Lust in London 0797734794625

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Lust in London By S. L. Danielson

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000." Cover Artist: T. William Lust in London © 2010 S.L. Danielson ISBN #0797734794625 All rights reserved. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. PUBLISHER

DEDICATION

For Dustin, my good friend and inspiration for this book.

Chapter 1 The weather outside was perfect for the mood Alex was in. Sleet tapped its incessant melody onto the newly patched roof. The windows were fogging up, creating a glowing white vignette on each pane. The room was warm, aided by the newly-added wood fireplace. The only sounds were the pelting of the sleet, the crackling of the fire, and the pounding of Alex’s heart. He was all alone this night. His mom wanted to drop by, but he turned her down. Alex wanted to be alone. It gave him time to rest and recount what thoughts tortured his mind. He sat up slowly in the burgundy wingback chair, adjusting the fleece blanket he’d placed over his exposed legs. A chill fell over the room as the wind suddenly gusted outside. Alex rubbed his arms and huffed warm air into his hands. The thin blue sweater he wore was not enough. His coffee brown eyes glanced at the clock above the fireplace. Alex sighed. It was only 8 PM, the evenings kept growing longer and longer. He ran his fingers through his tuft of brown, spiked hair. All of the week’s events caught up in his mind, needling at him incessantly. It had been very lonely ever since that fateful day, or as he called it ‘the end of days’. It had been the day that he and Mason ended their six-month-old relationship. He tried to look on the bright side and think objectively. Alex was only 22 years old, but was already ahead of most of his life goals. He’d graduated early from high school and had been on the dean’s list every semester at college. His upcoming graduation was a full six months ahead of his classmates. His dream of going to law school had finally become reality the day the acceptance letter arrived in his mailbox. He couldn’t wait to attend in the fall, after taking some time off. He’d just landed a job as a law clerk and could now pay for his own rental house.

But now, all the goals, all the dreams, all the careful planning he and his parents had orchestrated together, meant little to him. Alex rested his head on his right hand, and stared into the fire. His life felt meaningless and empty without Mason to share it with. The breakup had been very one-sided. The last six months had been full of every emotion the young man could’ve mustered. He’d felt love, hate, passion, jealousy, absolute joy, pain. The breakup was very sudden, and very emotional. Alex felt his young, beardless face flush, and there was the sudden refreshing coolness of tears rushing down his skin. He brushed the tears away violently. He tried valiantly to stop the onslaught of memories, of all their dates, games they played, and nights they’d spent together. He’d battled this round of tears, but as an unrelenting foe, they came back, and in greater numbers. Alex surrendered to them at last and fell asleep after crying for a halfan-hour. He dreamt of when he and Mason first met.

Chapter 2 It was June of the previous year, now just six-and- a-half months ago. Alex had submitted his application to study abroad in Europe for his final semester. The fresh-faced student felt the experience would enrich him and give him unforgettable memories. The chosen location was that of London, England. It was exciting and terrifying all at the same time. Alex had barely left his home state of Kansas, much less fly to a different continent! The trip was long, but good. Everything went off without a hitch. Even his luggage managed to make it there in tact. Alex would not be alone on this trip; there were other students with whom to bunk with. They were an eclectic group of three, from all different backgrounds. There was Paolo, the Spanish hunk who made every girl he met want to toss her bra at him. He was the silent, gorgeous, Spaniard. He was a soccer player with terrific legs, always in rugby shirts and shorts. He had thick, wavy black hair, smooth mocha skin and brilliant green eyes. His smile was picture perfect. Though he was a force to be reckoned with on the soccer field, he was shy as could be barely uttering a word. Alex had looked him over the moment he’d moved in. He looked very friendly. He found Paolo to be both a good cook and a great listener, especially in the wee hours. Then there was Jake, the southerner from Alabama, who admitted he was there just to party. Jake was rarely ever home; he wanted to immerse himself in the club scene of London’s finest pubs. Despite his near-perfect physique, he was a notorious boozehound, and boasted frequently of his drinking accomplishments. There were also the tales of sexual exploits that Jake had plundered at various clubs, especially along London’s famous Underground, aka, the Tube. He wanted to be very popular among London’s

female population. Alex found him puzzling at best. Alex was eager to explore all that London had to offer. The first two weeks passed quickly. In that time, he had found a parttime job as a waiter, and gone on three sightseeing tours. He saw the London Eye, aka Millennium Wheel, with a nice view of Parliament and Big Ben. He nearly changed his mind just by the long lines to get on and the tight security. Alex watched in amazement as two security guards with mirrors attached to poles swept each pod as it emptied. Alex shook his head, wondering what a world without 9/11 would be like. Finally, for a bit of fun, he went to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. It was extremely crowded and quite difficult to get a picture of a wax figure without getting a fellow tourist in the frame. With his limited funds, Alex was relieved there was a joint ticket available to both Tussaud’s and London Eye for a discount. His digital camera was certainly getting a workout. After this time, Alex wanted to delve into what types of people London had to offer. He decided to go out on his first night off, a Thursday. He’d chosen to dress as he always had, conservatively. Alex donned dress black trousers, which were freshly ironed of course. He’d paired it with a crisp, white, longsleeved shirt he’d also ironed. His short, spiked hair was combed just so. His breath was made as minty-fresh as possible. Alex had never been on a date before and was petrified of the whole process. He’d decided now was the time. He left for the pub section of town to sow his oats. He’d wandered by this section of town on two previous occasions, but only in the daytime. The nighttime brought out a completely different classification of people. No longer were people rushing hurriedly to get their business done. It was much more relaxed and social. Clean-cut Alex left his cab and took in the scenery. He wasn’t noticed as he’d pulled up, which he took as a

good sign. He never did like the spotlight. The streets were filling up, but not even at half-capacity yet. It was only 7 PM. All Alex could see were men, everywhere. They came in all sizes, colors, and dialects. He cruised a few as unnoticeably as possible. Some of the men noticed and looked back. Alex felt his shyness kick in and quickened his pace. He walked past a few groups on his way to the door of his chosen pub. He overheard the Scottish brogue, Irish, German, and even mid-eastern accents. There was also the myriad of smells in the air. It was a fine mixture of Polo and Stetson. Then there was whatever cologne the mid-eastern men wore. He found them haunting in a way. Being raised in the Midwest he’d rarely seen one in his town. They were new and interesting. Unfortunately, the only ones he’d seen before were on the news and terrorists. Alex pushed the thoughts out of his mind. London was truly a melting pot of the UK. Alex finally reached the door to his chosen pub, The Houndstooth. Even before he could reach for the door handle, a very large bouncer asked for his ID. Alex presented his passport as proof. The bouncer scrutinized it carefully, as Alex looked on hopefully. Finally, after a tense moment, the bouncer let him pass. The glass in the door vibrated with the loud music from inside. As soon as the entry was opened, the loud music spilled into the streets as a rushing wave. Alex grimaced. He’d always hated loud music, but had to endure it if he wanted to fit in. He tried valiantly not to cover his ears to at least diminish the punishing din. He decided to attempt to focus his attentions on what the other men wore. It varied widely. There were professionals still in their suits, minus the tie. There were soccer fans wearing replicas of their favorite player’s jerseys. There were even a few odd men without shirts at all, only leather vests covered their bulging, hairy chests. Alex eyed his own outfit and saw that he did fit in, but his smaller size made him stand out. He was only

5’9” and weighed 150 lbs. He was skinny and pale, and scared to death. Some men noticed and tried to catch his eye. Alex hurried to the bar to get a cold drink. He knew warm beer was the local favorite, but would insist on a cold one. He stood ramrod straight at the bar, his legs began to shake they were so tensed. The bartender was a very large man with long, grey hair in a ponytail and a goatee. He must’ve been at least 200 pounds, Alex guessed. He could hear him laughing loudly with his fellow countrymen on the other side. He saw one point in his direction, and not in a friendly way. Finally, the barkeep walked over and barked at the trepid young man. “Ay, bloke! What’s your pleasure?” Alex tried to respond, but his voice had suddenly lost its sound. The gruff barkeep rolled his large blue eyes and sighed audibly in exasperation. Alex suddenly found his voice and shouted back. “A draft! Cold!” He’d said it so loudly that it caught the attention of all the men in the vicinity. Some smiled and laughed, a few others winked. Alex blushed, wary of the notice he’d drawn. He reached into his wallet and pulled out the right amount of money. He slapped it onto the bar and quickly drank off 1/3 of his ale to attempt to quell his fears. He decided to return to just peoplewatching and cruising. Suddenly, the crowds cleared just long enough for Alex to spot a man sitting alone. He wondered how long he’d been there. He was dressed differently than anyone else in the bar. His outfit looked to be all black: pants, turtleneck, even his shoes. Alex could see when the man turned his head that his hair was in a smoothed ponytail that crept halfway down his back. He tried to catch the man’s eye color, but the dim lighting made that exceedingly difficult. Alex decided there was only one way to find out. Mustering up every ounce of courage he had left, Alex took a

large swig of his beer, which was so cold it caught him off guard. He choked for a moment on the icy beverage, but managed to calm himself, take a deep breath, and walked over to the man he’d spotted. When he approached, he eyed the chair opposite the man. “Is this seat taken?” The man quickly looked up and straight into Alex’s eyes. The student felt a rush, as if the man were looking right through him. The eyes appeared dark and cold in the setting; Alex hoped that wasn’t truly the case. After a long moment, the man replied. “No, that seat’s free.” Alex smiled and quickly pulled the chair out and sat down. He felt as if he’d just claimed a prize and had to hurry before someone else tried to. He looked over at the man and stretched out his right hand. “My name’s Alex. What’s yours?” The patron finally smiled and stretched out his right hand as well, joining Alex’s. “Mason.” They shook hands. It wasn’t too long or too tight, just right. Alex could always tell a lot from a handshake. He certainly liked what he felt so far. “Nice to meet you, Mason. Are you from London?” Mason grinned and took a sip of his ale. “No, I’m from Virginia. I’m just here on business. I feel like England is my second home though. It certainly has rubbed off on me!” Alex’s tensions had to be tamed. He wanted to know much more about this man. For starters, he’d been trying to guess Mason’s age. He was obviously older, but by how much he could not discern. When he was nervous, Alex had a bad habit of blurting out peculiar questions. Just as Alex opened up his mouth to ask, Mason leaned forward and looked into his companion’s pale, fair face with a scrutinizing eye. “Hey, not to be rude, but are you even old enough to be in here?”

Alex felt his face flush, but with anger. His mouth opened, but couldn’t yet conjure a reply. He grabbed his beer and took a large swig in defiance. “Of course I’m old enough! I’m not a teenager, I’m 21! How old are you?” Alex crossed his arms haughtily across his narrow chest. Mason backed away for a moment. “I’m 28. I’m sorry, Alex. I meant no offense.” Alex uncrossed his arms and looked into Mason’s eyes. “Yep, you’re plenty old enough. Just as I am.” Mason smirked. “Touché. Wow, guess I won’t be pissing you off again. Quite the temper you have!” Alex felt a wave of nerves as he realized he’d just insulted Mason. His brown eyes grew wide and his pulse quickened. He unfolded his arms and lightened his tone. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.” Mason leaned back in the barstool and eyed the young man. Alex’s mind quickly filled with worrisome thoughts and he was unable to slow his rapidly increasing breathing. He fumbled for his glass of beer, finally grasping it and shakily brought it to his lips. “Alex? Hey, are you ok?” Alex slammed the glass down on the table after finishing it rapidly. His face changed hue from pale to pasty white. He suddenly clamped his left hand over his mouth and bolted for the bathroom at the back of the pub.

Chapter 3 Alex had not gotten ill, but was so pale the two other men in the restroom were tending to him. A tall, svelte Italian had gotten him a cool towel for his neck, while a larger, stout Irishman sat him down on the large metal bench next to the door. He looked up and noticed that Mason had just walked in. He knelt before Alex and put his hand on his kneecap. “Alex, I am so sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I was trying to kid with you.” Alex’s brown eyes gazed up into Mason’s. He could finally see their color. They were a truly deep, ocean blue. Instead of the icy, cold orbs, they were warm, caring eyes, paired with the genuine smile and concern of their owner. Alex smiled. “Thank you. I accept. I-the last thing I wanted to do was insult you. I’m sorry too.” Mason cocked his head. The ponytail spilled over his shoulder, catching Alex’s eye. The hue was blond, but he wondered if it was dyed at all. It appeared soft and well-cared for. “Sorry for what? Being nervous? You’re in a bar full of strange men in a foreign country. You have every right to be nervous! I’d think it odd if you weren’t.” Alex nodded. What Mason said made a lot of sense. He felt his pulse slow and his color return. The stout Irishman noticed right away. “Aye, you're looking better lad. Go out and get some air.” “Thanks, I think I will.” Alex balled up the towel and tossed it into the trash. All three men helped the young man stand up. Once he was sure he was ok, he thanked the Italian and the Irishman by shaking their hands. “Guess there really are good people all over the world.” Mason smiled and put his arm around Alex’s slight shoulders. He could smell Mason’s cologne, it was fairly strong. He guessed it was something expensive.

“There sure are. You are one of them.” Alex looked up into his companion’s eyes and grinned at him. Mason tried to move in for a kiss, but held back. He opted for a hug instead. Alex wrapped his arms around his newly found friend and breathed in his scent even deeper. Instead of some exotic cologne, Mason smelled like cigarettes combined with musk oil. Alex found it highly stimulating and wanted to hang on, but digressed. “Let’s go get some air.” Mason offered. Alex nodded. “Lead the way.” The duo fought their way through the crowd to the exit. Outside had become a bit more populated. Alex looked up at his companion and tried to decipher his body language. He decided to just take a wild guess. “Would you like to take a walk?” Mason grinned. “That’d be great. Get us away from the smoke and the crowd.” The two strode forth on their journey in tandem. They walked away from the club scene and into the London night. The weather was agreeable, not chilly and not hot. They walked for 20 minutes before the crowd and loud music was a mere whisper in the distance. Alex looked around at where they’d wandered and stopped in his tracks. He’d been so intently engaged in conversation. Mason stopped and looked back. “What is it, Alex?” “I-I don’t recognize these buildings.” Alex said with a note of fear in his voice. “How far have we walked?” His mind began to conjure every paranoid predicament possible. What was he doing out here with a man he hardly knew, in a part of town he’d never been to. It sent his pulse soaring yet again. Mason walked over to him and put a warm hand upon his shoulder. “Alex? Hey, relax my friend. We’re not too far from my hotel. I know this district.” “You do?” “Yeah, I stay here when I come to London. Downtown is too

damn expensive.” Alex took a sigh of relief and ran his hand through his hair. He felt a wave of relief. They began walking again in tandem until he pieced the sentence together in his mind. Hotel? How was this evening going to end? He slowed his pace and stopped again. “Whoa. Wait a minute, Mason. Why are we going to your hotel? What do you expect from me? I just met you two hours ago!” Mason rolled his eyes, and walked back again. “Alex, relax. You’re so high strung!” “Maybe I am! Maybe this whole thing is just some ploy to get me in bed with you. I barely know you!” Mason ran his hand over his face and sighed. He looked into his companion’s eyes for a moment and walked over to him. He rested his strong hands onto Alex’s slight shoulders. “Relax, ok? As awesome as that’d be, I know you’re not exactly ready. Okay?” Alex smiled in relief. “Thank you. That’s all I ask. So, what were we going to do?” Mason grinned and looked down at his shorter companion. “I thought we’d get a drink or maybe even dessert? This hotel has the best key lime pie. I mean the best! It even beats my mother’s recipe.” Alex exhaled at last and nearly laughed with relief. Pie? That was it? How much more homespun could one get? He felt as if a weight were released from his chest. Mason grinned. “See, nothing sinister. There’s even an allnight cabbie who can take you back at whatever time you want.” Alex tried to smile but also felt badly for having assumed the worst. He was so new to all of this his greenness may be skewing his judgment. This was a simple meeting and a simple dessert date, nothing more. “I love pie.” He finally answered. His tone was more upbeat. “Let’s hurry, they run out pretty quick.” The two strode sideby-side. At times, their hands almost touched.

As a mirage’s sudden appearance in the desert, the hotel came seemingly from nowhere. It was a Hilton, a famous name. Its lights were dim on this cloudy night. London’s notorious fog moved in already. All 12 floors were cast in the shadows that enveloped it in a cloak of darkness. Alex caught a glimpse of his watch while passing under a streetlamp. It was 10:30 pm. He’d decided to throw caution to the wind and stay out as long as he could. Britain itself was mesmerizing, now tripled with the introduction of Mason. The duo entered the hotel and seated themselves at the counter of the café. Alex glanced around. The style was oddly retro American. There were the jukeboxes on every table, a soda fountain, even the help was in candy-colored uniforms. It was bright against the darkness of the outside. The counter seats were all empty. There were perhaps four other patrons present, all tucked into the red metallic booths. He was thankful it was quiet and mostly private. They had been seated for only a moment when a slim, redhaired waitress named Calliope came their way. She seemed to match the linoleum counter in her bright green uniform dress. “Hiya! What can I getcha, sugar?” She snapped her gum and smiled. Mason glanced over at his new friend and the two shared a look. “We’d like two slices of key lime pie and I’d like coffee. Alex?” “Uh, yeah, coffee for me too, thanks.” He smiled back at the pretty waitress as she winked at them and put her order pad away. “You two are lucky. That’s my last two slices. Coming right up, darlins.” The accent was distinctively southern. Mason and Alex shared a laugh over the lovely young lady. She seemed so out-of-place, yet fit right in. She was a college student they guessed, working her way through school. Perhaps her family wanted a change and came across the pond. Whatever her story was, they were glad she was there. She represented a piece of

America in the heart of London. Within moments, their coffee mugs were filled and their conversation began again. Not a minute later, the pie arrived. Alex wanted to dive right in, but thought it rude while trying to talk. They simply took a moment to savor the dessert. “Damn, this is good pie! How’d you find this place?” Mason grinned. “See, told ya! Now you’ll have to trust my judgment.” Alex laughed to himself. He wondered just what Mason meant, but let it go for the time being. “Yeah, I guess so. Well, once I’ve known you longer.” Alex blurted out. Mason nodded and took another bite of pie. Within five minutes, the dessert was gone. “Compliments to the chef!” Mason announced aloud. Alex cringed a bit, he was drawing attention. He took his companion’s arm and pulled him back. “Dude, I think they heard you.” Alex tried not to hide his face. Mason scowled. “Hey, if I like something, I let ‘em know it. Sorry if it embarrasses you.” Alex recoiled a bit from the tone. He opened his mouth to speak, but again the words escaped him. He watched Mason sip his coffee and look over his shoulder out the windows. Alex shut his eyes for a moment and let out a breath. “Mason?” “What?” “Let’s not do this whole misunderstanding thing again, alright?” Mason’s expression went from angry to amused. He fumbled for his coffee cup and took a nervous sip. “Let’s talk about something else.” Alex nodded in agreement. “So, what’s your last name?” “Adams. It’s pretty common where I come from. I was born in Richmond, and my favorite food is Italian.” He paused and took a sip of coffee. “I went to the University of Virginia and graduated with honors just four years ago.”

Alex raised an impressed brow. “That’s a really hard thing to do! How’d you do it?” Mason grinned. “It’s called not having much of a life.” The two laughed together. It was a genuine laugh, not nervous or forced at all. “I stayed and pursued a Masters degree too, so I have an MBA.” Alex raised a brow again and toasted with his drink. “That’s great! I’m a big advocate for education. So, uh, what do you do with all that learning? I mean, what brings you to England?” Mason laughed. “My job. I’m in sales. They ship us all over the damn globe. I got lucky enough to land the UK. I really like it here. Sometimes, there’s a nice bonus to it.” Mason raised his cup and winked at his companion. Alex felt his pulse rise and his face blush. He turned away, a bit embarrassed by the attention. Mason smiled. Such perfect teeth he had. Alex couldn’t help but wonder if they were real or those fancy implants. Either way, it didn’t matter. Here was this hot guy whose attention he’d garnered. He didn’t intend on letting it go. Mason gently tapped Alex’s knee. “Your turn. What’s your story?” “Well, my last name is Winthrop. There’s only a few in our area. I was born in Salina, Kansas, and my favorite food is Mexican.” Alex paused and asked for a refill on his coffee. “I just graduated college, now I’m going into law school.” Mason sat up, impressed. “That’s awesome! Not to mention law school to boot? Good job! You must be your parent’s pride and joy.” Alex tried to hide his delighted smile and shrugged. “Eh, I guess so. I knew what I wanted to be when I was a little kid. I used to hold court in my room.” Mason chuckled. “What’s your win record?” Alex felt a wave of cockiness. “Oh, I’m undefeated. Perry Mason of Salina.” The two laughed together again. “Hey, like your outfit. Tried

to go with the clean cut look, eh?” Alex looked himself over. His shirt was wrinkled due to the humidity. “Well, I did look nice, earlier. Running into all those men ya know…” they chuckled lightly. “I couldn’t tell you were a salesman at all. You look like an artist, or a poet.” Mason smiled widely. “A poet, huh? Maybe do some stand up and recite my “Ode to Alex?” both men laughed. They scooted as close as they could without falling off the stools. Alex happened to glance at the clock, it was midnight. He needed to get back to his rooming house. “Shit! I gotta get home. I have class tomorrow!” Mason cocked his head. “Damn.” he said in a very disappointed tone. “Listen, why don’t we do this again tomorrow night?” Mason brightened. His posture visibly straightened and his mood cleared. “Yeah! I’d like that. You obviously know where I’m staying. Here’s the number…” Mason fumbled for a pen. “Damn, no pockets!” Calliope saw and came over to assist. “Whatcha need, sugar?” Mason laughed. “Can I borrow your pen?” Calliope smiled wide and looked the pair over with her huge green eyes. “Why sure, honey. I hope it works out for you two.” Mason quickly grabbed a napkin and scrawled the phone number and his room number. He handed the napkin to Alex and the pen back to Calliope. “Thank you. So do I.” With a wink and a loud snap of her gum, Calliope took the pen back and walked away. Mason turned back toward Alex. “Call me tomorrow; we’ll decide where to go.” “I will.” Alex stood up to leave, pleased that Mason was following him to the lobby. Alex grinned to himself. “Thank you, Mason. I had a great time.” He looked behind him and saw that the man hadn’t left his side. Alex smiled to himself. “Walking me out?”

“Well, we mustn’t let anything happen to you.” Mason quipped. Their eyes met for a moment. Suddenly, the loud sound of the cab’s horn startled both men. Alex had fought every bit of lust that swelled inside of him and tempered it with his logic. As much as he wanted to jump Mason right then and there, he didn’t want to appear desperate. He did the most conservative thing he could thing of. He took Mason’s hand and shook it firmly. “Thank you again, Mason. I had a great time.” Mason looked quite disappointed but at least seemed to understand. He held onto the hand for a moment. “Good night, Alex. I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon.” They parted ways and Alex climbed into the cab. It was a clean cab, the first he’d seen in a while. “Driver, #8 Ivy Way.” “#8 Ivy way, got it.” The driver echoed. He put the car into gear. Alex sat back and waved goodbye to Mason as they drove away.

Chapter 4 After a fairly enjoyable taxi ride home, Alex arrived back at his rooming house and ran up to his room right away. Surprisingly, he was greeted by silence. He looked around the living room and kitchen for a moment. “Hello? Anybody home?” he queried. No answer at all. “Wow, for once I have this place to myself. Figures; I sent my date home!” Alex admonished himself. His mind was a small tornado of thoughts. The “should I haves” and “what ifs” kept cropping up like flowers in a spring field. He paced the floor, his mind awash with thoughts of all things Mason. Finally, after 10 minutes of his one room walk, he gave in and settled into his desk chair in front of his laptop. As he waited for the machine to boot up, he shut his eyes and ran his hands through his short, spiked brown hair. All he could picture was Mason standing in front of him. A wide smile placed itself on Alex’s lips. He could envision the man in a fine suit. It enticed him even more. Alex’s brain took a slow, meandering tour through the nuances of the man named Mason Adams. He began with the long, silky blond hair trapped in that ponytail. He longed to feel the strands running through his fingers. Next was the face. He had a Romanesque, chiseled, statue-like features that caught your eye. Long nose, firm chin, and those mesmerizing blue eyes. Then, there were the lips. Alex had wanted to feel those lips tonight, but didn’t. He’d watched them, memorized their every curve. He could only fathom a guess as to how soft they were. Alex suddenly opened his eyes and discovered how aroused he was. He rushed down to the kitchen for a tall glass of water, cold water.

He retrieved a large, blue glass from the cabinet and filled it to top. As he drank his beverage, he stood quietly and looked out the small window just above the sink. The moon was a mere sliver, enveloped in the darkness of the nighttime sky. He glanced over his shoulder to see the clock. He had to squint to see the time, nearly 1 am. Alex laughed to himself. Just an hour ago he was saying goodbye to Mason. He felt it’d been hours upon hours since they parted. He sniffed his shirt, praying to capture even a whiff of Mason’s intoxicating cologne. Anything that would remind him of the tall, handsome businessman was more than welcome. Finally, the excitement of the evening began to wear off. Alex had the sobering realization that he had class later that day. He finished off his water and left the glass by the sink. He groaned a bit and rolled his eyes. School was the mundane part of this trip. At least it was only one class, and a lecture at that, European law. He longed to be an attorney, the third in his family line. He wondered how long he could stand it; though being in London made it easier, made especially sweet by Mason’s presence. Alex stretched tall and yawned wide. His jaw clicked, and he flinched. He shut his mouth quickly, fearing lockjaw. With one final glare at the clock, he slowly sauntered upstairs and readied for bed. His arousal had gone to sleep for the time being. However, when he awoke was a different story, his body had sprung to life yet again. It was just in time for him to wake up and go in to class.

Chapter 5 The classroom was housed in the hallowed halls of a local university. It was only twice a week, so not too terrible; however the three-hour time devotion was a bit much to sit through. He found out that he had a small group of fans, however, three girls, all very giggly and goofy. They’d cover their hands and whisper to each other in his company. He found this flattering as well as amusing. Didn’t they know? Was their gaydar off by that much? Still, the attention was nice. He wouldn’t shirk that for anything. Every hour or so brought about the obsession to check his cell phone. Did he call yet? Will he call? Alex chided at himself for acting like an obsessed schoolgirl. He had to focus on the droning professor housed at the front of the room. In a while he could return to daydreaming about Mason. At long last, the class ended at 4 o’clock. Finally, at 4:30 pm, Alex’s cell phone rang. It was Mason. After the usual small talk, the two had their first awkward silence. It was finally broken by Alex cracking a joke that he’d heard from one of his admirers that day. They both laughed at the same time. “Hey, you never did tell me all about your job. How long have you been there? Do you make good money at it?” Both took a breath as the story would be revealed. Alex listened intently as Mason unfolded the tale of how he got his job at the multinational corporation, Palmer, Inc. He was one of their highest-paid sales reps. Alex couldn’t hide his jealously of Mason’s six-figure income. It had been three years since he joined, and never looked back. He loved the UK and everything it had to offer. “Things have certainly livened up, especially with you in the picture, Alex.” The student felt himself blush. He wondered if it

was the hot cell phone or his own lust for the older man. “I really like the UK too. I have definitely warmed up to it, especially last night.” “Awesome pie, wasn’t it? I told you it even beat my Mom’s recipe.” Alex was fairly certain he had a twang that Mason quickly repressed. There was a brief silence. “Yes, that was a bit of my much-repressed country accent you just heard. I’ve tried hard to get rid of it and replace it with my snobby fake British accent.” Alex grinned. “I like your voice. It gets me through the day.” There was a brief silence; Alex held his breath. He wondered if he’d said something wrong. He heard a subtle laugh on the other end. “Mas…” “Alex, I’m sorry, I must go. I will call you later on.” The young man stiffened. “Uh, yeah. Sure. I’ll talk to you later.” He flipped his phone shut before Mason could answer. Dammit. What the hell was that about? Alex stuffed the phone away in his pocket, uncertain whom he was angrier at more, himself or Mason. He checked his watch, 4:45. He did a quick glance around and straightened his clothing. “Well, guess that’s that. I’ll go home and wait. Hopefully I’ll get an explanation.”

Chapter 6 Alex walked home and was welcomed by the wonderful scent of Italian sausage. He slipped inside the door, his nose practically reaching into the air for a hint of it. It led him into the kitchen. “Holy cow, Paolo, what’re you cooking? That smells amazing!” The swarthy Spaniard looked up from his creation and smiled at Alex. “This is genuine Italian sausage, and I’m making lasagna with it.” “Well it’s making my nose jealous of the air! When will we eat?” Paolo glanced at the clock. “In about an hour or so.” “An hour?” Alex balked. “But I’m starving right now. Any side dishes?” Paolo shook his head. His thick, black hair followed slowly after. “There’ll be garlic cheese bread.” Alex grinned. “Thank goodness, I need something to chew on. It’ll keep me from calling Mason back.” Paolo raised a brow. “Who’s Mason? Oh, is that the guy you met last night?” Alex grinned. “Yup. He’s a super hot salesman from Virginia. He’s got long blond hair and a killer ass!” Paolo chortled. “Well, sounds like you two hit it off.” “We did. We met at that pub I went to.” Paolo’s jaw dropped. “You met someone at a pub?” he wagged his head. “I hope you were careful.” “Oh shit, nothing like that! We walked together and went back to his hotel…” “Hotel?” “Relax! It was for pie.” Paolo scowled. “Pie? Sounds like an odd date to me. What’d

you do, order room service?” Alex frowned and cast a gloomy look at his roommate. “For your information, and this is really none of your business, we didn’t do anything. We ate in the diner in the basement. We parted ways and shook hands good night.” Paolo rolled his eyes. “You shook hands? I thought you liked this guy.” Alex sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I do, I really do. But I can’t just do all that stuff that other guys do. I’m not into quickie relationships.” Paolo frowned. “Uh, if memory serves me, wouldn’t this be your first relationship?” He walked over the refrigerator and pulled out a large bag of shredded mozzarella cheese. He tore it open and dumped it into the bowl of eggs and ricotta cheese. Alex nodded. “Yup. In my twenties and finally got a date. What the hell’s your point, Paolo?” “My point is if this is your first relationship, how the hell do you know what you want out of it? You have nothing to base it on.” Alex rubbed his hands over his face and rested his chin in them. “Well, what do you suggest, oh master of romance?” They both chuckled. “Not much. I suggest that you just go with the flow of it.” “That’s your sage advice?” “Eh. It’s all I have right now. Sorry, kid.” Alex shrugged and watched the man finish off stirring the filling for the lasagna. Paolo was quite practiced at cooking and it showed. He didn’t struggle at all, and he expertly placed the perfect dollops of filling to cover the noodles. Alex let out a breath. “I think of him constantly. He makes me want to question my timeline.” Paolo looked up from his cooking with a confused look on his face. “Your timeline?” Alex blushed. “Yeah. Ever since I knew I was gay, I set out a timeline of when I wanted things to happen. He’s making me want

to speed things way up! That is, if we’re still speaking.” Paolo cocked his head and rolled his eyes again. “Okay, I’ll bite. What happened?” “Well, he called me and we were chatting along just fine, then there was this odd silence. He came back a second later and said he had to go. He said he’d call me back.” Paolo shook his head. He lovingly covered the culinary art with a thick layer of mozzarella cheese. He kept a few shreds out for himself and his roommate. “Here, have some cheese. Do you think he’ll call you back?” They devoured the shreds ravenously. Alex finally looked back into Paolo’s eyes. “Am I being a complete stressed-out idiot or what?” The Spaniard finished chewing and looked back at his roommate. “Look, if you ask me, quit stressing about it. He’ll call you back. If he doesn’t, he’s a jerk, forget him.” Alex sighed aloud and took another glance at his watch.” “Stop it. You’ll only make it worse. My grandmamma always said a watched pot doesn’t boil. If he wants to call, he’ll call you! Don’t be a lovesick girl.” Paolo covered the lasagna in aluminum foil. “OK, this is ready for the oven. Could you open the oven door for me?” “Yeah, sure thing.” Alex stood back as the dinner was loaded into the hot oven. Paolo set the timer. “There, now we have an hour to chill out. Can you at least try to?” Alex rolled his eyes. “I think I can try to survive.” Paolo slung his arm around his friend. “Come on, drama queen. Let’s play one of your video games.” “Put in Halo, that’s kickass!” An hour later, Jake came home from his job as a salesman. His tan face tilted up as soon as he walked inside. His hazel eyes lit up like candles. “Damn! What smells so freakin good?”

Alex laughed. “That’s the lasagna Paolo made. It should be ready by now.” “Yes, Jake. As usual, you are just in time for dinner.” Paolo chided. Jake scowled for a moment; he knew there was an insult in there somewhere. “Well yeehaw, I don’t care. Let’s rustle up that Italian grub!” Alex and Paolo shared an amused look as Jake walked past. Alex leaned over and whispered into his friend’s ear. “Yippee-kay-ay buckaroo.” They both stifled a laugh. They got their plates and proceeded to divide and engulf the wonderful dish. The garlic cheese bread went quickly too. All three young men sat in silence as their mouths were far too busy eating. Not five minutes after dinner was finished, Jake checked his cell phone. “Oooo, doggie! I gotta run. Got a hot date!” He stood up quickly and jarred the table a bit. Paolo scowled at him. “Hey, will you watch what you’re doing?” Jake barely acknowledged his roommate as he barreled out the door and back into the streets of London. The remaining two shook their heads. “He’s always on the move, isn’t he?” Paolo asked. Alex was about to respond when his cell phone rang loudly. He grappled for it and picked it up quickly. “Hello? Hi, Mason! How are you?” Paolo rolled his eyes and stood up to clear the table. Alex ran up to his room to have some privacy. “How was work? You sound tired.” “I am. Work was work. Long, dull. Listen, I’m beat. I wanted to see if you’re free tonight, but I don’t think I am. How about we meet tomorrow? I’m off in the afternoon.” Alex felt his heart race. “Sure! Where do you want to meet?” “Oh, I can pick you up if you’d like. What’s your address?”

Alex felt a shudder of fear. As much as he liked Mason; the trust factor wasn’t there yet. “Uh, how about I just meet you there instead? It’s supposed to be nice weather out tomorrow. I love to walk.” “Suit yourself. Meet me in front of the pub where we met. I’ll drive you from there.” “Sounds good, uh, what time?” “1 o’clock? I’m bringing us lunch, so don’t worry about food.” “I’ll see you then. Good night, Mason.” “Good night, Alex.” Paolo knocked on the door. “Come in.” “So, how’d it go?” “We’re meeting for lunch tomorrow.” “Cool! Where at?” Alex scowled. “Shit. He didn’t say. He’s picking me up at the pub where we met.” “Be careful. That’s all I gotta say. You’re a good kid, Alex. Don’t wanna call home to your parents and say you were kidnapped on a date.” Alex had a flash of a police report in his mind. ‘Young American on holiday kidnapped and murdered by traveling businessman.’ He shook his head. “I’ll be alright. I’ve got my cell phone and we’re going to a public place.” “Cool. Hey, wanna play anymore Halo?” “Yeah, let’s see if I can get past level two this time!”

Chapter 7 The next day rolled around and Alex was breathless with anticipation. It was finally sunny out and a perfect temperature of 75 degrees. Both men were in shorts and polo shirts as they parked the car, gathered their picnic gear, and set out. They chose a spot in Hyde Park where they could talk privately. It was a bit further into the park than Alex would’ve liked; but he followed along anyway. Something about the handsome Mason made him want to follow the man anywhere. Now, if he could just figure out what it was. Alex looked around at the scenery surrounding them. The picturesque lake was calm save for a few ripples echoing from the ducks that swam in its depths. There were towering trees of every type and size. Their leaves were full and lush on the branches. Birds fluttered in and out of the catacombs of nests they’d made for their young. The only other sounds were the buzzing of honeybees and wasps. Alex ducked from time to time, and Mason stifled a laugh. “Don’t swat at them, they’ll attack you!” “Better them than me! I hate bugs. Come on; let’s sit away from the flowers.” Mason nodded and smiled coyly. They walked away from the monstrous flowering shrubs of roses and irises. Alex took a moment and looked into his companion’s eyes. He could finally see they were the truest ocean blue. He wanted to stare into the eyes for as long as possible without freaking Mason out; yet he couldn’t look away. “Something wrong, Alex? You’ve been staring at me for five minutes.” Alex was embarrassed at being called out. He didn’t want the stigma of looking like a lovesick puppy. “I…just like looking at your eyes. They are such an unusual color. Sorry.”

Mason nudged Alex’s arm slightly and cupped his hairless chin. He knew it was more than that; he’d been around the block before. “Listen to me. Don’t be embarrassed about your true feelings, Alex. They are at the core of our being. Don’t ever lie to yourself.” Alex’s deep brown eyes met with Mason’s again. They continued on a survey of the man’s face, stopping most noticeably at his thin, pink lips. They stared at each other for a moment, and laughed in unison. “Are you going to dispel the mystery of what you’re thinking right now? Or do I have to guess?” Alex blushed and felt his body chill. He rubbed his arms and held them close to his body. Mason laid his hand on Alex’s small knees. Just his touch sent a shockwave through the young man’s body. “I…wanted to kiss you. I’ve never kissed anyone before.” Mason smiled and scooted closer to his young companion. He leaned forward and parted his lips. “Then kiss me, Alex.” The timid young man tilted his head, and firmly but dryly matched Mason’s lips to his. A beautiful first kiss it was. They didn’t part lips yet. They exchanged a few more light kisses before the men finally leaned back on their hands. Mason smiled and cupped Alex’s small face. “That was nice. Are you totally sure this was your first kiss?” Alex smiled ear-to-ear. What a huge complement! Still, he played down his delight. “No. That’s my first one. Well, on a person anyway.” They both laughed. Mason raised an eyebrow. “On a person? Holy cow, you didn’t resort to a blowup doll did you?” The two both chortled. Alex smiled widely and shook his head. “No, no, nothing like that. I did use the back of my hand, however. No one else seemed to want to volunteer.” Mason fit his arm around Alex’s slight shoulders and brushed his pale cheek with his hand. “Well, I happily volunteer for as many kisses as you’d like.” Alex brightened. He smiled and leaned in to hug Mason. “Thank you. I think I’d really like it if you’d show me more

techniques.” Mason winked at him and cocked a brow. “Well, I’d be more than happy to. I’ve had some experience with men.” In all the loveliness of the day and this moment; this was the killjoy. He’d dreaded thinking of what secrets lurked in his boyfriend’s past. He wasn’t an idiot; he knew someone so hot would obviously have previous lovers. What nagged at him was what it might do to their possible future. The cautious side of Alex’s mind relit suddenly. For a while, the pilot light had gone off, snuffed by complacency. He looked Mason over. The ocean blue eyes, the long blonde, silken hair, the amazing build. He was older by just six years. Just how much experience could one attain in that time period; especially in matters of love? Alex had to know who and what he was getting involved with, a sensible precaution. He’d always been one to be cautious. “Mason?” Alex’s voice squeaked slightly, which sparked a chortle from Mason. Alex frowned for a moment, taking the laugh as an insult. He’d always been a bit too serious. “Yes? What is it, Alex?” Mason replied melodically. Listening to his voice was akin to hearing a lovely, flowing melody, without interruption. Alex’s tension eased and he looked into his companion’s inviting eyes. He cleared his throat, took a deep breath and spoke at last. “Mason, how many, that is, how much experience have you had? With men that is? Have you been with quite a few? Ever been in love?” Mason shushed him. “Whoa, slow down Alex. That’s several questions. Each of which deserves its own truthful and complete answer. You truly are a curious young man aren’t you?” He smiled a full, toothy grin and leaned in to kiss the young man. This kiss was different from the others. It was longer, softer, and a bit moister. Mason non-verbally instructed Alex to move his lips in sync with his. Alex could feel his slight body want to move closer and fall on top of the handsome man. He found a few strands of

blond hair and ran them in-between his fingers. The kiss finally stopped after what seemed to be a moment frozen in time. Both men leaned back on their hands and recovered. “Did you like that?” Mason asked boldly. Alex could simply nod. He was feeling too much in heat to reply at the moment. He knew now, his timeline would definitely be moved up. He sat back with his arms wrapped around his knees. Every word and motion that his companion made would be carefully noted. He sat in silence as a student watching his favorite professor. “Since the cat has your tongue at the moment, I will answer your questions. In my 28 years on this earth as Mason Benjamin Adams, I will give you a short bio. I’ve known I was gay since I was 14, yet I dated girls to please my parents. They all ended terribly. This one girl was a farmers’ daughter, her name was Darla. Her dad came after me with a pitchfork! I ran and hid in the barn until my dad talked him down. I knew then, I would date no one else until I was of age and could make a mature decision. I left for college at 18 and met my first lover. We were roommates and together constantly. He was a nice guy. Tall, dark hair and eyes, smart as a whip. He moved on to the PhD program for philosophy while I left after attaining a mere MBA.” Mason said snidely. “His goals were far loftier than mine. Always were. We were just too different at the time. Too bad, we had such an awesome time together.” Mason paused for a moment. Alex, who’d been listening intently, took advantage of the brief pause. “What was his name? This guy?” Mason smiled lightly. “Elliott. Elliott Jenkins. It’s a name I haven’t spoken in over two years.” Alex saw that his companion’s total mood had changed. He’d gone from playful and funny to nostalgic and emotional. Even his voice had lost its melody. The blond ponytail that was always lying at the back had come forward and Mason released it from its elastic. The blond strands fluffed out in a lovely display, akin to a male peacock showing his virility. Alex almost swore he heard tears behind the man’s strong persona.

He pursed his lips and scooted closer to his companion and put his arm across his strong shoulders. “You don’t have to reveal anymore if you don’t want to. If it’s painful to recall…” Mason cut Alex off with a quick but deep kiss. “Alex, I think you’ll always find that one becomes emotional when talking or even thinking about their first true love. Elliott was definitely mine.” Alex laid his head on Mason’s shoulder and wrapped his arms around as far as they would reach. “I’m sorry, Mason.” he whispered. “Thank you, Alex. Damn, I’m a major downer, huh? Well, I must change that at once!” Alex nodded in agreement initially, but second-guessed it. Could Mason hold a real, emotional conversation? Did he always have to bounce back to life-of-theparty mode? He fought to keep eye contact. “It’s OK, Mason. If remembering this guy is painful, it’s ok to experience that.” Mason nodded, but didn’t reply directly. He’d busied himself with rooting through the picnic basket. “Come, let’s eat. I’m starved.” Alex didn’t want to, but allowed the diversion to proceed. It was early on yet in their relationship. There was no need to reveal everything all at once. They’d need to save something to be discovered later on. The two continued their date by eating their ham and Swiss sandwiches and finished it off with a long walk around the lake. Alex enjoyed the view very much. There were just enough animals not to be overwhelming and the same for the people. The two men caught a glance of each other again. Alex smiled and stroked Mason’s hand, but pulled away quickly. Mason caught his hand and held it softly. “Don’t pull away. Is this better?” “Much.” They walked hand-in-hand, feeling very content with each other. They discussed all types of items, except for any mention of Elliott.

When they parted, Mason grasped Alex’s small hands and looked deeply into his dark brown eyes. “Alex, I’m sorry I was a major bummer on this date. I promise if we go out again, it’ll be far better.” Alex dissected the sentence in his analytical mind. If we go out again? He pondered internally. Did Mason think that he was that upset about the past that the relationship was now in jeopardy? Alex had to reassure his companion. He held the pale hands firmly and looked into the ocean blue eyes before him. “Mason, I don’t mind at all about your past relationships. Obviously he meant a great deal to you. He was your first love and you learned the most from him. As for our date, totally my fault for even asking! As for if we will go out again, I was hoping at this point it was a given. I mean, you are my boyfriend, aren’t you?” Mason let go of Alex’s hands. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, boyfriend, eh?” Alex felt his mouth run dry, his heart rate went up, and his breathing became rapid. “Shit, that was way too direct, wasn’t it? I’m assuming way too much, aren’t I?” He backed away and attempted to walk away, but Mason restrained him. “Come back here. You assumed correctly. I’ll be your boyfriend if you’re sure you want to be mine.” Alex let out a much-awaited sigh of relief. He felt his head cool, his pulse slow, and his tension melt away. He saw it in Mason’s face as well. This was a defining moment for the duo and an historic one for Alex. The first boyfriend! “I’d be honored, Mason Adams.” He took the initiative this time and hiked himself up on his toes to reach his new beau’s handsome face. They pressed closer, held together by Mason’s strong arms. The duo shared a few kisses and a very long hug. Alex’s fears melted away with every kiss. His hands wanted to explore more of the muscular body in his arms. Just the very scent of Mason’s cologne made him want to bite his neck as a vampire would. Alex let his fingers intermingle in the long hair and pull him closer. Mason grinned and slipped Alex his first French kiss; a very welcome surprise!

Alex felt his body becoming alive with every touch, every kiss. He wanted to admit it aloud. “Mason…” “Yes?” “I….think I…”A shrill buzzing sound suddenly pierced the air, and threw Alex off balance. His toes fell to the ground and knocked him off balance. Mason caught him just in time to prevent a fall. “Easy. It’s just my cell phone.” Alex straightened out his shirt and laughed at himself for being startled at the noise. He begrudgingly set Mason free to take the call. He watched as the man paced back and forth while talking. Alex examined every nonverbal component he could. He could tell by Mason’s raised voice and flailing free arm that the news was not good. The businessman slapped his phone closed and shoved it into his pocket. “Bloody brits! What’re they doing now?” “Mason?” Alex asked cautiously. “Dammit. I’m sorry to leave on this note. There’s a meeting in 10 minutes that I have to go to.” Alex bowed his head for a moment. “Oh. Can we get together later on, maybe even tomorrow?” Mason straightened his hair and smoothed it back into the black elastic. He smiled at Alex. “Yes, we will. I will call you once this damn meeting is over. I like you a lot, Alex. I could tell by those kisses you like me a lot too. Am I right?” Alex grinned and hugged Mason. “Very much. I was gonna tell you something, but it’ll keep. Go on, I’ll hear from you later.” “If you’re sure. Ok, take it easy. Until later.” Mason gave Alex one last kiss and hug. They packed up everything and hiked back to the car.

Chapter 8 Alex returned to his boarding house to catch up on emails and play a few hands of online poker. Paolo was home, and had a couple of soccer friends with him. He waved hello politely and bolted up to his room. He slumped down in his office chair and stared at his laptop’s screen. He debated whether to begin telling his parents of all his adventures, especially Mason. He figured they’d meet eventually if things went enough. That’d be quite the shock, however, to find out that not only was their son gay, but the friend he brought to visit was his boyfriend! Alex finally snapped out of his daydream coma after an hour and rubbed his eyes. There was a knock at the door. “Alex? How was your date?” “It was nice. I finally kissed someone!” Paolo’s mouth gaped open. “You hadn’t kissed anyone before?” Alex shook his head. “Nope. Not before today.” “Was he any good?” Alex shrugged. “I dunno. Nothing to compare it to except the back of my own hand. That’s how I used to practice.” Paolo laughed. “I did too. It made it easier when the time came.” Alex titled his head and took in his friend’s appearance. He was still in his soccer uniform, a bright ensemble in bright red paired with white. His skin tone appeared much darker and his hair was the crowning glory of it all. It was lush and full, despite being laden with sweat. “Paolo?” “Yeah?” “How many others have you kissed?” The Spaniard smiled a bit and crossed his strong, muscular legs. “Oh, maybe about three other guys, I don’t date a whole lot.”

“Why not? You’re a good-looking guy…” Paolo smiled. “Thanks! No, I just, don’t want to. I’m not willing to get in a relationship over here because it’ll be guaranteed short-term. I’ll find someone back home.” “Where is home for you?” “Kansas.” Alex gasped! “Get out! I didn’t know you were from my state! What town?” Paolo grinned. “Near Salina. We’re neighbors, Alex.” “That is so cool! You can come visit me when we get back. I mean, that is, if you want to. No pressure.” Paolo laughed softly and walked over to his friend. “I definitely hope to see you again once we’re back.” He brushed his fingers over Alex’s face and ended with a ruffling of the spiky hair. Alex could smell Paolo’s sweat, but it smelled good. The longer he stood nearby, the more he wanted to smell of it. “You look tired. Why don’t you take a nap?” Alex stretched a bit and yawned. “Good idea. I think I will. See you later.” “Later.” Paolo exited and Alex drifted off to sleep, but his mind wandered to a wonderful daydream involving the tall, handsome man. They were back in the park, kissing on the blanket near the lake. Alex found the courage to straddle his companion and kiss him intensely. They moved the blankets to a more secluded spot and hid themselves beneath it. He was just removing Mason’s shirt when… A loud noise from downstairs awoke him abruptly and he sat up to see the time. Alex’s jaw dropped when he saw how late it had truly gotten, over three hours had passed! It was 8 o’clock, over five hours since he and Mason had parted from their picnic date. Alex fumbled for his cell phone and checked if the man had called. To his disappointment, Alex found that he hadn’t called.

Where could he be? Alex tried not to be the worrisome woman, but found it came natural to worry about the handsome Mason. Questions spun like tops in his mind. Where is he? Is he ok? Has he eaten? Why hasn’t he called? What could they possibly be talking about in that meeting? Alex had to physically grab his head and force himself to stop imagining these scenarios. Relax, chill out. He’s in a meeting, it ran late, but he’s just fine. Don’t be all jealous and possessive of your first boyfriend ever. Still, the thoughts tortured his ever-active mind. By the time 10 o’clock rolled around, Alex had worked himself into a frenzy! He literally leapt off his chair when his cell phone’s loud ringer went off. He had never been so startled by the song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”. Alex rushed for the phone and quickly opened it; his fingers fumbled over the keys and nearly disconnected the caller. “Hello?” a breathless Alex asked. “Alex? Hello my boyfriend! Did I scare the living daylights outta you?” The student laughed. This man was getting to know him all to well. “Well, yes you did actually. Did you just get out of your meeting?” “Unfortunately, yes. I’m starving! All they had was skunky coffee and day-old donuts. Half a stale long john doesn’t quite hold me.” Alex laughed and smiled. His pulse was finally normal just hearing Mason’s voice again. “Yeah, that wouldn’t do much for me either.” “Are you tired Alex?” “No, I caught a long nap actually. Why?” “Well, I’d like to take you out for a late supper, if you’re game.” Alex smiled wide. “Yes I would. Where at?” “My hotel. The all-night diner?” “I’d love to. What time?” “As soon as possible, I’ll come and pick you up in 10 minutes.”

“All right. Oh, wait! I never told you my address. Got a pen?” “I’ve got a photographic memory. What is it?” “Eight Ivy Way.” “Got it. See you soon Alex.” “See you soon!” Alex hung up the phone and tucked it into his pocket. He bolted into the bathroom for the quickest shower of his life, and preened his teeth and hair non-stop until he heard Mason knock at the front door. Paolo bellowed from the foyer below. “Alex! Your date’s here!” Alex wanted to run downstairs, but didn’t want to be so dramatic. He clopped down at a quick pace and greeted the man. “Hi!” Alex said quickly and hugged Mason briefly. “Hey, want you to meet my friend, Pao-“ Mason grabbed Alex’s hands. “Sorry, no time, I left the car running. I’m starving!” Alex shot Paolo a look. The tall Spaniard shook his head in disapproval as he was being pulled out the door. “See you later, Paolo!” They hurried to the car and sped away. The raven-haired man watched at the door as the car fell out of sight. “Why’d I let him just take off with that jerk?” He shook his head and walked away slowly to the kitchen to dine alone.

Chapter 9 The food had been wonderful and the chatting nearly incessant. The irony of the evening was their waitress was the same, sweet southern girl Calliope. Alex had barely taken his eyes off Mason all evening. He’d never felt this way before, about anyone. He wasn’t even certain what to feel, he’d have to analyze it, but not overanalyze it, as he often did. Mason found the young man highly alluring and considered his bashfulness very sexy. Alex noted the man’s attentive gaze and loved feeling those blue eyes being on him. He loved just being in this man’s company, hearing his voice, sniffing his faded cologne, trying to mentally undress him. Mason noted his boyfriend’s quizzical mode and questioned him about it. Alex smiled and bowed his head in embarrassment Alex had to shake himself back to reality when Mason repeated the question. “Alex? Earth to Alex.” “Hmm? Sorry, just enjoying the view.” They moved in closer and kissed softly a few times, in full view of the diner staff and patrons. A few snickered, one gasped. Mostly though, people smiled. They could tell this was a happy couple. Mason’s hand had cautiously lay to rest on Alex’s knee and slowly worked its way to mid-thigh. Alex thought for sure he would’ve jumped, but he didn’t. He welcomed the touch of the man’s large, warm hand. Mason leaned forward and whispered to him. “How do you want this evening to end?” Alex felt his mouth go dry and his eyes bulge, as well as his pants. He’d not been prepared for that. He stammered out a half-answer. “W-What?” he had to clear his throat. Mason grinned and gathered the bill. He stood up to leave and motioned for Alex to join him. “Come on, it’s late.” Indeed it was, nearly midnight, the same time their first date had ended. Alex followed his date to the lobby and they stood alone in the

tiled foyer. Mason cupped Alex’s chin and angled his face up to meet his. They kissed again, and Alex felt his arms wanting to explore a bit more of Mason’s anatomy. He brushed his hands quickly over his boyfriend’s fit backside, and loved what he felt. Mason was very firm and taut. Alex could only dream of what hid beneath those clothes. Mason grinned and deepened his kisses. He was not as inhibited as Alex. He quickly yet firmly cupped Alex’s small derriere in his hands and gave it a firm squeeze. Alex wanted to yelp, but found he couldn’t! He was enjoying it far too much. He decided to be a bit bolder with Mason as well, and repeated the motion. They were groping each other in this dark hotel lobby at midnight. Kiss me more and more Mason. Don’t stop! I’m not some kid anymore. I want this guy! I want to go with him! Everything in him told him he wanted to be involved with Mason. They finally came up for air and Mason ran his fingers through Alex’s sweaty, spiked locks. “I didn’t startle you, did I?” “No. Not at all.” Mason’s fingers danced up and down Alex’s arms. “Come upstairs with me.” The young man felt breathless and his throat ran dry again. He’d wondered about this moment all his young life, when the first offer would come. “Mas…” “Alex, I want you. I’ve been thinking about you all day.” Alex smiled to himself. Was it love? Lust? Curiosity? Whatever it was, he felt the urgent need to go with Mason. Still, his logical side battled back. “I…” “I’ve seen the way you look at me. You want me too.” Alex couldn’t deny that one. He felt safe and secure that all would be well. No sirens were going off in either his mind or his gut. It was the telltale sign of contentment. “Can we talk upstairs? Just talk?” Mason grinned and pushed the button for the elevator, which opened right away. “Of course, come.” Alex backed away suddenly. “Oh, man. I hate elevators! I think they’re like moving coffins.”

Mason took Alex’s hands. “It’s cool. I’ll keep you safe.” Alex licked his dry lips as he stepped into the cab and took in a breath. Mason’s hand was firmly in his, and he formed a whiteknuckle grip around it as they rode to their destination. Alex finally let out his breath once they’d reached the 6 th floor. He’d always been terrified of getting caught in the elevator, but admitted he wouldn’t mind at all being caught with Mason in one. They walked quickly to Mason’s room, #675. It was all the way at the end of the hallway, which was good and bad. Good so he could spend more time with Mason and bad because it was a long run to escape to the elevator. Alex barely felt the time pass as he still felt like he was sleepwalking. This was not a dream, however. It was all very real. He was finally going to end his reign as the only virgin in the house! Mason pulled his keycard out from his wallet and unlocked the door. The door opened slowly and Mason stepped inside and flipped on the lights. “Nice room! Where’s the bathroom?” Mason pointed straight ahead. “Right over there.” Alex rushed over and shut the door. He answered nature’s call and washed his hands. He looked in the mirror and saw how flushed his face was. He filled the sink with cool water and splashed it on his hot face. A knock at the door startled him. “Alex? You fall in or something?” “I’m fine. I’m done.” Alex finally surfaced; he saw Mason was right there. The room had changed. The lights were dimmer and Mason was missing his tie. His crisp, white shirt was unbuttoned down to the third button; showing the tantalizing chest that lay beneath. “Join me for a drink?” Alex let out a breath. “I suppose. Thanks.” They toasted each other silently and drank their beers. Alex glanced at the clock, it was already past midnight. He backed away from his host. “I…gotta go. I have school tomorrow.” Mason

frowned. “Going so soon? You haven’t finished your beer.” “Uh…you can have it. Good 'ol Budweiser.” Mason pursed his lips. “Alex, do I scare you?” Alex’s eyes grew wide. His nerves had gotten the best of him. “What? No. Not at all.” He lied. “It’s just time for me to go home.” “The school is closer to here. Why not spend the night?” Mason moved in closer again. Alex felt his weak argument nearly wither away with every glance at the man. Mason kissed him softly. Alex held on tightly, but forced himself away. “I…don’t have my notes.” Mason put his hands around Alex’s small neck and massaged the supple skin. “I’d wake you up early. Just stay a while longer, Alex?” “Mason…I don’t wanna go…” He pulled away from his companion again. “Then don’t. Come on, just another hour.” “I’m kinda tired actually, that nap didn’t help.” Mason looked away and dropped his arms to his sides. “Fine, I wish you’d reconsider, but I respect your decision. Good night, Alex.” He saw the disappointment in Mason’s eyes and fought for a better way to end this night. “You’re not pissed off, are you? I had a great time, Mason! I did!” Mason shook his head and looked into his eyes. “Just tell me one thing, is what we did in the lobby, was that real?” he asked sternly. “Yes! Of course it was! I’m just not ready yet. I want to, but I can’t get it all to come together.” Mason took Alex in his arms. “I know what you need. You need a good teacher.” “I’m sure that’s it. Look, I know you’ll be an excellent one; just, not tonight.” Mason sighed and let the young man leave his arms again.

He pouted a bit and watched Alex walk towards the door. “I’ll call you tomorrow then. We’ll meet for a drink.” “Sounds good. You’re not mad are you?” “No. Disappointed a bit to be honest, but I understand.” He walked up and kissed Alex deeply. “Just don’t make me wait too long. Your body is more ready than you think it is.” Alex fought the urge to begin another tactile exploratory of his boyfriend’s body. “Trust me; you’ll be the second one to know. Good night, Mason.” Alex bolted down the hallway and down the stairwell. He sat on the bottom stair and tried to collect his thoughts. Alex had inexplicably tamed his passions so far. He didn’t want to rush anything. Still, the nagging sensation of lust pulled at him every time he looked into Mason’s blue eyes. They’d follow the eyes down to the slender nose and full lips and out to the crowning glory of thick, curly blond hair that came past his broad shoulders. Mason was physically ideal, so what was the problem? Is it too soon? 2nd date? Was he too young? Hardly. Too scared? Possibly. Alex hadn’t allowed himself to fantasize much about sex. “Dammit! Me and my stupid timeline! What the hell’s the matter with me? I won’t lose that awesome guy!” He entertained the notion of going back upstairs and surprising Mason. He could ditch class and they’d spend the day together. No, no, no. It was all too soon. The moment had been ruined; it was too late to recapture it. Alex picked himself up and walked home.

Chapter 10 Mason did call the next day, as promised. Alex’s class ran late. They had only a brief conversation. It was awkward in every way imaginable: the long pauses, the missed signs, missed cues. Mason ended the call after only 10 minutes. Alex put his phone away and tried to soak up the atmosphere. He went on a double decker bus ride and immersed himself into the British culture. He went on a tour of the Houses of Parliament and had dinner at a nearby café. He finally came home later that night. He shuffled to the kitchen and found Paolo there, making a midnight snack of sharp cheddar cheese and wheat crackers. “Wow, you came home tonight, huh?” “Yeah, lucky me I guess.” Alex sat on the stool at the island and covered his face. Paolo leaned down to his friend’s eye level. “What is it?” “I’m a fuckin moron! That’s what’s wrong.” Alex answered angrily. “Every other guy can get it on with a hot guy, but no. I have to have it on a stupid schedule! What the hell’s up with that? I want him, but my mind won’t let me!” “Do you want him?” “Uh, that’s a big fat duh, Paolo! The guy is so hot!” “Do you trust him?” Alex finally met his friend’s eyes. “What?” “Do you trust him? Hey dude, it’s your body you’re giving away. I’d check his sexual past first. There are too many diseases out there. Better safe than dead.” Alex cocked his head in thought. He’d been so wrapped up in his own issues he didn’t consider the obvious health hazards. “Damn. I never thought of that. Some genius I am!” Paolo grinned. “Hey, even the smartest people make stupid

mistakes. Just be careful.” Alex nodded. “Hey, can I ask you something? How many men have you had? Do you always ask first?” Paolo took a bite from his cracker and chewed it quickly. “I do always check. My friend Tom, he got herpes because he was screwing around with every guy he could find. I don’t want that to happen to me, or to you.” Alex smiled. Their eyes met for a brief moment. “Thanks, Paolo. I think I just made my decision. I’m gonna head up to bed.” “Anytime, bud. Always look out for number one.” “I will. Thanks, my friend!” Alex hopped off the stool and hugged Paolo briefly. The taller man tried to hang on a bit longer, but Alex pulled away and ran upstairs. “Oh well, at least he hugged me.”

Chapter 11 Alex called Mason the next morning at 11. They had a few moments of awkward silence before Alex dove into the meat of the discussion. “Mason, I really like you, I don’t want you to think that I don’t.” “Alex, I must apologize to you.” “To me, for what?” “For rushing you into something you’re not ready for. We met only days ago. How about we spend just more time getting to know each other first?” Alex breathed an audible sigh of relief. “Are you sure? I thought from your reaction the other night…” “I was a lustful bastard that night. I want things to work out with us. How about we meet for lunch again?” “Mason…I want to be ready, I want you!” “Don’t rush yourself! It’s a huge step the first time around. You are so young, Alex.” “Are you implying I can’t handle it, because of my age?” Alex pulled the phone away from his hot, flushed face. He could feel tears well in the back of his eyes, but fought them. Finally, he returned the phone to his ear. “Now you listen to me, Mason Adams. I am no child! I can fuck you as hard and as long as you want me to! You’re my teacher; do you doubt your own ability?” Silence. “Well, aren’t we determined? Fine, if you think you can handle it. I’ll pick you up later.” “Whoa, wait. Where are we going?” “To the hotel of course, make your burning wish come true.” “Wait. Wait. I’m being hasty. I need to know your medical history first.” “My medical history?” Mason echoed. “Of course. I know you had Elliott, but how many other guys

have you screwed around with? How many were sick?” “I…can’t believe I’m having this discussion with you!” Mason barked. “I’ve been with only one other man in my life! I told you that the other night. Don’t you remember that?” Alex fell silent. Dammit. He did tell me. Only Elliott was in his life. But what about Elliott? Stop it, Alex! You’re pissin him off big time! “Mason…I’m sorry. I’m sorry for asking you. You did tell me only one man had you before. Can we meet for lunch or dinner or something? Come on by the house, I’ll be ready for you.” “Are you sure?” “Yes. Mason, please. I’m sorry. One hour?” “Fine, one hour it is. I hope you decide what you truly want by then.” Mason hung up.

Chapter 12 The lunch date was held at Hyde Park again; where they’d picnicked just days before. Mason was dressed very professionally in a 3-piece navy suit. Alex was clad in a crisp white shirt, black pants and spiked his hair. He wanted to look like he did the night they met. The greeting was a bit awkward at first, but Mason pulled Alex in for a long, warm hug. “I’m sorry, Mason. I don’t know what’s up with me.” Mason held Alex out at arms length. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. I’m being the dick here. Come on, let’s go eat. It’s cloudy out today, but at least it’s warm.” Alex let out a sigh of relief and smiled. “Let’s go.” They sat by the lake as they had the first time. The sparkles of sunlight were absent from the water, but the beauty of the water still shone through. Alex watched it for a moment, and then looked into Mason’s eyes. The same blue echoed in those eyes. Alex realized his feelings had become quite strong and he was unable to fight it any longer. “Alex? Earth to Alex!” “Sorry, the water and your eyes match. It’s hard not to get lost in them.” Alex looked down and away. “Damn, that sounded ridiculous, didn’t it?” Mason cupped Alex’s narrow chin and guided it back to look his way. “Not at all, I knew you were a romantic.” Mason leaned in and kissed Alex lightly, twice in a row. Alex wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s taut torso and tried to have him continue, but Mason tried to break away. “Don’t pull away…” “I don’t do it because of you. I’m sitting on my sandwich!”

Alex’s eyes grew wide as Mason rotated his body and sure enough, tuna salad was all over the navy suit! He stifled a laugh. “Oh shit! You need to get cleaned up. Come on, you gotta go back to the hotel.” Mason grinned widely. “You read my dirty mind. Come on.” They returned to the hotel. Mason ran to the bathroom right away. Alex waited out in the room. He eyed the bed, it was a kingsize model. He sat on it and was impressed with its comfort. He scooted back and lay down. He grabbed one of the pillows and sniffed it for any sign of Mason’s cologne. None. Damn those maids work quickly! He sat up and looked around, noticing the night table. He glanced over his shoulder at the bathroom door, making sure Mason was still hidden away. Alex quickly opened the top drawer and saw two small items: a votive candle and a bottle of body oil. Alex gasped to himself, and tried not to be heard. He quietly shut the drawer again and sat back on the bed against the headboard. Finally, Mason surfaced. He was clad only in a light blue satin robe. He walked over to the small refrigerator and pulled out a single red rose. Alex covered his mouth to hide his girlish gasp. He’d never expected to find someone romantic, paired with all of Mason’s other fine qualities. Alex stood up from the bed and approached the man; his heart beat double-time. “Are you sure your roommates won’t miss you for the rest of the day?” Alex was grinning so wide his face began to ache. He sniffed the rose and smiled. Chill out Alex, don’t ruin the mood! Alex pulled Mason in for a deep kiss. “I think they could survive without me for once. Thank you for the rose.” Mason grinned and kissed Alex again. “Come; sit with me on the bed. I’ll make this as painless as possible.” Alex felt his sweating body get a cool chill down his spine at the mere mention or thought of pain. He hadn’t considered the pain

factor before. He half hoped it was all in jest. Mason caught his attention. “Relax. I will not hurt you. We don’t even have to do that if you don’t want to yet.” Alex let out an audible sigh of relief. “Really? Y-You’d let me say no to that? I didn’t know that was an option.” Mason laughed lightly. “Did you always assume it’d be horrible and painful?” Alex blushed. He had to admit the thought of a well-endowed man shoving his enlarged penis into his small asshole was not particularly appealing, especially if the man was very large. Alex finally got himself together and looked at Mason in his robe. It was a tight garment; he could tell the man was wearing nothing else. That knowledge alone sent a happy shockwave of a little known euphoria called “lust” into Alex’s bloodstream. He smoothed his hands over the silky material, trying to decipher what luscious package lay beneath its wrapping. Mason grinned and it was obvious he enjoyed Alex’s soft touch. His motions weren’t sharp or brutal, but fluid and composed. Alex saw Mason’s chest slightly exposed and was in momentary awe of its appearance. The chest was slightly tan, just as the rest of Mason, but the hair was decidedly lighter. Alex leaned in and ran his first two fingers through the light abundance of hair situated in the center of Mason’s chest. Soon, Alex’s fingers fanned out to allow his hand to join in the exploration. Mason enjoyed this greatly and wanted to reciprocate. He reached for the buttons on Alex’s shirt, but asked with his eyes. Alex replied by outstretching his arms to assist in the removal of the article. Mason unbuttoned the shirt slowly and smoothed it from Alex’s chest. He ran his palms over Alex’s smaller torso, cupping his pectoral muscles and massaging them. The kisses between the two intensified as Alex wrapped his arms around Mason trying to feel the man’s every curve and nuance. They walked backward toward the bed and sat down, still

wrapped together in a kiss. Alex straddled Mason and peeled back the blue robe to begin his barrage of kisses on the man’s smooth neck. Mason smiled and tilted his head back while entangling his fingers in Alex’s short, spiky hair. He could feel his young boyfriend’s growing heat and felt sweat starting to form on his naked torso. “Alex…mmm. Alex…” Mason whispered. “Yeah, baby?” Baby? Mason grinned and loved the term of endearment. “This would be far more fun without your pants on.” Alex ceased his suckling for a moment and clapped his hand on his forehead. “Omigod, Mason. I’m so sorry!” “I could do it for you.” Alex froze for a moment. The thought of another man undressing him was very exciting, yet terrifying. The shirt, OK, chests are seen all the time. Now it was getting serious. A tumult of questions clouded Alex’s mind even further. Was it too soon? Was he ready? Did he want Mason to be his first? Did he want this afternoon to be his first? Alex sat up squarely over Mason’s midsection. “Are you OK, Alex?” Alex suddenly rubbed his arms, which were quite moist from sweat. “Yeah, I’m good, really.” Mason pursed his lips and cocked his head. “This is too soon for you, for us. Isn’t it?” Alex scowled. “Mason, stop, I’m just nervous. Yes, it’s my first time. I’m here with you and it’s happening, I’m glad! I’m the only one who should apologize.” Mason opened his arms and motioned for Alex to hug him, which he did. “Want a beer first?” Mason suggested. “No thanks. I don’t think it’d help. I just need to relax.” Alex stood up and fingered his belt buckle. He unbuckled it and snaked it from his pants. Mason grinned, but still had an heir of concern to his voice. “Are you 100% sure?”

Alex nodded and unzipped the fly and let them slide down his thin legs. Mason panted a bit as he saw Alex’s very small, colorful underwear being the only thing gracing his body. They sat right at his hip level and had no secrets. Alex sat back down again and resumed his dining on Mason’s neck. “Like my undies”? Mason moaned in approval. “I expected tightie whities. Always leave the house with clean underwear on.” “I felt like being daring when you called.” “Mmmm, so do I.” Mason sat up and seductively opened the robe and slid it from his smooth shoulders. The robe pooled at his hips. Alex’s eyes did a thorough inspection of every cell he saw of Mason. He mouthed “Omigod” and scooted closer. “Lay down on your side, it’s far easier and much less grueling on the back.” Alex nodded; finding his ability to speak was lost again. Mason pushed the robe away and scooted up on the bed and lay on his left side. Alex felt his mouth water and he salivated openly upon seeing his boyfriend nude. Still, he felt odd leaving his underwear on. He wouldn’t remove it though. Not yet. He was nervous, but also very attracted to and desirous of Mason right at the moment. His brown eyes hadn’t left the nude body for even a microsecond since its appearance. Mason saw Alex fingering his underwear nervously. “You can leave them on if you want. No pressure.” Mason winked at Alex and the young man blushed. How intoxicatingly inviting to see your soon-to-be-hot-lover ready to go and respectful to boot? Alex grinned and left the underwear in place for the moment. He simply wanted to take in what he could of Mason. Take in all of him, every hot inch of the six-foot-tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed gorgeous man. Alex dove in to kiss Mason; catching them both off guard with its intensity. Mason gathered Alex into his arms and rolled to his back, allowing Alex to straddle over him. With each round of kissing, the intensity grew at least threefold. Alex could feel all of his inhibitions melt away with every

kiss, every touch. His hands intertwined into Mason’s blond hair. Feeling the damp strands only spurned him on further. Alex felt his own brow drip with perspiration, and he had to wipe his forehead frequently. Mason suggested they switch places. Alex agreed and dismounted the man. He noticed just how very awake another part of himself had become. His underwear was nearly half-off because of it. The rest clung tightly to his drenched posterior. Alex attempted to pull the low-rise briefs off, but finally had to roll them from his body. Mason waited patiently and did not leer or appear lustful. Alex had succeeded at last and felt his shyness kick in again. He covered himself briefly. Mason cocked his head and smiled at the young man. “Don’t be afraid. Get under the covers with me. I’ll keep you warm.” Alex loved hearing the reassurance in Mason’s voice. Still, he was apprehensive. His brown eyes surveyed the bedding; it was the flat sheet and a sheet quilt, both in a nice shade of light blue. He wondered how clean they would be later on. Alex felt the rest of his body grow chilly. He quickly moved his hands from his crotch to his arms to begin rubbing them. Mason rolled his eyes, sat up and grasped a surprised Alex at the waist. “Get in here before you catch your death!” Alex quickly crawled in next to the man, holding on for dear life. Mason pulled the covers up and over their heads; as a tent. Feeling Mason’s naked body next to his sent a rush of hormones through his body. His left leg straddled over Mason’s hairy, blond leg. The two were pressed together tightly. Alex felt himself begin to rub against his boyfriend’s sweaty form. Mason smiled and kissed Alex again. “I know of something far more effective for heat generation.” Alex grinned as he saw Mason lick his lips. “Oh really, now what on earth would that be?” Alex asked coyly. Mason smiled wide and cupped his boyfriend’s narrow chin. He sank his tongue into the young man’s mouth in the deepest kiss Alex had ever encountered. Normally he would’ve been repulsed by the quick action; but not this time. He felt a true, deep connection, desire, friendship, and perhaps even growing love for this man. He wanted

to be there for every moment. Alex felt his temperature returning to normal range as he joined it with Mason’s warm body. His hands were not as intimidated as earlier. They were enjoying their tactile tour of the tan, warm, semi-hairy, muscular form that was pressed again his own. Mason himself was getting quite the feel in for himself. He cupped Alex’s small derriere and massaged it vigorously. Alex heard himself gasp as the grip grew tighter; but with no pain at all. Mason laid Alex down on his back and straddled over him. His rosy lips attached to and suckled the student’s neck as if he were a vampire. Alex gasped for breath and entwined his fingers into Mason’s mass of moistened blond hair. Mason finally let the neck go and took a few breaths himself. His head pushed up the covers, making him appear as a tent pole. “How you doing so far, baby?” Mason asked breathlessly. Alex was grinning ear-to-ear; so Mason drew the conclusion he was doing just fine. “Warming up at last?” All Alex could muster for an answer was a nod. His brown eyes were far too occupied with scanning the flawless nude figure before him. Mason noticed right away and took Alex’s small hands in his for a moment. “Come. I want you to feel me.” Alex felt a moment of shyness try to escape; but its efforts were thwarted by another deep, warm kiss. “I’ll guide you every step of the way.” Alex nodded again and focused his eyes on his hands being placed on Mason’s warm, moist, hairy chest. He traced around the collarbone and neck area; discovering that his new lover was ticklish in those areas. That was something he would note for later. Alex loved feeling Mason’s strong legs straddled over his; the heat and sweat dripping down his statuesque body made his own heat rise that much quicker. Alex flattened out his hands so that the palms were situated squarely on Mason’s sculpted pectorals. He could feel how stiff and hard the nipples were. He had a sudden urge to take them into his mouth and suckle them as his neck had been; but he would wait until he was on top again. The tour continued south as Alex’s palms felt along the abdominals and oblique. He saw a very nice “six-pack” of muscle. Mason had kept himself in extremely good

shape. “Wow! You are in excellent shape, Mason! How many hours a week do you work out?” Mason shushed him and kissed him again. “Hush. There’s a time for talking, but this isn’t it. Not when you’re making love for the first time.” Alex felt a bit admonished and embarrassed at the moment. His nerves had certainly overtaken his desire. Whenever he was nervous, he always had the horrible habit of talking someone’s ear off. The tour of Mason’s chest continued as it bypassed the abdomen to the navel and finally to the center. Alex’s breathing increased for a moment, as Mason contoured Alex’s small fingers just so to take hold of his testicles. Mason gasped; Alex’s fingers were still a bit chilly. The young man apologized with a kiss. “Sorry, baby.” Mason grinned. He spread his legs wider over the young man’s midsection and leaned forward to be face-to-face. Alex’s grip was still around Mason’s package and with this new motion; he felt them move in his hand. What a peculiar sensation! Of course he’d gripped only his own in the past; but holding someone else’s? Bizarre! Mason moaned delightfully as Alex’s fingers explored their new surroundings. Alex smiled with his lover’s reaction. His fingers grew a bit more brazen and bold and his palm joined in the fun. Mason began panting a bit and running his fingers through his sweat-laden flaxen locks. He began moving back and forth upon the hand, slowly thrusting his body forward and backwards. Alex felt the man's thighs move against his. It heightened his experience as well. He noticed his hand did not want to let go at all. Mason leaned over and kissed Alex passionately. “You’ve got all the right moves, baby!” Alex blushed and cupped his hand around the man’s genitalia ever tighter. Mason let out a yelp, but it was not a painful utterance. Alex wet his lips and pulled Mason closer. They kissed for several minutes. Their tongues undulated in each others mouths and they moaned through the entire session. Alex let go of Mason finally and wrapped his arms around the man's back to hold him

close. They rolled to their sides and kissed for a long time. Mason ran his hands all over Alex’s slender back, derriere, and cupped the young man’s pectoral muscles. His skilled hands smoothed their way down the hairless chest, with his mauve lips following suit. Alex gasped for air as he enjoyed this immensely. Time had seemed to slow down or even stop for the duo. They were very engrossed in what they were doing. Mason held Alex close for a moment and would simply hug him; something he appreciated greatly. There was a true, genuine bond growing between the two men; despite the fact it had only been a mere week since their original meeting. Alex tried valiantly to push this fact out of his mind. His cautious side was trying to overrule his passionate side; which was far too involved now to turn back. What am I doing? Am I having second thoughts? No way! I really, truly think I’m falling for this guy…he wants me, I want him. What else could be more perfect? Alex, just shut up, stop talking to yourself and enjoy this hot, gorgeous man! It’s your first time you idiot! Enjoy it! Don’t hold back, he’s falling for you too! Alex grinned to himself and continued kissing his lover. Soon though, it wasn’t enough to simply kiss. Mason pulled back for a moment and straddled over Alex again. “Put your legs over my shoulders, it’s far more comfortable.” Alex was baffled for a moment until he realized the angles of it all. He wanted to do it anal-style! Mason noticed how apprehensive his lover had become and the fact that Alex’s legs had frozen in place. “Alex? Are you alright?” Alex felt nauseous to be truthful. He was absolutely petrified of having anal sex the first time! How could he say that though, knowing that his lover wanted to? “Mason? Please don’t be angry with me….I don’t want to do it that way.” Mason’s expression changed from one of a man in heat to a man rife with compassion. There was no wrath or anger at all…only caring. Alex relaxed, seeing that this genuine response was not a negative one. “I won’t hurt you. I never will…but I respect your wishes.

We will not do it that way.” Alex let out a mental sigh of relief; but he was also filled with anxiety. Omigod, did I just kill the mood? What do we do now? “Mason…if you truly want to…” Mason put his fingers over the young man’s rosy lips. “Hush. I have already told you it is ok with me if we do not do that. I have something else in mind, however; if you are game. It is noninvasive and completely pleasurable.” This was a breath of fresh air to Alex; whose anxiety level dropped immediately. His mind still wondered what Mason could possibly be referring to. Then it hit him…oral! He wanted to do it orally! Well, full steam ahead on that one…Alex was ready, willing, and able to carry out that performance. Alex smiled widely at his boyfriend and his brown eyes traveled to Mason’s swollen penis which greeted him with a light squirt of pre-cum. Mason laughed and kissed Alex’s open mouth. Alex could feel Mason’s tongue entangle with his in a twisted tug-o-war. They gasped together and reached for each other’s swollen genitalia. Mason took the first step and Alex experienced the most curious sensation of his short life; his cock being swallowed into Mason’s rosy lips. He tilted his head back and tried to take in the barrage of emotions and feelings he was experiencing. Alex came amazingly fast; he’d been quite stimulated for a while. “Sorry…that was too quick wasn’t it?” Mason laughed and kissed Alex’s stomach. “Not at all; it’s a compliment. You were so attracted and turned on you couldn’t contain yourself.” Alex grinned and let out a sigh of relief. They laid there quietly for a few moments; when Alex had an epiphany. His brown eyes widened and he sat up quickly. “Shoot! It’s my turn to do you, isn’t it?” Mason chortled and kissed Alex deeply. “Yes, only if you want to.” Alex caught his breath and saw that Mason’s cock was indeed ready for its session. Alex hesitated; but only for a split

second. One look into his boyfriend’s glowing blue eyes changed his mind. He could tell there was lust, passion, desire, but something else lingered. Alex couldn’t quite put his finger on it; but swore he saw love in Mason’s beautiful eyes. He dare not ask though; out of complete paranoia of spoiling this day. Instead, he gathered his courage and took Mason’s swollen cock into his small hand. “Oh, I want to, baby. Trust me.” With a determined look in his eye, Alex nestled his lips around Mason’s member. He repeated what he’d learned from his own session and made Mason cum within two minutes. They laid back and joined hands. Mason glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly 4 p.m. “I think I need a nap.” Alex nodded in agreement. “Yeah, me too. Hey, do you want to stay like this? To sleep?” Mason smiled and kissed Alex’s small nose. “So curious. You can sleep however you want to. I’m plum tuckered out myself.” Alex watched his boyfriend adjust the pillows and sheet; and tuck himself in. “You can join me if you’d like.” Alex savored the sight of Mason’s nude body all tucked in and looking quite attractive. He noticed there were still two pillows remaining; for him. Mason held out his tan arm and took Alex’s hand. “Lay here with me; go to sleep in my arms.” Alex cocked his head and kissed his boyfriend deeply. “Well, it is a bit chilly in here, once I cool off that is.” They smiled at each other. “Lie down, go to sleep.” Alex lay down and pulled the cover up to his neck. He lay on his side with his head on Mason’s ample chest. “Good night, Mason.” “Good night, Alex.” The long afternoon had ended.

Chapter 13 At 6 p.m., the sleepy residents finally began to stir. The first to wake was Alex. He was careful not to disturb the stillslumbering Mason. He sat up softly; feeling his still-naked body. It was a curious sensation; but one he welcomed. The bedding was quite sensual and felt good on his bare skin. Alex had never felt so fulfilled in all of his short life. Mason stirred, feeling the absence of Alex in his arms. They sat up together. “I didn’t wake you did I?” Mason kissed the young man’s arm. “Not at all, Alex. Well, what did you think?” “I…I guess I can ask. How was I?” he asked timidly. Mason laughed and held him close. “You were wonderful. That hesitation seemed to disappear didn’t it?” Alex blushed. “Well, it kind of would with your nude body pressed against mine. It was a new experience for me.” Mason ran his finger along Alex’s jaw. “Any regrets?” Alex smiled. “None at all.” Mason kissed him. “You know we’re lovers now. Once you suck cock and sleep nude with them; that title is awarded.” Alex’s eyes grew wide. “But, I thought only if the penetration was made…” Mason sighed. “I see I must teach the student. We were together this afternoon. It is official.” “Wow, cool!” Alex exclaimed. Smooth, Alex. Real cool. Not! “I’d love it if it happened on a far more frequent basis…if that’s cool with you?” Mason ran his fingers along Alex’s slender shoulders; barely touching the skin. He could feel his nerves come alive. “Yes, it is. I need a lot more study time. Get to the details and explore every chapter.” Alex entangled his fingers into Mason’s thick blond locks and pulled his face in to kiss him deeply. They

shared a few more and a long embrace. Mason pulled away for a moment; Alex tried to pull him back. “What is it? Is something wrong?” “Alex, I’m afraid I have some bad news.” Alex felt his mouth go dry. I knew it. I just knew it! “What is it?” Mason smoothed Alex’s arms. “I have to return to Vermont soon. Mind you, it’s just for a short while. This is all quite routine for me. I spend a month here; a few weeks back there and back again.” Alex’s facial expression soured. He scooted away a bit and looked down. “Oh. Well, I guess that’s the way it is. Hey, uh, you won’t forget about me, will you?” The comment was meant in jest; but the shadow of true concern was present as well. Mason cupped Alex’s small face and kissed him deeply. “I could no sooner cut off my own hand than forget you. There is very definitely an “us” that I want very much to continue. You have enriched my life. I sure will miss you.” Alex let out a sigh of relief. “I’ll miss you, too. I’ll send you some movies, and some hot emails. They’ll burn through your boring screensaver.” Mason laughed. “Alex. After one short week, how could I have ever guessed that such a wonderful man like you would enter my life?” Alex embraced his lover and held on tight. “When do you have to leave?” he asked innocently. Mason bowed his head. “Tomorrow.” Alex felt all the blood rush away from his face. He felt angry, used, and embarrassed. He scooted away even more. “Tomorrow? You waited until now to tell me this? You…you used me? Like a cheap tramp? Dammit, Mason!” Alex flung the sheet back and pulled on his underwear quickly. He sat on the floor and redressed in his clothing that had been scattered around. Mason got out of bed quickly and joined Alex on the floor. He tried to brush his fingers down his exposed back. “Alex…” “Don’t touch me!” Alex pulled away; he was half in tears,

half very angry. “Why didn’t you tell me? That’s why we slept together isn’t it? You wanted a farewell fuck?” Mason grabbed Alex in a bear hug. “No! Sure, I wanted our farewell to be memorable, but this afternoon was, a dream come true! I respect you, Alex. I want you to believe that. Please, believe me.” Alex looked into Mason’s eyes and saw that honesty rang true in them. His temper had been tamed and his mood nullified. Alex only focused on how awful it would be to say farewell. He let out a breath and looked into his lover’s face again and kissed him. The young man shrugged and looked at the clock. “Whatever. At least we still have tonight together.” Mason nodded. “That’s very true. I’ll buy you anything you want from room service.” “Good, I want a great big sandwich. I need a lot of energy.” They smiled together and hugged for a long moment. They spent the remainder of the evening together and passed the time with mild sessions of kissing and some talking. They fell asleep sideby-side and said farewell the next morning. Mason drove away to the airport to leave for home. Alex went back to the house and saw Paolo waiting for him in the living room. As soon as he walked in, the Spaniard stood up and encased him in a bear hug. “You ok, buddy?” Alex shook his head. “I’ll miss him so much. I slept with him last night, my first!” Paolo shook his head. “You mean you gave him your virginity? Oh Alex, I hope you were careful!” “I was, don’t worry. We didn’t do it that way, only orally. I feel like I let him down though, he wanted it backdoor.” Paolo caught his small face. “Hey, listen to me. You don’t offer that to just anyone. There are so many diseases out there and you never know what his previous lover had. Remember, be careful.” Alex nodded. “I am, bud. I am. Hey, I’m starving. What’s for dinner?”

“Funny you should ask, just made a huge pot of spaghetti with lots of oregano.” Alex licked his lips. “My favorite.” He looked around. “Jake not home again?” Paolo chortled. “Is he ever? I dunno what that boy runs on. Must be testosterone. Come on, let’s dine together.” They joined hands and walked to the kitchen.

Chapter14 Mason had left for home. Alex escorted him to the airport and hugged him goodbye. He wanted to keep holding on, but Mason pulled away. “I have to go. I’ll miss my plane!” Alex let go at last. “I’ll miss you. Hurry back!” Mason smiled. “I’ll miss you too. Be good!” With that, Mason turned on his heel and boarded the plane. Alex watched breathlessly as the plane pulled away from the gate and began its journey down the runway. He covered his mouth with his hand to choke back tears. “I love you, Mason.” He whispered to himself. Alex scoped around the room to see if anyone else heard him. He rubbed his arms and glanced at the clock. “I’ll be counting the days.” Finally, Alex summoned up enough will to leave the airport. He walked out to the main terminal to summon a cab. After waiting an excruciating 10 minutes, a cab driver pulled up. “Where to, mate?” Alex cleared the fog from his mind. “Uh, #8 Ivy Way.” “Number eight Ivy Way. Aye.” The cabbie echoed. He turned around, started the meter, and drove off. After the half-hour cab ride, Alex finally arrived home. He paid the cabbie and ran inside. Paolo heard the door open. “Alex? You’re home at last! I guess he got off safely then.” Alex nodded slightly. His face felt flush and his eyes watered. “Hey, what is it?” Alex felt the water escape from his eyes and turned quickly towards the staircase. “It’s nothing! Just leave me alone!” He bolted up the stairwell. Paolo almost followed, but kept away.

In the following days, Alex attempted to distract himself with school, games, anything to keep his mind occupied. At nighttime, his mind teased him with thoughts of his coupling with Mason. Alex had been in London a scant two weeks when they had met. It was now only week six out of his 20-week excursion. He’d holed himself up in his room and checked his email and phone obsessively. He wrote to Mason almost every hour. Alex’s facebook page was littered with hearts and flowers he’d sent to Mason’s page. Finally, after three days, Paolo coaxed him out. “Alex? You have to come out of there sometime. You’ve missed school and everything.” “Fuck school! I don’t want to leave this house again until Mason’s back!” Paolo pursed his lips and sat down outside the door. “You know, I haven’t seen many sites yet. Can I come in and you can tell me about them? Show me your souvenirs?” “I don’t want to talk about London! I hate this place!” Alex barked. “Alex, please. Let me come in. I made your favorite dinner, that lasagna again. Alex? Open the door.” A long moment passed. Finally, the doorknob turned. Paolo stood up and greeted his bleary-eyed roommate. They hugged for a moment. “Aw, bud. I’ve been there. It’ll get better, I swear to you. It will! Long-distance relationships suck, they always have. You’ll survive.” Alex shrugged. “I dunno if I will. This is a pissy way to run a relationship! He barely writes me back!” Paolo soothed his friend’s shoulder. “Dude, he’s busy! Just give him time. I’m sure he’ll contact you.” Alex rolled his eyes. “Yeah sure, when he thinks about this stupid little kid who’s in love with him way over here while he’s way over there!” Paolo sighed. “One day at a time. Come on, let’s go eat. I’m

sure you’re starving. You’ve barely come down to the kitchen in days. Have you eaten at all?” Alex’s expression changed as his thoughts turned to his stomach. “Holy cow! As a matter of fact I guess I really haven’t eaten. I had some crackers up in my room, but…” “Crackers!” Paolo chided. “That’s all you’ve had? Get downstairs now, kiddo! I’ll fatten you up.” Alex cracked a smile and wiped his eyes. “Thanks, Paolo. I’ll be down in a minute. I swear.” Alex turned to go back into his room, but was caught by the arm. “Oh no you don’t, you’re not going back to hide in your room. Come on downstairs where I can keep track of you.” “But, I…” “No. You need to knock this off. Come on down.” Alex sighed. He wasn’t going to win this battle. Paolo held out his hand for him to take. “Fine. You win.” He accepted the hand and descended down the stairwell. The first week of waiting was over. Alex’s mood improved quite a bit. He’d gone back to school and even took an interest in soccer. Soccer is a religion in Europe. Even the ever-absent Jake joined them with his date du-jour. Paolo was a star player and Alex liked watching him. Alex had time to notice his friend’s actions on the field. He was very good. He helped to score at least two goals per game. Alex’s mind would wander to all things Mason from time to time, but he valiantly attempted to focus on the game at hand. He had to admit that Paolo did look really hot in his short red shorts, with his long strong muscular legs in a sexy shade of mocha. His arms were augmented with the red and white uniform shirt with a number six on the back. Alex couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of him looked like. He got his chance very soon after.

It was two days later. It was the middle of the night and Alex couldn’t sleep. He wandered downstairs and into the kitchen. He caught a glimpse of Paolo standing in the dining room, staring out the large picture window. He was as still as a statue, which made watching him all the easier. Alex’s eyes immediately went to the hairless mocha chest. It was beautifully sculpted with muscle. Alex traced the outline with his eyes, hoping Paolo wouldn’t notice. The Spaniard stood in sleep pants only, his thick black hair askew, and barefoot. The moonlight shone through the window and highlighted what secrets the sleep pants hid, Alex felt his mouth run dry. “Don’t look; don’t go looking at other men. You have Mason! Think only of Mason!” Alex chastised himself. He snuck back upstairs as quietly as he could; hoping Paolo never knew he was there.

Chapter 15 After four long weeks, Mason finally did return, which thrilled the lonely lad. Alex met him at the airport and unabashedly kissed him in full view of the other patronage. “Gawd, I missed you! It feels like we’ve been apart forever!” Alex held onto Mason for dear life. Finally, Mason wrested himself from Alex’s grip. “Alex, please! This isn’t the place for our reunion. We can do that later in private.” Mason glanced over his shoulder at the clock and scowled. “Damn, look at the time! Listen, can you meet me later for dinner? I’ll pick you up.” Alex’s face fell. “Later? But I thought we’d get together now. Did you cut your hair?” Mason rolled his eyes. “What? Yes, it was too long. Alex, this is a business trip. I’m not here just to see you. Come on, I need to get to the hotel.” Mason began walking ahead briskly, but Alex lagged behind. “What is it?” Alex groaned. “What is it? Are you fucking kidding me? I have to tell you?” Mason reached for his arms but was denied. “Don’t be pissed, Alex! Please, let’s just go. I’ll explain everything later. I did miss you, but we must hurry! Trust me; you will get to see me.” Alex hesitated for a moment, but went along with the plan. He walked side-by-side with Mason, examining him out of the corner of his eye. What was it about him? Was it was because he was older, sophisticated, or because they’d slept together? Alex couldn’t quite figure it out. Still, he was convinced it was all jet lag and business. He’d be the wonderful Mason he’d met before. That evening, the two went for dinner at a restaurant near the

hotel. Conversation was a bit strained. “I missed the hell out of you, Mason. You have no idea.” Mason chortled. “I think I do know by the 100 emails you sent me in just four weeks.” Alex frowned and went on the defensive. “Is there a problem with me emailing you? I thought you were my lover now!” Mason’s eyes grew wide. “No, not at all! But holy cow, give me some room to breathe a bit. I am a busy man, Alex. I’m not on vacation like you are.” Alex sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. He glared at his companion. “Vacation? Going to school and working part-time? This is hardly a holiday!” Mason rolled his eyes. “Stop it. Come on, don’t be like that. This is supposed to be a great reunion!” Alex sat up in his chair and leaned across the table. “A great reunion? You prick! You’ve made this lousy! I pined for your ass to come back here! So far this has been the worst night of my entire visit!” Alex growled. Mason sighed aloud and put his hands around his mouth for a moment. He finally looked back up at Alex. “I’m sorry. I’m being an ass, you’re right. I’m so rushed and out of it and jet-lagged. I’m truly sorry. I shouldn’t have gone out my first night back, I’m always like this. You can ask anyone of my coworkers. Alex, I’m sorry. Can we just end our evening on a good note?” Alex sighed and relaxed his position. “I wanted it to be wonderful. I missed you so much.” “I missed you too. I really did! You were used to the rested, sane Mason. This is me right after a 14-hour flight. I’ll understand if I’m not what you expected.” Alex mentally dissected the sentence. “What are you even saying? You wanna end it with me? What do you want from me?” Mason took a breath and narrowed his eyes. “No, I don’t wanna end it! Use some common sense will you?” Alex was taken aback by Mason’s tone. He pushed his chair out and stood up. “I think I’d better leave. This whole night was a

complete mistake.” Mason stood up quickly, knocking his chair over. “Wait! Don’t leave, please. That’s not what I want! Alex…” “What?” he demanded. “We need to talk this over. Will you come back to the hotel with me?” Alex laughed. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. I wouldn’t fuck you now if you were the last man alive!” Alex turned on his heel and began walking from the room. Mason ran after him. “Wait! Come back! Alex! Wait, please? Don’t do this. Not now. You haven’t even let me say anything; you’ve been judge and jury! That’s hardly fair to me, don’t you think?” Alex bowed his head for a moment. It wasn’t fair and he knew it. He felt tears well in his eyes again. Mason saw them and captured his pale hands. “I’m sorry. I missed you a lot too. I’m sorry about being so busy, but it’s my livelihood. Listen; let me go catch some caffeine. We can talk at the hotel or even back at your place.” Alex looked into Mason’s eyes. Dammit, they were so beautiful! Why did he have to be so hot? “I agree. We need to talk, but not tonight. I’ll let you go and get some sleep. You need it.” They shared a strained look. “I’ll drive you home.” Mason offered. “Thanks. Cabs are expensive.” It was an almost silent ride back to the boarding house. Upon parting, Alex got out of the car and shut the door behind him. He started his walk up the driveway, but Mason called him back. “Wait. We can’t even our evening like this. Alex, I’m sorry I was an ass and a jerk and a scoundrel! I’m so out of it when I fly over here; you had to see me at my worst. What can I do to make this up to you?” Alex sighed and turned around to face his lover. “Just, make time for me while you’re here. That’s all I want.”

Mason nodded. “I will, I promise you. I have a meeting tomorrow, but I’m free all evening. I’ll pick you up at 7?” Alex nodded. “Seven it is. Good night, Mason.” Alex held out his arms for a hug. Mason frowned. “I’ll give you much more than a hug.” He put his strong, long arms around Alex and kissed him deeply, yet softly. They breathed in the kiss, happy at last to have a pleasant moment. Alex hung on for a moment. “Good night. You sleep well.” “I will. Good night, Alex.” With a final kiss, the two parted for the night. Alex watched Mason pull away in his car into the dark, foggy London evening. He went inside and recounted his evening to Paolo. “Dude! How’d it go?” “Well, he was a complete ass to me at the airport, but he finally realized it after I threatened to leave.” “Leave?” “Yeah, at the restaurant.” Paolo ran his fingers through his hair. “Alex, do you trust my opinion? Really?” “About as much as anyone else I guess. Why?” “This guy is all wrong for you.” Alex scowled. “What makes you say that?” “Dude, you write him and he didn’t write you back, you were miserable here without him. I think you’re obsessed! Especially since you two slept together.” Alex backed away. “I am not! How dare you make that false accusation! I won’t let him run my emotions for me, or you!” He turned on his heel and darted upstairs. Paolo stood at the base of the stairs for a moment and heard the door slam shut. He shook his head. Dammit Alex, why can’t you see the truth right in front of you? He paused for a moment, but didn’t follow.

Chapter 16 The next day arrived and Alex was full of energy. He filled Paolo’s ears with his ramblings all morning long and into the afternoon. “Dude, will you just shut up about him already?” Alex scowled. “No! I won’t shut up about him. You’re just jealous that I have some hot guy who wants me. Do you ever leave this house, Paolo? Oh, sorry, soccer practices. That’s all you do! Do you even want a life?” The muscular soccer player advanced towards Alex, making him step back. “Man, I’d back off if I were you. You’re getting to be on dangerous ground with me.” Alex rolled his eyes. “Piss off! Stay outta my face, Paolo. I mean it!” “Fine, let’s see you handle cooking for yourself all this week. I’m on strike! I’ve got soccer practice. I do leave this house for something other than a one-night stand! Later, asshole!” Paolo snatched up his jacket, shot a glance back at Alex, and left the house. He slammed the door so hard; it knocked the clock off the wall. It was 3 o’clock. Alex’s phone rang an hour later. It was Mason. “Hey! What’s up?” “Alex, I hate to do this to you, but they called a late meeting. I can’t pick you up tonight.” “Really? Well, that’s some big shocker! I knew this would happen.” “Alex, calm down. Don’t be like that.” “Don’t tell me how to feel! I’ll act however I wanna act! Will this fuckin company release you for a little while to fuck me anytime soon?” “Alex!”

“Call me when you can see me, Mason. Not before and not after!” Alex slapped his phone shut and shoved it into his pocket. He ran up the stairs into his room and slammed the door. Alex was awoken at 10 pm by his cell phone. He flipped it open. It was Mason again. “What?” he asked sharply. “I’m picking you up in 10 minutes. Be ready.” “Mas? Mas?” Nothing, just dead air. Alex rolled his eyes and yawned. He glanced at himself in the mirror and tried to shove down the spikes in his hair. “Well, guess I got his attention.” Alex smiled to himself. He adjusted his clothes and put his shoes back on. He crept downstairs to wait outside the door. Paolo had come home and was sitting on the sofa. Their eyes didn’t meet at all. “Hot date again?” “Least I have a boyfriend. Don’t wait up, Paolo.” Mason pulled up in his rental car, a convertible this time. Alex opened the door and climbed inside. “Hey. How’s it going?” Mason reached across and grasped Alex’s small face. He planted a deep, long, wet kiss on the young man’s lips. “I’ve been a total dick. Can you try to forgive me?” Alex caught his breath. “I suppose so. Keep kissing me like that and this evening will certainly improve. Come on, let’s go.” The two sped off into the dark London evening. They arrived at Mason’s hotel. It was a different hotel this time, more luxurious. “There’s a hot tub on the first floor.” Mason announced. “Aw, damn. I forgot my swim trunks.” The businessman winked at Alex. “You won’t need them, if you get my drift.” Alex smiled wide. “Are you suggesting we…?” “Oh yeah, just like back on the farm, skinny-dipping in the moonlight.”

Alex grinned. “I’ve never done that. Are you sure it’s allowed?” Mason chuckled. “Quit worrying about the rules and do what feels good! I plan on livin my life that way. Don’t you?” “You sound like my roommate, Jake. He soaks up all of what life has to offer, one or two girls at a time.” “Well, I plan on making this up to you, however I can.” Alex sighed. “Listen, I’m sorry too; I’ve been an impatient little kid. I really have missed you. I’ve wanted you ever since you left!” Mason grinned and smoothed his fingers through Alex’s short, spiked hair. “Then let’s not wait any longer. I’ve wanted you too.” The duo kissed loudly as their mouths encompassed one another’s. Alex wrapped his arms around Mason’s wide shoulders. He could feel Mason’s large hand fishing through his jeans and to his crotch. He gasped aloud. “Mas! Not here…” “We’d better hurry then. I ain’t gonna last much longer.” The two exited the vehicle quickly and ran up to the hotel room. Mason unlocked the door and switched on the lights. Alex followed behind and turned them right back off. “Why did you-“ Mason was cut off by Alex’s tongue down his throat. “No lights, no sounds, just you and me, baby.” Mason grinned and took the man in his arms and returned a full-lipped kiss. “Alex?” “Mmm?” “Think you can handle the full thing tonight? Anal?” Alex’s slight body froze mid-kiss. He backed away a bit, but Mason pulled him closer. “I-I don’t know about that. I’m still jittery about that.”

“Come on, you have to be broken in sometime. I’ve sucked you and held you, now it’s time for the full throttle.” Alex gave in to a deep throat-searching kiss. His knees felt weak and he tipped over slightly. Mason caught him. “Easy now, don’t swoon on me.” Swoon? I’m not some damn lovesick girl! Or am I? Dammit! “I’ll be alright. Thanks for catching me. Mas-I can’t. I can’t do it.” Mason let out a sigh of exasperation. “I hope you won’t wait much longer. You need to get over those nerves of yours.” Alex bowed his head. “I’m sorry. I-I just don’t want to do it that way-“ Mason pursed his lips and grasped Alex’s hands. “Come on. Let’s do it your way. The grand finale can wait for another time.” “Thanks Mason.” “Uh huh. Come on, let’s go to bed.” Alex furrowed his brow a bit. What the hell just happened here? Because I won’t do it that way he gets all withdrawn on me? Nice. Why am I waiting? Why won’t I do it?” “Mas-I’m sorry.” The tall blond lay back on the bed. He jerked Alex’s arm and the young man fell forward. “You owe me an extra long blow job then you realize.” Alex smiled and kissed his boyfriend, but Mason cut it short. “Please, now?” Alex’s eyes grew wide for a moment, but he let it go. His lips took hold of his companion’s tip and suckled it gently. “Harder.” Mason moaned. Alex doubled his efforts and swallowed half of it into his mouth. “Harder, baby. Harder!” Alex took hold of the swollen testicles into his hand and massaged them a bit harshly. Mason gritted his perfect teeth together and let out low

moans. Finally, after a few moments, he came. Alex sat back a bit away from the man. “Was that better?” he asked. Mason nodded. “It’ll have to do for right now. You’ll learn. Come to bed.” Alex climbed in next to the blond. Mason kissed him quickly, and a bit harshly. Their teeth clashed together. Alex pulled away a bit. “Ow…watch it. I have a big filling on that one.” Mason rolled his eyes and with no warning, grabbed Alex’s penis and thrust it into his mouth. Alex cried out a bit. “Ahhh, Mas!” The madness ended almost as soon as it began. Mason wiped off his mouth and glared back at Alex. “Time for sleep. I’m exhausted.” Alex nodded. “Yeah, so am I.” He curled up next to the man and fell asleep. The next morning was a cloudy, rainy London day. The temperature had plummeted to a very chilly 45 degrees overnight. A cell phone ringing pierced the eerie silence of the room. It was Mason’s. Alex groaned aloud. “Don’t answer it. Please, Mason.” “I have to, it’s my job! Don’t give me anymore guilt.” Mason flipped open the phone. “This is Adams. Yes. Yes. I’ve taken care of that already. Ok. Yes. Very good! I’ll see you at the meeting at noon today.” He slapped the phone shut. Alex glanced at his watch. “Noon? That’s in an hour! There goes having so much for even half a day together.” Mason groaned and rolled his eyes. He leaned over and kissed Alex’s forehead. “Will you chill? It’s not forever. I’ll be out by tonight and we can come back here and do whatever.” Alex narrowed his eyes. “Is this all you want to do? Have sex? Remember we went to the park and had pie? Will you even buy me dinner first?” Mason shook his head. “What the hell are you, some estrogen

queen? Yes, guys have sex! It’s what we do! Gay men particularly. I like having sex with you! You’re a hot young man, Alex. Take it as a compliment.” Alex crossed his arms in a huff. “Whatever. You’re gonna get ready now?” “Might as well. It takes me a while to shower and clean up.” “Well, I’ll just leave then. Let you clean yourself up. I have stuff to do back at home anyway.” Mason chortled. “Oh really, like what? Bug Paolo again? Wait for Jake to come rolling in? What do you do there all day?” Alex fumed! He balled his fists and shot back with his best assertive voice. “For your information, Mr. Adams, besides homework, I pine for your ass! That’s what I do all day! These last four weeks were very hard for me. I guess they were easy as key lime pie for you, huh?” Mason reached for his lover’s arm. “Alex…” “Don’t touch me. Just stay away from me. I’m just a piece of meat to you! I mean dick to you!” “That’s not true!” “Yes it is! I won’t be pining for you anymore, Mr. Adams! You’re not worth it!” Alex threw on his clothes and shoes and ran out the door. He waved down a taxi cab and rode home.

Chapter 17 Two days passed without a word between the two. Alex attempted email after email, but nothing seemed suitable. He went back to school and did as best he could. He wanted to forget about the arguments and just focus on law. It was the end of class, 4 pm. His cell phone buzzed and he glanced at the screen. It was Mason. Alex let it ring about three times before he picked up. “Hi.” He said coolly. “Hello, Alex. Listen, we need to talk. We can’t leave this as it is. I’m leaving tomorrow!” Alex felt his mouth run dry. He grappled for the right words in his mind. “What? I thought you were here for a lot longer!” “Well, it doesn’t matter anymore now, does it? I go where the company sends me, not you! Now, do you wanna get together or not?” Alex paused for a moment. “Alex?” “Yeah, what the hell, I need some good dick before you leave town again. Where you wanna meet?” “Always up for a good dick, I’ll pick you up tonight. Be ready at 7. Bye.” “Bye.” Alex slapped the phone shut and shoved it into his pocket. He felt a wave of emotion fall over him, but pushed it away. “Fucker. Why do I have to love him?” Mason picked him up at 7 precisely. Dinner was calm and congenial. Neither man spoke much. Alex kept looking over his salmon filet and into his lover’s blue eyes. He’d missed the eyes and the body so much, but the mouth that kept pissing him off was also attached. Mason replied to the stare fest.

“Alex is something wrong with your dinner?” “No. Nothing. It’s great, actually. I love fish.” Mason laid his fork down and reached for his lover’s hand across the table. Alex hesitated, but finally begrudgingly accepted it and held on tight. “Hey, look at me. Please?” The brown orbs finally looked up into his companion’s. “Alex, I’m sorry I’ve been an ass to you. I mean it! I’ve never met anyone serious on these trips before. It was usually just a coffee or two and nothing more. I guess I don’t know how to act.” Alex laughed and wrested his hand away. “Are you serious? You don’t know how to act? Gimme a break! Mason, you’ve had a serious relationship! What did you two do, just have sex all the time? There’s more to this than just that! You’re my first relationship ever and even I know that!” Mason bowed his head and shook it. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m acting like this. You must bring out something peculiar in me.” Alex frowned. “Something peculiar, what the hell do I bring out in you?” Mason shrugged. “I dunno. You’re different than the guy I had before, in every way. I guess we’re just really different.” Alex sighed and wet his lips. He eyed his lover up and down. There was no denying his lust for the man and his true feelings. Surely this would pass; they just needed to work on it. He leaned in close to Mason’s ear. “We can celebrate those differences. Let’s say goodbye on a good note. I want this trip to have good memories.” “Agreed, I don’t want to argue with you anymore. It’s selfdefeating and not any fun. Are you still hungry?” Alex glanced at his plate and noted that he’d barely touched his dinner. “Yeah, actually I am. I think I just got my appetite back.” Mason winked at him. “Don’t eat too much, you’ll get all bloated. Hmm, on the other hand, you’d have to strip down to feel more comfortable. That would be a very good thing.” He eyed his

young lover and licked his lips lustfully. Alex laughed. “You’re incorrigible. Come on, let’s finish up. I want dessert back at the hotel.” “You sly lil demon you. Eat up; I’m getting hungrier for that dessert as we speak. I want to make this up to you.” “Let’s ride.” They finished up their dinner and headed out to the car. They went up to the hotel room and had a long make out session only. Mason shifted to his side and fell asleep. Alex fought tears and fell asleep. So much for making it up to me.

Chapter 18 The following morning was a very pensive day. Alex awoke first and looked over at his boyfriend, who was still sleeping quite soundly. He looked him over and watched the exposed tanned chest rise and fall. Mason’s newly-shortened medium-length blond hair was strewn about his chiseled face; masking its true beauty. Alex traced the chiseled jaw line with his fingers; trying not to disturb his blissful slumber. He could feel Mason’s whiskers that had grown overnight. They were a healthy length already; which was a testament as to why he had to shave daily. Alex had watched him perform his morning ritual. It was quite hypnotic actually; watching Mason’s shaving regime. He would start out by lathering his face with rich, thick shaving foam. He used the same brand his father had used most of his life. A traditionalist he was. He honored deeply the traditions of his family; despite their dismay at his being a homosexual. Mason had always hoped that by honoring his family’s ways it would grant him their acceptance at last. Alex admired that about his boyfriend. In fact, he was growing to admire pretty much everything about his beau. Alex had not thought he’d ever do as well with finding a suitable partner as he had. Everything was working out alright. There were some challenges of course, but there were always rough spots in every relationship. Alex had spent an inordinate amount of time researching what made a strong pairing between two males. He’d found a host of sites; some of which were pornographic in nature and had many pictures. Alex was shocked at first, but as he delved more into his research efforts; he found much more constructive advice and articles. He’d even gone so far as to print them out and place them in a file. Alex had to admit that even he was a supreme nerd sometimes; he went overboard with the anal-retentiveness. That was probably why he was scared to death to do sex anally; that it might rupture or something.

Alex stopped daydreaming and focused on Mason’s handsome face once again. The man stirred a bit; his blue eyes visible for only a split second. Alex held his breath; he didn’t want to be discovered staring at him. Mason shut his eyes as quickly as they’d opened, rolled over on his side, and went back to sleep. Alex smiled and enjoyed the view of Mason’s strong, tan backside; which was exposed down to about mid-waist level. Alex was extremely tempted to run his fingers down the inviting site; yet restrained. He didn’t want to wake him; he wanted Mason to stay with him as long as he possibly could. Today they’d be separated again for who knows how long; Alex didn’t want to think about such things. Later that day proved to be far more difficult. The day had been very nice; which made the departure all that more bittersweet. They had picnicked in Hyde Park again. Mason had bought him a bouquet of his favorite flowers from a street vendor; red tulips. Alex sniffed them almost incessantly; he wanted to equate their sweet aroma to what he felt for the wonderful man at his side. They sat down together on the bench near the lake. “I’ll miss you so much, Mason. I don’t think you know how much.” “I do know. I really do. Look, I know you’re reluctant to be with me that way, and I think I’ve been pretty damn patient so far, haven’t I?” Alex nodded. “Yes, you have. Maybe once we’re back home. I’d like to get together then.” Mason wet his lips. “I think we’d better wait until we’re both back home. I’ll come to where you live. Meet your family maybe.” Alex’s eyes grew wide with panic. “My family? No way! They don’t accept me, how the hell can they take you in too? Try bringing me home to your mother and see how your family reacts.” Mason frowned. “I guess I didn’t think about that. We’d need to find a neutral site.”

“Switzerland isn’t too far from here.” Alex mused. “Smartass, I meant at home in the good ‘ol USA! We’ll figure something out. For now though, I think I’d better get to the hotel and pack. My flight leaves in two hours.” Alex’s eyes widened. “Two hours? Let’s get a move on! You gotta get through customs and security, let’s move it!” They scurried back to the hotel and hurriedly packed the remainder of Mason’s things. They dashed down the stairwell to the car and took off towards Heathrow. Mason rushed to the curbside check-in, and left a sizeable tip. He had to practically run to the gate! Alex tried to keep pace, but fell behind for a few moments, and lost Mason in the crowd. “Mason! Mason, where are you?” He cried out. “Over here! Come on, I gotta bolt!” they joined hands and took off down the concourse. Finally, Gate 23 appeared. A breathless Mason handed the attendant his ticket and she began to usher him onto the plane. “Wait. I must say good-bye.” Mason looked over his shoulder and saw Alex with his arms held out wide. They embraced emphatically and kissed three times. The young student held back his emotions and put on a brave face. Mason appeared to do the same. Alex could feel tension in his boyfriend’s muscular body. His own body was trembling; he felt almost nauseous. He didn’t want to say goodbye; but it was time to let go. Mason backed away. “I have to go now. I’ll call you as soon as I’m back. I promise!” “Be safe, please!” “I will, I promise. Bye, Alex!” “Bye, Mason.” The businessman boarded the plane and waved farewell one last time. Alex stayed and watched until the plan had taxied, taken off, and finally flew out of view. “I love you, Mason.”

Chapter 19 Another month passed. It was coming near the end of Alex’s time in London with a scant four weeks left to go. His class would be wrapping up soon and any touristy places he wanted to visit, he put at the top of his priority list. This held his attention for the daytime hours. The nighttime was another matter entirely. All that consumed his thoughts during the long, dark hours was Mason being in his arms, either kissing him or sleeping. He’d often find himself awakening with a doused pair of underwear on; his thoughts had become so realistic. Almost every night a dream taunted his subconscious of having the blond man in his midst. This was becoming a bit much. He would get up countless times a night to check his email and cell phone to see if there was any communication from his beloved at all. Alex wondered if he had stepped into the curious world of obsession. He certainly showed all the symptoms. Even his wallpaper on his laptop pc was a large photo of Mason that he kept on his screen constantly. Alex would stare at it endlessly and then at his cell phone; waiting for any communication at all. Had he stepped into this dark realm? What were his true feelings? Was it all just lust or puppy love? Was it true or only perceived feelings that he was experiencing? Did he really think they could keep up this long-distance relationship? Don’t those always fail? According to his thorough research; yes, they usually do. He was determined for it to not end; but to continue well into his lifetime. He knew it was his first relationship and that he should be careful; but everything about Mason intoxicated him. His appearance, his smell, his body, his kisses, even his voice, left him begging for more. Alex watched the calendar and counted the days religiously. The day that Mason was to arrive he awoke very early. He showered, dressed, and ate. He sat on the edge of his seat in the living area downstairs; his cell phone never out of reach.

The phone rang; catching Alex off guard. He yelped as he pushed the proper button to receive the call; ignoring what number it even was. “Mas?” “Hello, Alex! How are you?” Alex smiled widely. “I’m wonderful! Ready to come to the house?” There was a long pause. Mason finally spoke again. “Uh, Alex, I hate to tell you this. The company pulled my trip off of their itinerary; the party I was meeting was called off.” Alex almost dropped the phone. He tried to speak, but his voice temporarily abandoned him. Mason spoke again. “I’m so sorry, hon, if it were up to me I’d be right there at this moment kissing you like mad!” Alex found his voice again and gathered his emotions. He fought tears and clenched his free hand into a fist and leapt from the sofa in an outrage. “This sucks! This really does. I’ve been expecting you! I’ve been on pins and needles all week, awaiting your arrival. They’re not just screwing with you, it’s me too! I hate your damn company!” “Alex, calm down! I’m sorry! What would you have me do? Come over anyway? Listen, I can’t simply jet off to London on a moments notice! It’s damn expensive and the company wouldn’t pay for it! Besides, I have responsibilities here. I don’t have mom and dad to help me with my finances; I’m a grown man!” Alex nearly flung the phone across the room. He put the phone down for a moment and held his fist to his mouth, fighting an angry scream. After a long moment, he finally got a hold of himself again and picked up the phone. “Fine, whatever, you’re right. Why would I expect you to just drop everything to come and see me? I’m only some stupid kid you met in a bar and fucked his brains out…” Alex ended with a growl. Mason sighed. “You know that isn’t why. If I could get there I would, but it’s out of my hands! I’m sorry, Alex!”

Alex felt his face grow hotter both from the phone’s heat and his own temper. Light tears finally battled their way through his brown eyes. “Maybe you need to get used to your hands! We need to just take this as a break. This long-distance thing is not going to work out.” Mason fell silent for a moment. Alex held his breath in the tense moment. He reseated himself on the very edge of the sofa. “Alex…” “What?” “I don’t want to stop seeing you. If you do, then it’s your decision, not mine. I care for you and want to be with you.” “Then get your fuckin ass over here!” “I can’t! I just told you I can’t! Will you listen to me? Even if I could borrow the money somehow; I couldn’t just take off from work without any notice. That is a very long plane ride from here. Let’s be reasonable, Alex. Please.” Alex cleared his face and took a few deep breaths. His logical side was trying to take over again. He had to analyze everything. It was beginning to sink in with every moment that passed. Finally, after a very long minute-and-a-half pause; Alex spoke again. “Mas?” “Yes?” “I leave here in four weeks.” “I know. I think we’ll have better luck once you’re home.” “I know, I know. I’m sorry. Dammit, I hate this whole situation, but I have to agree with you. We’ll wait until we’re home. Shit, you sure you still want to date someone so young and naïve?” “Relax. You’ll survive. You’re a tough lil Kansas man. Bye for now, Alex.” “Bye, Mason.” Alex hung up. “Dammit, Mason, I love you so much. Why can’t either one of us say it? Unless…stop. Stop thinking that way!” Alex shook his head and leaned back on the chair.

The door opened, it was Paolo. Alex dried off his face quickly and turned on the television. “Alex.” “Paolo.” The two said coldly to each other. “Thought your boyfriend was coming into town.” Alex shot his roommate a look, and replied. “His trip got cancelled at the last minute. I won’t see him again until we get home.” “Oh, introducing him to mommy and daddy, are we? They don’t even know that you’re gay! How are they gonna handle that?” Alex scowled and leered at his friend. “Look, pal. My parents are none of your business. Come to think of it, none of this is your business, so back off!” He pushed Paolo’s shoulder. The Spaniard didn’t push back. “You naïve kid, I bet you’re gonna hole up in your room now for the rest of the trip, just you and your hand!” “You shut the fuck up! I won’t be alone like you!” Alex screamed. He pushed Paolo again and bolted past him to his room upstairs. The final four weeks were spent studying and being a homebody. Alex’s roommate Jake left a week early. He’d found a nice Swedish girl that he wanted to pursue further. Paolo, whom hadn’t spoken to him in weeks, finally broke down and suggested a truce. They chatted over dinner. “Dude, we gotta end this. I’m sorry I yelled at you, Alex. I had no right.” “Hey, you had every right! I was raving on and on about him and here you are, alone. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.” Paolo shrugged. “That’s cool. At least you got some time alone. Has he called you?” “Oh yeah, every other day, I can’t wait to see him again. That way I can keep an eye on him at home. I’m gonna ask him to move in with me!”

Paolo nearly dropped his fork and slapped his hand on his forehead. “You made that up, right? Are you insane?” Alex scowled. “Yeah, why not? Seize the day! I’m in love with that dude! I know he is with me.” “Oh really, has he ever told you that?” Alex averted his eyes and cleared his throat. “Uh, well no, not exactly.” “You don’t even know? How can you plan a future if you have no idea how he feels about you?” “Hey, guys aren’t the best at letting their feelings be known! Don’t you know that?” Paolo shook his head. “Don’t be an ass again! I know how men are, you bet I do! I know my cousin is dying from AIDS from one of those men! I have a good friend that got mixed up with the wrong guy and did all kinds of drugs. He overdosed on one of their ‘dates’. Yeah, I know how guys are. Guys are horrible!” “Is that why you never have a date? You stay away from all men?” Alex asked wryly. “Maybe.” Alex laughed. “Well, I’m sure there’s a nice place in the monastery for you. The rest of us will be out there wondering whatever happened to the soccer player.” Paolo clenched his fists and stood up, towering over the table. “Is that all I am to you, the soccer player? Maybe the chef too? Wow, you have a low opinion of people, don’t you? You love the ones who don’t love you and…” Alex suddenly looked up and swore he saw Paolo’s eyes water. He leaned forward. “And what?” Paolo held up his hands in a “time-out” symbol and leaned over the table. He reached for his napkin and wiped off his mouth. He shoved his chair under the table violently, shaking the table. “You know what? Never mind. I’ve said too much. I hope you end up happy while you can. You think you know everything. Later, Alex.” He bolted up to his room. Alex got up quickly and ran to the stairs. “Paolo get back

down here! Paolo!” He heard the door slam shut. He threw his napkin on the floor and kicked the staircase. “Dammit. Fine! Be that way!” Paolo left early the next day without a word or a note. Alex was alone. He intended to take full advantage of it. He played his music as loudly as he wanted and watched whatever TV shows he’d missed. All of his photos had been developed; so he spent a good week sorting them out on the floor so they would be in perfect order for his scrapbook. Every photo of Mason brought a silent moment. He would pick up and kiss the photo; wishing vehemently he was there. The last day finally arrived. Alex finished his packing silently and quickly as he waited for his cab to arrive at 11 am. He took one last look around the rooming house and out the windows. He could almost see the street that led him to the Houndstooth that fateful night. He’d have so many memories, especially of his time with Mason. The cab arrived right on schedule. Alex toted his loaded luggage outside and rode away with the driver.

Chapter 20 Alex arrived home to a semi-warm welcome. His mother was happy to see him. His father gave him the usual “hey champ” look and a stilted hug. The next week was spent in a whirlwind of unpacking dirty clothes, scrapbooking photos, and re-establishing life as he knew it in Kansas. His email became his constant companion; since he had very little alone time to use his phone. He chatted with Mason as often as he could. Finally; they set a date to get together. It would be for dinner. Alex was determined that it would be memorable in every way. He would order their favorite wine, requested candles and even request a few of their favorite melodies played by the pianist. Everything was in place. He finally had to spill the beans about his true feelings tonight. They gnawed at him worse than his gerbil did on a wood stick. He even had the perfect cover story to explain his overnight absence; stay at a friend’s house. Well, it was half true. Friend and lover; he’d just neglected to mention the lover part. Alex arrived at Mason’s hotel with a bunch of red roses; Mason’s favorite floral. “Mason! Finally!” It was a triumphant entrance; Mason lifted his lover off the ground and spun his around slowly as they dissolved into a deep, long overdue kiss. He smoothed his large hand over Alex’s face and seemed to be trying to memorize every square inch of it. ”I missed you too.” Alex perused Mason’s taut backside with his very lonely hands. He’d longed to feel the touch of his lover again. This night could not be rushed; though. Everything that was to happen was far too vital. Alex had this all planned out in succession in his mind. He’d hoped and prayed for days that everything would run smoothly. The duo was having a difficult time of convincing

themselves to go on to dinner; to rather have their appetizer right there. Alex wanted to, very much. However, must stay on schedule. He pulled back to catch his breath. “Honey…mmm. We have all night together. Let’s not rush into things.” Mason groaned. “I’m as horny as a rhino. I hope that dinner doesn’t take too long. I want you.” Mason kissed Alex deeply, throwing him off-balance. They stood together and made out in front of the big mirror above the dresser. Alex watched Mason’s hands peruse his backside and intermittently goose his buttocks. He’d still jump at this a bit; but he knew it was all done in play. He felt his testicles grow larger with each passing moment of this glorious exchange. He was having a difficult time selling himself on the dinner that awaited them. “Please, baby. Just a quickie before we go eat, just a blow job at least?” Alex pleaded lustfully. Alex found himself completely under Mason’s spell. He voluntarily opened his pants and lay back on the bed; his swollen genitals more than ready to be swallowed up. Mason grinned and crawled over the young man; his kisses never stopping. He unbuttoned Alex’s shirt and pushed the sides away. Alex and Mason both moaned as the kisses grew hotter and Alex’s chest was massaged by the mauve lips and tongue. Finally, after a long, heated moment; the long-awaited finale. Mason slid his mouth over Alex’s ready cock and sucked as hard as he could. The young man cried out with pleasure! “Baby! Omigod…Mas…”. He felt like a very well-loved straw in the middle of the thickest milkshake you could ever make. Mason had to steady Alex’s writhing legs. “Steady, my dear…steady. Hold on to me.” Alex felt dizzy as he took hold of Mason’s hands and held himself steady. The moment arrived and both shot out a fair amount of fluid. Mason tilted his head back and re-styled his hair a bit. Alex had to wipe his sweaty brow and regain composure as they redressed.

“I missed you so much, Mason. Listen, I want tonight to be the night we do it your way. ” Mason smiled. “Really? At last, the boy becomes a man!” What did he just say? “I missed you too. Come, let’s go to dinner now. I’m famished!” Alex nodded, but hesitated for a moment when Mason grabbed his hand. They departed swiftly. Everything was going so smoothly. Too well, Alex fussed over every detail. He spent several minutes with the pianist to make sure the music was perfect. He even flagged down the maitre’d to be sure it was the right wine. Mason finally caught his lover’s hand and pulled him over. “Hon. Will you sit down?” “I just want this night to be perfect.” Mason smiled at his lover and brushed his face. “You worry too much. I’m here with you and we’ll be together. Besides, I have some news you’ll want to hear.” Alex’s ears perked up. “Oh?” “Yes, but I’ll tell you later. I think my blood sugar has fallen to about a 30.” Alex sighed. He had big news he wanted to tell Mason too. Tonight was too important to leave to chance. The head waiter came by and handed them their menus. Alex opened his and silently perused the selections. Everything was so expensive! The filet mignon itself was over $30! Mason shot him a concerned look. “Are you sure you want to eat here with these prices?” Alex smiled and returned a calm look. “Anything for you, this is just a dinner. I have the money for it, don’t worry. I saved most of my money from London.” Mason grinned and blew a kiss just as the waiter came over to their table. “Well, thank you sir, but you haven’t been served yet. I’m Troy, your waiter.” Mason blushed a bit; Alex stifled a laugh. They recovered quickly and Alex caught Troy’s attention.

“Champagne, for us tonight.” Alex took his lover’s hand. “We’re celebrating.” Troy squealed aloud. “Oh how fabulous! Let me get you the best bottle we have, hon!” Alex and Mason shared a look and watched the waiter scurry off to the kitchen. He returned shortly after with two champagne flutes and a bottle of Asti Spumante. Troy uncorked it and poured an equal amount into their flutes. He placed the bottle into an ice bucket off to the side. “Enjoy, gentlemen.” Troy scurried away as quickly as he’d arrived. Alex just shook his head. “I’m not that obvious, am I?” Mason laughed. “Not at all; I hope I’m not either.” “Not at all, I’m glad you are though; and that you’re all mine.” Mason smiled sweetly at him and Alex felt his pulse jump. Those blue eyes would always be his downfall. He raised his glass in the air and grasped Mason’s tan hand. “To us, my dear Mason.” The businessman picked up his flute as well and joined it to Alex’s. “To us, my precious Alex.” They intertwined their arms and drank from the glasses. It was delicious champagne; not too dry or tart, just right. Both licked their lips, savoring the flavor of the beverage. Mason winked at Alex; recalling their earlier rendezvous. “Maybe we should bring some of this with us; make it a bit more…adventurous.” Alex felt warm at that suggestion. He reached out for Mason’s hand and held on as tightly as he could. They were interrupted again. Troy was back. “Have you fair gentlemen decided on your appetizer”? Both men let out a laugh; remembering earlier. “I think we ought to head straight to the main entrée.” Mason stated. Alex felt plucky. “Yes, but what about our dinner, dear?” The businessman gasped with fake drama; he was delighted

Alex was boastful of their relationship. Troy smiled at them both. “You two are the perfect duo if you ask me.” His attention wavered for a moment as his eye wandered over to the waiting area. “Omigoodness. There’s this guy here that I dated. He’s a real snob. He treated me all great and then…well. Ya know. You two should hold onto a good thing.” Mason and Alex shared an amorous look at each other then a concerned one for Troy. “I’m sorry…please, go ahead and order. I’m being nosy.” Alex glanced at the menu again and made his selection. “I will have the duck a l’orange with a side of rice pilaf and vegetables.” Troy jotted it down on his pad quickly and turned his attention to Mason. “I will have the rib eye steak with a side of mashed potatoes and carrots.” “Very good, anything to drink?” “I’ll have some coffee.” Mason replied. Alex twisted his lip in thought. “I’ll have iced tea.” Troy finished jotting down their order and took the menus. He leaned over to face his customers. “Just so you know; if that snobby guy bothers you, let me know. I’ll kick him out.” Alex felt his paranoia fear spike. Mason caught the look. “Thank you, Troy. We should be just fine.” “Ok. Your orders will be out shortly, I’ll get you two some rolls.” Troy walked away again. “Don’t be paranoid.” Mason advised. “I’m sure whomever it is just chasing after Troy and can’t get over him. Guys are like that sometimes; they can’t let go.” Alex shifted in his seat and looked into Mason’s eyes. “I’m not, possessive like that am I? Where I take you for granted or use you?” Mason pursed his lips for a moment and looked deeply into Alex’s brown eyes. “I know that you care about me and how badly

you wanted me to come see you in England. Believe me, if I could’ve sprouted wings to come and see you I would have. It just wasn’t possible.” Alex nodded. “I know that, now. I acted very childishly and I’m sorry. That’s part of what I wanted to discuss with you over our dinner.” Mason arched his brow. “Did you wish to start now, or wait until our entrées arrive?” Alex took a sizeable swig of his champagne. It burned a little bit going down; but he figured paired with his nerves, his stomach churned a bit. “I think we’ll wait until the entrees. Let the champagne be soaked up a bit with the food.” Mason sat back and drank his share of the beverage. “You can get very drunk very quickly on this stuff. I know. I used to drink a lot more when I was your age.” Alex raised his brow. “Oh? How much did you used to drink?” Mason grinned. “Lets just say I’d put away a six pack of beer all by myself within about 90 minutes. I was young and crazy and wanted to be wild. Looking back, it was very stupid.” Alex grinned at his lover; he wanted to show his support. “Hey, you were young. As long as no one got hurt; what did it matter? You only live once.” “How true that is, hon.” Troy responded as he approached the table without either of them even noticing. He deposited an ornate basket on their table. Inside were five cloverleaf rolls that were fresh from the oven. Their heat could be felt through the cloth that covered them. Their aroma was enticing; it reminded Alex of how his mother would bake fresh rolls for them every Sunday after church. He missed his family traditions; but he no longer felt a part of them. How could he participate when he felt like an outcast? He sniffed the rolls again and saw the large scoop of herbal butter placed at its side. His mouth openly salivated. “Thank goodness, I’m starved!” The two dove into the rolls. Alex broke his roll into halves and slathered them with the herbal butter. He bit into the pastry and smiled right away.

“Mmm. These are so good!” Mason winked at his companion. “So, what did you want to ask me?” Alex swallowed hard; in part due to the roll and the other part due to nerves. He caught Mason’s eyes and reached for his hands. “I-I was wondering something…” Alex felt his mouth run dry and reached for his water goblet. Mason stifled a laugh. “Chill out, just ask me.” Alex set down his goblet after drinking down half the liquid. He tried to capture Mason’s gaze again, but was distracted by the waiter. Troy was practically running to their table. Mason noticed his companions’ distraction and queried. “What is it?” “It’s Troy again. Troy, what is it?” “Lookout! Asshole at 4 o’clock!” Both men looked around them quickly. It was then that Alex saw a tall, dark-haired man briskly walk in their direction. He was dressed in a three-piece suit complete with wing-tip shoes. His dark hair was impeccably styled into a wave that sat perfectly around his chiseled face. His eyes weren’t discernable in the dim light, but they were certainly trained on the two of them. His height was considerable. Alex guessed 6’3” or taller. This intruder approached the table and stood right in front of their table and looked right into Mason’s eyes. “Mason? My goodness, is that you?” The voice was undeniably British. Mason’s eyes had grown to small moons! He choked on his roll a bit and gulped down some water before speaking again. “Elliott! What the hell?” “Oh, Mason. Such a clumsy man! Here, let me help you with that.” The intruder leaned over and planted a huge kiss on Mason’s open lips. Alex was stunned! He was aghast at the outright deliberateness of it. He grabbed Elliott’s sleeve. “Excuse me. Hey! He’s with me!” Elliott withdrew, leaving Mason dumbfounded and silent. Alex could see the man’s eyes as they narrowed into a glare in his direction. They were a very acidic

green; almost caustic, like antifreeze. “Just who the hell are you, stupid child?” Alex felt his anger well up inside of him. He stood up suddenly, knocking the chair over. “I am his boyfriend! Mason and I are together.” Elliott glanced back at his ex and pointed at Alex. He burst into brutish laughter. “You chose this…urchin? Mason! Tsk, tsk…where is your mind? Well, I know where your mind is, usually a bit south of here if I recall…” Alex wanted to punch him in his smarmy mouth. Mason cradled his face into his hands; avoiding the entire incident. He glanced up at the two warring suitors; scarcely believing what was occurring. Alex was anything but silent. “I know damn well who you are now. You’re that doctor from his past. As you can tell he has someone else! Leave us alone or I will have you forcibly removed from this establishment if I must.” Alex caught their waiters’ eye for a moment and summoned him over. Troy bolted over. “Is there a problem, gentlemen?” “Yes there is. Please escort this gentleman outside. He is disrupting our dinner.” Elliott straightened his jacket and shot Alex another dirty look. “Very well then, I was just leaving. Oh, Mason, my dear, here’s my card.” He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a shiny silver business card. “When you grow tired of playing with children, give me a ring will you?” Alex’s eyes could pierce lead he was so angry! Half of him wanted to take the tall doctor by the scruff of the neck and throw him out himself! He took hold of the business card and whisked it out of Mason’s hand. “He won’t need your number. Just leave, please.” Elliott grinned greasily. “Well, you do have manners and some sense don’t you, boy?” Alex glared at his new adversary. Elliott cracked his knuckles audibly. “You are wise not to try anything. Mason knows how strong I am.” Troy interceded and took Elliott’s arm. “Come on, you’ve

caused enough trouble.” The doctor readied to leave, but lingered for one last moment. “Here’s another card. Keep in touch, Mason. Pleasure, Alex.” He finally strode from the room. Alex took a few deep breaths and pulled his chair off the floor. He looked around the room and noticed there was an audience. “Its ok folks, show’s over.” He set his chair right next to Mason’s. “Mas? Hey, are you alright?” Mason aimed his blue eyes into Alex’s anxious brown ones. “I-I’m sorry. I’m still in shock.” He fingered the business card that Elliott had given him, tracing its edges and running his thumb over the embossed lettering. Alex knew he had a powerful foe in Elliott, the war for Mason’s heart. “Come on, let’s finish eating.” “No, no. I don’t think I can anymore.” He replied in almost a whisper. “My appetite has been thoroughly ruined.” Alex scowled. “I should’ve clocked him one.” Mason shook his head. “Hon, he’s a black belt in karate, Alex. He could easily kill you. Let’s just get our dinners wrapped up and we’ll go.” Alex was more than a bit disappointed, but had to agree that the entire mood had been destroyed. He reluctantly called Troy over and requested their dinners to go. About 10 minutes later the waiter appeared with a large plastic bag. “I am so sorry that bitch disrupted your dinner. He’s a sly one, he is. Got passed me quickly enough.” Alex sighed and reached into his wallet. He pulled out a fresh $20 bill and handed it to the waiter. “Thank you, Troy. You’ve been most helpful. Here’s some money for your assistance tonight.” Alex turned his attention to the still-stunned Mason. “Ready to go?” Mason merely nodded. His body language said the rest; he appeared to be extremely embarrassed and lost in thought or in pain. Alex pursed his lips, paid for their bill and they silently headed back to Mason’s hotel.

Chapter 21 Kansas had some nice hotels and this one certainly qualified. There was a king-size bed, a sleeper sofa, full kitchen. There was even a spa and pool on-site. It was only about 8:30 PM when the two arrived. Mason had barely said two words during the entire 15-minute ride over. Inside Alex’s mind was a different tale. His mind was reeling. Who the hell did the famed Elliott think he was acting that way? What hold did he think he perpetually has on Mason; not only emotionally but physically. Had it been an amicable split? Was there violence involved? Alex tried to push past his own emotional cloud and see it from a detective’s perspective. Question and scenarios filled his mind. Yet, his heart chimed in as well. He wanted to respect Mason’s feelings and privacy. The man had indeed looked very shocked when Elliott showed up. What the hell are you feeling? Perhaps this was far too early a time to discuss the evening. They parked and walked inside the hotel. Alex placed Mason’s dinner in the refrigerator. Mason went straight for the medicine cabinet and tossed back a couple of antacids. He quickly removed his tie and kicked off his shoes. He finally collapsed face-first on the bed. Alex cautiously approached, uncertain of whether this was the calm before the inevitable storm. “Mason?” he whispered. The muffled voice replied. “Of all nights, of all the damn nights in the world, it had to be tonight!” Alex was a bit perplexed. He wondered why Mason lamented it so much. Wasn’t he the one with the grandiose schemes? Still, it was obvious that Mason was upset. Alex heard a stifled sob escape from beneath the mass of blond hair. He knelt beside his lover of five months and smoothed his back. “Hey, shhh. It’s ok now. He’s gone, I’m here.”

“I hate that man. I truly do. I was so completely…I gave him everything I had and he either abused it or threw it away!” Abused it? Alex’s mind began weaving new possibilities; his wildest visions were that Mason had stayed in an abusive relationship. Or was it something else? Was there foul play? Extortion? Blackmail? There had to be a catalyst to it all. Alex didn’t want to push the subject, so he merely tried to be a comforting presence. “Mason, I’m here for you.” Mason’s blond hair finally moved, revealing his beet-red face augmented by his bloodshot blue eyes. Alex felt his heart sink and his face flush. “Thank you, Alex, but I’d rather be alone.” The young man was a bit stung by this. “Wh-? Are you sure?” Mason nodded. “Let me at least help you out a bit first.” Alex kissed Mason’s cheek and left to wet down a cool cloth for his face. He laid it gently across his lover’s red face and watched him carefully for a few minutes. He pensively got up to leave. “Are you absolutely sure you want me to go?” Mason nodded again. “This is my own battle. I have to deal with this in my own way. Thank you for dinner, I’ll enjoy it tomorrow. I need to just, collect my thoughts and get back on track. Do you understand?” Alex shrugged. “I guess so. I really don’t like leaving you alone; we were going to spend all night together. Still, I realize plans have changed. I will respect your wishes.” Mason sat up and managed a small smile. “I’m sorry. Come here for a sec.” Alex walked over. He kissed his lover’s cheek. “Thank you for everything. I promise I will call you tomorrow, ok?” Alex backed away, gathered his coat and readied his keys. “Take care of yourself, Mason. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Please call me if you need anything at all, even if it’s at 3 am.” Mason smiled lightly at his young beau. “I will, Alex. Thank

you. Good night, hon.” “Good night, Mason.” Alex leaned over and hugged Mason for a long moment. The scent of cologne and sweat mixed together into the sweet intoxicating scent that Alex could barely resist. Dammit, I love you so much. Please be ok. Alex left the hotel half disappointed and half angry. He wandered out to his car and mindlessly started it. Alex drove home in a half-stupor. He nearly missed his exit. His detective mode was in full swing. Why tonight? What was he going to do? Propose? Omigosh…was that it? No, no, come on Alex, get real. You’re still a fledgling with a full-grown hawk. What could we possibly be? Alex shook his thoughts back to reality. He pulled his car up at his rental house and went inside. He deposited his dinner in the refrigerator and shut the door. He headed for his bedroom and began to change clothes. As he undressed he looked around at all the reminders of Mason. There was the shot glass bought from the Houndstooth. Its edge had been nicked slightly in the move back home. Alex considered it extremely precious. There was also the small plush toy cat on the windowsill. It was only 3” high, but was the cutest little animal he’d ever seen. Alex was hideously allergic to cats; so this would be his most prized feline. Alex looked at the time and sighed. His stomach tumbled a bit, either out of hunger or worry. Six months. Half a year had been invested and they still hadn’t admitted that they love each other. Was that what this night was supposed to be? Finally spilling the obvious truth? Did Mason ever care for him at all? Sure they’d slept together many times; but that was no guarantee. He was gentle, funny, and charismatic. Alex wondered what it was about himself that Mason was even drawn to. Perhaps he wasn’t anymore. He was going to end it! Alex gasped and suddenly broke into tears. Omigod, he wanted to end it tonight! That has to be it! His tears burned down his hot face and

finally onto his crisp white shirt. Alex looked in the mirror above his dresser to see his clenched fists and gritted teeth. NO! He cried out. You are NOT getting rid of me that easily Mason Adams! I am in love with you and I know you are with me too. Yes, longdistance romance sucks, but we have survived it. I want only you Mason! The speech sounded marvelous, but only to him. To put into actual practice would require courage the young man knew he had to muster. He wanted to respect Mason’s wishes, but also wanted to confront the man. What a quandary! Alex restlessly paced; doing whatever he could to keep himself sane. TV was not much of a help; nor was reading. He slumped into his office chair and signed into his online account. His email was full of messages from Jake and Paolo. He didn’t read any of them. A knock was heard. Alex struggled to his feet and bolted over to the door. He tried to peek through the security hole, but couldn’t make out who it was. “Mason? Is it you?” He opened the door and saw Paolo! “Paolo, what’re you doing here?” “Well, nice to see you too. You didn’t return my emails or calls, thought maybe you’re run off and eloped by now.” He slipped past Alex and walked inside. Alex tried his best to clear his eyes. “Uh, no, nothing like that.” “Hey, weren’t you two going to dinner tonight and you were gonna ask him to shack up with you?” Alex shut his eyes. “Yes.” He whispered. His lips quivered and his shoulders shook. Soon, he felt his body enveloped by his friend. “Shhh, hey, What is it?” Alex gave in to his pain and let the tears flow. “It’s not good.” Paolo quieted him and smoothed down his spiked hair. “Tell me what happened.” He requested gently. “Have a seat. This may take a while.” The two chatted for a long time, until finally they both fell

asleep on the sofa.

Chapter 22 The next morning at 9 AM, Alex checked his emails again and prayed Mason had contacted him. No such luck. Dammit! What’s he doing? I must go see him. Alex called the hotel and had Mason’s room rung. A very sleepy, almost drunken voice answered the phone, but it wasn’t Mason’s voice. “Hello?” The voice asked. Alex was shocked to even hear another voice at all, especially another man’s! “Uh, hi. Is Mason there?” The voice suddenly broke into raucous laughter, angering Alex even more. Could it be? No…dammit! It was Elliott! “Is this that stupid little child I met last night?” Alex screamed into the phone, which woke Paolo. “What the fuck are you doing there with him, Elliott?” His voice was besieged with rage and betrayal. His stomach twisted into knots. Finally, the voice answered. “Why don’t you ask the fair Mason yourself, lad?” A moment later, Mason’s voice came over the line. “Hello?” Alex tried to hold back his anger, but a tinge of it made it through the phone line. “Mason, I just wanted to see how you were. I thought you wanted to be alone last night.” Alex let his hurt come through; his voice broke at the end of the sentence. Mason replied softly. “Shhh, Alex. I know I did, I know. Elliott came over here at my request.” The young man almost dropped the phone. “Your request? Why? Why is he there?” “Alex, please. This is my own battle. I will call you later.” “It is later!” “Alex, please. Do as I ask, I will call you later and explain everything. Have a good day.” Dial tone. Alex slammed down the receiver so violently it broke part of it. “Dammit Mason! I’m in love with you. What the hell are you

doing with that bastard?” It was finally all making sense, all of the arguments and missed communications. All those nights that Mason flatly refused his offer to stay over. Alex picked up the toy cat Mason had bought him and flung it across the room. He grabbed whatever he could find, pillows, bedding, pens, notebooks, anything. Alex cried out at the top of his lungs and collapsed on the bed, sobbing. Paolo ran over and tried to calm the distraught man, but was shoved away. “Leave me alone! All men are poison!” He paused to look at his friend. “Why are you still here?” “I fell asleep, remember? We’d talked most of the damn night.” “Well…just pack up and get out. I wanna be alone right now.” Paolo pursed his lips. “I think you need me here, you’re not entirely stable.” Alex scowled. “No shit I’m not stable! You heard every thing; you know that his ex is there with him. They probably did it last night, but would he even tell me that? No! He doesn’t tell me anything!” Paolo reached for his friend’s hand but was denied. “Don’t…please. I need to be alone.” “Are you sure? I’m always here for you…” Alex snarled. “Will you just back off and give me some space? I’ve about had it.” Paolo blinked back tears. “Sure. Whatever you want, you call the damn shots. You call all of them, don’t you?” He snatched up his coat and flew out the door, slamming it shut in his wake. The sound of his damaged cell phone buzzing startled the distraught lad. He quickly reached for the phone, fumbling it in his hands. He didn’t even glance at who was calling. “Mason?” A confused female voice answered back. “This is your

mother. Who’s Mason?” Alex rolled his eyes and tried to get back to reality. “No one, Mom. What’s up?” He wanted to shift topics off of him as rapidly as possible. “Come over for dinner tonight, we’ll barbecue whatever you’d like.” Alex’s mind regressed to his younger days with his parents of parties and friends. He always did have such a wonderful time. He couldn’t let the situation with Mason sully everything. That would be letting the bad feelings win. He wouldn’t allow Elliott to be the executioner. If it was going to end, it was going to be on Alex’s terms. “I’d love to come over, Mom! What time?” “Well, 5:30 ok?” Alex grinned. “Five-thirty is perfect. Let’s have grilled chicken drumsticks.” “Anything you want, dear. See ya later, sweetie.” “Bye, Mom.” Alex’s mind wandered back to the bizarre situation at hand. He was torn between calling again, visiting, or letting the matter drop until Mason had summoned his courtesy and called back with a full explanation. What could they possibly be doing? Alex wondered wistfully. If there was some “side action” happening, no doubt it was definitely over. Alex wouldn’t play second fiddle to anyone. It didn’t matter that this was his first relationship ever; what mattered was that under no circumstances would he lose his self-respect. He glanced at the clock, 2 pm. Only three hours until he left for his folks. There was still no phone call. Alex had to decide what his course of action would be. He couldn’t let things stew away in his mind and heart. It was all far too disconcerting to bear. Could he take the change and let Mason know of his true feelings? Why give him the satisfaction if things had changed so drastically? Alex ran his hands through his short hair and tried to stave off the headache that was coalescing. Dammit, Winthrop, decide! What does your gut say? At the moment, the only talking Alex’s innards were verbalizing was how hungry they were. Alex

hadn’t eaten all day, and his crying fit burned more than a few calories. He wandered out to the kitchen and surveyed what was in the refrigerator. Leftover tuna, no, cheese, no, rice, hmmm. That’d be easy on the stomach. He reached for the bowl of rice but stopped himself. Don’t want to fill up too much. He put his arm down and shut the door. Finally, his brown eyes fell upon the bowl of fruit that sat upon the kitchen table. A ripe banana sat atop all the other items. Alex sighed in relief and reached for the fruit, quickly shedding its skin and consuming it. He felt better almost immediately. He paired it with some orange juice and a few saltines. It was good enough for now. Another anxious glance at the clock, 2:30 pm. Dammit! This is too much. I hope he’s sweating as much as I am. That’s it, he has to call me. Alex’s mind drifted. He couldn’t believe this was even happening, from ecstatic to miserable in one night? Damn that Elliott! Or, should he be thanking him for revealing the tiny fissures in their assumed solid relationship. It was true the long-distance part had taken its toll, but it was better now, wasn’t it? Mason had confided the fact he was looking for another job, a domestic-only one. Nothing would please Alex more. His degree was earned and his job was marketable everywhere. He wanted to live with Mason more than anything. Damn, too many fairy tales with “happily ever after” storylines. That never freakin happens.” Alex sat for a while and let the scenarios play out in his subconscious. He drifted off to sleep again.

Chapter 23 An hour later, the cell phone awoke him. This time, he looked at the id. It was Mason. At last he was on the phone. Alex choked back his anger. “Well, hello, Mason. Finally kick out your ex to talk to me?” “Look, I know you’re angry, most likely fuming. You have every right to, trust me. I’ve acted horridly. Will you please meet me for dinner?” Alex wanted to jump through the phone with a resounding “yes”! Then, he remembered his promise to his parents. “Crap. I told my parents I’d come over already.” Mason fell silent for a long moment. “I see.” Alex could feel the chill in his voice. “Mas…please…” “No. No, go to your parents. I already have another dinner invitation.” Alex’s heart skipped a beat. “It’s that fuckin Elliott again, isn’t it? Dammit, Mason! I thought I was your boyfriend!” “You are, dammit! Stop questioning us! You wouldn’t wanna bring me along to your folk’s house with you, would you?” Alex huffed in frustration. “No. Not yet. I don’t even know what I’d tell them.” “Tell them you have a lover.” A laughed escaped his lips. “Is that what we still are? Really? You’ll have to prove that to me next time we meet up, oh, if Elliott approves of course.” “You little shit! Go off to your mommy and daddy’s house. Hope you can keep hiding your true self just that much longer.” “Shut up, Mason! You have no right to lecture me!” “Oh, don’t I? At least my parents know! Look, I didn’t call to argue with you. I got the impression when you left last night that you actually cared about me. I was going to explain everything!” Alex rolled his eyes. “You can’t wait until I come home

tonight to tell me?” “If I remember everything, go to your dinner, Alex. Email me when you’re back home.” “If I remember to.” Click. “Fucker.” Alex went to his parent’s house and reveled in the nostalgia. He didn’t tell them a thing about his relationship. When he returned home, he sat in front of his computer and stared at the wallpaper for a long moment. It was a candid shot of Mason taken in front of the Houndstooth. Such different days those were. The honeymoon phase of a relationship; the most overwhelming and deceitful phase Alex had noted. Alex opened up his photos folder and found a far more suitable scene to view. It was of a field of flowers, asters he supposed. He made it the new wallpaper. Finally, after considering it at least 10 times in his mind, Alex opened up his email account and tapped out a message. “Dear Mason, I’m home now. If you remember anything and still want to talk to me, I’m here. Alex.” A romance writer he wasn’t. He flipped the lid down on the laptop and walked over to the kitchen to get a soda. Just then, the cell phone rang. It was Mason. “Hey.” Alex started. “Hey.” “Listen, I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier. I should tell my parents, I’m just afraid to.” “Trust me; I know what that’s like. I really do. Don’t you think I should meet them by now anyway? Aren’t we involved?” Involved? “Yes, we are. I guess they’ll have to meet you sometime if we’re still together.” There was a short silence. “What do you mean, if? Do you want us to be or not, Alex?” “Why are you asking me? I’m not the one with a past that follows me around in a trench coat waiting for you behind corners.” “Eli is not doing that!” “Oh! Eli is it? Well, amazing how easily we fall back to old

nicknames, isn’t it? What was his name for you? Mas? I wouldn’t be a bit surprised.” “Knock it off, Alex. I mean it!” Alex’s fists clenched. “No you knock it off! I don’t want you seeing him! You’re my boyfriend now!” “Is that a threat, young man?” Alex furrowed his brow. “I don’t want you seeing him! I’m the one…” “Fine! I’ve just decided something. You and I are no longer “together”! How is that?” Alex felt his mouth run dry. “What?! No! I don’t want that to happen! Mason, please!” “Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t just end it right now.” Alex held his breath. He felt a wave of nausea hit him like a rolling tide. He had to spill the truth. “Mason, I love you.” A long silence fell over the line. “You love me?” Alex nodded. “Yes. I have almost since we met. I can’t stand this shitty situation we’re in, I hate that Elliott is in your life! I want to be your man, not him!” Mason replied with a far more tame tone. “Relax its ok. Alex, can I come over? I really want to explain things to you. Is it too late?” “No way, it’s only 9. Come on over.” “Good, I’ll see you in a few minutes.” “Oh, Mas?” “Yeah?” “I love you.” “I’ll be there soon.” Click.

Chapter 24 Mason showed up at the door not 10 minutes later. Alex waited inside the doorframe and welcomed him warmly with a long hug and kiss. “I’m sorry, I’m just jealous of my first boyfriend, and his first boyfriend. He’d better leave you alone…” Mason backed away. “Alex, stop it. Please?” “Fine, come on in, you want a soda or beer or something?” Mason draped his jacket over the sofa and sat down. “How about you just come over here and we’ll talk?” Mason patted the cushion next to him. “This isn’t like come here boy, is it? I’m hardly your pet.” Mason rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Look, if this is your attitude, maybe I’ll just get the hell outta here.” He stood up to leave. Alex ran over. “Wait a minute! Don’t leave, you just got here.” “Will you knock off the wisecracks then? Come on; let’s have a serious conversation for once.” “Fine, I’m all ears.” Alex cracked open his soda and sat next to his companion. They had another long, awkward silence. “So, what’d you end up doing for dinner?” “Oh, I got something, don’t worry.” “Were you alone?” “Alex!” “What? I just want to know! Don’t scream at me.” “I’m not screaming. I’m just tired of this jealous act.” “Oh, well excuse me! Some guy walks up to my boyfriend and kisses him right in front of me, I take that kinda seriously, especially since it’s your ex!” Mason ran his hand through his hair and softened his tone. “I didn’t expect that, he took me by surprise too.” He shot his

boyfriend a look. “Don’t you dare think I planned it that way.” “I don’t!” he insisted. “I just need to know what happened, where we stand. Why did you ask me to leave and then invite him over?” “Alex, I told you. Eli and I had a very long, tumultuous courtship. He was everything I dreamt of, tall, dark, handsome, but he didn’t think I was living up to my potential.” “That’s why he dumped you? Great reason.” “That isn’t the sole reason, but it played a big part. I had to convince him I’ve become someone other than just the poor student he lived with. I had to prove it to him.” “I think I understand. He still thought you were the lovesick puppy hung up on the grad student.” “Precisely.” Alex looked right into Mason’s eyes. “Are you?” Mason frowned. “Am I what?” “Are you still hung up on him?” “Alex, please stop asking me that.” “Not until I get an answer. You were going to tell me something the other night but you never got the chance to. What was that night originally going to be for us, Mas? You have to tell me now.” Mason took a swig of Alex’s soda. “All right. I was going to ask you to move away and come live with me.” Alex felt his pulse jump! Was there hope after all? “You, you were? Keyword being was. Are you still interested?” Mason locked eyes with him for a moment. “To be honest, I don’t know anymore. This whole episode has really made me see who you are, and not on the good side. I don’t think you’re ready for it, damn, I know you’re not ready. You’re way too young yet…” “Stop bringing up my age!” Alex fumed. “Just because I’m young doesn’t mean I’m an idiot nor does it give you the right to talk down to me! I was valedictorian at my college ya know! Summa Cumme Laude and everything! I’m not a stupid little child

like your friend seems to think I am!” “Alex, I never called you stupid…” “It doesn’t matter if you did or didn’t. Your precious Eli did and you didn’t defend me at all! Inside you must’ve been thinking the same thing!” Mason slammed the soda down on the table. “That’s not true!” “How do I know that? You never tell me anything! All we do is talk about our childhoods on the farm, eat key lime pie, and have sex! Do we ever talk about anything of real substance, seriously?” Mason scooted away a bit. “If you’d shut up for 10 minutes, maybe we could have a serious conversation. You’re so...I dunno, hyper!” “Fine! I’ll be quiet for 10 minutes. You tell me exactly everything you’re thinking.” Alex held out his watch and set the chronograph. Mason balked. “You’re going to fucking time me?” “You got it, buster. Spill your guts; you have 9 minutes and 55 seconds remaining.” Mason shook his head and stood up. His cell phone rang at that moment. “Hello? Oh, hi! You have excellent timing.” Alex got up and looked over Mason’s shoulder and saw the caller id. It was Elliott. “Get off the phone! This is a private conversation!” Alex screamed. Mason held his hand over his ear and scowled at his young lover. “Do you mind? Talk about immature! I’ll be back.” Mason walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Alex couldn’t believe it! He’d just been ditched for a phone call. He grabbed his soda and guzzled the rest of it down. He watched the clock and timed the conversation. Exactly 12 minutes later, Mason surfaced from the bathroom. “Wow, 12 minutes! Must’ve had a lot to gossip about.” Mason shoved his phone back into his pocket and grabbed his coat. He shoved his arms into it quickly. “I’m getting outta here. You obviously can’t handle this.”

“Excuse me? What’s to handle? The fact you’re probably sneaking around with this guy? That you wanted to ask me to live with you and now you don’t, what’s there to handle?!” Alex finished with a yell. Mason zipped up his coat. “This was a total mistake. Look, I’m sorry things are like they are right now, but there’s jack shit I can do about it, and I’m tired of you making all the accusations!” “Me? You are hardly innocent!” “Let’s not go there again.” Mason and Alex both sighed aloud and looked at each other. “I don’t wanna argue with you. You’re a good guy, you’re just so naïve. Especially, well…” You did not just say that! “You fuck! To me a boyfriend is supposed to be respectful and loving and sticks up for his lover, and not just that way. Do you realize I’ve told you twice now that I love you and you haven’t reciprocated? What do you feel for me, Mas? Am I just a sex partner or am I something more?” Mason walked over and brushed his lover’s face softly. He looked down and away. “I had hoped you’d be more, but I don’t think you’re ready for it. I wonder if you ever will be. You’re too young and afraid.” Alex bristled. “Afraid? You don’t want me to live with you, you obviously don’t love me, and you’re hung up on your ex! Things are really crappy from where I stand!” The two both took a deep breath. Alex walked up and stared into the mesmerizing blue eyes. They looked cold now, ice cold. “I’m sorry, Mason. Could, you leave now?” Mason looked surprised for a moment, but nodded. “Sure. You get some rest. I’ll talk to you in a few days.” “Good night, Mason. Drive carefully, it’s supposed to be freezing rain later.” “I will. Good night, Alex.” Mason unlatched the door and walked through it. He hesitated for a moment, and then shut the door behind him. Alex walked up and quickly bolted the latches. He grabbed the knob and

felt very dizzy. He felt his knees tremble as he fell to the floor and sobbed.

Chapter 25 Alex sank himself into his new job. He wanted to become a star at the legal firm where he was employed. He spent every waking minute there that he could. Earlier that week he’d been invited to lunch with the paralegals. They were all great people, and he didn’t want to leave them for anything. As for his home life, what little spare time he afforded himself was spent playing puzzle games on the computer or on his brand new Xbox. There were moments of weakness, of course. The first night after their “breakup”, Alex wrote out a long email, confessing everything he felt and wanted to say to the handsome man. Luckily, his logical side kicked in less than 24 hours later and he deleted ¾ of it. By the time he sent it later that night, it had been boiled down to an “I’m fine, thanks. How are you?” tone. There were other emails, of course. Paolo wrote him or forwarded him jokes all the time. His cousin sent him recipes especially for the single guy. Even crazy Jake would send him an email with a photo of his date-du-jour attached. It was just over eight days since the breakup. Alex felt very lonely. He’d finally gotten up off the sofa and perused the net in his usual fashion. Even the TV was turned on again for more than just games. He found his favorite local news page and “flipped” through its pages for the last week or so. “Man, I’ve gotten way too far behind. Now I’ll know what they’re talking about at work.” Alex continued surfing the site, looking under every tab. He even went under “engagement announcements”. He wondered if it was to torture himself or just to see all the other happy people in the area. The page took a moment to load. “Damn, this thing is so slow! Come on!” He got up and ran

to the bathroom. When he returned, the page had loaded. Alex could barely believe his eyes! He ran towards the screen and grabbed it out of sheer disbelief. “No! This…can’t be! How on earth? That shit! That complete shit!” Before him was the menacing headline: “Mason Adams and Elliott Jenkins announce their engagement.” Alex wanted to toss the laptop across the room! “You prick! I knew it, I just knew it! You loser! I hate you both!” He fell to the floor and sobbed for a few minutes. His head ran in circles around all the facts that berated him. The way Mason acted, that jerk Elliott, the way the restaurant thing seemed to be so staged! He had to find out. “You won’t get rid of me that easily, Mason Adams. I still love you and I will fight for you.” He picked himself up off the floor, wiped his face, and returned to the keyboard. He printed out the announcement and laid it on the kitchen table. “People’s exhibit A. Fight that one, Adams.” He picked up his cell phone and scrolled through his contacts. Once Mason’s name lit up, he pushed “send”. An hour later, the two met up at Alex’s home, a/k/a the scene of the crime. Mason was right on time. “Hello, Alex. Good to hear from you!” He hugged Alex warmly, which confused him. “Good to see you too! So, been keeping yourself busy?” “Oh yeah! Sales are through the roof! They want me to go to Paris now!” “Wow, Paris! Gay Paris. How cool for you!” “Yeah, it’s a huge opportunity, but it’s what I’ve always wanted. I’m gunning for salesman of the year! Hardly any other time to eat, sleep or breathe! You’ve been a real good guy, being so patient and all.” Alex smirked to himself. “Yeah, I’m a good little boy, aren’t I? Well, I can recall a time where I was a bad little boy too, don’t you?” Mason grinned. “I do. We had some really hot times together.”

“Yeah, the few times that we could get together.” “Alex…” “Relax, I’m not going there. I, just wanted to clear the air between us, see where things stand.” Mason tucked his hands into his pockets. “Where did you want things to go?” Alex shrugged. “I dunno. I was kinda hoping we could still work things out and live together. I wanted you to move here, with me.” “Move here? Well, that’d take some doing. I’d have to rearrange a lot of things.” Mason’s cell phone rang. It had to be Elliott. “Oops, work. I have to take this.” Mason disappeared into the bathroom again. Alex felt the folded up photo in his pocket and wanted to tear it into a million pieces. How dare this charade go on! He knew the truth, and the fact that Mason was avoiding it completely was both mysterious and infuriating! Finally, after 15 minutes, Mason surfaced again. “Sorry about that, the life of a salesman.” “Yeah, that’s gotta be hell, huh? No time for anything else. Not much of a social life either, I’m sure.” Mason paused. “No, not much of that I’m afraid. My usual company is a strong pot of coffee and my laptop full of contact notes.” “My goodness sounds so lonely! I worry about you.” “Oh, no need to. I’ll be alright. I head back home in a couple of days. They’ve been very good about this trip of mine.” “Are you saying I could’ve gotten you fired?” “No, but they didn’t like the abruptness of it all. It’s cool; I smoothed things over with them.” “I know you’re quite the silver-tongued devil. Just like your friend.” Mason groaned. “Dammit. Will you leave him out of this? He’s not the topic of conversation!” “Fine, fine, I digress, just worried about you. I don’t know

why, but I still have feelings for you.” Mason pursed his lips. “I know you do, and you’re a sweet kid.” A sweet kid? Did he actually just say that? “Uh, yeah, thanks, Mason. I’m a pretty good fuck buddy, but that’s about all, huh?” “Knock it off, will ya?” “Sure. Well look, I’m sure I’m keeping you from your laptop, so I’ll let you get back to the hotel and do just that.” Alex handed Mason his coat and steered him towards the door. “Is that all you wanted to discuss? Just the daily grind, nothing more?” “Nope, that was pretty much it. Good to see ya. When do you leave town?” “Friday afternoon. I want to take you to dinner before then, if that’s alright.” “Oh, that’s fine. Hey, let’s just not go to that same place as before. Some of the clientele are a little iffy.” Mason rolled his eyes. “Knock it off about Elliott!” “No! I’ll never knock it off! He came in and interrupted everything! I know he’s in your life!” Mason’s eyes grew wide. “How do you know that?” “Oh, so it’s true? Really? So, that means you just totally lied to my face! You told me it’s over between you two! You don’t have time for anyone or anything else in your life.” “What I do with my personal time is no longer your business!” Mason shouted back. Alex had to blink profusely to keep his eyes dry. “It isn’t my business? Someone you wanted to live with just two weeks ago? Now I don’t even get the daily report? You ass! I used to be your lover! Now I’m what, the paper boy? When was the official declaration of us ending? Oh, that ridiculous conversation we had over a week ago, that was it? My bad. Do I have to sign something?” Mason slammed his fist on the table. “Enough! I’ve had it with you and your demented ways!” “Yeah? Well I’ve had it with being suspicious! If I knew how

you really felt about me that might end, wouldn’t it? But no, we can’t have that, can we? Tell ya what, you’re in sales, you’ll understand this. Deal or no deal?” “What?” “You heard me! Either we’re together or we’re not! No other way, no other people, nothing! Yes or no?” Mason covered his mouth for a moment. “Alex…” “Yes or no? Oh, by the way, if you say no, I have a prepared speech.” Mason sneered. “I’ll just bet you do. What is it?” “So, is that your answer? No?” “I don’t know what my answer is yet! What’s this speech you made up?” “Fine, you get to hear it anyway. I must give credit where credit is due though, I didn’t write it, thanks to Tiffany Tallman.” Mason frowned. “Who the hell is Tiffany…?” Alex cut him off and pulled out the piece of paper from his pocket. “With great joy and love, Mason Benjamin Adams and Elliott Taylor Jenkins announce their engagement today at the…” Mason snatched the piece of paper from Alex’s hands. “Where the hell did you get this?” “Ever heard of the newspaper? Wow, some worldly guy you are. Excuse me; wouldn’t you have known your picture was being put out there for the whole damn town to see?” Mason stared at the photo, either out of shock, embarrassment or both. He finally lowered the paper and saw Alex’s mouth trembling. “Alex, I swear to you…” “Oh, so now this is the part where you deny your own fiancé? Very nice, I’m sure Elliott will love hearing that.” “I’d never deny the man I’m in love with!” “Oh, but you’d roll me out the curb with the garbage? Is that it? Dammit, Mason! You didn’t have the decency to even tell me? When did this even happen? You owe me that much.” Mason looked into the hurt man’s eyes and nodded. He motioned for them to sit down.

“You’re right. I do owe you that much. Dammit, I never even saw it coming. Two days after you and I had our last talk here, he cornered me in the office, took me away in his car. We drove for hours and discussed everything. He presented a ring, I practically threw up! I felt a lot of things. I worried about you, my parents, and my work! What in the world was going on? Why was he so desperate to marry me now? Then it hit me, it was because of you.” “Because I’m in your life.” Mason nodded. He turned his gaze to Alex. He brushed away the tears that had left trails on his tan face. “Mas…I don’t know what to say.” “It’s ok. I knew we wouldn’t work out, but I dunno if Eli and I will either. Guess I’m kinda on the fence.” “Well, you had a choice. Live with me, here, or anywhere! I still love you, but I know you don’t feel the same. I can’t forgive that. I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.” “What?” “Mason, you aren’t mine! You lied to me about all of this! How can I trust you? I can’t! Just, get out, for good!” Mason bristled. “Alex…” “Get out. Don’t call me again, ok. I hope you’re happy with your choice.” Mason unbolted the latch and let in the freezing cold air. He stifled a sob and looked back at Alex once more. “I’m sorry.” “Bye, Mason.” Alex walked towards the door and pushed it shut, latching it as quickly as he could.

Chapter 26 It was a week later. He scarcely recalled his own graduation ceremony. He stood there, stick-straight and silent. He walked up and accepted his diploma, and moved off the stage. Everything was in a time bubble that had seemed to have stopped. It was divided into two distinct worlds: the pre-Mason era and unfortunately, the post-Mason era. The weather had turned sharply colder. Sleet and snow were in the forecast, just in time for Christmas. Alex would be going home to his folk’s house the next day for a couple days. Despite having his own place; he always loved staying with his parents are holiday time. He wondered how he’d survive this year, though. What he wondered most was how he’d survive without Mason. The fire died slowly. Alex watched its flames and embers slowly fade away. He watched it for a moment; mesmerized by it all. He hoped passionately that his hurt feelings would burn away like the embers. This entire week had been little more than him going through the motions. He remembered very little about the past seven days; except that he was extremely numb. He was numbed by his crushed heart and by the absolute lack of compassion that Mason had exhibited during the breakup. Alex truly thought and believed that the time would’ve come where their feelings would come to bear. It had to happen, right? Everyone has to know eventually? That was his fatal flaw; assumption. Alex knew so little about relationships and what smattering of facts he had collected were all from dramatic movies and television. He kept hoping that after a two-hour drama, there would be a happy ending in it for him somewhere. No such luck. Alex scooted up in his chair and pulled his knees to his chest. He wrapped the blanket around himself to resemble a cocoon. He

was beginning to cave in on his feelings and self-doubts. His mind was a vicious whirlwind of thoughts and memories of their brief relationship. If only he had never seen that engagement announcement. Things would be so different. Or would they? By now, it was too late. It had to be. The company wanted Mason to start in Paris as soon as possible. The wedding had to be squeezed in just for scheduling. It would almost have been easier to bear if Mason had died. At least there would’ve been a definite finale to it all; a reason. This, "situation", made no sense at all. There had to be an explanation in the grand scheme of things somewhere. Through all of his dramatic studies; Alex had witnessed time and again the over-the-top love story where the spurned party and the transgressor are tearfully reunited. There’s a swell of cheesy music and a long, wet kiss. He’d seen it so many times, it made his stomach turn. However, in his darkened mood; it seemed suddenly quite appealing. How completely wonderful would it be to have Mason knock on his door, decked out in his finest, carrying wine and roses, professing his undying love for Alex. Holy cow, I’m getting sappy and delusional! Alex berated himself for his ridiculous daydreams. Nothing like that is going to happen. Mason is gone, he’s getting married to that prick, Elliott, it’s over. That’s all, end of story. Alex froze suddenly. He swore he heard a sound. He cautiously unwrapped himself from the blanket and stood up. He tip-toed over to the door; where he could have sworn he’d heard a knock. Was it the sleet, the fire? His imagination was running wilder than a runaway train? Alex snuck up on the door as if it were his prey. He took hold of the deadbolt and unlatched it. He opened the door slowly; the icy air outside struck his face as a horrible slap. His brown eyes became wet with ice and the cold air. He squinted; trying to see if anyone was there. Not a soul in sight. Alex stepped outside the door and craned his head around the corner. He looked up and down the street. All he saw were cars, ice, pavement, and the other

houses. It was as cold as death. Alex rolled his eyes. He’d become convinced he’d need mental medication for hallucinations. He stepped back inside and shut the door loudly. The bitterly cold air followed him in and a shiver ran through his slight body. He rebolted the door and ran back over to stir the dying flames. Dumb kid, did you really think anybody would be there? Honestly? I’m just a stupid kid… Alex covered his mouth for a moment; trying to stifle his fresh batch of tears. Would this miserable night ever come to a conclusion? Would he ever find peace?

Chapter 27 Two days before Christmas morning came without fanfare. Alex had finally fallen asleep, curled up cat-like in the wingback chair. He was in quite the peculiar pose; his legs were crossed, as were his arms. His head was set to the side, leaning upon one of the wings. He had barely left the chair all night long. The sunlight that crackled through the ice-glazed windows disrupted his slumber. There was a lone bright beam of light that shone right through and landed right on his face. Alex opened his brown eyes slowly, only to shut them quickly or be blinded. He grimaced and tried to turn his head. The position he’d left it in had frozen up his joints; his neck was quite stiff. Alex uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on either side of his head, slowly pulling up and repositioning his sore neck. I know better than to sleep like this. Oh well, it’ll wear off I suppose. He slowly uncrossed his legs and noticed quickly the uncomfortable pins-n-needles sensation that besieged them. After a few minutes, the blood flow had returned. Alex left his nest to get some water and answer nature’s call. Alex freshened up and tried to see clearly again. It took several doses of eye drops to get the red out of them. He’d blame everything, the cold, the heat, the crying, and even the blanket’s fibers for irritating his eyes. His stomach growled; letting him instantly know its displeasure at being ignored for so long. Alex sighed. Guess I gotta eat. Don’t know what, but I don’t want to be sick. Let’s see what I have. Alex perused the pantry for something suitable. He finally settled upon a small pack of powdered sugar donuts. Now that breakfast was found, all that was missing was a beverage. Alex opened the refrigerator and found his bottle of skim milk. How ironic. Skim milk with donuts? That’s got to be breaking some kind of nutritional law somewhere. He laughed to himself. To hear himself laugh and think of something else other than his agony was an amazing relief. Alex smiled slightly and

opened his pack of donuts. He walked over to the dining table and finished his breakfast in silent contemplation. He glanced at the clock, 7:30 am. Work began in an hour. After that he’d be leaving for his parent’s house. He took a quick peek at the internet and checked the society announcements. The ad was still there. He’d bookmarked it. He’d been lucky enough to have found out the name of the hall and the time too. All he had to do now was wait a month. In the meantime, Christmas was enjoyed at his parent’s house. He got a phone call from Paolo too, and Jake. They all exchanged e-cards. Finally, a new year ushered itself in. That frigid January morning finally arrived. Alex donned his finest suit, dress shoes, and tie. He looked quite dapper in his own opinion. He hadn’t talked to or laid eyes on Mason this entire past month. He’d hoped their troubles had been laid to rest. He had to see this wedding for two reasons. Proof, first of all. He had to see this happen no matter what. Secondly, to prove that there was really nothing there in the first place. Paolo had written him several times, but he kept the tone jovial. He always said things were just fine, don’t worry about me, how are you? It’d been over a week since Alex had heard from him. There had been nearly incessant chatter about a newcomer named Hector that Paolo was infatuated with. He’d go on endlessly about the man’s attributes and sexual prowess. Alex usually skimmed this part of the emails; he didn’t want to read someone else’s description of what he longed for so much. 10 am, time to go the hall. Alex got into his car and drove away. The location of the wedding was lovely. It was in the middle of a park in town. The snowy ground had been cleared to the

gazebo in the center. Mason had always been quite the nature lover. Even though the temperature was barely above freezing, he’d still hold the ceremony outside. Alex took in the lavish decorations. Everything was in shades of blue, which he guessed was both men’s favorite color. The gazebo was dazzling with strings of blue mini-lights, and long, flowing strands of blue flowers hung from all gables. The pathway itself had been cleared as well as possible and covered with a long red carpet. Blue rose petals were scattered on each side. Even the judge was dressed in a blue suit. There were no visible attendants, only guests. Alex had to wonder if Mason’s family even knew this was happening. After waiting in the car for about 10 minutes, a black limousine drove up. Elliott got out first. His dark hair looked pitch black against the stark white background. He seemed to look around at the parked cars suspiciously, but was distracted. Mason got out next, Alex felt his heart jump. He looked so handsome. The tuxedos were complete with vests and ascots, both in blue. Mason’s hair was pulled back into a gelled ponytail, not a single stray hair. Elliott took his hand and held him close. Alex clenched his jaw. “Unhand him, you prick!” He wanted to leap from the car and stop all of this. It was all too surreal, the winter’s harsh climate, the all-too-soon way in which this was being conducted. Everything. Alex watched the couple wait at the end of aisle and for the musical cue. Finally, the music began and the couple marched down the carpet together. Mason hadn’t looked around even once. Alex felt his heart sink. He watched enviously as the vows were exchanged, and the rings. He caught a glimpse of Mason’s eyes, even at this distance. He saw the one thing he never saw before in them himself, love. That was it, it was truly over. Did he fight for a dying horse? No, simply pull out the gun and get it over with. Alex fell over the steering wheel and stifled his tears. He started up the engine, which startled most of the small gathering. He circled around the lot once

more and stopped in front of the altar. Mason looked over and their eyes met again. Alex waited for a moment. Mason took a half-step in Alex’s direction, but Elliott pulled him back. “Leave him alone!” Finally, after a long moment, Mason looked back up and mouthed, “I’m sorry” to Alex. He held up his left hand showing the ornate wedding band. He looked back at Elliott and pulled him close. That was it. It was over. Alex put the car in gear and peeled off the lot.

Chapter 28 The next morning had been much like a month prior. It had snowed overnight, a fresh 5” of fluffy flakes. Alex looked out the window and up at the gray sky. He’d barely slept all night again. The firewood ran out quickly, he opted for the pile of catalogs in the corner instead. He’d spent at least two hours making piles of “paper logs” to use. It kept his hands busy at least. Alex glanced at his watch; it was only 6:30 am, far too early. He felt too tired to be awake, but too frustrated and heartbroken to be asleep. He considered going to the Dr. to get some sedative or something to help him sleep. Not in this weather, though. He’d have to wait. The house was silent. Once again the TV and radio were his enemies. All they told were stories of doom and gloom and of love gone awry. Alex could take little more. He’d even broken down and called his mother last night. She could always soothe him better than anyone else. If the weather hadn’t been so bad, she would’ve been over there cooking up a batch of chocolate-chip cookies for certain. Alex tried to feel alive in more than just the simple literal sense. He needed to eat, which his stomach reminded him of quite loudly. “Fine, fine, what do you want this time?” He got to his feet and scoped out what the pantry had to offer this time. There was a box of crackers, some snack cakes, and little else. Alex scratched his head. “Hmm, maybe I’ll have some yogurt.” He looked in the fridge and searched for any flavor he could locate. Finally, at the back of the fridge sat one lonely container of strawberry. He smiled and reached for it. His glee was short-lived, however. Once he opened it, he realized the expiration date had long-since passed. That or the strawberries had grown back their green tops. He tossed the yogurt into the trash and wandered over to the sink. He

could feel the icy wind come through the older windows of the house. It hit him right at eye level, making them water. “Dammit, stupid old house!” Alex turned on the water to flush his eyes when there was a knock at the door. His heart skipped a beat. “Omg, could it be? Has he come to his senses at last?” Alex ran to the door and unlocked it as quickly as he could. “What in the hell are you doing here?” It was Mason! “What the hell-?” Mason pushed his way inside. “I had to check in on you. You won’t answer your cell phone or your emails.” Alex crossed his arms and scowled. “Why should you care? Aren’t you married now?” Mason shook his head and took the young man’s arms. “I made a terrible mistake marrying Eli. I left him right before we were supposed to jet off to our honeymoon. I finally cornered him and stood up to him!” “Are you ok? That ass didn’t take a swing at you, did he?” “No, he knew better than to try it. I’m in better shape now than I was when he and I were first together.” Alex looked the man up and down. “Come inside, sit down. I don’t have much to eat here, but I can offer you a couple things.” Mason caught his hand. “Alex, the only thing I want offered is your forgiveness. I acted like a complete ass! That night at the restaurant when all of this began heading downhill, I didn’t know how to react. He showed up and kissed me and made me feel like…” “In love all over again?” “…no, like vomiting! I felt like his property, hardly his equal. He has a degree higher than me and he’ll always rub my damn nose in it.” “How did he convince you to marry him?” “He sweet-talked me, more of a con job. He said that I belonged on his level, not with some urchin like you who’s still wet behind the ears. He apologized for everything, and I bought it

for some inexplicable reason.” “Mas…” “Alex, can you forgive me at all? I’m truly shocked you’re even able to speak to me without holding a sharp object or a weapon to my head, but…” “The only question you never answered was how you felt about me. I’d told you, but you never answered me back. I figured that was it, that I was too damn young and way out of my league with you. I chalked it up to naiveté and tried to survive.” “Please, let’s try again? I’ve left Eli for good. What do you say?” Alex backed up and reached for the chair. Here was his every wish coming true! What would he do? He swallowed hard and caught his breath. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Mason’s mouth opened wide. “Excuse me?” “You expect me to take you back? After ditching me to get married? After calling me all kinds of names and getting pissed off at me for not doing what I don’t want to do in bed? Not to mention even telling me how you feel about me, which, by the way, I still don’t know. Mason, you’re my every wet dream come to life, but-“ “No. You’re not going to turn me down! After everything I’ve just done-“ “After all of that, I should have you freakin arrested! Dammit! You broke my heart! You married somebody else! You need to get outta here and go find your husband.” “But I told you, I left-“ “Yes, yes.” Alex repeated. He rolled his eyes. “I don’t care”. Mason fought tears. “What?” “I simply can’t care anymore, Mas. See, you may have lusted after me, fucked me, lied to me, but you were never a good partner. You simply don’t have what it takes.” “Alex you can’t be serious, after our adventure in England?” “Our adventure?” He stifled a hearty laugh. “Our adventure was an elongated one-night stand gone awry! You came, we

fucked, you left. You came back, we fucked, you left. There was no commitment, no love there. You used me! We had an awful long-distance whatever. Well it’s over now. You ended it. I moved on.” Alex stood back with his hands on his hips. For once, he felt the power and assertion surging through his veins. He was finally standing up to his awful treatment. Mason bowed his head and looked into the young man’s eyes. “Fine, so be it. You are too young for me, and too immature. You sound like a damn girl with all this commitment crap!” Alex laughed. “I sound like a girl? I’m not the one who got married and ran away! What do we call you, the runaway groom? Get outta here, Mason. I hope you find Eli back and he makes you happy. Leave me be.” “You’re sure?” “Very.” “Fine.” Mason picked up his coat, threw it over himself, and walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him. Alex felt a wave of bravery mix with emotion. He fought back tears and won this time. He walked over to the door and peered through the small window next to it. “I win.”

Chapter 29 Not 15 minutes later, there was another knock at the door. Alex growled to himself and walked over to answer it. “Look, Mason, you’re wasting your t-Paolo!” “Alex, thank goodness! I was so worried about you!” “Paolo! What’re…?” “I had to check in on you! You won’t answer your cell phone or your emails. What’s going on, man?” Alex smiled at his friend and hugged him. “Paolo, you, risked your life coming over here? What’s so important?” “I was worried about you. I just saw the local paper yesterday in the hotel room. I saw the wedding pictures. I knew you’d go there. Did it answer your questions?” “It answered everything. I dodged the bullet for sure! He never loved me at all! He took my virginity and didn’t give a crap about me! How did I let him get to me? I’m one of the smartest people I know! Why did I let it happen?” Paolo approached his friend and held out his arms. “Come here. Come on, let me hug you.” Alex collapsed into his friend’s arms. “I’m so stupid! I…” “Shhh, you are not! You said it yourself how smart you are! Just because some guy jerked you around doesn’t mean you’re an idiot! It happens all the time, far too often in my opinion.” Alex looked up into Paolo’s brilliant green eyes. “Shit. Even you’re taken now.” The Spaniard grinned. “Oh, yes. Hector. Well, there’s a story behind that.” Alex rolled his eyes. “Spare me. You don’t need to go into gory details. I, just hope that you’re happy with him and that he treats you well. You sure as hell deserve it.” Paolo smiled. “Oh, there’s a story alright. It’s a whopper, too. Hey, what’s for breakfast?”

Alex held out his hands. “Not much. I never could cook, and there isn’t much here to begin with. I almost had a nasty run-in with a very old yogurt cup. That would’ve ended up very bad, as in ER bad.” Paolo wrinkled his nose. “Eww! I hate old dairy. Never fun. I got food poisoning from it once. I was so sick! Ended up spending the night in the hospital with an IV. It took me a week to recover.” “Holy cow! I didn’t know that.” “Well, it’s not exactly dinner conversation. Come on, lemme take a look and see what I can whip up.” Alex stood back and waved the man on. “Be my guest. I’m gonna go run to the bathroom.” “Ok, I’ll make us something terrific.” “Go for it. I’ll be right back.” Paolo began rifling through everything in the fridge and pantry and conjured something edible. Alex came back from the bathroom a few minutes later. “Wow that smells so good! What is it?” “Crepes. I found some Bisquick and some strawberry jam that were still good in there.” Alex smiled at his friend. “You’re amazing, Paolo. I have nothing and you come here and find that one bit of goodness in this landfill called my life.” “Hey, just being a good friend. I think your answering machine’s broken, the light supposed to do that?” “No, it isn’t. Oh man, I think the tape is full.” Paolo laughed. “Tape? Good heavens enter the 21st century at least!” “Ha ha ha. I’ll get there when I’m good and ready. I guess I need to empty this thing, huh?” Alex pushed the playback button and it rewound the entire tape, meaning a ½ hour of unheard messages. “Geez, did you even have that thing on?” Alex shook his head. “No. I didn’t wanna chance hearing his voice at all. I didn’t wanna talk to anyone at all, so I just shut it

off.” Finally, the tape began to play. The first few were Alex’s Mom. He skipped through them. “I love my mom to death, but holy cow she worries.” “Hey, that’s a mother’s prerogative. Leave her be.” Alex shrugged in agreement. The next message was what he feared most. It was Mason. “Alex, are you there? Please pick up. I…just wanted to say I’m so sorry…” Alex cut off the message. Paolo looked over at his friend. “You alright?” “Mark that one for deletion for sure.” He pushed play again and it was another message from the estranged blond. “Alex, please pick up. I know it’s my wedding day, but you’re still in my head. I’m sorry I was such a prick! Please don’t hate me!” That one was deleted right away. “Too late for that.” Next was a message from Paolo. “Alex, please pick up, it’s Paolo! Where are you? Are you alright? Please turn on your cell phone sometime or check your email, ok?” Alex deleted that one and saw his friend standing next to him. “I was worried. Still am.” Alex nodded. The next two messages were from his mother again, delete. Finally, the last message, from that morning at around 2 AM. “Alex, its Mason. I’ve made a terrible mistake! Eli isn’t who I thought he was. Please, Alex…” Alex cut it off. Paolo twisted his lip. “What’re you gonna do?” “Nothing.” Alex flipped open his cell phone. There were 6 new voice mails. He took a few minutes to listen to them all. There were 3 from Paolo wondering how he was and what was going on. Every message from Mason was please forgive me and what a horrible error he’d made. Alex slapped his phone shut. Paolo walked back over to the kitchen and served up the crepes. “Breakfast is ready, when you are.” Alex turned to face his friend. “Paolo, how are you and

Hector, really?” Paolo blushed. “Alex, I have to confess. There is no Hector.” “What?!” “I made him up. I couldn’t deal with things the way they were. I made up all the things we did and how he was, everything.” Alex walked over to his friend and took his hands. “Why all the mystery?” Paolo kissed Alex’s hands. “Because, I hated Mason from the moment I saw him. But you loved him, and I let it be. But now…I can’t hide the truth from you anymore.” Alex grinned. “What truth, Paolo?” “Geez, let’s just get all soap-operaish here. I’ve got it bad for you, ever since I met you. We’d hang out in the kitchen and fix dinner together. You’d never shut up long enough for me to talk, so I just listened to your blabbering. I loved every second of it.” Alex pulled Paolo close. “Are you saying…?” “Yes. I love you, Alex. I actually do! Mason never did and I told you that, but you wouldn’t listen. I’m so sorry you got hurt, but you know now.” “That is very true. Hold on a second.” Alex walked over to the answering machine and replayed the first few seconds of Mason’s last message. He then ceremoniously pushed the “delete” button. Paolo walked over and hugged Alex warmly. “Thank you.” “No, thank you. You actually give a damn about me! Forget that other dude…what’s-his-name. He came by here, not long before you arrived. He was all apologetic, and wanted to get me back.” “Holy shit! What’d you say?” “I told him to forget it! He’d made his bed, now sleep in it. His bed has Elliott in it, not me. I know he took my virginity and all that, but he’s not worth it anymore. I told him to get lost.” “That’s so awesome! You’re such a strong guy. Are you sure that you won’t pine for him as your first love?” “How could I? He never loved me back.”

Paolo hugged his friend close. His green eyes glimmered as the snowflakes outside. Alex rubbed his hands over his friend’s muscular body. They smiled at each other again and softly kissed. “I’m sorry he was such a prick to you, Alex. I promise things will be better.” “I know they will. You actually care. You always have.” The two grinned at each other again and kissed one last time. Alex’s stomach rumbled and interrupted them. “Ok, ok! I’m coming. Damn stomach.” Paolo laughed aloud and led Alex to the table. They sat down to dine and talked all morning. “So, what’s your next move, my friend?” the raven-haired man queried. Alex grinned and took in the sight of the handsome man before him. “Well, I think I need to work on moving on, really moving on.” He crossed over to his friend and planted a long, passionate kiss on his lips. “You want a boyfriend again, don’t you, Paolo?” The man nodded. “Yes. But I want more than just that. I want a lover, a companion. I always wanted it to be you, Alex. I wish you hadn’t slept with that freak. I always wanted your first…” Alex caught his gaze. “You always wanted my first to be with you, really?” Paolo nodded. “Yes. My first was very harsh with me, that’s why I swore off men for a long time. I wouldn’t do that to you.” Alex’s eyes watered and he blinked back tears. “Do you know what that scoundrel said to me?” Paolo shook his head. His full hair pelted his mocha face. Alex smoothed it away with his nimble fingers. “He said I was too much of a child yet, that I shouldn’t be scared. He got kinda harsh that last night we were really together. He was angry with me. He berated me a bit. I was actually a little afraid of him that night.” Paolo reached for his friend’s face. “Thank God you didn’t give that to him. That’s the lost stronghold of your body. Don’t let

anyone talk you into giving it up if you’re not ready. Trust me.” Alex stroked his friend’s hair. “You weren’t…assaulted, were you?” “Almost, but I gave in at last just to shut him up. I dreamt of someone else the entire time.” Paolo stood up and slipped his strong arms around Alex’s waist. “I’ve wanted to make it up to someone this entire time. That someone is you. I’ve been in love with you almost since we met. Do you want me?” They kissed again. Alex grinned and held the man in a long embrace. “I should’ve known the whole time. I love you too, Paolo. I want you very much.” “Then shall we?” the swarthy man suggested. Alex glanced over his shoulder at the bedroom door and the bed that lay inside. He cupped his friend’s clean-shaven face and looked into the entrancing eyes. Thoughts of the long, strong arms holding him filled his mind with joy and desire. He kissed Paolo deeply and pressed his slight body against the soccer player’s. Those incredible legs; so strong and powerful-looking. He wanted to run his hands all over them. “Yes. Let’s be together. I wish I’d chosen you from the start.” “Well, better late than never, thank goodness you didn’t want him back.” Alex nodded and kissed Paolo’s hand. “He can’t measure up to you. You are a decent human being who’s been nothing but sweet to me. I was the blinded fool.” Paolo shushed him and kissed him one last time and joined hands. “You are no fool, you were just…distracted. Come, I’ll show you what I wanted to do all this time.” They walked towards the bedroom and glanced back at the table. “I think the dishes can wait a while.” Paolo jested. “Definitely.” Alex agreed. They walked back to the bedroom.

Paolo stripped off his shirt first, baring his very developed, hairless chest. Alex grinned. He smoothed his hands all over it, cupping the pecs and kissing the dark tan nipples. “It’s just like I remember. I should’ve asked for a taste before.” “When did you see me like this before?” Alex blushed. “Oh…it was very late at night. You were in your sleep pants looking out the window in London. The moonlight shone through the window and I could see right through them. I tried not to stare, but I just couldn’t help it. I went to bed with the worst hard-on.” Alex cupped Paolo’s crotch and softly massaged the package while Paolo entwined his fingers among the spikes of Alex’s hair. They smiled at each other and kissed again. “You minx, you, I knew I felt someone watching me. I hoped it wasn’t Jake.” “Gawd, not that guy, he’s as straight as they come.” Paolo cocked his head and gave his friend a very deep, French kiss. “That’s how we do it back in my country.” Alex grinned. They shed the rest of their clothing, assisting each other. They pressed their nude bodies together and indulged their senses with a long session of touching and kissing the other. Paolo smoothed his soft hands over Alex’s body, making each hair follicle spring to life as an electric shock. They held each other as closely as possible and indulged in a barrage of kisses. Alex took a moment and pulled up the sheets on the bed and laid down, Paolo straddled over him. They kissed feverishly and built up a heat between them. Sweat oozed from their exposed pores and they slathered the fluid over their bodies. “Paolo?” “Yes, hon?” Alex smiled at the nickname. “Can you reach into my top dresser drawer? I have something we need.” Paolo paused and looked in the furniture. On top was a small bottle of lube and two washcloths. “You had these waiting?” Alex shrugged. “I never knew when or if I’d be ready. So I was prepared.” He looked into the man’s eyes and smoothed his

thumbs over his handsome face. “Make love with me, Paolo. Come into me. You’re the one.” “Are you sure? I will do it gently.” “I know you will, you care.” Paolo kissed his mouth. “That I do. Lay back, my love. Put your legs on my shoulders.” Alex did as instructed, and slid his legs over the man’s shoulders. “I’m ready.” Paolo slathered a fair amount of lube where it needed to go and kissed the man once more. “Do you want a condom?” “Yes, you are right about being careful. I trust you, but I don’t trust those before you.” Paolo kissed him softly and stood up for a moment to retrieve his wallet. Inside was a condom, a ribbed one. He displayed it for his friend. “Well, expecting some action, were we?” Paolo opened up the packet and rolled it onto his erect penis. He walked back over and kissed Alex again. “I was hoping to, but you found Mason first. We’ll make up for that now. Ready?” Alex took a deep breath and smoothed his hands over his lover’s arms. “Ready.” He let Paolo enter his body. They winked at each other as the Spaniard built up the tempo of his actions. Finally, his shielded penis entered, to Alex’s delight! He grasped the pillow behind him and cried out a bit. “That didn’t hurt you, did it?” “No…please…keep going! Love that ribbing!” They smiled at each other. Paolo leaned forward and pressed his body into Alex’s. He pushed at a medium pace, but hastened it near the end. Alex reached up for the pillow again, especially at the very climax. “Pao….Paolo!” The madness had ended. Alex felt the condom fill up at the same moment he felt his own spew onto the man’s abdomen. They kissed gently and dark-haired man helped to lower Alex’s legs as his body retracted. “Did you love it?” Alex grasped for the man’s hands. “I loved it and I love you.

I don’t know why I didn’t see it from the beginning.” “You were distracted. Now you know.” “Yes. Now I know. I’ll never let that happen again. Paolo, will you move in with me? Make sure I don’t get…distracted?” They smiled and kissed a few times. “Absolutely! I’ll make sure your affections are right where they want to be.” Alex kissed his lover and stroked his muscular body. “They are right where they need to be, with you.” The new couple kissed one final time and fell asleep curled up in each other’s arms. Their slumber was disturbed by Alex’s cell phone ringing. He groaned and rolled over to pick it up. “Hello?” he asked in a drowsy tone. “Alex? It’s Mom! How are you, honey?” Alex sat up quickly, almost at attention. “Mom, hi! How are you?” “We’re fine darling. Just wanted to make sure you weren’t out driving in this horrible weather.” “I’m not. I’m safe at home.” “Good boy.” Alex shut his eyes. Paolo awoke and reached for his hand. “Uh…Mom?” “Yes, baby?” “Mom, I’ve been meaning to tell you guys something. About me and my life…” There was a long, stilted pause. Paolo mouthed “Just tell her”. Alex took a deep breath. “Mom…I’m seeing someone.” “That’s wonderful! Who is he?” Alex nearly dropped the phone! “W-What? You mean you know?” Paolo covered his mouth in surprise. “Oh honey, I’ve always known! I hope it’s a good boy taking care of my baby. You deserve only the best!” “How…when did you know?” “Ha, when didn’t I know? So, who is this man who finally measured up to your timeline?”

Alex gasped. “You knew about that too?” “Alexander, I went through your room all the time when I was cleaning. Your homework was littered with outlines. Don’t you remember?” Paolo sat up and kissed his lover’s cheek. Alex grinned. “I do remember, Mom. Oh my goodness, you have no idea what a shock it is to me that you knew and to not have you upset! I was seeing someone, but we broke up already, but I met someone else, way nicer.” “You’re not sleeping around are you? You’re using protection, right?” she asked sternly. “Yes, Mom. I’m careful. I’ve always been that way. I want you to meet him and get along.” “What’s his name?” “Paolo. I met him in London also. He was one of my roommates.” “Well bring him by! I know why you didn’t before. I knew you were upset that night, but I let it go. You could always work things out. I’m so very proud of you, Alex.” Alex shed happy tears. “Thank you, mom! We’ll come by when the weather clears. I can’t wait!” “Neither can I, honey! You be careful now. Do good at work and tell your new boyfriend hello for me.” “I will. Bye, Mom. I love you!” “I love you too, baby!” Alex looked over at his lover with a face full of happy tears. “She knew! She always knew!” Paolo kissed him sweetly and dried off his face. “I can’t wait to meet them. Until then, looks like we’ve got a snow day. How do you wanna spend it?” Alex embraced his lover and ran his hands through the mass of black hair. He pulled back and kissed him deeply. “I think we can figure something out.” “That we can.” They pulled up the covers and nestled into their winter love

nest. The drama was over.

About the Author

Stephanie Danielson has been writing since she could hold a pen. Early works included a strong central character and evolved into entire villages. Alternative works began in her teens and she has never looked back once. She strives for real emotions, real characters, and to make a connection with the reader.