said, wondering how Gordon could be so cruel to get him all revved up like that and then put the brakes on.

"Seriously," Gordon responded. "I don't want to rush anything. Maybe a trip to the patio would be good."

"You're not rushing me," Jared quietly objected.

Gordon got a mischievous smile and said, "We have all weekend, dude. Let's savor this."

Jared was hot-to-trot, but he also liked the tension in his body. And seeing Gordon at pool-side (okay, hot-tub-side) sounded kind of interesting anyway. "Okay," he smiled, cooling his heels. "Let's take a dip in the tub."

Already at the patio was an elderly couple (sitting in the shade, both reading books), a 30's-ish woman by herself (sunning) and a young couple (also reclining in the sunshine). The young couple were probably in their late 20's, and the male of the two was pretty well-built; probably a gym rat, but obviously not competition-ready. There was no one in the hot tub, so Jared and Gordon opened the white bathrobes that had been provided for them in their room and slowly stepped down into the water.

As the two men had entered the patio area, everyone had looked up to acknowledge them, but had gone back to reading or had closed their eyes and gone back to sunning-- mostly in an effort to not appear blown away by the size of Gordon, even though he was covered in white terry cloth. But when the men disrobed and started into the tub, eyes opened again and minds attempted to comprehend the amount of insanely ripped muscle that was disappearing into the water. The single woman literally couldn't close her mouth. Everyone else-- even the elderly couple-- just stared; okay they did make an occasional effort to look away, if only to be polite. But it didn't seem that anyone was really hoping to appear disinterested in the muscle show. Honestly, it was like nothing any of them had ever seen-- on TV or anywhere. Gordon's sheer size was hopelessly intimidating, but coupled with his perfect proportions and unbelievable definition, he was like a superhuman to them. They were spellbound.

Of course, Jared was soaking in all of this. If he had been one of the casual observers on the patio, he would have been filled with envy. But as it was, since he was Gordon's companion and friend, he was filled with pride. Yeah, I'm with him, he thought to himself as he slid into the warm water behind Gordon, watching the awestruck expressions of Gordon's admirers. Funny thing was, if Gordon hadn't been there, Jared clearly would have garnered a few of those looks himself; but with Gordon around, there just wasn't anyone else who could compete-- not Jared, not anyone.

After a few minutes, the younger guy (of the couple) sat up and walked over to the tub, slipping into the water. It was a big tub, seating, oh, probably 8 to 10 easily. As soon as he sat down on the tub's bench and the water was up to his neck, he made eye-contact with Gordon and said, "Dude, you have to be a professional bodybuilder."

"Thanks," Gordon smiled. "But I don't compete, actually."

"You gotta be shittin' me," the guy responded.

"Nope."

The guy really didn't know what else to say. It took him a few minutes, but finally he said, "You ever think about competing?"

Gordon smiled, "Yeah-- thought about it. I might someday. When I get big enough."

"Shiiiiiit," the guy said, then laughed.

Gordon just smiled.

Despite the temperature of the water, Jared was getting hard, just sitting there next to Gordon-- and watching the overt muscle worship going on didn't help much either.

The guy's girlfriend joined the three men in the tub, and the conversation continued, occasionally about Gordon's body, occasionally about other innocuous subjects. After about 15 minutes, Gordon stood up and lifted himself onto the edge of the tub, his gigantic, rippling triceps easily propelling his body upward. Guy and Girl couldn't help but look in awe.

Single-sunning-chick then had to join the party, and she was also unable to hide her admiration of Gordon's body.

To Jared, it just fed his appetite. He was loving all of this, in spite of the fact that he was getting pretty hot. Lifting himself out of the water would mean revealing a rather long and thick stick in his swim trunks. But eventually he had to get out, and he did so quickly. He put his hands between his legs, hoping his thick forearms would conceal his boner; and for the most part they did. Truthfully, no one there was really interested in Jared's erection. Their eyes were elsewhere.

The disappointment among the assembled muscle worshippers was almost palpable when Jared and Gordon donned their robes and retreated back into the house.

"You have any idea what you did to those people out there?" Jared said as he closed the door to their room behind himself.

Gordon turned around and smiled. "I can't help it if I'm beautiful." He untied his robe and opened it, revealing a chest and six-pack to die for.

"God," Jared sighed.

Gordon kept his robe open and approached Jared and the two embraced, but not before Jared slowly moved his hands all over Gordon's mammoth pecs and defined abs. It was another hot kiss, and this one lasted longer than the first. Minutes later, they found themselves naked in the queen bed, running hands over muscles, kissing and fondling.

Jared trembled as his hand felt Gordon's thick, long member. Just like the rest of him, Gordon's penis was huge.

"Can-- can I look at it?" Jared asked.

Gordon gave a smile and a slight nod.

Jared moved the covers away, revealing Gordon's body-- and his cock, on which rested Jared's hand. "God," Jared gasped. Right there, next to him, was the most muscular, beautiful body imaginable. He was, at the same time, overwhelmed at how he was turned on at this moment, and also mortified by the fact that he was in bed with a man. But as he slid his hand slowly up and down Gordon's muscular penis, the mortification diffused totally, and was overcome by his lust.

They started kissing. Gordon took Jared's penis in his hand and began stroking. (Jared was no slouch in the size department either, by the way.) Together, they brought each other to climax before either of them knew what was happening. They came at the same time. The sheets were wet with cum.

"We didn't even get to-- you know..." Jared said as he held Gordon's still pulsing cock.

Gordon smiled and said, "Guess we'll just have to try after dinner."

Jared realized how hungry he was.

In the dining room, there were two tables, both full of people. Jared and Gordon were the last to arrive. All eyes were glued to Gordon as the two men sat down (of course). He wore a polo shirt and khaki shorts, and there was no disguising his muscles. He oozed with power and masculinity. No one remembers what Jared wore; but he didn't care. He got a few looks anyway, as many were totally jealous of his friendship with the god.

Conversation around the dinner table was robust. Jared was enamored with how Gordon was so well-versed in just about anything that anyone brought up. I mean, international relations, advanced stellar cartography, molecular biology, computerized nanoprobes-- I mean, Gordon had the body and the brains. Not that most of the dinner guests wanted to talk about those things at length-- most of them somehow kept maneuvering the conversation back to something concerning either bodybuilding, health & fitness or anything that might get Gordon to admit that he was the best-built specimen of male pulchritude on the planet.

But of course, Gordon was never anything less than the perfect gentleman-- totally humble and confident, not willing to impose his persona on any of them.

God, he's perfect.

All eyes were on Gordon throughout the dinner-- watching what he ate (he asked for, and was willingly given, two entrees) and what he did. His manners were impeccable. And to Jared's bliss, Gordon's hand was frequently found on the smaller man's leg (or elsewhere), gently and affectionately squeezing and fondling.

God, he likes me!

When dinner and dessert were done, Gordon and Jared excused themselves politely. It was funny-- no one else left until they did. It was as if they were just so mesmerized by Gordon (and maybe Jared) that they were totally unwilling to leave until the last possible moment. And when Gordon finally stood to leave, they were all gaga-- I mean, it was a love-fest.

But Gordon was completely comfortable being the center of attention. Yet even with all this adulation, he didn't seem to let it go to his head. As soon as they were clear of the worshippers, he turned to Jared and said, "God, I couldn't wait to get away-- and alone with you."

They walked down the hallway toward their room, pausing to embrace at their door.

Jared, the guy who only days before was struggling with acknowledging his real sexuality, allowed himself to be completely engulfed by Gordon's massive, muscular, virility. Their hallway kiss evolved into passionate bedroom sex. Jared found himself prostrate on the bed, his ass sticking out toward Gordon's advancing penis. And soon, Jared was spewing volley upon volley of semen onto the sheets as Gordon gently rocked him, pushing and pulling-- only centimeters at a time-- his overwhelming muscular body totally in control of this passionate situation.

Soon Jared could feel Gordon move to the uncontrollable point-- where even his own muscular, powerful body could not contain his passion. Jared's body-- frail in comparison to Gordon's-- shook with each sharp jerk of the muscleman's orgasm. The semen burst into Jared's body, warm, sensuous and powerful-- filling him with Gordon's essence.

Time was lost. There were limbs, hugging, muscles, feeling, kissing, passionate orgasms all night long, smiles, talking, fondling, mutual masturbations, arm-flexing, more kissing, strength demonstrations, twinkling eyes, lust, and even more orgasms-- all night long.

Jared had found his sexuality.

Gordon had found his life-partner.

The ferry ride back to Manhattan on Monday afternoon was something that Jared would never had predicted in a million years. He kept stealing looks at Gordon, only to have his muscle-idol catch him looking and smile back. They kissed-- pecks really. They laughed. And as soon as they were back in the city, they were busy moving all of Gordon's things into Jared's apartment.

And their relationship continued to flourish.

• • • • • Your feedback is TOTALLY encouraged! Please email me at sean@buffmuscles.com. Also, for more of my stories, check out my website: www.buffmuscles.com. Thanks!