Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2003 22:50:04 EST
From: Draginacht@aol.com
Subject: David's Initiation: The Recovery 26

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real
people or events is purely coincidental.  The story contains graphic
descriptions of sex between men. Anyone who is forbidden by law to read
such material  must stop now.  This story is being posted to the Nifty
Archive solely for the enjoyment of its readers.

*******

David's Initiation: The Recovery 26

*******

"I think we have a lot to talk about," Tony had the most serious look on his
face that Dave had ever seen.

"Yes... we do." Dave said in a mater of fact tone of voice and he paused for a
moment before continuing. "And that would give us a lot more time to talk."

Tony looked into Dave's blue eyes. He had no reason to doubt what those blue
eyes were telling him. Still, he hesitated.

"What if it doesn't work?" Tony remembered his conversation with Todd, Mike
and Dan the night before.

"I can't promise it will work but it's worth a try," Dave replied. For the
first time in five years he was lowering his defenses, he was becoming
vulnerable. Dave was assuming that he could trust Tony. He suddenly had an empty
feeling in the pit of his stomach. `What if he says no? What will I do? We have to
try this.'

"Dave..." Tony continued looking into Dave's eyes while he paused. "This is
the biggest decision I've ever made... Do you have to have an answer right this
minute or can I have a day or two?"

The way Tony framed his question made it easy for Dave to understand. Of
course it was a big decision, one that deserved some serious reflection.

"Take all the time you need; I'll be here."

"I promise to have an answer by Friday. Is that soon enough?"

"Absolutely."

Tony closed the short distance between them and kissed Dave on the lips. It
was a very tender kiss that seemed to say, "I love you." But Dave knew better
than to jump to conclusions. In a way, he was relieved. Tony hadn't said `no'
and he even sealed his promise with a kiss. But Dave was still on edge.

They lay together for quite some time. Dave hadn't moved and Tony wondered if
he'd fallen asleep.

"Dave?"

"Hmm?"

"Just checking."

"Yeah, I guess I'd better be going," Dave responded reluctantly.

"See you at work Friday?" Tony asked as Dave rolled off the bed and began to
dress.

"No, I've got another project I need to check on. But I'll be at the B&B
after work."

"Good, I'll see you there then." Tony got out off the bed and walked around
to where Dave was preparing to leave. He wrapped Dave in a hug and kissed him,
again tenderly. He wanted Dave to stay but he also needed to think. Dave
returned the kiss with a lot of feeling and then they released each other. Dave
took a couple of steps toward the door, opened it and stepped outside. Tony stood
holding the door open and looking longingly at Dave.

"Close the door, Silly, you're naked," Dave smiled and chuckled.

"Oh, yeah," Tony said as he swung the door partially closed and hid his body
behind it. "See ya Friday," he said with a smile and waved to Dave.

Both men had difficulty sleeping that Wednesday night.


Thursday after work Tony drove to his sister's house for dinner. He sat at
the dinner table, his nephew to his left, his nieces to his right, and had a
revelation. `If I move in with Dave, how long can I keep it a secret from these
members of my family? What will their reaction be? Will I be ostracized and
prevented from seeing these kids? Dave's family is so receptive and open about
everything. Could I possibly be so lucky? He helped Dan get back with his
family; maybe he can help me keep mine. I wish I knew how my sister and
brother-in-law felt about guys like me. One thing I know for sure is that after last
weekend with Dave, this week sure has seemed lonely. Shit! Why is life so
complicated? What's my decision going to be? I promised Dave I'd give him an answer by
Friday. I don't know.'


Thursday after work Dave got home a little earlier than usual and had time to
plop a previously baked chicken breast into the microwave and fix some mixed
vegetables for dinner. How lonely the house was. It really seemed to cry out
for another resident. Last weekend had been so comforting for him. Tony
definitely filled a void that Dave had forgotten existed.

Dave cleaned off his plate, placed it in the dishwasher, poured a glass of
iced tea and walked into the library; he was beginning a new project and needed
to spend some time on the computer playing with some ideas the new client had
given him. He wasn't looking out the window when a car drove up and the
doorbell startled him. `Who could that be?' he asked himself as he rose from his
chair and walked toward the front door.

"Mike! Todd! What a surprise!" A split second later Dave realized that
neither man was smiling, they both had looks of serious concern on their faces.
"C'mon in," Dave invited and stepped back so that they could enter the house. "
Just go on into the study; would you care for something to drink?" Todd followed
Mike into the study and neither man replied to Dave's offer. Dave was totally
mystified. Once in the library Mike and Todd took up positions in front of two
leather chairs but they continued standing, almost like they weren't going to
be seated until Dave invited them to do so.

"Please, have a seat," Dave said and he backed up to the desk and rested his
butt against it. "Is something wrong? You guys look like somebody just died."

"Yeah, something's wrong," Mike began. The hostility in his voice was thick
enough to cut with a chain saw. But he didn't continue, like he expected Dave
to guess what was wrong.

"Well, what is it?" Dave asked. Now he added `concern' to being
`mystified'.

"Why didn't you tell me that your brother-in-law was the owner of my Subway
shop?" Mike practically shouted with anger. "What did you do? Did you arrange
with him to give me a job because I couldn't get one on my own? Did you think I
was so stupid no one would hire me? And you and John probably cooked up a
plan to have my boss promote me because I'm your friend and not because I earned
it. Some friend!"

"Mike, I..."

"Don't Mike me." Mike arose from his chair. "You knew all along and didn't
say one word. All that time we lived together... you could have said SOMETHING!
All those times we were with your family, why was it such a big secret? Do you
really think so little of me?" Mike was huffing and puffing and a little red
in the face, even for his normal skin color.

"Can I talk now?" Dave asked politely.

"I'm not finished. You can't imagine how embarrassing it was to walk into my
boss' office and see John standing there. Then he stands up and shakes my
hand and says how good it is to see me again and says we need to come see the new
house after they get moved in. And then he asks how Todd is and I almost
croaked. My boss is almost in shock to find out that I know John, know him well
enough to be visiting his home." Then Mike collapsed back into his chair and
fell silent but continued to breathe heavily.

"My turn?" Dave asked again.

"Go ahead. This ought'a be good." Mike said venomously.

"Mike, I have never discussed your employment with John. It's none of my
business and he doesn't consult me on how to run his shops. Well, that not
entirely true... When you came home and said you'd applied for a job at the Subway, I
knew that John owned the franchise so I called him and asked if he could check
and see what your chances were."

"AH HA! And right from the start. I knew it!"

"Let me finish, please," Dave asked defensively, he was no longer leaning
against the desk but standing firmly on his two feet. "As you may remember, you
were hired immediately. John didn't call back and I forgot all about it until
the next time I saw him, possibly at Thanksgiving or Christmas time. And when
the subject came up, John apologized, saying he got busy and forgot to check.
When he remembered several days later, you'd already been hired. He said the
manager who hired you said you interviewed extremely well and that was as far as
John took it. And if he's been monitoring your progress since then, he
hasn't said a word to me. You've done all this on your own, Bud, and you have every
right to be proud." Dave felt like he'd said all that needed to be said and
he leaned back against the desk.

There was total silence in the room as Dave and Mike thought about what each
had said. This was the first real argument they'd ever had and it was a real
doozie, it went to the core of male pride. Todd cleared his throat and Dave
looked at him.

"He bring you along for support?" Dave asked harshly.

"No..." Todd hesitated. "I have my own issue to discuss with you." Todd's
voice was a little on the meek side and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Well, this seems to be as good a time as any to get things out in the open
so you might as well let me have it."

"Yeah... I uh... well, Dave..." Todd wished he'd chosen a better time for this
talk but too much time had passed already and Dan was on his case. "I need to
tell you that last Tuesday night, the three of us, Dan, Mike and I invited Tony
to our place for dinner."

"And just what the fuck was the purpose of that little séance?" Dave's voice
contained some hostility of its own.

"I came here to ask you to forgive me/us for not telling you in advance. I
know it was wrong."

"Damn right it was wrong!" Dave spun around, walked to the window and stared
out at nothing in particular. If he could have stepped out of himself and
observed objectively, Dave could have seen just how much like his father he was.
He internalized his anger and kept it under control. He considered his feelings
carefully before speaking.

`What the hell's going on here,' Dave thought, `Why're they going behind my
back and poking their noses into my private business. Tony never said a word
but he might not have thought it unusual. Damn! Can't I trust them anymore?
Suppose I ask them if they were going to handle Tony the same way they handled
Yee. No... don't go there, you promised Mike not to tell. Damn, damn, damn!
Shit! This can't be falling apart! What do I do?'

The minute that thought crossed Dave's mind he knew what he had to do. If
they weren't able to patch things up before Mike and Todd left, irreparable
damage would probably be done to their relationships and for Dave that was not an
option. Gathering all of his strength, he was able to calm himself down. He
turned around, crossed the room and stood directly in front of where Mike was
sitting.

"You're right, Mike. I had no right to get involved in your business. I'm
sorry. I should've told you about John but everything worked out so well and I
was so proud of you that it just didn't seem important at the time. And then we
all got to know each other and the subject never came up." Mike stared back
at Dave. "Can you forgive me?"

Mike no longer looked hostile as he pulled himself out of the comfortable
leather chair and looked Dave squarely in his eyes.

"I'm sorry too, Dave," Mike said as he lifted his arms to wrap them around
his friend. "I never should have questioned you. I can see how it happened now
and I've been thinking. You should have seen the look on my boss' face when he
realized that John and I knew each other. So it kinda blows my theory that
you and John had something to do with my promotion. And I'm really sorry that I
attacked you the way I did. Who the hell can I trust if I can't trust you? And
Todd of course," Mike added.

"Awe, what's a little disagreement among friends?' Dave asked. "I love you,
both of you." Todd had pulled himself out of his chair and was standing next
to Mike. Dave and Mike reached out and drew him into a three-way hug.

"I'm sorry, Dave." Todd said again. "Dan warned me not to go behind your back
but I was too hard headed. We just wanted to get to know Tony for who he is
when he's not around you so we invited him to dinner. And we confirmed what we
already thought, that he's a really great guy; we all love him."

"Well that's a pretty strong endorsement, what am I supposed to do?" Dave
asked with a slight chuckle to lighten the mood.

"Go after him, man," Mike practically ordered, "don't let him get away!"

"Well..." Dave hesitated. Should he tell them? Yes. "I've asked him to move
in."

"Great!" Mike and Todd exclaimed. "And he said?" Mike asked excitedly.

"He wanted to think about it," Dave smiled. "It's a big decision for him and
it wouldn't be right if he wasn't sure. He said he'd tell me tomorrow after
work." Dave took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as if to relieve some
pressure.

"Congratulations!" Todd added. "If he says `no', just let us know and we'll
knock some sense into his head."

"Thanks, guys, but this is between Tony and me. You understand," Dave said
calmly.

"Yeah, we understand," Mike replied. "Just know that we're all pulling for
you."

"Yeah, thanks, that means a lot." Dave thought they'd successfully completed
their business and avoided a major disaster and was ready to change the
subject. "Can I get you guys something to drink? Iced tea? A beer? Hard stuff?"

"No thanks, we gotta go," Mike replied as he began to move toward the door.
"But you will let us know how things work out." That was more a request than a
statement.

"Yes, but be patient. Don't expect me to call you Friday night with a
`blow-by-blow' account," Dave grinned.

"Oh, man, you have such a way with words!" Mike laughed and Todd joined the
laughter.

As Mike and Todd were walking through the front door they could hear Dave's
phone ringing. "See you guys later," Dave shouted as he waved then closed the
door. He walked into the library and saw that the call was coming from Tony's
cell phone.

"Hey," Dave answered.

"Hey yourself." There was a slight pause. "You okay?"

"Yeah, where are you?"

"Just leaving my sister's house, had a nice dinner."

"I'm glad, wouldn't want you to starve," Dave chuckled. So far their
conversation seemed a little strained.

"See ya tomorrow?" Tony asked with anticipation.

"I'll be there," Dave answered. He wanted to ask Tony if he'd come to any
decision yet but decided against it. `Don't push,' he told himself.

"See ya then."

"Yeah, see ya then.

"Bye... oh Dave!"

"Yeah?"

"I almost forgot, I was gonna tell you last night but... well, last night I got
distracted."

"What were you gonna tell me?"

"Ah, Tuesday evening I went over to Mike and Todd's place for dinner. Dan was
there and we had a really nice time. And Mike's enchiladas were terrific too.
Ya know what else?"

"What?"

"This may not be the correct thing for me to say but I think you're really
lucky to have friends like them."

"I am, Tony, I really am."

"Well, I'd better hang up before I have an accident, bye."

"Bye." Dave listened for the click indicating that the line was dead. He was
quite pleased, and encouraged, that Tony told him about having dinner with the
other members of the Platoon. At least he wasn't keeping any secrets. Then
Dave realized that his chest was tighter than a drum. `Screw this project,' he
thought. He began walking toward the pool, dropping his clothes along a trail.
He swam laps for about forty-five minutes until he was sufficiently relaxed
to go to bed.


Tony pressed the `End' key on his phone and slipped it into his shirt
pocket. The sound of Dave's voice had caused him to feel excited. He had to resist
the urge to drive to Dave's house and... do what? He didn't know yet. Then he
remembered something important: his test. He pulled to the side of the road,
removed the slip of paper from his wallet with the phone number and special code
on it and dialed. He listened as the automated answering system asked for the
special code and he entered it and pressed the pound key. And for an instant
he felt panic and held his breath. Then a voice announced what he expected to
hear - that his test was negative. He relaxed and breathed normally again.


Friday after work the entire crew was already gathered at the B&B when Dave
arrived. He looked around but didn't see Tony.

"Here, Dave, you're falling behind," Sam said as he handed Dave a beer and
patted him on the back.

"Hey, Sam, thanks. Got hung up with a new client."

"Is it someone with more business for us?"

"I think so. Another big job, maybe over 8,000 square feet." Dave continued
to scan the room for any sign of Tony. It was time to start getting nervous but
there was no way he was going to ask Sam if Tony was there. "Excuse me, Sam,
I'd better head for the bar and pay for this round," Dave stated.

Dave handed the bartender his credit card and in less than a minute he was
signing the receipt. He laid the pen down and looked into the mirror to see Tony
standing to his immediate left. His heart jumped. Their eyes locked and they
stared at each other in the mirror. Tony leaned over the edge of the bar and
spoke quietly.

"Everything I own is in the back of my truck," he said in a deadpan voice and
then the corners of his mouth began to turn up forming a rather impish grin.

It was a good thing that Dave had already signed the credit card receipt
because there was no way his hand would have been steady enough to do it now. He
grinned back at Tony and exhaled. That was the first he realized he'd been
holding his breath.

"Great," Dave almost whispered. "Let's stick around for about thirty more
minutes and then you can leave and I'll follow you about five minutes later."

"Sounds like a plan," Tony replied quietly then turned and circulated with
the rest of the crew.


When Dave arrived at his house, Tony had already entered the garage, opened
the door to bay number 3 and pulled his truck in. Dave parked in bay number 1,
got out and went over to see if he could help carry anything into the house.

"I'll just take this bag for now," Tony said as he picked up his overnight
bag from the bed of the truck. "We can get the rest of the stuff tomorrow." Then
he followed Dave up the steps and into the house. Tony closed the door behind
him and turned around to a frontal assault from Dave.

"Whoa -- whoa, little guy," he exclaimed as he put his arms up to fend Dave
off. Dave dropped his arms, stepped back and stood up straight, almost at
attention, and looked puzzled at Tony's reaction.

"We need to talk... and we need to do it before we do anything else." Tony was
clearly firm in his position.

"Okay," Dave agreed. He too had taken on an air of seriousness. "Where shall
we talk?"

"How about right over there at the kitchen table?" Tony nodded toward the
table.

"Fine." Dave began to back up for a couple of steps then turned and walked
over to the table and stopped. "I need something to drink, want anything?"

"Got any coffee?"

"I can make some," Dave offered.

"Okay, I could use some about now. I've had enough alcohol for one evening."
Tony set his bag down by the table and sank into a chair.

Dave grabbed the coffee maker, added the ingredients and turned it on. Then
he sat down across the corner of the table from Tony. That allowed him to be
closer than if he'd sat on the opposite side of the table. They looked at each
other; Tony smiled. Dave smiled back.

"So... let's talk." Dave was ready. He thought he had some ideas about things
that might be on Tony's mind and he felt prepared for them.

"First of all, we should maintain our independence. I don't own you; you
don't own me." Tony jumped right in without hesitation. Last night he'd given a
lot of thought to what he needed to say and he was going to say it. "I'm
beginning to make some decent money now but I'm now where near your tax bracket. I
have to carry my own weight when it comes to expenses. That means I don't
expect you to overpower me with expensive things, that's not what this is all
about." Tony paused as if waiting for some sign of acceptance from Dave.

"Agreed." Dave saw nothing to quarrel with. In fact, he was distinctly remind
ed of the conditions he'd given Paul just five years earlier and he smiled at
the similarity.

"Second..." Tony took a deep breath. "On the surface, David Baker, you may seem
like a rather simple guy, but I've figured out that in reality you're a very
complex man. I'm willing to be totally open with you if you'll do the same
with me. There's a lot more about you that I'd like to know." Tony stopped and
stared at Dave, again waiting for a response.

"Agreed." Dave repeated his reply.

"Third, I'm going to need a lot of help when it comes to telling my family. I
know they're going to find out sooner or later, I just don't have a clue how
to approach telling them."

"I'll do everything I can to support you." Tony could see that Dave was
serious.

"And fourth..." Tony paused again and looked deep into Dave's eyes. "This is
important, I hope we can be equals... in bed." Dave smiled. He wanted to wait
until he was sure Tony was finished with his speech before answering. "Coffee's
ready," Tony announced as he looked toward the counter top.

Dave looked around to see that the light was on indicating the coffee was in
fact ready. He didn't mind the interruption because it gave him a little more
time to think and it also provided a temporary break in the seriousness of the
mood. They both stood and walked to the cabinet, got a mug, poured the coffee
and sat back down in the same chairs. Tony certainly acted like he was
comfortable being there. After a couple sips Dave began.

"Yes, so far I haven't heard anything I can't agree to, especially that last
point." Dave grinned then hesitated like he was contemplating his next words
and then continued. "I understand about the money thing. Look, you've met my
parents and know where I came from; I didn't come from money. I happened to
come into a lot of money through an unusual circumstance but I'm basically very
frugal.

"However, my financial holdings come with certain commitments and
obligations. There'll be times when I'll want you by my side and that'll require
expenses beyond your current means. When that happens, I hope we can treat that as a
business-like expense and let me pay for it. And you're right, there are
things that I need to share with you but slowly, so I'm able to handle it."

Dave was thinking about Paul. Tony was wondering just what secret in Dave's
past he was protecting so carefully. Could it be the mysterious Paul? Tony knew
he had no choice but to let Dave have all the time he needed.

"Tony," Dave reached across the corner of the table and held Tony's hand.
"There are many things about you that have drawn me to you. Among those is your
personal strength, your..." Dave thought for a moments searching for the right
word, "...your self-confidence. You aren't afraid to challenge me when you think
I need to be challenged. I actually like that.

"And I have to admit, the fact that you are so damned good looking and sexy
doesn't hurt either." Dave smiled.

"Look who's talkin', Mr. Handsome himself." Tony responded with a grin. "I
suppose I'd better get cleaned up so we can think about dinner, huh?"

"I've got some ground beef so we can have hamburgers or spaghetti or sloppy
joes. Sorry, I don't do meatloaf." Dave stated it so casually.

"What self-respecting Wop could turn down spaghetti?" Tony grinned.

"Spaghetti it is, then. You hit the shower and I'll get started."

Both men stood up, finally embraced and engaged in a long, passionate kiss.
Each felt totally at ease with their agreement.

"Yeah, I think you do need a shower," Dave joked as he popped Tony on his
butt. "Don't take too long."

"I'll hurry," Tony replied and picked up his bag. He leaned toward Dave and
gave him a brief peck on his lips then turned and walked toward the bedroom
turning around a couple of times to smile at his new roommate.

Dave got busy browning the beef and set a large pot of water on the stove to
heat. After draining the grease from the ground beef, Dave got the spaghetti
sauce from the panty and added it. While the water was heating, Dave set the
kitchen table and, succumbing to a moment of romantic whimsy, he placed a candle
in a candleholder and set it on the table then lit the candle. Dave dimmed
the lights except for the ones over the stove that he was using to cook by. Next
he put some water in a small pan and set it on a burner to heat then got some
frozen peas from the freezer. Dinner was coming together nicely.

`What's keeping Tony?' Dave thought.


Tony walked into the bedroom and looked around. `Wonder where I'll put my
things? Oh well, we can sort that out tomorrow.' He carried his bag into the
bathroom with him and dropped it on the floor opposite the shower. Stripping his
clothes off, he jumped into the shower and washed thoroughly; he wanted to
smell clean when he went to bed. `Do this right, Mancuso,' he thought as he
toweled off. Next he pulled a clean pair of white briefs out of his bag along with
his shaving kit and proceeded to remove the day's stubble from his face.
Again he dove into his overnight bag and pulled out a pair of navy blue cotton
slacks and a light blue polo shirt, `the color will go well with Dave's eyes,'
he thought. Shoes and socks? He'd go barefoot. Although he didn't know it,
that was a good decision because Dave thought Tony's feet were sexy too. The
final touch was to run a comb through his clean hair, which was getting long
enough to show some waves.

"Wow!" Dave exclaimed in a quiet, breathy voice when he looked up and saw a
barefoot Tony standing in the kitchen doorway. "You really do clean up well,"
he continued.

"And the table sure looks nice, did you leave anything for me to do?"

"You can pour us some water and if you want some wine you'll find some in the
wet bar," Dave suggested. Tony turned and headed for the great room. He came
back carrying a bottle of red wine.

"Did you know you had a great red from the Tuscany region of Italy? Great
year too."

"No, I just buy what the winery suggests. Is it good?"

"The best!" Tony emphasized. "How about a corkscrew?"

"In that middle drawer," Dave nodded toward one of the drawers under the
counter. Tony found the corkscrew and removed the cork as adroitly as a
professional wine steward.

"Watch out, here comes the spaghetti," Dave announced, as he carried the pot
of spaghetti to the sink and dumped it into the colander. "If you'll put the
meat sauce into the bowl and carry it to the table, I'll get the peas and
we'll be ready," Dave instructed.

In a few short moments Dave and Tony were seated and the romantic evening
began. Dave took hold of Tony's hand and bowed his head; Tony took the hint and
did the same.

"Lord, we ask that you bless this food and this house. And we pray for your
guidance in this new path we are about to take. Amen."

"Amen." Tony said as he looked into Dave's eyes and smiled. The flickering
candlelight reflected in Dave's eyes causing them to sparkle. Tony raised his
glass and Dave raised his. Then they touched gently and each man took a sip and
made a silent wish.

The simplicity of the dinner only accentuated the main event, the sparks that
seemed to jump between Dave and Tony. They ate slowly, enjoying each other's
company without much conversation. The anticipation of what they were starting
weighed heavily upon them. After dinner they placed the dishes in the
dishwasher. Dave stacked the pots and pans beside the sink for cleaning tomorrow.
Then he took Tony's hand and led him into the great room where he turned on the
radio and found a station playing some slow mood music. They slid into each
other's arms and began to dance. They weren't really dancing they just swayed
back and forth.

It didn't take them long to add kisses to their dancing and they left the
radio playing as they retired to the bedroom. On this night their foreplay would
go on for almost an hour as they explored each other's bodies like never
before. There was no hurry; Tony lived here now. They made love for another thirty
minutes and exploded in a rapturous mutual orgasm that caused their toes to
curl and fireworks to explode in their heads.

Afterward, they lay quietly in each other's arms, stroking, petting and
occasionally kissing each other as expressions of deep affection. At some point
Dave suggested they shower to remove the residue of love. Even the shower was
gratifyingly sensual. Back in bed Dave snuggled up against Tony's right side,
resting his head against Tony's chest. It was the position he used to cuddle with
Paul.

"Where should I put my things tomorrow?"

"Oh... yeah... well... I guess we can drag a chest down from upstairs tomorrow.
How's that?"

"That's fine... I just want to be close to you." Tony pulled Dave closer and
kissed his forehead. Moments later they were asleep.


Saturday morning they were up and out the door for a good run. Along the way
Dave had an idea.

"Listen, when we get back to the house I'll call Dad and see if he can get me
another chest to match the one in our bedroom." When Tony heard Dave say `our
bedroom', he almost stumbled, that sounded so promising.

Back at the house, Tony had a suggestion. "If we're gonna have to move a
chest from upstairs, why don't we do it before we get cleaned up?"

"Let me call Dad first and see what he says," Dave proposed. He went straight
to the phone and dialed his father's work number.

"Hi Dad, David. Say, do you remember that line of furniture I have in my
bedroom?"

"Hi, Son, sure I remember it. I remember I was a little leery of it when Beth
ordered it but after it arrived I liked it so well that we decided to add the
line to our floor displays. It's turned out to be a big seller. Why do you
ask?"

Dave considered his answer carefully and then decided to be right up front
about it. He knew his answer was going to make an announcement of sorts.

"I need another chest so that Tony will have a place for his clothes."

"Oh... I see..." Bob did see, and quite clearly at that. "Well, I can order a
new chest from the manufacturer or we have one on the floor that I'll let you
have for a considerable discount. I can have it delivered Monday. What'll it be?"

"If we take the one off the floor can we have it today? We'll come get it."

"Well, I suppose so..." Bob's comment seemed to trail off without a
conclusion.

"Good. We just got back from running. We'll get cleaned up, hop in my truck
and be there in about an hour and a half."

"Okay, I'll have the chest moved to the freight entrance ready for pick up.
Can I interest you and Tony in lunch at the house? You know if you come to town
and don't see your mother, she's going to be upset."

"You're right." Dave couldn't argue with his father's wisdom. "How about we
come by the store, pick up the chest and then have lunch at home? Will you
call Mother?"

"I think you've got a good plan there, Son. Yes, I'll call your mother. See
you in about an hour and a half."

"Bye Dad," David heard the line go dead and turned to Tony. "I don't know how
much of that you could understand but basically Dad has an identical chest on
the showroom floor that he'll sell me for what he called a `considerable
discount'. We can go pick it up, have lunch with Mother and Dad at the house and
then bring it back here."

"Dave, if I'm gonna put my things in that chest I'm gonna pay for it." Tony
looked very resolute as he made that statement and Dave could see that his
mind was made up. There was not use in arguing.

"Okay, I see your point. Now let's hit the shower."


Dave's parents were happy to see the two young men and Dave had a lot of fun
showing Tony his old room. After lunch they drove back home and carried the
chest into `their' bedroom. Tony brought his things in from his truck and
arranged them in the chest. Dave also designated one whole section of the walk-in
closet for Tony to use but after Tony's things were hung up, the closet looked
as empty as it did before any clothes were added.

As they stood side by side admiring the matching chests, Tony slipped his arm
around Dave's waist, they looked at each other, and the kissing began. The
hormones of a 25-year-old and a 22-year-old kicked into high gear and in a very
short period of time they were back in bed enjoying each other's affection.

Lying in an embrace following their lovemaking, Tony had a question.

"Is this the way it's gonna be? Like I mean, that was so hot! We just drop
and do it when the mood strikes us?"

"Does that bother you?"

"Hell no. I just wondered... doesn't that seem a little... a little primal?"

"Dave laughed. "Is that a complaint?"

"Would you quit answering my questions with questions?" Tony chuckled.

"Okay, I don't have an answer. I guess we'll just have to feel our way
along."

"Ooo, I like that," Tony chuckled again.

"I mean," Dave emphasized `mean', "let's just do what comes naturally. If it
seems right, then okay. And if it doesn't feel right, that's okay too. Do
you want to set up some rules or can we just be spontaneous?"

"Spontaneous. I like that," Tony smiled and kissed Dave on his forehead. Then
he looked at the clock. "My god, where has the time gone. We'd better start
thinking about dinner."

"We'd better take another shower, our second of the day!" Dave exclaimed
shamefully.

After showering and dressing, they went to the kitchen to see what options
the refrigerator would offer. They had dressed in nice slacks and polo shirts on
the possibility that they might end up going out for dinner. Dave opened the
refrigerator door and found some chicken that they might turn into something
tasty. When he removed the package of chicken from the refrigerator some of the
blood leaked out onto the floor.

"Oh shit!" Dave exclaimed. He set the package in the sink for it to drain.

"Here! Let me get that!" Tony grabbed some paper towels and began wiping the
blood from the floor. Dave went to the closet, found the mop, wet it under the
faucet in the sink and began to follow up where Tony had wiped the floor.
Soon all evidence of the minor incident was gone.

"Good work, Watson," Dave said.

"We make a good team, Sherlock," Tony smiled and they high-fived. Dave rinsed
out the mop and was returning it to the closet when they heard the doorbell.

"I'll get it," Tony offered and began walking toward the front door. Dave was
only about ten paces behind as he took the shortcut through the dining room.
He heard the door open but he didn't hear any voices. Then he rounded the
corner.

"Sophia! Sean! This is really great. I've been meaning to call you; c'mon
in." Dave took Sophia's hand and escorted her into the foyer as he gave her an
air kiss on the cheek then he shook Sean's hand. If Dave hadn't been so
excited to see his friends he might have observed that Tony was as white as a sheet
and seemed frozen in place. Even Sophia and Sean looked stunned.

"Sophia, this is great timing. I want to introduce my new friend and
housemate, Tony Mancuso, and Tony these are two of my best friends, Sophia and Sean
McGregor." And with the biggest grin of his life Dave added, "Tony moved in just
last night." By now Dave was beginning to notice three startled faced staring
at him.

Tony looked at Dave and, quietly, without moving his lips, leaned toward
Dave's ear and said, "Dave... you just outed me to my sister."

*******

(To be continued.)