Today People

by Barbara G. Tarn

  Brian gulped, hesitant and confused. "I... don't know. I never had a real relationship," he admitted shyly.

  "And would you like to try one?"

  Brian lost himself in Mike's brown eyes. "Definitely."

  ***

  Larry entered the pub with his friends at night and while they waited for a table he noticed the dark-haired young man who had been at his father's funeral. Startled, he couldn't keep his eyes off of him, as he remembered every word of his father's letter. He had read it many times during the past six months and had stared at the enclosed picture for so long now, that he only had to close his eyes to see both – and compare the real young man to the picture.

  A blond waiter came for the orders. Saturday night was the busiest time, so Larry sat in his corner, contemplating Chris who hadn't noticed him. Eventually his friends left, but he stayed.

  "You want another beer?" the blond waiter asked him.

  "Yeah, please... can he bring it, though?" he pointed at the object of his contemplation behind the counter.

  The blond waiter smiled and winked. Larry watched him go back to the counter and talk to the dark-haired young man. Now he had been noticed. Their eyes met for a moment, the other averted his eyes first. But he brought the beer.

  "I see tonight is very busy, but if I come at another time, can I talk to you?" Larry asked, trying to control his excitement. "Or can we meet somewhere?"

  The other hesitated. "What do you want from me?"

  Larry liked his voice. "You know who I am, don't you?"

  The other nodded, wary.

  "I found the letter, Chris. The one you were supposed to give me. I know you meant a lot to my father and I'd like to discuss it with you."

  Another hesitation. "Tomorrow is my day off."

  "Wonderful!" Larry beamed. "Will you come to the apartment?"

  "Sure. Sorry, gotta go."

  And he was gone. But Larry was delighted. Oh, dad, he's so sweet!

  He drank his beer, never taking his eyes off of Chris, paid and went home, satisfied.

  ***

  Larry paced the little living room, impatiently waiting for Chris to show up. He hoped Chris would bring back the photos that had been taken away from the love nest, and looked forward to putting them back on the shelves or the walls where they belonged.

  Then Chris joined him, still looking a little embarrassed.

  "Did you bring the pics?" Larry asked.

  "Uh... no, why?"

  "Okay, next time. I want the house to be exactly as it was six months ago."

  Chris nodded, staring warily at him. Larry pointed at the couch and they both sat. Chris was very stiff and kept his eyes low.

  "I want to know your side of the story," Larry said.

  "Hasn't your mother told you?" Chris looked unsure.

  "I don't talk to my mother," Larry shrugged. "But I did talk to my father. When I told him I liked boys, he told me I shouldn't be ashamed of it, and when I saw you at the funeral, I finally understood why. And then, like I said, I found his letter. I almost know it by heart now. I'm sorry my mother evicted you, she wasn't supposed to do it. I own this apartment now and I want you in it because that's what my father wanted."

  "I wasn't expecting this," Chris said, lowering his eyes.

  Larry listened with wonder at the love story between the ex-hustler and his father – the other side of it. The story of a young man who had lost his guidance too soon and had found a friend, father and lover all in one person.

  "If I had known you existed, I'd have asked dad to file for divorce," he sighed at last. "Can you imagine how happy the three of us could have been?"

  "You were too young when it happened. Your mother had the power to stop him from seeing you and your sister. And he loved you both, he didn't want to lose his family."

  "We'll have to catch up on those seven years I ignored your existence... what do you think?"

  Hesitation again. "I don't know, Larry," Chris said, eyes low.

  "Why not?" Larry protested. "I'm twenty, I'm old enough to hear all the dirty details!"

  Chris told him what his mother had done.

  "She's disgusting!" he exclaimed, shocked. "How dare she! You did well to tell her to fuck off! Bitch!"

  It was his turn to calm down and hesitate.

  "Chris, if you don't want to see me ever again, I'll understand. I will not stalk you, it's your decision now."

  Chris slowly looked at him again. "I don't think you're a stalker," he said with a half-smile. "I think you're John's son, and I'll be delighted to get to know you better. You seem to have a lot in common with him."

  Larry beamed, grateful. His mother's dreadful behavior hadn't completely turned Chris off to the whole family. Thank God.

  ***

  "You're in love, huh?" Brian asked.

  "Yes." Chris sighed. "And not because he's John's son. He's different, he's fresh and crazy and..."

  "Normal," Brian ended for him. "Everything we always dreamed of and couldn't achieve."

  "Yeah," Chris admitted. "It is the same for you, with Mike?"

  "Yeah."

  "Mike is a nice guy. I think in high school he had a crush on me."

  "Yeah, but he never dared telling you."

  "If he had, I might have not ended up on the streets after my parents' death."

  "I didn't know they were dead." Brian sighed. They were barely getting to know each other – after ten years.

  "Are yours alive?" Chris asked.

  Brian nodded. "But my father kicked me out and at some point I lost all contacts. I don't think any mother could be proud of a son who does gay porn movies."

  "I guess not."

  "So, after more than six months you will finally take possession of John's legacy," Brian grinned.

  "Sylvia failed to keep us apart," Chris said. "But I needed time to accept the full weight of it."

  "A house and a new relationship. You deserve it, Chris. More than I do."

  "I wouldn't be here today if you hadn't helped me through it. I wish you happiness with Mike. He's a good guy."

  "So is Larry. And what's the best thing in both cases?"

  The smiled fondly at each other. "They're not married!" they chorused before bursting out laughing.

  ***

  "What?" Sylvia exploded in disbelief.

  "I'm moving into the apartment dad bought for me with my boyfriend," Larry repeated, undaunted. "And you better stay away from us as neither he nor I want to see you again."

  "Do I know him?" she asked coldly.

  "Chris," he said proudly.

  "What?!" Sylvia exploded again. "You don't mean that bastard who showed up at your father's funeral, do you?"

  "Yes, my father's ex-partner, the one he cheated on you with for seven years," he retorted. "And if I had known that he existed, you'd have buried an ex-husband!"

  "Larry! How dare you talking to me like this? How dare you leaving this house for that piece of shit?"

  "Mom, I'm twenty, I do what I want. With dad's legacy I'll earn a degree and live happily ever after with Chris."

  "Larry, you can't..."

  "Bye, Mom."

  In Chris's arms, he finally felt at home.

  "Do you think dad is happy that we are together?" he asked.

  "I think so," Chris answered before kissing him.

  Rockstar

  The show was great, but Chris thought they were getting too famous for their own good. Yes, the band filled a stadium, but the fans were bordering on hysterical. Chris was really thinking they should take a break from the madness – at the end of the tour, of course.

  He followed Ben, Max and Johnny outside the venue, where they found the crowd of screaming fans they had grown accustomed to. Security had to work hard to keep them safe and Chris avoided looking anyone in the eyes as hands brushed his arms and torso, and the shrieks deafened him.

  He was the last in line and suddenly they grabbed him, taking down the fence, throwing him to the gr
ound, yelling and touching everywhere. Too breathless to scream for help, Chris tried to disentangle himself and push away the bodies and faces pinning him to the ground.

  Someone stole a long kiss from him while someone else slipped her hand in his jeans. Panicking, Chris moaned, frantically trying to free himself.

  Security managed to reach him and pulled him back to his feet, dragging him to the safety of the van. Chris collapsed next to Ben, still panting in shock for the assault.

  "Are you all right?" Max asked, worried.

  He inhaled trying to calm his fast-beating heart and closed his eyes, exhaling before answering with a shaky voice. "Yeah, I'm fine."

  Ben put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close. Chris rested his head on Ben's shoulder, sighing with relief. This was way too much. Rabid fans were too much. He felt violated and couldn't even put a face on whoever had taken advantage of him.

  Ben's hand squeezed his shoulder. "Better?" the blond singer asked.

  "Yes." He pulled away, gathering himself. "Sorry. I guess I saw it coming but couldn't prevent it."

  "Not your fault," Max muttered. "This is getting creepy. You could have been seriously hurt."

  "We'll issue a statement," Ben said. "Either they calm down, or we stop touring."

  "I wouldn't mind being a studio-only band," Chris said. "I mean, I love live shows, but not like this."

  "Yeah, this is crazy," Johnny said. "What were they thinking? What could they get – a real piece of you? And then what?"

  "Someone got some kind of intimacy I wasn't really looking for," Chris grumbled.

  "No more meeting the fans," Ben decided. "We play and we rush away – possibly from a back door. It's too dangerous."

  They all agreed on cutting back fan interactions. And to have a big, relaxing break after the tour, away from the spotlight in the safety of their hometown.

  ***

  It was almost the last show of the tour. Ben was singing, Chris and Johnny wandering on stage behind him with their guitars, chorusing with Max when necessary.

  Then Ben went too close to the edge of the stage. Someone grabbed him from below and Chris saw him plunge and vanish in the crowd.

  "Shit!" He stopped playing as security rushed to rescue the singer. He glanced, worried, at Max and Johnny who had also stopped playing.

  Johnny frowned and went to the microphone. "Well, I guess that's all for tonight. You wonderful people in the back can thank the stupid people in the front for interrupting the show. Have a great night."

  All three walked off stage and found Ben backstage, still panting. He looked even more upset than Chris – they had obviously tried to undress him while he was down.

  "Let's get out of here," Johnny grumbled.

  Chris helped Ben to his feet and they rushed out of the venue. In the van, Chris saw Ben cry – silent tears the others pretended not to see in the darkness. They reached the hotel and wished each other good-night.

  Chris knocked on Ben's door – he couldn't sleep. He knew how his band-mate must feel and thought Ben shouldn't be alone after the traumatic experience.

  Ben let him in, not hiding the renewed tears. He had dried them off before exiting the van, but now they were back. Chris hugged him.

  "I don't think you should be alone tonight," he whispered in his ear.

  "How did you..." Ben couldn't finish.

  Chris smiled ruefully. "I cried all night," he admitted. "I wanted to quit on the spot, but I couldn't."

  Ben sniffled and freed himself from the embrace. "I want to quit too," he said, staring out of the window. "This is horrible."

  "You feel violated, I know." Chris sat on the bed with a sigh. "If only we had someone's arms we could take refuge in..."

  Ben turned to look at him. "We have each other."

  "We're just friends," Chris replied. "What was done to us was more sexual in nature."

  "So? We can become friends-with-benefits." Ben crossed his arms on his bare chest, staring defiantly at Chris.

  Startled, Chris stared back. What was gorgeous Ben suggesting?

  Ben came to sit near him and took his hand in his.

  "I wouldn't mind if you touched me," he whispered, staring at their entwined fingers.

  Chris hesitated, then his free hand went to Ben's chin. He forced his friend to look up and lost himself in the baby blues. Ben's luscious lips quivered in expectation and, without thinking, Chris leaned to kiss him.

  Not a stolen kiss, but a very passionate meeting of lips and tongues. Ben pulled him closer and pushed him down on the bed, as one hand dived to Chris's waist to slide under the clothes.

  Breathless for a different reason that the fan assault, Chris pushed him away, still shocked by the discovery of their mutual attraction.

  "Ben, we shouldn't..."

  "Why not? We need each other. It can be our secret if you want."

  So much for being friends and band-mates. Chris felt his arousal against Ben's body. And the beloved lead singer wanted him.

  Chris grinned, rolled over Ben and pinned him to the bed. "Right, our secret," he whispered huskily. "You're mine now."

  "And you are mine," Ben replied, squeezing Chris's buttock through the jeans. "Take your clothes off, you sexy guitarist."

  "You're a shameless lead singer, Ben," Chris chided, but obeyed eagerly.

  Soon they were both naked, exploring and cuddling each other. After sex, they lay in each other's arms, pondering.

  "Imagine if the news spread," Chris said. "Ben Parker is gay! Would that put off some of those crazy fans, you think?"

  "I think it should be our secret," Ben answered, caressing Chris's short black hair. "Well, we can tell Johnny and Max, of course, but I wouldn't let it leak out."

  "As you wish." Chris kissed Ben's clean-shaven cheek. "Thank you. If only I had known that's what I wanted all along!"

  Ben chuckled. "Makes two of us! Love you too, Chris..."

  Best of Friends

  1.

  OK, how shall I start this? How can I tell this story of ours? I've been with these guys most of my life, now, and I'm still amazed by the chemistry between us after all these years... I mean, I met most of them back in high school, and I can't believe that halfway in our thirties we could still be so close. They're everything to me – my friends, my family, my job... my whole life revolves around them. I guess I couldn't live without them, I'm so used at having them around all the time...

  Anyway, I guess I'll start like we did on our first MTV interview. Most of the world didn't know anything about us, except that we had that great hit song high in the charts. You know, the funny video with three guys and two girls showing their great friendship throughout their daily lives... I'm sure you noticed our gorgeous singer, I mean, if you're a girl. Well, most girls did. So, there we were, interviewed at MTV studios, New York.

  ***

  Bonnie stared at the female host's flushed face as she turned to the camera with a smile.

  "So, this was the latest video from the Pearls of Wisdom, a band much talked about." The host grinned at Benny who smiled back politely as usual. "I'm here with the guys themselves, and we're about to learn more about them. Please welcome the Pearls of Wisdom!"

  Bonnie scoffed during the welcoming applause. Another gushy female ready to sit in Benny's lap. His stoicism was always admirable.

  "Is it true you guys have been together for more than ten years?" Of course the female host couldn't keep her eyes off of Benny, who averted his eyes. His all-American boy looks always attracted lots of attention from women of all ages.

  "Yeah, ten years and two unknown CDs" he said, probably wondering if it was his looks that had landed him that gig – again. Sometimes Bonnie really felt sorry for him – and his wife.

  "Oh... would you like to introduce yourselves?" The spellbound host kept staring at him, but this time he didn't reply.

  "Sure," Debby said promptly, distracting the host from her contemplation. "The first line-up was formed in hi
gh school, but we didn't go very far."

  "We were a cover band!" Mike added with a chuckle. "But we started writing our own songs, and went on from there."

  "So, who was in that first line-up?" The host looked at Benny, hopeful.

  He shook his head with a smile. "Don't look at me, I came later."

  "Yeah, he came in when we dropped the lead singer," Mike said while disappointment filled the host's face. "She had a huge ego problem."

  "Same with the previous bass player, I think," Kyle added. "Right, Debby?" He winked at her, but she shrugged

  "Yeah, well, I don't think Ricky wanted to play forever anyway," she said. "So he quit and we found Kyle." She waved her hand at him and Bonnie followed her gesture to stare at their bass player.

  Kyle was the physical opposite of Benny as one had dark hair and eyes and the other was blond and blue-eyed. Mike was supposedly the rocker of the band, but kept his hair short and was less good-looking than the other two. Still, he had his own fans, and being a very good guitar player, they weren't all females drooling on his looks.

  "We got along very well, but we didn't have a manager yet," Kyle said.

  "Until Joyce found us," Mike added. "In six months we had a record deal and did a small tour in Michigan."

  "Wow. I'm going to ask a question all the fans want me to ask: Benny, are you married?" She gave a propitiatory smile while the female studio crowd cheered.

  "Yeah, I married our manager three years ago," Benny answered with a smile. "Sorry, ladies, my heart is taken."

  She looked disappointed, and he shrugged.

  "We all have girlfriends, but we love the fans anyway," Mike added.

  "All right, thank you, Mike. How about each of you introduces him or herself?" She turned to Bonnie. "You haven't said a word yet!"

  Bonnie wanted to slap her, but smiled instead. "OK, hello, I'm Bonnie, I'm the drummer, I'm single, and the band's youngest member. Is there anything else you need to know?"

  The host signaled Mike to continue.

  "I'm Mike, the lead guitar and rock 'n' roll guy!"