Tallulah Bankhead Slept Here

by Sam Lollar

  With the exception of spying a late model black Aston Martin, our drive and shopping experience was uneventful after that.

  We got back to the motel about three thirty, and since I didn’t have to go to work, I decided to go to campus for a few hours to run some laps and study at the library. Scott stopped me as I was heading for the Mercedes.

  “Where’re you going?”

  “Just to campus.”

  “When will you be back?”

  “About five thirty or six, I suppose, why?”

  “I thought we’d go out to dinner somewhere.”

  “Just you and me?”

  “I thought we’d go with Mom and Miss LuLu and some of Mom’s friends who are visiting.”

  “Okay, that sounds like fun. Say, Scott, I was talking with Miss LuLu this afternoon, and she told me she would enjoy going to Rick’s party. Do you think she could come?”

  “Ugh. I don’t really mind. She is one of the most open-minded women I’ve ever met, but, wow. Frankly, Aaron, there’s going to be a lot of naked flesh strutting around in the pool, in the hot tub, and on the patio. Rick’s place is pretty isolated, and his parties are noted for their clothing-optional format. I don’t know…”

  “Oh, please, Scott. I’d really enjoy having her around. I don’t think she’d mind the nakedness.” Not nearly as much as I will, I thought. I realized I was practically pleading with him.

  “Why, Aaron? You sound frightened of going without her. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. I’ll be there, so you needn’t think you’ll be sitting all alone.”

  Surprisingly, I was afraid of being there and not having anyone to talk to. More upsetting, though, was the thought of Rick trying to make me feel comfortable while he was naked. But I had to admit, the thought of seeing Rick naked was powerfully exciting for me. Even seeing Scott naked would be a treat. I suddenly realized I had never seen a man naked. Of course, I had seen guys naked in the gym showers, but never had a chance to admire them. And what was I thinking now? Did I want to admire them? Was I really homosexual? I was becoming overwhelmed. “Scott, I can’t go to Rick’s party tomorrow.”

  “You just have cold feet. Don’t worry so much about it.”

  At about five, I returned to the motel from campus and went to my room to lie down. For some reason, I was exhausted and couldn’t get enough sleep. As soon as I lay down, Scott knocked on the door.

  “Aaron, are you in there?”

  “Yes, Scott,” I said, yielding to the inevitable and opening the door for him.

  “Come on, boy. Get dressed. We’re going out to eat and everyone’s hungry.”

  “Oh, Scott, I’m just so tired. Please go without me. I just want to lie down and rest.”

  “Rest? Nonsense, you can rest when you’re an old man. Come on. It’ll be fun.”

  I was really tired and wanted to spend some time alone. “No, Scott. I’m sorry but I’m just going to turn in early tonight, like maybe right now.”

  “You’re sure I can’t convince you to come with us? We’re going to that steakhouse out in Fabens. You know you’ve said you wanted to go there.”

  The thought of driving forty miles to have dinner was draining in itself. “Please, Scott. No, I don’t want to go.”

  “Well, all right, if you’re sure.”

  “I am, believe me.”

  “Very well, I’ll be on my way. But I will see you tomorrow. That’s a statement, not a question.”

  And with that, he left the room. I shut the door and drew the curtains to darken the place. I flipped on the television and lay down to veg out.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mom’s Old Plymouth

  I must have been really tired, because the next thing I remembered was waking up to Scott knocking on the door. I noticed the TV was still on, but with the curtains drawn, I couldn’t tell if it was daytime or night. I got up and answered the door. It was daytime.

  “Jesus. Did you sleep in your clothes?”

  I glanced down at my rumpled appearance. “Apparently. I told you I was tired.”

  “Well, I’m glad you got your rest.”

  “What time is it, Scott?”

  “It’s a bit after eight. You want to go have breakfast with me? I’ll wait for you to clean up.”

  “Sure,” I said, as I made a beeline for the bathroom. As I came out of my shower, I realized Scott was still there. Here we go again, I thought. Just like last time.

  From behind the door, I said, “Scott would you get me my robe?”

  Without even an argument, I soon had my robe in my hands. I put it on and came out of the bathroom. Scott was stretched out on my bed.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, still surprised to see him there.

  “Oh, nothing. Are you almost ready?”

  “Let me put on some clothes, and I will be.”

  “Oh, do you have to?” he asked in a teasing voice.

  I got my clothes from the little closet and went back in the bathroom to change. Finally, I exited and was ready to go.

  “Where do you want to go?” we both asked each other simultaneously.

  “I asked you first,” Scott said. “Where do you want to go?”

  “Someplace close. I’m really hungry.”

  We went to another motel down the street and ate at their coffee shop. Scott began talking about the afternoon at Rick’s, and I suddenly felt nauseous. I excused myself, puked my breakfast up in the men’s room, cleaned up, and went back to the table.

  “Are you all right?” Scott asked. “You look white as a sheet.”

  “I just threw up everything I had for breakfast.”

  “Are you ill? Do you feel bad?”

  “No, not really. Not now. I don’t know why that happened.”

  “Well, I hope you’re not getting sick, because I for one am looking forward to going to Rick’s. You’ll meet some very interesting men there, believe me.”

  Once again, I excused myself and went into the bathroom to experience dry heaves. What was going on? Every time Scott mentioned Rick’s get-together, I got nauseous. I must have been more frightened of going than I realized.

  Upon my return to the table, I said, “Scott, just the thought of going to Rick’s is making me sick to my stomach. I’m so churned up inside that I don’t think I want to go. I’m just going back to my room and rest. I’m still sleepy.”

  “Oh, bullshit, Aaron. Are you just making this up so you won’t have to go? Rick is really looking forward to seeing you. After all, this party is for you to see Rick again and to meet some other men. Backing out like this is a really shitty thing to do. I don’t believe you’re really sick.”

  “Well, maybe you’re right. I’m scared to go to Rick’s. Maybe I’ll go back and rest a bit. Why don’t we go back now?”

  “Okay, but I don’t want you backing out at the last minute, Aaron. That would be really rude.”

  “No, I won’t. I promise. But I really am tired.”

  We returned to the motel. As I was going into my room, Scott said, “I’ll be here around one thirty to get you, so be ready.”

  “Scott, what should I wear? I feel like a lamb going to slaughter. Do you think I should bring a bathing suit?”

  “No, I don’t think you should bring a bathing suit. I already told you this is a clothing-optional get-together.”

  “But doesn’t that mean I have the option to wear clothes or not?”

  “Yeah, yeah, okay. But I don’t think you’ll want to wear anything once you get there.”

  “Well, if I have my suit and I decide to go naked, I don’t have to wear it, now do I?”

  “You’re right. Let’s not argue about what to wear or not wear. Just wear something comfortable—shorts and a T-shirt, maybe. And bring your trunks if you want to.”

  He turned and walked back to the lobby. Even though I was scheduled to work that afternoon, no one seemed the least bit concerned I wouldn’t be there. This was the most flexible of flexible schedules.
I could come and go as I pleased. Of course it was actually come and go as Scott pleased. Oh, well. I was getting a larger paycheck than I started with because Mrs. S paid me a nice amount when I wasn’t able to make as many tips because of running around with everyone at the motel. So I really couldn’t complain.

  I went into my room and decided to lie down again. But I couldn’t sleep. In only four hours, I was going to be at Rick’s. The thought of it made me nauseous again. I held my stomach and worried about what was going to happen. Would I be raped at the door? My clothes ripped from my body as man after man had his way with me? Would I be tied to the bed and used mercilessly by everyone at the party? Was I on the menu?

  I arose with a start, realizing Scott was knocking on my door. “Aren’t you ready? I told you we were going to leave at one thirty. Hurry up, or we’re going to be late. I’ll wait here while you change.”

  I was shaking while I pulled clothes out of my closet. Finally I chose the most conservative things I could find. A very dark-colored long-sleeved shirt, loose slacks, nice shoes, and a navy blue sports jacket. Scott was horrified. “Good God, Aaron, what are you wearing? You look like you’re going to a funeral.”

  “That’s how I feel, Scott. Like I’m going to my own funeral.”

  “Come on, Aaron. You really liked Rick the other night. Why are you so shy and terrified now? Go change. Why not wear one of those nice shirts I got you?”

  “Goddamn it, Scott. Get off it already. I’m not going to dress like some cheap whore. These are the clothes I’m wearing. If it’s inappropriate, then I guess I’d better not go.”

  “Jeez, Aaron. Don’t bite my head off. Okay, wear those clothes. But it’s ninety degrees out there, and I think you’d be happier in shorts and a lightweight shirt. You’d also look a million times better.”

  “Oh, so now I’m not just poorly dressed, but I’m ugly as well?”

  “No, Aaron. Jesus Christ. Just calm down. I feel like I need to throw a glass of water in your face or slap you a few times like in a Bette Davis movie. You’re getting irrational. Let it go. You’re not facing your death. You’re going to a party. No one’s going to touch your precious body. No one’s going to fuck you on the patio. No one’s going to do anything but sit around, have some drinks, eat a fantastic meal, and swim and lounge in the hot tub. I don’t know what you anticipate, but it’s not some Roman orgy. Your virginity is safe. And to tell you the truth, I don’t much care anymore. Either get your ass in the car and we can go, or sit here and revel in your purity. Just make up your goddamned mind. I’m going to the Jag. You have five minutes to join me, or I leave without you.”

  That stunned me enough to realize I was being foolish. “I’m sorry, Scott. Is, uh, Miss LuLu going to be there?”

  “No, goddamn it, she’s not. This is a men only party, and I told her as much last night. She seemed completely unruffled when I told her she couldn’t go. Now get it together. I’ll wait five minutes.”

  I stood there stunned. What should I do? Should I change clothes? Should I not go? Should I go? Five minutes pass quickly when you can’t decide what to do. To my surprise, at the end of five minutes, I was in the Jaguar with Scott. “You still look like you’re going to a funeral, but don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”

  I found out that Rick lived in the country club area, about five or six miles from the motel. Why Scott wanted to leave so early was a mystery. It would only take about fifteen or twenty minutes to get there.

  “I want to stop and get some wine and maybe appetizers. I hate to go to a party empty-handed.” That answered the mystery of leaving early.

  We stopped at a grocery store. “You look for something good to eat that could be an appetizer,” he said, “and I’ll pick out a good wine.”

  I glanced around and decided to get some Fritos and dip. That’s the only appetizer I was familiar with.

  “Yuck. Is that all you got?” he asked, returning with the bottles of wine.

  “Yeah, I don’t know what makes a good appetizer, Scott. I’ve never had to bring an appetizer to a party before.”

  “From the way you’ve been acting, I’m not surprised,” he snapped at me.

  “That’s not nice. Shall I put these back?”

  “Yes, please. I guess we’ll just take the wine.”

  “What about bringing a dessert?”

  “That’s one of Rick’s specialties. He makes about the best desserts in the whole world. No, the wine’s enough. I just don’t want to go empty-handed, that’s all.”

  After a drive that lasted much longer than I anticipated, we arrived at Rick’s place. It was a beautiful hacienda-style house. High white walls surrounded an inner courtyard, with a fountain splashing under some very large old cottonwood trees. It was gorgeous. I was awed everywhere we turned. The house itself was a treasure, the furnishings were glorious, and the views were gorgeous. Even the floor was stunning. Some really neat cars were out front. One old Plymouth coupe from the early 50s really stood out. It reminded me of my dad’s old Dodge and I stopped to look at it.

  “That’s Mike’s,” Rick said as he walked up to me. “He said it was his mother’s car, and he just loves it too much to trade it in. Come on in, and I’ll introduce you to him.”

  He showed us around a bit with his arm around my shoulder. He steered me one direction as Scott went toward the patio. We ended up in the doorway of his bedroom. It was spectacular. I was so nervous I was afraid I was going to pee in my pants. But he didn’t drag me into the room. We just looked at it from the doorway. I could see the patio and the hot tub through the large glass doors.

  “Your place is gorgeous, Rick. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a home as grand as this. Did you decorate it yourself?”

  I turned my head as I asked him the question, and he kissed me most unexpectedly. The kiss was very brief, just a light touching of lips.

  “There, now I feel better,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you since you drove up.”

  I just continued to stare into his dark eyes. I was feeling sick to my stomach again. “I need to go to the restroom,” I said. He ushered me into his bedroom and showed me the bathroom door.

  I heaved a bit, but my stomach quickly settled.

  “I don’t think I should eat too much today,” I said as I came out of the bathroom. “My stomach’s been bothering me since yesterday.”

  He was lying back on his bed, resting on one elbow, smiling at me. “You’re so beautiful, Aaron. Why don’t you come sit beside me?”

  “Please, Rick, let’s not. I just don’t feel comfortable alone with you in here. Can’t we go out to the patio?”

  “Sure, but only if you give me another kiss.”

  “Well, sure, okay, I guess.” I stumbled over my words.

  He rose and took me in his arms and started kissing me like he had done at the bar that night. Just as I was getting weak in the knees, he took my hand and led me to the patio.

  As we walked through his bedroom patio doors, I saw it was just one big patio extending the length of the house. A gorgeous pool and a bubbling redwood hot tub beckoned. There were also several gorgeous men, none of them wearing shirts. All they seemed to have on were very skimpy swim trunks. I guess we’d call them Speedos today. It seemed my eyes were unable to take in all the expanse of exposed flesh. “Wow.”

  “What are you wowing about? The setting or the men?”

  “Both, I guess.”

  “I thought you’d be impressed. Why don’t you slip off your clothes and put on your trunks?”

  “No, thank you. I’ll just stay as I am.”

  “Okay, but you look like the butler.”

  We walked over to where the six men were seated around tables, drinking wine and chatting amiably. Obviously, they knew each other well.

  “Guys, this is Aaron. Scott’s friend, the lad I told you about yesterday.”

  “Hi, Aaron,” they all said almost in unison.

  “Aaron, this is Bill, Mike, Roger, Joh
n, Steve, and of course, Scott. Mike, Aaron was just admiring your old Plymouth. Why don’t you guys get acquainted, and I’ll get you a glass of wine?” He kind of pushed me toward the men while groping my ass.

  “Come sit over here, Aaron,” Mike said. We talked a bit about his old car.

  “You must be boiling in those clothes, kid. Why don’t you go put some trunks on?” asked one of the men.

  “No, uh, this is okay. I’m used to the heat. I’m not hot.”

  “But you can’t go swimming like that, dear heart.”

  “No, I guess not.”

  Rick brought over a glass of wine and handed it to me. Taking his own glass in hand, he toasted me, joined by everyone else. “Salud.”

  “Anyone want to play cards while I get the feast prepared?” Rick asked, putting a couple of decks of cards on the table, but everyone seemed interested in their conversations. To my delight or dismay, no one was coming on to me. It was like every other party I’d ever been to.

  I suddenly realized Scott was in swim trunks just like everyone else, and he looked really good. Much too good, as a matter of fact. I had forgotten how good he looked, since we hadn’t been in the rancho’s pool in months. I was getting a hard-on looking at all the guys around the table, but especially Scott. I was surprised all over again at how handsome he was.

  Conversation continued for another forty-five minutes or so when Rick stepped out from his bedroom doors wearing nothing but his extremely brief swim trunks. My jaw literally dropped when I saw him. His body was perfect, not an ounce of fat anywhere. His pecs were outstanding, and his biceps were big as baseballs when he flexed his arms ever so nonchalantly for my benefit, I’m sure. His legs were wonderful. And that big sausage pushing out the front of his trunks was spectacular. Anybody else seeing him might not have been so impressed, but I was dazzled, I guess because I had never seen a man so underdressed except for the bodybuilders in muscle magazines.

  *

  “And, guys,” I said, “that was a shocking realization. I guess I had suppressed the fact that I loved to look at the bodybuilder magazines at the stores. I can’t tell you how shocked I was when I realized that. It was like there was two of me—the one that everybody saw, and then this other gay guy who drooled over bodybuilder magazines.”