Someone to Bank on

by Carson Wescot

  “Yeah, I know…and I’m not. Thought I’d say it before you did.”

  “We’ll talk about the weekend tonight – okay?”

  “You’re makin’ me nervous here. Is that the best you can do?”

  “I’ll keep you guessing for a few more hours. Like I said, I might get a better offer. You might, too, you know,” Bobby said, thinking of the postcard from Marcus.

  “Yeah, like that’s gonna happen. I’d better let you get back to work now. See you around 5:30?”

  “I’ll be there. Bye.”

  Well, he still seems enthusiastic about me coming over, Bobby thought to himself. Maybe he was making too much of this Marcus thing. Maybe there was still room to be a little bit hopeful. Maybe?

  Grant had an odd feeling when the call from Bobby ended. He didn’t seem like himself on the phone, and Grant wondered if the youngster was having second thoughts about spending time with him during his convalescence. Would he decide he’d had enough last weekend and want to hang with his friends next weekend instead? Did he even have any friends? Was there a love interest in his life?

  Grant realized that there was still a lot about Bobby that he didn’t know. But then their friendship was still quite new, and Grant had to remind himself that there was still a lot about himself that Bobby had yet to learn. He couldn’t keep Marcus out of the conversation forever, but when was the right time to bring him up? He stewed about it the rest of the afternoon.

  Bobby had butterflies as he made his way from the grocery store to Grant’s apartment. There was no rational reason for his feelings, but he’d been skittish about this follow-up visit to his new friend ever since the noon hour today, when the name Marcus came to his awareness via the postcard from Paris.

  But he was undeterred in his resolve to be the best little helper Grant could possibly find to help him through his involuntary medical sequestering. He was determined that he would make himself so indispensable to the man that Grant would be forever in his debt. With any luck, Grant would come to view him as a worthy challenger to anything he felt for this Marcus – whoever the guy was.

  Since Bobby now had keys to Grant’s building and apartment, he assumed that he was free to enter unannounced. However, he did tap on the man’s apartment door as he was turning the key so that Grant wouldn’t be startled by his arrival.

  “Come on in, Bobby,” Grant said, smiling broadly from his perch on the couch at Bobby’s welcome entrance.

  “Hi, Grant. How are you doing? Have you missed me?” Bobby batted his eyelashes flirtatiously, not entirely in jest.

  “What do you think? Of course, I’ve missed you. Get your butt over here and give the crip a hug.”

  Sitting down next to Grant, Bobby reached over and allowed himself to be engulfed in Grant’s outstretched arms, hugging back as best he could in the awkward position they were in. Bobby laid his head momentarily on Grant’s chest, and the older man ruffled his hair.

  “Gee, you don’t smell as bad as I expected,” Bobby teased.

  “Thanks – I think. Should I take that as a compliment, you little twerp?”

  “Of course. Have you been using your hamper like I asked you to? I don’t see any dirty socks on the floor.”

  “If you find one on the floor, I’ll personally hand wash it. Wait till you see the kitchen – only half as many dishes are piled in the sink this time.”

  “Well, that’s progress – I guess. Maybe there’s hope for you after all. What does a guy have to do to get a beer around here?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. What are you willing to do?”

  “How about giving you a nice warm, soapy bath? That should be worth at least a couple of your beers.”

  “You’re on, but let’s drink now and bathe later. Dinner’s in the oven – should be ready in about 20 minutes. Hope you like meat loaf – it was a bitch to put together on crutches.”

  “Yeah, but I’m worth it – right? I’ll grab us a couple of beers. In the meantime, you can look through your mail. Also, here’s the cash you wanted from the ATM.”

  “Thanks. What would I ever do without you?”

  “Well, there’s always Doris.”

  Grant groaned.

  Getting up to fetch the beers, Bobby watched Grant out of the corner of his eye to see what he would do with the postcard from Marcus. Bobby had put it in the middle of the stack so Grant wouldn’t necessarily assume that Bobby had seen it. Grant quickly flipped through the mail to see what was in it. When he found the postcard he turned it over and read the message. Furrowing his brow, he set it aside on the end table, picture side up, and seemed to sigh.

  “Anything interesting or just the usual junk mail?” Bobby queried in his best innocent voice.

  “I’ll look at it later. You gonna drink both of those beers, or do I get one?”

  The men chatted about the first half of their respective weeks while waiting for their dinner to finish cooking. Grant contributed little to the conversation since little had happened in apartment 2-D since Sunday, but Bobby chatted on nervously about his week so far at the bank.

  Grant was hardly listening. All he could think about was Marcus’ postcard and the fact that the man he’d loved for the past five years might show up any day now for a quick fuck – and then run off again to whatever (or whoever) else he had lined up on this trip back home. That complicated his new plan for Bobby to no small degree, but he was determined to push on with it later in the evening. The chips would just have to fall where they may.

  The timer on the stove called the pair to the kitchen, where they enjoyed the dinner that Grant had cobbled together. Bobby would pay for this “free” dinner with a bit of elbow grease over the kitchen sink afterward, but he didn’t mind. It was all part of his plan to make himself as indispensable as possible to the cook.

  After the dishes were washed and the rest of the kitchen was once again spotless, Bobby said, “Bath time, big boy. I’ll start running your water while you get undressed.”

  “That would be while we get undressed. I’m not going bare-assed alone.”

  “We’re on the same page – don’t worry.”

  The guys denuded themselves without comment, although Bobby gave Grant some help. This third bath should not have elicited such strong feelings in Bobby, but once again he found himself awestruck by Grant’s body – and even more awestruck by the fact that he had been chosen to be the one to bathe it. Still, his only apparent competition (besides the absent Marcus) was Doris, so he didn’t know whether to feel flattered or not.

  They tried something different this time. With Grant’s right leg hanging out of the large tub, there was more than enough room for Bobby to climb in, too. He didn’t wait to be invited – he just got in while Grant admired his nakedness openly. Bobby’s dick responded to the attention.

  “Does that thing ever go down, young man?” Grant quipped, giving Bobby’s member a quick gentle squeeze, causing him to gasp in surprise. It was the first time Grant had touched him there, and it felt electric to him.

  “Occasionally,” he responded with a somewhat nervous smile, “but not around you apparently.”

  “Apparently.”

  “You don’t mind, do you?”

  “What do you think?” Grant’s own endowment had noticeably peeked out of its foreskin as they spoke.

  “It seems to be contagious – look at yours.”

  “I’ve seen it before – I’d rather look at yours. Maybe we’d better get on with this bath before we forget why we’re in here.”

  Grant lay down on his back in the water to get his hair wet, causing his crotch to come nearly into contact with Bobby’s. When he sat back up, he leaned on the sloped back of the tub. Their eyes met, but for the first time all evening neither felt the need to speak. They just took mutual comfort and pleasure in the simple act of bathing together.

  Now on his knees in the water, Bobby lathered up his hands with shampoo and went to work on Grant’s scalp, gently rubbing the shamp
oo in sensuous strokes while Grant ached to again touch the young man’s inviting equipment. Unable to resist, he soaped his hand and reached out to lift Bobby’s scrotum, feeling the twin orbs it contained and allowing his middle finger to graze over Bobby’s inviting but as-yet-unseen hole.

  Stunned, Bobby stopped the massage on Grant’s scalp momentarily and savored the immense pleasure of the man’s fingers and palm on his sensitive parts. He felt palpable heat on his torso from his neck to his pubes, and his body was suddenly alive with a thousand goose bumps.

  But then he thought of the stranger in Paris and his need to find out more about that situation before allowing Grant’s stimulating manual exploration of his body to go on. If he was going to give his heart away – and he was on the brink of it – it was only going to be to a guy who didn’t already have someone else’s.

  “If you keep that up, there’ll soon be more than soap in your bathwater, my man. I think we need to talk before we cross this line any farther. I saw the postcard from Marcus.”

  “Sorry,” Grant said, withdrawing his hand. “I couldn’t help myself. You’re just so beautiful, Bobby. I had no business… You know, for your age you’re awfully wise, young man.”

  Bobby smiled weakly. With his body on fire from Grant’s unexpected touch, he was almost sorry he had let his “wisdom” get in the way of something he so desperately wanted. But Bobby was smart enough to know he didn’t want to go down a path that might result in rejection and pain.

  They finished the bath quickly – and Bobby went to work on drying Grant’s body while he stood in the middle of the bathroom. Their erections had subsided somewhat – but not their intense desire to bridge the psychological gap between them that neither seemed to know how to deal with.

  As Bobby began to dry himself, Grant took the towel from him and traded places with him, sitting down on the closed toilet seat. Carefully and worshipfully, he dried every part of Bobby’s body, bringing them both back to full erection. Grant urgently wanted to take the hard, slender rod before him into his mouth, but he resisted the urge. Instead, he put the towel down and took Bobby by the hips with both his hands, looking up at him.

  “Bobby, you’re right – we do need to talk about Marcus. But first, I have a proposition for you – I’ve been thinking about this a lot since Sunday. You aren’t happy living where you are, and you know I’m in need of companionship while I have this cast on. Twice a week just isn’t working for me. Would you consider moving in here with me for a few weeks? I really need to have you around every day. More than that, I really want to get to know you better. You can still work days, but it’s the nights and weekends that I really want you here. No strings attached. How about it?”

  With the exhaust fan running in the bathroom, neither had heard the apartment door open nor the footsteps that brought the uninvited third party to the half-open bathroom door. Bobby was facing away from it listening to Grant’s welcome invitation, which he was feeling very inclined to accept – but only if they could talk about Marcus first.

  Before Bobby could speak, however, Grant saw the shoes of the unexpected visitor, then ran his eyes quickly up to the familiar face. Bobby turned and looked. His blood ran cold at the unwelcome intrusion.

  “Marcus – what are you doing here?”

  Heart thumping, Bobby grabbed the wet towel off the floor and wrapped it around himself and stood frozen in place. The man he had only become aware of earlier today stood in the doorway, blocking his only possible exit from the room.

  CHAPTER 8

  “Well, well, gentlemen…it seems I’ve interrupted something. What’s going on here, Grant? Who’s this? And what happened to your leg?”

  “This is, uh, Bobby – a friend of mine, Marcus. I broke my ankle a week and a half ago, and Bobby’s been taking care of me. How did you get in?”

  “Have you forgotten that you sent me some keys in case I got here when you were at work, like you did in your last apartment? Where did you find this fine young man, Grant? And I do mean young.”

  Tall, thin, and dressed in a black T-shirt and black jeans, and adorned with silver jewelry, Marcus was a striking figure. He was also extremely handsome, with his black hair, matching goatee, and piercing dark eyes, but his tone was menacing. Bobby hadn’t expected him to be twice his age. He desperately wanted to get dressed and leave, but Marcus continued to block his way.

  “Bobby’s a trainee at the bank where I was working. I just got laid off, Marcus. I didn’t know who else to call on for help. I can’t do everything alone right now, but Bobby’s been handling a lot for me.”

  “I’m sure he has. From what I just observed, it looks like the handling is mutual. Bobby, I think you’d better go now. I’ll take over for my boyfriend. Your services are no longer needed here.”

  Clearly shocked and humiliated, Bobby looked at Grant with pleading eyes.

  Flustered by the unexpected turn of events, all Grant could think to say was, “I’ll give you a call soon, Bobby – really. Thanks for all your help.”

  To Bobby, it wasn’t enough.

  Marcus stood aside just far enough to let him pass. Their bodies briefly touched, and Bobby felt revulsion by the stranger’s presence and manner. Running to the bedroom, he grabbed his clothing and shoes and threw them on as quickly as possible. He raced out the door, still buttoning his shirt.

  If he’d been thinking clearly, he would’ve left Grant’s keys and ATM card behind, but all he had on his mind was escape – and a heavy sense of betrayal.

  “A phone call would have been nice, Marcus,” Grant said curtly while looking around the bathroom futilely for another towel.

  “You’ve never suggested that before. Didn’t you get my postcard that I mailed three weeks ago?”

  “Only in the mail that Bobby brought to me today. I haven’t been able to check my P.O. box myself since I’ve had this cast on.”

  “Has your new boy-toy been meeting ALL your needs? Since when does a caretaker need to be naked when he gives baths?”

  “It just seemed easier that way, Marcus. You have no idea how messy it gets in here trying to bathe with a cast on your damn leg.”

  “I can see that from the water on the floor. Has wonder boy been sleeping here, too?”

  “Only last Saturday night. There’s been no sex,” Grant said, stopping short of adding “yet.”

  “Maybe not, but it’s clear there’s been arousal. You were both hard just now. I didn’t think younger men worked you up like that.”

  “You’ve been gone so long this time that even women were starting to look good to me, Marcus. Where have you been?”

  “Women? – oh please, Grant. You’d fuck a tree before you’d look twice at a woman.”

  “Maybe if you could spare a few days of your precious time to tend the home fires once in a while, they wouldn’t burn out of control.”

  “Spare me your self-pity. My career always comes first – you know that.”

  “Yes, I’m becoming painfully aware of my position in your priorities, Marcus. And I’m not naive enough to think that I’m even number two in your life. I’ve seen your photos, and good-looking men don’t seem to be in any short supply in them. What do you do with them besides photograph them?”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying I’m damn tired of this life, Marcus. I’ve been waiting like a fool for five years for you to give me one ounce of encouragement that we could ever have a life like normal couples do. I’ve had a lot of time on my hands in the past 10 days to think about this.

  “I need someone to wake up with in the morning, Marcus – every morning, not just a few times a year. I want to see a living human being across my table when I’m eating my meals. And if I have to be in a leg cast, I want someone around who cares enough about me to stay here and pick up my dirty socks and wash my sheets and my dishes and bathe me and make me feel like he cares two hoots about how I’m feeling!”

  “And I suppose your little twink
has been doing all that and more for you, hasn’t he, Grant?”

  “Yes! And he would do it out of the goodness of his heart for as long as it takes, but that’s a foreign concept to you, isn’t it? When you were on your way in here I was in the process of asking Bobby to move in with me for a few weeks till I get this damn cast off. You darkened my door before he could respond, but I could see it in his eyes that he was ready to jump at the chance to do something helpful and useful with his time.

  “He cares about me, Marcus. And I care about him – I don’t care if he is only 22. He’s got more compassion and decency in him than most men twice his age – certainly more than you’ll ever have.”

  “Okay, Grant, settle down – what’s gotten into you? You’re getting yourself all worked up over nothing. I can stay a few days this time. I think all you need right now is a damn good fucking, so why don’t you get your sexy ass into the bedroom while it’s still naked? I’m sure Bobby got it good and ready for me in that bath you were obviously sharing with him before I got here.”

  Still fuming and nude, Grant got to his feet and hobbled his way into his bedroom, with Marcus in close pursuit and starting to strip. He’d had a lot of hot ass in practically every country in the world, but he kept coming back to Grant’s because it was the one that satisfied his unbridled libido like none other he’d ever known. The very sight of it quickly made him hard.

  Unbeknownst to Marcus, however, it was not to be. As he bent over to remove his jeans, Grant shoved the end of his right crutch into the man’s chest, causing him to fall back on his ass. Nothing was really injured except his outsized ego. Grant calmly put aside his crutches and pulled on a pair of clean boxers – putting his formerly willing ass out of range of any further exploitation. After five long years, he’d had enough.

  “What the hell was that for?”

  “It’s over, Marcus. Give me the keys you got in here with, and pick up your stuff and get out of here – and get out of my life for good. Find someone else to take advantage of, you arrogant bastard, because I’m moving on. I’ve seen what a decent man can do to treat someone with a little dignity and respect, and if he’ll have me I’m going to know what real love is like for the first time in my life.”