The Barrier

By Wes Leigh

 

This is a work of fiction intended solely for the entertainment of my readers; any resemblance to any real people or places is purely coincidental. Readers who would like to chat are encouraged to contact me at weston.leigh@protonmail.com.

This story is the property of the author and is protected by copyright laws. The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent.

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Chapter Five

 

With Micah's help, Jack devised a strategy for talking to dad about the problems he'd had at school. Jack patiently explained that now was the time when he needed to learn how to handle situations like what he'd run into with Ian. There would be other pushy guys, and Jack wanted to be effective at shutting them down when they went too far. The best way to learn was to begin dating.

His dad was apprehensive at first, but Jack persisted, asking his father to think back to how it was when he first started going out with girls.

His dad admitted that his first few dates were awkward and clumsy affairs, but he understood where Jack was coming from, so he agreed ... with stipulations. He helped Jack to set up an account on a dating website, insisting that Jack be totally honest about his age and that he make it clear that he was only interested in dating, not sex. The final requirement was that his father approve the dates in advance.

Embarrassed, but realizing that it was the best opportunity he was going to get, Jack agreed.

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Jack blew out his breath nervously. The dating site had returned a massive number of hits to his account.

Some guys sent pictures of themselves, many with their cocks hard and waving at the camera. He'd made it completely clear that he was interested in dating, not sex, but many guys apparently didn't care. Jack put each of them on Ignore status.

A few of the remaining responses contained vulgar suggestions and even a marriage proposal or two. Definitely Ignore as well.

That left a few responses that were clean, but flirtatious, offering to make it worth his time if he'd give them a try. Jack read through all of them, feeling slightly overwhelmed, until he read one guy's response that caught his eye:

Saw your new post, Jack C. You sound very mature for fifteen. Just the kind of guy I'm hoping to meet. So many of the men on this site are interested in only one thing, and they're not shy about saying what that is, but that's not me. For me, a relationship isn't worth having if sex is the only thing you share. I want someone who can be my equal in every way. Intellectually. Emotionally. Spiritually. And yes, physically too. But if the other parts of the relationship are missing, it will be hollow and unfulfilling. When I read your profile, I got the sense that you and I have that in common, this desire for a full and complete relationship. There's only one way to find out if I'm right. Would you be open to a date in the near future? I'd like to get to know you better. Michael D.

Michael D. had sent a picture too. It was of his face, bashfully smiling into the camera. He looked young, in his twenties maybe, with dark auburn hair and twinkling green eyes and cute dimples in his cheeks. Jack was impressed. Michael was seriously cute.

Jack read through all the remaining responses again, but he kept coming back to Michael D. There was something about what the guy wrote that captured Jack's attention. In one way, it reminded Jack of what Micah had said. About Jack's old soul. Michael seemed to understand too, and he wanted more than a physical relationship.

Jack chewed his lip, looked at all the responses one more time, then typed an answer.

Michael, I agree with you. A relationship should be about more than sex. When can we get together?

Jack clicked the send icon and sat back. For better or worse, he was committed now. He hoped his dad would find the guy acceptable. Jack was actually feeling eager and excited about his first date.

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Jack waited outside the movie theater for Michael to arrive, hands in his pocket, fiddling with the money he'd stuffed there a few minutes ago.

It was a little strange, the way his dad had behaved.

When he'd told his dad he'd picked out the first guy he wanted to date, his dad had spent ten seconds scanning the guy's profile on the dating site, then nodded his head in agreement. "Looks fine," his dad had said.

When he'd informed his dad that they were going to the movies on a Friday night, his dad had simply nodded his head and asked what time.

Then, while driving Jack to the theater, his dad had been strangely silent. It was almost as if his dad was pretending there was nothing unusual about Jack going out on a first date ... with ANOTHER GUY!

Jack thought he knew what was going on. His dad was trying to avoid facing the reality of the situation by pretending it was no big deal.

To Jack, it was a big deal. His first real date. With a guy. A cute guy whom he'd talked with a few times using the chat app on the dating website.

As they pulled up in front of the movie theater, his dad had handed him some cash to pay for the movie and snacks, mumbling, "You should pay for your own stuff on a first date." It was the closest his dad had come to admitting the reason they were there. As soon as he'd handed Jack the money, he'd practically pushed Jack out of the car and drove off. Apparently, his dad wasn't quite ready to support the idea of his son dating other men.

At least he was doing better than Jack's mom, who had refused to talk to Jack at all. She was still convinced Jack was going to turn into the town slut or something.

Jack giggled to himself. He should become a slut, just to teach his mom a lesson. He could un-ignore all the crude guys sending him their dick pics. He could print out the pictures and make an album. Then he could show his parents and ask for their help picking out his next date. Jack began laughing at the thought of how his mother would respond to that request!

"Hey there, cutie."

Jack turned to see who had spoken and saw Michael walking up.

Jack smiled tentatively. "Hey. How's it going?"

Michael nodded. "Good. Looking forward to meeting you in person." Michael held out his hand, taking Jack's in a firm grip and shaking. "You're even more handsome than your profile picture."

"Thanks," Jack said, blushing slightly. "You are too." It was true. Michael had very faint freckles that you couldn't see in his on-line pictures. They made him appear a bit younger, but he was still obviously more mature than the high-school kids Jack was accustomed to hanging out with. Michael's eyes seemed to be an even deeper green under the neon street lights, and his auburn hair had just been cut in a young, stylish fashion. Jack liked what he saw.

Michael chuckled, apparently comfortable with Jack's close inspection. "Ready to go in?" He turned and gestured at the front door of the theater.

"Sure," Jack replied. "Let's do this."

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It was a sappy romantic comedy, filled with sexual innuendo, silly situations, and ridiculous dilemmas. Jack and Michael both laughed constantly, enjoying the movie and each other's company. Michael wasn't pushy. He didn't try to hold Jack's hand or brush his leg. He glanced at Jack from time to time, leaning over to make comments about the movie, but he was a perfect gentleman right up until the credits began to roll at the end of the movie. Then he stood up and gestured with one hand for Jack to walk ahead of him down the aisle and out of the theater.

As they stood next to each other on the sidewalk in front of the building, Michael laughed and said, "That was the goofiest movie I've seen in a long, long time."

"Absolutely," Jack agreed, "but I liked it."

"Me too." Michael looked around. "Would you like to come back to my place for a drink or something?"

Jack swallowed hard. The question was not a surprise, since he'd been halfway expecting it. He turned to face Michael and said, "Not tonight. I need to head home."

Michael's head jerked slightly but he accepted Jack's answer. "Okay. Maybe next time?"

"Sure," Jack replied.

"Will there ... uhh, be a next time?" Michael asked.

Jack thought about it for a second. "Sure. Why not? I had a great time."

Michael smiled. "Me too. I'll call you."

"Okay."

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The second date was a week later, spending the afternoon at Putt Mania. They started out with putt-putt golf, laughing at each other and their awkward attempts to negotiate the putting greens. Then they moved on to the arcade, wasting thousands of quarters on the various games inside, earning enough tickets to buy Jack a giant plastic pterodactyl. Then Jack and the pterodactyl sat in one paddle boat while Michael sat in another, trying to avoid each other while pumping a water cannon to squirt at the other boats. They both ended up soaked to the skin and laughing until they cried.

Climbing out of the paddle boats, they stared at each other, giggling. Their shirts clung to their chests, showing off their nipples and pecs. Jack thought Michael had a sexy chest, and he caught Michael licking his lips as he stared at Jack's wet torso.

Then they both giggled, breaking the mood, and found towels to dry their hair and faces.

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While walking around the Putt Mania grounds to dry off, they talked.

Jack described life as a tenth grader, dealing with high school drama, pop exams, and mind-numbing lectures by monotonous teachers.

The way Michael portrayed it, his own life was just as boring, putting in full days as a salesclerk at a sports retailer in the mall and working out at the gym on his day's off to keep fit and trim, because the boss wanted all the employees to project an image of health and vitality.

Somewhere along the way, as they walked and talked, Michael slipped his hand into Jack's and gave it a squeeze. Jack looked down, smiled, but didn't pull his hand away, so Michael squeezed again and held onto Jack's hand for the rest of the walk.

Eventually, they stopped at the snack bar and shared a giant platter of nachos, talking about foods they liked, which led to music they enjoyed, musicians they favored, and movie stars they had crushes on. Not surprisingly, they both thought Timotheé Chalamet and Matt Bomer were incredibly handsome. Michael also seemed to be drawn to some of the older actors like Brad Pitt, which surprised Jack a little, but he was too shy to ask why.

At one point, while sitting opposite each other at the table, Jack felt Michael's foot slide up the inside of his leg, brushing his ankle and calf. Michael was smiling at Jack. When Jack frowned, Michael winked.

Jack moved his leg away and said, "I would rather not do that just yet."

Michael stopped smiling and pulled his leg back. "Okay. I thought we were making a connection here."

Jack sighed. "I think we are. Making a connection. But before we do something like that, I want to be sure we're ready. You know?"

Michael's lips curled up in a flirtatious grin. "I'm willing to wait, Jack, especially for a cutie like you. I'm just wondering how much more ready we can be."

Jack studied Michael's face. "I like you," he replied, "but I don't know you all that well yet."

"What's to know?" Michael said, smirking. "I'm thirty-eight, married once and divorced—"

"Wait! What?" Jack interrupted, shocked. "You're thirty-eight?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah. Is that a problem?"

"I thought you were in your twenties," Jack replied, confused. Thinking back, he couldn't remember Michael mentioning his age on the dating website.

"Age isn't important to me. I'm young. In great shape." Michael gestured at his body. "This body speaks for itself. Any guy who wants to be with me gets a great package. A dude in terrific shape who takes good care of himself, who's fun to be with, and a great lover."

"But ... you're thirty-eight!"

Michael tilted his head. "And why is that a problem?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jack demanded.

"You didn't ask."

"Doesn't that seem a little deceptive to you?"

Michael shook his head and laughed. "Not in the least. I really don't think it matters. And I don't see why it's an issue. To be honest, I think you're making too big a deal out of this. Okay. I'm thirty-eight. I like young guys, usually in their late teens. You're a little younger than what I'm accustomed to, but you're cute and I'm willing to show you the ropes. Your age doesn't bother me."

Jack sighed with frustration. "It isn't your age I have a problem with. It's that you weren't truthful with me."

Michael snorted. "I was absolutely truthful. If you wanted to know my age, all you had to do was ask. I never asked you for your age."

"That's because I put my age in my profile. I was one hundred percent honest. You weren't!"

Michael shrugged. "I still don't see why this matters. And I don't see why you're making a fuss over it, unless you're a lot less mature than you claimed to be in your profile. Maybe I'm not the only one who was just a tad bit dishonest. Maybe I'm the one who should be concerned about dating someone so young and childish that he gets hung up over one little issue." Michael paused and held out his hand to Jack, but Jack refused to take it. Michael pursed his lips and added, "I've been with a lot of seventeen-year-olds, Jack. They weren't a lot older than you, and they didn't mind having an experienced lover like me in their bed. In fact, most of them appreciated the attention I gave them. Stick with me, and by the time you're seventeen, you'll be a terrific lover too."

Jack swallowed hard, trying not to lose his temper. This guy obviously didn't get it and didn't want to get it. Jack stood up and walked away, leaving Michael sitting there in the Putt Mania snack bar with the giant plastic pterodactyl in the seat next to him.

 

The end of THE BARRIER, Chapter Five