Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2020 08:38:29 -0500
From: Mac Rountree <mcjameson.rountree@gmail.com>
Subject: Apple of Your Eye 32

Rabbit, rabbit.  Happy New Year's Day.  I hope that the new year bring
hope, joy and love to you.

Remember to contribute to nifty.org so we have this wonderful site in the
new year.

Mac

Wednesday, January 1
New Year's Day
8th Day of Christmas

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave me to,
Eight maids a milking.
from "The Twelve Days of Christmas."  The eight maids a milking represent
the eight beatitudes: blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the
meek, those who hunger after righteousness,
the merciful, those pure in heart, the peace makers,
and those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.


Tayloe lay in wonderment.  He was severely hung over and for the briefest of
seconds wondered what he had done the night before.

He looked down and saw the ring on his finger.  He turned his head and Eron
was smiling at him.  He then looked down and saw the arousal of two men in
love.

"What did your doctor say about hot, sexy love making?"

"I didn't ask but it is a little too late to ask isn't it."

"Yeah, I suppose so.  I just didn't know if something bad would happen to
you if we did it again."

"Well, my guess is after seven times in one night, one more won't hurt."

At that point, Eron slid down the bed and took his partner.  Tayloe arched
his back as they made contact.  His hands found Eron's head and gently
maneuvered him in a way that pleased them both.

Tayloe was glad there were thick brick walls between his apartment and his
neighbor's unit.  He was hoping the sounds would not carry through the
walls.  He and Eron were both very vocal in their love making.  They had a
natural affinity to tell the other what was needed and then exclaim
pleasure when it was given.  After they were both satisfied, they lay back
in bed.  Eron propped up and looked at Tayloe's chest.

"We have a problem.  Your chest is covered in a rash."

"Yep, it does itch.  I guess your hairy, beasty man body rubbed me the
wrong way.  Har, har, har."

"Let me get some cortisone cream which will relieve the itching."

Eron got up and went to the bathroom to check in his dop kit.  Sure enough,
there was a new tube that had not been opened.  He went back into the
bedroom, unscrewed the cap, put some cream on his fingers and started
spreading it across Tayloe's chest.

"Two questions, lover man.  First, what exercising do you do to have such a
nice chest and second why is it shaved?"

"Easy.  I was a swimmer all through high school and college and all of the
swim team members shaved their bodies.  That gave me the muscles in my
chest and a slim waist.  When I started dating women they would always
complain that my hairy chest hurt their titties.  So, I shaved it for the
team and for the women."

"Well, I won't complain about a hairy chest.  You are so hairy everywhere
else it looks odd to see you with a smooth chest."

"Yep, the girls complained that there would be hair all over the bed sheets
if I spent the night with them."

"How about the fellas?"

"What fellas?"

"The men you went to bed with."

Tayloe looked like a fox caught in the hen house.  He didn't know how to
answer.

"You're not telling me that you are a man virgin?"

Tayloe nodded his head.

"You've never been to bed with a man?"  Tayloe shook his head.  "You've
never sucked cock?"  He shook his head again.  In a small voice, Tayloe
answered, "you're the first man I have ever been with.  Including Boy
Scouts.  Never ever.  Swear to God."

Eron fell back against the headboard.

"You didn't hesitate at all last night.  When I said I wanted to take you,
you gave yourself to me.  Then you took me and it was incredible."

Tayloe smiled.  "Glad that you liked it because...................I LOVED
IT.  For the first time in my life everything made sense.  I would always
fumble with women and they would think it nice that I was such a virginal
young man but then they wanted it rough and tough. I just couldn't do it
with them.  I was always afraid I wouldn't be able to get it up."

Eron laughed.  "Well, you had no problem with that last night.  I don't
think that bat went down all night.  By the way, that thing is huge."

Tayloe smiled again.  "Actually, it has not gone down since the night I met
you.  All I had to do was think about you and then...boing....up it would
come again.  That scared the hell out of me.  I wanted to run away from you
but I also wanted you in my bed every night.  It was so highly conflicting
for me.  I thought I was going crazy."

They were lying facing each other and kissing when the telephone rang.

"I just want to make sure you are awake and getting ready for lunch.  You
have one hour to get here.  Don't be late.  We have lottttssssss of
questions."  Todd was laughing as he hung up the telephone.

"Well, my fiance.  I am going to have to get used to saying that.  I am
engaged to a wonderful man.  We have to be at my parent's house in an hour.
We should be prepared for a ton of questions, but I only have one."

Eron raised his eyebrow.

"When we are both sober in the cold light of day will you still marry me?"
Eron laughed.  "You were the one who was drunk last night.  Counselor, in
law school, we learned that a marriage proposal was a contract and we both
agreed to the contract.  I do not back out of contracts.  You are stuck
with me."

Tayloe smiled from ear to ear.  He also looked highly relieved that Eron
still wanted to marry him.  "I know what is sticky and it is these sheets;
I feel like I am stuck to them.  We will put them in the wash while we go
have lunch."

The men went into the shower and Tayloe grabbed the razor.  When he soaped
his chest, Eron stopped him and said there was no more shaving of his
chest.  He wanted to see what it looked like hairy.

"I still go to the gym every morning to swim."

"Good I will join you.  They will need to change the pool filters more
often from our hairy bodies."

At that, Eron slapped Tayloe's ass and they shared a kiss before shaving
each other's faces.

When they arrived at Robert and Marjorie's home everyone was already at the
table and they were on edge.  Tayloe looked at them and said that he and
Eron had talked again this morning about the proposal and that Eron had
agreed to lower his standards and marry him.  There was a huge sigh of
relief.  After grace, everyone wanted to see the rings that Tayloe had
custom made.

Marjorie could not contain herself anymore and said she wondered why he had
gone to look at the rings in the safety deposit box.  Tayloe looked at her
wondering how she knew about his looking at the rings.

"We have a lot to plan in the next few months.  If Todd and Erick would
agree I would love for us to have a double wedding."  Eron had a look of
surprise on his face.  "That is if it is alright with my fianc‚.  Gosh,
I love that word."  Tayloe was smiling at everyone.

Todd and Erick looked at each other, laughed, and then said yes.

"One more thing, mom and dad.  Your children are grown or I am anyway."  He
smirked at Todd when he said that.  "Mom, no more asking the bank manager
about my habits of looking in the safety deposit box.  Dad, no more looking
at Todd's bank account information.  Let your boys be men."

Marjorie was chagrined that she had disclosed the information about the
diamonds.  Robert looked at Todd and apologized.

"Okay, we won't pry but remember I am still the trustee until you are
twenty-five so I have the right to look at your accounts."

"Only to see how they are performing and to ask if the payouts are
adequate.  You've got to let us grow up.  Especially since we now have
partners and soon to be husbands."

The Emmanuelsons sat not saying a word.  They would never have considered
invading their son's lives the way Marjorie and Robert had done.

Marjorie had prepared various dishes so that everyone would have something
they enjoyed eating.  Of course, there was the traditional pork roast with
sauerkraut, black eyed peas, collards, and rice.  She had also roasted a
chicken with apples, made a delicious chicken tarragon soup and had sweet
potato pie and baked apples for dessert.  No one left Marjorie's table
hungry.

After they ate, Rachel said that they had a plane to catch.  The women said
that they would be in touch to start planning the wedding.  Todd reminded
them that he, Erick, Eron and Tayloe had some say in the planning.

"Okay, let us know the date and the location of the wedding and then we
will take it from there."  Marjorie and Rachel hugged each other.  There
was genuine affection between them.

When Erick and Eron returned from taking their parents to Byrd Field, the
men gathered in the den for an afternoon of television football.

Marjorie walked into the room to see Tayloe and Todd curled up on one end
of the sofa covered in a quilt.  Tayloe was holding Todd like he always
had.  Erick and Eron were at the other end of the sofa, covered in a quilt,
holding onto each other.

"Well, I guess this is the man's world this afternoon.  I will make a bowl
of popcorn and some hot chocolate."

"Mom, we don't want hot chocolate.  We want beer."

Marjorie gave Todd a look and was about to say something when she realized
it was five against one. Robert saw her look and told her it was a new
reality in the Reynold's household.  She delivered the food and told them
her waitressing days were over and they would have to wait on themselves
for the rest of the day.  Marjorie went into living room to read.  When she
heard the game end, she popped her head into the den to tell the men it was
dinnertime.  She saw the couples had rearranged themselves.  Todd was
holding Erick in his arms; Tayloe was holding Eron.  They were all asleep,
including Robert.  Tears of joy came to her eyes that her sons had found
love and they were all settled.  She had always thought that Tayloe would
find a bride and she had hoped against hope that Todd would find a girl
also.  That was not to be.  Marjorie walked over to Robert who was sleeping
in his recliner.  She shook his shoulder and then put her finger to her
lips to indicate for him not to speak.  She then pointed to the boys.  They
would always be boys to her.  He smiled, reached out to hold her hand and
then he kissed it.

Robert arose from his chair and then he and Marjorie walked over to sofa.
They touched each of the boys and when each of them opened their eyes, both
Robert and Marjorie leaned down and kissed them on the cheeks.  It was the
best New Year's present anyone could give.

Marjorie said it was dinner time.  Todd jumped up and said he was the
Master Television Chef and he was cooking dinner.  Marjorie tried to object
but Todd was adamant.  He told Erick to set the table while he prepared the
food and for everyone to stay out of the kitchen and breakfast room until
they were called.

Todd took the left overs and created sandwiches, Texas caviar, dirty rice,
and pommes frites.  When he called everyone to the dinner, Erick lit the
candles on the Chanukkiah and had set the table with the Chanukah china
that Todd had bought.

"Chanukah is over, but we don't think we got to fully celebrate because
someone decided he wanted a helicopter ride to Boston, so we are
celebrating tonight as the last night of Chanukah."  It was a joyful night.

"Well everyone, since I was the master chef for dinner, Erick and I are
tired and we are going back to Williamsburg.  We checked out of the Inn
this morning and want to spend some time at home."

"No, you are not.  You are too tired.  It has been a long day.  You are
going upstairs and going to bed.  Right now."

Todd was starting to object when his father said until he was married that
he was still in charge of the house and he would do as he was told.

Todd grinned, turned to his father and said, "Yes, daddy.  Whatever you
say, daddy."  Robert laughed and told Erick he would have his hands full
with Todd.  Erick chuckled thinking that Todd really was a handful...and
more.  The boys ran upstairs.  Robert's attention turned to Tayloe and
Eron.

"We'll have breakfast at eight in the morning, we expect you and Eron to be
on time."

"Yes, daddy."  Everyone laughed.

Tayloe and Eron walked out of the door after kissing Robert and Marjorie
good night.

It was a happy New Year's Day in the Reynold's home.

Suggested Music:

"Cantique de Jean Racine"
Composer: Gabriel Faure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzUMfVpugq4