by Mike Andy
“I’m Richard. Richard Callen. Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if there was no one around to help me.”
We stood outside while he pulled out a phone to call up a cab. It took a few minutes before a four-door yellow cab pulled up to the warehouses. Victor opened the door for me which was nice. I stepped into the cab, sitting on the back seat.
Victor walked around to the other door before he sat down in the seat next to me. The cab driver looked back to us. “Where to?”
Victor turned his head toward me. I had no idea where to go. I couldn’t go home right now and the club where David worked was out of the question. Shrugging my shoulders, I looked to Victor.
“I don’t really know where to go. I only want to be someplace safe right now.”
Victor stated an address to the cab driver. I didn’t hear it because I was still lost in my own world. My hands rubbing up and down over my arms to shake off the trembling sensation of fear. I couldn’t believe that one of my neighbors was a criminal and he had threatened me.
“Thank you, Victor. I’m grateful for the help.”
I looked over at him from where I sat. He was a handsome man. Older than me now that I got a good look at him. I was never good at guessing ages, but I thought he might be in his late twenties to mid-thirties. He was a gentleman too. David never held the car door open for me.
The cab turned onto the highway. Victor turned toward me before he spoke. His voice was a pleasant. Deep and commanding but it had a hint of concern behind it.
“Only the people I work with call me Victor. You can call me Vick. Do you want to talk about why you were all the way up there? I know you said you had broken up with your boyfriend.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I wanted to guard myself from the pain and hurt. I didn’t want to talk about David.
“I don’t want to talk about it. He is a jerk. I don’t want to see him again.”
“Alright. It is none of my business. Are you sure you don’t want to go back to your place right now? I’m sure you would be perfectly safe.”
Vick would glance over at me every now and then but kept looking out the window.
Letting out a deep sigh, I looked over at him.
“I can’t go back home right now. My roommates might be back and I don’t think I could talk to them right now.”
Victor gave a nod of his head. “That is not a problem for me. Since you don’t have a place you want to go, we can head to my place. No one is going to mess with a police officer in his own home.”
The cab pulled off the highway to drive down the road to a smaller housing complex. The houses were similar to the one that I lived in with my roommates.
The driver pulled up to a quaint little house. Victor paid the cab driver before he hopped out. He rushed around to the passenger door and opened it for me.
“Thank you, Vick.”
Perhaps he was genuinely being nice. After my experience with David, it made it difficult for me to trust anyone.
Victor unlocked the front door to the house and I followed along after him. He motioned down the hall.
“Listen, I know you are upset about facing your roommates right now. I get it. There is a bathroom down the hall. If you want, you can shower and clean up. The door locks so there is no worry about me coming in there. If you want to only wash off your face, that is fine too.”
I gave Victor a faint smile.
“Thank you for your help.”
Walking down the hallway, I entered into the bathroom. It was the first door on the left. Closing it behind me, I turned the lock. Looking into the mirror, I reflected on what I saw.
I looked like a wreck. I splashed some water on my face first, but the idea of a hot shower to relax me sounded even better. I made sure the door was locked again before I opened the shower curtain and turned on the hot water.
Chapter 4
Victor
It is not in my usual nature to invite strangers into my home. Too much can happen here. Even with a locked house, it was never a guarantee that your valuables were safe. My neighbors would see me in my uniform with the gun belt when I left the house. They felt safer knowing a cop lived next to them.
Richard went down the hall toward the bathroom. I heard the door lock behind him. It was his right to privacy. It sounded like he had a rough day. He obviously wanted to talk to someone but the wound was still fresh. It was not my place to push him. He had family and friends he could talk with.
While he was in the shower, I proceeded into the kitchen to fix some food. I’m not a gourmet chef by any means, but I know how to fix a few things. A bit of ground beef, some cheese and tortilla shells. A quick easy meal. I made enough so that Richard could have some.
My meal prep completed, I wandered back to the living room. It was around midnight when we got to my place. There was not anything that I could do until Richard was out of the shower.
I hoped that everything would turn out better for him. Maybe his boyfriend and him could get back together and make up. That is how young love often goes. I had seen it too many times. Big break up and then a few days later the same couple is back together.
The shower stopped running. Fifteen minutes later Richard was coming down the hall, fully dressed. His hair was still wet, clinging to his scalp. He had a towel draped around his shoulders which he was using to pad against his head.
“Thank you for the shower. You probably need one too, don’t you? You were out in humid night air.”
Richard sat in my recliner. I kept a blanket over the back end of the chair. It was a good place to curl up if I wanted to fall asleep watching movies in my living room. I set my phone on the kitchen counter in case he wanted to make a phone call while I was busy.
I nodded my head to him. I don’t think he was going to steal anything because he wanted a safe place to stay for the night.
“Alright. Are you sure you will be okay?”
A nod of his head reassured me. I left him in the living room and went to my bedroom to retrieve a fresh change of clothes. A black t-shirt and khaki shorts.
Once in the shower, I reflected on my crazy day so far. Arresting a suspect, him getting away and then running into a handsome stranger in distress. I was tired and wanted to sleep but I needed to make sure that Richard would be okay.
Taking no more than fifteen minutes in the shower to wash away the sweat, I felt refreshed. Putting my clean clothes on, I came out of the bathroom and back down the hall.
“There is some food in the kitchen if you are hungry.”
My eyes looked to where Richard was curled up on the recliner. He must have been exhausted from his day as well. He had pulled the blanket over himself, falling asleep with the chair reclined.
I’d fallen asleep in that chair many times. I made sure the blanket covered him completely before I turned out the light. He looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to disturb his sleep.
He was a handsome man. If I had been younger, I might have asked him out myself. Who in their right mind would get into an argument with him and then break up? I’m sure they had their own reasons for not wanting to be in a relationship, but he was cute.
I couldn’t be in a relationship with him though. I knew nothing about him other than he was in his twenties and had a boyfriend. Even though he had a fight with him, there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t get back together.
Relationships cost money too. Besides that, he was too young for me. He probably had nothing in common with a man like me. I can only imagine what we would talk about. I’m certain he had interests that did not coincide with my hobbies of action movies and crime dramas. There was no way that I could end up with someone like him. Sighing to myself, I grabbed my phone from the kitchen counter.
Silently going down the hall to my bedroom, I sat down on the edge of the bed. My eyes felt heavy from the day’s events. Laying down on the bed, I pulled my cell phone up and browsed through some news stories and articles.
Call it an old habit, but I tend to sleep with my door open. It allows me to hear things in the rest of the house. It lets sound flow easier so I could react quickly if needed. When I had a pipe burst in the kitchen, I was able to get there faster because I heard the rushing water. With the door closed, I don’t know if I would have noticed. I tend to be a heavy sleeper unless a unique noise disturbs me from my slumber.
With Richard sleeping in the living room, this would allow me to hear him if he woke up and needed to leave. I fully intended to let him stay the night but I don’t count on anything. My eyes were heavy from the long day. I rolled over onto my side, letting my eyes close before sleep over took me.
Chapter 5
Richard
Sitting in Victor’s living room, I waited for him to get out of the shower. My eyes darted around the room. He had a few pictures on the wall from a show I didn’t recognize. I didn’t see any pictures of his family though. I mean, there were pictures of family. Mother and father. But I didn’t see any pictures of a husband or children. This was too nice of a house for a single person.
Was his husband out of town at the moment? Admittedly, I was being a little sneaky when I found his phone. He didn’t have it password locked. I opened it up and looked through his contacts and his personal pictures. No pictures of a husband or kids. I guess he was single.
I punched in Jason’s phone number, but I hesitated. I didn’t want to call him. Not until I was back home. I put the phone back down where I had found it and returned to the comfortable recliner chair in the living room.
The house felt chilly and I was only wearing my yellow t-shirt and blue jeans. The blanket behind my head felt warm, so I draped it across my legs. Pulling it up over my shoulders, I felt warm and secure. Something about this place made me feel safe.
My eyes looked to the clock on the wall. It was already so late. Victor would wake me up when he got out of the shower. I closed my eyes to take a nap in the chair. I don’t know how long I was sleeping for because when I woke up, the lights were off and the house was dark.
Standing up from the chair, I walked down the hall to the open bedroom door. I could see the soft glow of light from the room. It was a reading light setup on a nightstand beside Victor’s bed.
He was on his side and sleeping soundly. I attempted to wake him up a few times by speaking his name and touching his shoulder to give a few shakes. He was out like a light though. I didn’t know where to sleep and the lounge chair was getting uncomfortable.
If he was not going to wake up to tell me where to sleep, I would just lay on the bed next to him until he woke up and told me where to sleep. I would normally hesitate to crawl into bed with another man after what David had done. I didn’t intend to sleep with Victor.
The house was still cold though from the air conditioning. I pulled the blanket over my legs and laid down with my head on the pillow. I stared up at the ceiling.
When you have nothing to do, it is inevitable that you fall asleep. No one to talk to and no cell phone. My eyes slowly fluttered closed. I tried to keep myself awake. My head bobbed and I would jerk it upright in an attempt to keep focus.
I’m not sure how long I had been asleep when I woke again. During the night, I had fallen asleep and rolled over onto my side. I could feel the strong hands of Victor on my waist. Was he, was he spooning me? I’m sure it was unintentional on his part. With all that I had been through, the sensation of his arms around me made me feel warm and safe. I’m not sure what it was about him, but I was feeling rather attracted to him. The walls that I had put up to guard my emotions and my heart came down when I was with him. I felt like he would never hurt or harm me. It was a comforting feeling.
Victor’s hand slid across my stomach and then over the front of my jeans. I let out a light whimper and then I could feel his fingers slipping inside the waist band. His agile fingers worked down into my boxer shorts. I let out a moan when his fist closed around my cock, sliding up and down across it.
After a hellish evening, this is exactly what I needed. I craved his touch. His other hand unsnapped the button on my jeans. The zipper came down and then he had my cock out of my pants. I moaned out as I felt him tugging on my cock.
Victor separated from the embrace he had me in. He rolled me over onto my back. Both of his hands on my jeans now, he tugged to pull them off. I gazed across my stomach at this man. His muscular form hovered over me as he pushed my legs apart and slid down onto his stomach.
He held my cock in his grip and then I felt the warm sensation of his tongue sliding up along my shaft. My hand came down to rest on top of his head, running my fingers through his hair. Victor’s warm lips enclosed around my cock head, sucking on it gently. My eyes rolled closed, back arched. Clenching my left hand into the bed sheets, I moaned out as he sucked on my dick.
This sensation. This pleasure. It was wonderful. I knew that I needed this. The physical attention is what made me feel wanted. Needed. My cock pulsed in Victor’s mouth, leaking out a droplet of my precum.
Victor licked his tongue across the head and around my glans. It was like he knew exactly where to touch me to get the best reaction. My mind went blank. A hot rush of white seed flooded out into Victor’s mouth and down his throat.
I was still trembling on the bed from the afterglow of the orgasm when he leaned up to look at me. He smiled as he swallowed my load. My heart was beating rapidly. Was I falling in love again? Why did he do that? It felt great and I wouldn’t tell him to stop.
Victor reached his hand up to brush through his brown hair. He had fallen asleep in his clothes. He must have been really tired. That could be how he normally sleeps. I wasn’t sure.
“Good morning handsome. I hope that was not out of line. Felt you next to me and I couldn’t help myself.”
Shaking my head, I sat up on the bed. I reached down to grab my boxer shorts and jeans. I slid off of the bed and started to get dressed once more.
“Oh, no. It is okay. It felt really good. I didn’t mind it at all.”
I saw him reach over to his nightstand to pick up his cell phone. He clicked it on to see the time.
“Oh. It’s almost six in the morning.”
That didn’t sound good. Usually when I stayed over at a friend’s place, I would have called my roommates to let them know that I was not going to be home. Even though I was an adult, they still liked me to check in with them. Of course, I can blame it on the fact that I had forgotten my phone at the house.
Now that it was day time again, I was starting to get anxious to get home. I’m not saying that Victor was unpleasant to be around. I felt I was overstaying my welcome. Especially for someone that just needed a favor in a time of need.
Victor slid out of the bed and padded and headed for the kitchen. I followed after him to see that he was making a pot of coffee.
“Give me a minute to get some caffeine in me and I will take you to your car. I guess we were both tired from last night.”
The water from the coffee maker dripped through the grounds and into the pot below. Victor poured out a cup for himself and then he made a second cup. He offered it toward me.
“Here you go. It’s not much, but at least you can feel awake on your drive home.”
Such a kind gesture from a man that was already doing so much to help me. I took the coffee cup from him and sipped on it. The dark brown liquid was bitter on my taste buds and warm on my tongue. I could tell that Victor was not a morning person. He didn’t say much as we both sat in silence, drinking our coffee.
When I was almost done with my cup, Victor set his down and grabbed his keys and cell phone.
“I’m ready when you are. We can get your gas and get you back to your car.”
Setting the mug down onto the counter, I gave him a nod of appreciation. Walking out of the front door, he closed it behind me and locked it. Now I was faced with the harsh reality of life once more. The consequences of my actions. The idea of facing my roommates. The very thought of
me being a single parent.
I didn’t want to go back to the life I knew I would be facing. Victor’s house was a safe haven. A place where I could be free and not worry about my life for a few hours. Sadly, life has a way of catching up to you. I could keep putting it off, but the longer I did, the harder it would be to face.
Victor went over to a small outdoor shed on his property. He opened the lock on it and reached inside to fetch a gas can. Closing the door, he locked it before coming over to place the can in the back seat of his car.
“Wait, we took a cab to get here last night? How did you get to work?”
Victor smiled as he leaned against the door of the car. “My partner picks me up sometimes when we go on shifts. Makes it easier on me and I don’t have to park my car at the police station.”
I wanted to let him know more. I was curious about who he was now. I don’t think I even had this kind of connection with David. Was I falling in love again? That couldn’t be it! I was merely projecting a wanted emotion that I needed onto a total stranger.
Victor opened the car door for me and I slipped into the passenger seat. Either way I looked at it, this might be the last time I got to see him. He was a really nice man. I hope he finds someone that will care for him. He deserves that much.
Chapter 6
Victor
We drove in silence to pick up the gasoline for Richard’s car. I glanced over to see him sitting in the seat next to me. He had his arms crossed over his chest and he was staring out the window at the passing traffic. What was he thinking about?
I pulled into the gas station and quickly filled up the gas can. Richard offered to pay for it, but he was a young man. I’m sure that he had other things that he could spend his money on. It was the least I could for him.
Once we were back on the road, Richard appeared to be more awake. The scenery of the city passed us by as we drove on the highway to the north part of town. He directed his attention back to me.