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As a reminder, in the last chapter, Laramie met Cooper. It took place in the summer of 2022.

 

12

October 2022

Laramie Jenkins (33)
Cooper Snow (38)

 

Cooper

Corey looked out the window as we pulled into the gay part of town. My pulse was racing. I didn't know why. They were basically store fronts. A clothing store, a burger place, a Chinese restaurant, a few night clubs, a card store and Joe. Nothing was too outlandish. A couple of the displays in the clothing store windows were rather suggestive — tight and leathery — but nothing worse than a rock star would wear. I hoped he thought of it that way. I kept regular conversation going as we drove in, wanting it to feel light and casual. As it was Sunday, there was no problem parking.

Mitchell and I walked in with Corey. Mitchell commented that it had been some time for him being in Joe. I could see him looking around at the décor, trying to recall the last time. There were about five tables that had people. One single, two couples, a group of five (that had two women) and one where Emory was sitting. I had texted him earlier in the week to get a larger table. He had. His newspaper was spread out, but as his glance saw me walking in, he started folding it up. He gave us a smile.

"Emory, I'd like you to meet my son, Corey. Corey, this is my friend, Emory."

The two smiled at each other. Emory extended his hand, and Corey shook it politely.

"It's so nice to meet you, Corey. Cooper talks about you all the time — only good stuff, too."

Corey chuckled. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you."

"And this is Mitchell," I said.

"It's nice to finally meet you, too," Emory said. Mitch smiled back and shook Emory's hand.

I immediately felt like I was under both a spotlight and a microscope. I felt like everyone in the coffee shop was going to point at me and scream, "He had sex with Emory!" My breathing was off. I tried to regulate it and be as normal as possible. But when you try to act normal, you are not normal.

Why had I done that?? It was a one-time thing that meant something to Emory, and certainly I was going to be better sexually with Mitchell — because of it! — but I still felt horrible. I hated secrets.

Mitchell went up to get us all coffee. Once he brought them back, I took Corey to the condiment counter. I explained the flavoring pumps, why there were so many kinds of sugar and why people preferred different types of milk and cream. He should have been a bit overwhelmed, but he gave his coffee a pump of French Vanilla and poured a little 2% milk in. He stirred it as we walked back to the table.

"Well?" I asked, after he took his first sip. "What do you think?"

"I've tasted coffee before, Dad," he said in a scolding-but-not-mean tone. "It's good."

Emory retold the story of him spilling coffee down my leg in February and how we became friends. He also talked to Corey about our trip, saying I had shared a few pictures. Corey talked about his favorite parts of our vacation. It was a common link that he could share with strangers.

Mitchell was a bit quieter than expected. Not that he had anything to be jealous about, but he and Emory seemed to get along fine. He would interject something from time to time, but it was usually short. Perhaps he let Corey do the talking. Mitch and I looked at each other, and I winked at him. Corey seemed to fit in fine here; nothing to worry about. Thankfully, Emory was the only one who knew about his birthday "gift." I didn't think Mitch would be understanding about that.

Brad stopped by. I was pleased to introduce my son. Brad could be a tad flamboyant at times — actually, most of the time. But he was sincerely polite to Corey. There was just enough to his personality that Corey could pick up on that Brad was obviously gay but nothing threatening.

"Can I bring him something on the house?" Brad offered. I winked and smiled in my nod of approval.

Two minutes later, Brad brought Corey a huge cinnamon roll. I slid a tip into his tight pocket. Brad patted my shoulder.

"Enjoy," he said as he walked away.

After a few bites, Corey said, "This is really good."

"Brad knows what he is doing. He would never serve anything he wasn't proud of."

"He likes to keep some calories on your father and me," Emory said.

Mitchell finally asked Emory about his work, and tales of retirement took place. Emory was only a week into it, but he had loved sleeping in during the past week. He woke up on his own at his "work time" a little early the first two days, but then started sleeping in later, he said.

Mitchell excused himself to the restroom. As he did, Laramie walked in. He saw me and headed our way. He had a look of surprise when he saw Corey.

 

Laramie

"Wait. Who's this? Is this ..."

"Laramie, this is Corey, my son."

"How absolutely wonderful to meet you," I said, shaking Corey's hand, which was a touch sticky. "I ... I was expecting Mitch when you said you wanted me to meet someone special."

"Oh, Mitch is here, but I was actually talking about Corey. He's my world."

Corey gave a small smile at his father's comment. Corey wasn't tall like his father. Yet. But his blond hair let me know Cooper was his biological father. He was going to be very handsome in high school. He'd probably fight girls off. Assuming he was into girls. Far from me to assume anything genetic.

I pulled up a chair. A minute later, Brad brought me my cappuccino. I pulled out a credit card and handed it to Brad. A man walked to the table. Cooper introduced him; I stood to shake Mitchell's hand.

"Call me Larry," I said with a firm grip on Mitchell's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."

So this was Mitchell. I wasn't sure what to think. He was quite good looking, although I thought Cooper was even hotter. It still perplexed me that this Mitchell cheated on someone as nice and as gorgeous as Cooper, but I'm glad they were working it out. I wanted Cooper to be happy. I knew he was dealing with some doubts. Hopefully a repaired relationship would help.

When conversation came around to the collision between Cooper and me, Corey laughed. "How much coffee is spilled around here?"

We all laughed. "Not a lot, but we've seen a spill or two."

"Honey, let me tell you," Brad said, walking up with a fresh pot. "I have a mop bucket prepared with fresh water at the beginning of every shift. You'd be surprised."

Corey smiled at him. Cooper looked a bit nervous when Brad called Corey "honey," but Corey seemed to not be affected.

Cooper's son seemed quite likable. I imagine Cooper was nervous about bringing him to the gay part of town, but he needn't be. Joe was a fairly tame place. None of us around the table were outlandish either. No one in the place looked particularly shocking. Cooper seemed more comfortable as our conversation went along.

Having now met Mitchell, I knew even more gay people. Freddy would be so proud.

 

A Week Later

Laramie Jenkins
Cooper Snow

 

Cooper

Corey's birthday party went well. It wasn't my weekend with him, but I was very happy to be invited. Even Mitch had weathered the storm of being with my family.

I had told him I was having dinner with Laramie tonight.

I met Laramie for dinner around 7 o'clock. In our past conversations, I had mentioned to him (as well as Emory) that Mitchell preferred sex on the quieter side. I gave him a report on last night. He didn't interject much, but his smile conveyed that he appreciated my openness. I felt I was getting better about that.

I was nothing like Lance. I didn't ever see myself as incredibly blunt as he was, but I realized I could speak about sex a little more openly with my friends than I used to. My gradual steps of independence in the gay world were helping me evolve, albeit slowly.

"You aren't saying anything," I said after I had finished, and he kept smiling at me.

"What's to say? Good for you. I'm happy things are working out for you."

"Things actually really are pretty good. I think I just need to face it; I need to move past his mistake last winter and just let us enjoy being a couple again. I should really commit. He deserves that. Clearly the scar isn't going to go away, but I need to accept it and move forward."

"Will you invite him to live in your new house?" Laramie asked.

"No," I immediately said. "Certainly, I will make space for him, and he will be there often, but I want the house to belong to me. Me and Corey. At least for a while."

"Fair enough. Now that he is able to fulfill your audible sexual desires, does the man have any other flaws?"

I laughed. "He drives me crazy when he is behind the wheel. He wants to change lanes constantly. I just want to say, `Pick one!' and we stay there, but noooooo. He is hellbent on gaining a few minutes here and there by darting in and out between cars. He's going to kill himself — or us! — one day."

He chuckled at that. "I know what you mean. My old boyfriend, Micah, just had to back in when he parked. He couldn't just pull the car in. Oh no. It just had to be backed in. Had. To."

"So, are there any more secrets about you?" I asked.

"I can't swallow pills," Laramie said. He rolled his eyes, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh really?"

"Nope. I've tried. They just don't go down." He looked me in the eyes. "And you? What new secret do you wish to confess?"

"Oh, jeez. I don't know. I'm afraid of spiders."

"Everyone is. That doesn't count. Tell me something embarrassing."

"Embarrassing." I thought a moment. "The first sexual contact Mitchell and I had was in our office building."

"Now you're talking."

"It was so silly, so risky. Could you imagine if we got caught?"

Laramie went quiet. He no longer would make eye contact.

 

Laramie

That was a loaded question. I could absolutely imagine getting caught. Dad staring at me as I was fucked for the first time. Cum shooting from my hard dick — right in front of him!! God, it was humiliating. My whole body wanted to shudder.

"Are you okay?" Cooper asked, returning me to the moment.

"Yeah. No. Yeah. Yes, I can imagine what it would be like."

"You lost me."

"It's ... it's my biggest secret."

"You don't have to tell me if you aren't okay with it. I'm not prying."

"I know you're not. I've ... I've never told anyone."

Cooper reached for my wrist. "Laramie. It's okay. We can drop this."

"Okay."

He was so nice. If I ever needed to share anything, it would be with Cooper. I seemed to open up to him fairly easily. When he touched my wrist, there was a magic there. I wondered if I was developing feelings for him. That would complicate things, and more than anything I didn't want to ruin our friendship. It had become really important to me. I had become used to seeing him; I looked forward to it. I hadn't been able to be honest with anyone other than Freddy before. I even had kept things private from Micah.

Our food arrived. His blackened salmon looked delicious. My shrimp scampi looked good too. It was ironic that Cooper had the spicier dish this time. As we began our meal, I wasn't eating much. I couldn't get Dad out of my head.

We went almost seven minutes without saying anything. Cooper was more than halfway through his meal, and I seemed to have only taken a few bites. Why was I letting Dad's discovery that I was gay get to me? That was almost a decade ago.

"Buddy, I think I've caused you to feel something wrong," Cooper finally said.

"No. It's not your fault. After our evening at Lance and Jakob's home, I promised myself I wouldn't get all weepy with you."

"I'm sorry. Let's talk about something else."

"No. Cooper, you have become a good friend. I've opened up to you more than ... more than anyone in a long time."

As I talked, I began to eat a little more. Between bites, I noticed him watching as I talked using my fork almost to emphasize my points. I had never told Gray or Freddy or anyone about that incident with Dad. It was too humiliating. Was I able to open up to Cooper?

"When we were at Lance's place, I told you about my brother."

Cooper nodded.

"He ... he knew I was gay. He told me I needed to tell my parents. I told you I did when I was 24. What I didn't tell you was ... I didn't actually tell them I was gay. For several years I had some ... a little sexual activity with friends. Sleeping with other guys mostly involved nudity, blowjobs, kissing. A guy and I finally talked about taking it to a new level. My first time getting fucked ... it, it wasn't good."

I'm sure Cooper didn't understand where I was going with the story. He didn't interrupt. I had started this sordid tale. I felt obligated to continue.

"We weren't in love. I guess it was more of a hormonal thing, physical lust basically. We had been dating a few weeks. No one was home; we had it to ourselves. I agreed to let him fuck me. He was very gentle. We took it slow and easy. I was loving it. It seemed like such a big step. I felt so connected to him. To Marcus. It went on for a while. Our last position was me riding his dick. He was on his back; I was just riding up and down on it. It felt so good. I told him I was close. I knew I was about to come. Then I heard my dad call out my name; he was walking down the hall."

"No."

"Yeah."

"So, he caught you in the act."

"More than that. As he walked into the room, my cock exploded. I came right in front of him. I couldn't stop. I just shot cum all over my chest as my father just stared."

"Oh gawd." Cooper looked horrified on my behalf.

"Things were never the same after that. My father hardly talked to me. I still lived at home because of my mother's health, but we didn't talk a lot after that. I was miserable at my job. My family had pretty much disowned me — well, ignored me. My younger brother wasn't bad, but my parents ignored me completely after that. It was as if I wasn't alive anymore. Two years later my older brother took his life. They felt they had lost the wrong one."

"Laramie..." Cooper said softly.

I reached for his hand. My fingers wrapped around his. "I've never told anyone that."

He squeezed my hand and let go. "Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for feeling you could open up to me."

"I think you are the only person I could ever tell. You're a good friend, Coop. You truly are."

Having confessed that, I felt a little better. It was a humiliating story, so it wasn't something I was glad he knew, but I felt ... nice ... just that I had someone in my life I was able to confide in. Cooper was a huge gift these past months. He was a gift I didn't know I needed. I had grown to care for him a great deal.

We both finished our meals. We didn't say anything for a few minutes. The server talked us into a decadent dessert. He had us at "chocolate." Apparently, the bravery of my confession justified the empty calories.

Conversation was a little lighter over dessert. I pointed to a spot of chocolate icing at the corner of Cooper's mouth. As he wiped it off, I couldn't help but imagine me kissing the chocolate off. Yeah. I was developing feelings for Cooper. This was NOT a good idea.

I tried not to dwell on such thoughts as we walked to the car. Despite me revealing even more embarrassing shit, I enjoyed being with Coop.

"Thank you for not running away," I said as we stood next to his car.

"Running ...? I don't understand."

"I've dumped a lot on you. You haven't made me feel bad for opening up."

"You're my friend. Of course not."

I hugged him. "Thank you for being the friend I need." Cooper really didn't know how valuable he was to me.

Cooper squeezed me tighter. "I enjoy our time together. All of it." He gave me a kiss on the cheek. It made me melt.

I kissed him back on the cheek. Then I kissed him on the lips briefly and walked to my car. That was probably stupid. He did it with Lance and Jakob, but he probably didn't want such affection from me.

 

Laramie Jenkins (33)
Grayson Jenkins (30)

 

Grayson

I listened to my brother go on and on. It wasn't that I couldn't get a word in, but it was nice to see him more alive in conversation.

`You really seem to be up," I said.

"Yeah. I guess so. The store is really doing well. I'm hoping to have lunch with my old manager next week. It will be nice to discuss some things with him."

"That's all good. It seems more than the store though."

"Probably. I think seeing these friends for coffee on Sundays is a good thing. You probably don't want to hear all this gay shit, but ... Gray, I've never really had a lot of gay friends. I had a few in college and not much since. I – I – I really think I shortchanged myself a bit in that regard."

"It's not gay shit. Everyone needs friends, Lar'," I told him. "There is a connection there that is important. It's somewhat cultural, I'm sure."

"I'm so glad I crashed into Cooper that day."

"You seem to talk about him the most."

"Do I?"

"Yeah. A lot. Do you have feelings for this dude?"

Larry went silent.

"I'm not sure." My brother was silent again. "Gray, he's everything I would ever want in a boyfriend. God, I hate that word. It sounds so high school. I'm not wild about `lover' either. But you know what I mean. Someone long term."

"Partner," I interjected.

"I guess." He hesitated again. "I don't often think of things long term, particularly in relationships, at least. But ... man. Cooper is everything I have ever wanted."

"Then go after him!"

"He's got a boyfriend! I don't want to be that guy that breaks people up. Not that I could. His boyfriend is quite good looking."

 

Laramie

My heart was racing. Just thinking about Cooper and me being together made me excited and scared and exhilarated and ... nice.

"He was telling me about how sex had gotten better with his boyfriend earlier tonight, and..."

"Gay guys talk about sex with each other?"

"Oh, hell! Like straight guys don't," I shot back.

"Back in the day. Once you get in deep into a relationship, those talks start to disappear. Heck, I don't see many of my guy friends as often as I used to."

"Is that because of Miranda?"

"Not anything she insists or demands. I just commit my time to her. She has a girls night and I have a guys night about once a month, I suppose."

"You could talk about your sex life with me."

"Eckk! Ew, no."

I laughed, listening to my little brother audibly squirm.

"Anyway ... Cooper and Mitch have taken their sex to another level, so I doubt if I would ever have a chance. When he was telling me about it, it ... it kind of bummed me out. I mean, I was happy for him and everything. I want the world for him." I paused. "But I knew ... I knew I wanted someone just like Cooper, but I couldn't have him."

"Fish in the sea, as the saying goes."

"Maybe."

But I knew there was no one else like Cooper. Certainly no one I would meet.

"Funny thing, C.J., a guy I dated earlier on when I moved here came into the store this week."

`Yeah?"

"Yeah. It was kind of nice to see him. He didn't realize I had bought the store — or even still worked there. Sounds like he is in a relationship now. Go figure."

"See, there is someone for everyone. You'll find the right person in the right time."

 

Several Days Later

Laramie Jenkins
Cooper Snow

 

Laramie

Cooper called. I found myself excited any time I saw his face come up on the phone. That should have been a red flag, but I was confident I could keep my feelings in check and the two of us could just happily exist in the "friend zone."

He received approval from his home builders to allow me to install the library. Apparently, it was actually helpful as one of their men was staying home a few weeks having just had a new baby.

Cooper and I had drawn out what he wanted at a recent dinner. We narrowed it down to either Mahogany or Red Oak. Mahogany was always beautiful and quite common, but I had a certain love for Red Oak. I convinced him to select that. I went ahead and ordered a shipment just in case this came through. I figured I could always use it in the future if not.

It looked like I would have an opportunity to get into the house during late afternoons for a couple of days.

 

—

 

Cooper's house was far from done, but I was able to work inside fairly easily around the rest of the crew. Miles came over the first day and helped me get the initial work done. I figured I could finish up the next day.

I roamed the house. It was going to be nice. Two stories. Even with the library, Cooper still had a small office near the master bedroom, and there were three nice bedrooms. An open area looked like it would be a media room or game room. I wasn't sure. I think it would be better if he walled it in. It wasn't my place to say anything though.

I finished my tour back in the master bedroom.

I pictured a beautiful bed in it. I pictured Cooper in it. I pictured Cooper naked in it. I pictured me lying naked next to Cooper lying naked. I was hard.

I needed to stop thinking on such things!!

 

Cooper

Laramie had texted me at work. He was allowed to come into the house and start on the shelves in the library. The house was still quite a few weeks away from being finished, but this was a good window for him to get his work in. He invited me to come out and look.

I left work about an hour early. As I drove up, it still amazed me how sometimes progress seemed imperceptible, and other times they seemed so dramatic. The outside was really looking pretty much done. Gutters remained. A few screens, but it was looking nice. My choice of brick really pleased me. The wood trim worked nicely. I was happy.

Laramie saw me standing outside looking and waved me in. He knew I would be interested on the inside, so we walked through together. It looked pretty rough. Dusty. No tile or carpeting or wood laminates. Plumbing and fixtures were all in place. I looked inside each closet. I wish I had contracted Laramie to do the shelving in all of them, but I thought I was pushing it just getting him allowed to do the library.

That was our last stop. Laramie had been wearing a baseball cap apparently and had put it to the side. He grabbed it and put in on. What is it about baseball caps that I find so sexy? And he put it on backward! That totally sold it. Laramie actually looked hot to me. I hadn't deeply felt that way before, but I suddenly found him extremely handsome. Totally hot.

He called me over to point out some of the details he had added to the woodwork. I hadn't requested any sculpted detail, but it looked fantastic. I watched him work for a few minutes. The hat, his loose shorts, white sneakers ... he was doing it for me. I was surprised that I had such thoughts about my friend.

While he held a shelf divider in place, he asked if I could reach and hand him his drill. As I grabbed the tool and handed it to him, my arm rubbed up against his. It was sweaty. My arm touching his sweaty, hairy arm caused my breath to deepen. What was going on with me? This was my friend. Why was I feeling so hot for him? If I wasn't careful, I was going to screw up this friendship.

The house was a bit stuffy. He had been working for several hours. His T-shirt was spotted with wet patches of perspiration. When he stepped back, he lifted up the bottom of his shirt, pulled it up and wiped off his face. I looked — positively gawked — at his hairy chest. It was coated in sweat. I was glad I was wearing tight briefs and not loose boxers. My thoughts scrambled all over the place. I needed to get a grip.

"What do you think?" Laramie asked.

"Get a grip!"

"What?"

"Uh. It looks great. Fantastic. If you want me to get a grip on that last piece, I can hold it in place."

"Umm. Sure."

We worked together for a few minutes. Deep in my mind, I was just hoping our arms would rub together again.

I had no idea what was happening to me. I blamed Emory's stupid conversation from Sunday. He had hinted Laramie had a thing for me. I told him he was way off. But now ... what was I feeling? I had developed a great friendship with Laramie. I didn't need to complicate it in any way. I was calling Mitchell when I got home. I definitely needed to spend the night with him.

 

 

Laramie Jenkins (33)
Freddy Spaulding (34)

 

Freddy

"You should see the house, Freddy. It's really coming along," Larry told me.

"You seem quite excited about someone else's house," I said.

"Hm. Maybe a little. I was so pleased to do something in Cooper's house. I'm so glad he asked."

"You sort of light up when you talk about him," I observed.

"Light up. Like you can see me."

"It's in your voice."

He paused. "Is it?"

"Yes!! I've been wondering a bit. I'm so glad you have these new friends, but ... I'm beginning to wonder if it is something more with this Cooper."

"Maybe."

"Why maybe?" I asked. "Do you think you have feelings for him?"

Laramie didn't say anything. It was quite the pregnant pause. "I think I do. No. I know I do."

I could tell he was unsure about it all, but I was glad. I still wanted Larry to find someone. This guy sounded so great.

"You sound like that is a bad thing."

"It should be a bad thing! Well, he doesn't have feelings for me. He's seeing someone else. I sure don't need to go down that road."

This worried me. Larry had been so unlucky in love. I could hear it in his voice; he had fallen for this Cooper fellow. I hated to see his heart broken, but at least he had some gay friends now. Perhaps that circle of friends would help him in whatever circumstances arose.

"Just let life play itself out."

"Freddy, I can't be someone who breaks up a couple. But ... again! I can't compare to Mitchell. He's really handsome."

"So are you!" I defended.

"Thanks," he meekly said. "He's probably hung too."

"Stop it!" I chided. "I completely loved your dick."

Josh wondered into the room with a "What the hell!?" expression.

"I'll explain later," I silently mouthed to him. My arm waved him away.

 

Laramie

"I just don't need to think along those lines, Freddy. Cooper is the friend — the good friend — that I need. I've shared things with him I have never told anyone else."

"Even me?" Freddy shot back.

"One or two things."

"What have you kept from me?"

"Just never mind." I tried to redirect the conversation. "I – I just need Cooper as a friend. Yeah, I've developed feelings for him, but that's not important. His friendship is."

"Perhaps an opening might present itself."

"I wouldn't want to complicate his life."

"Well, I'm glad you have a good friend. I'm very happy about that."

"Yeah. Thanks. I'll talk to you soon. Love you, Freddy."

"Me too, Lar'. Take care."

As I hung up, I grabbed a beer and sat in the living room. The crunch of the vinyl of my couch as I reclined was imperceptible as I became lost in my thoughts.

I knew I had feelings for Cooper. I'd do anything for us to have a chance. But he was making it work with Mitchell. I'd feel horrible if I attempted anything. Anything! He'd hate me for interfering. I needed him. He was the best thing to happen to me in months — in years. I didn't realize how much I needed a close friend.

Did I love him?

 

A Few Days Later, Sunday

Laramie Jenkins
Cooper Snow

 

Cooper

Laramie wasn't able to join us for coffee this morning. He asked if he and I could do dinner tonight.

I pulled up to Laramie's house at 7:40. He was out front pulling some things into the garage in the last moments of fading dusk. I was wondering how he could even see what he was doing. He happened to be wearing a baseball cap again, which I curiously thought made him more attractive.

"Hey there. Right on time," he said as I got out of the car.

We briefly hugged. I could smell the sweat on him. He must have been working most of the day. He turned his cap around backward and gave me kiss on the cheek. It baffled me why I thought that looked so hot on a guy. But it did. Laramie was hot. Hot and sweaty and masculine. It was unexpected that my mind went there, but I wasn't blind. Or dead.

"Come on in," he welcomed. "I'm sorry. I wanted to get so much done today. I was hoping to be done around 6 and be ready to go. Is it okay if I hop in the shower real quick?"

"Sure."

He disappeared into his bedroom. The door was ajar, and I could hear the water starting faintly in the bathroom.

I looked around the living room. It wasn't my first time there, but I had spent very little time in Laramie's house. It was a small three-bedroom house. I poked my head into one of the bedrooms. It was quite small but perfect for an office, which is what he made it into. The other one looked more of a guest room. A full bed took up a lot of space in its restricted dimensions, but the room was nice. Some boxes storing unknown items were stacked along one wall. As I returned to the living room, I continued to scan the furnishings. The couch looked a couple decades old. Not necessarily tattered, but "lived in."

The artwork on the wall was an eclectic hodgepodge. There was a traditional painting — a landscape — that didn't seem to necessarily go with anything. It looked like something you'd buy at a hobby/home décor store. There were a few family pictures (I assumed). Considering the relationship he had with his parents, I was almost surprised he displayed them. In a total contrast, there was a wall-hanging made of wood. As artistic pieces go, it was very modern and the finish on it was beautiful. There was a wood carving of a boy with a cow. It intrigued me, but I knew he did have farming roots.

 

Laramie

The hot water felt heavenly. A massage would feel even better after working in the yard all afternoon and the store this morning. Still, the water was rejuvenating.

I used my nicest gels. I didn't think Cooper would actually be close enough to smell me, but I wanted to be my best.

I had only seen him for a few minutes, and I already felt better. I thought about him all day. I looked forward to seeing him each time. I was like a schoolkid getting home from school to see a new puppy. Cooper's friendship had really become important to me. I knew I felt too much for him, but I was determined to keep it in check.

The suds on my body smelled fragrant. The "masculine" scent was "Teakwood." I wasn't sure how they arrived at that name, but it was certainly better than "Larry's Armpit." I lathered my crotch. Feeling my naked body and knowing Cooper was in the next room started my dick to stiffen.

I needed to get that out of my mind.

Two minutes later, I was confident I felt clean and smelled clean. I turned off the water. Fortunately, my dick had gone back down.

I turned off the water and reached for my towel.

 

Cooper

The kitchen counter was littered with a few wrappers, dirty dishes and silverware. A couple of bowls had water in them in the sink. It was far from messy, but it had the look of someone who lived alone and had the freedom to not have to be neat for anyone else. The dining set was extraordinary. The table and chairs were beautifully crafted. Rich cherry wood was stained beautifully. Navy blue cushions added the right elegance.

I thought I heard Laramie turn off the water.

As we would be leaving shortly, I felt it a good idea to pee first. The bathroom was in nice shape. As Laramie had his own off the master bedroom, he probably rarely used this one. It seemed clean. Decorations were simple and had a farm motif, which I assume reminded him of the home where he grew up. Again, slightly odd that he would still embrace that. Considering...

After washing my hands, the toilet was making its last gurgling sounds of refilling. As I opened the door, Laramie called out, "I'll be ready in a minute." Turning toward his voice, I saw his body move past the doorway completely naked. As he paused, I momentarily could see his ass. Very cute. I wished I had been able to see his front.

How DID I make it all those years and not think I was gay??!!

A moment later, Laramie came out into the living room with me. He had slipped on a Kansas City Chiefs T-shirt and briefs. He had a pair of shorts in his hand. I tried not to look at the bulge in his underwear that stuck out below the shirt.

"Are burgers okay?" he asked. "I feel like a shorts-and-T-shirt night."

"Fine with me. We can take my car."

He finished dressing in front of me and returned to the bedroom only for his shoes and wallet.

Ten minutes later, we pulled up in front of Jake's. I was surprised to see so many college kids there, but it really wasn't far from campus, so it shouldn't have been that unusual. At Jake's one orders at the counter and listens for a number to be called.

Laramie politely asked if it was okay if he ordered a beer. That was sweet, but I thought we had made it past that point.

"Thanks. After today I was just craving one."

We scarfed down our food as if we had been on a deserted island for days. It wasn't like I hadn't had lunch, but the smell of a juicy, bacon cheeseburger was intoxicating. Between swallows, he told me a little of what he had accomplished during the day.

 

Laramie

"Oh, I'm finished in your house, but the crew still has a few weeks to go. There's still a lot to be done. Then the flooring, of course." I think Cooper appreciated my update.

"I was told I would be able to move in by the end of the month," he quickly said. "I went month-to-month on my apartment lease after six months. I really want to be out by the end of this month."

"You should be," I said. "I don't think there are any problems. Not that I'm on the main crew, but I haven't heard anyone say anything."

Cooper grabbed a pair of fries and dragged them through a puddle of ketchup.

"You have an interesting piece of art in your living room," he said. "It's made of wood."

"Oh. Yeah. I made that a couple years ago. An old boyfriend saw something like it at a hotel we were staying at. He encouraged me to make something like it. I knew I could. I really poured myself into the sanding and finishing."

"It's beautiful."

"Thanks. The whole living room is a little odd, but ..."

I didn't realize my sentence had drifted off.

"...but?"

"Eh. I live alone. It's not like it has to look good for anyone."

It certainly didn't impress Roman. Thoughts of him made me feel "unsophisticated."

"Laramie Jenkins! You should do things for yourself as well," Cooper chided.

"That was more the kitchen table."

"Your work as well?"

"Yep."

"It's really nice. REALLY nice."

"Thanks. Again."

Both of us finished our food. He got up to refill his Dr. Pepper. I went to the counter to get another beer. I felt slightly odd wanting another one when I was dining with an alcoholic. But Cooper had put me at ease about that. I realized Cooper put me at ease about everything. I loved every moment we had ever spent together. Even the embarrassing times.

There was a momentary lull in conversation when we both returned to the table.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked me to tell you another secret about myself," Cooper said with a smile.

"Oh. I think we've probably covered all that. Heaven knows you are probably tired of hearing of all my shit." I looked at Cooper. There were times when I wondered what his true impression was of me. "I'm sorry. You don't cuss, do you? I shouldn't just naturally do that around people."

"As long as Corey isn't with me. I am older than you, y'know. I'm an adult. I actually turn 39 Thursday."

"Oh, nice! I would offer you dinner, but I am sure you are spending it with Mitchell. Had I known, I would have paid the tab tonight."

"You don't have to do anything at all. I'm not a huge birthday person."

"I'll pay next time."

"Whatever. Fine. Sure. You're sweet."

I slightly smiled when he called me "sweet." It was silly how his compliments meant so much to me. Words were so impactful.

"Well, I guess my news is that I am going to fully commit to Mitchell on my birthday. Exclusive and all. We'll work toward being a family again."

"That's good," I said. Strangely, it made me feel a little sad. As happy as I was for Cooper, I knew there would never be a chance with me. But I didn't need a boyfriend, I needed a friend. I had to keep reminding myself of that.

"That was unenthusiastic. Do you think I'm making a mistake?"

"No! No, of course not. I know you love Mitchell. It's good that you worked through all the ... stuff."

I wasn't sure if he could tell my feelings didn't honestly match my words. There was a brief silence that felt awkward. I think Cooper tried to lighten the mood.

"So. No more secrets to share?"

I didn't answer. My mood had been thrown with the news he and Mitch were going to be exclusive again — a committed relationship. I was expecting that for weeks, but after hearing it, how could I possibly tell him my big secret — that I had feelings for him.

"Nah. Just one. But we won't go there. I can't ... I don't want to say anything."

"Oh. Okay. No problem. I was just being silly. No big deal."

Trying to bring things up a notch, I asked about Corey and how he was doing in school this year. Our spirits became lighter. Things seemed good.

"I really would love to treat you to a birthday dinner if I could this week," I said, as we got up from the table. "One night you and Mitchell don't have plans."

As I pulled into my driveway, he got out of the car to give me a hug before leaving. In my funk, I hadn't noticed and walked toward the front door. "I enjoyed it," I said and waved. Cooper stood there.

"Hey!' he said. I turned. "Hug?"

I gave him a smile and walked into his open arms. He held me a moment, and I felt a hundred times better. If I could have one wish in that instant, it would have been for him to never let me go. I squeezed him tightly. I wanted to say it, but I knew it would ruin our friendship. I could never say it.

"Hope your birthday is wonderful," I said, letting go.

Cooper started his car and waved again. I waved back. As it turned to head down my block, I finally said, "I love you" to the empty driveway and darkness of the night.

Damn.

 

 

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