Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 21:46:13 EDT
From: Draginacht@aol.com
Subject: the-bandini-affair-12

The Bandini Affair 12

Draginacht@aol.com (AKA Jeff)

* * * * * * *

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.

* * * * * * *

From Chapter 11

* * * * * * *

On the drive from the nursery to his parents' house, Leo decided he'd skip
his shower. 'I'll just slipped on a clean pair of briefs and a Bandini
outfit and go right to work.' He replayed the morning's events in his mind
as he drove almost unaware of where he was going.  'I'll be there all day
with Matt; what's that going to be like after what happened this morning?
And why is he all I can think about? I'm obsessed with him. Get a grip,
Mr. Carlsen, you're acting like a teenager,' he admonished himself.

* * * * * * *

Chapter 12

* * * * * * *

Leo parked his father's car, rushed into the house and hurried to make sure
he arrived at the nursery before Matt, and he did - with plenty of time to
spare. When Matt arrived, Leo already had the office ready for business and
the two of them went to work positioning plant displays and yard art at the
entrance and around the yard. A couple more employees arrived about ten
minutes before opening, which was a good thing because three customer's
cars were already in the parking lot. Leo opened the gate five minutes
early and the business day began.

Today, Sunday, was different than yesterday. Then Leo and Matt sought
opportunities to surreptitiously observe each other without being
caught. Today, whether in the office and around the yard, they actively
sought opportunities to catch each other's eye. Each time, their eyes
smiled at each other as though they were intentionally trying to avoid
detection by other employees.

Meg arrived just after 2:00 PM, which was a good thing because the
"Department Dicks," as Matt had called them, arrived to complete the
interview with Leo that they'd missed the previous evening. The interview
was brief then Leo left to visit Pop at the hospital. Megan suggested he
explain his bandage as the result of walking into a shelf in the storage
shed. Leo spent the better part of what was left of the afternoon at the
hospital with his father and mother. Megan arrived after Pop had his dinner
and then he shooed them away, telling them he was tired and needed to
sleep. Actually, Pop wanted his wife to go home and get some rest and, at
the same time, give him some peace and quiet.

Mid-morning Monday, Pop was released to go home. His recovery had been
excellent, except for his left hand, which was still a little stiff. A
physical therapist had given him a therapy ball to squeeze and he was
supposed to do that several time a day. Leo and Meg ran the nursery but
Matt wasn't there - Monday was his day off, as was Tuesday.

Business was very light Tuesday afternoon so brother and sister took a
couple of chairs outside the office and sat in the sun for a while.

"We haven't really had a chance to talk after you went home with Matt
Saturday night." Meg began. "How did that go?"

"Oh," Leo responded as though the question surprised him. "Good. Very
good." Then he decided he ought to expand on that statement. After all, Meg
knew Matt was gay and he didn't want her to get any ideas that anything had
happened between them.

"You know, he's just like you said he was. He's a really nice guy." Leo
paused for a moment then decided to fill the silence. "And he has a very
charming little house, too.

"Oh yes, I've heard him talk about it but never seen it. What's it like?"
Meg seemed genuinely interested.

Leo described Matt's house as best as he could remember and that seemed to
satisfy his sister's interest.

"I've been thinking, I'd like to thank Matt for all he did last Saturday
and for putting me up overnight. You got any suggestions?"

"Why don't you take him to dinner? I've heard him say how much he likes The
Outback."

"Yeah. Okay, I'll do that. Thanks, Meg. It hardly seems enough but maybe
Pop can come up with a monitory award later. That is, after we tell him
what really happened."

"Yes, well, we're going to have to think about that soon because I think
he's planning to come back to work next week. You know he's no good at
hanging around the house all day."

"Yes..." Leo paused. "I already told Mom and she thinks we need to tell him
about the attempted robbery ASAP because that security video may turn up on
a local newscast any day."

"Oh!" Meg exclaimed. "I hadn't thought about that! In that case we need to
explain it all very soon.

"Maybe I should do it tomorrow," Leo suggested. "I'll be spending the day
with him because Mom wants to get out of the house and come here to work
for the day. You think that's a good idea?"

"Wonderful! Spending the day here will be great therapy for her and you
know how the two of them love to be here. And I'm sure you'll find the
right time to explain about the robbery."

* * * * * * *

After breakfast Wednesday morning, Leo stayed home with his father while
his mother went to the nursery. She seemed happy to go and Pop sent her off
with a hug and a kiss. Leo got things going by handing his father the
therapy ball and "suggested," as best as any child can suggest to a parent,
that he needed to do his therapy. That actually got things started on a
positive note.

Leo couldn't remember the last time he and his father spent any quality
time alone together. He knew they'd not had the opportunity since he left
for college. Since then he'd graduated, married and divorced - or annulled,
if you will. He knew he had changed in that time and perhaps his father had
also.

Leo's first few attempts at starting a conversation faltered. Then he
decided now was as good a time as any to explain about the robbery so it
wouldn't be hanging over his head all day. Pop was concerned but not
surprised because they'd been robbed before. Those robberies were what
convinced him to invest in the hi-tech surveillance system Matt
recommended. Pop also chuckled and said he'd been suspicious about Leo's
injury but didn't say anything. He assumed the truth about what really
happened would eventually come out. Pop was right as usual and said he'd
have a talk with Matt and thank him with an appropriate reward.

With Matt's name now in the conversation, Leo decided to probe for more
information.

"Meg says Matt's gay. Is that right?"

"Yes, it is, why do you ask?" Pop didn't seem angry of upset about the
question, he was just a little curious as to why Leo wanted to know.

"Oh... no reason, really. I'm just a little surprised, that's all."

"Surprised? At what?"

"Well... it's just that... you know, the Catholic Church and all. I just
thought that..."

"Leo," Pop sounded thoughtful. "The Church takes care of its business; I
take care of mine. I got to know Matt several years ago through his uncle
Dave Baker. Dave had been a good friend and customer for a number of
years. He told me that his nephew had a strong interest in plants and
wanted to know if I might be able to find a place for him during the
summer. I said yes, and that was a smart decision on my part. Matt is
intelligent, a hard worker, dependable, and knows as much about the nursery
business as I do, if not more. I think he's a genius at landscape design
and he doesn't even have a college degree or certification. Did you know
that Matt's even won a few awards for his landscapes?"

"No, I didn't!" Leo was surprised.

"I think he's a great kid." Leo smiled softly at hearing his father refer
to Matt as a kid. "Well, after Matt graduated from high school I offered
him a full time job. I remember this next part as clear as day." Leo
watched his father lower his head and look at the floor as if collecting
his thoughts. "Matt told me he wanted the job but that I should know that
he was gay and if that was going to be a problem he would understand. I
told him that wouldn't be a problem as long as it didn't interfere with his
job."

Leo was on the front edge of his seat and leaning forward as he listened to
his father's story.

"Well, I knew that his uncle Dave was gay and had a partner, Tony
Mancuso. Both men were in the real estate business, Dave as an architect
and Tony as a sales agent." Pop paused again to refresh his memory. Then he
smiled and continued.

"I remember when I found out Dave was gay. I'd come to respect him as a
businessman and was surprised when somebody told me he was gay. So one day
I asked him point blank. He didn't even flinch. He looked me straight in
the eye and told me he was. I looked straight back at him and told him it
didn't matter. Then we shook hands."

"Wow!" Leo exclaimed. "That's really interesting. How did you... I mean..."

"You mean how did I manage to have such an accepting attitude toward
homosexuals?"

"Yes, I guess that's the right question." Leo was surprised. He was
learning things about his father that he never ever suspected. He watched
his father reach over, pick up the therapy ball and begin to squeeze
it. Leo waited; his father seemed deep in thought. "You know, I wasn't
always a Catholic, not until I married your mother. I'll bet you never knew
that."

"Why no, I didn't!" Leo's surprise was evident in his voice.

"Have I ever told you about you're your family history?"

"No, I don't think you have." Leo couldn't ever remember when he'd seen his
father this talkative and he intended to play it for all it was
worth. Perhaps having a stroke was causing Pop to think about his legacy in
a new light.

"Let's go into the kitchen and get some coffee and I'll tell you a long
story," Pop suggested. Leo followed his father to the kitchen where they
poured a couple of cups of coffee then sat down at the table facing each
other. Pop smiled at his son, took a sip of the hot liquid, and continued
to squeeze the ball.

"Okay, you're the writer in the family so someday you might want write all
this down." He began. What follows is a synopsis of Jimmy Carlsen's story.

* * * * * * *

Grandfather Lute Carlsen grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. After
graduating from high school, Lute hadn't settled on what he wanted to do
for the rest of his life but of one thing he was sure, he didn't want to
spend any more of it on the farm or in his small hometown. About a month
after graduation Lute informed his parents that he'd enlisted in the
U.S. Air Force and would be leaving for basic training in about six
weeks. Lute's mother was crushed but his father studied him for a few
moments then extended his hand and wished him well.

Lute found the travel and excitement he was looking for. After basic
training and tech school he was assigned to a logistics unit on the island
of Taiwan, AKA Formosa. While there, Lute met, fell in love with and
married a beautiful Chinese girl named Mai Ling. When Lute's tour was
finished he rotated back the States and was assigned to Travis AFB,
California, leaving a pregnant Mai Ling behind until the official paperwork
could be completed.

While waiting for Mai Ling to arrive, Lute made a quick trip back to
Wisconsin to visit his family. It didn't take him long to determine that he
and his Chinese bride would never fit in there so when he returned to
Travis he had a better understanding of his options. Mai Ling arrived soon
after his visit to Wisconsin. Lute had just been promoted to Staff Sergeant
and qualified for base housing. He and Mai Ling soon met several other
mixed-race couples on base and quickly settled into a comfortable
life. Sgt. Carlsen just as quickly concluded that a career in the Air Force
would be perfect for him and his growing family. Along the way to
retirement, Lute's career would take him and his family to Germany, Japan,
Italy, and England.

All four of Lute and Mai Ling's children were a beautiful combination of
their two races. And since they usually lived on military installations
where mixed-race families were rather common, the kids never felt out of
place and were always accepted.

The Lute received orders to an Air Force Base in Georgia, right after
Jimmy, Lute and Mai Ling's third child, graduated from high school. Jimmy
faced a situation similar to when his father graduated from high school -
he didn't know what he wanted to do for the rest of his life but of this he
was certain, he didn't want to spend any more of it associated with the
military.

Jimmy went to college where he met the lovely Gina Bandini. Gina was a
local girl, who's family owned the Bandini Nursery in a suburb on the north
side of the city. Her father was Italian and her mother was English with a
maiden name of Whittington - hence Leo's middle name. Jimmy was warmly
welcomed into the Bandini family and over time became a partner in the
business.

* * * * * * *

Now we pick up our story with Pop and Leo sitting at the kitchen
table. Father and son had taken a break to have lunch and Jimmy was ready
to resume his story.

* * * * * * *

"I was sixteen," Pop continued, "when your grandfather got assigned to a
small air station on the east coast of Italy. And because there weren't
enough kids my age to justify having a high school there, I and a couple of
other kids got shipped off to Germany where the military ran a high school
for lots of kids just like us. Immediately I ran into Jack, a boy I hadn't
seen since we were stationed in Japan. We'd been close friends there and we
weren't too happy when my father got assigned to a base in California and
his father went to a base in Delaware.

"We were really happy when we managed to get the school staff to let us
room together. Life was really good... or so I thought. About half way
through that first semester, I noticed that Jack often seemed
depressed. One dark Saturday afternoon, it had been snowing since early
morning, I went out and brought back some beer - good German Beer -
Koenigsbacher I think it was. Getting beer, even at our ages, was no
problem in Germany.

"So we sat in our room consuming the good brew. It didn't take long before
Jack fell into my trap and started to share his problem with me. He finally
confessed that he liked boys, that he was a homosexual, and he was afraid
to tell me because I was his best friend and he didn't want to loose me.

"Jack made me promise to never tell anyone because he was also afraid that
if word ever got out it would ruin his father's military career. Well,
there was no way I would ever tell anyone and I assured Jack of that. We'd
been close enough through the years that we'd shared a number of inner
secrets with each other and this was Jack's deepest secret.

" Now, I was no fool. Being a GI brat and living in other countries, I was
exposed to a lot of things that many ordinary kids are sheltered
from. Although I knew about homosexuals, I'd never come face to face with
one. I wasn't quite sure what to do. So when Jack told me he thought he was
one, I was forced to deal with it. Abandoning Jack at the time when he most
needed support seemed like the wrong thing to do. We hung together and both
graduated from high school on time. Jack returned to the States and stayed
with relatives then went to college at the University of Washington. I
rejoined my family in Italy and started college when Dad was reassigned to
this area.

"When Jack's dad returned to the States, he was assigned to a base in
Illinois. Jack spent the Thanksgiving and Christmas break with his
family. We kept in touch with letters and phone calls and he decided he'd
visit his family for a couple of days of spring break and then come on down
to visit me. Our schools observed spring break on different weeks and I my
school was still in session.

"Well, Jack was a wreck when he got here. Seems he and his father had a
disagreement and in the ensuing argument Jack told his father he was
gay. Telling the story caused Jack to become upset so I took him out and
got him totally wasted then let him sleep it off. After that we had a long
talk and he more or less talked himself back to reality.

"Jack was going to fly back to Seattle on Sunday so on Saturday we just
walked around campus and enjoyed the fine weather." A big smile came over
Pop's face. "I remember like it was yesterday. We came across a large group
of students gathered around a parking lot. We worked our way to the front
of the crowd and saw a bunch of college guys riding tricycles around a
track."

"Tricycles?" Leo asked incredulously.

"Yeah, ha-ha. Those guys, some of them were kind of big, too, were peddling
those little tricycles around and around a track they'd created by setting
out some of those orange traffic cones. But the funniest part was, as they
circled the track, other guys standing on the sidelines pelted them with
water balloons, ha-ha-ha. Craziest thing I ever saw. That's when it
happened..." Pop had the widest grin on his face.

"What happened?" Leo was on the edge of his seat again, hanging on every
word.

"I looked out across the track and there on the opposite side was the most
beautiful girl I'd ever seen. She was by far the prettiest girl on campus
and she almost glowed. I completely forgot about Jack and ran across that
track, dodging tricycles as I went. I walked right up to her and asked her
name. "Gina," she said. She had the most beautiful eyes and dark hair and a
great smile. She had me on the hook right there; I was a lost cause. I
asked her to go with me to a house dance that evening and she accepted."
Pop paused, reflecting on some wonderful memories.

"And that's how you met Mom?" Leo could see how happy his father was and it
made him feel happy, too.

"Yes, that's how we met. I know it sounds crazy but things happen like that
some times. But I digress." Pop straightened up in his chair and smiled at
his son.

"So when Matt told me he was gay I considered his character and his family
and felt confident that he'd be okay. By the way, if you ever get to meet
the rest of Matt's family, you'll know what I mean."

"Uh... what happened to Jack? Did he ever make up with his family?"

"Oh, I forgot to finish that didn't I. Well, after your mom agreed to a
date that night I remembered I had a guest. When I looked back across that
crazy tricycle racetrack I saw Jack talking to a guy I knew from a couple
of my classes. Didn't know him well but had talked to him a couple of
times. So I dodged a few more tricycles to get back to the other side. Jack
and this guy Stanley had already agreed to a date of their own. So that
solved my temporary conflict.

"Jack left the next day and flew back to Seattle. He kept me informed about
how things were going with his family and it was unbelievable. I thought it
was terrible the way they treated him. They cut him off completely,
disowned him actually. That's no way to treat your own flesh and blood. He
and I kept in touch, talked on the phone a lot.

"After college graduation he got a job with one of the major investment
firms working in the hedge fund department. I never did understand that
stuff, even though he tried many times to explain it to me. Anyway, we
stayed in touch. Jack came through town on business from time to time and
always visited us. Your mother probably has a few pictures around here of
him with all you kids.

"Years later, Jack walked into a florist shop near his Seattle condo and
ran smack into Stanley again. They developed a relationship and have been
living together for over twenty years. And I guess that's it."

"Uh, that's some story, Pop. So you don't have a problem with gay people."

"Well now, I don't necessarily agree with the lifestyle some of them
choose. I find all this parading around with almost nothing on and kissing
in public pretty disgusting. But then, I don't condone that kind of
behavior by strait folks either. So I guess I'm kind of consistent on that
point. You think that makes me a bigot?" Pop smiled at Leo.

"No, now at all." Leo felt somewhat encouraged by what he'd just heard. His
father's attitude toward gay men wasn't exactly a guarantee of how he'd
react at learning that his number two son was gay. Although this recent
conversation left him with a more positive feeling, he wasn't quite sure of
what to do.

"Yoo-hoo, I'm home!' Gina walked through the back door to find her husband
and son sitting across the table from each other. "Well, did you two have a
nice day?"

"Sure did," Jimmy replied. "How was your day at the nursery?" He stood up
from his chair to greet his wife. Their kiss was a clear indication of the
depth of their love for each other. Leo noticed how his father's left hand
found his mother's right hip, slipped around behind and lovingly squeezed
her rump. Pop's left hand seemed to be working just fine.

'Wow! They're still in love. I wonder if they still..." Leo suddenly felt
embarrassed, almost blushed, at the thought of his mother and father still
doing 'IT.' He'd never noticed this type of behavior in the past. But they
were doing it in their own kitchen -- not exactly a public arena. Perhaps
they'd always been this way but he'd been too absorbed with his own life to
notice.

"What's for dinner?" Jimmy asked as he and Gina released each other. "I was
hoping for some of your great pasta."

"No pasta for you for a while, Jimmy Carlsen. Tonight we're having stir-fry
chicken and vegetables, something your mother taught me how to make. So
what have you two been doing all day?' Gina asked as she opened the
refrigerator door and began to take out items she needed to start making
dinner.

"Oh!" Leo exclaimed. "Pop's been telling me about his family and all the
places he's lived. And..." Leo paused for emphasis. "He even told me how
you two met."

"Really!" Gina replied with a smile. "You mean about almost getting run
over by the tricycles?"

"Yeah." Leo smiled at his dad.

"You can't get run over by a tricycle," Jimmy insisted defensively.

"I remember looking up and seeing this idiot running across that track,
dodging those little tricycles. 'Look at that crazy fool! What does he
think he's doing?' I thought. Imagine my surprise when he stopped right in
front of me and asked me for a date."

"You were impressed, admit it!" Jimmy insisted with a smile.

"And if that wasn't enough, that crazy fool turned around and ran back
across the track."

"And that crazy fool is still in love with you." Jimmy said as he and Gina
kissed again. This time only their lips made contact and stayed that way
for several seconds. They chuckled while they kissed.

"Hey, I'm going to blush if you two keep this up." Leo chuckled to let his
parents know he was only joking.

* * * * * * *

Leo spent the rest of the afternoon and evenings listening to his parents
reminisce about things that happened after they met. It was the most fun he
could ever remember having with his parents. Perhaps it was because he was
now an adult and had been married for several years that allowed them to
open up. Whatever the reason, Leo enjoyed it.

That night after turning in, Leo replayed the day's events. Working in
reverse, he eventually came to what happened that morning in Matt's
bedroom. The more Leo thought about it the more aroused he became. His
fingers could still remember the feel of Matt's soft, warm, silky pubic
hair. He even had his fingers wrapped partially around Matt's member but
not enough to actually grip it and he never actually reached the tip. He
remembered looking over the edge of the bed to see Matt laying face up in
all of his nakedness and laughing. In his mind, Leo once again scanned
Matt's form. It was breathtaking. And then there was Matt's erection. Like
pressing the 'PAUSE' button on a DVD remote, Leo studied Matt's
manhood. Leo had never seen another erection, except his own and Matt's was
much larger. It appeared only slightly thicker than his but it was MUCH
longer; it extended up beyond Matt's naval. And it was also uncircumcised;
something Leo hadn't noticed that morning.

It wasn't long before he was holding a handful of tissue soaked with semen.

Just before Leo went to sleep he thought about tomorrow. He'd be back at
the nursery working with Matt again. Why not invite him to dinner as a
token gesture of Leo's appreciation for all he'd done.

* * * * * * *

 (To be continued.)