Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2006 17:13:15 -0700 (PDT) From: T. Chase McPhee Subject: ROAD TRIP around the block The story below is a work of fiction, set in the format of reality. Any resemblances to real people, alive or in the hereafter, is entirely coincidental in nature. It is not meant to accurately reflect upon persons, in towns, cities, nor governmental areas, which the story is stages. If a sexual scene involving male-to-male relationships offences you, then you should not read this story. Additionally, if you are under 18 years of age, in most state and countries, you are not allowed to read this story, by law. Check with your local laws regarding such. Sexual safety matters. This is fiction. Use protection, in real life. ROAD TRIP around the block wriTten by T. Chase McPhee % "I think I better think about getting you home!" Nicholas, at eighteen, could drink the hardiest drinker, under the table. Eight years later, things hadn't changed. He still `rescued' me, from my head falling from the pedestal, the palm of my hand, elbow positioned on the table for support. "And you!" Glancing to Roberto, his head sinking to his chest, almost ready to keel over onto his empty plate, smeared with spaghetti sauce, Nicholas now had a new ward to look after. "Want to give a hand here, Rand?" "Sure." Another aspect, in his developing relationship with Randy, Nicholas found the twenty year old could drink up a storm and not feel the effects. "I'll help with him," Randy designated my love, to help escort. On the way out, Mario said, "See you around." I'm not sure whom it was directed at, but the way this headed, we all would be residing under one roof. I was a little fuzzy on the conversation, as Nicholas sat behind the wheel. "So, what do you think, Rand?" "I got the lightweight." "Yeah... hee hee heee... that Roberto sure is a `stringbean', as Anthony would term it." "Nice guy. I like him." "Yeah, me too. I think he's a cool guy. Keeps Anthony on his toes." "Takes one to know one." "Anthony's been good to me. We go back a long ways. In fact, if it wasn't for Anthony, I don't know where I would be." "Same here," Randy the twenty year old agreed. "But it goes beyond `owing him'. I'll always have a special place in my heart, for the man." "I think that's how I felt, Nicky, but couldn't express myself. Yep, I feel the same." At a red light, Nicholas leaned over, "Come're," taking the back of Randy's head in his hand, cupping it around the back of his shaggy, blond hair, forced his lips up against his own. "Thanks, Nicky." "For what?" With the changing of the light, their wet kiss ended. Smiling, Randy replied, "For almost drowning me, in the pool?" "Not my intentions." "I know." His hand reached to Nicholas' thigh, I assumed, it being dark in the car, plus I couldn't see directly to his torso, but in the glare of streetlights, seeing Randy's arm reaching across the space where CD's are kept. What happened then and now, after nodding off, only they know. I stirred awake when the car pulled into the cul-de-sac, but my love was dead to the world. "I got the stringbean!" Randy called out. "Yeah, sure. Leave the `heavyweight' to me," Nicholas replied, laughing. All the way up the walk, to the door they talked. My love was out of it, but I listened. "Not like you don't have the physique, Nicky?" "Yeah, right. Tomorrow, I'm going to start you on a regiment. Bulk you up!" "Tomorrow? Today is like tomorrow." As we entered the foyer, I could walk a little better, so Nicholas insisted they change bods. "Here, you take Anthony. Give me the stringbean." Felt cool having Randy's arm around my waist. I played a little `dumb', faking fatigue, as he helped me along, his hand tugging on my waistline, his arm around my back. For my love, Nicholas gave up `walking' him, at the first stairstep, bending down and heaving him over his shoulder, like a sack of taters. "I suppose we should undress them?" I heard Randy say, as we entered our bedroom. "Right. Would be a shame to muss up these nice suits." "Plus, I'm sure Mario and Guido will want them back." "Yeah," Nicholas laughed, "make Guido get on his belly and beg for it!" Something stirred in Randy's loins when Nicholas' demeanor changed, as if a dominant master. "Sounds hot." "Oh?" "Never mind." Even though Randy has `played the game', he also had other opinions about following the lead. Perhaps Nicholas would not be into the hot, sub/dom roleplay. Then, all the progress, in developing the romanticism of their relationship, thus far, would be lost. No, he wasn't going to jeopardize what he felt in his heart, allowing his balls to override his system. On the other hand, as Nicholas has done dozens of times, help me out of my clothes, his thoughts rode on the crest of the same wave as Randy. He wanted to mention a certain subject, but for now, sensed it taboo. Yet, he knew his cock semi-erect, thinking about what fun the two could have, if compatible in kinky desires. I wasn't any stranger to Nicholas' kinky side. Possibly a connection with why I felt turned on by Miguel. "That the phone?" As fresh as a daisy, my love sat up in the bed. Stirring, I squinted, with the morning light shining in through the windows. I looked at his narrow back. I reached up and ran my hand along his soft shoulder blades. "Who cares!" I reached over, hitting the silencer, with my left hand. Doing a quarter situp, I reached around the right side of my lover and coaxed him back, into the sheets. "What time is it?" He asked, with a yawned chaser. "What time? What day is it?" I questioned. "Saturday, I think." I looked over at the clock. "Eleven?" "No wonder I'm hungry." "Hungry? At four A.M., you woofed down two slices of pizza and a plate of spaghetti!" "Don't forget the wine." "Oh yes. The wine," I held my head, "the wine." Turning to his side, he butted his stomach up to mine, his hand going between our legs. "Oooooooh," the feeling filled me. Smiling, his fingers traveled the length, firming me up. "Yeah," my love replied, looking into my face. "I'm making you feel good, huh sweetheart?" "I wonder why?" I said, facetiously. Repositioning himself, my latin lover got to his knees, scooting down, between my legs. "Oooooooooh!" I moaned, long and loud, when his mouth formed around my cock, as if a swishing moat around a castle. My hangover began to dissipate. It wasn't long before, what seemed like I had to piss, changed to wanting to feel something more powerful, than my love's mouth stroking me. He sensed the need, also. "C'mon. Do me." As much of a hangover I had, my crotch told me to get up. "Hell yeah," I responded, with new vigor. Could be my love, too, lying there on his back, knees bent, but I needed this release. Bottoms sometimes feel the pain of penetration, during a time of adjustment. No different than with Roberto. After grabbing the lube from the drawer, at which I could see his anticipation and wanting, I entered slowly, but drove my shaft home real fast. "Ahhhhhhhhggggggggg!" Squinting, his hands grabbing at the bedsheets, he allowed me to dive in. I recited the warn out phrase, with caring, "I'm sorry. Did I..." Before I could finish, my love was begging, "Fuck me hard, Anthony!" He wasn't the only one into it. It didn't take long for me to get the hint. After he said it, I let my hard, 9.5c, slip out and then drove it in all at once. With passions soaring, I didn't think, but let my emotions carry me through, the thunder, the thrust, responding at lightning speed, as he moaned in pleasure and pain. His loud groaning, "Do me... do me... fuckin' do me... oh fuck yeah," drove me on like a vengeance. Clenching his ass muscle, added to the fury, tensing up his ass ring on my pounding shaft. I'm not sure which one of us sensed the greater pleasure. "Akkkkkk! Akkkkk! Akkkk!" I yelled out, as each rope of cum shot deep inside him. Almost the same time, he gasped, giving the same response, as he automatically unloaded his shaft, on himself. When I slapped my hairy bod down on his almost smooth bod, I sensed his cream wetting my fur down. Kissing, I had discovered his cum must've shot up to his chin. His semen mixed with our lip locking. "Hey stud... wake up!" Next thing I knew, as I lay faced down, half of my bod over Roberto's, a foot pushed on my ass, stirring me into the land of the living. "Go away!" I shouted, burying my head under the pillow. Soon, the foot had sunk between the crevice. "Nicholas, cut it the fuck out!" I heard two guys laughing, finally surrendering myself to their mockery. My love stirred awake, as well. "C'mon... wakeup you sleepyheads," Randy said. As I turned, I almost crushed the stringbean. "What time is it?" I asked, looking at the clock on the nightstand. Before my brain could comprehend, Randy reported, "Two o'clock." "In the morning?" Roberto contributed. "Afternoon," Nicholas informed us, sarcastically saying to my love, "like you can't see the light?". Taking a cup of java, from Randy, Nicholas handed it to me. Brave Randy, knelt down on the bed, to deliver my lover's shot of caffeine .I took notice he didn't get up. "Looks like you two had some fun too, eh?" Roberto shooed his hand away, feeling up the dry, crusty cum. "He's not the only one," Nicholas replied. Between his fingers, he had plucked a couple of my chest hairs, along with the dried, pasty material. "Owch!" "Hee heee... you still got plenty of fur, Anthony." I'm not sure what Randy, or Roberto thought of it, as Nicholas took my mug, actually both of us holding it, leaning it away from my face, then bending towards me, giving me a good morning kiss. As we broke off the short-lived affection, Nicholas turned saw the two staring. "Oh, sorry," he backed down, in a more subtle manner, "force of habit." I added, a little embarrassed, face flushed, "Yeah. Happens when you get used to it for eight years." Looking at each other, Randy and Roberto throw their arms around each other and go at it, passionately kissing. Nicholas and I laughed our asses off. "I think I'm getting jealous!" Nicholas shouted. I took the hint and like trying to pull apart two wrestlers, going at it, we separated them. Nicholas and Randy took the foot of the bed, as I pinned my love to the pillow area, kissing him. We broke off our lovefest before the other two. I nodded, for Roberto's sake, to watch me. With hardy intent, I fondled Nicholas' ass with my foot! "Get your fuckin' foot outta my ass!" It then became a free-for-all, as Nicholas jumped up, sat on my stomach, pinning my arms under his knees. Digging in, he began pinching, twisting and pulling on my nips. The lovefest turned into a sexfest, as Nicholas fell backwards. Both our cocks stood at attention, facing the ceiling. Randy went straight for his lover's, as my love tongued my shaft. It's weird, but sometimes I knew Randy licked up and down my barrel, instead of Roberto. Opening my eyes, cocking my neck up, looking, I was correct. The blond's tongue traversed the length of my rod! Now, how could I tell a thing like that? Too, as he opened up and gobbled down my meat, I could tell it wasn't Roberto's throat taking it down. `Too weird!' I thought.However, I knew who's stomach I was pumping my load into. "That was so fuckin' hot!" I exclaimed. Nicholas, getting up from the bed, his hand taking Randy with him, replied, "Yeah. We'll have to do it again sometime." Then, halfway through the door, asked, "Morning swim?" They didn't wait for our reply. "How `bout it my love?" "I'm hungry." I laughed, asking, "With all that protein in your belly?" I rubbed his flat stomach. "Okay. I can wait." After we both pissed, we headed down the stairs. Getting to the pool, more than Nicholas and Randy splashed about. They didn't wait for us, to have chicken fights. There, Sep sat on Ethan's shoulders, as Randy topped Nicholas'. "I want the `stringbean'!" Nicholas yelled out, like a little kid. Dumping Randy over the back, we heard, "Ooooooohshiiiiiiiiiiiiit!" Sep got the same treatment, getting dumped backwards, into the pool. I immediately swam to him, as Ethan came in contact with Randy, surprising him by swimming between his legs. "Cool!" Randy commented, as he rose up, on Ethan's shoulders. I had my own `cool' tied on, supporting Sep, his legs divided, his balls squashed up against my neck. After we had exhausted outselves, dethroning each of the set several times, my love yells out, "I'm hungry!" I didn't refute his request this time. Neither did the others. "Let's go out and celebrate!" Nicholas suggests. Of course, I had to be the stoopid dodo who asked, "Celebrate what?" A dunking match occured, seeing who could keep me under the water. Felt kind of hot, five different sets of hands on my bod. "That day went by fast!" "I'll say," I said. "Do I look okay in this?" "Perfect." Being Roberto didn't have any fancy clothes to fit his skinny bod, he wore the same as last night. Nicholas, the gem he is, took it to the `hour' cleaners, bribing our friend, Ding, short for Dingxiang, to have the suit ready asap. Sure, I had a closet full of fine clothes, but I wore Guido's suit, not wanting to slight my lover's appearance. "I bet you have a lot of better suits, huh Anthony?" Putting my arms around his middle, as my love looked at himself in the mirror, all gussied up in the white shirt and tie, I replied, "Yeah, but sometimes I like a simpler look." "Well, when I get my first paycheck and after I pay off the $60,000.00 to you, I'm going to buy a fancy suit." I giggled. No way was he going to be able to handle that, especially with cooking school lurking in his future. "You can't pay back something that's a present." "Huh?" "A wedding present?" Roberto only cried once. It had been one of the worst experiences of his life. As I held him, nuzzled up to his neck, kissing him, tears streamed down his face, as he clutched at my arms around his waist. "But I can't give you anything like that back, Anthony." "You've already given me enough to last a lifetime." We lingered another few minutes, him turning so we could share our lips. "You two at it again?" "Really, Nicholas. Am I going to have to have a doorbell installed on the outside of the bedroom door?" "Shut up. We're ready!" I laughed at his blunt humor, but also at Roberto, when he scolded Nicholas for talking to me in that manner. Already, even after a few days, I giggled when he could take the dominant hand and deal out his wrath. Nicholas took a taste of it. Randy and I laughed our asses off. "You know he's so good in bed!" I think Randy meant it as an oberservation. "I know." "But...." "But what, Randy?" I nudged him, after he seemed drawn away from a taboo subject matter. It's not like I didn't sense what his will drove him to. "Did he top me?" "Um... yeah, now that you mention it." Like he waited long enough for me to respond? "There is a time when I thought I could be satisfied as a total bottom." "When did it change? I mean.... are you still, Anthony?" "I'm not sure now. With Roberto, I'm definitely top, however, for um..." "Roleplaying? That the word you're searching for?" "Yeah," I laughed, "For roleplay, I can sink into the bottom position." "Roberto told me a little about you and his brother." "He did, did he?" I glanced to my lover. Walking along with Nicholas, he had his arm over my lover's shoulder, as if lifetime buds. "Yeah. Said you hung from his brother's tow truck winch, your wrists tied together." "Right. I did." "How'd it feel?" "Like every bone in my arms were about to be fractured!" I smiled, giving him the impression of not being totally serious, even though at the time, I thought more about some trees scratching up my body, as we flew down the highway. As I look back on it, fear and endorphins kicking in, I had to be crazy. "But how did it feel?" We stopped walking, as Nicholas locked the front door. "Cool." "Really?" "Yeah. First thing I thought of, is how to keep my wrists from hurting, so I grabbed the bindings. It worked good." "Then?" "Tell you the truth, as the wind whipped around my body, my cock and balls to the breeze, the feeling of my arms stretched above my head, the bondage... well, it felt real awesome." "You two going to stand there all night, telling bondage tales?" Yes, my lover could be adamant. It was showing through, at this moment. "We're coming." I had realized, in sharing my story with Randy, my arms had been above my head. I lowered them, as we headed for Nicholas' jeep. Seemed strange that four dressed up dudes rode to a fancy restaurant, in a square jeep. "Since when did you get valet parking?" Nicholas asked. "Since people don't know how to park. Get out and give me your keys." I looked at Nicholas, as his attention keyed into Guido's manners. Then he turned to me, saying, "That boy's day is coming!" As we walked in the front foyer of Linguini's I commented, "I wonder what Guido did, to deserve valet duty?" "I dunno," Nicholas replied. "Knocked down from head waiter, it had to be something serious." "Heee, heee," I laughed, "A falling out with `the family'?" Randy and Roberto strolled through the maze of tables, loaded with patrons, following Mario. We kept close quarters behind them. I wondered if they noticed the bruise above Mario's left eye. "Everything okay, Mario?" I inquired. "Yeah. Fine." Then, to our quartet, he asks, "Drinks?" I sat next to Nicholas, adjacent to Randy and my love, at the foursquare table, clothed in a white, linen tablecover. "Notice something different about Mario?" Leaning in to my ear, Nicholas softly stated, "Right off the bat. Looks like he's been in a fight." "Yeah. Eighteen year olds are always getting into fights." I smiled. I remember Nicholas and myself, our first fight, while forcing me to employ my wrestling skills. First match I ever lost! "I suppose." Next time Mario returned to the table, before he put on his facial makeup, of trying to smile, be customer-pleasing, I detected it hadn't been as Nicholas figured. I hit Nicholas' knee under the table. "What?" My eyes made him look at Mario. Roberto and Randy chatted away, on their own subject. "You going to do something?" "What do you want me to do, Anthony?" "How about finding out?" Acting annoyed, he threw his napkin on his bare plate. "Excuse me. I have to go to the jon." Instead, I saw him head towards the direction our eighteen year old waiter. "Nicky's been gone an awful long time." I replied to Randy, "Maybe he fell in?" A little chuckle rode out the joke, as Randy backed his chair out from the table. "No, um let it me go," I told him, gesturing for his to stay seated. I didn't find him in the jon, so figured it had to be the employee's lounge. Entering, the room looked like a police precinct. "What's all this?" "Bad scene Anthony. Very bad." "Mario?" "Right. Seems last night, after he went home, he would try to come out to his father." "Right. So?" "Well," Nicholas blew all his breath out of himself, inhaling for the climax, "As I found out, Mario's an only child, whom his father adored. Fifteen minutes ago, his father blew his brains out!" I threw my own hand up to my face, rubbing it as his splashing water on it, yet the realization slowly began to awaken my senses. "Oh shit, no." "The reason for the cops." "I see Gregor's here?" Looking towards the leather sofa, the 6'2" police officer stood next to Mario, seated, a hand on his shoulder, talking to the teen. "Right. They always elect him to give the bad news." "Well, I suppose after his own ordeal, he's the best man for the job. I think I'll go say hello. And oh, Randy was looking for you." "I better go inform him." As Nicholas and I departed company, I started wading through the crowd of four police officers, with a mix of employees, whom tried to comfort Mario. As I zeroed in on the tall, dirty blond police officer, I recalled the facts of the newspaper article, of how the cop, after being found out about his gay sexuality, had been a victim of a planned abduction and torture, by a group of homophobic men. Coupled with Mario's grief, I felt mighty low. "Gregor, how's it going?" More than the newspaper article, I had allowed Gregor to convalesce at my home. He had tired of the media and needed some widespread room to get himself back in shape. "He pretty shaken up," Gregor replied. Breaking away from Mario, one of his co-workers took over. We quickly hugged. "How are you doing?" "Well. My back bothers me a little, but I've got a good team of psychologists working with me." "And doing some therapy of your own?" I nodded towards Mario. "It's a real sin. My heart goes out to him." "Have you stopped looking, Gregor?" He knew of my match-making potentials. After his half-year stay with me, there wasn't much Gregor didn't learn about me. "It's too early, Anthony." "Sorry. I didn't mean to be pushy." "Liar," he accused me, in a nice manner, smiling. "So, what's the story with him?" Before Gregor could tell me, in walked Nicholas and our lovers. I introduced Roberto and Randy. After introductions ceased, we heard the facts surrounding Mario and his family. "Seems last night, late, Mario arrived home. He lay it on the old man, revealing his homosexuality. His father flew off the handle, began punching him out. Then simply, a half hour ago, he took a gun to himself. I'm sorry for explaining it so bluntly, but there it is." "We know you're sincere, Gregor. Thanks for telling us." Suddenly, a loud wail let out, as Mario began crying openly, profusely. Immediately, Gregor's head shot in his direction. "Um, I better check up on him." One of his workers, apologetically, said to Gregor, "I guess I said the wrong thing. I'm not used to handling things like this." I'm not sure if the others took notice, but I got a good feeling about Gregor sitting down on the sofa, next to Mario. I've heard of older guys getting it on with younger ones. Hell, Gregor wasn't any older than Roberto, twenty-nine. It could happen. "I hoped Gregor would some guy." Nicholas asks, "Playing matchmaker are we?" "You saw what he went through Nicholas. Don't you think he deserves some nice guy, after what he went through?" Of course, this became a focal point for questioning, with Roberto and Randy. "What happened? You're good at this stuff, Nicholas," I put off on the twenty-six year old. "Okay. Well... c'mon. Let's go back to our dinner. There's nothing more we can do." "Right. You go ahead. I want to mention something to Gregor." As the trio headed out of the lounge, I made my way once again to Gregor, told him what I had to say, also offering my condolences to Mario. I was surprised he gave me a tight hug. Then, as if a magnet, went right back into Gregor's arms. I sensed the possibility, ready or not, Gregor would be entering once again into the social world. "So, how's he doing?" Facetiously, I reported back, "In Gregor's care, fine!" I got accused with matchmaking again, this time from my lover. "So, tell us," Randy asks, "what's the story with Gregor?" Even I looked at Nicholas. "Um, okay, but I want to warn you. This could get `heavy'." Before Nicholas started in, he gulped down the rest of his wine. Our waiter poured him another. "Thanks," he nodded upwards. "You're welcome, sir." "Where do I start? Where do I start?" "How about the beginning?" If it was me being a smart alec, I'm sure I would have heard about it. Instead, Roberto got a forced smile. "Yes, well, as I recall," I did wind up getting a sucker punch to the arm, for saying, "You should. Gregor must've told us the story over and over fifty times... owch!" "Geese, Anthony. Are you getting soft?" "I betcha you bruised me!" Roberto didn't earn anything, after belching out, "Can we get on with the fuckin' story, Nick?" "Yeah, okay. I had been saying, before I was so `rudely' interrupted," he shot his dark eyes right in my direction, "Gregor had been a cop for about four years. During that time, he had remained in the closet. Going back east, he attended a Gay Pride Weekend. When he returned, he became driven, to come out. Well, some people in these parts weren't so crazy about a gay police officer being on the force." As Nicholas took a sip of wine, he exhaled. Inhaling, he continued, "One night, when he exited his shift, they were waiting for him." "Who was?" Randy inquired. "A band of men, in a dark van. I think," he counted on his fingers, "well, I don't rightly remember..." "I do," I interrupted, "there were six of them." "Thank you." I was on my guard. "One sat behind the wheel, as the five of them grabbed Gregor. As he recalled to me..." "Us." Nicholas gave me a look, as I broke up his train of thought. "As he recalled to `us'," he enunciated his important correction, which made me smile, "they forced him inside the van, tying his hands behind his back. On his knees, two held him, as another cursed him out, calling him a faggot, slapping him across the face. Some of the others began mocking him, telling him they were going to `teach him a lesson'." "Damn! The poor guy," Randy said, both fists under his chin, elbows on the table. Intently, he as well as my lover, took in Nicholas' story. "That's only the tip of the iceberg. They took him out to the old Greeley farm. Taking him out of the van, they hustled him inside the barn." "Didn't people hear him?" "Not when it was old man Greeley leading them on." "Yeah," I finally interrupted on purpose, deviating, "strange thing is, during the trial, one of the Greeley boys came out. In fact...." I realized I was jumping the gun, revealing the climax, before Nicholas told the whole story. "Sorry. Continue." Eyes shot from me, back to Nicholas. "At first, while the two held him, one of the others worked his gut over." "You said it was planned?" Roberto inquired. "Oh yes. They had everything set up. After they beat Gregor, they untied his hands. He was too winded to do anything. He did recall he struggled a little, which earned him a punch in the balls." "Yikes!" Randy stated. "Yeah. But that wasn't the end of his punishment. Like I said, it had been planned. Gregor feared for his life, when he saw the ropes hanging from the wooden beams, neatly attached, spaced apart. They had also set up a wooden table, ropes at each of the four corners. There's not much he could do, with the dull ache in his crotch. They peeled his shirt off first, followed by his boots, socks, pants and briefs." "Naked, huh?" Randy asked. Randy's short inquiry gave Nicholas a chance to gulp down another glass of wine, refilled as the waiter stepped forwards. "Thanks. Yeah. They then tied his arms out eagle-spread above his head. Then then proceeded to spread his legs, tying ropes around his ankles, stretching them apart." I added, "Gregor said he was never so scared, in his whole life." "Who wouldn't be?" My love commented, all of us agreeing. "So what happened?" Down went his fourth glass of wine, refilled. "They beat him with straps, two behind him and two in front. He said they laughed, cursed him out, told him `all faggots should die', but also began tearing him apart over being a gay cop. Gregor said he didn't know how many lashes he took. Finally they stopped, cutting him down, tying him faced down on the table. They retied him, his arms at the top, above his head, spread out. They stretched his legs out, tying them to columns. Gregor claims he felt like they would rip him in half." We weren't the only ones paying attention to Nicholas. Our waiter, a new guy, around our age, stood there, a glum look on his face, the half-filled wind bottle clutching in his arms, as if for security. "I can imagine," Randy stated. "Yeah. When Gregor told us," I let on, "it's as if I could feel it for myself." Nicholas immediately picked up the story, "Well, I'm not going to tell you every gory detail, but they tortured his balls, pulled them out, tied them to the end of the table. As Anthony mentioned, or almost said, if not for one of the Greeley boys..." "The gay one?" Roberto asked. "Yeah. Seems he found out what was going on. He squealed on his old man." "Alerted the police?" Randy guessed. "Right. When they surprised the lot of them, they had just begun to insert a fat buttplug into Gregor's ass." "So they arrested them," Randy concluded. "Yes. An ambulance came. Gregor was in bad shape." I acknowledged, "But he didn't die." Nicholas, sarcastically says to us, "No kidding, Anthony. I thought that was Gregor's twin sister in drag in there?" Okay, so I made a stupid mistake. Nicholas went on to tell them about me, offering my place up for Gregor's repair. "After five days in the hospital, the media was hounding Gregor." Nicholas placed his hand real gentle like on mine, assuming a totally different demeanor, soft, saying, "So, Anthony here, big-hearted man he is, which we all know..." "Aw shucks!" I kidded, smiling. "Opened his heart and his home to Gregor." "How long has it been?" "What's it been Anthony? A year?" "Not even that, Nicholas." "Seems like it was a long time ago." "I feel so bad for him," Roberto said, his lips pouting. "He's doing pretty good now," I mentioned. "They have him treated by a fine staff of medical professionals helping him out." "Is he sitll a cop?" Randy asks. "Yes," Nicholas answers him, "but on a desk job and he can more or less set his own hours." "Geesh," Roberto adds, "I don't know if I would want to go back." "That's what many have said, but Gregor told the press, if he didn't pursue his career, he would feel defeated... that those who set out to stop him from pursuing life, only because of his sexual preference, they would be the victors." By now, the waiter stood at our table. In a solemn manner, he says to us all, softly, "I'm gay." As if a brother, Nicholas stood. "You're a brave man, to come out to like you did, um...?" Placing the mostly empty bottle in his left hand, the waiter shakes Nicholas' hand, then going the rounds, introducing himself, "Giancarlo Rossini." Noticing in the past, Nicholas and I living together, I've sensed the brotherly manner in which he's responded to people's needs. At times, he would call me at wee hours of the morning, asking me if I minded if he brought a lonely guy home from the club. I often told him how wonderful a psychiatric professional he would be. He's thought about it. I offered to help him with tuition to go back to school. He said he'd think about it.Being early evening, Linguini's hadn't started to fill up. Two men hugging didn't present a spectacle. Even if it did, I know Nicholas wouldn't give two hoots, as I didn't, as well as the owners of Linguini's. "Here's my number." My twenty-six year old servant wrote his cellphone down on a piece of paper. "You call me, day or night, Giancarlo, if you need help or have any questions." Folding the paper, sticking it in his wallet, the waiter, seemingly in his thirties, thanked him for his kindess. I have a tough time guessing ages. He could've been older. Maybe younger. Hell, whatever, he was beholden to Nicholas for the friendly advice. "That was nice of you," Randy said. It's obvious the two, warmed with feeling, exchanged glances, speaking without talking. Roberto could sense it as well, offering to exchange seats, so that we could pair up, closer. The evening progressed along, Nicholas stating he had to go to the jon, but we all knew the charade he pulled, to check up on Mario. "Guess what fellas?" We all question Nicholas when he returned from his second trip. "Gregor took Mario home." "His or Mario's?" "Think about it, Anthony. Mario's place is a crime scene." "Oh yeah. I knew that!" % 2B continued....... Copyright 2006 T. Chase McPhee This story may not be sold, nor made part of any collection without prior written permission, by the author.