text:
Perfect installment. I hope the next one goes just as well.
A for content, as always, and a bump up from B+ to an A for grammar, now, too!
Perfect installment. I hope the next one goes just as well.
A for content, as always, and a bump up from B+ to an A for grammar, now, too!
Part VII
Well, now. Things were just getting better and better. Just a few hours ago, Brad was telling me he thought he was falling in love with me, and now he's telling me he wants to suck me off. Now, don't get me wrong. I like head as much as the next guy, but Gee-sus Murphy! Brad was a guy! Granted, he's prettier than The Bitch, but he's a guy! He doesn't even know what sex is, and he wants to have it with me.
You're up to your ass in it now, de Villiers. Look where your curiosity got you.
Hey! Wait a minute! That isn't what he said. He said, "That's what I think I want to do to you." There's a big difference - wanting to do something and just thinking you want to do it. So, he's not sure. He wants to experiment with me. He might be gay, and he might not. He wants to use me to find out.
So, what if I let him do it? What if he likes it and wants to do it again? What if he likes it so much he wants to do it all the time? What if he wants me to do it to him? Even if I felt inclined to suck a cock, what in hell could I do with that pole he carries around? My jaws hurt just thinking about it. And then I remembered him cumming. I had just watched him. He couldn't even take it all in his mouth. He had to let the rest drip down his cock. What if he wanted me to take it like he did? The pizza and beer started rolling in my stomach.
I don't even know why I was thinking about this. Getting a blowjob from Brad simply wasn't an option, especially when he wasn't even sure he wanted to do it. I mean, it's every guy's dream to be able to suck themselves off and have a blowjob instead of having to jerk off, but that didn't make them cocksuckers. It just made them lucky. Brad was lucky, but he wasn't a cocksucker.
"We'll talk about that later, Brad," I said. "Right now, I need a cigarette - or maybe two. . . or three."
"Want some company?"
"Sure," I said.
Brad sat up. "I'll just. . . um. . . clean up first. Oh, shit! I got some on your sofa!"
"It's Scotch Guarded. It washes off. I'll be out back."
I walked to the patio door, slid it open, and walked out onto the patio, closing the door behind me. The humidity was settling in again for the night, but there was a nice breeze. I opened the door again, stuck my head inside, and yelled, "Brad! Bring some beers with you!"
"Okay!" he yelled back from down the hall.
"I need some patio furniture," I said to myself out loud. "A few chairs, a nice table. Maybe with an umbrella. A few loungers. And a great, big, fat butt bucket." I thought of the big, fat, butt bucket and decided right then and there that I would quit smoking. . . right after I finish this cigarette.
I popped one out of the package, stuck it in my mouth, and lit it up. I made my way to the stone wall and sat down. Brad appeared a few minutes later, carrying four bottles of beer. His shorts were all done up now, and he was carefully packed away again in them, but he was still bare- chested. He set two of the beers on the stone wall and sat down beside me, twisting off the caps and handing me one of the bottles.
"Thanks," I said.
"Welcome," he replied. "You know, Perkins never knew I could do that. I never showed him. No-one knows I can do it except you."
"Why did you show me?"
"I don't know. It's like I was saying before. Something's happening to me and I don't understand it. I've only known you for one day and already I want you to know everything there is to know about me. I wanted you to know I could do that. I like being with you. I feel comfortable with you."
"Brad, I'm not gay."
He turned on me. "Dammit, Ted! Do you have to keep telling me that!? You think I don't know that!?"
"Keep your voice down!" I warned him.
His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "You think I'm going to rape you or something? I wouldn't do that to you, Ted! I don't even want to have sex with you!"
"Then what was all that in the house?" I whispered. "You give yourself a blowjob and then you tell me you want to give me one, too, and now you tell me you don't even want to have. . ." And then it hit me. Square in the face. Full impact. "Oh, shit, Brad. You were going to give me a blowjob so I would be your friend."
In the light of the moon hanging over the rooftop and the light from the livingroom filtering out into the night, I could see Brad nodding his head.
"Oh, Brad." I said. I set my beer and cigarette onto the wall beside me and grabbed Brad by the arms. "Shit! Listen to me, Brad. Are you listening?"
"You can't buy friends," I told him. "You're young. You think you can, but when you get older, like me, you realize that you can't. They stay friends as long as you keep giving them what they want, but the moment you stop, them moment you realize you're only there for one thing, they walk."
"But you bought me all that food, and you took me school and to the Tower and the restaurant and everything."
"And you think I was buying your friendship?"
"I did it because you're already my friend. I didn't have to buy that. You gave it to me. I did it because I wanted to."
"And I wanted to give you a blowjob."
"No, you didn't," I told him. "You thought you had to. There's a big difference, Brad. And you don't have to buy my friendship. You had it the instant you picked up that dresser yesterday. Just like you gave me your friendship."
"Friends do things for each other," he said. There was a whole lot of confusion going on.
"Friends give friends apple fritters. They don't give them blowjobs."
"But what if I really want to give you a blowjob someday?"
"Well," I said as I took my hands from his arms, "I'll have to think about that one."
"So will I," he said quietly.
I picked up my beer and smoke, took a swig of the beer and a drag of the smoke. Both tasted pretty darned good. Maybe I'll quit smoking tomorrow instead. "It's too hot to think," I said. "Can we just talk?"
Can I ask you a personal question, then?"
"Sure," he repeated.
"It's about your parents. They're a lot older than I thought they would be and, to be honest, you don't look like either of them."
Brad shrugged. "That's because they probably adopted me."
"You mean you don't know for sure?"
"Don't you want to know?"
"No. They're my parents. They're the ones who love me. They're the ones I love. If I have another mother and father, they're not my parents and I wouldn't even want to know who they are."
"I think I'd want to know."
"Not me," he said. "I don't want to know anyone who could give me away."
"They might not have had a choice."
"Everyone has a choice, Ted. If they loved me, they wouldn't have given me away."
"You're talking like you already know."
"I don't know for sure," he said, "but I'm pretty sure I am. I just don't want to know. Mom and Dad are the only parents I want to have."
And then I started to chuckle.
"What's so funny?" Brad asked with a smile. I could see his chipped tooth, even in the dim light.
"I was just thinking about your Mom this afternoon," I said. "You walk into the kitchen with a basketball in your pants and she's embarrassed by your Kiss Me I'm Beautiful' T-shirt."
Brad grinned. "Yeah, well. She didn't like me wearing tight shorts at first until she found out the loose shorts didn't help. Dad's the really funny one, though."
"Your Dad? He didn't sound like the funny type to me."
"Yeah, but he is, in his own way." Brad laughed. "He keeps reminding me how much money I'm saving on those penis enhancement pills."
"As if you needed them." I laughed with him and drained the rest of my beer. "Got another beer there?"
He twisted off the cap and handed me the bottle.
I took another drink, and so did Brad, and then said quietly, "Ted? Thank you for watching me tonight."
"You're welcome, I think. Why are you thanking me for that?"
Brad hung his head down, not quite hiding his shy smile. "It kinda turned me on," he said. "I've never done it with someone so close to me like that and it was more exciting than I expected."
"Did you do it to try to buy my friendship?"
"No," he admitted. "I did it because I wanted to. I like you watching me do it."
"Well, I have to admit that I enjoy watching you." I lit up another cigarette.
He looked up at me again. "Would you like to watch me do it again sometime?"
"Would you like me to watch you?" I asked.
"Then I'd like to watch."
Brad stood up then, unbuttoned his jeans and slid the zipper down. Even in the dim light, I could see his hardening cock pushing at the denim.
"You're going to do it here? Now?"
"If I don't, I'm going to hurt myself." Brad hooked his thumbs into his shorts and underwear and pushed them to the grass. He pulled one foot out and kicked them away with the other. I could hear them hit the grass somewhere. He wasn't hard yet, but he was getting there. Fast.
He sat down again, cupping his balls in his hand to keep them from banging into the stone wall, and wrapped his hand around his cock. Within three strokes, he was hard and ready to go.
It was kinky. Sitting out here in my back yard in nothing but his socks and whacking away at his meat. What was worse, my own cock was hard as well. I don't know why I found this so exciting, but I did. I decided not to wait for bedtime this time. I dropped my cigarette to the ground, undid my own shorts, pushed them to my knees, and joined him.
Neither of us lasted long. When Brad started cumming, so did I. I always thought I was doing good if I could squirt all the way to my nipples when I was lying down. I never shot that high when I was sitting up. I did this time, though. Probably because of what I was seeing.
Brad's orgasm was amazing, even after having had one just a little while ago. The first shot cleared his head entirely, landing somewhere in his own back yard. The second and third shots splattered his face and hair. The rest coated his chest and stomach.
When he was finished, he kept stoking gently, squeezing the last drops of cream out of his pump. His mouth was hanging open and Brad was gasping for breath and groaning as quietly as he could. His chest heaved in and out and his whole body jerked in the aftermath. I remember when my own orgasms had felt that good.
He ran his tongue around his lips, gathering the cum which had landed there. "Gee-sus, Murphy!" he said.
Cum dripped off his eyebrow and onto his eye. Fortunately, his eyes were closed, but he clenched them tighter and his hand came up quickly and wiped at the semen. He scooped it onto his fingers and wiped it on his chest, then wiped at his eye again as cum continued dripping onto it. I quickly checked my pockets. No tissue, no nothing. I pulled off my shorts.
"Hold still, Brad," I said when he was wiping the cum on his chest for the second time. I used the leg of my shorts to gently wipe his eye and eyebrow. I stuck my hand in the other leg and sopped up the cum on his forehead, then changed to a dry spot and wiped his eyes again.
"Okay," I said, "try to open your eyes."
He did, slowly, then clenched them shut and opened them slowly again. He blinked hard a few times, opened his mouth and opened his eyes wide, then blinked again. "Well," he said, "that was a damned stupid thing to do."
I laughed lightly as I pulled up my tighty-whities. "You okay?"
"I feel like an idiot, but I'm okay."
"Rather anti-climactic after the good bits, wasn't it. Sure puts a damper on the mood."
Brad turned to me and grinned. "Sure did, didn't it? I guess I should have brought out a Kleenex or something."
"Gee-sus, Murphy, Brad! You need a roll of paper towels to clean all that up!"
We laughed. And then he stopped and stared at me. His hand came up to my cheek, his touch barely a whisper on my skin. "Thank you, Ted."
He must have thought his hand was on my cheek for too long because he suddenly pulled it away and said, "Sorry."
"That's okay. I didn't mind."
He turned to the back yard, scanning the ground. "Did you see where my shorts went? I have to see if I can get in the house without Mom and Dad seeing me so I can get a shower."
"You can use mine," I suggested. "I have to take one myself."
"Cool," he said, "but I still need my pants."
I pointed into the dark. "I think they went thataway."
"You're a big help." Brad stood up and started walking, scanning the ground as he went. A moment later, he said, "Found em." He came back to the wall, carrying his shorts and underwear. "Do you mind if I leave them off until I get showered? I hate cummy clothes."
"Why don't you go in now and have one. I'll have another smoke while you're in there."
"Okay," Brad said. "Can we come back out and sit for awhile after? I like it out here."
"This has been the best day of my life, Ted. Thanks for everything."
"It's been a pleasure, believe me."
Brad tilted his bottle and chugged the rest of his beer, gathered up the empty bottles, and headed into the house. I watched him go. I lit a cigarette and took a deep drag on it.
"What in hell did you just do, Ted de Villiers!?" I asked myself.
"You jerked off watching Brad jerk off, you moron!!" I answered myself.
I thought about putting on my shorts, but they were soaked with cum. Not much of it was mine. It was mostly Brads. Boy, that kid could shoot! With the size of his nuts, though, I shouldn't be surprised. I spread out my shorts and laid them over the wall beside me.
I looked over my shoulder to where that first shot would have landed. You know, the one that pole-vaulted right over his head. It was back there somewhere, fertilizing the grass. I remembered my cock twitched when I saw that. The beginning of it was already above his head before the tail left his cock. And then it continued flying like a party streamer, right on over him, and not a drop landed on him. I was almost waiting for the fireworks to burst.
It was a clean vault. He didn't even wobble the bar. That's when my own orgasm started. I remember that. As soon as I saw Brad cumming, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop my own. Hell, if Brad sold tickets to watch him cum, I'd be first in line to buy mine, and I'd buy a season pass.
And I didn't know why.
What in hell was going on with me? I don't like porn. I don't like watching people have sex. Not even with themselves. But, here I was, getting turned on watching Brad. Gee-sus, Murphy, Ted, you're getting weird.
Okay. Think. What's the attraction? Is it just the size of his prick? His balls? Is it the way he jerks himself off? Do I wish I had what he had so I could do it, too? Is it his youth? Is it his boyish beauty? These were all questions in my mind, and I didn't have answers to any of them. Just like Brad didn't have answers for his own questions. But Brad was trying to find himself. I wasn't. I found myself years ago. Lindsay was proof of that. But here I was. Looking for answers again.
I shook my head to clear it. Too many beers to think. Tomorrow would be a better time to do it. I always do my best thinking on Monday when I'm at work.
Oh, yeah. I took the next two days off. Well, I'm screwed, I thought. Might as well start now. I lit up another cigarette as I waited for Brad.
People get lost in thought sometimes. I was more than lost. I wasn't even sure which planet I was on. All I know is I almost fell off the wall when Brad said, "Hi, Ted."
"Gee-sus, Murphy, Brad!" I yelled. "Wear a bloody cowbell or something! Whistle! Say Yoo hoo'! Do anything! Just let me know you're here!"
"You're funny when you're scared," he said, grinning from ear to ear as he sat down and set four more beers beside him.
"Yeah, well, it won't seem so funny when you have to help the paramedics cart me off to the Stiff House!"
He giggled, and I couldn't stay mad at him long. His giggle had a way of cheering me up fast.
"Shower's empty," he said after a few moments.
"I'll wait until I go to bed," I said. "I can wait. I dribble when I cum. You paint."
He was quiet as he twisted off the caps of two beers and handed me one. "You know, that's the first time I've ever seen a man do that."
"What, cum?"
Brad nodded. "And masturbate, too," he said quietly. "I liked it. I'd like to watch you again sometime." His head remained aimed at the darkness, but his eyes turned to meet mine. "If you'll let me."
"Aw, come on, Brad," I said, "you don't want to watch an old gaffer like me whacking his Willie. I'm out of shape. My love handles are bigger than your pecs. You've got more hair in your nose than I've got on my chest. I've got a dick that would fit in a Pez dispenser."
"Don't do that, Ted."
"Do what?"
"Put yourself down like that. You're a good looking man, and you're a nice man."
"And I'm almost twice your age, Brad," I said. "Wouldn't you rather find some young buck like yourself to watch?"
I could see his head shaking. "No." He stared at me across the darkness. And then he leaned forward again. I knew he was going to kiss me, but he wasn't aiming for my cheek this time. He was going straight for the lips. I thought he would stop, but he didn't. I thought I would stop him, but I couldn't. His lips pressed against mine. He didn't do anything else, and neither did I. We just stayed there like that for a moment, our lips pressed together, and then he pulled away again, and when he did, I saw that his eyes were closed.
He opened them and looked at me, and then he turned away. He took a deep breath and let it out, then grabbed his beer and set it between us. "Better drink that before it goes flat," he said as he stood up. "If you need help tomorrow, just knock on the door. I'll be home all day."
I stood up. "Brad?"
He didn't look at me. "Thanks for the best day of my life, Ted," he said softly. "Goodnight."
Without another word, he stepped over the wall and left. I watched his silhouette as he walked between our houses and disappeared around the corner at the front of his. I sat back down on the wall and pulled out another cigarette.
Behind me, the light from Brad's bedroom came on. I didn't turn around.
To Be Continued
Wicked story mate!!
Great writing. I am enjoying the story. Please continue.
where r u taking us ,dude? i come from work ,hardly settled in my room and i'm all eager to read this GREAT story!!!! Bravo!!!
Neil, This is a wonderful story
WOW! Brilliant!
Love the story. Cant seem to stop reading it. Cant wait for the Rest of the story.
Neil ... TREMENDOUS!!
And I'm sure you'll let us know where this is going, as soon as you find out, yourself! I'm still in AWE at how you do this!!
Keep smilin'!!
WISDOM is the Knowledge you've gained ... After you could have used it! _Me
Your story thus far has been excellent and I have really enjoyed reading it. As I read it I begin to fell sorry for Brad because everyone thinks that he is just a cock with legs and he's not. I would love to see someone other than Ted come about that would treat Brad like the person he is and I would defiantly like to see that someone take Brad's huge cock in their mouth or up their ass without hurting them.
what can I say. Everyone else says the best description your work could have. I cant wait for the next part
I love this story. I am there in my mind and to me both guys are great. I read Chapter 7 last night and could not stop until I finished.
Thank you!!!!!
(Thanks again, guys. Here's the next installment. Enjoy. I should have Part 9 ready for posting tomorrow. I'm posting as fast as I write them. This one is just flowing right along. There's hardly any editing or rewriting.)
* * * * *
Part VIII
I snapped awake just before eight. My cell phone was ringing. I found it and answered it.
"Hello," I said.
"Hi, Daddy," a small voice said to me.
"Hi, Sweetheart," I said, trying to sound awake and cheerful.
"You forgot to phone me yesterday."
"I'm sorry, Sweetheart," I apologized. "I was busy unpacking and I forgot."
"That's okay, Daddy," she said.
"Have you decided yet?"
"Yes," she said. "I like the Sunset pink and I like the paper with the unicorns and faeries."
"Then that's what you'll have," I said. "I'll buy it today."
"Mommy says I can't have the unicorns, though. She wants me to have the ballerinas."
Her Mother's voice could be heard in the background. "No unicorns!"
I clenched my jaws and took a quick, deep, calming breath as Lindsay said, "See?"
"You'll get your unicorns and faeries, Sweetheart," I told her. "I love you, Lindsay." I made several kissing sounds into the phone.
"I love you, too, Daddy," she said.
"You have a good day and I'll see you this weekend, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy."
"Can I talk to your Mother for a minute?"
"Okay. Bye, Daddy. I love you."
"Love you, too."
I heard a clunk' from the phone being set on the desk and then Lindsay's voice rang out, "Mom! Daddy wants to talk to you!"
There was silence, and then I heard footsteps and the phone was picked up. "Yes?" came her voice.
"Is Lindsay out of the room?" The anger in my voice wasn't disguised.
"Yes. She's watching television now."
"You listen to me, you fuckin' bitch!" I said. "You keep Lindsay out of this! You may hate my guts, but I'll be damned if I let you drag her into every little dispute you have with me, you hear!?"
"I'm not."
"Like hell you're not!" I shouted. "This is my house and Lindsay will have her own bedroom here! You have no right to tell her what she can or cannot have here!"
"I won't have her growing up believing in faeries and unicorns!"
"Why not!? Thanks to you, she already believes in ogres and trolls and witches, and they're all rolled up into one big, fat package!"
She just laughed at me.
"You fuckin' bitch! I'm warning you! Keep Lindsay out of this or, so help me, you'll wish you had!"
"Don't you threaten me, Ted de Villiers."
My voice dropped to a warning. "That's not a threat, Connie. That's a promise. Now, stop punishing Lindsay just because you can't punish me!"
She hung up on me. I almost called her back, but thought better of it. Instead, I dialed a number I knew well. I also knew that no-one would answer it at this time of the morning, but the answering machine would be good enough for what I wanted to say.
After the introductory message had played and the beep sounded, I began to speak. "Hi, Al. It's Ted de Villiers. Look. I need you to get this moving as fast as you can. I need to get Lindsay out of that house before Connie screws up her mind forever. If you need more money, tell me and you'll get it. Just get me into that court as fast as you can. Call me. Thanks. Bye."
I fell back on the bed. Oh, how I hated that Bitch! Not because of her, but because of the way she used Lindsay to get at me. No-one has the right to use a child like that, especially not my daughter.
I needed to talk to Brad and his mother. I needed their help. Fast! I climbed out of bed and padded to the bathroom. Shit, shower and shave. The works. Then I was heading out the door and walking across the lawn. John's car was gone. I rang the doorbell and, moments later, the door opened and Bernice greeted me.
"Mr. de Villiers, how nice to see you again. Come in, please." I entered and she closed the door. "Bradley is still in bed. I'll wake him."
"No," I said, "don't wake him up. I. . ." But she was gone, as if she hadn't even heard me.
I heard a knock on a door, then, "Bradley. Mr. de Villiers is here to see you, dear."
She soon reappeared. "Would you like some coffee?"
I think I started to drool. "That would be wonderful, thank you."
"Please, come to the kitchen."
I followed her. I sat where I had the day before and she set a mug of coffee in front of me and another for Brad, who was probably still trying to drag his ass out of bed.
"Are you getting settled in, Mr. de Villiers?" she asked as she set a creamer of milk on the table in front of me.
"Please, call me Ted," I said. "And yes, I am. Slowly. Brad's been a big help. I think I'd still be looking for clean socks if it wasn't for him." I poured in the milk, spooned in the sugar, gave it a stir, and took a nice, long sip. Bernice heard my Ahhhh'.
Bernice tittered. "My, it sounds like you're enjoying that."
"I am, thank you," I said. "I found my coffee maker, but I can't find my coffee. I have to go shopping this morning."
Brad appeared in the kitchen, bare-footed and wrapped in a white and powder blue striped terrycloth robe. He still had pillow hair. He walked directly to his mother and kissed her on the lips. "Hi, Mom."
"Good morning, dear," she said with a smile. "Sit down and I'll get your breakfast. Would you like some, Ted?"
"I'm fine, thank you, Bernice."
"He's been living on Timbits and pizza and cheeseburgers for two days, Mom." Brad seemed to have forgot entirely about last night's little kissing' episode. Either that, or he was just playing up to me for his Mother's sake. I couldn't be sure.
Bernice looked at me. "Are scrambled eggs okay?"
"Please. Don't go to any trouble," I said.
"No trouble," she replied. "I'm making them for Bradley, anyway."
I looked at Brad. He just grinned and shrugged one shoulder.
"Scrambled is fine."
"So, Ted," Brad said. "Need my help again today?"
"Not for awhile. I've got to go shopping first. I need to get some food in that place, and I want to pick up the paint and paper for Lindsay's room. She phoned me awhile ago, which is why I'm here, actually. I was wondering when you might be able to do it. I need it done as soon as possible so I can get Lindsay away from her mother."
"The Bitch again?"
"Bradley Nelson Hayes!" Bernice's screaming voice startled even me. "You go to your room this instant!"
"It's okay, Bernice," I said quickly. "It's the only name Brad knows for her. She really is one. She's trying to tell my daughter what colour paint and what wallpaper she can have in her own bedroom in my house. She's using Lindsay to get at me."
"Oh, dear," she said sympathetically. "The Carters? Just down the street? You remember them, Bradley. They were the same way, but they both used the children. They ended up in foster homes."
"That won't happen with Lindsay," I assured her.
"How big is her bedroom?" Bernice asked.
I looked around the kitchen. "About this size, I suppose. Maybe a bit longer."
"How many walls are to be papered?"
"All of them. She wants sort of a wainscoting with a dado rail."
"What's that?" Brad asked.
"Oh, at trim. A chair rail."
Brad nodded understanding."
"It will be about a metre high all the way around."
"Bradley can handle that," Bernice said. "I'll supervise, of course, and cut the strips and prepare it, but I can't get down on the floor anymore. You'd never get me back up."
"I can do it, Mom," Brad said. "So, how long do you think it would take?"
Bernice glanced around the room. "Oh, just a few hours, I should think. Maybe a bit longer if I have to match the pattern. But, the walls should be painted, first."
"If we get the paint this morning, I could start as soon as we get home," Brad suggested. "We should be able to finish it all before the weekend, shouldn't we, Mom?"
"Oh, easily, dear."
"Okay," I said. "Just tell me what I need to buy."
"We have all the papering tools here," Bernice said. "We have the paint materials as well, but you might need to buy some new rollers. I don't know if there are any refills here."
"There's two packages in the garage," Brad said.
Bernice smiled at me. "Shopping is done."
"What paper did she decide on?" Brad asked.
"Unicorns and faeries. Her Mother wanted ballerinas."
"Did you say unicorns?" Bernice asked.
"Bradley, dear, watch this for me." Brad went to the stove, taking the wooden fork from his Mom. "I'll be right back." She disappeared out the door and down the hall.
"I'll go shopping with you," Brad said. "If you don't mind me hanging around."
"No," I said. "I just thought you might be bored. I've got a pile of groceries to buy."
He turned his head to look at me. "I'd be more bored sitting around here." He returned to his cooking duties. "Besides, I can help you carry the groceries."
Soon, Bernice returned, carrying a box the size of a two-sliced toaster in her hands. She set it on the table in front of me. "This is for your daughter." I looked at the picture on the box, then at Bernice. "Go ahead," she said. "Open it."
I carefully opened the box, lifted the tissue paper away, and looked inside. "Oh, Bernice," I gasped. "I can't accept this."
She placed her hand on my shoulder. "Of course you can. My sister gave that to me twelve years ago for my birthday. It sat on the shelf for two days until she went home. It's been in that box in the closet since then."
I reached in with a delicate touch and lifted it out. "This is so beautiful," I whispered. "Lindsay would love it." I tenderly set the unicorn on the table so I could look at it without fear of dropping it. It was ceramic and the unicorn was painted in a high-gloss, snow-white paint - even the mane and tail. The head was turned slightly, looking to the side at me. The hooves were jet black, standing in emerald blades of grass. The eyes were black as well and the spiral horn was a glossy, metallic gold.
"I want your daughter to have it," Bernice said with finality.
I stood up and kissed her cheek. "Okay, but only if you give it to her yourself this weekend."
Her hand rose to her bosom. "Oh, may I?" she asked, clearly honoured that I had invited her to do so.
"I want her to know it's from you."
"Oh, my," she said, her face all smiles. "May I wrap it for her?"
"She'd like that, too. She likes getting gifts." I gave her another kiss on the cheek.
"Mom, I think this is done," Brad said.
She patted her chest once, smoothed her apron, and moved to take over from Brad, who joined me at the table again. With a feather touch, I replaced the unicorn into the box and placed the tissue around it. My daughter was going to be a very happy, little girl.
* * * * *
Breakfast was delicious and I was working on my second mug of coffee. "Good eats, Mom," Brad said as he stood and gave his Mother a kiss. To me, he said, "I'll grab a quick shower and be ready in a few minutes."
"Take your time," I said. "I'm enjoying this coffee too much to hurry." Brad smiled and left the kitchen.
"I hope you don't mind Brad hanging around my place all the time," I said to Bernice.
"Not at all, Ted," she was quick to proclaim. "I don't mind at all. It's nice to see Bradley finally have a friend again. It's very difficult for him. If he's not at school or here at home, I'll know where he is and I won't have to worry about him."
This surprised the hell out of me. "You mean he doesn't have many friends?"
"None that he likes to spend time with," she said. "Bradley is much to shy and reserved and self- conscious to make friends. I don't think he likes the people who want to be his friend." She paused. "You look surprised."
"A bit," I admitted. "I don't see Brad as shy and self-conscious."
"That's because he likes you. Oh, yes," she nodded, "I can see now how you would think like that when he wears those tight clothes. I don't care for them. I think they're rude. But. . ." She paused again and craned her neck as if looking for Brad listening at the doorway even though we could hear the shower running. She leaned forward and spoke softly. "When Bradley was thirteen years old, I bought him loose pants and a some of those boxer shorts to try to hide. . . um. . . it'. The new clothes looked much more decent, but the first day he wore them, he hurt himself badly just riding his bicycle. The poor boy. I can still hear his screams and see his tears. I took him to the doctor to make sure there was no permanent damage. I learned my lesson, though. I threw those pants and the shorts into the trash. I may not like it, but whatever I might think, I would rather see him dressing like he does than to see my baby in pain again."
Well, there was that question answered.
"No, Ted," she continued. "I don't mind Bradley spending time with you at all. I just hope he isn't a bothersome pest."
"Not at all."
"Bradley has always got along with gentlemen of your age better than with people his own age. I think it's because John and I were already in our forties when Bradley came to us. I think he just feels more comfortable with older people. Not that you're old, of course."
I sat up straight. "Excuse me, he came' to you?" I asked.
Her head bent down and she smiled knowingly. She nodded, then reached across and placed her hand over mine. "You're a very intelligent man, Mr. de Villiers. Either that, or you're very good at listening."
"Both," I said. "Please, Bernice, tell me. I'd like to know. I swear I won't say anything to Brad or anyone else."
She took her hand away and nodded to me again. She looked to make sure her son wasn't listening. "I don't think Bradley wants to know this. He's never asked us about it. He was a foster child at first, and we adopted him. His parents were drug addicts, and Bradley was a heroin baby." She stopped talking, looking down at the mug in front of her and running a fingertip around the rim. "Mr. Hayes and I couldn't have children of our own, so we decided to become foster parents. There was a such need for drug babies - those poor, innocent dears - so those were the only ones we would accept. Bradley was our fifth foster child. He came to us when he was four days old. He didn't even have a name yet. He was just a number. I started calling him Bradley because he looked like a Bradley to me. John thought he looked like a Nelson."
She paused and refilled our coffee mugs, even though they didn't really need it. When she was seated again, she continued. "We were just supposed to keep him until he recovered and the drugs were out of his system, and then he would go up for adoption. Bradley was special. I was prepared for all the sleepless nights and the crying and rushing him off to the hospital, like we had to do with the others, but Bradley hardly ever cried. He never fussed. He would coo when I held him and he would look at me with those beautiful green eyes. And he would smile at me. The doctors told us that it was probably because he had so many drugs in his system - that it was like he was on medication. I didn't care. I fell in love with him. After he recovered, he was the same little boy he was before. He still cooed and smiled, and he began to laugh when I tickled his little belly. I simply fell so much in love with him that I couldn't give him away."
She paused to dab at her eyes with the hem of her apron. "John tried to talk me out of it. He said we were too old and it wouldn't be fair to Bradley. He said we would be ready to retire when Bradley was ready to start college or university. He said Bradley deserved better than that. He deserved younger parents who could grow up with him. I let him go."
She took a deep breath. Her tears were gone now as she remembered. "The day they came to take him away, the lady from Children's Aid took him out of my arms and he started to cry and scream and kick and throw his tiny, little arms around. She tried to calm him, but she couldn't. John just walked over to her and took Bradley out of her arm and he stopped crying and he gave Bradley to me. All he said to the lady was, We want to adopt him. Tell us what we have to do.'"
She looked up at me then, her face sad with remembrance, but full of love and compassion as well. "Bradley is our son, Ted. If he wants to know the truth, I will tell him if he asks me, but I will never tell him if he doesn't. I beg you not to say anything to him."
I smiled encouragingly at her. "He talks about you all the time, Bernice, and he loves you and John very much. I don't think he wants any other Mom except you. Not even if he knew who his real parents were. And don't worry. This conversation never took place."
"That's what I thought you would say. Thank you."
And one more question was answered.
* * * * *
"I think we need another cart," Brad said. "We've still got three aisles to go and we haven't even hit the dairy cases yet."
I looked down at the cart, almost over flowing with boxes and cans and plastic containers. There was so much stuff I needed. "Watch this cart, would you? I'll get another one."
"I'll get it," Brad said, and he was gone before I could object. He was the man in white today. White sneakers, white socks, white shorts, and white T-shirt. His shorts were snug, but not tight like his T-shirt. Still, they showed as much as ever, which is probably why Brad never tucked in his T-shirts in public. The only bit of colour was the beavers playing hockey decal on the front of his shirt.
Now that I was more aware of his personality, I began to see it coming through. He rarely talked to people and he avoided their gaze. He spoke quietly to me, as if to avoid drawing attention to himself, and he dressed as comfortably as he could and did his best to hide himself. I did notice that he wore tight T-shirts more than loose shirts, though, and the ones I'd seen had witty remarks on them. I began to wonder if he did that so people would look at his chest instead of his crotch.
Bernice had amazed me, really, the way she was so up-front (pun intended) when she talked about Brad's up front'. But I could see her point. No decent parent would ever want to see their child in pain. I know how frantic I got when Lindsay fell during a dance class and scraped her knee. When she had her tonsils taken out, I cried two tears for each one she shed. I could only imagine how Bernice must have felt with Brad.
I don't know why I thought of that kiss last night at that moment. It wasn't really a kiss, actually. Just a pressing of lips together. Was I surprised that he did it? No. Was I surprised that I let him? No. Was I surprised that I enjoyed it? Yes. Was I surprised that I wanted to kiss him for real? Hell, yes! And that had me concerned.
I was still thinking about it when he returned with an empty cart.
To Be Continued
Awesome man. purely awesome. I'm transfixed in this story.
Are you volunteering?Originally Posted by Lucusvirginia
Brilliant sory so far, I cant wait for more!
Man! You got me Misty Eyed with that one!
WISDOM is the Knowledge you've gained ... After you could have used it! _Me
Wish Brad was close to me.
Another astounding chapter. I'm happy to hear the next chapter is almost finished. I look forward to each day you post another.
Thank you!
I just registered to compliment you on this lovely story. It's just great in every way.
Don't keep us waiting too long between updates.
I think you'd have good chances succeeding in a writing career, unless of course you already have.
I don't have a career in writing, but thank you for the thumbs up. And thanks for registering just to honour me with your compliments.Originally Posted by gekko513
The next chapter will be posted in the morning. Fortunately, this story doesn't require much editing or rewriting. All I do is proofread it. So far, I've been averaging about a chapter a day even while I'm still finishing up the Stargate Sequel story. (I think I'm finally on the last chapter in that one!)
Awesome story, man.
You just know how to write.
Keep at it.
A Fan
Thanks Neil...I'm still loving this story, and looking forward to the next chapter. Cheers!
No, but my suggestion about someone else coming along to treat Brad like the person he is and taking his huge cock in their mouth's and up their ass was from a character point of view not from a physical point of view. My assumption was that this story was frictional or was my assumption incorrect.Originally Posted by gsdx
As I mentioned before, the story and characters are fiction, including Brad. The only things which are real are what's in Brad's pants. They are real, and belong to a friend I've known for over 20 years.Originally Posted by Lucusvirginia
I don't know what's going to happen in this story. It's writing itself. All I know is that I have no intention of bringing in another character who can handle Brad easily, either with their mouth or their ass. That's not in Brad's character, and it would make him a lot less real in my mind, and in the minds of the readers. I wouldn't do that to them, nor to myself.
As much as I'd like to see Brad happy and satisfied, I have to remind myself that happiness means different things to different people. I don't know if having someone who could deep throat him or take him up their ass would make Brad happy. Somehow, I don't think it would.
So, that being said, on we go with Part 9. . .
Part IX
"You take the beer," Brad told me. "I'll get the rest."
I looked at the trunk, bursting full of plastic bags and boxes and cans of paint and rolls of paper, and I remembered that the back seat was just as full. "You're not going to carry all that yourself."
"Oh, yes I am," he said sternly. "I saw how much you were panting just loading it into the car. I handle the humidity better than you. Now, do as you're told, Theodore Something-Or-Other de Villiers."
"Don't you ever call me that again, Bradley Nelson Hayes, or I'll shove this case of beer right up your ass!" I warned him. Then, quieter, I said, "Besides. It's Something-Or-Other Theodore'."
Brad began pulling bags out of the trunk. "What's the Something-Or-Other'?"
"That you will never know."
"Might as well tell me," he said. "I'll just peek at your license."
I patted my wallet in my back pocket. "In case you haven't noticed, I always keep my wallet close to my heart. Unless you're a pickpocket, you're never going to see it."
"How quickly you forget," he said with a wicked grin. "Whose shorts were used to wipe the cum off my face last night?"
I smiled in remembrance as I looked down. "Oh, yeah." I looked at him again and said, "Francis."
Brad's head jerked back slightly and he blinked. "What's wrong with that? I like that name."
"I don't," I said. "Hate it. Almost as much as I hate Theodore."
"As in Cleaver'?"
"That's the one. If this was the sixties, you'd be calling me Beaver'."
"Let's just stick with Ted and Brad."
I nodded my agreement.
He grabbed a large bundle of grocery bags in each hand and stood up, grunting with the effort. His lips pressed tight and his muscles bulged. His forehead wrinkled and his nostrils flares as he sucked air into them. I hurried to open the front door. I set the beer on the counter and Brad dropped the bags to the floor as gently as he could. I hoped there weren't any eggs or glass bottles in them. He stayed bent over for a moment, panting for breath.
"Either you carry smaller loads, or I help you carry them." I put my hand on his back. His T-shirt was already moist with sweat. "Are you okay?"
He stood up, looking at his hands and flexing his fingers. I could see where the plastic handles had cut into them. His laugh was an embarrassed one. "That's what I get for trying to show off." He sucked in a deep breath, made a small O' with his mouth, and blew it out, his cheeks inflating as he did so. He took another deep breath. "Okay," he said, "you start putting this stuff away and I'll get the rest." He grabbed the waistband of his T-shirt and pulled it over his head. He looked around for a place to put it, then dropped it on the floor at the end of the counter.
When he was gone, I picked it up and laid it over the oven door handle and began the task of finding a place for all this food.
* * * * *
Brad had changed. He wore sandals and no socks. He brought a clean T-shirt with him when he came back, but he didn't have it on. He had different shorts, too. Still cut-off jeans, but these were older and more worn and tattered. There was a thread-bare hole under the pocket on his right butt cheek and a few more spots which threatened to become holes any day now.
The pile of paint materials sat on the floor where all the grocery bags had been just awhile earlier.
"Got a pen and paper?" Brad asked.
"Uh, yeah," I said. "Sure." I went to my bedroom and grabbed a pen and pad out of my briefcase and took them to Brad. "Here you go."
"I only need one piece," he said as he pulled a sheet off the pad and handed the pad back to me. I set it on the counter.
Brad put the paper on the counter, wrote I.O.U.' at the top, made a short, single, vertical line, and signed his name at the bottom.
"What's that for?" I asked.
"The beer I drink," he said.
I reached for the paper, but he yanked it away. "Come on, Brad. Don't be so foolish."
"We've got a deal."
I laughed. "You're kidding me, right? I'm not going to charge you for the beer you drink."
"I'm not joking, Ted," he said seriously. "We made a deal yesterday. Today I start to work and today I start to pay."
"Who's going to know whether or not you pay for the beer?"
"I will," he said.
The grin disappeared from my face. "Gee-sus, Murphy. You're really serious, aren't you?"
"I made a deal and I gave you my word. I intend to keep both of them."
Where in hell did this kid come from? He had honour and integrity and respect on top of a killer personality. You don't see that these days in kids his age. Listen to me? Calling him a kid! This was no kid. This was a man, and it was a man that I had the sudden urge to kiss.
So I did.
I think I scared Brad at first. Hell, it scared me. He pulled away from me at first, and then settled into it. It was a real kiss this time. Closed eyes, parted lips, and searching tongue. At least my tongue was searching. Brad's didn't. But he parted his lips and started to kiss back. The tip of my tongue ran across his teeth and I found the chip and brought me back to my senses. My eyes snapped open and I jerked away from him.
Poor Brad. He stood there, staring at me with a stunned expression on his face. Neither of us spoke for a long time as we stared at each other. Finally, I found my voice. "I. . . um. . ." I wanted to say something. I should have said something. But there was nothing there. My brain was empty. Brad stood there, still staring at me. He hadn't even blinked. I could see his chest heaving and I could see questions all over his face. How could I answer questions for him when I couldn't even answer them for myself. "Shit!" I said, grabbed my bottle of beer, and marched outside to suck back a beer and a smoke.
It was awhile before Brad slid the door open. "Can I come out?" he said weakly.
"Sure," I said back to him. He stepped out, closed the door, and walked across the grass, carrying his bottle of beer. He sat beside me, but not close enough to touch.
Again, there was silence. I knew Brad was waiting for me to say something, but what should I say? What could I say? Warren would tell me to say what I needed to say, but I didn't know what that was. Come on, Ted! Say something! Anything! Don't leave the poor kid hanging!
Aw, shit! There I go again, calling him a kid. He's a man, dammit, and I just kissed him! I just kissed a man and I liked it and I don't know why!
"I'm sorry, Brad," I said at last. "I don't know why I did that."
I could see him turning his head so he could look at me, but I couldn't look at him. His voice was soft and gentle, like waves washing on shore. "I'm not disappointed that you did." He fell silent again and, after a minute or two, I turned my head to look at him, too. "I would be disappointed if you didn't want to do it again."
I stared into his eyes, and then I looked away and took a swig of beer.
"Look, Ted," he said. "Something's happening to me, and I don't understand it. But I'm starting to." He paused for a long moment. "I like what's happening to me."
I looked back at him. "Believe me, Brad. I think the same thing is happening to me, too, and I think I like it, too. But it's scaring the hell out of me. This is going way too fast for me. I can't keep up with it."
"You think we need to slow things down. Let ourselves catch up."
"Yes," I said. There was hurt in Brad's eyes. I hastened to ease it. "I need to make Lindsay my priority, Brad. I'm not dismissing what we're feeling, but I need to concentrate on her. I need to do what I have to so I can get her back."
"And you're afraid that The Bitch will use this against you."
I looked quickly at the ground, worry and concern blasting its way into my gut. "Oh, shit. I never even thought of that."
"I'll stay away, Ted," Brad said. "I'll do my work, but I'll stay away otherwise."
I looked back at him. "I don't want you to do that, Brad."
"You really mean that?"
"Yes, I do. I mean, I think we should slow down on this whacking off and kissing thing, but I don't want to stop building this friendship. It's important to me."
"It's important to me, too. You have my word. I won't do anything to hurt your chances of getting Lindsay back." Brad raised his bottle of beer in toast. I raised my own and clinked his. I drained my bottle, which was almost empty anyway.
"Time for a refill," I said, and started to stand up.
"I'll get it," Brad said. "Stay here and relax. Be right back."
I lit up another cigarette as I waited. It took a few minutes for Brad to come back again, and, when he did, he had changed shorts again and had pulled on his T-shirt. His shorts were like the shorts he'd worn to Toronto, except they were black. He opened the beer and handed it to me.
"You didn't have to change," I said.
"I gave you my word, Ted." And then he smiled. "And don't bother sitting out here at night looking at my bedroom window. You won't see anything."
"You don't have to go that far."
"I can't slow things down. I have to stop them if I want to keep my word."
I just stared at him and I wanted to cry. I could feel a lump forming in my throat and my stomach was doing flip-flops. I wanted so much to kiss him again for that, but I sucked on my beer bottle instead.
* * * * *
Brad was in Lindsay's bedroom giving the ceiling a fresh coat of white paint when my cell phone rang.
* Hi, Teddy. *
"Warren!" I said. "Good to hear from you, buddy. What's it been, twenty-six? Twenty-seven hours?"
* Hey, when you're in love. . . *
"So, what's up?"
* Bill's here with me. He's listening. *
"Hey, Bill."
* Hi, Ted. *
* Look, Teddy, what have you got planned for next weekend? *
"Nothing that I know of, Warren. Why?"
* Bill and I are getting married. *
"Well, it's about time, you old farts! Finally caved, eh, Bill?"
* Yeah. Can you come? *
"When and where?"
* Two weeks, Teddy. Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto. You'll be getting your invitation in the mail. I sent it to your old place. I hope Canada Post forwards it soon enough. *
"I'll watch for it, and the new owners said they'd hold anything that goes there for me."
* So, can you come? *
"Try to keep me away, pal."
* You're not bringing The Bitch, are you? *
"What? And spoil my dinner? She won't be there, pal."
* Great. But you can bring someone. I've already got you marked down as two'. Got a new lady friend yet? *
"No. I'm not even looking. Not sure if I'll ever look again."
* Well, bring someone. What about that guy you brought to Ryerson yesterday? He sounded like a nice guy. I'd like to meet him. *
"I'm sure you would, Warren. But he just helped me move. He's just a friend."
* Ask him and get back to me. *
"Hang on then. He's here now, painting Lindsay's bedroom. Hang on."
I began walking toward the bedroom. "Hey, Warren, I get Lindsay this weekend. What say we come up and you can give her the presents yourself?"
* You mean it? Really? *
"Of course I mean it."
* Thanks, Teddy. I love you, man. *
"Give him a kiss for me, Bill. Okay, I'm with Brad. Hang on."
I dropped the phone away from my face as Brad stopped rolling paint on the ceiling. He turned his head to look at me. "Hey, Brad," I said. "My friend, Warren, is getting married in two weeks. He wants to know if you'd like to go with me."
"I thought he was gay," Brad said.
"He is. He's marrying his boyfriend, Bill."
"A real wedding? With a church and a minister and everything?" Brad asked.
* He sounds awfully cute, Teddy! Bring him! *
Brad looked at the phone in my hand. He'd heard him.
I raised the phone to my ear. "Bill? Stick something in his mouth, will ya?" Warren giggled. I took the phone away and looked at Brad.
"Do you really want me to go?"
"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you there."
He looked down for a moment, deep in thought. "I've never been to a gay wedding before." He looked up again. "I think I'd like to go. And I'd like to meet your friend."
* Yipee! *
I spoke into the phone. "Stuff it, will you, Warren? We'll be there."
* Bring him for dinner next Sunday, too, Teddy. Bill will be here, won't you Sweetie? *
"You sure?"
* One more place at the table. You know your friends are always welcome, Teddy. *
To Brad, I said, "You're invited for dinner this Sunday with Lindsay and me, too. Wanna go?"
"Set the place, Warren. He'll be there."
* Great! Look, Teddy, I've got a doctor's appointment in an hour. I'd better get going. *
"You take care of yourself, Warren. And Bill? Make sure he does everything the doctor tells him to do."
* I will, Ted. And thanks. *
* Love ya, Teddy. Bye. *
"Love you, too, pal. Later, eh?"
We hung up.
Brad was still standing there holding the long-handled paint roller. He'd turned his entire body to face me. "Are you sure you want me to go?"
"Why not?" I asked. "It's just a wedding."
"No, I meant this weekend. The dinner thing. Wouldn't you rather go alone with Lindsay?"
"Believe me. Warren is already making plans to include you. If you don't show up, he'll disown me."
"But you said you wanted to slow things down."
"It's dinner in Warren's parents' place and a wedding in a church. You can't get much slower than that," I joked.
* * * * *
Brad stopped long enough for a few slices of pizza and a beer, and then he was back at the painting. I worked at my computer for a few hours, stopped to take a leak, and took a peek inside Lindsay's room. Brad had taken off his T-shirt. He looked cute splattered with tiny white and pink polka dots. When he saw me standing there, he must have seen an odd, discouraged look on my face. He stopped rolling, set down the paint roller, and grabbed up his shirt.
"Sorry," he said. "Even with the air conditioning, it was getting too hot."
"Leave it off, Brad. I don't mind," I said. "That's not the problem." I looked at the walls. "That isn't the colour I picked out for Lindsay. It looks horrible."
Brad looked at the wall.
"That's the primer," he said sheepishly.
I looked at the colour again, hoping I didn't look as stupid as I felt. "Right! Primer. I knew that."
I could see Brad grinning and I wasn't even looking at him. "No you didn't." I could hear the grin in his voice.
I looked at him for real. Yup. He was grinning. "You're right," I said. "I didn't." Thank goodness I remembered the wallpaper before I asked him why he wasn't priming it all the way to the bottom of the walls. "Look. It's after nine. Maybe you should stop for the night."
"I want to get this priming done so I can start painting tomorrow. I'll only be another hour or so."
It was over two hours later when Brad finally appeared in the livingroom. He was carrying a towel. He looked exhausted and sore. He laid the towel out on the sofa and gingerly sat down, heaving a heavy sigh as he did so. "I'm beat," he said. "Everything's packed up and clean."
"Want a beer?"
"I'd love one," he said, "and then I'm going home to bed." He started to rise.
"Stay there. I'll get it." I stood up and went to the kitchen, grabbed two beers, marked a single line on Brad's IOU sheet, and headed back to the livingroom. Brad's head was lying against the back of the sofa. His mouth was open and soft snores were coming from his nostrils. I set down the beers, put my hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle shake as I called his name. He didn't respond.
I stood up, went to my bedroom, grabbed a pillow from my bed and a clean, light blanket out the linen closet, and went back out. I dropped the things on the sofa, knelt down, and pulled Brad's shoes and socks off. I looked at him as I knelt there between his legs and my eyes were drawn to his crotch. The mound was right there. Right in front of me. It was so close. I could see it and I could smell it. And I suddenly realized I was almost touching it. My hand was hovering over it, ready to settle down on it, and I jerked it away. When had my hand moved? Who moved it? I gulped and shook my head to clear it. It must have been me!
I rose to my feet. I had come so close to betraying Brad's trust. He looked so at peace sitting there. So beautiful. Not handsome. Brad was beautiful. I couldn't betray him like that, and I hated myself for almost doing it.
Again, I shook my head, gathered my wits, and placed my hands on his shoulders. I guided him to his side on the sofa. He didn't stir. He didn't wake up. I lifted his legs and curled them up on the sofa and grabbed the pillow, lifted his head, and slid the pillow under it. Brad stirred then. Just nuzzling into the softness of the pillow. His mouth was closed now and he sucked a big breath through his nose. I watched his chest expand as he sucked it in, and then I watched it contract as he let it out again. And then I watched him breathe for a minute or two. So young. So innocent. So. . .
I picked up the blanket, fluffed it open, and carefully laid it over him. I pulled it up to his neck, and then I found my hand on his hair, brushing it flat with slow caresses. I stopped my hand and slowly took it away. And then I bent down and gave him a soft, whispery kiss on the forehead. I wasn't betraying him by doing that. At least, that's what I told myself.
I grabbed the beers, locked the doors and turned out the lights, and went to the kitchen. I put the unopened bottles back in the refrigerator, scratched off the line I'd made on his IOU sheet, and then I went to bed.
To Be Continued
Awww ... I'm LOVIN' this!
WISDOM is the Knowledge you've gained ... After you could have used it! _Me
If I offended you I am truly sorry.Originally Posted by gsdx
No offense was taken. Your suggestion was a good one, but it didn't fit in this story. Believe me, I want to see Brad as happy as you do. I'm not good at writing porn. If I was, Brad would be the happiest guy on the planet, and there would be a lot of very happy and satisfied people lying exhausted on the floor. That stuff's easy to write. I just don't do it very well.Originally Posted by Lucusvirginia
This is such an marvelous story. I like that it is writing itself, as you say, and it certainly is making an impression. Over 5000 readers can't be wrong.
Thanks Neil.
Great work. I'm your number 1 fan
Thank you, I have enjoyed every chapter!!!!
I'm hooked....and loving every word. Thanks Neil.
Neil, I have reserved comment until now only because I wanted to see where this story was going. I am totally impressed,and as eager as the rest of the guys here to read the next installment. You seem to have captured what real love develops between two men. I like the twist that both guys are straight.
The Three Musketeers... Bashful, Chrisglass, and Ronboy!
Thanks again, guys. I appreciate it. I wasn't going to post until tomorrow when I update the next chapter, but a comment in ronboy's post struck a chord with me. I have already completed parts 10 and 11. They are proofed and ready to go. I tell you this now because I don't want anyone to think that ronboy's post influenced the story. In fact, no-one's post has ever influenced the stories I write.
You'll read Part 10 tomorrow morning, but you'll have to wait until Monday for Part 11. (When you read part 11, you'll see what I mean.)
I can hardly wait to read the next parts.
Since my last comment here I've read "Best Buddies..." and that story also pulled me right into it. I liked how it ended because I think it made it more real and provoked a lot of thought in me, but knowing that it didn't have a mainstream happy ending makes me fear what you'll do with this story. So far the fear just makes it more exciting, but if this story and your future stories, assuming you keep writing (I really hope you do), keep ending in tragedy and disaster, I'll soon become a nervous wreck while reading your work.
I don't like tragedy and disaster any more than anyone else, but 'Best Buddies' needed that ending. Otherwise, I include it in my other stories because it's life. Life isn't all happy smiles and apple pie with ice cream, unfortunately, but it's life. It makes the stories more real for me. So, don't worry. I doubt if you'll read another ending like 'Best Buddies' from me.Originally Posted by gekko513
A few of my other stories are in the Jub Archives.
Nicely Packed, Bag Boy
(If you're into Stargate, I've written one with Daniel & Jonas.)
Stargate SG-1 - Last Mission
The sequel, Stargate SG-1 - Aftermath, is on Page 1 of this forum. The final few chapters will be posted soon on this one.
And now, on to Part 10 of Watching Brad.
Part X
The front door was unlocked when I came home from work Thursday afternoon. I'd given Brad a key and he was waiting inside for me. "Follow me," he said, a wide grin on his face. I followed him down the hall and he stopped suddenly, holding out his hand. "Take my hand and close your eyes," he said as he placed his left hand over my eyes.
I took his hand and he held it tightly as he guided me carefully the rest of the way down the hall. He turned me to the left, led me through the doorway, and put me into position where he wanted me. He released my hand and removed his hand from my eyes. I opened them.
I was agog. I had to be agog to use a word like that. My jaw dropped down and my eyes sprang open. All I could do was to spin around in a slow circle and look at everything and say "Oh, my God!" over and over again. I'm sure Bernice had a hand in this. The room was completely done and arranged and dressed. The unicorn and faerie paper looked incredible, and Brad had attached and painted the dado rail white. Molding encircled the ceiling and the space between the two was done. . . I'm not sure how. From the Sunset pink at the bottom, it faded somehow to almost white near the top. All of Lindsay's favourite pictures were hanging in the most perfect places, and Brad had even hooked up her computer on her homework desk. Everything was there and ready for her to move in, and it was amazing.
I just turned around and around, and I could feel the tears filling my eyes. Professional painters couldn't have done the job Brad did for me. I finally turned and found him standing there, his face full of smiles and his eyes full of sparkles. He looked like a boy who had just brought home a report card full of A's. Fuck this, I thought, and I reached my arms around him and pulled him into a long, strong hug. "Thank you, Brad," I whispered in his ear. "Thank you." I might have felt Brad's body pressing against mine. I might have felt the muscles in his back. I might have felt his crotch pushing against my own. I might have felt his heat. I might have felt all those things, but I didn't even notice. I felt only the happiness.
When I finally pulled away, I kept my hands on his arms as I looked around again. "Mom helped me arrange the furniture and she unpacked Lindsay's clothes for her. The fade effect was her idea. Just took a little glaze. So, I did okay?" he said. He was grinning again.
"Oh, Brad, you did better than okay! Lindsay is going to love this room. I love this room!" I wiped tears from my eyes. "Gee-sus, Murphy, it's beautiful!" I looked at Brad. His eyes were watery, too. "Wanna do my room next?"
He shrugged. "Sure. I like painting."
I gave him another hug of appreciation. "I'm taking you out to dinner," I said.
"I'll have to phone Mom."
"Bring her along. I owe her big time, too. And your Dad. Tell her I won't take no' for an answer. Better yet, I'll tell her myself. Come on."
Brad had no choice but to follow me out of my house and to his front door.
* * * * *
John insisted on paying for half the dinner, but I talked him down to a quarter of it. His wife and his son were my treat. He finally agreed, even though he had measured all the dado and molding for Brad. "It was the neighbourly thing to do," he said.
Both Brad and Bernice were waiting for me Friday night when I arrived with Lindsay. Bernice was carrying her gift-wrapped unicorn. Lindsay went ballistic when she saw her room, ricocheting around, looking at everything, and ooing' and ahing' all over the place. She jumped on her bed and then jumped into my arms and gave me the biggest kiss she could. "Thank you, Daddy!" she said. "It's the bestest bedroom in the whole world!" She kissed me again. I didn't mind at all.
"I'm glad, Sweetheart, but you have to thank Brad and Mrs. Hayes," I told her. "They did it all."
Brad squatted down to get his hug and kiss and Bernice bent down and picked her up to get her own. "I've got something for you, Lindsay," she said. "Brad?"
Brad picked up the package and set it on Lindsay's desk. Lindsay scrambled down and rushed to open her gift. "Careful, Sweetheart. You might break it." She was very careful after that and, with my help, was soon looking at the unicorn. Her fingers ran gently over it, tracing the shape and form. She caressed the head and the golden horn and she turned it around and did it all over again. Bernice dabbed at her eyes with a tissue she had pulled from somewhere. She got a bigger hug and kiss than I did.
* * * * *
Lindsay spent most of the night in her bedroom, coming out occasionally for a snack or to use the bathroom or to just give me another thank you' kiss. I sat with Brad in the living room, discussing the painting he was going to do. From the sounds of it, the whole interior was going to get a facelift. Somewhere in between all that, he would do the front yard landscaping.
He fell in love with Lindsay immediately, and Lindsay took to him as well. By the time Brad went home, they were already good friends.
Brad left us alone on Saturday. Lindsay and I went shopping for other things she wanted for her new room, including a shelf for her unicorn. "Get a strong one, Daddy," she said. "Unicorns can't fly."
Sunday afternoon, Brad came over, ready for our trip to Mississauga. Lindsay was ecstatic to be going to see her Uncle Warren and Uncle Bill. She didn't know her birthday presents were in the trunk, waiting for her. Brad would carry them in for us when we got there. He insisted on sitting in the back seat. Lindsay rode up front with me.
Warren was suitably impressed with Brad, of course, putting one hand on Brad's shoulder and giving him the once-over with his eyes. They stopped right where I expected them to stop. "And where did you find this cutie?" he asked. Brad blushed. "Boys R Us?" Brad blushed even more.
"Warren," I said with a grin, "you're engaged!"
"But not married yet," Warren winked. His grin was wider than mine. "I've still got a few days left."
"Put him down, Uncle Warren," Lindsay said. (Hey. What can I say? She picked it up from me.) "I'm here, too, you know."
"Uncle Warren can't pick you up today, Sweetheart," I said to her. I picked her up from behind and held her out so Warren could give her a hug and kiss, then I passed her to Bill, who took her in his arms and held her.
"Is Uncle Warren sick?" she asked Bill.
"Yes," he replied, "but he's going to get better."
Warren sucked in a ragged breath. I could see him fighting his emotions. To take his mind of them, he whispered to me, "Did you bring them?" I nodded to the box on the floor beside Brad. Warren whispered to Brad, but I heard him. "Would you be a sweetie and take them in there (he pointed to an open doorway) and set them out on the coffee table?" Then he pinched Brad's cheek and said, "You are just too damned cute!"
Bill could only roll his eyes and Brad could only hurry to get away.
"Incorrigible," I said. Bill nodded.
"Where did you find that cutie?" Warren whispered loudly when Brad had left the room. "Et quel panier! It would cost a fortune to send that package by UPS!"
"He's my new neighbour."
"That's life for you," Warren sighed. "You get Brad and I get Abner Kravitz."
"But you get Tom Cruise when you move in with me."
Warren shuddered. "I'd rather have Abner Kravitz."
* * * * *
Once Brad got used to Warren, he fit in well. Warren, for his part, realized very quickly that Brad's white shorts were a touchy subject with him and stopped all the flirting. I have to hand it to Warren. He may be overboard at times, but he knows when enough is enough. Dinner was wonderful, and Mrs. Craig had set a wonderful table and cooked a delicious meal. Lindsay was wearing the new pant-suit outfit Warren had given her for her birthday, and was wearing her new bracelet as well. The new computer games he had given her were set on the table where she could see them. Warren had cried as he watched her open them. I suspect he felt it might be his last time seeing it. No-one said anything, though.
We talked about the wedding, of course, and got the times and everything set up and arranged. When we were ready to leave, he gave Lindsay a huge hug and kiss and, in typical Warren' fashion, kissed both Brad and I on the cheek. But Brad got a pat on the bum. I didn't.
Lindsay sat in the back seat on the way home and was sound asleep before we hit the Four- Twenty-Seven. Brad sat up front.
"You just keep giving me good days, Ted," he said casually. "I really liked Warren, you know. I was a bit nervous at first, and he came at me like a bulldozer, but then he just became a really nice guy. I like Bill, too. I'm looking forward to their wedding next weekend."
"Warren knew you were nervous and shy," I explained. "That's why he stopped. He goes a bit queenie when he sees a guy like you. You're just his type."
"Bill doesn't look anything like me. He's a lot older, for one thing."
"When a guy is Warren's type, Warren isn't usually the guy's type."
Brad chuckled. Then he became serious.
"I hope he makes it through the surgery."
"So do I, Brad," I said. "So do I."
* * * * *
"Want a beer?" I asked.
"Grab a couple, then. I'll just get Lindsay in bed." As Brad unlocked the front door, carrying Lindsay's games with him, I unbuckled Lindsay and lifted her from the back seat.
She roused enough to say, "Are we home, Daddy?"
"Yes, we are, Sweetheart. Do you need to go to the bathroom?" She nodded. I carried her into the bathroom and, as she sat on the toilet, I took off her new top and pulled her new slacks off her legs, along with her shoes and socks. When she was done, I cleaned her up, pulled up her panties, grabbed her new clothes in one hand, and carried her to her bed. "What colour, Sweetheart?"
"White," she said sleepily. "Like my unicorn."
I grabbed a crisp, white nightgown out of her dresser and pulled it over her head. Soon I was tucking her under her blankets as I sat on her bedside. I smoothed her hair with my fingers, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "Goodnight, Sweetheart," I said. "I love you." I kissed her forehead.
"Nite, Daddy," she said, but I think she was already asleep.
Brad was sitting on the wall, beer opened and waiting. I sat down beside him and took the beer from him. I pulled the cigarettes and lighter from my pocket.
"We're the luckiest people in the world," Brad said.
"Who?" I asked. "You and me?"
"No. Me and Lindsay."
"We both have the best fathers in the world."
"Well, your father and I are lucky, too. We have the best kids in the world. It's just too bad Lindsay has the worst mother."
"Don't worry, Ted," Brad said. "By tomorrow night, my Mom will have Lindsay calling her Grandma. Mark my words."
I believed him.
He looked at me. Stared at me, really. And then he suddenly grabbed his bottle of beer from the wall and slid away from me.
"Hey, what's this?" I asked. "Have I got BO or something?"
He smiled at me and shook his head. "No," he said. "You smell nice. I almost went back on my word, that's all."
I think I understood. I almost made him go back on it myself.
"Do I need to rent a tux or anything?" he said after he'd taken a healthy swig of his beer.
"Got a suit?"
"Black and grey."
"I'll be wearing dark blue. Either will be fine.
"What about the gift."
"They're asking for donations to the Heart Association instead. I'll handle that."
"I'd really like put in my share, Ted."
"Okay," I said with a small nod. "I'll pay it and I'll deduct a bit out of your wages. How's that sound?"
"Sounds like a plan."
* * * * *
Mrs. Grange, Lindsay's babysitter, grabbed me by the arm and dragged me outside when I got home from work Monday night. She was a short, rather roundish woman with a bump on the side of her chin and a chest the size of Manitoba. Her face reminded me of Elvira Gulch when she was on her way to pick up Toto. All that was missing was the big nose. Oh, how I hated that woman! Her voice was hushed, but still loud. "Mr. de Villiers. If you don't keep that young man out of this house while I'm taking care of Lindsay, I'm afraid I'll have to resign my post."
"He's a disgusting, wicked, evil young man. He should not be parading around and putting himself on display like that."
I didn't like the woman, but she took good care of Lindsay. It didn't matter. I flipped. "He can't help what he has in his pants any more than you can help what you've got in your bra," I said. Oh, did I tell you I didn't like the woman? "No, I take that back. You can help it. If you'd lay off the Twinkies and ice cream, you wouldn't be carrying around a couple of Goodyear blimps in your blouse! Brad is far-too-much the gentleman to say that, Mrs. Grange, but I'm not. Now get your big, fat ass in your car and haul it off my property! You'll have your severance pay in the mail by the end of the week!"
And I walked into the house and closed the door on her.
Brad and Lindsay were sitting on the sofa playing Nintendo. I walked over to them and sat beside Lindsay. "Can you pause that, Brad?" He did. I lifted Lindsay onto my lap, took the paddle from her hand, and held it out to Brad. He took it from me.
"Lindsay, Sweetheart?" I said quietly. "I need to take you back to stay with your Mother for awhile."
Her eyes filled quickly with tears. Her lip quivered. "Why, Daddy?" she asked, her voice on the edge of crying.
"Mrs. Grange is gone," I explained. "I fired her. I need you to stay with your Mother until I can find another sitter for you."
Lindsay collapsed against my chest, tears flowing and body jerking in sad sobs. "No, Daddy. Please." I hugged her and rubbed her back and kissed her hair.
"I'm sorry, Sweetheart." I hated it when Lindsay cried. Kids are supposed to laugh, not cry.
"I'll watch her until you find someone else, Ted," Brad said.
"I can't ask you to do that, Brad." Lindsay sat up, listening intently. Her crying had stopped.
"Why not? We spent most of the day together anyway. Mrs. Grinch was too busy watching her soaps to look after her anyway. The only time she paid Lindsay any attention was during commercials."
"It's Grange'," I said.
"Could have fooled me," Brad said. "Besides, it's just until you find someone else, right?"
"And Grandma's right next door, Daddy," Lindsay said excitedly. I looked at Brad. He had an I told you so' look on his face. "I like Brad. He smells good. Not like Mrs. Grange. She smells like your Ben Gay and baby powder, and I'm not a baby anymore."
"Call my Mom," Brad told me. "She'll tell you I've been babysitting since I was fourteen."
"I don't doubt your abilities, Brad. Lindsay can be a handful at times."
"Name one kid who isn't."
He had me there. "Please, Daddy? Please let me stay with Brad? I don't want to go home. I want to stay here with you. I'll be good. I promise."
"I know you will, Sweetheart."
"Then I can stay?"
I looked at Brad. He didn't change his expression. He just sat there and looked back at me. I smiled at Lindsay. "Okay, Sweetheart. But only until I can find someone else, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy," she said, and she hugged me.
"So, kiddo, where did you get the Nintendo?"
"It's mine," Brad said. "I hardly play it anymore anyway. You don't mind, do you?"
"No," I said. "Why would I mind? Okay, Sweetheart, you and Brad get back to Mario and I'll make supper for you. What would you like?"
"Hamburger Helper and rice," she said. "The beef one so I can put soy sauce on it."
"Coming right up, Sweetheart," I said. "Just as soon as I change. Brad? Will you be joining us?"
"Uh. . ."
"Stay, Brad," Lindsay said. "Daddy's makes good Hamburger Helper." She leaned in closer to him and whispered. "He makes soggy rice, though. It's better if you put soy sauce on it."
Brad laughed. "Sounds delicious," he said. "Need some help?"
"Nah," I said. "I can change my clothes all by myself, thanks."
I was halfway down the hall before I realized he was talking about the Hamburger Helper.
* * * * *
I needn't have worried. Brad was as good at taking care of Lindsay as he was with everything else he did. Bernice came over each day and made them lunch. Thursday night was interview night', and Lindsay sat in my lap as I talked to the four women and two men who had applied for the job. I could tell by the way Lindsay kicked at my legs with her feet and squirmed in my lap whether or not she liked them. Three women and one of the men were mentally scratched off the list immediately. One woman barely made it through "Good evening, Mr. de Villiers" before Lindsay was expressing her displeasure.
It came down to the three, and, between Lindsay and me, we finally settled on a young lady who insisted we call her Terry. She was pleasant, competent, and she liked unicorns and faeries. That nailed it for Lindsay. I called her back for a second interview Friday night. Brad was with us this time and I explained that he was hired help and would be working around the house on a regular basis. She didn't have a problem with that, especially since Lindsay was sitting in Brad's lap this time.
She was hired and would start the next week I had custody. Brad went with us when I took Lindsay to her Mother's place Friday evening, more for company than anything else. He waited in the car as I took Lindsay up to her apartment. I was ready for a confrontation, but I needn't have worried. The Bitch was out for the night and the babysitter was waiting for us.
I squatted down, gave Lindsay a big hug and lots of kisses, and said, "Now you be good, Sweetheart. I'll see you next Friday."
"I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, Sweetheart. Be a good girl for me?"
"I will, Daddy." She hugged and kissed me again, and then she went inside.
* * * * *
Brad enjoyed the wedding, and he even shed a tear or two, right along with me. He looked amazing in his grey suit, and I felt rather proud when I got all the envious stares from everyone. If Brad noticed, he didn't mention it.
Warren and Bill looked so handsome and happy together, and the ceremony was rather emotional. I was happy for them, too. Warren was always the wild one. Bill was his stabilizer. Together, they made a wonderful couple, and I was delighted that they finally had the right to legalize their love for each other and become a real family.
The reception took place in the ballroom of an hotel in Mississauga. I'd made a reservation as soon as I had discovered which one. I knew I wouldn't be driving home afterwards. At first, I reserved two single rooms for myself and Brad but, at his insistence and, with his common sense, I changed it to one room with two beds.
The music was nice and the disc jockey was accommodating and energetic and he kept the party rocking. Brad had money of his own and insisted on sharing the cost of the drinks. Most of the party-goers were men, and most of them were gay. Brad felt comfortable with that, although he got more than his share of compliments, pecks on the cheek, and casual gropes. He didn't say anything about it. He didn't make a fuss. But I could see that it made him uncomfortable.
It became serious when someone I didn't even know got a little rambunctious. He was obviously drunk. He'd been groping Brad openly and I could see Brad trying to push him away while I tried to convince him to back off. The guy yanked opened Brad's zipper and shoved his hand inside the suit pants. Brad pulled his hips back, but couldn't escape. I could see from the painful look on his face that the guy had latched onto him and wasn't about to let go until he got a good feel of the goods. I grabbed the guy's arm and tried to pull him away, but his arm jerked and twisted instead. Brad's eyes suddenly opened wide and his jaw dropped. His face contorted in agony and I could see him doubling over. A horrifying sound came out of his throat. I let go of the arm, got behind the guy, wrapped my arms around him from the back, and yanked him away. It surprised me that I actually lifted him off his feet. With a grunt of anger, I twisted my body and threw the man into the crowd. He hit the floor, stumbled, and would have fallen flat on his face if he hadn't run into one of the other guests.
Bill showed up immediately, bless him, and grabbed the guy by the neck. With the help of one other guest, the man was escorted out of the ballroom and, probably, out of the hotel entirely. When I looked back, Brad was on his knees on the floor, bent over so his forehead was touching the floor. His hands were in his groin and I could see his body shaking. I knew he was crying. A young man was on the floor beside him, tenderly rubbing his back and whispering things into Brad's ear. I dropped to me knees on the other side and the young man leaned back, letting me take over for him, but he remained where he was.
"Brad? Are you okay?"
"Oh, God, Ted," he cried. "It hurts!" He spoke to the floor.
I soothed him for awhile, consoling him, comforting him, asking if he wanted to go to the hospital. Finally, when he had stopped crying and lifted himself up, I asked, "Can you stand?" He nodded. I grabbed his arm with my left hand and wrapped my other arm around his waist. The young man beside him grabbed his other arm and, between the two of us, we got Brad to his feet. His zipper was still open. I reached down and pulled it back up for him.
"Over here," someone said. It was Warren, and he was making a path through the crowd so we could walk Brad to some soft, cushioned chairs against the wall. We settled Brad into one of them. Warren sat on one side. I sat on the other. The youth remained standing. Brad leaned his head back against the wall, his eyes closed and his hands resting protectively over his crotch.
"I'm sorry," the youth said. "That was my date. I guess he had too much to drink." He was almost in tears. He looked at me. "Really, I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do. . ."
I smiled my thanks to him. "What's your name?"
"If you wouldn't mind, could you get our beers for us?" I pointed to our table where our drinks sat, along with our suit jackets which we'd hung over the chairs. Randy grabbed everything and brought it all back with him.
I took the beers from him and Randy set our jackets over the arm of the chair to my left. Bill arrived then.
"He won't be back," he said.
Randy looked at him. "Can I at least stay until I make sure he's okay?" He pointed to Brad.
"Why?" Bill asked. "You didn't do anything except help Brad, here."
"I came with Tony. I didn't think you'd want me here, either."
"Do you want to go?" Warren asked. Randy shook his head no'. "Then you're welcome to stay."
"You can join us for the rest of the evening." I grabbed our jackets and moved them to the arm of my chair.
Randy pulled the chair away from the wall and sat facing us. "Is he okay?"
Brad sat up and opened his eyes. I put my hand on his back. He looked a lot better. He took a deep breath and let it out through a small O' in his mouth, then sucked in another through his nose and let it out slowly. He looked at Randy. "I'm okay," he said and smiled. "Thanks for helping me." He held out his hand in greeting. "I'm Brad."
The youth took his hand and shook it. "Randy. I'm really sorry he hurt you like that."
"Booze does that to some people. It's not your fault."
Randy smiled and nodded once. "At least let me buy you another beer."
"Okay," Brad said. "Thanks."
Randy disappeared toward the bar and returned with two bottles of Blue in his hands. He handed one to Brad and the other to me. "Didn't you get something for yourself?" I asked.
"I didn't have enough money," he replied. "Tony was paying for me."
I pulled my wallet out of my pocket, pulled out a tenner, and handed it to him. It took some persuasion, but Randy finally accepted the money and went to get himself a drink. When he came back, he handed me the change.
* * * * *
"Don't you guys dance?" Randy asked us. We were sitting at the table together now.
"I don't know. Can you dance, Brad?" I joked.
"Not very well," he replied. "Besides, which one of us is supposed to lead?"
Randy looked confused. "Aren't you guys. . . you know. . . a couple?" he asked.
"No," I answered. "We're neighbours. Brad just came to keep me company."
"I'm sorry," Randy said. "I thought I saw. . ."
"Saw what'?" I asked.
"Well, I saw more than just a little neighbourly concern when Brad was hurt."
"Like what?"
Randy looked from my face to Brad's. "Sorry," he said. "I just misread the two of you. That's all."
I looked at Brad and he looked at me. What was Randy seeing that we weren't seeing? I avoided the question by asking Brad if he wanted to dance.
He shrugged. "Sure. First time for everything, eh?"
We made it to the dance floor and started our gyrations and jerks, probably looking every bit the idiots we felt we were. But I was having fun and I didn't care. That song ended and another began. We danced to that one, too. Brad was grinning broadly now, as was I, and then we started to laugh. We were in hysterics when The Chicken Dance followed and I had tears rolling down my face by the time we got through it. I can't remember when I'd had so much fun.
And then Unchained Melody began, and the Righteous Brothers themselves were singing it. My favourite version. Brad looked around as couples fell into each other's arms and began to sway to the tune. I was having fun. I didn't want it to stop. But, more than anything, I didn't want to miss this dance. Brad looked at me. I loved this song, and I loved dancing to it. And now, I wanted to dance to it with Brad.
I held out my hands to him. He hesitated a moment, looked around again, then stepped forward into my arms. I wrapped them around his back and he put his hands on my waist. He kept his distance, though. Our bodies didn't touch, but I could feel the heat from his. We began to move. We began to dance. I looked into Brad's eyes and he looked into mine. Our gaze locked and he didn't look away. I could feel the breath from his nostrils stroking my chin. I tried to imagine what he was seeing in my brown eyes and I tried to figure out what I was seeing in his green eyes.
He swallowed hard and he blinked, and then his hands slid around my back and his body moved into mine. He turned his head and rested it against my shoulder. I could feel his breath on my neck and his scent wafted up to my nostrils. There was nothing sexual about the dance. Erotic, yes, but not sexual. I could feel Brad's crotch pressing against me, but he didn't get excited and neither did I. It was just a few short minutes of sharing.
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea,
to the open arms of the sea.
Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me, wait for me.
I'll be coming home, wait for me.
Oh, my love, my darling,
I've hungered for your touch a long lonely time.
And time goes by so slowly and time can do so much,
Are you still mine?
Oh, I need your love.
I need your love.
God speed your love, to me.
Brad pulled his head back and looked at me. There was something else in his eyes and I could see him fighting against it. Finally, he spoke. "I've never broken a promise in my life, Ted, but you made me make a promise I can't keep. I'm sorry."
He leaned up slowly and his lips met mine. His kiss was just as intense and passionate as mine was, and I didn't want it to stop.
It didn't - for a long, long time.
To Be Continued
Whoof!! Just when I'm fairly sure your story has reached a plateau, it goes up one higher/better!!
WISDOM is the Knowledge you've gained ... After you could have used it! _Me
I couln't stand that lard ass Mrs. Grange myself...glad Ted shitcanned her.
Yet another great installment
I don't want it to end! Literally can't look away--love it love it love it! Okay... i'll take a deep breath now. Thank you SO much for sharing it with us!
again wow.. And i don't even watch tv anymore you're it.
I'm just afraid that somethings bad will happen in this story.
Okay, I'm jumping on the "wow" bandwagon. Great story and thank you for sharing it with us!
I can not stop, I don't want to stop. YOU CAN NOT STOP , please go on. This is much better than anything on TV anyway.
This story just keeps getting better. When
you think you know where it is going , it goes
in another direction.
You are a really good writer a very pleasurable
read. Thak you so much.
GREAT Story, I'm hanging on every chapter and waiting for the next. I hope this never ends.
I also wish I could find a Brad type of guy, and not for the up front package but for his genuien nature. Thanks for a GR8 story.
Very nice indeed.
This has got to be some of the best writing that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I've gone from tears to smiles, and sexual arrousal. I look forward to what I hope is a very long story!!!!
Thank you!!
Neil, this is a fantastic story.
Just as I think I have your intentions worked out, you throw in another twist.
I don't know how you mean this to finish but I do hope everyone comes out happy
Peace & Love
Thanks again, guys. Hold onto your hats. Here comes the next Part.)
Part XI
I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, Casanova, the song's over and you're gathering a fan club." It was Warren. I pulled myself away from Brad. "If you rented a room, I suggest you hie thee to it toute de suite."
I smiled, but it disappeared quickly enough. Over Warren's shoulder, I could see Wayne standing there. I hated his guts. He was friends with The Bitch and was probably here to spy for her. He had an evil, wicked sneer on his face and he held up a digital camera and waved it at me. Shit! Fuck! And Dammit All!
I disengaged myself totally from Brad and looked at Warren. "I need to talk to you and Bill," I said. Warren looked amused.
"Sure, Teddy," Warren said, still grinning. "We can tell you everything you need to know."
"Warren! Now!"
The grin disappeared from Warren's face. "Shit! What's wrong, Ted."
"Wayne! Behind you!"
Warren looked around and saw Wayne with his camera. "Fuck!" He scanned the crowd and quickly found Bill. Bill caught Warren's gaze. Seeing a tiny twitch of Warren's head, Bill immediately excused himself from his friends, and approached quickly. Warren grabbed my arm. "Come," he said urgently. "Brad, come."
Warren released my arm and I followed. Brad walked close behind. I detoured slightly to tell Randy to wait here. We'd be right back. He nodded.
Warren led us out a door and into a hallway. It was quiet there. Bill joined us a moment later. "What's up?" he asked Warren.
"Wayne. And he had a camera."
"Bill," I said desperately, "you know he's going to take this back to The Bitch. Can she use it against me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Can she use it to keep Lindsay away from me?"
"Oh, God, Ted." That was Brad, and he just got louder and louder. "Oh, God. Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, God!!" He turned away and slammed his fist against the wall. "Oh, God!! Oh, God!! Oh, God!!" He continued screaming and slamming the wall.
I put my hand on his shoulder from behind and grabbed his arm. "It's okay, Brad. It's not your fault."
Brad jerked away from me and spun around to face me. His eyes were on fire and his tears were trying to extinguish the flamed "It's all my fault! Oh, God, Ted! Oh, God! I'm sorry! I am so sorry!" And then he turned and sprinted down the hall.
"I'll get him," Bill said, and set out running after him.
Warren took my hands in his comforting grasp. "Bill knows what to do, Ted." That's what I loved about Warren. He knew when I had to stop being Teddy' to him. "Everything's going to be okay."
I nodded to him and tried to smile. "I hope so."
"I always had my suspicions about you, Ted. I always felt you might be gay, but you were afraid to open the closet door. You love Brad, don't you."
I just looked at my best friend. I couldn't say anything.
"I already know you do, Ted," he said calmly. "I could see it that day you brought him to Ryerson. I could see the way your face lit up when you talked about him. I know you do, Ted, and you know it, too. You just need to hear yourself say it."
I continued staring at Warren. He always knew what words needed to be said. I stood there in silence, just thinking and being scared. I swallowed hard and I found my voice. "I think I really love him, Warren."
Warren stayed silent as he stared into my eyes. He knew those weren't the words I needed to hear myself say. . . and I knew it, too. I took a deep breath. "I love him, Warren."
Warren's lips curled into a caring smile. He moved his hand to my cheek. "And Brad loves you, too. He just doesn't know it yet."
"Is that possible, Warren?" I asked. "Is it possible for a straight man to fall in love with another man?"
"There's no gay or straight where love is concerned, Ted. It doesn't look at gender. It looks at the person. It just happens. And when it does, it's up to the individual to decide if it's right or wrong. Does this feel wrong to you?"
"I don't know," I replied honestly. "All I know is that I want it to be right."
Warren nodded. "Then it will be. If you figure it out before I go into surgery, please tell me. I don't want to die not knowing."
"You're not going to die, Warren."
"A flip of the coin, my friend," he said. "A flip of the coin."
"I love you so much, Warren."
"And I've always loved you, Ted." He pulled me into a big hug and he held me for a long time.
We separated finally. Brad and Bill were still nowhere in sight. "Maybe I should go look for him," I said.
Warren grabbed my arms, holding me in place. "No. Stay here with me," he said. "Bill knows what to do. He'll bring him back. Trust him."
"I do."
We waited for five more minutes before Bill finally returned. He was walking beside Brad, his arm thrown casually over Brad's shoulders. Brad hung his head, afraid to meet my gaze, I suppose. They stopped when they reached us.
"He's good," Bill said as he removed his arm from Brad's back.
Brad still wouldn't look at me. I reached out and took his hand in mine, squeezing it. He looked there first, and then up to my face. Warren and Bill waited patiently. Someone opened the door, saw us there, and went back inside, but I didn't look away from Brad's green eyes.
"I'm sorry, Ted," he apologized quietly. "Do you hate me?"
I smiled reassuringly at him and shook my head. "No, Brad, I don't hate you. I could never hate you. Not when I love you so much." Bill and Warren politely stepped aside and turned away, allowing us our moment.
Brad looked at me. "You really love me?"
"Yes, Brad," I said. "I love you. I just realized it."
Brad started crying. He fell into me and I pulled him into me and let him cry as I rubbed the back of his hair and held him. He didn't cry very long, but I enjoyed every second of it. I enjoyed comforting him like that. It made me feel good. Needed. Eventually, he stopped crying and leaned back to look at me, but he didn't let go of me. "I think I might love you, too," he said.
I smiled and kissed him again. "Just let me know when you're sure."
He smiled back and everything felt better to me. But I knew I had a tough row to hoe ahead of me. I turned to my friends, but I kept one arm around Brad and he kept his arm around my waist.
"Bill? Warren?" I said. They turned to face us. "Thanks."
They nodded to us.
"Now, Bill," I said, "can The Bitch use this against us? Can she use this to keep Lindsay away from me?"
Bill shook his head. "Not legally, no, but she might be able to use it to sway the judge's mind if you get some head-up-the-ass conservative. To try and prove that she could provide a better environment for Lindsay."
"But I'm a damned good father!" I shouted. "I don't put anything before my daughter! Not like that fuckin' Bitch, running around all night slapping it up with every guy with a fat wallet!"
"Then use that, Ted," Bill said. "Use that against her. Prove to the judge that you can provide a better home for Lindsay."
I just stared at Bill. My mind raced, trying to figure out what he was talking about and getting it all muddled up with my concerns about Brad.
"Look," Bill said calmly. "Forget about you and Brad. Put that right out of your mind. It's not an issue. It's discrimination. It's illegal to use it against you, and if she does use it and she wins, you have grounds for appeal. Even if Brad moved in with you - hell, even if you got married - it's not relevant anymore. It's the law. Do you have any proof of The Bitch running around like you said?"
I shook my head. "No, but I can get it."
"Babysitters. Lindsay's had a lot of different ones. I'll find them. I'll hire a detective and find them. And The Bitch is out getting pumped by a new guy every week. I'll find the proof of that, too. Just tell me what I need."
Bill just smiled at me. "You just said it yourself. That's all you need."
I jerked my head back in surprise. "That's it? It's that easy?"
"I didn't say it was going to be easy, but it's a damned good start." He stared at my surprise, then he chuckled. "Look, Ted, I know you're a good father. Warren knows it, and I bet Brad knows it, too." He looked at Brad. "I'm guessing you get along with Lindsay okay?"
"Sure," Brad said. "I've been taking care of her all week. She likes me. We get along great."
"There you go, then," Bill exclaimed. "The judge will be talking to Lindsay alone, and he or she will undoubtedly ask Lindsay how she feels about you and Brad." He paused a moment. "Lindsay is your best weapon, Ted. Just make sure you have all that other stuff to back it up."
I nodded. "What about Brad and me?" I asked. "You know, the age difference. Wouldn't it make me look like a pervert or cradle-chaser or something?"
"That's even more irrelevant than Brad being a man," Bill said.
It suddenly hit me then. I had already resigned myself to this relationship. I was in love with Brad and that was that. End of story. I didn't know if I was gay or straight, but I knew I loved him. But, time for thinking about that later. I put it out of my mind. Lindsay needed me now.
Bill continued. "The cards are stacked in your favour, Ted. And Judy's been stacking them for you. If you need any money to help gather evidence. . ."
I wouldn't let him finish that though. "Thanks, Bill, but I have to do this on my own."
He nodded. "I can give you a list of good investigators, at least." Then turned to Brad. "And you. Don't ever think you're a threat in this. You're not. If anything, you're the best asset Ted has in his own defense, and that's because Lindsay likes you. And, on a more personal note, don't allow fear to prevent you from finding yourself."
Brad smiled. "I won't."
Warren clapped his hands. "Okay. What do you say we get back to the party, then?"
"Go ahead," I told him. "We'll be in soon. I want to talk to Brad."
Warren was about to say something but thought better of it. Instead, he said to Bill, "Come on, Babe. J'ai faim." He took Bill's hand and led him back into the ballroom.
"You're always hungry," Bill replied.
I turned to face Brad and took his hands in mine. We just looked at each other for awhile. "I'm scared to death, you know that?"
Brad laughed nervously. "I'm terrified. Can't you feel me shaking? And my pits are soaked. I must stink."
I laughed with him. "I wasn't going to mention it."
We laughed for a bit, and Brad turned more serious again. "Are you gay, Ted?"
"I don't know, Brad, but if that's what it means to fall in love with you, then I guess I am." I thought it best not to ask what Brad was thinking about himself. He was still trying to figure it out.
His eyes flicked back and forth between mine. "I think I want to break my word again."
I smiled at him. "I think I want you to."
Brad's arms came around my neck and he moved closer. His lips found mine and we spent the next few minutes tasting each other. I could feel him beginning to swell against me, and I responded in the same way. That's when he pulled away from me. He smiled shyly. "I can't hide it in these clothes. I think we'd better go back so slowing things down again."
"I agree," I said.
"Will you come to the bathroom with me? I want to at least wash my pits and dry my shirt out a bit."
"Sure." We started walking side-by-side down the hall, and then I felt him slipping his hand into mine. I began walking a little taller.
* * * * *
"I wasn't sure you guys were coming back," Randy said when we arrived back at our table. "I was getting a little worried. Is everything okay?"
I smiled at him. "Everything's wonderful," I said. I pulled a twenty out of my wallet and handed it to Randy. "Would you be a sweetie and fill us up again? Get whatever you want for yourself."
"I'll get your drinks, but I really should get going after."
I looked at my watch. "It's still early yet."
"I know," Randy said, "but I need to start looking for a way to get home."
"Where's home?" Brad asked.
"Hamilton," Randy replied.
"Whoa," I said. "Too far for me to drive tonight."
"Don't worry. I'll manage. I always do."
"And if you don't," Brad said, "where will you sleep?"
"I've slept on park benches before."
Brad grabbed my forearm. "Ted."
I looked at him and, somehow, I knew what he was thinking. I looked back at Randy. "We have a room here. Two beds. You can have one bed and we'll take the other. I'll drive you home in the morning."
Randy sat back in his chair. "I don't do sex with people I don't really know. Especially if it's just to have someplace to sleep."
I chuckled lightly. "And we don't do sex just to give someone a place to sleep." I held up my hand. "This is the only sex I've had in three and a half years since my wife cut me off."
Randy looked incredulous. He glanced over at Brad. "Since I was twelve," Brad said.
The young man looked back and forth between me to Brad. One side of his mouth curled up into a confused smirk. "Aw, come on. You're both joking, right?"
"No joke," I said sincerely.
"Would you admit to seven years of diddling and no sex?" Brad said.
Randy took a deep breath. "You guys really on the up-and-up?"
"Yes, we are," I said and held out the bill. "Now, come on. Stay for one more drink, think about it, and if you decide not to stay, I'll see that you get home tonight somehow."
He thought for a long moment, nodded, and took the money from my hand.
"You don't mind sleeping in the same bed with me?" Brad asked after Randy had disappeared into the crowd.
"Why? Do you?"
"No. I think I'd like to sleep with you." He thought about what he had said and he blurted out, "I mean. . . um. . ."
"I know what you mean, Brad," I laughed. "Tonight, it's just the snoring kind. I'm not ready for the grunting and groaning kind yet."
Brad laughed, chipped tooth and all.
* * * * *
It was after two before we said our goodbyes and best wishes to Bill and Warren. They kissed us both and wished us their own best wishes and Bill promised to send out the names of the investigators as soon as he could. I promised Warren we would be back before his surgery, and then we were on our way to the room with Randy in tow. He'd decided to stay
Randy hit the bathroom first, taking a leak and washing up. He came out and started to undress as Brad took his turn. He already had his shirt off and told me he was going to rinse it out in the sink before he took a quick shower. I sat up in bed, waiting my turn. I looked over at Randy when I heard his shoes hitting the floor. He was facing away from me, pulling down his pants. I looked away again.
He was a good kid. I liked him. He was taller than I am and just as thin, but a lot more muscular. He had jet black hair and blue, deep-set eyes. His face was handsome and powerful. He had a strong nose and full lips, but the dark shadow on his cheeks and chin and over his lips belied his youthfulness. It was that kind of shadow that was always there, no matter how closely he shaved.
I could hear him getting into bed and under the covers. "Ted?" he said, and I turned to look at him. He was facing away from me, but had turned his head to look at me. "Thanks for everything."
"No problem," I said. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," he replied, then turned away, pulled the blankets up around himself, and fell silent.
Brad opened the bathroom door awhile later, all showered and clean. He held a towel and his wet shirt in front of himself as he peeked around the corner. His suit pants and tie were in his other hand. He saw Randy in bed, then came on into the room. I climbed out of bed as he laid his shirt over the back of a chair. He wore only his underwear. As I passed, he handed me the towel. It was wet and I realized he'd only brought it out to cover himself.
"What side of the bed to you want?" he whispered. I pointed to the outside and he nodded.
When I came out, Brad was already in bed lying on his side and facing away from the middle. Randy was already snoring softly. I put my folded clothes on the chair, turned off the bedside lamp, and climbed into bed on my side. "Goodnight, Brad," I whispered.
"Nite, Ted," he replied.
* * * * *
Brad was facing me when I woke up. He was close and his left arm was wrapped around my own. I could feel his breath on my shoulder. I looked at him and saw Randy sitting on the side of his bed. He was already dressed.
"Good morning," I said softly.
"Hi," he said. "I didn't wake you up, did I?" Brad stirred beside me.
"No," I said. "How long have you been awake?"
"Oh, an hour or so."
"Good morning," Brad said. "Oh, God. Morning breath. And I forgot to bring a toothbrush."
"I've got these," Randy said as he rose from his bed. He held out a small packet. It was those breath-freshener strips you put on your tongue.
"Thanks," Brad said. He pulled one out and put it on his tongue, then took out another and held it out to me. I opened my mouth, stuck out my tongue, and he plopped it on and handed the packet back to Randy. "Um. . ." he said. "Would you mind waiting in the bathroom for a minute until I get dressed?"
"Sure," Randy said and did as he'd been asked, closing the door behind him.
Brad looked at me with panic in his face. "What in hell am I going to do with this!" he whispered urgently. He hadn't been close enough for me to feel it, but I knew exactly what he was talking about.
"Will it go down by itself?"
"Yes, but not for an hour or so."
"How long would it take to jerk it?"
"Huh! The way I shoot? I can't hide that, either. Ted, what am I going to do?"
I thought quickly. "Okay, just get dressed and hold your jacket in front of you."
"That will look stupid!"
"Not if I do it, too. We don't have any other choices except to leave Randy in there twiddling his thumbs for an hour." He paused. "Look. You just have to get from here to the elevator. I'll give you the car keys and stop at the lobby. You and Randy go on down to the parking garage. Remember where we parked?"
Brad nodded. "E-12."
"Right," I added. "I'll pay up and check out and meet you at the car. We'll stop for breakfast somewhere. You should be soft by then, right?"
"Then that's the plan. Now, come on. We can't leave Randy in there forever."
"Just another minute, Randy!" I shouted.
Randy's voice was muffled. "Oh, good. I thought you guys were going to skip out on me."
I watched with fascination as Brad dressed and hid himself as best he could. It was a marvel to behold. He didn't seem shy about it anymore. At least with me. He was quite comfortable, actually. His cock stood straight up out of his underwear, held in place against his belly. He pulled on his socks first, then his suit pants and shirt. He tucked in his shirt, sucked in his gut, and zipped up as far as he could. He left the button undone. With his jacket in front of him, he looked quite presentable.
"Can't see him," I told him. "Do you want to use the bathroom first?"
You go," he said. "I can't go until this thing goes down." He sat in the chair, his jacket held in front of him.
"Okay, Randy!" He opened the door. "Just a quick leak and we're on our way." Fortunately, it didn't take me as long to lose my morning hardon. A minute later and I was ready to go. I grabbed my jacket, held it in front of me, and made a quick, final check of the room. Then we were off.
* * * * *
We hadn't driven very far when Brad pointed out the Golden Arches. "Can we stop there?" he asked. The wink he gave me told me that he was ready to have his morning pee. I pulled in and Brad was on his way before I got my door open.
I was just about to close the door when I noticed Randy hadn't moved. I bent down and looked into the back seat. "Well, come on," I said with a smile. "Breakfast."
"You're a nice guy, Ted, but I don't have enough money at home to pay you back."
"And I'll be damned if I'm going to let you sit out here drooling while we're stuffing our faces. Now, get your ass out of my car and take it inside."
And then he smiled at me and opened the door.
* * * * *
"I hope he does okay," Brad said as I drove back toward Toronto on the QEW. "I liked him. I wish he lived closer. I think we could become good friends."
"What was he whispering when he was helping you after that guy squished your nuts?"
"He was saying how sorry I was and asking if I wanted to go the hospital. Stuff like that." He paused for a moment. "He was crying, Ted."
"I hadn't noticed. I was too worried about you."
"I think that's why we could be friends. If he was hurt and crying like that, I'd be crying, too."
"What if it was me?"
He looked at me. The scenery zipped by and Lake Ontario sparkled outside his window. And then he said, "You don't want to know, and I hope neither of us ever have to find out."
* * * * *
I was sitting on the wall having my first smoke of the day. I had my bottle of beer in my hand. Brad's was waiting for him. The sun was shining way too brightly and burned down on me. Off to my left, I heard "Ding-a-ling-a-ling." I looked, and there was Brad, heading toward me. He had on only his faded cut-offs.
"What in hell's all that ding-a-ling' stuff?" I said, grinning.
I laughed hard. He picked up the unopened beer, stepped over the wall, and sat beside me. "Is this for me?" he asked as he twisted off the cap.
"No," I said. "Claude Rains."
"Google him," I said. "Hey, what's with the shorts? I thought you were going to slow things down."
"Yeah, well," he answered, "I figured if we could sleep together and all I got out of it was a hardon, I'd be safe wearing these. I'll change if you want."
I could see he was serious about the offer. I was just as serious with my response. "I don't want."
He smiled. "Oh, Mom says you're invited for dinner tonight. Roast beef. She won't take no' for an answer."
"And I haven't had roast beef in years," I said. "I accept."
We talked and joked and had a lot of fun just being together. I told Brad he had the day off until I could pick up the paint. No problem for him. He said he'd work on the landscaping program and do some phoning around for materials and stuff.
Dinner was delicious. Brad had changed shorts and had pulled on a T-shirt, and then we just sat around talking with his parent for hours. It was a good evening. We said our goodbyes on his front step.
"You just keep giving me better and better days," he said.
"Do you think your parents suspect what's going on with us?"
"Mom already knows," he said. "I tell her everything."
I waited. "And?"
"She's happy that it's you."
"Really?" I said, surprised. "What about you the way she feels about you?"
"She's happy that I'm happy."
"What about your Father?"
"Dad just wants what's best for me. And, if you're what's best for me, he'll be okay with it."
I just shook my head slowly. I looked at him and I inhaled him and I knew that he was best for me. He looked like he wanted to kiss me. I wanted to kiss him, too. I beat him to it.
"Goodnight, Brad," I said.
"Goodnight, Ted."
I walked home and looked back as I opened my door. Brad was still there watching me. I waved and he waved back at me, but he didn't move until I went inside and closed the door.
To Be Continued