The Road Least Traveled

by Jerry Cole

  “I like that,” said Greg. “I could see why God would keep this country.”

  “Ah, you’ve only seen such a small part,” said Alex. “There are islands so beautiful you would not believe it. But sadly, I fear you will never see them.”

  “Why?” Greg asked.

  “Because there are no tunnels to be built,” teased Alex. “We need no metro on Santorini. No tube on Mykonos.”

  “Well, have you ever heard of a vacation?” retorted Greg. “I do take those from time to time.”

  Alex smiled and nodded.

  They sat in silence for a while, each one lost in thought, before talk turned to soccer. Alex followed the British league, too, and he and Greg chatted for over an hour about their favorite British team and who they thought was going to win the league that month. They disagreed at times, the discussion heated but never cruel, and Alex ducked inside to fetch a couple of beers, which they cracked open and enjoyed as the sun once again went down over the city.

  The light from the apartment was attracting mosquitoes, and while Alex was immune as a native, they once again found Greg irresistible. He slapped at his arms and the back of his neck, before eventually admitting defeat.

  “I need to go inside,” he said. “They’re feasting on my blood out here.”

  Alex slid open the rusty balcony door and they sat on a sofa. The cushions were lumpy and Greg thought for a moment about his beautiful designer sofa back home in California. He realized that while he had been a little homesick earlier, that feeling had evaporated. He didn’t miss America one bit.

  Alex noticed the serious expression on his face and questioned him about it.

  “I was just thinking about California,” said Greg. “About how it’s my home, but I don’t feel the way you do about Greece. Maybe there’s something magical about this place, after all.”

  “There is,” said Alex. “And I’m so glad that you can feel it, too. I wanted you to feel it the day we met. I was worried that you wouldn’t.

  “I do,” said Greg, staring at Alex. “I really do.”

  Suddenly, without warning, Alex leaned forward and kissed Greg on the lips. Greg was still in shock, but was just about to kiss Alex back, when he felt him pull away again.

  “I’m really sorry,” Alex breathed, as their lips parted. Greg could feel the air from Alex’s mouth on his lips. He pulled away a little further and swallowed.

  “It’s okay,” he said, slowly. “I’m not sure I wasn’t expecting it. It’s just a little weird for me.”

  “I won’t do it again if you don’t want me to,” Alex offered, and his dark eyes searched Greg’s face. Greg looked at him. Alex looked like a deer caught in headlights.

  “I feel like I’ve been swept up in something crazy,” Greg said. “I came here to do my job and get my company off the ground in Europe. Everything has been about this project for nearly two years, but the thing is that it’s not working out the way it should.”

  “What do you mean?” Alex asked. “The machine is cutting, yes?”

  “Yeah, she’s making progress,” said Greg, pulling his gaze away and looking down at his hands as he spoke. “But I haven’t thought about her all night. I’ve been thinking about, well, other stuff.”

  “Tell me what stuff,” Alex said, and his voice was soft.

  “When I was out with Eddie last night, after I left you at the bar, and we were drinking, I wanted to leave.” Greg rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I kept hearing the guys say words out loud, but I just wasn’t interested. They wanted to talk about Betty, and about how she was performing, and how we’re cutting through rock that the other girls could never manage, because Betty’s so much more sophisticated, and the whole time I just wanted to get up, walk away, and go find someone interesting to talk to.”

  “Is that not normal?” Alex ventured. “You must switch off from work at least some time.”

  “Not me,” said Greg. “I never switch off. Work is my life. Betty’s my world. For me to not want to talk about her, that’s like a new dad not wanting to talk about his kid.”

  “So what changed?”

  Greg clenched his jaw and did not answer for a moment, until he found the courage to lift his head and stare directly into Alex’s eyes. “You,” he said. “Just you. For the first time in my adult life I’m not thinking about the next big project, or how many tons of soil my machine is taking out of the ground, or how many yards she’s moved today. I’m not thinking about how much money the company has made or lost today and how I’m going to have to make it up if I need to recover the loss. I’m just here. Does that make sense? I’m present. I don’t think I’ve ever been present before.”

  “And why is that? Is it because of me?” Alex asked softly.

  “Because in you I see a passion I wish I had,” Greg said. “I see someone who lives his life for the love of something that has nothing to do with money. You don’t care about any of that, because you have a passion for something. I see that in you and that’s what I want.”

  “But you have that passion,” said Alex. “I don’t think it’s just for how much money the company makes you. You care about Betty.”

  Greg laughed. “I do,” he said. “I do care about Betty.”

  “Why does it bother you so much?” Alex asked. “That you’re not living your life like I’m living mine? We have different histories, different paths that have brought us here. You have no less passion than I do. It’s just pushed in a different direction.”

  “You smile so much,” Greg said, and on cue, Alex once again beamed at him, his eyes alive and sparkling. “I’ve never known anyone look so happy just to be alive.”

  “You know why I’ve smiled so much recently?” Alex asked, and Greg shook his head.

  “When I was fighting with Eddie and the guys on the site, before you came, I was angry. I was so angry. I didn’t smile for weeks. And I knew your name. Eddie talked about you, how you weren’t going to stand for it, how you were going to come over from America and have me thrown into prison. And then Virkakis told me about the meeting you had with Dimitriou and I needed to see you. And when I saw you, all I could do was smile.”

  “Why?” Greg asked. “You hated me so much for destroying the things you care about. Why would I make you smile?”

  “Because you’re beautiful,” said Alex. “I smiled at my own stupidity, for seeing you and feeling my heart melt. I smiled because it was so stupid that here is this man, this big powerful American who has come to tear his way through my city and I wanted to fight you. But when I saw you, so confident, and so sexy, I knew I had to stop fighting you because I wanted to work with you. I wanted to sit with you and learn about you, and I couldn’t do that if I was angry at you.”

  Greg was stunned into silence by Alex’s words. He knew from the openness of the Greek man’s face that everything he said was heartfelt. He thought back to the kiss they had shared minutes earlier. Alex’s lips had been softer than he thought. He could still feel their imprint on his own lips. It had not felt strange to kiss another man, the way he had always presumed it would. It had not felt wrong. Greg had felt something else, something he could not quite place.

  “Alex,” he said. “Can you kiss me again?”

  Alex was only too happy to oblige and he leaned in once more and pressed his lips to Greg’s. This time, neither pulled away. Instead, after a few seconds of stillness their mouths began to move. Greg could feel his face flush, but he did not want the kiss to end. Instead he found himself lifting his hand to the back of Alex’s head and pulling him closer. He could finally understand what it was the kiss had made him feel. It was arousal. But it wasn’t the kind he’d always known, the kind where he wanted to rip off a woman’s clothes and fuck her hard and fast. Instead, it was an arousal that sat in the deepest, most private part of his brain, like the dim light from a candle that has no air. And with every movement of Alex’s mouth on him, it felt like a little more oxygen was let into his brain, so the candle bega
n to burn more brightly, until it was a light inside his head that warmed his whole body.

  Their kisses were awkward in the discomfort of the lumpy couch, as Greg did not know what to do with his hands. Alex sensed that he was not fully relaxed and pulled away from the embrace once more, only this time there was no regret or apology in his eyes.

  “Come with me,” he whispered. And he stood up, and took Greg’s hand, so that Greg was unable to do anything but follow him. He recalled their lunch together on that very first day, when Alex had told Greg to trust him. Greg did trust him. And he knew from the tightness in his jeans that there was something wonderful awaiting him in the other room, so long as he trusted Alex a little more.

  There was no question as to where he was being led. Alex’s apartment was tiny. Through the living room was the bedroom, and Alex switched on a lamp by the bed so the room glowed. It was hot and Alex apologized.

  “I don’t have air conditioning in here,” he said. “I have asked my landlord many times but so far, nothing has been done.”

  “It’s okay,” said Greg, and the two men stared awkwardly at each other in the haze of the dim lamp. Greg was not in control. It was rare for him to be vulnerable. But at the same time, he was intrigued. Most of all, he trusted Alex. He smiled at him, and Alex smiled in return, and pulled Greg towards him by the waistband of his jeans, tilting his head and kissing Greg once more, while his lips were still stretched wide with his grin.

  The kisses electrified Greg and he allowed his tongue to peek forward and explore the other man’s mouth. Alex’s kisses were firm and pressing with desire, but they didn’t feel strange to Greg, who was surprised by how turned on he was by someone of his own sex. As his tongue felt around Alex’s wet mouth, the tightness in his jeans became even more intense. He heard a moan, and realized that it had come from his own mouth.

  “I think you’re liking this more than you thought you would,” whispered Alex, and Greg nodded.

  “I’m just not sure what to do,” he replied, also in a whisper, although there was nobody around to hear them. “I’m used to women wanting me to take the lead. But right now, I just feel sort of useless.”

  “Oh, believe me, you’re far from useless,” breathed Alex. “And I can totally understand why any woman would turn to jelly in your presence. What you do to me is what you do to them.”

  “Like what?” asked Greg, ashamed by his innocence.

  “Watch me undress,” said Alex. “Lie on the bed and watch me get naked for you.”

  “Okay,” said Greg. “I can do that.”

  He perched on the edge of the bed and Alex sighed. “You’re not waiting in the doctor’s office,” he said. “You’re watching me seduce you. Lie down.”

  Greg obediently lay on his side, his head resting in the palm of his hand as his elbow sank into the soft bed. The notion of lying on a bed and watching a man undress in front of him should have been ridiculous, but it wasn’t. In the soft light of the room Greg watched as Alex undid the buttons on his shirt, one by one. Then he pulled the shirt away, revealing his upper body.

  Greg gave a low whistle. He hadn’t spent too much time allowing himself to wonder what was underneath the shirt, but now he could see it, his mouth watered. He swallowed and stared. Alex had the body of a Greek god from a legendary story. He had broad, tanned shoulders, and full, round pecs that led down to a six-pack Greg could only envy. There wasn’t an inch of fat on his torso, and there wasn’t a single hair, either. He had the smoothest body Greg had ever seen. He felt himself sitting up and reaching out with one hand, and Alex walked towards him, meeting the hand in mid-air with his body.

  Greg ran his fingers along Alex’s stomach, feeling the toned muscles like hills that rose and fell across the landscape of his body. He let his fingers drift up, further and further, until they ran across Alex’s smooth chest. When Greg’s touch glanced across his nipple, Alex drew in his breath then groaned.

  “I love your hands on me,” he said.

  “Your body is incredible,” croaked Greg. “It’s beautiful, really.”

  Alex smiled and flopped onto the bed beside Greg, and the two men stared at each other without speaking. Then Alex took Greg’s hand and placed it once again on his chest, over his nipples, when he closed his eyes and moaned again.

  “I love that,” he said. “You make my nipples hard.”

  Taking the hint, Greg leaned forward and took Alex’s nipple between his lips.

  “Oh God, yes,” said Alex. “That’s exactly what I wanted you to do.”

  With the encouragement, Greg relaxed a little more, and as he flicked his tongue against Alex’s nipples, he ran his hand all over the man’s smooth, hard stomach. He even allowed his hand to drift down a little further, and Alex pushed himself towards Greg, so Greg could immediately feel Alex’s hard cock cupped in his hand through his jeans.

  “Are you as hard as I am?” Alex whispered, and Greg nodded.

  “Then let me help you with that,” he said, and he pushed Greg backward onto the bed and ran his hands over his t-shirt.

  “Can I feel your body?” he asked, and Greg nodded. When he felt Alex’s hand lift up the t-shirt and disappear underneath, Greg felt it appropriate to help him out, and lifted the t-shirt up and over his head.

  “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I should have told you I’m kind of hairy.”

  “So I can see,” said Alex, and he swallowed as he stared at Greg’s body. “You’re all man. Oh God, that’s so fucking hot.”

  “It’s not hot,” said Greg. “My exes used to make me shave my back.”

  “Are you kidding?” exclaimed Alex. “You’re like a bear. A big, strong, sexy bear.” And he buried his head into the thick hair on Greg’s chest. Greg laughed and held Alex’s head, and did not stop Alex from kissing his way down his body, over his abdomen, and down to his waist. He didn’t stop Alex from unbuttoning his jeans and from parting his fly. He didn’t stop Alex from rubbing his hand over the bulge in his boxers, and he felt only a raging desire when Alex slipped his hand through the slit of his boxers, to his naked cock.

  “Fuck,” he breathed at the feeling of another man’s hand on his dick. Alex stroked up and down the shaft with teasing movements, and Greg found himself rising with every stroke, wanting more. Alex obliged, and pulled down Greg’s underwear, so it sat on his thighs. Greg’s cock had thickened with desire and stood proudly, long and rock hard. Alex gave a tiny cry of what sounded like happiness and took the glistening head of Greg’s cock in his mouth.

  Greg could only surrender to the beautiful sensation of Alex’s mouth over his cock. And Alex was an expert. He devoured Greg with passionate enthusiasm, groaning with the enjoyment, and Greg lay back and pressed his hands on the back of Alex’s head, wanting him to take even more of him. He felt the head of his cock press against the back of Alex’s throat, and it made him shiver. Alex stopped, and looked up.

  “I want you inside me,” he whispered, and he unbuckled his jeans and dropped them onto the floor, followed quickly by his underwear. He pulled down Greg’s pants, too, so within seconds both men were naked on the bed. Greg was still unsure what to do, but Alex guided him. He reached over to the nightstand and opened a drawer, pulling out a condom. He opened the wrapper with his teeth and unraveled it over Greg’s cock, then he straddled Greg’s waist and leaned forward onto his elbows.

  They kissed passionately and Greg arched his back up, feeling his cock sliding in between the cheeks of Alex’s ass, teasing him. Alex groaned and opened his legs wider, until he reached down, took Greg’s cock in his hand and guided it to his asshole. Greg held his breath, not wanting to rush things, and allowed Alex to take control. He felt the tip of himself enter into Alex and he gasped and looked up at the face of the man who was straddling him. Alex’s eyes were shut in concentration and he breathed hard, before taking one long, deep breath and lowering himself onto Greg.

  Greg was inside him. Actually inside another man. And it felt good. A
lex’s hole was tight, gripping his dick. Greg held his thighs and pushed up a little, unable to resist the urge to push himself in further. Alex didn’t object. He was acclimated to the cock inside him, and he gave a long groan of pleasure and began to move his hips. He lifted himself up a little, then back down, and Greg matched the rhythm.

  Greg pushed in harder and Alex loved it. He leaned down again and sucked on Greg’s tongue with every bounce of his ass, grunting and groaning as Greg slammed upwards, pushing his cock further inside Alex.

  “Oh fuck,” Alex groaned, licking Greg’s mouth, their tongues swirling together. “God, that’s what I wanted. I wanted you so bad.”

  Greg could not help but moan in return. His arousal was greater than he’d ever known, and despite it being his first time with a man, it felt wonderfully natural. He wasn’t self-conscious, instead he basked in the pleasure he and Alex were giving each other. He recalled that Alex liked his nipples being played with, and he reached up and tweaked them between his fingers.

  “Oh fuck yes,” Alex said, with encouragement. “Yes. Keep doing that. Oh, fuck. You fuck me so good.”

  He sat up, his eyes closed, and he seemed to lose himself in the rhythm of Greg’s thrusting into his ass. His own cock was thick and solid, and he fondled it with his fingers, then spat into his hand, jerking it hard.

  “Yes, that’s it,” he murmured. “Oh God, fill me up.”

  He began to jerk his cock faster and Greg increased his rhythm too. He felt the burning in his calf muscles from the climb up twelve flights of stairs earlier, but he didn’t want to slow down for one second. He felt Alex’s tight ass grip him even more, and he knew he was close.

  Alex cried out in Greek, the same words over and over, but Greg had no idea what he was saying. “What does that mean?” he panted. “Tell me what it means!”