Friends and Lovers

by Tinnean

  “That’s what I’m calling about. I won’t be able to make it. I hope it won’t inconvenience you.”

  “Asshole. What’s up?”

  “Reba’s going on a retreat, so I’ve got Teddy and Cath.”

  “You… uh… you want to… uh… bring them over?” he finished in a rush.

  Jack laughed. “They’re kids, Tom, not a wolf pack. They don’t bite.”

  “I know that.”

  “Sure you do, buddy. Thanks for inviting them, but not this time. Cath’s feeling a little under the weather.”

  “Okay, Jack.” Tom told himself he wasn’t relieved that Jack wouldn’t be bringing his kids over just yet. He knew eventually they’d have to be told that he and their father were a couple, but he wanted to put it off as long as he could. “I hope Catherine feels better soon.”

  “Thanks. Listen, Tom. I know we had plans to go out after dinner tonight...”

  “It’s no big deal.”

  “I just… Will you be going out?”

  “Without you? I don’t think so.”

  “Okay, buddy.” Jack blew out a breath.

  “Did you think I’d go out without you?”

  “No. That is… Well, I know how much you like to go dancing, and… well, you’ve been stuck with me for a couple of months now, and… and you’ve fucked me, and…”

  “Jack.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Shut up. I don’t want to go dancing with anyone but you.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Thanks, buddy.”

  “You’re not gonna get sappy on me now, are you?”

  Jack laughed, and the sound made Tom’s cock twitch.

  “I’ve got to go, Tom. Have to make the kids some dinner.”

  “Courtesy of Burger King?”

  “Ha, ha. No, actually, courtesy of Banquet.”

  “Well, enjoy. Jack, take care of yourself, okay?”

  “Sure thing, Tommy.”

  “I’ll call you during the week, and we’ll set up something for next weekend, okay?”

  “Okay. I’ll tell the kids you said ‘hi’.”

  “Thanks. Bye, Jack.”

  “Bye, babe.”

  Well, it sucked that he wouldn’t see Jack tonight, but the last thing he wanted to do was come between his lover and his children.

  And since Jack wasn’t coming over, he’d probably have a frozen dinner as well.

  An explosive sneeze took him by surprise. He pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose, then opened the freezer to see what he had.

  Jack’s work boots were covered with the Georgia clay that a steady downpour of rain had turned into mud. The rain had finally stopped, but the construction site was knee-deep in the red stuff.

  He looked up at the sky, at the sullen clouds that threatened more rain, and growled a curse. “All right, all y’all. Looks like we won’t be getting anything more done today, so I’m calling it a week. Go on home.”

  “Okay, boss. See ya on Monday.”

  He waved and watched as his construction crew locked their tools away in the gang boxes, slogged through the mud to their pickup trucks and four-wheel drives, and called, “S’long,” to each other as they drove off.

  Jack got into his own pickup. In spite of the damp chill in the air, he was feeling warm, and he turned on the a/c. Sure am glad to have the rest of the day off.

  He grinned. This gave him a perfect excuse to pay a surprise visit to his lover.

  His lover. He and Tom Hansom. Who would ever have thought? Oh, they had been friends for a lot of years, best friends, in fact, but Tom, out-of-the-closet, in-your-face gay, and Jack, muff-chasing, beer-drinking, straight-as-an-arrow straight… It still surprised him that he could turn out to be gay.

  Jack smiled to himself.

  All it had taken was that unexpected request from Tom for him to realize it.

  ‘I want you to fuck me, Jack. Please?’

  ‘But … but I’m straight, Tom.’ He could see that Tom halfway expected a punch in the mouth, but Jack had been too stunned… and intrigued… to ever do anything like that to his best friend.

  ‘Look,’ Tom had said, ‘it would just be the one time, I promise, and it would just be between us.’

  He’d agreed, more than willing to help a friend, but he’d been unable to resist asking for a blowjob in exchange. He’d always heard gay boys gave the best head.

  It had been true.

  But it hadn’t been just the one time, although it was still just between the two of them. Here it was, two months later, and they were still together.

  And just when he’d thought there was no way for it to get any better, two weeks ago Tom had shown him otherwise. He’d decided Jack needed to not be in control for once. He’d… made love to him, had taken his time preparing him, and Jack had been reduced to begging and swearing and then begging some more.

  ‘I won’t risk hurting you, babe,’ Tom had whispered in his ear. Finally he’d put on a condom, lubricated it, and began a steady assault on Jack’s virgin asshole.

  By the time Tom was finished with him, he’d climaxed three times, including two dry orgasms. He’d had to sit on a pillow while they had dinner, but afterwards, he was ready to do it all over again.

  The only weekend that could rival that one was the one when he and Tom had first made love.

  They weren’t as together as Jack would have liked though. He frowned. He wanted Tom to move in with him, but Tom could be a stubborn cuss, and he hadn’t said anything about it yet. He was just waiting for the right time.

  It had been almost two weeks since he’d seen Tom, and the last week had been a rough one. Teddy and Cath, his children from his first marriage, had both been home sick with the latest strain of flu that was going around. Cath had come home from school with it first, and being the loving sister that she was, she’d promptly given it to her brother.

  It had fallen to Jack to see to their care. Reba, their mother, had been away on the religious retreat his father’s congregation had sponsored, and Jack’s own mother was busy taking care of his sister and her kids, who had also caught the flu.

  Jack had been at home with his kids during the worst of it, seeing they drank plenty of orange juice and had something for their fever, achy muscles, and sore throats.

  Now, with Teddy and Cath on the mend and Reba back, he was looking forward to spending the night in Tom’s bed. The thought of having Tom’s cock in his ass again had him getting hard.

  “Is there anything I can do for you before I leave, Mr. Sweet?”

  Jack snapped out of his reverie. The young man who stood by his truck pushed back the hat that shaded his astonishingly blue eyes. Even on days like this, when there was no sun and it wasn’t necessary, that hat was a part of him.

  “No thanks, Farmer.” Jack’s throat felt a little dry, and he took a lemon drop from the ashtray that wasn’t used for anything else, unwrapped it, and put it in his mouth.

  Farmer’s name was actually Bobby Joe, but because of the straw hat he’d worn when he’d first come to Jack looking for a part time summer job, the men had called him Farmer John. He’d been earnest and enthusiastic, and although he’d had no skills to speak of, he’d been willing to learn. Once he’d gotten his high school diploma, he went to work for Jack fulltime, and he was shaping up to be a damn fine jack-of-all trades, able to cover for carpenters or brick layers and even do a little plumbing or wiring in a pinch.

  “Go on home and get ready for your date.”

  Farmer blushed. He’d been kidded about it all week. “I really don’t like blind dates, but her momma and my momma know each other from church, and Momma insisted…”

  “Mommas can be like that.”

  “She wants me to get married and give her grandbabies.”

  “Is that what you want?” Jack himself had been married the first time when he’d only been a year or so older than Farmer.

  Farmer shrugged. “It’s what we d
o in my family. I’m just waiting for the right girl, I guess.” He looked up at the sky. “Well, I better go before it starts to rain again. Afternoon, boss.”

  “Afternoon, Farmer.”

  As he drove away from the work site, Jack thought about his own first marriage. It had lasted long enough to produce two fine children, and he could never regret them, but what would his life have been like if he hadn’t been in such an all-fire rush to marry and have a woman in his bed? What if…

  Life was too short to think about all the ‘what ifs.’ He shook his head and winced at the sudden pain, but it was gone just as quickly, and he shrugged it off. He switched on the windshield wipers and headed toward the house where his lover lived.

  It was early, and Jack knew Tom was still at the college. He used the key Tom had given him and let himself in.

  He paused just inside the door to unlace his work boots and toe them off. Tom wouldn’t be too happy if he traipsed Georgia clay all over his house.

  I need to change out of these clothes too. They were clammy and damp.

  Tom kept spare clothes for him, and he padded through the house to the bedroom.

  The condition of the room took him by surprise. Tom was generally very neat, but now the sheets were half off the bed, the covers were all tangled, and clothes had been left lying on the floor.

  Must have been in a big rush today. Jack wouldn’t let himself think that maybe Tom had help getting the bed in that condition. His friend wouldn’t do that to him.

  He changed into a set of comfortable sweats, made the bed, then picked up the clothes and put them into the hamper.

  A glance at his watch told him it would still be a few hours before Tom got home from the college. He’d surprise him with dinner, kind of to make up for last Friday.

  The condition of the kitchen brought him to a halt. Dirty dishes were piled high in the sink, pots were on the stove, and plates were on the table, the remains of half-eaten meals on them.

  “Jesus!” There was almost an abandoned air to the room.

  Jack rubbed his temples. An ache was starting to build up behind his forehead, which felt a little warm.

  And then he heard the sound of a hacking cough coming from the living room, and he rushed in.

  “Tommy! What the fuck?”

  Tom was lying on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and surrounded by used Kleenex. On the small end table was a box of tissues, half a glass of orange juice, and bottle of Tylenol.

  “Jack?” Tom looked up, his eyes red-rimmed and bleary. “Shouldn’t you be at work? Are you a hallucination?” he demanded abruptly, his tone accusing.

  “Oh, babe, how long have you been sick?” So that was why Tom’s bedroom had been such a disaster area. I knew it!

  “Dunno. A few days, I think.” That made sense. He’d sounded okay when they’d talked earlier in the week.

  “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “I was going to, but I felt so lousy.” Tom hunched a shoulder. “Besides, you had plenty on your plate. You had your kids to worry about.”

  Jack couldn’t argue with that. “Has Miz Honey been by?”

  Tom shook his head. “Mom’s just getting over the flu herself.” He groaned and clutched his head.

  “You need to go to bed!”

  “I was in bed. I was bored out of my skull in bed.”

  Jack growled and came toward him, ready to carry him into the bedroom if he had to.

  Tom was more awake now. He raised a hand. “Stay there! Stay right where you are! Don’t you come a step closer! You’ll catch it too!”

  “You know I’m healthy as a horse,” Jack called over his shoulder as he went back into the kitchen. “I’ve been taking care of the kids, and if I haven’t caught it from them…” He found a brown paper bag from Kash & Karry and returned, and began gathering up the tissues.

  “No! I’m serious, Jack! If you come any closer and catch this from me, I’ll… I’ll…”

  “I won’t, so don’t get your shorts in a bunch. Now, I’m gonna go clean up the kitchen and then see about making you something that will go down easy, okay?”

  “That sounds so good.” The fact that Tom surrendered so easily showed Jack how miserable he must be feeling.

  Jack frowned and hurried into the kitchen. It didn’t take him too long to set it to rights. He loaded the dishwasher, set it to its most powerful setting, and left it to work its own miracles. Once it was running, he put the pots in the sink to soak and wiped down the table and the counter. Then he went back to see how Tom was doing.

  “Jack, you’ve been taking care of Theodore and Catherine, and the last thing you must want to do is take care of me tonight.” He took another tissue and blew his nose. “Damned flu. I really thought I’d escape it this year.”

  “Oh, Tom…” Jack took a step toward him. Tom glared at him, and he stopped. “Okay. Look. I’m gonna check what’s in your fridge, and if you need any supplies, I’ll make a run down to the Kash & Karry.”

  “I hate asking you to do this, Jack.”

  “As far as I can see, you didn’t ask, buddy. I offered. Do you need a hand going to the bathroom?”

  Tom glared at him. “I have the flu, not terminal helplessness.”

  “Okay, Tommy.” Jack laughed, then shivered. “It’s cold in here.”

  “I can’t tell. I’ve been going back and forth between roasting and freezing.”

  “Well, trust me, it’s cold. I’ll turn up the thermostat.”

  Later that evening, after Jack had opened a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup and watched as he ate it, after he’d sponged him down so he would feel a little more human, after Jack made him take more Tylenol, put him to bed, and climbed in beside him, Tom reflected on how very lucky he was to have this man not only as his lover but as his best friend.

  He even felt that way when Jack woke them both in the middle of the night with a bout of sneezing.

  “I’m f-f-f-freezing!” Jack was shivering hard, and his teeth chattered.

  Tom got up, turned up the heat, and got another blanket for the bed.

  Jack peered at him out of bloodshot eyes.

  “I feel like shit.” He caught Tom’s hand. “I didn’t catch this from you!”

  “I know, buddy. You weren’t around me long enough to come down this fast.” He got a glass of water from the bathroom and shook a couple of capsules from the Tylenol bottle into his hand. “Come on, now. Open up. This is good for what ails you.”

  Jack groaned, but obediently opened his mouth and swallowed them, and then accepted the glass.

  Tom swayed on his feet but smiled as Jack downed the water.

  “Throat hurts,” Jack rasped.

  “I’ll get something for that too.” Tom found some Chloraseptic in his medicine chest. “Here you go, Jack. Suck on this.”

  “Thanks, buddy.”

  Tom leaned over and kissed his forehead. It was hot, but not alarmingly so.

  “Try to get some sleep, Jack.” He took a couple of Tylenol for himself, got into bed, and spooned up behind him.

  It looked like they were going to have to take turns taking care of each other.

  That worked for him.

  Chapter 5

  Weekend on Amelia Island

  It was very early Friday morning when Jack Sweet shook his lover awake.

  “Go ‘way, Jack,” Tom mumbled from under the pillow that covered his head. “’m off today.”

  “I know.” Jack tossed the pillow aside. Tom’s fair hair was alternately spiked and flattened, a prime example of bed hair. Jack stroked it, kissed the shallow depression at the nape of his lover’s neck, then leaned back to fondle the firm globes of Tom’s ass. “That’s why you need to get up now.”

  “’m gonna kill you. Y’know I’m not a morning person.” Still, Tom arched into the caress.

  “C’mon, buddy. The sun is shining, the birds are singing. It’s a beautiful day.”

  Tom peeled open an eyelid and stared
at him, not awake enough for it to be a full-blown glare. “It’ll be a beautiful day all day.”

  “Yeah, but if we don’t leave now, we’re gonna miss the best part of it.”

  “Leave for where?”

  Jack had been planning this for a month. Tom had mentioned an island off the east coast of Florida a couple of times, and Jack had decided to surprise him with a getaway weekend there. He’d winced at the cost of the room, but his lover was worth it.

  And besides, this was kind of a special occasion.

  “Leave for where?” Tom repeated. He propped himself up on an elbow and squinted at Jack, as if trying to read the destination in his face.

  Jack looked away, pretending that something on the night table had drawn his attention. Tom would call him a sap, so he wasn’t going to say anything about it, but he knew the fact that they’d been together for nine months now was a big thing, for Tom because he’d never done any kind of relationship, long term or otherwise, and for Jack because – well, he was pretty new to this gay thing and was still feeling his way.

  “Where are we going, Jack?”

  “It’s a surprise.” Jack hoped that would be enough to get his lover out of bed. “Here. Have a Coke. It’ll wake you up.”

  Tom started to look interested. He accepted the can with its condensation beading down the side and took a gulp. “This surprise doesn’t involve me, whipped cream, and Bosco, does it?”

  “It could, if you want it to.” Jack knew his smile was nothing short of sly. His Tommy Boy did have a thing for whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

  “Well, hell. Why didn’t you say so?” He put down the soda can. “Why don’t you make breakfast, and I’ll get packed?”

  “We can have breakfast on the road, and I already packed for you.” He held up Tom’s toothbrush. “See?”

  Tom burst out laughing. “Do I at least have time for a shower?”

  “If you make it a quick one.”

  “I hear and obey, O, Big One!” Tom got out of bed, and Jack watched as he crossed the floor to the bathroom. On his left butt cheek was a small purple love bite.

  Now that’s just wrong, Jack mused, noting that the other cheek was unmarked. I wouldn’t want Tom’s ass to think I was playing favorites. I’ll just have to do something about that.