Tallulah Bankhead Slept Here

by Sam Lollar

  I lay on one of the blankets. Scott suggested using suntan lotion to get an even tan. “I’ll be happy to rub some on your back, Aaron,” Isaac said.

  “Okay.” I lathered myself in front and rolled a towel up to act as a pillow. I had a ball cap to cover my eyes, so I lay back and felt like an elephant seal lolling on the beach. It was wonderful.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  The Maserati Dream

  Isaac lay down near me on the blanket while Scott strutted up and down the beach for a while, ostensibly to cruise the other guys. I think he really wanted to be cruised by them, and he probably was. He did look good. I thought it was kind of weird Isaac was lying so close to me, but didn’t give it much thought at the time. Suddenly, Isaac turned to me.

  “Aaron, what do you think of Maseratis? I think I’d like to get one.” I told him I had never seen one, but they must be great. All Italian cars were pretty much fantastic. “If you like them, I may get one…” he mused under his breath.

  Other than that, the afternoon passed in a wonderfully relaxed way. No one had to be anywhere at any time, and everybody was content just to do exactly what they were doing. The ladies had a large beach umbrella they were lying under. We looked like the typical tourists. “I could be real happy in California,” I said to no one in particular.

  “It is wonderful, isn’t it?” Isaac said. “I’ve missed it since I’ve been away at school.”

  After a few minutes’ fidgeting, Isaac got a bit closer to me and, after a lot of hemming and hawing, finally asked if I would like to go out with him some evening, just the two of us?

  I was quite surprised. He knew I was a homosexual, even though I was still uncomfortable with the concept. So why did he want my company? “I’d enjoy that, Isaac, but I’m curious as to why.”

  “Aaron, I’d really like to get to know you, if you know what I mean. I’ve never told anyone this, not even Mark, but I’ve known for years that I was attracted to some men. I want to go on a date with you. Are you shocked?”

  “Let’s go for a walk and talk about this,” I suggested.

  We had strolled away from the blankets before I realized all I had on were the Speedos. I was instantly self-conscious, but other people had on even briefer trunks, so I kept from dashing back to get a towel.

  “So, what’s going on with you?” Isaac asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know, are you in love with my brother? Everyone falls in love with him.”

  “No, I’m not in love with him. I’ve only known him for a few days, after all. He’s great fun, but I’d have to know someone for longer than a few days to be in love with him.” I had a flashback to Rick. I hadn’t known him very long. Did I love him? I realized I did not.

  “That’s good to know.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Like I said, everyone’s in love with my famous brother. I’m afraid no one sees me at all. I’m the drab ugly duckling to his beautiful swan.”

  “I wouldn’t say that, Isaac. I think it’s Mark’s fame as much as his looks that attracts people.”

  “Was that what attracted you?”

  “Well, no. I didn’t know who he was. I just thought he was a good-looking guy. And if we’re being completely honest here, I did notice you in the Corvette the other day. I think you’re pretty hot stuff, too.”

  He blushed profusely and mumbled a thank you under his breath. We walked together in silence for a few moments. “Could I see you tonight?” he croaked out. “Oh, I’ll bet you have plans with Mark, don’t you?”

  “Actually no. Scott’s going to try to hook up with him, though. Mark told me to have Scott call him.”

  “Another conquest for Mark.”

  “I thought it was another conquest for Scott. I guess they’re evenly matched, then.”

  We walked along the beach for probably an hour or so and finally ended up back at the blanket. Scott was snoring lightly, lying on his stomach. The ladies were engrossed in their books. Isaac and I re-oiled each other and lay down to bask once again. What a glorious afternoon it was. I was genuinely disappointed when the ladies said that it was time to leave. “We’ve got dinner plans for tonight, guys, so we need to get back in time to make ourselves beautiful.”

  “But you’re already beautiful,” Scott said.

  “Ah, I just love the sound of the purple-trunked brown-noser,” Miss Ruby said. “But thank you, Scott.”

  We piled everything back into the Lincoln and headed back to the house. Isaac came in with us as Scott and I headed to the guesthouse to drop off our trunks and towels. I walked Isaac back toward the front door to bid him good-bye. “So, can I see you tonight?” he asked.

  “Sure. I’d like that. What’d you have in mind?”

  “You mean in addition to a repeat of last night’s activities you had with Mark?”

  “Isaac. That’s mighty presumptuous of you.”

  “Oh, my. I’m sorry. I really didn’t intend to say that out loud. I do apologize,” he said as he turned beet red.

  “That’s okay, Isaac. I’m flattered to think you would like to. Let’s go slowly, though, okay?”

  “Of course. How about going to dinner and a movie this evening?”

  “Sounds good to me,” I responded.

  “Great. I’ll be by to pick you up around six,” he said as he started the walk back to Mark’s house.

  I went back to the guesthouse, expecting to see everyone around the patio table. That seemed to be the preferred location for our tête-à-têtes. But no one was there, so I went on into the guesthouse to use the restroom. Scott was on the phone talking, I assumed, to Mark. When he hung up, he whooped and jumped up and down. “Aaron. I’ve got a date with Mark tonight.”

  “That’s great, but I can go one better than that.”

  “Like what?”

  “I’ve got a date with Isaac.”

  “With Isaac? How can you, he’s not even gay. Is he? You mean Isaac’s gay, too? That’s just too much to comprehend. Why didn’t Mark let us know, I wonder?”

  “I don’t think Mark knows. Please don’t say anything about this to him. If Isaac hasn’t told him, I’d hate to betray a confidence.”

  “You’re right, of course. Where are you two going tonight?”

  “Dinner and the movies. It’ll be a treat not to dress up for once. How about you two? What are your plans?”

  “Mark wants to go barhopping with me. I don’t know whether to be insulted or flattered. He might just want me along to talk to if he can’t find Mr. Wonderful in the bar, but he may think I’m so gorgeous that he wants to show me off. I wonder which it is.”

  “Why not focus on the latter,” I said. “I think Mark’s a pretty up front kind of guy. He wouldn’t be going with you if he wanted to be with someone else.”

  “You’re probably right. He can have any man he wants, so I’m going to feel flattered.”

  “Do you plan on making a move on him? Are you going to bed with him?”

  “God, I hope so. I’m so nervous. I’m afraid I’ll make a complete fool of myself, and he won’t want to see me ever again.”

  “Nonsense, you’re going to have a wonderful time. I’m really surprised to see you this nervous, Scott. I guess I’ve never seen you going on a date before. You’ve always been advising me. It’s odd to have the tables turned like this.”

  “I’m nervous because he’s so beautiful. I’m afraid of what might happen if I do have sex with him. I’m afraid I’ll fall in love with him.”

  “Would that be so bad?”

  “Well, yes. For one thing, he lives in L.A., in case you haven’t noticed, and I live in El Paso. For another, I’m about ten years older than him. Plus, I don’t see him as the settling-down type. I think he’ll be on the playing field for a very long time.”

  “Yeah, I guess it wouldn’t make much sense to fall in love with him after all. Just make sure you don’t do it.”

  “Oh, right. It’s easy for you
to say. But if I do end up in bed with him, I’ll have no way to prevent myself from falling in love.”

  “Why, Scott. Doesn’t any of this sound familiar to you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You and I had this same conversation a few months ago about me and Rick. Only it was you telling me not to fall in love with him. Now the shoe’s on the other foot, isn’t it.”

  “Um, yeah, I suppose so. But that really doesn’t make it any easier for me.”

  “Just as it didn’t help me a lot either.”

  “Oh, shut up. Quit being so analytical. Tell me what to do.”

  “Uh-uh. You’re on your own, Scott. I’m not getting mixed up in this.”

  “But you’ve been to bed with him. Did you fall in love with him?”

  “Do I sound like I did? If I were in love with him, wouldn’t I be clawing your eyes out and doing everything I could to keep you from going out with him?”

  “Shit.”

  Inwardly, I was also wondering, Do I even love Rick? And why isn’t Scott making a play for me? Has his interest in me cooled of late? And most important of all, why do I care? Then I thought about Rick some more. I was getting confused. Did I want Scott? Did I miss Rick? Did I want Mark? And what about Isaac? Where exactly did he fit in?

  We got ready for our respective dates. Scott was going to get Mark, and Isaac was coming to get me. Their two Corvettes passed each other on the road. Isaac looked fantastic. He really did have a nice body—it must be genetics—and he showed it off quite nicely in his clothes. Isaac took me to some of his favorite haunts. We had burgers and fries at a place near the university where he had done his undergraduate work, and we had ice cream at a parlor down the block. We walked between the two restaurants and had a wonderful time. Before we knew it, it was half past nine and we hadn’t even decided on a movie yet.

  “Aaron, I have an idea,” he said when I noted the time. “How about driving to the beach and watching the ocean?”

  “But it’s dark, Isaac. How can we see anything?”

  “Oh, the ocean is beautiful at night. You’ll be impressed.”

  We did just that, finding a place on the beach. He parked the car facing the ocean, so we could put our heads back and see the stars or look out the windshield to watch the ocean. The serenity of the place, the beauty of it all wowed me. This was a million times better than any movie. My warning bells sounded from a distance. I was also getting a hard-on.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Maserati Redux

  We had our heads back looking at the stars when Isaac took my hand in his. We sat that way for quite a while, neither of us wanting to release our hold on the other. We were about the only car on the beach, so were pretty well isolated. I looked into Isaac’s eyes and recognized that sense of desire I was beginning to enjoy. He slowly bent toward me and kissed me very tenderly. We looked into each other’s eyes again. He had a questioning look on his face, as if he was trying to gauge what I thought about his bold move. I smiled very slightly at him, and he leaned over for another kiss. Wow. This was so romantic. We sat for a long time, holding hands and kissing every so often. He looked into my eyes once again. “Aaron, I’ve never felt this way before. It’s like I’m intoxicated with you. Could we go somewhere and continue this in private? Aaron? You remember I asked if you liked Maseratis? If I had one, I’d give it to you.”

  Oh, if only I had known what was to follow. “I’m flattered, Isaac. Where do you have in mind?”

  *

  “Don’t leave us in suspense, Dad. What followed?”

  “Just wait. You’ll find out, but it has something to do with the scars on my arm.”

  “Wow. You never really told me how you got those,” Junior said. “I’m all ears. Tell the rest of the story.”

  *

  “I don’t know, I’ve never done this before. There’s an isolated place on campus, but I don’t much like the idea of being out in the open like that.”

  “I agree with you.”

  “A motel?”

  “Oh, no. Whenever two people come to the Rancho without any luggage, I always assume they’re having an illicit affair.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t know. Any ideas?”

  “Let me think.” I suddenly had a brainstorm. “I know. Scott and Mark are going to be gone for most of the night. I’ll bet they spend the night at Mark’s place. Why don’t we go to the guesthouse? Scott won’t be there, and the ladies have a party tonight, so we’ll have the place to ourselves.”

  “Great idea. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes, I think so.”

  We got to the guesthouse about midnight. He followed me inside and sat on the sofa.

  “Can I get you anything?” I offered.

  “No, nothing. Thank you.”

  I sat by him on the sofa, and he quickly moved away from me. “What’s the matter, Isaac?”

  “Aaron, you’re going to hate me, but I’ve never been with a man before.”

  Wow, I thought. Here I am being someone else’s first experience. I didn’t know quite what to think about this turn of events. “Why not sit over here with me, then, on the couch?” I suggested.

  With what seemed like a lot of ruminating on the possibilities, Isaac sat beside me. After an eternity, he put his hand on my thigh, and I did the same. He leaned over and kissed me again, ever so gently. This continued for some time until we finally went into my bedroom and shut the door. Although he had told me this was his first time, he was not without imagination, and we had a wonderful time. I remember thinking at the time he must have had a lot more experience than I did because he did things I wasn’t aware were possible. In the heat of the moment, I didn’t think too much about it, though. To boost his confidence, I told him later he was a better lover than his brother, though in truth he really wasn’t. But he beamed from ear to ear. I thought it was harmless to compliment him like that.

  In the morning, I padded out to check Scott’s bedroom, to see if he had returned either with or without Mark. As I suspected, his door was open and his bed was still made. We were alone. After we each had showered, I asked Isaac if he’d like to have breakfast on the patio. “The ladies are probably there now. It’s wonderfully pleasant.”

  “Oh, no. I couldn’t possibly. What if they asked why I was here? They’d know I slept with you.”

  “That’s okay, Isaac. They probably assume that already.”

  “I just can’t, Aaron. Is there a back way I can sneak out so I can go back to Mark’s house?”

  “Think about this a moment, Isaac. No doubt the ladies have seen your car parked in the drive. If you go home right now, Mark and Scott are going to know you spent the night with me. You won’t accomplish anything by avoiding the ladies.”

  “Oh my God, that’s true. What am I going to do?”

  He began to get a bit hysterical and started crying in earnest.

  “Isaac, it’s okay. Don’t cry. What’s got you so upset?”

  “Aaron, Mark doesn’t know I have sex with men.”

  I’ll bet he does now, I thought. Apparently he has had sex with men, so why did he lie to me last night?

  “I’ve always been the shield for him to keep our parents at bay. They’ve been bugging him about settling down and having a family. Now, after the last couple of years, everyone’s assumed he’ll be the perpetual Hollywood bachelor, and I’ll be the one to settle down. He’s always been able to go out with me along, so that his adventures don’t paint him as being homosexual. I’ve always been his cover. What will he think of me?”

  “You’ll never know unless you tell him. I’m really jealous of you. I wish I had had an older gay brother to talk to earlier this summer. I was totally confused, too. Still am, if truth be told. You have the advantage of talking things over with Mark. He’s very understanding. I bet he’ll give you great advice.”

  “I’m not so sure.”

  “One way or the other, Isaac, you’re going to have to
face your brother. Why not do it now and lessen the anxiety that’s bound to occur if you keep putting it off?”

  “I just can’t do it.”

  “What are you going to do when you see Mark today? He’s still going to know that you didn’t come home last night. And he’s still going to know that you and I went out together. I think he’ll be able to put two and two together, Isaac.”

  “What should I do?”

  “You need to make that decision for yourself. From what I know of your brother, I can’t imagine him being upset about it.”

  We were interrupted by the phone.

  “Aaron? This is Scott. Is Isaac with you?”

  “He’s right here.”

  “Put him on. Mark wants to talk with him.”

  “Your brother wants to talk with you on the phone, Isaac.”

  “No. Tell him I’m not here.”

  “I just told Scott that you are here.”

  “Well, I’m not talking to him.”

  I could hear Mark yelling on the phone. “Isaac? Aaron? Someone talk to me.”

  “Isaac, Mark can hear you anyway.”

  He became even more despondent and sat on the sofa with his head in his hands, sobbing softly.

  “Mark, could you come over here right away?”

  “Sure, Aaron. What’s going on? Is Isaac okay?”

  “I don’t know, Mark, but he has something he wants to talk with you about.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  Within ten minutes, Mark and Scott walked into the guesthouse. “Isaac. What’s the matter?” Mark asked as he sat next to his brother on the sofa and put his arm around him.