"Vermont's Best Kept Secret"
By
Justin Balancier
The area around Weston Vermont is charming in the summertime. The area features quaint general stores, and cafes. The village of Weston captures a snowy persona, once winter arrives, especially during the holiday season.
The snow is the big element, of course. However, it is the town's decorations and community projects that beings folks together as a troupe of happy people.
Center Street winterized with snow mixed with decorations until after Valentine's Day, may be the only American town, with a sign that read's, "WELCOME WINTER"
Daniel moved to Vermont, from Pittsfield Mass after inheriting a New England style bungalow, from his grandparents. It was not a large house, and felt to Danny, like an apartment. It had two bedroom, two baths, and a living room with patio overlooking a garden, separated by double French doors. His favorite room was the kitchen. He enjoyed cooking, even though he had only himself to cook for.
It had been snowing all morning and the forecast was to continue well into the day. Winter in Vermont, meant snow – lots of snow.
Sipping a cup of hot cocoa, Danny watched the large flakes drop wildly shaped crystals over his summer perennial garden. It is amazing how a blanket of snow hides months of gardening in just a few hours. He liked the snow but hated the ice and wind.
"Bah humbug, "Welcome Winter," who ever thought of something as stupid as that?" he mumbled to himself.
His phone, tucked in his shirt pocket, rang. "Ugh, now what," he thought. He took another sip of cocoa and set the cup down onto the floor, getting it out of the way.
"Hey there studly, what's happening? This is a voice from your past."
"Owen Canfield."
"How'd the hell did you know that? I'm not using my phone, and there is no caller ID."
"I recognized your voice. I know it's been a long time, but I don't forget voices, besides you talk kind of weird anyway."
"I guess then, that would work. I have been meaning to give you a ring."
"Why's that? I heard that you were married."
"Divorced and freelancing about looking up old chums, maybe sparking some interest here and there."
"Not interested."
"Oh, I'm not talking about that."
"A-huh, - I have to go and clean my driveway before it gets any deeper. If I cannot get the snow blower going, I will shovel it. I like shoveling, and it's my winter exercise," admitted Danny. "I'm not that old, you know – Okay, I'm forty two, going on thirty."
"I'll come by and clean it. I am not that far from you. I rent a place on Huckleberry Lane four blocks from you on Sharon Drive. Yep, I arrived here before Thanksgiving. "Hey, are you married or anything?" Owen asked.
"Not today."
"Very funny!"
Danny tucked his flannel shirt into his pants and changed shoes. He slipped on rubber Kloppers that worked nicely in snow without boots. He dumped the remaining hot cocoa down the drain, and put the rinsed cup in the sink.
He remembered that Owen was a coffee drinker and liked percolated coffee and not the solo stuff, that he called crap.
The coffee pot had just begun to perk, when a dark grey pick up pulled in off the street and drove to the side of Danny' driveway. It was Owen.
The truck had a plow attached, and Owen began pushing the snow out of the way creating snowbanks off to the side. What he accomplished in ten minutes would have taken Danny an hour, if not longer. The snow was still coming down but cleaning it once meant less to handle when it finally stopped.
Owen hopped out of the truck, stamped his feet on the ground, and walked to the kitchen door, just as Danny was opening it.
When the kitchen door closed, Danny reached to shake hands. However, Owen grabbed him for an old fashion hug. They were dearly departed friends finding one another after all these years, so a hug seemed appropriate.
The last time they were together was college in Boston. They were romantics, who met at Cape Cod and sworn to love each other, but typical among Boston's gay men; moving up the ladder, was always a consideration. That had to be twenty or more years ago, and the ladder was long gone.
Both men had changed over the last twenty-two years and it was for the better. Believe me; it was definitely for the better.
The college boy charm was missing and in its place stood men facing one another for the first time as people, and not haughty-taught New England dudes, "gay" sure, this is what makes the story interesting.
Danny poured two cups of coffee and the men took them into the living room to sit by the fire.
A long couch faced the fireplace. It was one of Danny's special winter places in the house. He would lie on the sofa, for hours looking at the flames and remembering his torrid past. It is not that he was trampy, as a student, but he was a popular man on campus.
Owen was hot, when it came to being popular, and dated girls mainly for sex, leaving Danny lonely. It was true; Owen was a man whore becoming his own brand of fucker. Nevertheless, they remained remarkable friends.
They sat together on the sofa as the fire roared in the fireplace and the snow continued to fall. Already, the driveway covered in white again where Owen had just plowed.
"Winter in Vermont," – "This is what you get living near the Green Mountains," said Danny. "I'm not complaining, it is just more friggin work.
"Winter keeps you active. Although, I wouldn't mind a little surf and sun about now either," Owen added. "I wouldn't mind a December fuck either."
"Remember the week we spent at the Cape?" Danny continued, twitching his head just a little. "Gosh, you were something, when your pants came off, and you pinned me standing up with that hard warm fuzzy crotch." – yeow!
"Yup, I do remember you hungry bastard, I called you a shark; a man eater.
I remember snorting poppers, cruising on the beach, skimpy shorts, eatable jock straps around hairy thighs, and drunks falling off the curb in Provincetown.
We were college students from Boston, and clicked together at happy hour in the Towne House Tavern." "You grabbed my ass," confessed Daniel.
"We spent the next few days hanging out together, sucking, - fuckin and staining the sheets, I have to admit, it was romance at first sight. I mistakenly called it "love," but we were young and based everything on sex," Confessed Owen, still using that pathetic grin.
"Yeaah, how could we have been such sluts?" added Danny who remembered the good times. "Hah, wild sex, how crazy is that?"
Owen, after leaving the Cape that summer, returned to Boson and dated girls obsessed with getting pussy. Born to fuck, he was good at it. Now, twenty-three years later, he was back. All well and good, Danny had his own belief. - "You have to know when to walk away, know when to run." Thank you, Kenny Rogers.
Even with the craziness, they remained friends. Danny was getting hard as a tootsie roll, sitting next to Owen, remembering how beautiful he was sleeping together many years ago. He looked hotter now, after maturing like fine wine. Looking was easy on the eyes. He did a lot of thinking, but for now, it was only looking.
Owen ran his little finger over Danny's knee, suggested that inside they were all the same. One loves to hate when you fuck up, until you don't. Owen never hated anything he simply made one mistake after another.
"So what do you think?"
"About what?"
"WINTER!" – "THE FESTIVAL?"
The New England festival was not about to start for another few days plenty of time to remove snow and clear highways in and around town. Vermonters have been doing this for years and knew exactly how to handle every weather situation that arrived.
Around Christmastime, in the center of town, the Vermont Christmas tree, garnished with hundreds of colored lights, ornaments, loads of pinecones, and red berries, are sure signs of the winter season.
"Let's spend Christmas together," suggested Owen, trying to ignite a forgotten friendship.
"I'm waiting for the snow to stop so I can buy a Christmas tree. John Snyder, from SNYDER'S' TREE FARM, brings fresh cut trees into town every December for folks to buy locally, said Danny, ignoring Owen's question.
"What do you think of my idea about spending Christmas together?"
"Why are you here?"
"I work for Hotels of America. My job is to train people for managerial positions. So I am here in Weston as an instructor."
"That's energetic. I work from home. I write computer programs for different companies based on their needs. I turned the spare bedroom into an office, besides, who needs two bedrooms, when you never get any company."
"Gosh, where would I sleep if I get snowed in, or perhaps invited?"
"You won't get invited," replied Danny twitching, as if to say – "so there!"
The snow was active, for the longest time, like a teenager with daddy's credit card, buying stuff from store to store. However, it was beginning to taper, and that meant the worse was over for now.
"Let's go to town and see what kind of trees John Snyder brought to Center Square for sale. We can take the truck and keep your car tucked away nice and dry in the garage. Beside, with a pick-up, it is easy to transport. However, it's only a suggestion, if you want to do it," said Owen.
"I like the idea, also picking out the tree together, isn't a bad idea either." Dan replied.
"I'm not quite following..."
"You said, "Let's spend Christmas together, and I`m agreeing with you. After all, we do have some history together."
Owen took Danny's hand, placed it on his crotch, (purely symbolic) then to his mouth, to lick his finger. He was getting harder by the minute hearing Dan talking in a cutesy way about getting together. He had mentally kicked himself a hundred times over the years, for not staying with him.
Owen was not dumb and realized some doors may never open again, but he was willing to knock a few times to see what might happen.
So far – NOT so good. Danny stood up saying, "Let' get going now that the snow has almost stopped.
When in town, I will spring for lunch, and you do the driving. Also, I owe you for plowing the driveway," he proudly announced.
"I am going to plow, the second time too, and you owe me nothing, don't be ridiculous!"
"I like being ridiculous," replied Danny grinning and feeling exceedingly comfortable around his former boyfriend, a stud on the basketball court. Lord, how could he ever forget that tight little ass, in those skimpy shorts!
The driveway was snowy, with ice crystals forming on top. It was now raining and freezing as it hit the ground. When the two of them came out of the house, Owen slipped and fell bringing Danny down on top of him. They lay in the snow with their eyes locked on one another, saying nothing – just staring.
Danny kissed him, and when he started to lift away, Owen pulled him back, so they could keep kissing. Two grown men in their forties, lying in the snow kissing like teenagers, how crazy can you get. However, don't laugh, it was beautiful. Owen backed his truck into the street and they were on their way to town. It felt nice being with him once again. Just looking at his bulge was even nicer.
Dan remembered travelling along the Cape, past all the New England tourist towns. He recalled something good about all of them. The food, the people, and the smell of ocean air remained with him. Owen brought those memories back.
It was years ago, but did not feel that way. It felt more like yesterday. OK, last week.
They were older, of course, and that made a difference. The college days were gone, the passing years had seen to that. However, a snowstorm brought them back together.
"Lunch first or tree first?" asked Owen, driving slowly along the street, busy with children stomping through the snow, hanging on to their mother's hand.
"How hungry are you?" asked Dan.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Stop."
"Okay, stopping is good," grinned Owen squeezing Danny' knee, "I'll behave."
"Amy's Café, three doors down, let' stop there. She has wonderful soup, salads, and sandwiches at lunchtime. Uhh, unless you would rather go someplace else."
"You are being terribly nice getting my opinion on everything we are doing today. Any reason for that?" asked Owen, with a sly grin.
"No"
"Amy's café sounds perfect then."
During lunch, they talked about `hook ups' they went through (good and bad) over the lost years they spent away from each other. The conversation however, seemed to find a way back to them and sex, no matter how they tried to avoid it.
They were both good-looking men and with handsome features come undeniable sexual appeal. Sex wasn't necessary for a friendship, but it was there.
Daniel was right; the soup (zucchini /cheddar cheese with port wine) was exceptional on a cold winter day. For dessert, they had warm apple-cranberry pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Then, off to find Daniel a Christmas tree.
The lot was busy and John Snyder had his two boys selling trees. The one boy, Chris, knew Danny from a computer class he taught at the high school.
Owen was surprised how quickly Dan picked out a tree. He didn't seem fussy at all. Other folks, (mostly women) were checking tree after tree, having the boys shake the snow from the branches.
The second tree that Dan looked at, (snow and all) he bought. Chris Snyder tossed it in the back of the pickup and they were on their way back to Sharon Drive and the comfort of the fireplace, a couple of pillows, and the glass coffee pot.
Dan put the tree into the garage so he could let it drip dry and get the stand attached before bringing it into the house. Owen plowed the driveway and shoveled the sidewalk. They were opening a new window, even though it was tough to admit.
Danny had gone through hot boyfriends and knew how screwed up minds worked. He was good at reading people. Now, there was Owen Canfield again, and what appeared simple, was not easy. He was a sweetheart, not perfect in every way, but still mighty nice. Well, actually `nice' is being kind. He was extraordinary.
They sat together with Owen resting from shoveling snow. Somehow, with the magic from "yesterday," Danny cuddled in Owen's arms, and once again, it felt like Cape Cod.
They were becoming aroused by the minute. Owen casually pulled down his zipper playing, "What's behind curtain number one."
"I knew you would get around to that. I knew, because I know you." Danny babbled sliding his hand between the open zipper cupping hard flesh covered with soft white cotton jockey underwear. Gaud, he loved groping bulges, and some people just have it.
There is no mistaking that touching leads to the bedroom. Men are men, and gay men are especially crafty, when it comes to making out by playing the cards right. These two never forgot the cards. It wasn't difficult, they belonged together.
The clothes came off in the living room, thrown across the floor, and forgotten. It was vital for them to benefit from each other out of bed, as well as under the sheets. However, they would work on that silly notion tomorrow.
There were moments when Owen saw Danny as a small boy. He cuddled him, loved him, and they came together putting two needy cocks to good use.
Their lives changed, as did the times. Owen loved Daniel being where he wanted to be. Yes, this time there was no parting. There was more living to come, than they believed would ever happen.
They were together sealed with slutty desires, and bubbling hot sex. Owen and Daniel, spent their lives loving, never being jealous, and waiting for time to tell then if it was right, or not so good.
That time never came - It was just that simple.
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