| Chapter 7 |
James spotted the bright red shirt the moment he topped the escalator. A pigeon on
top of David’s head wouldn’t have made him any easier to spot.
“Your staff getting used to you wearing that shirt?”
“I’ve gotten one or two colorful comments.” David lifted his arm to look at the sleeve.
“You know, when I got started in business way back when, my office was casual. I’ve
been thinking about ditching the tie and slacks. Why do I need a tie in the construction
business, anyway?”
“Screw those stuffed-shirt millionaire clients.”
David laughed absently. “Yeah, screw ‘um.” He glanced at his watch and then looked
around the atrium.
“Are you ready for another round?” James asked. “You’re fidgeting.”
“You know what it is,” said David. “I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s like
we're exposing ourselves to guys we don’t know. You don’t get comfortable with it
even after you’ve done it a couple of times.”
James nodded. “That bothers me, too. At least they’re here for the same reason we
are.” He wondered if David’s frustration was high enough to abandon the poker game
scheme. “You ready to throw in the towel?”
“I would be if we could think of a better way to get out of the house once a week. Plus I
hate giving up that easy.” David looked at his watch again. “That professor’s
scheduled first. He’s five minutes late already.”
James had gotten to the point he figured the idea wasn’t going to work, which was fine
with him. He had thought about it, and though he had decided a small circle of like-
minded friends would be interesting, he still had mixed emotions about what might
come of it. Now it looked like men they could identify with were not answering the ad.
Either way, like David, he’d be glad when these interviews were over with.
David was staring at him, lost in a fog of familiar images, which often flashed through
his mind without warning. All that time he had spent with James in the gym, watching
his chest muscles expand on the machines, holding his feet so he could do crunches,
breathing the scent of sweat on his skin, and always the shower afterwards. And that
first time in the room, standing in the bath, looking down, seeing the top of his head.
And in bed, legs resting on broad shoulders, watching his semen spurt out, the smell of
it, the feel of it running in warm rivulets across his belly. They were frequent images,
always on the surface of his mind, always making him feel charged with desire, in bed
at night pretending to read, at work, at the dinner table with Linda, and now sitting here
and staring at him. He had settled into the fact they were lovers , at one in mind, body
and soul, light-years beyond mere best friends.
James glanced toward the café and shifted his weight to the front of the chair. “I’ll go
get a couple beers while we’re waiting. You better stay here with that red shirt.”
When James returned, he found David staring at a rather thin, staid looking
gentleman. His jacket was at least twenty years old, complete with worn leather
patched elbows. His hair was fussy and looked oily and there bags under his eyes.
“Uh ... James, this is Ralph. Ralph, James. Ralph here has been telling me about his
wife’s mastectomy.”
James set the beer down and extended his hand. “Glad to meet you, Ralph. Sorry
about your wife.”
“Oh, that’s okay. It’s been three years. We’ve adjusted.” He let go a kind of half laugh.
“Í told her if she’d cut her hair and wear a dildo, she’d be like sleeping with a man.”
David winced and glanced at James, his eyes knurled with dread.
A short silence stretched awkwardly long before Ralph spoke again. “An African
American gentleman. Interesting.”
“Well,” said David, “I’m German American, but we call me white and him black. And
you’re right, he’s interesting.”
“We’ve managed to achieve a sixty/forty ratio on campus, you know.”
“Sixty/forty?” said David. He looked at the thin man as if he had no clue as to what he
was talking about.
“Yes. Sixty percent Caucasian, forty percent minority, of course.”
“Ah. Quite an accomplishment. …Just so you know, Ralph, there’s not a politically
correct bone in my body, or his.” David stared at him a moment before asking: “Mind if
I ask if you’ve ever had a relationship with another man?"
“I don’t mind at all. And yes, afraid I have. I’m quite addicted to it actually. He was a
student, last year, but he transferred to another school.”
“A student. One student? One time?”
“Would you have me count the ones I’ve paid?”
“Paid? ...No. Not the ones you’ve ... uh, yes, please do count the ones you’ve paid.”
“Okay then. There have been three important young men in my life. I’m afraid I can’t
remember how many I’ve paid. They’re usually so forgettable, you know.”
David’s mouth was gaping. “And you’re happily married?”
“Yes. Quite happy. My wife’s open-minded. She doesn’t really mind these little trysts
of mine. You might say she understands?”
“She knows you go to bed with men!”
“Of course. But that’s not what she complains about. I suppose I can be rather
neglectful.”
“So sometimes you’re not quite so happily married?”
“Sometimes. That’s one of the reasons I thought this group might be a godsend. Be
nice to have a place to stay when she’s in one of her moods.”
David let out a sigh of exasperation. “Okay. Well Ralph ... let me say how much we
appreciate your time today. We’ll discuss the matter and you’ll be notified if we decide
on another meeting.”
David stood up, as did Ralph, who shook hands, nodded, then turned and walked
away. David and James stared after him absently, oblivious to the comings and
goings and the camaraderie across the atrium. They watched the professor until his
tousled hair disappeared down the escalator.
“Good God!” said James. “He had to mention those quotas. I’m so sick of that kind of
preoccupation with race, I could puke.”
“My head feels numb,” said David. He looked over at James. “We’re not weird, are
we? I mean look at these guys who are answering our ad.”
“And he was one of the two best prospects out of forty-three. That’s discouraging.”
David sat down, leaned forward and rubbed his forehead. “Well, it’s been almost three
weeks. I ran the ad for a month. If we can’t make it work by then, I’ll give it up.”
James glanced at his watch. “Quick interview. Gives us time to kill before one o’
clock. You hungry?”
“No. I’ll go with you if you are.”
“No. Lost my appetite. Maybe after we get this next interview over with.”
James thought David looked distant. “What are you thinking about?”
“Destin Beach. That white sand on your black skin.”
“You know, David, you said the other day our passion would cool off after a while. I’m
not so sure, and I’ll tell you why. We’ll be thinking about things like that every day, with
few opportunities to get naked together. That makes for a lot of anticipation. Like
now. I’m picturing you in bed with your clothes off, even as we sit here in the middle of
a busy hotel atrium. I’ve had more erections the last two weeks than a teenager in a
strip club.”
David laughed. “Last night I tried reading a magazine to get sleepy. Couldn’t quit
thinking about you on top of me. You can guess what effect that had. Linda noticed
and lifted the sheet. There it was, a flag pole.”
James grinned. “Doesn’t seem that unusual for you.”
“Not when you and I are together. We haven’t been sleeping together for twenty years.”
“She say anything?”
“No. A coy little smile and then back to her novel. She thinks errant erections are a
midlife thing.” A gleam of mischief appeared in David’s eyes. “So I’m curious about
something. Not that I’m hung like a porn star, but I was killing some time on the Internet
last night. Came across a site featuring black men. They were all hung like mules. I
was wondering, what happened to you?”
James leaned back against the chair and crossed his legs with a subtle smile.
“Haven't you noticed the white studs are equally well hung on those sites? The
fortunate few. And they flaunt it. But that’s just one more thing I thought about a couple
of weeks ago when you mentioned my perfect body. It’s not what I’d change, but what
I'd add. Two inches.”
David’s gluteal muscle tightened. He could almost feel the stretching. His legs came
together with the thought. “Whew! You don’t need two more inches as far as I’m
concerned.” His mind drifted and shut out the noise and energy across the atrium.
James had come without his jacket, just shirt and tie. He was staring at James’s
shoulders, strong, muscular. He loved the way the shirt fit, how it revealed the contours
of his upper body. He loved the way the fresh clean cotton retained the smell of
James's skin on these warm summer days. It was a moment like many others, the two
of them sitting quietly, glancing at each other, letting it all soak in, still uncertain how
their true feelings stayed masked all those years.
They were distracted by the sudden appearance of a tall young man, blond, his hair
fairly long and swept back as if he had combed it with his fingers. He had walked up
quietly and stood looking at David’s shirt. They found themselves staring at a nervous
young man wearing jeans with shirttail out, tall and lean, a runner’s body, his innocuous
face set in a gaze of mystification. Shadowed with blond stubble, his narrow jaw
squared off below a pair of perfectly straight thin lips that were tight with anticipation.
His eyes, the color of a clear summer sky, were haunting.
“Are you David?” he asked.
David sat upright in the chair. “Yes, I am.”
“I’m Tim. Think I’m early.”
David and James glanced at each other, both at a loss for words. They turned back to
Tim.
“Uh ... no problem. Have a seat, Tim.”
The blond took the chair directly across from them. They were sitting less than four feet
apart.
“Well ... okay,” said David, shifting his weight and crossing his legs, unable to find a
position that felt relaxed. “This is James,” he added, nodding at him.
James reached out and took the young man’s hand, at once aware of their contrasting
skin. The calloused white hand delivered a firm grip. A tingle of electricity shot up
James’s arm.
“So, our ad had an impact on you?”
“Yeah, it did,” said Tim.
“We felt the same way about your letter. It seemed incredibly sensitive.”
“Glad my message came through,” said Tim. His smile suggested that he was
beginning to relax.
James spoke: “Do you think our intent was clear in the ad?”
“Clear enough to me. At least I think it was.”
“Then it was,” said David, pausing, all but mesmerized by the young man’s sensuous
blue eyes. “Tim…” David looked at him and smiled. “This is always a little awkward at
first. …Anyway, I know you’re curious about us. You probably have questions; but first,
I’d like to get to know you a little.”
“Okay.”
“You’re married? Happily married?”
“That should have been obvious in my letter.”
“Yes. It was. …You’re bisexual?”
“Yeah.”
“Does your wife know?”
“No one knows. No one but you guys, just now. I’ve known for a long time. Been
tempted to act on it a few times, but never have.”
James spoke: “It’s tough when you’re married. Tough finding someone you can trust.
And there’s always the guilt.”
“What did you consider doing?” David asked.
Tim looked at the floor for a moment. “I thought about trying a bath house a couple
times. Couldn’t bring myself to do it though. Couldn’t go to a gay bar either.”
“So you’ve never had physical experience with any man?”
A smiled curled on Tim’s lips. “Well, not a living, breathing man. I was just a teenager
when I did it.”
“Did what?” asked David, at once curious.
Tim glanced from David to James as if to determine whether or not he wanted to talk
about this. “It’s a little embarrassing to talk about.”
David smiled. “We’re past being embarrassed here, Tim.”
Tim’s eyes shifted to the floor and he scratched the top of his head. There was a
sheepish smile on his lips when he looked up at David. “I saw an advertisement,” he
began. “A dominatrix. Fifty dollars an hour. Kind of a spur of the moment thing,
something a stupid seventeen-year-old boy would do. She had me strip off my clothes
and get into a leather harness. It crisscrossed my shoulders and chest. Then she
placed a small leather truss on my dick and balls. It kinda stretched my balls and made
my dick stick out. She used a leather switch that looked like a small fly swatter.” Tim
paused. He was leaning forward, elbows on the chair arms, fingers entwined. He
glanced between David and James, who had been clinging to every word. “You want
to hear the whole story?” he asked.
David sat up. “Shit! Don’t stop there.”
Tim smiled, reflecting for a moment before he continued. “It was like she had a routine
for new clients. First she drove me crazy swatting my balls with that switch. Then she
spanked me with a leather strap. Couldn’t believe how much that stung. My ass was
beet-red before she stopped. At that point I think I was ready for anything. The grand
finale was this amazing, life-size rubber man that had a permanent erection. She
made me suck it and then she smeared my anus with lube and made me back up to
the dick. She masturbated while I was impaled. I started to fantasize the rubber man
was real. I liked the way it felt, especially with her watching. But it occurred to me even
then something was missing. I wanted to feel the real thing inside.”
David, somewhat awed, glanced at James, who was adjusting himself in the chair.
David released a long slow breath. What the professor lacked was more than
abundant in Tim. He couldn’t imagine a more appropriate candidate for the poker
game.
“Hmm. …Tim, uh, so you’re curious about what we’re trying to do here?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Well…” David laughed, flustered. “Sorry. Your story knocked me off course a little.”
“I think about it from time to time. Wouldn’t know if she’s still in business.”
“So anyway, we’re thinking about getting five happily married like-minded men
together. Guys in sync psychologically who can trust each other. Guys who don’t
cruise or go to bathhouses, but who’d like to spend some time with men like
themselves. No games. No political correctness. We’ll all agree to a few rules. When
the group is formed, we’ll get together on Thursday nights under the pretense of a
poker game. As far as anyone else is concerned, we’re five guys who play poker one
night a week.”
“A poker game,” Tim said thoughtfully. “Of course. It’s perfect.” His eyes connected
with David’s. “What kind of rules?”
David barely registered the question, distracted by this young man’s sensual beauty.
He sensed a potential connection, something yet to be defined, a pleasant
compatibility of some kind. He wondered what James was thinking, if he had
concluded, like himself, that this boy seemed too young for what they had in mind.
“Yeah, the rules.” He talked about the importance of secrecy, the HIV test, concluding
with: “And everyone will agree to no sex outside the group except with their own wives.
“Makes perfect sense to me,” Tim agreed. “Any other rules?”
“Well, little stuff, like hotel rooms. If we decide to get together in a room, we’ll split the
cost five ways.”
“Is that why you want financially secure guys? To share overhead?”
“Well, yeah, sort of. Is that an issue?”
Tim looked up at the several stories that overlooked the atrium. “How much do these
rooms cost?”
David studied him a moment.
James spoke up. “Drop that one, David. I’ll cover his share.”
Tim was glancing between the two of them. Then David continued: “Okay, no
problem. But I’m afraid that still leaves one small concern.” He looked at James.
“I know,” said James, regretfully shaking his head.
David looked at Tim. “The ad stated middle age men. You’re a kid.”
“I’m twenty-eight!”
“That’s what I figured.” David’s smile reflected regret. “I’m almost fifteen years older.
The next guy to join us might be old enough to be your father.”
“Does that matter?” There was a trace of annoyance in Tim’s voice.
“I would assume you’d prefer men closer to your own age.”
“That’s not a very good assumption,” said Tim defensively, his tone hinting
disappointment. “I don’t prefer men my age. You can send me packing, but if I ever
have the opportunity to be with a man, he’ll likely be older than me. I can’t explain why I
feel that way because I don’t know myself.” He shrugged. “I’m attracted to older men.”
That was enough for David. If Tim preferred older men he wasn’t prepared to question
it. “Consider the matter dropped,” he said, turning his head in thought. “Guess that
covers the basics. It’s your turn. What would you like to know?”
Tim looked at the two men for a moment, then said: “Maybe a little more about you
guys.”
David nodded. He went on to tell him about their wives and families, beginning with a
short history of his long friendship with James and their careers, ending with: “It wasn’t
until just recently we realized we’re both bisexual. I’ll tell you, Tim, it’s been quite a
wonderful experience.”
Tim glanced at James. “I can imagine it was.”
David couldn’t resist staring at Tim, the distracting beauty of his face. After a moment
he asked: “Anything else you’d like to know?”
“Sounds like you guys are rich.”
“Well I’m not sure how rich we are by Dallas standards, but we’ve done all right. How
do you make a living?”
“Landscape architecture,” he said proudly, then softened his tone. “Well, basically I’m
a glorified gardener. So far it’s been mostly backyard gardens. Brick walkways,
retaining walls, stuff like that. I’m trying to build up my reputation so I can get more
commercial jobs. Pays pretty good money though.” He looked away as if he
remembered something troubling. “Problem is most of it goes to doctors. My little
boy. He’s four. Has a problem with his lungs. Trouble breathing. There’s been a long
stream of medical bills.”
“Sorry to hear that,” said David.
James leaned forward, clasped his hands and looked at David. “Didn’t you just win the
contract for a finish-out on that office complex out in Addison.”
“That’s right!” David looked back at Tim. “You good at what you do, Tim?”
Tim’s chest inflated a little. “You can’t find better.”
“If you’re ready for a big project, we could take a drive over there tomorrow and take a
look. The landscape budget is two hundred, fifty thousand.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Tell me, do you take your shirt off when you lay brick in the summer?”
“I’d strip naked to get a job like that.”
Sidetracked by that reply, David stared at him a moment, letting his eyes wash over the
young man’s slender form. Whether Tim realized it or not, his persona was sensually
disconcerting.
David took out his wallet. “Here’s my card. That’s my office address. How about
meeting me there at two o’clock tomorrow afternoon?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Good. Now tell us about your wife.”
Disoriented by the prospect of a two hundred-fifty thousand dollar job, Tim took a
minute to collect his thoughts. “My wife? Yeah, uh ... Rosemary. She’s Portuguese.
Thin, dark hair and complexion. Finished two years of college. She’s a full time
mother now. Her grandparents came over from Lisbon in the thirties. We got married
when I was nineteen. My dad was still alive then. He helped us buy a small house in
Arlington. And we have an eight year old girl. She looks more like her mother. My son
looks like me.”
“Would you and Rosemary have a problem with joining us if we all went out for diner
one night?”
Tim thought for a moment. “No,” he said, his defensiveness displaced by enthusiasm.
“Especially if I’m working for you. She’d assume you invited us out.”
“Exactly. Except you won’t be working for me. You’re a subcontractor, working for
yourself. How about a poker on Thursday nights?”
“I’d use the same premise. The developer I work with invited me to play. She’d see it
as a business activity.”
“I’ll be damn,” said James in near disbelief. “Looks like this might come together after
all."
“Yeah,” said David. “Now we have three. Maybe we should plan the first game next
Thursday night.”
Exchanging glances, the three men smiled in agreement. They went on talking, mostly
about the frustrations and joys of a dual sexuality, unaware of the activity around them
or the time. Then David looked at his watch.
“Shit! Already three o’clock. Glad I didn’t schedule anything this afternoon.”
“Me too,” said James, leaning forward.
David looked at Tim. “Well, I can’t welcome you onboard with a hug right now, but
welcome. You’ve got two new friends. We’ll trust you from this moment forward, and I
hope you feel the same way. We’ll be there for you if you need someone to talk to.”
They got to their feet. David’s rested his hand on Tim’s shoulder. He glanced away
when a tear ran down Tim’s cheek. The young man reached up to wipe it away.
Feeling similar emotions, David spoke with compassion. “See you tomorrow
afternoon.”
Tim nodded, then took a step to shake James’s hand. Without another word said, he
turned and walked straight to the escalator.
They stared after him in silence a few moments.
David turned and looked at James, amused. “You’re attitude about this suddenly
seems more positive.”
James finally collected his thoughts. “I wasn’t ready for someone like him.”
“No kidding.”
“You ever meet anyone like him before?”
“No.”
“He’s different. You like him right away. You realize there’s something fascinating
about him, but you’re not really sure what it is.” James looked down at his hands. “You
knew I had doubts about getting involved with other men. Guess I felt jealous. Tim puts
a different perspective on it. It’s like he’s not threatening or something.”
“You’ll never have reason to be jealous, James. Nothing can come between us. This is
something we’re sharing.” He looked toward the escalator. “Wonder if we can find two
more we like as much as him.”
“Then he affected you the same way?”
David, still staring at the escalator, said: “Yeah, he did.”
“You thinking the same thing I am?”
“The three of us together?”
“Be interesting, wouldn’t it?”
“So you are seeing things a little differently today?”
“Actually, I’m a little overwhelmed.”
David looked up at the rooms overhead. “You have anything going on this afternoon?”
James stood up. “Give me a few minutes to get the room.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Jake Bass walked out of the kitchen staring at the floor in thought. He could hear his
wife raising hell through the double doors that just closed behind him. Someone left the
prime rib on the wrong temperature over night. It had overcooked. They would have to
roast more at a higher temperature than usual so it would be ready in time for the
dinner crowd. It was eleven-thirty and they were already busy. He looked across the
large dining room of his popular eatery, thinking they would likely run out of prime rib
before the lunch rush was over.
A technician had just finished repairing the freezer. He came through the swinging
doors and passed close by on his way out of the restaurant. Jake’s gaze followed him
toward the front door, and he sighed. Masculine and fit, the uniform fit the man’s lower
body perfectly.
It no longer mattered. Jake had long since given up his private fantasies, at least those
that included an occasion to actually act on them. At least he could look. Besides, he
was older now. He had put on a few pounds. When he looked at his thinning hair in the
mirror, it was hard to imagine another man taking an interest in him.
He took a seat at his private table in the back of the room and picked up the paper.
Wanting to see if they had gotten his restaurant ad worded properly, he began leafing
through. Near the back page, he saw a column that he read from time to time: Men
seeking Men. A certain ad attracted his attention. He read it and his gaze drifted
toward the kitchen. He looked down and reread the ad, no longer thinking about the
repairman or the shortage of prime rib.
♦ ♦ ♦
Saturday morning came. Nude, David walked into the kitchen at eight o’clock and
poured his first cup of coffee and then joined Linda at the breakfast table. Since their
skinny-dipping affair in Destin, the first hour or two of the day she had taken to her
morning routines without wearing a stitch. When David tried it, he found it pleasantly
agreeable.
Linda leaned over the table to reach for a sweetener. Her breasts flattened on a
Cosmopolitan Magazine.
“You know, I’m really starting to enjoy having the house all to ourselves,” he said.
She tilted her head to look under the table. “I think you like being naked.”
“I admit, I do. It’s refreshing. And I kinda like seeing you walk around naked outside of
the bedroom.”
“One of the advantages of having the house to ourselves.”
Before coming down, he had lain in bed thinking about Tim, wondering how it will go
when the three of them get together Thursday night, wondering if he and James will be
able to find two more to round out the group. Watching Linda stir her coffee and open
the magazine, he considered bringing up the poker game. This seemed like a good
time to bring it up, but how? A scheme designed to prevent suspicion—just a few guys
getting together once a week to play cards. Best to simply bring it up in casual
conversation.
“Came by a new subcontractor yesterday,” he said.
She looked over the rim of her coffee. “What does he do?”
“Landscape. A kid really. He’s interested in that Addison project. His enthusiasm got
me interested. I’m taking him out there this afternoon.”
“Have you seen any of his work?”
“Not yet. Maybe we’ll drive by one of his projects on the way. He’s done mostly
residential. But I could tell he’s conscientious. I got an urge to help him get his hands
on a bigger project. He reminds me of me at that age.”
Linda turned another page.
“He plays poker with a group of guys on Thursday nights,” David added. “Wanted to
know if I’d like to join them.”
She looked up from the magazine. “Well, you’ve been wanting to find some guys to
play cards with. You going?”
“He’s a young guy. Said the game usually goes all night.”
“Now honey, I can’t believe you’d have trouble keeping up with younger guys.”
“Me either. I called James. He wants to play, too. Looks like we’ll give it a try
Thursday night.”
She thought for a moment, then said: “See there—one more good reason you gave
Johnny that promotion. You can sleep late Friday morning. If you play all night, you can
sleep ‘til noon if you like.”
He felt an immediate wave of guilt. God! I hate this! I’m taking advantage of her
trust. His jaw tightened as he reached for his coffee.
top of David’s head wouldn’t have made him any easier to spot.
“Your staff getting used to you wearing that shirt?”
“I’ve gotten one or two colorful comments.” David lifted his arm to look at the sleeve.
“You know, when I got started in business way back when, my office was casual. I’ve
been thinking about ditching the tie and slacks. Why do I need a tie in the construction
business, anyway?”
“Screw those stuffed-shirt millionaire clients.”
David laughed absently. “Yeah, screw ‘um.” He glanced at his watch and then looked
around the atrium.
“Are you ready for another round?” James asked. “You’re fidgeting.”
“You know what it is,” said David. “I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s like
we're exposing ourselves to guys we don’t know. You don’t get comfortable with it
even after you’ve done it a couple of times.”
James nodded. “That bothers me, too. At least they’re here for the same reason we
are.” He wondered if David’s frustration was high enough to abandon the poker game
scheme. “You ready to throw in the towel?”
“I would be if we could think of a better way to get out of the house once a week. Plus I
hate giving up that easy.” David looked at his watch again. “That professor’s
scheduled first. He’s five minutes late already.”
James had gotten to the point he figured the idea wasn’t going to work, which was fine
with him. He had thought about it, and though he had decided a small circle of like-
minded friends would be interesting, he still had mixed emotions about what might
come of it. Now it looked like men they could identify with were not answering the ad.
Either way, like David, he’d be glad when these interviews were over with.
David was staring at him, lost in a fog of familiar images, which often flashed through
his mind without warning. All that time he had spent with James in the gym, watching
his chest muscles expand on the machines, holding his feet so he could do crunches,
breathing the scent of sweat on his skin, and always the shower afterwards. And that
first time in the room, standing in the bath, looking down, seeing the top of his head.
And in bed, legs resting on broad shoulders, watching his semen spurt out, the smell of
it, the feel of it running in warm rivulets across his belly. They were frequent images,
always on the surface of his mind, always making him feel charged with desire, in bed
at night pretending to read, at work, at the dinner table with Linda, and now sitting here
and staring at him. He had settled into the fact they were lovers , at one in mind, body
and soul, light-years beyond mere best friends.
James glanced toward the café and shifted his weight to the front of the chair. “I’ll go
get a couple beers while we’re waiting. You better stay here with that red shirt.”
When James returned, he found David staring at a rather thin, staid looking
gentleman. His jacket was at least twenty years old, complete with worn leather
patched elbows. His hair was fussy and looked oily and there bags under his eyes.
“Uh ... James, this is Ralph. Ralph, James. Ralph here has been telling me about his
wife’s mastectomy.”
James set the beer down and extended his hand. “Glad to meet you, Ralph. Sorry
about your wife.”
“Oh, that’s okay. It’s been three years. We’ve adjusted.” He let go a kind of half laugh.
“Í told her if she’d cut her hair and wear a dildo, she’d be like sleeping with a man.”
David winced and glanced at James, his eyes knurled with dread.
A short silence stretched awkwardly long before Ralph spoke again. “An African
American gentleman. Interesting.”
“Well,” said David, “I’m German American, but we call me white and him black. And
you’re right, he’s interesting.”
“We’ve managed to achieve a sixty/forty ratio on campus, you know.”
“Sixty/forty?” said David. He looked at the thin man as if he had no clue as to what he
was talking about.
“Yes. Sixty percent Caucasian, forty percent minority, of course.”
“Ah. Quite an accomplishment. …Just so you know, Ralph, there’s not a politically
correct bone in my body, or his.” David stared at him a moment before asking: “Mind if
I ask if you’ve ever had a relationship with another man?"
“I don’t mind at all. And yes, afraid I have. I’m quite addicted to it actually. He was a
student, last year, but he transferred to another school.”
“A student. One student? One time?”
“Would you have me count the ones I’ve paid?”
“Paid? ...No. Not the ones you’ve ... uh, yes, please do count the ones you’ve paid.”
“Okay then. There have been three important young men in my life. I’m afraid I can’t
remember how many I’ve paid. They’re usually so forgettable, you know.”
David’s mouth was gaping. “And you’re happily married?”
“Yes. Quite happy. My wife’s open-minded. She doesn’t really mind these little trysts
of mine. You might say she understands?”
“She knows you go to bed with men!”
“Of course. But that’s not what she complains about. I suppose I can be rather
neglectful.”
“So sometimes you’re not quite so happily married?”
“Sometimes. That’s one of the reasons I thought this group might be a godsend. Be
nice to have a place to stay when she’s in one of her moods.”
David let out a sigh of exasperation. “Okay. Well Ralph ... let me say how much we
appreciate your time today. We’ll discuss the matter and you’ll be notified if we decide
on another meeting.”
David stood up, as did Ralph, who shook hands, nodded, then turned and walked
away. David and James stared after him absently, oblivious to the comings and
goings and the camaraderie across the atrium. They watched the professor until his
tousled hair disappeared down the escalator.
“Good God!” said James. “He had to mention those quotas. I’m so sick of that kind of
preoccupation with race, I could puke.”
“My head feels numb,” said David. He looked over at James. “We’re not weird, are
we? I mean look at these guys who are answering our ad.”
“And he was one of the two best prospects out of forty-three. That’s discouraging.”
David sat down, leaned forward and rubbed his forehead. “Well, it’s been almost three
weeks. I ran the ad for a month. If we can’t make it work by then, I’ll give it up.”
James glanced at his watch. “Quick interview. Gives us time to kill before one o’
clock. You hungry?”
“No. I’ll go with you if you are.”
“No. Lost my appetite. Maybe after we get this next interview over with.”
James thought David looked distant. “What are you thinking about?”
“Destin Beach. That white sand on your black skin.”
“You know, David, you said the other day our passion would cool off after a while. I’m
not so sure, and I’ll tell you why. We’ll be thinking about things like that every day, with
few opportunities to get naked together. That makes for a lot of anticipation. Like
now. I’m picturing you in bed with your clothes off, even as we sit here in the middle of
a busy hotel atrium. I’ve had more erections the last two weeks than a teenager in a
strip club.”
David laughed. “Last night I tried reading a magazine to get sleepy. Couldn’t quit
thinking about you on top of me. You can guess what effect that had. Linda noticed
and lifted the sheet. There it was, a flag pole.”
James grinned. “Doesn’t seem that unusual for you.”
“Not when you and I are together. We haven’t been sleeping together for twenty years.”
“She say anything?”
“No. A coy little smile and then back to her novel. She thinks errant erections are a
midlife thing.” A gleam of mischief appeared in David’s eyes. “So I’m curious about
something. Not that I’m hung like a porn star, but I was killing some time on the Internet
last night. Came across a site featuring black men. They were all hung like mules. I
was wondering, what happened to you?”
James leaned back against the chair and crossed his legs with a subtle smile.
“Haven't you noticed the white studs are equally well hung on those sites? The
fortunate few. And they flaunt it. But that’s just one more thing I thought about a couple
of weeks ago when you mentioned my perfect body. It’s not what I’d change, but what
I'd add. Two inches.”
David’s gluteal muscle tightened. He could almost feel the stretching. His legs came
together with the thought. “Whew! You don’t need two more inches as far as I’m
concerned.” His mind drifted and shut out the noise and energy across the atrium.
James had come without his jacket, just shirt and tie. He was staring at James’s
shoulders, strong, muscular. He loved the way the shirt fit, how it revealed the contours
of his upper body. He loved the way the fresh clean cotton retained the smell of
James's skin on these warm summer days. It was a moment like many others, the two
of them sitting quietly, glancing at each other, letting it all soak in, still uncertain how
their true feelings stayed masked all those years.
They were distracted by the sudden appearance of a tall young man, blond, his hair
fairly long and swept back as if he had combed it with his fingers. He had walked up
quietly and stood looking at David’s shirt. They found themselves staring at a nervous
young man wearing jeans with shirttail out, tall and lean, a runner’s body, his innocuous
face set in a gaze of mystification. Shadowed with blond stubble, his narrow jaw
squared off below a pair of perfectly straight thin lips that were tight with anticipation.
His eyes, the color of a clear summer sky, were haunting.
“Are you David?” he asked.
David sat upright in the chair. “Yes, I am.”
“I’m Tim. Think I’m early.”
David and James glanced at each other, both at a loss for words. They turned back to
Tim.
“Uh ... no problem. Have a seat, Tim.”
The blond took the chair directly across from them. They were sitting less than four feet
apart.
“Well ... okay,” said David, shifting his weight and crossing his legs, unable to find a
position that felt relaxed. “This is James,” he added, nodding at him.
James reached out and took the young man’s hand, at once aware of their contrasting
skin. The calloused white hand delivered a firm grip. A tingle of electricity shot up
James’s arm.
“So, our ad had an impact on you?”
“Yeah, it did,” said Tim.
“We felt the same way about your letter. It seemed incredibly sensitive.”
“Glad my message came through,” said Tim. His smile suggested that he was
beginning to relax.
James spoke: “Do you think our intent was clear in the ad?”
“Clear enough to me. At least I think it was.”
“Then it was,” said David, pausing, all but mesmerized by the young man’s sensuous
blue eyes. “Tim…” David looked at him and smiled. “This is always a little awkward at
first. …Anyway, I know you’re curious about us. You probably have questions; but first,
I’d like to get to know you a little.”
“Okay.”
“You’re married? Happily married?”
“That should have been obvious in my letter.”
“Yes. It was. …You’re bisexual?”
“Yeah.”
“Does your wife know?”
“No one knows. No one but you guys, just now. I’ve known for a long time. Been
tempted to act on it a few times, but never have.”
James spoke: “It’s tough when you’re married. Tough finding someone you can trust.
And there’s always the guilt.”
“What did you consider doing?” David asked.
Tim looked at the floor for a moment. “I thought about trying a bath house a couple
times. Couldn’t bring myself to do it though. Couldn’t go to a gay bar either.”
“So you’ve never had physical experience with any man?”
A smiled curled on Tim’s lips. “Well, not a living, breathing man. I was just a teenager
when I did it.”
“Did what?” asked David, at once curious.
Tim glanced from David to James as if to determine whether or not he wanted to talk
about this. “It’s a little embarrassing to talk about.”
David smiled. “We’re past being embarrassed here, Tim.”
Tim’s eyes shifted to the floor and he scratched the top of his head. There was a
sheepish smile on his lips when he looked up at David. “I saw an advertisement,” he
began. “A dominatrix. Fifty dollars an hour. Kind of a spur of the moment thing,
something a stupid seventeen-year-old boy would do. She had me strip off my clothes
and get into a leather harness. It crisscrossed my shoulders and chest. Then she
placed a small leather truss on my dick and balls. It kinda stretched my balls and made
my dick stick out. She used a leather switch that looked like a small fly swatter.” Tim
paused. He was leaning forward, elbows on the chair arms, fingers entwined. He
glanced between David and James, who had been clinging to every word. “You want
to hear the whole story?” he asked.
David sat up. “Shit! Don’t stop there.”
Tim smiled, reflecting for a moment before he continued. “It was like she had a routine
for new clients. First she drove me crazy swatting my balls with that switch. Then she
spanked me with a leather strap. Couldn’t believe how much that stung. My ass was
beet-red before she stopped. At that point I think I was ready for anything. The grand
finale was this amazing, life-size rubber man that had a permanent erection. She
made me suck it and then she smeared my anus with lube and made me back up to
the dick. She masturbated while I was impaled. I started to fantasize the rubber man
was real. I liked the way it felt, especially with her watching. But it occurred to me even
then something was missing. I wanted to feel the real thing inside.”
David, somewhat awed, glanced at James, who was adjusting himself in the chair.
David released a long slow breath. What the professor lacked was more than
abundant in Tim. He couldn’t imagine a more appropriate candidate for the poker
game.
“Hmm. …Tim, uh, so you’re curious about what we’re trying to do here?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Well…” David laughed, flustered. “Sorry. Your story knocked me off course a little.”
“I think about it from time to time. Wouldn’t know if she’s still in business.”
“So anyway, we’re thinking about getting five happily married like-minded men
together. Guys in sync psychologically who can trust each other. Guys who don’t
cruise or go to bathhouses, but who’d like to spend some time with men like
themselves. No games. No political correctness. We’ll all agree to a few rules. When
the group is formed, we’ll get together on Thursday nights under the pretense of a
poker game. As far as anyone else is concerned, we’re five guys who play poker one
night a week.”
“A poker game,” Tim said thoughtfully. “Of course. It’s perfect.” His eyes connected
with David’s. “What kind of rules?”
David barely registered the question, distracted by this young man’s sensual beauty.
He sensed a potential connection, something yet to be defined, a pleasant
compatibility of some kind. He wondered what James was thinking, if he had
concluded, like himself, that this boy seemed too young for what they had in mind.
“Yeah, the rules.” He talked about the importance of secrecy, the HIV test, concluding
with: “And everyone will agree to no sex outside the group except with their own wives.
“Makes perfect sense to me,” Tim agreed. “Any other rules?”
“Well, little stuff, like hotel rooms. If we decide to get together in a room, we’ll split the
cost five ways.”
“Is that why you want financially secure guys? To share overhead?”
“Well, yeah, sort of. Is that an issue?”
Tim looked up at the several stories that overlooked the atrium. “How much do these
rooms cost?”
David studied him a moment.
James spoke up. “Drop that one, David. I’ll cover his share.”
Tim was glancing between the two of them. Then David continued: “Okay, no
problem. But I’m afraid that still leaves one small concern.” He looked at James.
“I know,” said James, regretfully shaking his head.
David looked at Tim. “The ad stated middle age men. You’re a kid.”
“I’m twenty-eight!”
“That’s what I figured.” David’s smile reflected regret. “I’m almost fifteen years older.
The next guy to join us might be old enough to be your father.”
“Does that matter?” There was a trace of annoyance in Tim’s voice.
“I would assume you’d prefer men closer to your own age.”
“That’s not a very good assumption,” said Tim defensively, his tone hinting
disappointment. “I don’t prefer men my age. You can send me packing, but if I ever
have the opportunity to be with a man, he’ll likely be older than me. I can’t explain why I
feel that way because I don’t know myself.” He shrugged. “I’m attracted to older men.”
That was enough for David. If Tim preferred older men he wasn’t prepared to question
it. “Consider the matter dropped,” he said, turning his head in thought. “Guess that
covers the basics. It’s your turn. What would you like to know?”
Tim looked at the two men for a moment, then said: “Maybe a little more about you
guys.”
David nodded. He went on to tell him about their wives and families, beginning with a
short history of his long friendship with James and their careers, ending with: “It wasn’t
until just recently we realized we’re both bisexual. I’ll tell you, Tim, it’s been quite a
wonderful experience.”
Tim glanced at James. “I can imagine it was.”
David couldn’t resist staring at Tim, the distracting beauty of his face. After a moment
he asked: “Anything else you’d like to know?”
“Sounds like you guys are rich.”
“Well I’m not sure how rich we are by Dallas standards, but we’ve done all right. How
do you make a living?”
“Landscape architecture,” he said proudly, then softened his tone. “Well, basically I’m
a glorified gardener. So far it’s been mostly backyard gardens. Brick walkways,
retaining walls, stuff like that. I’m trying to build up my reputation so I can get more
commercial jobs. Pays pretty good money though.” He looked away as if he
remembered something troubling. “Problem is most of it goes to doctors. My little
boy. He’s four. Has a problem with his lungs. Trouble breathing. There’s been a long
stream of medical bills.”
“Sorry to hear that,” said David.
James leaned forward, clasped his hands and looked at David. “Didn’t you just win the
contract for a finish-out on that office complex out in Addison.”
“That’s right!” David looked back at Tim. “You good at what you do, Tim?”
Tim’s chest inflated a little. “You can’t find better.”
“If you’re ready for a big project, we could take a drive over there tomorrow and take a
look. The landscape budget is two hundred, fifty thousand.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Tell me, do you take your shirt off when you lay brick in the summer?”
“I’d strip naked to get a job like that.”
Sidetracked by that reply, David stared at him a moment, letting his eyes wash over the
young man’s slender form. Whether Tim realized it or not, his persona was sensually
disconcerting.
David took out his wallet. “Here’s my card. That’s my office address. How about
meeting me there at two o’clock tomorrow afternoon?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Good. Now tell us about your wife.”
Disoriented by the prospect of a two hundred-fifty thousand dollar job, Tim took a
minute to collect his thoughts. “My wife? Yeah, uh ... Rosemary. She’s Portuguese.
Thin, dark hair and complexion. Finished two years of college. She’s a full time
mother now. Her grandparents came over from Lisbon in the thirties. We got married
when I was nineteen. My dad was still alive then. He helped us buy a small house in
Arlington. And we have an eight year old girl. She looks more like her mother. My son
looks like me.”
“Would you and Rosemary have a problem with joining us if we all went out for diner
one night?”
Tim thought for a moment. “No,” he said, his defensiveness displaced by enthusiasm.
“Especially if I’m working for you. She’d assume you invited us out.”
“Exactly. Except you won’t be working for me. You’re a subcontractor, working for
yourself. How about a poker on Thursday nights?”
“I’d use the same premise. The developer I work with invited me to play. She’d see it
as a business activity.”
“I’ll be damn,” said James in near disbelief. “Looks like this might come together after
all."
“Yeah,” said David. “Now we have three. Maybe we should plan the first game next
Thursday night.”
Exchanging glances, the three men smiled in agreement. They went on talking, mostly
about the frustrations and joys of a dual sexuality, unaware of the activity around them
or the time. Then David looked at his watch.
“Shit! Already three o’clock. Glad I didn’t schedule anything this afternoon.”
“Me too,” said James, leaning forward.
David looked at Tim. “Well, I can’t welcome you onboard with a hug right now, but
welcome. You’ve got two new friends. We’ll trust you from this moment forward, and I
hope you feel the same way. We’ll be there for you if you need someone to talk to.”
They got to their feet. David’s rested his hand on Tim’s shoulder. He glanced away
when a tear ran down Tim’s cheek. The young man reached up to wipe it away.
Feeling similar emotions, David spoke with compassion. “See you tomorrow
afternoon.”
Tim nodded, then took a step to shake James’s hand. Without another word said, he
turned and walked straight to the escalator.
They stared after him in silence a few moments.
David turned and looked at James, amused. “You’re attitude about this suddenly
seems more positive.”
James finally collected his thoughts. “I wasn’t ready for someone like him.”
“No kidding.”
“You ever meet anyone like him before?”
“No.”
“He’s different. You like him right away. You realize there’s something fascinating
about him, but you’re not really sure what it is.” James looked down at his hands. “You
knew I had doubts about getting involved with other men. Guess I felt jealous. Tim puts
a different perspective on it. It’s like he’s not threatening or something.”
“You’ll never have reason to be jealous, James. Nothing can come between us. This is
something we’re sharing.” He looked toward the escalator. “Wonder if we can find two
more we like as much as him.”
“Then he affected you the same way?”
David, still staring at the escalator, said: “Yeah, he did.”
“You thinking the same thing I am?”
“The three of us together?”
“Be interesting, wouldn’t it?”
“So you are seeing things a little differently today?”
“Actually, I’m a little overwhelmed.”
David looked up at the rooms overhead. “You have anything going on this afternoon?”
James stood up. “Give me a few minutes to get the room.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Jake Bass walked out of the kitchen staring at the floor in thought. He could hear his
wife raising hell through the double doors that just closed behind him. Someone left the
prime rib on the wrong temperature over night. It had overcooked. They would have to
roast more at a higher temperature than usual so it would be ready in time for the
dinner crowd. It was eleven-thirty and they were already busy. He looked across the
large dining room of his popular eatery, thinking they would likely run out of prime rib
before the lunch rush was over.
A technician had just finished repairing the freezer. He came through the swinging
doors and passed close by on his way out of the restaurant. Jake’s gaze followed him
toward the front door, and he sighed. Masculine and fit, the uniform fit the man’s lower
body perfectly.
It no longer mattered. Jake had long since given up his private fantasies, at least those
that included an occasion to actually act on them. At least he could look. Besides, he
was older now. He had put on a few pounds. When he looked at his thinning hair in the
mirror, it was hard to imagine another man taking an interest in him.
He took a seat at his private table in the back of the room and picked up the paper.
Wanting to see if they had gotten his restaurant ad worded properly, he began leafing
through. Near the back page, he saw a column that he read from time to time: Men
seeking Men. A certain ad attracted his attention. He read it and his gaze drifted
toward the kitchen. He looked down and reread the ad, no longer thinking about the
repairman or the shortage of prime rib.
♦ ♦ ♦
Saturday morning came. Nude, David walked into the kitchen at eight o’clock and
poured his first cup of coffee and then joined Linda at the breakfast table. Since their
skinny-dipping affair in Destin, the first hour or two of the day she had taken to her
morning routines without wearing a stitch. When David tried it, he found it pleasantly
agreeable.
Linda leaned over the table to reach for a sweetener. Her breasts flattened on a
Cosmopolitan Magazine.
“You know, I’m really starting to enjoy having the house all to ourselves,” he said.
She tilted her head to look under the table. “I think you like being naked.”
“I admit, I do. It’s refreshing. And I kinda like seeing you walk around naked outside of
the bedroom.”
“One of the advantages of having the house to ourselves.”
Before coming down, he had lain in bed thinking about Tim, wondering how it will go
when the three of them get together Thursday night, wondering if he and James will be
able to find two more to round out the group. Watching Linda stir her coffee and open
the magazine, he considered bringing up the poker game. This seemed like a good
time to bring it up, but how? A scheme designed to prevent suspicion—just a few guys
getting together once a week to play cards. Best to simply bring it up in casual
conversation.
“Came by a new subcontractor yesterday,” he said.
She looked over the rim of her coffee. “What does he do?”
“Landscape. A kid really. He’s interested in that Addison project. His enthusiasm got
me interested. I’m taking him out there this afternoon.”
“Have you seen any of his work?”
“Not yet. Maybe we’ll drive by one of his projects on the way. He’s done mostly
residential. But I could tell he’s conscientious. I got an urge to help him get his hands
on a bigger project. He reminds me of me at that age.”
Linda turned another page.
“He plays poker with a group of guys on Thursday nights,” David added. “Wanted to
know if I’d like to join them.”
She looked up from the magazine. “Well, you’ve been wanting to find some guys to
play cards with. You going?”
“He’s a young guy. Said the game usually goes all night.”
“Now honey, I can’t believe you’d have trouble keeping up with younger guys.”
“Me either. I called James. He wants to play, too. Looks like we’ll give it a try
Thursday night.”
She thought for a moment, then said: “See there—one more good reason you gave
Johnny that promotion. You can sleep late Friday morning. If you play all night, you can
sleep ‘til noon if you like.”
He felt an immediate wave of guilt. God! I hate this! I’m taking advantage of her
trust. His jaw tightened as he reached for his coffee.
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