Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2017 16:39:23 -0500
From: D B <donbon@gmail.com>
Subject: The Journey of a Lonely Heart - Part 2

The Journey of a Lonely Heart, Part 2 by DGB

This story is a product of my imagination, under my copyright, so no
reposting/publishing without my consent.  Hell has a special place for
copyright violators. If you are not of legal age or somewhere in which this
document is illegal, stop reading and think about what you've accessed.

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If you enjoy the story, I'd appreciate comments to donbon@gmail.com.

*****************************************

Dr. Trevor Smith. Now the man Derek had drooled over from the safety of his
car had a name. And this time the smile was for him, the dimples even cuter
up close.  His eyes were a deep emerald green, scrunched up at the corners
the way only a genuine smile could cause.

And the good doctor was holding out his hand in greeting.  Derek recovered
quickly, he hoped, and slipped into business mode returning a firm
handshake.  This was so unlike him, normally he was always in control.
"Sorry, for a moment there you looked familiar and I was trying to decide
if we've met."

"I don't think so" Trevor replied. "I'm usually pretty good with faces, and
I'm sure I'd remember you."

Derek thought he detected a hint of a blush as they both took their
seats. There was no doubt his face felt warm. The waiter arrived to go over
the specials of the day and take drink orders.  Lindsey and Derek both
ordered iced tea, when Trevor surprised them both by ordering a glass of
Chianti.  "I'm off today and already finished my errands, so I figure why
not.  This is one of the few places that serve it by the glass, and it's
one of my favorite wines."

Derek filed that information away for later.  Hopefully he'd have an excuse
one day to share a bottle with Trevor.  Lindsey interrupted his thoughts as
she started the meeting. She apologized for making the lunch all work, but
she was due back at the clinic early that afternoon.  It was clear she had
a passion for supporting the foundation, and was full of ideas to expand
their work. Trevor was a pediatric hematologist and held a board advisory
seat, explaining that he liked to support the foundation when he could, but
that his patients kept him busy most of the time.

The group worked well together, and soon ideas for new fundraising sources
started flowing. Derek ended up taking over five pages of notes, some areas
they could get easy wins and as well as long term projects. He'd
occasionally look up from his writing to find Trevor' green eyes watching
him.  Could this man actually be interested in him?

The rational part of his mind said that dating a board member probably fell
into the same category as dating a coworker, risky and potentially
disastrous.  He'd have to check the HR manual he got yesterday to see if
this was covered. A heartbeat later he knew it didn't matter. Following
supposed rules of professionalism had gotten him career success but also
left a hole in his life. Following his heart led him to this job, so maybe
it could lead him to more.

Derek grabbed the bill knowing that lunch was considered an organizational
expense. This could definitely be considered a working lunch since he now
had the strong basis of a work plan for the next few months. Derek had fed
off the excitement of his lunch companions and was excited to get to
work. While waiting to sign off on the receipt, Lindsey asked "So Trevor,
are you and Tiffany all packed for the trip?"

"Almost. I picked up the last few things I needed to buy this morning."

Trevor mistook Derek's brief look of disappointment with confusion, so he
explained that Tiffany was his partner.  They were headed to Belize in the
morning for a conference, before a week long research exchange in Brazil.

Derek thought to himself that even though Tiffany had been described as his
partner, it was obvious her relationship to Trevor went beyond work
colleagues. Maybe blindly following his heart wasn't the best idea after
all. Of course, he still got the familiar tingle in his balls when Trevor
shook his hand on the way out and said he looked forward to working closely
together in the future.

On the way back to the office Derek resolved to do a little digging to see
if Trevor was available or not.  Maybe they had some board member
biographies on the network he could read through.  When Robyn stopped by
his office to talk about lunch he saw an opening.  "They were both great
and full of ideas. I plan to follow up with Lindsey later this week, but
Trevor was headed out of the country with someone. I think he called her
Tiffany?"

Robyn unknowingly took the bait "Oh that's his partner Dr. Tiffany
Smith. All the children love both the Doctor Smiths. I'm sure you'll meet
her at the donor appreciation dinner."

Professional Derek took control as Robyn went into detail about the dinner,
only three weeks away.  The foundation was raising funds to refurbish the
clinic and fund more research.  They were looking into selling naming
rights to areas of the clinic as well as sponsors for the various
activities and events run at no cost to the patients.

============================================================

Derek slipped into bed that evening like usual wearing nothing but his
boxers.  Thinking back through the day he quickly came to dwell on Trevor.
Of course it had just been a lusty crush, but he still felt a twinge of
disappointment.  Why was he so infatuated?

Trevor's personality had instantly put him at ease; like he was talking to
someone he had known his whole life.  Those cute little dimples were enough
to make anyone, man or woman, weak in the knees.  And those eyes, he could
get lost staring into those emerald depths. Derek was rock hard by the time
his mind moved on to thoughts of the most perfect ass he had ever seen.

Derek freed his cock from the confines of his boxers and slowly started
stroking.  This spank session wasn't imagining just a quick fuck, but of
claiming the man as his.  In his mind he started by running his hands
through Trevor's hair, holding his lover's head close for sensuous
kisses. He imagined slowly undressing the man of his dreams, trailing
tender kisses down his neck until he could suck the stud's nipple.  He'd
push Trevor back on the bed while he helped shuck off his jeans.  Then
slowly kiss up his thick thighs before nuzzling his nose into the well
packed bulge, mouthing the unmistakable head of a leaking cock.

Derek came hard, splashing his chest with the biggest load he'd shot in
ages.  He chuckled that he had gotten excited enough to shoot his load
before even getting to the good bits.  A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he
looked at the mess, knowing it was hard to wipe sticky globs off his cum
off his hairy chest.  It had all been a childish fantasy since Trevor was
obviously unavailable, and he felt just a tad guilty for making the man an
unwitting porn star.  Derek drifted off the sleep, satisfied that no harm
had been done, and hoping that thoughts of Trevor were now out of his
system.

======================================

Derek went to the clinic Friday afternoon to meet Lindsey for a tour and
identify areas to sell to donors as sponsorships.  He started taking a
mental inventory as soon as he walked in the door.  The reception area and
waiting room looked like they had seen better days.  The furniture appeared
to be in good repair, just a bit worn around the edges.  The same could be
said for the white Formica countertop at the reception desk, slightly
yellowed with years of use and countless cleanings.  He let the
receptionist know he was there for a meeting before finishing his survey.

A small fish tank bubbled away in the corner near the usual toddler toys,
and with a large bookcase filled with books. The waiting room was fairly
empty aside from a teenage boy playing an xbox in the opposite corner, with
an elderly woman reading nearby.

The receptionist called over to Derek to let him know Lindsey was just
wrapping up a staff meeting and would be out shortly.

"Derek Evans? Is that you? I haven't seen you in years" said the old woman
as she sat down her book.

Derek knew the voice instantly, "Gloria! I can't believe I didn't notice
you."

The two embraced warmly as they began to catch up.  Gloria had worked three
days a week answering the phones at the boutique consulting firm he started
his career at.  Her husband Frank owned the firm, so she helped out of the
office simply because she got bored at home.  Gloria saw herself as the
office mom, and no one wanted to be on her bad list. Even after Derek had
switched jobs, Gloria had always been friendly too him.

Derek was happy to see the old woman smiling.  "Retirement has let me play
grandma more.  Today I brought my grandson in for a checkup." Gloria
gestured to the kid playing games, "Nothing serious thankfully, but after
skin cancer took Frank we didn't want to take any chances."

"I completely understand.  Would you mind if I give you a call next week?
I'm working on corporate fundraising now for the charity that supports this
clinic. It would be helpful to hear from a patient and their family on
where we can improve," Derek explained.

"Oh that sounds wonderful! In fact I've been looking for some way to
memorialize Frank, something with a lasting impact like a research
endowment. Maybe this is the place!"

=======================================

It felt like it took over a hundred phone calls over the next two weeks to
lawyers, foundation representatives, and the clinic but the details of the
endowment had been worked out just in time for appreciation dinner on
Thursday.  Derek was still negotiating terms for a matching donation from
the firm Frank founded.  He had played dirty in the last negotiation
meeting, bringing Gloria along.  Nothing sways opinion like a little guilt,
and she had been happy to play up her part.

Gloria had taken the podium to share some memories of Frank.  "And now I'm
going a little off script.  Derek, join me up here please."

Derek headed for the stage, trying to maintain a smile despite the
surprise.  "I'd like you all to meet the man that has made me being here
tonight possible, Mr. Derek Evans. Derek worked for my husband years ago,
and I always knew he was special.  He is now the director of corporate
fundraising for the foundation, and I've been so proud of his work here
these last few weeks.  It is my honor to tell Derek and all of you that
this afternoon, Frank's company has agreed to match my contribution,
doubling the endowment."

The entire dinner began cheering loudly and gave a standing ovation to
Gloria's announcement. Once the crowd had calmed down she added, "Now I
expect you all to get Derek's card tonight and help him raise even more
funds for the clinic.  Oh and fellas – if you were wondering he's
single."

Derek wasn't sure he had ever blushed so hard in his life.  He could never
be mad at Gloria though, and laughed along with the crowd.  He helped
Gloria off the stage during a final round of applause.

The next hour was a blur as donor after donor came up to meet him.  His
feet were killing him and his throat was dry when the most handsome man he
had ever laid eyes on walked up.  "Here, I thought you could use this,"
Trevor said as he handed him a glass of water.

Derek greedily drank down half the water as he noticed how striking Trevor
looked in his suit.  Sure the jeans had been sexy, but his smile really lit
up the room regardless of what he was wearing.  Feeling a new burst of
energy he said "Thanks! I really needed that.  Gloria's announcement has
had me busy," Derek replied as a statuesque blonde woman joined them.

"Hello, I'm Trevor's partner, Tiffany Smith.  I'm a pediatric oncologist at
the clinic."

Derek was glad he was already firmly in business mode and quickly replied,
"It's great to meet you.  Your partner is my new hero for bringing me a
drink.  I had no idea I'd be so busy tonight."

"That's him, always looking out for others.  I know you're tired tonight
but I'd love to get to know you better.  I know, Trevor's cooking Saturday
and always makes a huge meal, why don't you join us?"

Derek was torn. He knew it was wrong to lust after Trevor, but he would
like to make some new friends.  Sensing the hesitation Trevor continued
"Don't worry, you don't have to make a decision on the spot.  Give me one
of your cards and I'll text you Saturday morning."

"I'd love to come," Derek replied, "but I would appreciate you texting me
your address."

With the plans agreed they parted company.  As the crowd thinned Robyn
caught up with Derek to tell him that it was traditional to only work a
half day from home the day after a dinner, so they'd catch up on Monday.

================================================

Derek checked his phone every five minutes Saturday morning, silently
praying that Trevor wouldn't forget to send his address.  He got more
agitated as the morning passed until his phone beeped around 10.  It took
only a few seconds for Derek to respond that he was looking forward to
dinner and confirm he'd be there at 4. His mind instantly shifted into
overdrive debating what to wear when a second text arrived "Can't wait to
see you! It's just the 3 of us and I plan to grill steaks, so feel free to
come casual."

Khaki shorts and a polo shirt was the de facto dress code of the casual
male in Houston.

=================================================

When Tiffany answered the door, Derek apologized for being a little late,
explaining he had gotten a little lost navigating the neighborhood.
Trevor's face lit up when he saw the two bottles of wine Derek had
brought. "You remembered!"

"Honestly I kind of cheated a bit," Derek admitted. "I called the
restaurant this afternoon to double check the name, and the hostess offered
to sell me the bottles. I picked them up on the way here."

"Well I'm opening a bottle right now and I insist you have a glass," Trevor
beamed as he got out the corkscrew.  He poured and passed out three
glasses, and said "A toast, to friends new and old."

The three clinked glasses and took a sip before taking seats at the large
kitchen island.  Trevor had made fresh bruschetta and toasted ravioli for
snacks before dinner.  "So I take it you are a fan of Italian food?" Derek
asked.

"You could say that," Trevor grinned, "My mother was Italian, growing up in
a small Tuscan village.  She met my father when he was a graduate student
there for research.  By the end of the summer they couldn't stand to be
apart, so she followed him back to the states.  They settled here when my
father became a professor in European history at the university."

"Ah ha, so you're part Italian.  I couldn't quite figure out what your
heritage was," Derek commented.

Trevor chuckled, "Don't worry, you aren't the first to say that. South
America had a lot of Italian immigrants, so most think I'm from there.  For
the record, I was born and raised here without any real accent."  More
somberly Trevor continued, "Anyway, my mom loved to cook big feasts for
family and friends, so when I have time to cook a big meal it always
reminds me of her."

Derek noticed Trevor's eyes shined slightly with tears starting to form.
"Excuse me for a minute, I should really get the grill lit," Trevor said as
he quickly headed outside.

Tiffany explained as soon as the door shut, "He lost his parents to a drunk
driver about three years ago.  Time has helped heal the wounds of course,
but he still gets chocked up now and then when he thinks of them. He'll be
fine in a minute."

"I can't imagine what it would be like to lose both my parents like that,"
Derek reflected aloud.

They sat in silence for a moment finishing off the wine.  "Can I get you a
refill?" Derek asked as he reached for the bottle.

"No thanks, I have to pick my husband up at the airport later so I'm
sticking to one glass."

Derek did a double take. "Husband? I thought, I mean..." he started to say,
"Dr. Smith partner of Dr. Smith?"

Tiffany laughed heartily, "I thought you already knew! It's just a
coincidence, and besides you're more his type than I am."

Trevor chose that moment to walk in and ask, "What's so funny? I could hear
you laughing from outside!"

"Dr. Smith, the poor Mr. Evans here thought you and I were married",
Tiffany responded, before she and Trevor broke out in a fresh round of
giggles.  "Sorry, we really should start introducing ourselves as no
relation.  We met when in med school.  We got paired together the first
semester as lab partners based on our last name, and we've been best
friends ever since.  I kept my last name when I got married since I was
already established professionally.

"It just seemed natural for us to work together and keep our partnership
going.  It's so rare to find someone you can trust completely and be
yourself with.  Hell, Trevor probably knows a few secrets even my husband
doesn't know."

The somber mood had lifted and the group was back to having fun.  Derek had
caught himself flirting a few times now that he thought he might have a
chance with Trevor. Tiffany excused herself to the restroom when Trevor had
gone to put the food on the grill, so Derek finally took a minute to
observe his surroundings.

The kitchen was obviously the heart of Trevor's home.  Modern stainless
steel appliances, sleek granite counter tops, and richly toned wood floors.
The kitchen was open to family room, with a large sectional couch angled
towards an entertainment center on one wall, and gas fireplace flanked by
built in bookcases on the other.  Derek resisted the urge to check out the
books, since you could tell a lot about someone by what they read.  Even
though the furnishing were all modern, they overall effect managed to be a
warm and inviting home. The home reflected Trevor perfectly, solid and
masculine, with softened edges and something that just drew you in.

Dinner was served family style on the kitchen island, and Derek was pleased
that Trevor felt comfortable enough with him to not make it a formal
affair. The food was all delicious, proving Trevor was an accomplished
chef.  Trevor opened the second bottle of wine, declaring he needed liquid
courage to fend off the assault since Tiffany was on a mission to inflict
maximum embarrassment. She shared stories of mischief they had gotten into
during med school, as well as the pranks they still played on each other
and the clinic staff.

They all pitched in clearing away dinner.  During a lull in conversation,
Derek had mused to himself that the silence wasn't the least bit
awkward. He felt so domestic stacking the dishwasher as Trevor handed him
plates, their fingers gently touching with each hand off.  By the third
plate he realized the contact was intentional, with each touch sending a
jolt of warmth through his body.  Being this close he could smell Trevor's
scent, an earthy musk with just a hint of smoke from the grill. Derek
thought a man could get used to this kind of life mighty quick if given the
chance.

Trevor excused himself to change and clean up a bit when they were
done. Derek hadn't been able to take his eyes off the man as he had walked
towards the back of the house, only looking away when Trevor turned a
corner out of sight.

He blushed when he turned to see Tiffany watching him.  "So earlier when
you said I was more his type... Did you mean me specifically or just men in
general?"

"I think you know that answer, but let's just say he mentioned you more
than once on our flight to Belize after your lunch, and he couldn't stop
staring at you during the donor's dinner," Tiffany paused, unsure how to
work what she wanted to say.  "Look, I don't know what your intentions are,
but he doesn't have much experience dating.  He's never had a serious
relationship, and we almost never meet single men through work. He is so
afraid of getting hurt that he rarely let's someone in, so take it slow if
you do pursue him."

Almost as an afterthought, she smiled broadly and added "Oh, and if you
hurt him, my knowledge of anatomy means I can cause pain in ways you never
imagined."

"Yes mam," Derek saluted as Trevor walked back into the living room.  He
knew that the threat had only been half serious.

They all settled in on the couch after that.  Trevor had moved close to
show him pictures from Belize on his phone.  Sitting this close had a
dizzying effect on Derek, but the spell was broken when the alarm on
Tiffany's phone dinged.  "Well boys, that means it's time for me to head to
the airport."

Derek decided that was probably his cue to leave as well, and excused
himself to the restroom while Tiffany gathered her things.  He returned to
find Trevor alone, "The flight status was showing the flight landing 15
minutes early, so Tiffany already headed to the airport.  She told me to
give you her regards, and that she looks forward to seeing you again."

Derek responded, "Tonight has been great, I don't remember the last time I
had this much fun.  Hopefully we can do this again sometime.  I don't want
to overstay my welcome so I guess I'll head out too."

"I've enjoyed having you here.  You really don't have to leave yet unless
you want to.  Besides, there is still a half bottle of wine."

"Well, if you're sure... I could stay a little longer, but I won't be
offended if you're ready to call it a night either.  Whatever you want is
fine."

"I want you to stay," Trevor blushed slightly when he realized what he
said.  "Get comfortable and I'll grab the wine."

Derek retook his seat at the end of the couch, with his arm absentmindedly
stretched out along the top.  Trevor dropped all pretense of dancing around
the obvious when he sat down right next to Derek.  Both men faintly smiled
as Derek wrapped his outstretched arm around Trevor's shoulder as the
smaller man leaned against him.

The wine was soon forgotten as the two men continued to talk.  Derek talked
about his parents, growing up, and the various jobs he had had.  They both
lost track of time as the night wore on, with bursts of conversation
interspersed with companionable silence.  It was during one of these pauses
that Derek collected his thoughts.

For the first time in as long as he could remember, Derek felt an inner
peace.  Sitting there with Trevor just felt right.  Like home. Without
thinking he leaned his head down and placed a tender kiss on Trevor's
forehead.

Trevor snuggled against him tighter as he said, "Sorry I didn't mean to go
quiet on you. I feel so comfortable with you that I was starting to nod
off."

It was then that Derek looked at the clock and realized it was almost
midnight. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it had gotten so late, I should
probably head home."

Neither man made an effort to move.  Derek broke the silence a minute or
two later saying "Come on, it's time for you to get some sleep."

Trevor reluctantly stood up, and offered Derek his hand. "You should stay
here tonight; I keep clean sheets on the guest bed.  It's late and we've
been drinking, so I'd worry about you on the roads."  Sensing Derek's
hesitation he continued "I insist. You don't want to make me worry do you?
Besides I could never live with myself if something happened to you."

Derek acquiesced to the other man's plea.  He knew he should probably
protest, but he was so smitten with Trevor that his heart just wasn't in
it. They shared a lingering hug in the hallway outside the guest bedroom,
neither one wanting to break contact.  Eventually they had parted, and went
their separate rooms.

Derek's mind had started to race the moment he laid down.  He couldn't
believe he had spent over eight hours at Trevor's house, and now he was
spending the night.  In the moment this had been easy to agree to, but now
it just felt a little weird, like a junior high sleep over.  It wasn't like
he could just leave in the middle of the night with no explanation
though. He couldn't bear the thought of upsetting the man he loved.

Loved? Had he really fallen for Trevor so fast? He smiled to himself
knowing he had, and that's what was bothering him most about lying in that
bed.  His heart longed to still be holding Trevor.  Derek resolved that
they needed to talk in the morning to work out what was going on between
them.  He hoped it was the start of something new.

By now the clock read 1:15 and he knew he needed to get some sleep before
tomorrow's conversation.  Derek climbed out of bed and headed to the
restroom in only his boxers, assuming Trevor was fast asleep.  He decided
to go to the kitchen for a quick drink before heading back to bed.

Derek was startled by Trevor asking "Is everything ok? I heard you get up
so I came to check on you." as he entered the kitchen.

"Sorry if I made too much noise, I didn't mean to wake you.  I'm having a
touch of insomnia, unfamiliar bed and all," Derek replied. Trying to
lighten the situation he added "it's just not the same without my teddy
bear."

"Oh well if that's the problem, I can be your teddy bear tonight," Trevor
replied with an obviously exaggerated wink.

Derek couldn't help himself as he let out a hearty guffaw.  Trevor
instantly turned a dark red and said "I'm sorry, that made me sound like
such a slut, I didn't mean to sound like a horny teen."

Derek took Trevor in his arms saying "I didn't mean to laugh at you babe,
it just sounded as cheesy as something I would say."

He ended by placing a quick peck on Trevor's check and pulling him in tight
for another hug.

"Hmmm, I guess I can forgive you then," Trevor giggled as he relaxed into
Derek's arms, with a quick smooch of his own.

The two men pulled back slightly and met in the middle for a tender first
kiss.  They stood there with their foreheads tilted together, locked in a
warm embrace.

"Come on," Derek said, "let's get to bed.  We can talk in the morning."

Not another word was spoken as Trevor led him to bed. After a final kiss
goodnight, they quickly fell asleep; Derek spooned behind Trevor, with his
arms wrapped around his new lover.