Small Claims

by Ethan Stone

“Gee, thanks for accepting on my behalf.” I sighed loudly and rolled my eyes.

  She giggled. “I haven’t seen Jocelyn in months.”

  “Okay, we can go.”

  She clapped her hands and hugged me. “You’re the best, Pops.”

  THE SECOND I PULLED IN front of Frank’s house, Jocelyn ran out of the front door. Gabrielle was out of the car before I could put the car into park, hugging her cousin excitedly. They laughed and seemed to be talking, though it was in such a high tone I couldn’t understand them.

  Tammy appeared on the front steps a moment later and held her arms open wide. “Good to see you, Shawn.”

  I embraced her, and it felt good.

  Why have I stayed away so long? I wondered.

  It had been at least three months. I enjoyed Frank and Tammy’s company, but I still found excuses to stay home and mope. Scott had been close to them as well, and it felt odd to do anything without Scott that he and I had done as a couple. His absence was notable, in my mind at least, and I assumed they missed him as well. Maybe they even preferred Scott’s company over mine.

  Tammy pulled me inside, through the living room, and out onto the back porch. Frank stood over the grill, barbecuing hamburgers, hot dogs, and steaks.

  “Hey, Shawna,” Frank joked, using the nickname he’d given me as a youngster.

  “Hello, Franny,” I retorted. “How you doing?”

  We gave each other a one-armed hug.

  “I’m doing good. Work’s been keeping me busy.”

  Frank was the chief of the Salem Fire Department and had been there since he was eighteen.

  “I heard about the fire out on Sunnyview,” I said. “Was it bad?”

  He nodded as he flipped the burgers. “Meth house. One guy got burned pretty badly, but there weren’t any other injuries.”

  I leaned against the porch railing and crossed my arms. We were quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. We didn’t feel the need to fill the air with small talk. However, the way Frank kept glancing my way told me he had something to say.

  “So…” Frank finally said, “been on any dates lately?”

  Oh, Lord. Tammy must’ve been whispering in his ear about me still being single. I rubbed my forehead, debating if my one-nighter with Jody counted as a date or just a hook-up.

  “Not really,” I finally replied.

  “What the hell does that mean?” Frank chuckled.

  I’d told my family I was gay when I was thirteen. Frank had been ten at the time and it didn’t bother him in the slightest. He’d never cared about my sexuality, but that didn’t mean he wanted to hear about my sex life.

  My face warmed. “Well, I went out dancing and took a guy home.”

  Frank chuckled. “You got laid? Good for you, man.” He patted my back as if we were a couple of jocks boasting about our conquests.

  “Yeah,” I replied. “It was fun.”

  “If that’s true, why are you acting like your dog died?”

  I shrugged. “He took off without saying goodbye.”

  “It was just a one-night stand? I didn’t realize that was your thing.”

  “It isn’t,” I admitted.

  “It can’t be the first time you’ve had one, right? I mean, you have had sex since you and Scott split up?”

  I cast my eyes downward and kicked a pebble.

  “Fuck, you haven’t, have you? This guy was the first?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded.

  “It’s been two years, Shawn. Christ almighty, how could you go that long?”

  “I don’t know, Frank,” I snapped. “It just happened.”

  He raised a hand in surrender. “I didn’t mean to piss you off. It just took me by surprise.” He took the hamburgers and hotdogs off the grill and put them on a plate. The steaks remained because they were for the two of us. We both liked them well done.

  “I had a good time,” I admitted. “But I wasn’t expecting him to just sneak out like that. I didn’t think we’d live happily ever after, but I hoped for at least a couple more dates.”

  “You can’t give up,” Frank said. “You have to…”

  I scowled at him. “If you tell me I have to get back on the horse, I swear I will punch you.”

  “That’s not what I was going to say.”

  Eyeing him suspiciously, I said, “Really?”

  He nodded. “I was going to say that you have to get back on top, or in your case, get on the bottom, since that’s your thing.” He laughed until I reached out and socked his shoulder.

  “Asshole. If you weren’t making dinner, I’d kick your ass.”

  “Well, you’d try anyway.”

  I took a step toward him, playfully pretending I was going to strike him again, but stopped when Tammy joined us.

  “Is the meat ready?” she asked. “The ladies are starving.”

  “All done, my love,” Frank answered, putting the steaks on the plates with the other food. “Let’s chow down.”

  Gabrielle and Jocelyn may have been total girly girls, but that didn’t stop either of them from pigging out like true Rosens. They both ate two burgers, a hot dog, and potato salad. None of us spoke during the meal except to ask someone to pass the ketchup or for extra napkins.

  As soon as the girls were done, they returned to Jocelyn’s room to chat more. Tammy, Frank, and I remained at the table and sipped bottles of Mike’s Hard Lemonade.

  “Shawn had a one-nighter,” Frank said out of the blue.

  I choked on a swallow of soda and almost did a spit take. “Christ, Frank, I don’t think your wife wants to hear about my sex life.”

  He shrugged. “I’m going to tell her eventually. What does it matter when I do it? She’s my best friend, I tell her everything.”

  Their closeness was rather sweet. I wished I had that type of relationship.

  “Is this a good thing?” Tammy asked.

  “The dude snuck out. Shawn’s a little butthurt about it.” He stopped and thought about his words. “Butthurt, ha!” He reached over and hit my shoulder. “I bet your ass really did hurt afterward, huh?”

  There were times I regretted talking to my brother in our younger years and telling him I preferred getting fucked.

  “Franklin José Rosen, knock your shit off!” Tammy snapped. “Shawn needs our advice, not more jokes.”

  Frank’s smile disappeared and he sat straight up in his chair.

  I grinned at the way she could get my brother under control. Then she turned to me.

  “And you, Shawn Miguel Rosen, you need to stop hiding from life! You’ve been throwing yourself a pity party since before you and Scott split up. It’s time to get out there. Yeah, you might get hurt again—you probably will—but that’s better than being alone for the rest of your life. You need to get back…”

  “Don’t say horse.” Frank chuckled, but a glare from his wife shut him up again.

  “Yes, you need to get back on that horse. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s also true. You’re too good of a man to wither away.”

  “Thanks, Tammy,” I said. “I wish it were easy. I had fun with Jody, but I’m not a random hook-up type of guy.”

  “You need to start dating. You can do that without having sex, right?”

  “I’m sure he can do that,” Frank interjected. “Considering he’d been celibate for a couple years.”

  Tammy looked at me, her eyes wide. “Two years?”

  I nodded, not wanting to tell them it had actually been longer. “What’s with sudden nosiness into my love life?”

  “This is the first spark of life you’ve shown since the split,” Frank replied. “I was waiting for you to decide to pull your head out of your ass.”

  I opened my mouth to argue but Tammy cut me off.

  “What about Wall? Is he single?”

  Frank slapped a hand on the table. “You’re brilliant, babe. Why didn’t I think of him?”

  “Because you’re not near as smart as your wife,” I replied.

&
nbsp; Frank flipped me off. “Wall’s single, has been for a couple months.”

  “His name is Wall?” I asked.

  “Freddy Wallingford,” Frank answered. “We call him Wall because he’s built like one. Huge guy.”

  “And gay, I presume?”

  “Well, I ain’t gonna set you up with a straight guy.”

  A blind date? Is this what I really want? Not really, but Tammy was right. I didn’t want to be alone for the rest of my life.

  “Sure. If he wants to go out with me, I can do that.”

  “I’ll talk to him,” Frank said, “and get his number. You guys would make a great couple. As big as Wall is, I’m sure he’s a pitcher.”

  Trying to tell him that a man’s stature had nothing to do with his sexual preference would be pointless, so I said nothing and finished my drink.

  WALL CALLED ME A FEW days later and we arranged to meet for coffee Wednesday evening.

  Sitting at Starbucks, I recognized him as soon as he walked in. Frank hadn’t been exaggerating about his size, though the nickname House would’ve been more apt. The man was huge, tall, and almost three hundred pounds of pure muscle. He wore a dark tank-top that showed off his massive biceps and jean shorts that revealed thighs practically as large as my chest.

  I stood and waved, and he strode toward me and wrapped his arms around me, giving me a strong bear hug.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Shawn.”

  His voice was husky, and it sent chills down my spine. “Yes, I’ve heard good things about you, Wa…” Should I use the nickname or his first name? If he fucked me, would I be crying out the odd appellation?

  He chuckled deeply. “Freddy or Wall is fine, whichever you’re more comfortable with.”

  As we sat down, I wondered how the chair didn’t bust underneath his immense form.

  “I’ll go with Freddy,” I replied. “So, how’s your day going?”

  Freddy sighed. “Busy as always, but that comes with having two jobs.”

  “You work somewhere else beside the fire department?”

  “I’m also a bartender at Rocco’s on Market Street. I just finished a twelve-hour shift at the station and now I’m headed toward the bar.”

  “And you’re using some of your little free time on me?” I cocked an eyebrow.

  He reached out and put his large hand over mine before answering. “I have a feeling you’re more than worth it.”

  The skin contact was tantalizing. I wanted more. He radiated an amazing warmth that I felt even when he wasn’t touching me, though he took any reason he could to do so. He scooted closer to me and put an arm on the back of my chair.

  As we talked, he told me stories from work. The firefighters were also trained as EMTs and responded to 911 medical calls as well as fires. I laughed as he told me about a man who had called in because he couldn’t walk. Turned out he’d had a massive dildo up his ass.

  The thirty minutes passed quickly, and Freddy groaned when he checked his phone and saw the time. “I wish I could stay longer.”

  “I understand.” I wasn’t ready to say goodbye either.

  We stood and hugged again.

  “I’d love to see you again,” Freddy whispered in my ear. “Soon?”

  I nodded. “I’d like that, too.”

  He beamed and his entire face seemed to smile. Eyes, eyebrows, mouth—they all quirked up. “I’m off from the fire department on Friday. Would you like to meet somewhere for dinner?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good, I’ll call you with the details.”

  I watched him leave, admiring his fine ass.

  FREDDY AND I AGREED TO meet at Orupa, one of Salem’s fancier restaurants. He’d wanted to pick me up, but I’d insisted on driving myself. He’d actually seemed disappointed, and it was nice to know there were still men with manners and chivalry.

  Freddy was waiting outside Orupa when I arrived. He greeted me with an embrace before handing me a single red rose.

  How romantic! I thought as I smiled up at him. “Thank you, Freddy.”

  “Only the best for you.”

  He put a hand on the small of my back and guided me into the restaurant. Despite several parties waiting, we were seated immediately.

  “I made a reservation the other day. Plus, I know the owners.” He winked seductively.

  A moment later, a waiter brought over a bottle of wine and poured two glasses. It was a red, which usually gave me a headache, so I sipped it, not swallowing more than a tablespoon.

  “This is a local wine, Elk Cove,” Freddy replied. “One of the best.”

  I nodded but didn’t say anything as I perused the menu. The waiter appeared, and I was about to ask for a couple minutes when Freddy spoke.

  “Two Greek salads and two Prawn Frites.”

  I had just enough time to read the description before Freddy yanked the menu from my hands. Sautéed prawns with pommes frites. I enjoyed prawns so I didn’t argue.

  Freddy patted my hand. “Don’t worry. I’m taking care of everything.”

  I assumed he meant he was paying the bill. I would’ve been more than happy to pay my portion, but if he wanted to be a gentleman, I certainly wasn’t going to argue.

  The salads arrived and I ate around the Feta cheese. I would’ve preferred a Caesar salad, but the Greek certainly wasn’t bad.

  “You’re not eating the Feta?” Freddy asked. “You should. It’s good for you.”

  I shook my head. “It isn’t my thing.”

  “Hmmm.” One side of Freddy’s mouth turned down. “I wish you would eat at least a couple bites of it.”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  “Please? For me?”

  I laughed, assuming he was joking, but he was totally serious. He reached over to my salad, grabbed a piece of Feta, and put it near my lips.

  “Please?” he asked again.

  I opened my lips and swallowed the cheese in one bite, trying to taste as little as possible.

  “Good boy.” He patted my back.

  Was this part of Freddy’s gentlemanly behavior? I hadn’t been on a date in so long I wasn’t sure if it was normal or not.

  When the waiter arrived with our plates, Freddy took his, put it to the side, and grabbed mine from the waiter. He then took a fork and knife and cut the prawns in half, as well as the pommes frites, which were just fancy French fries.

  “Here you go. I don’t want you choking on the prawns. Be careful of the tails.”

  “I’ve had shrimp before,” I said. “I know how to eat it.”

  “I’m just trying to take care of you,” Freddy huffed.

  Despite Freddy’s curious behavior, he was easy to talk to. And the food was good.

  “You’re such a silly willy,” Freddy said after I’d told him about one of my cases, leaving out the names of the people involved, of course.

  When I finished the prawns, I stood and said, “I need to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

  Freddy rose. “Do you need help?”

  Mmmmm. Bathroom sex was fun, Scott and I had done it a few times when we were first together. But I didn’t want my first time with this sex machine to be in a cramped stall.

  “Nah, I can handle it.”

  “Okay. Can I get a kissy kissy before you leave?”

  Kissy kissy? I figured he must regress when he drank. I gave him a peck on the cheek before leaving the table.

  When I returned, Freddy regaled me with a hilarious story about a guy who’d gotten stuck in a tree. He paid the bill and refused to let me even leave the tip.

  “What shall we do next?” I asked Freddy as we stood outside Orupa. I was sober, but Freddy was at least one sheet to the wind.

  “Well, I’d love it if you came over to my place.”

  Despite being in a public parking lot, I stood on my tip toes so I could kiss him. “Yeah, I’d love that.”

  Freddy spanked my ass two times. “You are a bad, bad boy.”

  “Why don’t you
ride with me? You shouldn’t be driving.”

  He nodded in agreement and gave me his address. Ten minutes later, I pulled in front of an older, gray, single-story house. Freddy got out and was only a little bit wobbly as we strode up to the front door. As soon as we were inside, Freddy pushed me against the wall and devoured my mouth.

  I began to undo the top buttons of my shirt, but Freddy swatted my hands away.

  “That’s my job.” He kissed me again then took my hand and led me into his bedroom. “Lay down.”

  I crawled onto the large king-size bed and smiled up at him.

  “You’re so cute. Such a good boy.”

  Unsure how to respond, I continued grinning. My dick strained against my pants and I wished he’d hurry and get to the good stuff.

  Freddy didn’t seem to be in as much of a rush as I was, and he slowly removed each article of clothing. However, even when I was totally nude, he didn’t touch my aching erection. He rubbed me up and down, massaging and kneading my arms, torso, and legs, but not coming close to my cock.

  “Your skin is so dry,” Freddy murmured. “You need some lotion.”

  I cocked an eyebrow, unsure of what he meant. He grabbed a bottle of baby lotion and squeezed some onto his hands. After taking care of my front, he motioned for me to roll over, then did the same to my backside. He spent extra time on my ass, but it felt more nurturing than sexual.

  “I’ll be right back.” Freddy patted my butt. “Don’t move now, kiddo. Stay on the bed. You don’t want to hurt yourself.”

  I rolled over and tried to figure out what he’d meant by that as well. There was definitely something odd about Freddy’s behavior.

  A few minutes later, Freddy called from the other room, “Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you.”

  God, I hoped we were finally going to get to the main event.

  “Open your mouth.”

  I spread my lips, anticipating a hard, leaking cock. Instead, something much smaller and plastic landed on my tongue. I took the item out of my mouth and glanced at it.

  A pacifier. A fucking pacifier? “What the hell?”

  I glared up at Freddy. He was still totally dressed and held something white. It appeared to be a…diaper. An adult diaper.

  “Umm, Freddy, what’s going on?”