Of Love and Corn Dogs

by Parker Williams

  “I don’t want you to,” Ricky replied forcefully. “Do you want me to change for you?”

  Darwin tried to sit up, but Ricky held him in place.

  “No. That’s what I wanted you to understand. I want you however you want to be. If you want to be a waiter, then be a waiter. What were you going to school for?”

  “Restaurant management,” Ricky answered. “One day I’d like to open my own place.” He laughed. “I’ll need a good chef. Maybe I’ll steal Maria away to come cook for me.”

  “Over my dead body.” His stomach lurched, and Darwin groaned. “Which may not be far off.”

  Ricky laughed, then kissed Darwin’s neck. “Can I make a suggestion?”

  “Please. As long as you do it quietly.”

  “How about if we take the time to get to know one another properly? No more hiding, no more doubts.”

  “I’d like that,” Darwin admitted. “Can I start by confessing something to you?”

  “Sure.”

  “I love being held.”

  “Good, because I like holding you.”

  They lay there until the office began to fill with sunlight. Ricky got up, drew the blinds, then snuggled up against Darwin again.

  “I’ve got to talk to Kent,” Darwin said. “I need to see if he’ll forgive me when I ask him not to take the company.”

  “He called Henley last night to talk you out of it. I don’t think he’ll be too upset.”

  “Really? Hmm. The best thing about people is how they constantly surprise you. It used to be that Kent wanted the company, but now that he has his own, he’s grown into it.”

  “And he’s your brother, so he loves you.”

  “That may be part of it,” Darwin conceded. “I’ll still have to contact the lawyers, and see if I can undo some of the damage I caused last night.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” Ricky asked, sitting up.

  “Just promise me you’re really here. I think the idea that you’re only an illusion would likely kill me.”

  Ricky stood, leaned over, and put a hand on the back of Darwin’s neck to pull him up into a kiss. When they separated, Darwin felt a huge weight being lifted from him.

  “Please tell me we’ll really try to make this work.”

  “We’re really going to try. I’m not saying it’ll be easy. I’m still nervous at how people will look at me. Poor student, rich man. Oh, he must be sleeping with him for his money.”

  “You know what I say to that? Fuck them. We know the truth, and that’s all that matters.”

  “I’ll try to keep that in mind. But I may need you to remind me on occasion.”

  “As often as you need,” Darwin promised.

  While Darwin made his phone calls, first to his relieved lawyer, then to his brother, he watched Ricky as he cleaned up the mess Darwin had made of the office. He liked seeing him here, and the urge to get him back down on the couch nearly overwhelmed him. But he said they’d take it slowly, and he’d honor that.

  It had just passed noon when he finished the last of the phone calls. Darwin was grateful it was Saturday, because otherwise, Heather would have been in his office, instead of Ricky.

  “You were right. Everyone did seem happy that I changed my mind.” He went back to the couch and took a seat.

  “Can you blame them? Henley explained to me that you’re the heart of the company. These people depend on you, and probably would panic if you sold it.”

  Darwin shook his head at his own stupidity. He’d have to calm the staff if any word of this leaked out. Fortunately, he didn’t think it would, but that really hadn’t been the point. He’d messed up big time. First with Ricky by trying to be someone he wasn’t, then with his staff by wanting to be someone else completely.

  “I’m sorry about everything. I should have been upfront with you from the beginning. But I liked bringing you dinner, and the look on your face when you saw it. It felt nice to just be Darwin for a while.”

  Ricky smiled and took Darwin’s hand.

  “I get it. I really do. This job comes with a lot of stress. People always wanting something from you. And I have to admit, having you bring me corn dogs? That had to be the coolest gift ever. I barely had enough money in my account to pay off my loans and keep a roof over my head. So a meal with you lifted my spirits.”

  The offer of help was once more on the tip of Darwin’s tongue, but he had no idea how Ricky would respond. But they’d promised to try, and Darwin needed to ask the question on his mind if they were going to make a go of it.

  “Okay, I have to ask. If we’re going to see how this works, what am I allowed to do? I don’t want to pressure you or make you uncomfortable, so you have to give me some guidelines.”

  Ricky’s fingers trailed over Darwin’s neck.

  “You can hug me. Kiss me. Hold me. Buy me dinner on occasion, as long as I can return the favor. Keep in mind that I might not be able to afford some of the places you’d probably go to, though.”

  “What if I wanted to offer to help to pay off your student loans?”

  “No,” Ricky said adamantly, then his voice softened. “At least not now. I want us to take the time to know each other. The real us. I need that before I accept any offer of assistance. Does that make sense?”

  It did. The fact Ricky said it filled Darwin with pride. Ricky had proven Darwin’s parents right. Money does change everything. Sometimes it shows you a person’s true character.

  ***

  Ricky couldn’t complain at all about the new pace of their relationship. Darwin wanted to take it slower, to really get to know each other. They’d already done fast, but slow? He guessed that worked, too. The only problem came when they went back to their own places. Ricky saw his apartment in a new light. It had no warmth, not like Darwin. He missed the man more than he’d ever thought he could. It seemed slow had a downside, too.

  One evening, Darwin told Ricky he had to attend a function for Kincade. Ricky said he understood, and told his lover he’d see him later in the week.

  “But…that’s not why I’m telling you. I want you to come with me.”

  “You what? But—”

  “No buts. Come with me,” Darwin pleaded. “Show everyone you’re not embarrassed to be seen with me. Show me.”

  Ricky couldn’t believe this man would think it was Ricky who was embarrassed. He smiled at Darwin and said, “I’d love to,” even if his insides quivered.

  So together they went out and bought Ricky a tuxedo. He had to admit, it looked really good on him. When Darwin came to pick him up, Henley opened the door to the limo and gave Ricky a wink and a smile.

  “Don’t be nervous,” Darwin told him as Henley drove them to the event. “This is a small function, and I promise I won’t leave your side the whole night, unless you ask me to.”

  “I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Ricky grumbled.

  Ricky’s nerves never calmed. The moment they walked into the room, all eyes were on them. He felt like a bug in a jar. It got even worse when he saw who had come in and made a beeline toward them.

  “That’s the governor,” Ricky whispered, desperately trying to quell the panic.

  “Yeah,” Darwin replied. “Nice guy. Needs to work on his golf game, though. Hey, do you play golf?”

  Ricky frowned. “Oh, hell no.”

  Darwin smiled. “Well, if you ever want to learn, I’ll teach you,” he whispered as the governor reached them.

  “Darwin, nice to see you again,” the governor said, his hand extended.

  Darwin gripped the man’s hand and smiled. “Good to see you, too, Bob. And you look lovely tonight, Estelle.”

  The governor’s wife blushed, and shook Darwin’s hand.

  “Governor, Estelle, I’d like to introduce you to my date for this evening. This is Ricky Donnelly. Ricky, Governor and Mrs. Mills.”

  Ricky stood awestruck. When Darwin gave his hand a squeeze, he shook his head. “Sorry. Just not used to be
ing at one of these events.” Then he wiped his sweaty palm on his pants leg and shook hands with their governor.

  “It’s a pleasure, Ricky. Glad you could make it. Do you work with Darwin?”

  Ricky had no idea what to say. Fortunately, Darwin stepped up to save him.

  “He’s a waiter at Rossi’s. Probably their best one.”

  His jaw dropped when Darwin said that. What surprised him more was when the governor replied, “My wife and I took our family there last year. Great food and really wonderful service. Maybe we’ll see you there one day.”

  Someone waved at them from across the room, and the governor groaned. “Time to put on my game face. Ricky, Darwin, good to see you both.”

  As they walked away, Ricky gaped at Darwin. “You told them who I was.”

  “What? Didn’t you want me to?”

  Ricky shrugged. “I just didn’t think you would.”

  A warm hand slid across Ricky’s cheek. “I told you, I am not ashamed of you or what you do for a living. Let me ask you something, and I want you to be honest. When you came to my office that night, do you remember the name of the man who let you in?”

  Ricky had to think back to that night almost a month ago.

  “Mitch,” he replied.

  “Exactly. Now, tell me, how is Mitch any less important to Kincade than anyone else? Even me? I loved my parents, but they saw class division. They would have had a stroke if they’d known Henley and I were friends, because they thought the chauffeur’s son was beneath us. I disagreed. Without Henley, life would have been very lonely.”

  Ricky pondered what Darwin meant. “So you really don’t care I’m only a waiter.”

  “I never cared. What you do is a job, it’s not who you are. I own Kincade, but it’s not who I am. I’m Darwin, lover of corn dogs, raspberry nebula shakes, and waiters with green eyes.”

  He pulled Ricky to him, and slanted his mouth over Ricky’s, in front of the governor and everyone. If Ricky needed proof of Darwin’s love, he got it in spades. They’d kissed before, but not like this. Ricky could only call it being claimed. With that one kiss, Darwin let him know the depth of his feelings, and they shook Ricky to his core.

  “Can we go home?” Ricky whispered, running a hand over Darwin’s chest.

  “Yes, please,” Darwin whimpered.

  They thanked the hosts, said good night, and headed for the limo. Henley stood there, chatting with another driver who gave him a bright smile. When he noticed them, Henley told the man he’d call, then opened the door. Darwin and Ricky tumbled into the backseat, not wanting to stop touching one another.

  “Guess I’ll introduce Jeff to you later,” Henley said. He chuckled as the privacy screen rose.

  Ricky wished for more hands as he touched Darwin anywhere he could. He’d waited for this night and had been astounded at their patience. But tonight he wanted Darwin. To finally come together in a way that solidified their relationship.

  He barely noticed when they’d gotten back to his apartment. Darwin opened the door before Henley could even get out of the car, then pulled him to the elevator. As soon as the door opened and Ricky pushed his floor, Darwin pinned him against the wall.

  “You smell so good,” he moaned. “Been wanting to touch you all night. I kept seeing people checking you out, even though they knew you were there with me.”

  “People were looking at me?” Ricky asked self-consciously.

  “They wanted you. The man who dazzled everyone with his charm. The one with the strength of character to match the amazing body. And I laughed, because you didn’t even notice them. You only looked at me.”

  They got into Ricky’s apartment, and for the first time, Darwin got to meet Merlin, who greeted him at the door with a loud whine.

  “Feeding time,” Ricky explained. “Better than an alarm clock.”

  “Can I feed him?”

  The question warmed Ricky. He showed Darwin where he kept the food, then stood back and watched as Merlin tried to climb Darwin’s leg while he filled the dish. When Darwin put the food down, Merlin forgot all about them.

  “It’s a cat thing,” Ricky explained. “Merlin thinks he’s a dog, at least until feeding time. But I really don’t want to talk about that right now.”

  He took Darwin by the hand and led him to the bedroom. A few weeks ago, he would have been embarrassed for Darwin to see the place, but he now understood the man simply didn’t see the world in that way.

  They made short work of their clothes, then climbed onto the bed. Ricky hadn’t seen Darwin naked before, and the sight took his breath away. He had a furry chest and stomach, with a thin line of hair that ran down to his groin. Not overly muscled, he still possessed a nice body that Ricky couldn’t wait to explore. But that would wait until he had a few more kisses.

  He leaned forward and nibbled on Darwin’s neck, interspersing the touch with quick nips to the kiss-swollen lips. Darwin groaned, thrusting up. Ricky wrapped a hand around Darwin’s cock, loving the weight of it.

  “Ricky, please…” Darwin pleaded.

  “What? What’s wrong?”

  “No one has touched me for years,” Darwin admitted. “It feels too good, and I’m going to come if you keep doing that.”

  Ricky laughed. “You make it sound like that’s not the goal.”

  “Oh, God. I want to come. But I want it while you’re inside me.”

  That brought Ricky up short. His hands stopped moving, and he could barely breathe. “You want me to…?”

  “Don’t be so surprised. I love you and I want you to love me back. I like to bottom. I prefer it, in fact. But I haven’t in a long while. Please be patient.”

  Ricky gazed into Darwin’s eyes and smiled. “I will. And I promise I’m going to do my best to make it good for you.”

  He stroked a hand down Darwin’s chest, loving the sounds that came from the man. It sounded almost like purring.

  “You’re so needy,” he teased.

  “I haven’t been with anyone since Dean,” Darwin confessed.

  And here the man lay, willing to share his body with Ricky. Though he claimed to want it, Ricky noticed the goose bumps that dotted Darwin’s arms.

  “Hey, it’s okay. We don’t have to do this,” Ricky assured him.

  “Shut up. I’ve been waiting for this. I’ve dreamed about it. You don’t know what you do to me. You burn me up every time you touch me. When we’re out on the dance floor, I expect to go up in flames at any moment. Yeah, I’m nervous, but I need to see if the reality is going to be as good as the dream.”

  “So, no pressure?”

  Darwin grinned. “I love you.”

  As he ran his fingertips over Darwin’s stomach, he noticed his lover spread his legs a little. He had to be as eager as Ricky. They’d danced around sex since they’d gotten together, making kissing and a little groping be enough. But now, Darwin wanted him. And he wanted Ricky to… God, he never expected that. But now that he knew what made him happy, he’d never let Darwin go.

  He stroked his fingers across Darwin’s shaft, which jerked and did a little dance.

  “Fuck. Stop teasing.”

  “Not,” Ricky assured him. “Savoring.”

  He wrapped his hand around Darwin’s shaft and gave it a few good tugs. Darwin writhed on the bed.

  “So good,” he cried out. “Please. I’ll do anything. Just touch me.”

  Tears ran down Darwin’s cheeks. Ricky leaned over and licked one of them. “I’m not going to leave you wanting. I swear.”

  He pulled Darwin’s legs open, then reached into his nightstand for the economy-sized bottle of lube he’d gotten plenty of use from since he and Darwin had met. Fumbling around in the drawer, he found a lone condom that still retained freshness. He gently tore it open and laid the packet on the bed. Snapping the lid of the lube, he put a dab on his index finger and slowly ran it over Darwin’s pucker. His head shook side to side, and a deep moan escaped as Ricky dipped the tip of his finger in
to Darwin’s ass.

  “Oh, God,” Darwin gasped. “Fuck, I’ve missed this.”

  Ricky grinned and let a small trail of lubricant drizzle down Darwin’s crack, then he spread it around. He slipped his finger inside, marveling at the heat. He had to wonder if he put his cock inside Darwin, would he last beyond the initial stroke?

  “More, please,” Darwin pleaded.

  “When I’m ready,” Ricky replied. “I won’t hurt you, so you’ve got to be patient.”

  When he slipped the finger in again, Darwin thrust up, trying to drive the digit deeper. Ricky grinned at how enthusiastic and hungry for affection Darwin was. He added another finger, making sure he moved slowly. He’d been serious when he told Darwin he had no desire to hurt him. And since Ricky didn’t have all that much experience, he needed to keep an eye on Darwin for any discomfort.

  “So good,” Darwin murmured. “Please, don’t stop.”

  The encouragement spurred him on, as did the absolute rapture of Darwin’s expression. He pushed in a third finger, mesmerized by how Darwin’s body responded to him, gripping him tight.

  He removed his fingers, and Darwin whimpered.

  “Shhh. Almost time,” Ricky said quietly. He slipped the condom over his engorged cock, then added a little more lube. He slid between Darwin’s legs and hoisted his knees. The slick shined in the light, and Ricky swallowed.

  With one hand guiding him, he put his cock against Darwin’s hole and pushed gently. Darwin grunted.

  “Am I hurting you?” Ricky asked, ready to stop.

  “A little burn, but it’ll go away. Just…go slow, okay?”

  Ricky gave a slight thrust of his hips, burying himself deeper into Darwin’s channel. Darwin lay there, his head thrown back, mouth open as Ricky bottomed out.

  “That’s all of it,” he said. “You took all of me.”

  Darwin looked up and grinned. “There was quite a bit to take. Just hold still and let me get used to it, okay?”

  He watched as Darwin’s expression went from a pinched look to one of acceptance, and, finally, one of pure pleasure. Ricky pulled out slightly, then pushed back in. He repeated the motion, drawing out a little more each time, then punching in a little harder.