Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:30:00 +0000 From: hankster1430@bellsouth.net Subject: The Big One: Trapped Short Story Trapped! Part One Underground Steve Gilbert entered the parking garage at the south entrance just as Blake Molina entered through the north entrance. The twenty story Marine Trust Building was built nearly sixty-five years ago and it did not conform to modern codes. The single story parking ramp below the building was inadequate for the number of cars which needed to be parked there during the day. The City Engineer had tried to get the building condemned, but to no avail. Both autos rode up and down the aisles, seeking a parking space. After more than ten minutes, neither car had been successful. Each driver was now certain he would be late for his two o'clock appointment. Steve was visiting his accountant on the fifteenth floor, and Blake was visiting his investment advisor on the fifth. Each of them approached the exact center of the garage from opposite directions. When they were almost astride each other, their cars began to shake so violently, that each of them applied the brakes and shut the motors. They came to a stop opposite one another so that each was able to look directly into the other's face. Steve was the first to realize what was happening. The city of San Francisco was experiencing an earthquake, and from what he could tell this was the long promised "big one." The shaking and the rumbling grew stronger. The noise frightened him the most. He didn't know what to do. Should he remain in the car or jump out and seek shelter under an archway? As far as he could see, there were no archways. On the four corners of what could be considered the exact center of the garage there stood four huge pillars about twenty feet apart. These pillars formed a perfect square, and supported the entire central portion of the parking level of the garage. The pillars, if they held, would create a tent like protection over the two cars. The building was collapsing and the area outside the pillars was fast filling with debris and, God help us, Steve saw a severed leg falling amidst the rubble. He looked over at the other car and his eyes met Blake's. He wondered if he looked as scared as the man he was staring at. He figured the other guy was more frightened. He was sobbing, but at least he was calm. It's hard to say how long the earth shook, because when it stopped the rubble from above was still falling into the garage. Steve couldn't tell how much time had passed, but finally he realized that debris had stopped falling and he could not sense any more seismic activity. Very gingerly he opened his car door and stepped out. He looked around and could see nothing but rubble and hunks of concrete surrounding the two cars. It was as if they were in a cave. The cave looked very insecure, like it might collapse any minute. He wanted to open the other man's door to see if he was injured, but he discovered that the door was locked. He was afraid to pound too hard on the car window, but he did start tapping it lightly to get Blake's attention, but Blake was in complete shock and didn't react. Suddenly the earth began to tremble again. Instinctively Steve turned to get back in his car, but at that moment a huge slab of concrete fell from the ceiling and landed atop the hood of his car. He wondered if he could still get in the front of the car, but he was afraid to try. The doors were bent from the concrete falling on the hood. He looked up at the ceiling, and could not see any more loose concrete. There was one emergency light still working on the ceiling. This second shock lasted only a few minutes and finally things calmed down. Steve was in a dilemma. He was afraid to just stand there. He was afraid to re-enter his car and he was frustrated that he couldn't get into the other car and try to help the driver. After this second shock there would not be another for a few hours. Finally Steve opened his rear door and sat down in his car. After he got in the car, he realized that he had to pee badly. Cautiously he got out again and walked toward the wall of rubble. He intended to pee against the debris, but when he looked at it, he grew frightened that it might collapse and come cascading into the little oasis the pillars had created. Instead, he exposed himself and peed against his rear tire. Before he got back in his car, he tried to tap on Blake's window again to get his attention. This time Blake looked at him with just a glimmer of understanding. Steve was afraid of making any noises for fear of creating an avalanche of debris. He mouthed the words, "Open the door!" He could not detect if Blake reacted or not, but suddenly the locks on all four doors flew open. There was no way Steve could get in on the passenger side. The debris was piled against the doors, so he opened the rear door on Blake's side, and slid into the back seat. He didn't bother to close the door. Immediately he was aware of a strong smell of urine. Apparently Blake had wet himself. Steve looked over the driver's seat. Blake was sitting in a pool of urine and he and the seat were soaking wet. "I'm sorry about this," Blake sobbed. "I couldn't help myself." "You've got nothing to be ashamed of," Steve tried to reassure him. "Look, get out of your wet pants and underwear. I've got an overnight bag in my trunk with clean underwear. I was going on a short business trip after I left here. Since there will be no trip, you might as well use the underwear." Blake didn't seem to comprehend what Steve was saying, so Steve got out of the car. He went to the driver's door and opened it. With great difficulty he pulled Blake out of the car. Blake got out, but he collapsed against the car. Steve made him raise each leg, one at a time, as he removed Blake's shoes and wet socks. Then he removed Blake's trousers. It wasn't easy because Blake was not helping in his robotic state. Fortunately Blake's wet underwear came off with his trousers. Steve left Blake leaning against his car, naked from the waist down. In spite of everything Steve had to admire what he saw. Blake was uncut and at least six inches flaccid. But more than that, his cock was very thick. Steve hadn't ever seen a cock much thicker, and he had seen lots of cocks in his time. He was glad that his trunk release worked. He had a clean towel in the trunk which he used to wipe his windshield when it was necessary. He took the towel and began to wipe Blake's wet groin area. He wiped carefully just as he wiped his own cock after a shower. If the table was reversed, Steve would have been hard by now, but Blake remained totally flaccid. When Steve was satisfied that Blake was thoroughly dry, he threw the towel on the pile of urine soaked clothing. He removed his overnight bag and closed the trunk. He placed the bag on top of the trunk and opened it. He took out a small travel kit and extracted a bottle of after shave lotion. He rubbed some of the lotion on his palms and then ran his palms all over Blake's genital area from the waist to the inner thighs. He put some more lotion on his palms and wrapped them around Blake's cock, rubbing up and down to deodorize the smell of urine. He was careful to avoid the piss slit for fear of burning Blake. At last Steve was satisfied that Blake was dry and that he smelled clean. He couldn't help being a little disappointed that Blake seemed totally unaware of the sensuous act he had just performed on him. Steve had always envisioned dying while making love, and since they would probably die before help could arrive, it would have been nice if Blake had become aroused. He removed a clean pair of boxer shorts from the bag. One clean pair remained. Steve always took an extra pair of underwear just in case. Again with difficulty, he got one of Blake's legs in the underwear and then the other. He pulled the boxers up to Blake's waist. Even with the elastic waist stretched to the max, they barely fit the larger man. Now he needed to get Blake into his car. Blake's car reeked of urine and he didn't want to put him back in it. Steve opened the back door of his own car, and guided Blake in, ass first. Blake was overweight by at least fifteen pounds and he was bigger than Steve, but Steve managed to get him in, and he laid him across the length of the seat in a fetal position. He fell asleep immediately. Steve went to retrieve Blake's smelly clothes from the garage floor. The front pockets of the trousers were very wet, but the rear pockets were relatively dry. One of them was empty, but the other contained Blake's wallet. Steve removed the wallet and threw the shoes, socks, trousers, wet underwear and the soiled towel into Blake's car and closed the door. He didn't know why he did it, but he began to examine the contents of the wallet. The first thing he saw was a pocket size photograph of the man in the car with a beautiful woman and two cute kids, a boy and a girl. He found the man's driver's license and discovered his name was Blake Molina. Somehow the name was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He put the wallet in his free back pocket and he turned back to his car. He couldn't open the front doors which were bent so he climbed into the back where Blake had fallen asleep and was snoring lightly. He raised Blake's naked legs and sat down. He replaced Blake's legs on his lap. All this attention to Blake had tired him. Blake was much bigger than he was and maneuvering his body into the car was very exhausting. He leaned back and closed his eyes. He needed to think. Air! Would they have enough air? Steve eyed the rubble. It was full of crannies and the garage was actually open to the street on all four sides. Theoretically they should have plenty of air. Food and drink was another problem. They had none, or did they? Blake was overweight. Steve was convinced that overweight people were secret eaters. It was possible that Blake had snacks in his car. He would investigate after he had a chance to rest a bit. He told himself that he could sound the horn of Blake's car every fifteen minutes or so to signal rescue workers. He hoped that his own horn was still working but he wasn't optimistic. His mind wandered back to the name Blake Molina. He tried to remember why that name was so familiar to him. Nothing came to mind and he fell asleep. Just as he nodded off, the emergency light in their little haven failed. They were plunged into utter darkness. In a way, this was a godsend because through all the crannies in the debris, small amounts of light could be seen filtering through from the street. Some light and air were getting in. Steve began to dream. He was a freshman in high school. He didn't know how anyone could tell, but he was immediately labeled a fag. He was shunned and even if there was another gay boy in the ranks, they would be afraid to befriend him. He was jostled in the halls, and the jostler would yell, "FAG," at him. Someone lettered the word `faggot' across his locker in red paint. He was afraid to go to school, but he didn't dare tell his parents, and where would he go anyway? One day, after gym class, he entered the locker room with his class. It was shower time and Steve hated this the most. That's when the abuse was at its greatest. When he entered the room, he was beset by sweaty, naked bodies. The football team had just come in from practice. One of the guys was standing naked right in front of Steve's locker laughing and joking with another player. Steve knew that the boy blocking his locker was Blake Molina. He needed to ask him to move, but he was afraid to. While he was wondering what to do, his eyes wandered to Blake's crotch. He had never seen such a beautiful cock nor one so thick. He knew he shouldn't stare but he couldn't help himself. Suddenly he was on the floor. His temple ached with pain. Blake was standing over him with his hands twisted into threatening fists. "FAGGOT," he yelled, "if you ever stare at my cock again like you want to have it, I'll kill you. It's off bounds to faggots. Do you get it?" Steve was sobbing his little heart out. He got his stuff from his locker and ran home without showering and without attending the rest of his classes that day. He somehow got through high school by hiding from the entire student body. He opened his eyes with a start. Blake was still asleep with his naked legs lying on Steve's lap. Whether they died in an hour or whether they were rescued and lived to tell the tale, Steve had the pleasure of knowing that Blake was the cringing coward and he had taken charge. He looked down at the sleeping football player. His package was nearly tearing through the tight boxer shorts. He wouldn't have dared to do this if Blake was awake but Steve started brushing his palms along Blake's inner thighs, purposely grazing his balls on the upstroke. Blake sighed softly, encouraging Steve to continue. He laid his palm atop Blake's entire package and stroked very gently. He didn't imagine it. Blake's cock was growing. He had never closed the single snap in the fly of his underwear, and the fly was beginning to gap. Out popped Blake's uncut cock. It was enormous and fat and Steve didn't care if Blake killed him. He bent over and started tonguing Blake's piss slit. Blake was now moaning instead of sighing. Steve began to suck the cockhead and he was able to take a couple of inches into his mouth. He wrapped his fist around the rest of it and began sucking and stroking. Blake's moans became stronger. He began to scream, but Steve was sure he was still sleeping. "Suck it Louise. You've never sucked it so good before. I'm cumming Louise." Blake shot stream after stream into Steve's waiting mouth. When it was over, not a drop of semen remained as evidence. Blake's cock receded. Steve tucked it back into the underwear, but this time he snapped the fly shut. Blake returned to a fetal position and Steve continued to run his hands up and down Blake's naked legs. He stopped only when Blake began to stir and wake up. "What happened?" he asked. Then he saw what position he was lying in, nearly naked, his legs on Steve's lap, and he sat up rapidly. "What do you remember?" Steve asked. "I remember driving into the garage and getting frustrated because there were no parking spaces. I needed to pee so badly and I couldn't find a place to park. The next thing I remember is dreaming that I was having sex with my wife, and then waking up in a pretty compromising position. I'm really sorry, man. What happened to my clothes? What happened to us?" Steve filled him in on everything that had happened up to that moment. He omitted telling him that he had gone down on his luscious cock. During the narration Blake kept saying, "I am so sorry, man, to have put you through all that." "No need to be sorry," Steve said. "I'm sure you would have done as much for me." "Maybe, but you didn't piss in your pants. I am so embarrassed." "Get over it," Steve said. "We have to formulate a plan for survival. We've got plenty of air, but food and drink are a problem. I've got a small bottle of water in my console. If you have anything in your car that we can eat or drink, let's get it out before it smells of urine." Steve was sure that Blake turned red. "I've got a bag in the trunk," he said. "There must be half a dozen cans of Diet Coke and maybe eight snicker bars in it. I bought a box of a dozen this morning." "God bless you," Steve said. Forgive me if I kiss you." Blake actually laughed. "You never can tell," he said. "That might well happen. You know what happens to men in prison." Steve was too stunned to reply. It sure sounded like someone coming on to him. "I figure it's too early to try to signal rescue teams. Besides there are enough air holes that we might hear them if we're lucky. Let's save our car batteries. We'll start honking once every fifteen minutes at about 6 PM. That's four hours after the first shock. In the meantime let's get all the food together and figure out how often to eat and drink, and how little we can survive on." Steve was definitely in charge and leading the survival efforts. "I need to pee again," Blake said. "Pee against my rear wheel. I've started using that as a watering hole already." Before Blake got back in the car, the two men got all their food and drink together. They had just enough light to see by when they opened the car door. They figured out a rationing plan that could last for nearly five days. All of a sudden, Steve yelled out, "What a pair of dummies. I've got to find my cell phone." He reached over the seat and opened his glove compartment. It was bent badly, but he managed to pry it open. He pulled out his phone and turned it on. No bars! No reception. Blake found his phone on the floor in the front of his car, but got the same results. "Well, it was a good idea." He sounded defeated. "Buck up," Steve said. "We ain't dead yet." The two men sat helplessly in the back seat of Steve's car. Their shoulders were touching on purpose. It gave them both a sense of comfort. "Tell me about yourself," Steve asked Blake. "There's not much to tell. My name is Blake Molina. I went to UCLA on a football scholarship, married my college sweetheart, got an executive position with GM (they like to hire football heroes), had two great kids, a boy and a girl, and here I am today. What's your tale?" "You won't like what I have to say," Steve said. "Put your hands under your butt so you won't hit me." "What the fuck are you talking about?" Blake asked. "My name is Steve Gilbert. Do you recognize it?" Blake shook his head. "We went to the same high school. I was the little faggot everyone picked on. You once decked me for staring at your cock. High school was sheer torture for me, but college was better. I met other gay men and women, and I had a support group at last. I met a guy, and we fell in love, but before we graduated he dumped me for a better physical specimen. I found someone else recently. His name is Willie. We live together now. Maybe it will last. I really don't know. He never tells me that he loves me or shows me any affection outside of sex. I graduated as a civil engineer and I work for the city. Boy have I got a lot of work ahead of me." As if he hadn't heard that he had decked Steve in high school, Blake asked, "Do you think the whole city is as bad as this?" "I hope not," Steve answered. "This building is very old and not built to code. My office has been trying to condemn it for years. I pray the rest of the city stood up better." "Do you think we dare turn on one of the car radios and see if we can get news?" Blake wanted to know. "Let's try, but we'll have to try in your car. My whole front end is shot." They scooted over to Blake's car. The front seat was still soaking wet. Blake reached in and turned the key to "utility." He turned on the radio, but all they heard was static. He cruised through the dial with the same results. They closed the door again and went back to Steve's rear seat. Steve couldn't stand that Blake had been so unresponsive to his story. They settled in side by side, and Steve was about to question Blake, when Blake once again pressed his shoulder against Steve's shoulder, but this time he pressed his naked thigh against Steve's thigh also. Steve felt that something was definitely going on. "Why haven't you commented on my being gay and about having beat me up for it in high school?" Steve insisted on knowing. Blake sighed and was about to talk when he placed his hand on Steve's knee. Steve tried not to react. All he could do was to beg once again, "Please, Blake, talk to me." "Well," Blake began. "This may well be our last day on earth so I'll tell you a secret I have harbored all my life. If we get rescued, I'll deny any allegations you may make, and I would beg for your discretion." Steve was getting really impatient. "Talk already," he said. Blake sighed deeply and began. "For as long as I can remember, I wanted to have sex with a guy. From my first jack off to my very last sex session with my wife last night, I have always fantasized being with a man. The whole idea scared me. I had to prove to myself and to the world that I was a macho, macho man. One way to do it was to beat up on `fags' like you. I am truly, truly sorry, Steve. Please forgive me. "In high school and college, I tried to date the hottest girls around. If they had a reputation for being loose, so much the better. To get hard, all I had to do is fantasize that I was with some hot dude. After I decked you, I even fantasized about doing it with you, even though I didn't consider you to be hot. I wanted to call you a dozen times to meet me somewhere, but I didn't dare let anyone know my secret, not even you. For what it's worth, I think you're definitely hot now, Steve." As he spoke, his hand went from Steve's knee, higher and higher until he was stroking Steve's package. Steve was totally speechless. All he could think to say was, "You have had sex with me, Blake, but you were asleep and you thought I was Louise. Is that your wife?" "My wife's name is Jennifer. I was fully awake and playing a little game with you. But I swear I didn't know who you were until you told me. My wife would never go down on me. That blow job was the best sex I have ever had." His hand was stroking Steve's package. Steve was all worked up. He undid his belt and pulled down his pants and underwear. Blake started playing with Steve's balls and cocks. "I have dreamed of this moment forever," Blake said. "I never believed I would ever get an opportunity. Please let me suck your cock. I need to taste your cum. I want to do it all. I want you to fuck me and I want to fuck you. After all, we might die today, and you can make all my dreams come true before we do." Blake actually started to cry. Steve placed his hand underneath Blake's chin and kissed him. It was a simple chaste kiss, but Blake wanted more. He pressed hard against Steve's lips and forced his mouth open with his tongue. Then their tongues began to duel. Blake went down on Steve at last. Blake did well, but Steve instructed him now and then. He asked Blake not to swallow every last drop of his cum. "Hold it in your mouth and then kiss me. Pass it on to me," he begged Blake. "Would you do it to me again?" Blake implored afterward. Steve was happy to oblige. He leaned over Blake and began to massage Blake's cock with his tongue. Blake moaned and sighed alternately and came again in short order. "After we recover a little, will you fuck me and can I fuck you?" Blake asked. "I'd be happy to," Steve said, "but you're so big and we have no lubricant. Wait, I remember I have some body lotion in my overnight bag. We can use that." The two men got fully naked and lay down on the back seat, kissing and fondling each other. "This is incredible," Blake said. "I may be dead in a matter of minutes if this place caves in, and yet I have never been happier. At least I'll die happy." "And I have always believed that I would die making love. Isn't that weird?" "If we do get out of this," Blake said, "we must both go back to our lives. We must forget all about this." "Will you be able to?" Steve asked. "We'll have to wait and see. I know it will be difficult. It will be more difficult than ever before." "It's a little after six, let's honk the horn once, Steve suggested." They were too snuggly to go to Blake's car so they tried Steve's horn and to their delight it worked. They both dozed off. Sometime during the night, they experienced another after shock. It was pretty severe. The two men clung together hoping that their haven would not cave in. Some loose concrete dust fell on the cars, but the ceiling held. "I think we should celebrate our latest survival," Blake said. "Fuck me." "Anything you wish before we die," Steve answered. He got the body lotion from his kit and applied it generously to Blake's ass hole. As he did so, two of his fingers entered Blake's crack and Steve manipulated them gently while spreading Blake's ass hole. Steve reckoned that the best way to do the act was for Blake to straddle him and sit on him. When they got in position, Steve lubed his cock and Blake began to sit on Steve's cock. Steve was surprised how easily he entered, and Blake reported no pain, only intense pleasure. "You were born to be a bottom," Steve said. Blake answered, "So be it." They began to pump. As Blake went down, Steve went up. Steve's cock was gently stroking Blake's prostate. Blake went wild with pleasure, and came minutes before Steve. His cum was all over Steve's chest and chin. The two men shared the protein equally. "It's a little like manna from heaven," Blake said. "Let's rest," Steve said and when you think you are ready, you can fuck me." Again they lay naked, huddled together on the back seat. "Thank you," Blake said. "You don't know what this means to me." "You'll thank me more after you fuck me." Several hours later and several horn honks later, Steve lubed his ass as much as he could and then lubed Blake's cock. They repeated the straddle position. Blake was huge and Steve hurt like hell, but he wouldn't quit for Blake's sake. Eventually Blake was all the way in and the pain turned to desire. Steve's prostate was nearly crushed by Blake's cock. This time the two men came at the same time, but this time they shared Steve's cum. Their strength waned after a couple of days. They still had sex, but not often and they were restricted to oral sex. On the third day they heard noises and Blake was certain, he saw light coming through some of the cracks in the rubble. They quickly began honking both their horns. In a few minutes they were rewarded with the sound from a loud bull horn. They had been found. They decided that it would be best if they were wearing clothes when the rescuers found them, and they wanted to be as clean as possible. They had used the bag the snickers and the cokes had come in to deposit their feces. They continued to pee against the car wheel. Blake put on all his dirty clothes. Everything was dry but still bore the odor of urine. It couldn't be helped. They continued to have oral sex with their pants pulled down. It took almost three more days for the rescue team to reach them. They had been out of food and drink for almost 24 hours and they were very weak. Part Two After The Rescue When they were brought out into the sunlight, they were greeted by cheering crowds. They learned that almost everybody in the building had perished including the accountant and investment broker they had gone to see. If they had found parking spaces, they too would probably be dead. Blake's wife Jennifer and his children were at the scene. They embraced each other wildly. Blake tore himself away for a minute to talk to Steve. "Thanks for everything," he said. "You know we can't ever see each other again or talk of this." "I know." Steve stuck out his hand to shake Blake's, but Blake grabbed him and gave him a bear hug. Blake ran off without looking back at Steve. Just then, Steve heard his name being called over and over. He looked up to see his lover, Willie, running toward him. Willie grabbed him, slobbering tears all over Steve's cheeks. "My God, Stevie, I thought I had lost you. I couldn't bear it. I now realize how much I love you. When I thought you were dead, I wanted to kill myself. I know I've been a bastard to you some times, but I promise you, I'll make it up. I don't want to lose you again. I can't." Oblivious to the gawking crowd, the two men kissed each other passionately, as newspaper photographers flashed away. The next day, Blake saw the picture in the paper, and smiled a jealous smile. He also smiled knowing that he no longer needed to fantasize in order to get it up for Jennifer. Now all he had to do was remember how wonderful sex had been with Steve. His smile faded as he wondered how long he could go on pretending, now that he had tasted the long forbidden fruit. Not long apparently! In a very short time, he began to actively search for a fuck buddy in the personal ads and on the internet. He quickly learned that when the ad requested "discretion" it meant that the party was in the closet and most probably married. Once having mastered the buzz words, he posted his own ad in the newspaper under "men seeking men." Whenever he made a contact, he arranged to meet at a nearby `Dunkin' Donuts' store. There was also a `One Hour Motel' in the vicinity. He actually had sex at the motel with a couple of the men he met this way. He always had a good time, but didn't feel that he wanted to see the parties again. Unfortunately his sexual satisfaction only lasted a day or two before he began to desire male sex again. His constant hunting and trying to keep his secret from Jennifer was exhausting him. It was when he met Frank Chambers that both their lives veered off course. The two guys hit it off immediately. Frank was handsome, all man and a jock like Blake. They were both married and each had two kids. Like Blake, Frank had an executive position with a major corporation, and was a huge football fan. They both had season tickets to the Forty-Niners football games and neither of their wives went with them. They rushed to the motel the first time they met, and they had absolutely great sex together. Frank was almost as wide around as Blake, but with patience they were able to enjoy each other. Parting was difficult, but they figured out when they could meet again, and how often. They also made a pact to leave the football games at half time and hit the motel. They would have liked to have been together constantly, but were willing to settle for the crumbs life handed them. Taking a cue from "Brokeback Mountain" they even arranged a fishing trip together and spent a glorious week in bed, sucking and fucking. One day they decided to tell their wives that they had met at the football games and had become great friends. They arranged for the four of them to have dinner together. The wives enjoyed the evening and each other, so they began to do it more often. It wasn't an ideal situation, but neither wanted to ruin their lives by coming out. They appreciated what they had, and made the best of things. There was always the fear of being found out, but that only added to the excitement. Blake even called Steve on a whim, and told him what route his life had taken. Steve was overjoyed for Blake, and he and Willie met Blake and Frank downtown for lunch one day. The four of them really enjoyed one another's company. Willie even offered them use of his and Blake's apartment if it meant they could get together more often. They took advantage of the offer and stopped paying for a motel. One time they were able to come over in the evening when Steve and Willie were home. The two couples began to make love. Nobody was sure how it happened, but at some point they switched partners and it was fine with all of them. Willie and Steve were still madly in love with each other as were Blake and Frank. In fact, it only made Willie and Steve more grateful that they had each other full time, and didn't have to sneak around. As Blake and Frank increased the frequency of their sexual encounters, sex with their wives decreased. When they did have sex, it was usually unsatisfactory. Often it was the evening of an afternoon tryst and both men were worn out. As their marital sex lives deteriorated so did their marriages and soon both wives were seeking divorce. Frank was the first to get the ultimatum. "I thought I'd be devastated," he told Blake, but I'm not. I'm relieved. I'll still get to have time with the kids and I'll have my own apartment. You'll be able to come over whenever you can get away. Please make it often. I love you." It was the first time he had ever said that. Blake was so moved, he grabbed Frank in a bear hug and gave him a wet slobbery kiss. When he came up for air, he murmured, "I love you too." Now that Frank had an apartment of his own, they saw each other more and more. Blake's sex life with Jennifer was kaput, and it wasn't long before he moved in with Frank. Both men remained in the closet to their families and at work, but their private lives became paradise for both of them. They joined Steve and Willie at happy hour every Friday evening at one of the many gay bars that were around town. They made many other gay friends and became part of the larger gay community. Truly, they were happy and they made love freely, often, and best of all, unhurriedly. One evening, Blake and Frank were having a romantic dinner at home. Blake raised his wine glass and said, "Here's to us, sweetheart. The worst thing that can happen to a person is to lead a life other than what God intended for him. We're the lucky ones." "Amen," Frank answered. They both raised their glasses and sipped their wine to acknowledge their good fortune.