by John Simpson
“Hey Alex! Hold up!’
Alex turned and saw Kevin running up to him.
“What the hell was all that about at the bar last night? You dropped me like an old trick. Who was that old guy you were with anyway?”
“It might interest you to know that I’m only one year younger than that old guy you’re talking about. As for who he is, he’s my future life partner, if I can repair the rift you caused by coming up to me in the bar last night and running your mouth. Here’s a little advice: If a guy you made it with is talking to another guy at a bar or anywhere, keep your mouth shut about any sexual activity between the two of you. It might save you from getting a punch in the mouth.”
Alex didn’t wait for a reply but took off running back the way he had come. Thirty minutes later, he was back home, panting and sweating. He looked at his watch and saw that Clay would be over in about an hour, so he went upstairs, stripped off his sweat soaked running gear, and jumped into the shower. He let the water run over his body, easing the aches that he now got when he went out to run. His body just wasn’t as resilient as in his prime.
He got out, shaved, and dressed in another pair of gym shorts, forgoing any underwear, and threw on a fresh T-shirt. He remained barefoot as he went back down to the kitchen to pour a glass of iced tea. He took his drink into the living room to nervously wait for Clay’s arrival. He had to think of something to say that would convince Clay to give him another chance.
CLAY finished his shower and dried off. He shaved, brushed his teeth again, combed his hair, and went into the bedroom. He lay down for a few moments to calm his racing heart and then got up and went downstairs. When he looked out the window, he saw that rain clouds had moved in and that a fine sprinkle had begun.
It was time to put his plan into action. He took a dress raincoat from the hallway closet and pulled down one more item that he put into his pocket. He grabbed his keys and went out to the car for the short drive over to Alex’s.
THE doorbell rang and Alex went to the door from the laundry room, tensing up as he walked. He opened the door and found Clay standing there unsmiling and his heart dropped.
“Come in,” Alex said.
Clay walked in and looked around.
“Are we alone?” he asked.
“Well, yeah. If you’re gonna yell, no one will hear you but me.”
Instead of yelling or talking, Clay unbuttoned his trench coat and revealed a completely naked body to a very shocked Alex. Alex looked back up at Clay’s face with a question in his eyes.
Clay removed the item he had brought with him from his pocket and slipped the coat off so that it dropped to the floor in a bundle. He walked over to Alex and handed him a rolled up belt.
“I’m here to take my punishment for overreacting last night and embarrassing you. I hope the same punishment as last time will serve well enough to quench your anger with me. I don’t wanna lose you.”
Alex took the belt from Clay as his jaw dropped open. He stood there for a long moment with a belt in one hand and a totally naked man in the middle of his living room. Alex realized that not only was he not going to lose Clay over some roll in the hay, but he was basically being told that he was the one in charge. He gathered himself, not being one to waste an opportunity.
“Right. March your ass up the stairs,” he said in his best police officer voice.
Following Clay as they went up the stairs, Alex couldn’t see the large smile on Clay’s face. Alex’s eyes remained fixed on the bare ass in front of him as they reached the landing and turned into Alex’s bedroom.
Alex decided to play the scene out, knowing where it would lead. Since Clay was already nude, he sat down on the bed and looked up at Clay.
“I hope you learn from this,” he said, suppressing a smile. “Get over my lap.”
Clay did as he was told, and Alex administered a good spanking with the belt, just enough to turn Clay’s ass pink, but not enough to really hurt or do any damage to the pale skin. He threw the belt down on the floor, and Clay immediately got up and went down on his knees. He pulled off Alex’s T-shirt, and when Alex stood up, he removed his shorts.
With only one pair of shorts to drop, Clay was staring into the swinging dick of his future lover. He looked up for direction, and Alex took over the rest of the session. By the time it was over, both men had engaged in oral sex with a satisfactory climax had by all. After Alex cleaned them both up, he climbed back into bed, turning on his side to look at Clay.
“Okay, suppose you tell me what all of this means?”
“When I got home I was spittin’ nails everywhere and finally ended up out on the balcony where I continued to talk to myself about what had happened at the bar. You’ll never guess who was sitting on the next balcony in the dark hearing me make a jackass outta myself.”
“I thought that unit was vacant.”
“Not as of two days ago. You remember the older gay couple from Starbucks? The ones that talked with us last time we had an issue to deal with?”
“Oh, yeah, ah, his name was Jim, right?” Alex asked.
“Jim is Paul’s lover. Paul is the one who first talked to us. Well, they’re now my neighbors, and I told Paul he might as well come over and talk since Jim was outta town. So, we talked about what had happened at the bar, and he made me see how silly I was in being so jealous and mad with you over nailing that kid.”
“I’ll have to be sure to thank him for guiding you back to me. To be honest with you, I wanted you back bad and was trying to figure out how to make it happen when you showed up like Marilyn Monroe in a raincoat. Can we put this one guy behind us?”
“Is that all there is? Just that one guy?” Clay asked haltingly.
“Yep. Apparently one was enough! It’s not that I was trying to keep that bit of gossip away from you, but I didn’t see any good in telling you. After all, when I tried to move our relationship up to the next level, you put the brakes on.”
“Yes, I know. Paul was kind enough to point that very fact out to me last night. Let’s forget this happened, but ask your friend not to come up to you when I’m with you, or I swear, I’ll knock the bitch down!” Clay said ferociously.
Alex laughed out loud. “Okay, I’ll make sure, dear! In fact, I already have.”
“What? You think I won’t deck that punk? Cute or not, he’s trying to get what’s mine, and I’ll fight the bitch!”
“Meowwww! Okay, tiger, message received. Come here you,” Alex said. Clay rolled into his arms, and Alex kissed him and held him tightly.
THEY had a second round that day just to make sure everyone’s testosterone was at the lowest level possible. When Alex suggested they go out for dinner, Clay looked down at his naked body.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. You can go home and dress, and then we can go out.”
“Since I went shopping this morning, why don’t you come over for dinner? I can cook, you know.”
“Okay, can I bring anything?” Alex asked.
“Nope, I got everything I need for a nice little dinner. I’m making Italian, if that’s alright with you?”
“I love Italian. What time?”
“How about in an hour? It won’t be ready, but we can sit out on the balcony since it’s no longer raining.”
“Deal. Keep that buttoned up so you don’t get arrested on the way home,” Alex said, laughing.
“I’ve had quite enough drama for the month, thanks. See you in an hour.”
AS CLAY drove home, he felt that a tremendous weight had been lifted off him. He knew that showing up naked with a belt would turn Alex on and hopefully override any remaining anger that he still had. He was relieved that it worked and that they had fantastic make-up sex.
When he got home, he dressed, and then began to make lasagna for dinner. It took him a half hour to get all of the ingredients together and into the pan. He put the dish in the oven fifteen minutes before Alex was due to arrive. He placed a bottle of Chianti in the fridge to chill and
set the table. When that was done, he walked out on the balcony with a glass of soda and looked at the world in an entirely different light than the night before.
ALEX was beside himself with joy over saving his relationship with the man that he now knew he loved. He put his sexiest pair of underwear on, dressed nicely, sprayed on some Polo, which Clay loved, and went out the door. He didn’t know if they’d end up in bed for a third time that day, but he was going to try. He could now see spending the rest of his life with Clay, if only Clay would take the risk. There wasn’t much more he could do to convince Clay of this, but he also knew that September wasn’t that far away.
The fact that Clay’s birthday was in nine days made it even more interesting. He was planning a nice dinner at the Blue Moon, a bottle of wine, dessert, dancing, and then home for sex. It was all rather basic, but it worked very well for them as a couple. Since Clay was turning fifty, Alex wanted to keep things light and fun without any hassle. Alex was determined that turning the big five-oh would be easier for Clay with Alex there to support him.
He parked the car and was inside within a minute of arriving. The lasagna was just beginning to put that special aroma into the air that made mouths water and stomachs growl.
“Hello, dear,” Clay said.
Alex walked over and kissed him. “Smells terrific in here, and it’s making me super hungry.”
“We’ll eat in about forty minutes. Until then, will you have a glass of wine?”
“White, if you have it,” Alex responded.
“Honey, I went out and bought a case of Riesling when I found out that was your favorite. Your wine should always be here whenever you come for dinner or drinks. Why don’t you sit on the balcony while I bring the wine out?”
“Sounds great. By the way, you look sexy tonight,” Alex said as he looked Clay up and down.
“Thank you, kind sir, now scoot!”
As Alex sat down, he watched the evening sun approach the horizon. In almost mid-July, it would be light for another two hours or more. His thoughts were interrupted when Clay came out with two glasses of wine and sat down.
“It’s beautiful out here, you know that?” Alex asked.
“Yeah,” Clay replied, looking around. “It’s one of the things that sold me on the place. Do you find that beach house of yours is a little too big for one guy?”
“Sometimes I feel like a pea rolling around inside the trunk of a car, but it’s also an investment. Besides, who knows, I might end up with friends or a lover living there with me one day.”
“What will you do if that eventual lover already has his own place?”
“Well, depending on what his place looked like, I’d urge him to move into the big house and rent out his place for the income. It only makes sense. One set of utility bills, one address, and one bedroom. You get the idea….”
“Yeah, I think I do.”
AS THEY ate dinner, Alex was suitably impressed with the food Clay had prepared. He loved Italian food, and this meal was a home run as far as Alex was concerned. He helped clear the table, and they loaded the dishwasher together. Afterward, they took fresh wine refills into the living room where Clay turned on the television to watch the news on CNN.
The lead story was about the progress gay marriage was making in the mind of the average American. The issue was beginning to be about equal rights as Americans rather than what two guys do in the bedroom.
“Maybe there’s hope after all,” Clay said.
“We’ll see. America needs to come to grips on the whole sex thing. Gay guys do the same things straight people do in their bedrooms, and they need to get over it. I laugh when these uptight assholes call us sodomites. They themselves are sodomites by the very legal definition of sodomy! They just don’t get it,” Alex stated.
BY TEN o’clock, both men were feeling no pain, having gone through not one but two bottles of Riesling with dessert on top of that.
“God, I feel tipsy, and it usually takes more than just a glass of wine or two to do that,” Alex mumbled.
“A glass or two? Try seven or eight.”
“Oh shit. Hey, can I stay the night? I’d rather not drive, and neither should you.”
“Yeah, sure. I put fresh sheets on the bed this morning, and the bed is real comfy. You wanna turn in now?” Clay asked.
“What time is it?”
“Just after eleven I think.”
“Yeah, why not,” Alex said and leaned over and kissed Clay on the cheek.
They got up and took the bottles and glasses into the kitchen, put the glasses into the dishwasher, and turned it on. As Alex went into the bedroom, Clay shut off light and made sure the door was locked.
When he went into the bedroom, he found Alex lying on top of the bed, clad only in a sexy pair of new underwear that showed off his package to maximum advantage.
“Oh my, is that for me?” Clay asked, pointing at Alex’s bulge.
“Well it ain’t for the milkman, sparky. Get naked and come to bed,” Alex said.
Clay smiled and said, “Damn, three times in one day. My dick is gonna fall off!”
As Clay turned off the lights, Alex could be heard laughing loudly. “Even if your dick does fall off, I’ll take you just for your ass!”
CLAY’S birthday arrived, and he and Alex had dinner and danced for a couple of hours. Afterward, they went back to Alex’s house where they stayed in the rest of the night making love. Clay’s bedroom skills were coming along beautifully as Alex was very patient in teaching him all the tricks of being a good lover.
It was a great birthday night, and Clay was truly thankful that he had Alex to share it with. They talked about things that might be and what it would be like should they ever become an official couple.
THE summer months wore on, and before they knew it, the end of the season had arrived. Clay had a big sale at his shop to sell some inventory that had piled up over the summer. By the time it was over, Clay declared it a success.
When the crowds left Rehoboth for another year, Alex’s birthday arrived. It was now September 8, and it was Clay’s turn to make the arrangements for Alex’s party.
He arrived, parked the car, and went up to the house. Alex was as dressed up as Clay was. They kissed and headed down the block for the Blue Moon. When they arrived, the owner was there to greet them and showed them to what had become “their” table.
As they waited for their drink orders to be taken, a waiter brought over a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice. The bottle was Dom Perignon, 1964 vintage. When Alex looked at the label, he turned toward Clay with a surprised look.
“This is a bit much, isn’t it? I don’t mind spending money on good food, but this must be a couple hundred bucks. You shouldn’t have,” he said.
“But I didn’t order that,” Clay responded.
As they looked at each other, Tim, the owner, approached their table, all smiles.
“Gentlemen, please accept this wine as a token of my thanks for your business and patronage of our restaurant. I’m also aware, Clayton, that you’ve been telling your customers that we are the place in town to be seen. We had a very good summer, which you contributed to. This is my thanks on the occasion of your birthday, Alex,” he said.
“Thank you, that’s very generous and kind of you. I have to confess, I’ve never tasted Dom Perignon before. I was always afraid to spend so much on a bottle of champagne that I might not like,” Alex explained.
“I think I’ve grown to know your palate, and I think you’ll be quite fond of this champagne. Please enjoy.”
As Tim walked away, Clay said, “Well, it’s extremely generous of the club to do this. I can’t say I’m not anxious to sip some of that bubbly. Will you pour?”
“Of course, dear,” Alex said as he pulled the towel-wrapped bottle from the bucket and poured two glasses. When they’d each sipped the wine, they were stunned at how tasty it was and realized that some things are worth the expense.
Alex noticed Tim
watching them for a reaction and raised a glass to him with a smile. Tim smiled back, satisfied that he had read them correctly, and went back to his business.
They placed their orders and sipped champagne as they waited for the first course to arrive.
“So, remember me telling you what I wanted for my birthday?” Alex asked.
“Lemme think. If I remember right, it was dinner at the Blue Moon and a naked stroll on the beach, no?”
“Ha ha. No, that wasn’t it. It was an answer to my question to you.”
“Yes, now I remember. Hmm, really hadn’t given it much thought, now that you mention it,” Clay feigned.
“You’ll be wearing the rest of this very expensive wine unless you answer either yes or no.”
“What was the question again?” Clay asked, drawing out Alex’s tension.
“Damn. The question was whether or not you wanted us to officially become a couple with all that would imply. Now do you remember the question?” Alex asked, perturbed.
“Yes, I remember the question now. My answer is yes, of course. I’d be honored to take you as my lover and more, should you ever want that.”
Alex got up and kissed Clay full on the lips. He then went down on one knee, produced a ring box, and said, “Clayton Anderson, you’re a very special man who hasn’t always had the things in life that you should, among which was a husband. I love you with all my heart, and it took almost losing you to realize that. I never want to experience that pain again. Will you marry me?”
Clay broke out in tears so bad that Alex and the ring became a total blur. He took the napkin from the table and wiped his eyes so that he could see. He found Alex still on his knees waiting for an answer.