When they reached the front door, they stared into each other’s eyes, searching for a trace of the other’s thoughts. “Can I see you for dinner tomorrow evening?” Cody asked.
“I’d like that,” Eric grinned as he opened the front door for Cody. Instead, Cody turned to Eric and draped his arms around him. They kissed again, but this time it was a long, lingering kiss. When Eric felt an erection forming in his pants, he broke the embrace. “Good night, Cody,” he whispered.
“G’night, Eric. See you tomorrow, about seven?”
“Seven’ll be just fine,” Eric nodded.
Cody vanished into the night. It had been years since Eric had been so intensely attracted to a man. For once, he didn’t need to wonder if he was being used for his money or position. Something about Cody’s size, features, and mannerisms were extremely erotic, and at the same time familiar. Eric watched through the glass pane of the door until Steven’s voice surprised him.
“If that was someone you didn’t want to see, I can hardly wait to meet a welcome guest!” Steven teased.
“How long have you been there, Steven?” Eric snapped.
“Long enough to know you can hold your breath more than a minute!”
“You little vermin! If you were current on your rent, you’d be dead meat…..”
“Careful, I’m unarmed,” Steven pleaded as he backed away from Eric with his arms outstretched. “I saw that little tent in your pants. Do you think you two will date, get married, and have children now that you’ve fallen in love?”
“Don’t push it, Steven!” Eric warned, wavering between affection for Steven’s teasing and genuine anger.
“I’d better get the video equipment in your bedroom hooked up before tomorrow night. I’ve promised all my friends first-rate porno flicks if you ever spend time with another man in there!”
That remark scored a bulls-eye on Eric’s sensitive ego. For their two years as roommates, Eric had been totally celibate, while Steven had a dozen boyfriends and several one-night stands. Eric kidded Steven about installing a revolving door and charging a toll, both for entry and exit, taking endless delight in speculating which charge should be higher. In turn, Steven teased Eric about his celibacy, suggesting various sexual toys, hookers, an instruction manual, even offering the phone numbers of former boyfriends.
Steven made the mistake of taking their teasing public at a dinner party. Eric became livid, turned pale with embarrassment, then red with anger, and excused himself politely a few minutes later when the laughter died down. He could have carried the joke further, but was afraid he might really hurt Steven, so he chose to end it instead. For two days, he and Steven didn’t speak. Finally, Steven ended their silence with a tearful apology.
“I had no idea my remark would hurt so deeply, Eric. It was thoughtless, careless and stupid of me. It won’t happen again,” Steven promised.
Eric admitted to being hurt, then accepted Steven’s apology.
Steven idolized Eric, characterizing him to friends as a man of incredible extremes and abilities, all neatly balanced in an attractively wrapped package. Steven had not really failed to seduce Eric. After all, no one knew he was trying. Even though Steven dated many other men, he had secretly fallen in love with Eric. When he saw Cody Alexander kiss Eric, Steven wondered how he could possibly compete with the gorgeous celebrity.
Eric was the toughest challenge Steven had ever faced. He had the strange feeling each time he talked to Eric it was the first time. They got along well. They did things together. Yet, they didn’t seem to get any closer with the passing of time. It was like the clock was reset to zero every night when they went to their separate beds.
The image of a clock made Steven wonder what made Eric tick. What experiences had shaped Eric’s character into the man he was? Steven realized how little he knew about Eric’s past. He never referred to his childhood, family, high school, or anything before his arrival in Minneapolis. When asked, Eric would simply say all his family had died, and nothing of any consequence happened before Minneapolis. When pressed further, he remained quiet.
Steven remembered meeting a guy while he was studying at UCLA who dealt with his past the same way. He wondered why he had not seen the similarity before. Perhaps it was because they were so different in every other way. He concluded the world’s most boring TV talk show would be a candid and frank discussion by Mark Jensen and Eric Price about their past lives. Talk about dead air time! Steven thought it would be interesting to have Eric and Mark meet each other, but that would probably never happen. Mark was very secretive, never letting Steven know his last name, phone number, or address.
Besides, Mark was a scary guy.
CHAPTER 13
Acapulco, Mexico
They were a pathetic sight, limping and swaying down the streets of Acapulco. Keira’s drunken staggering and Jerry dragging his dead right side made quite an impression on the locals. Most of their neighbors recognized the pair several blocks away. The city was full of Americans and Europeans desperately trying to escape some lurid past. Keira and Jerry were simply two more ex-pats with a story to tell when they were ready.
Keira had been so badly shaken by losing a patient on the operating table she actually sobered up for a month. She and Jerry discussed moving to Mexico for several days, then resolutely executed their plan. Both had passports and spoke fluent Spanish, with some French to boot. Since they only had $15,000 combined, they decided to fly to Mexico, then earn enough so they could afford to move to Europe.
Keira intended to start a private medical practice in Mexico. Some of her colleagues had told her it was easy to obtain a Mexican medical license by bribing local officials, but Keira quickly discovered that was not the case. She was told it was a multi-year process involving written tests, social service work, and proper credentialing. She was granted a limited license so she could begin her year of social service work. The limited license only allowed her to prescribe drugs and diagnose illness. She had to refer all her patients to other doctors for continuing care or surgery until she was fully licensed.
A pharmacology wiz in med school, Keira had memorized the names and manufacturers of thousands of drugs, as well as how they affected the human body alone or in a variety of combinations. Her true love was surgery, so she chose cardiology. She mastered the two things Western healthcare specialized in: cutting and medicating. Keira was disappointed the only demand for her service seemed to be from foreigners seeking drugs of dubious value they couldn’t buy back home.
Their first month in Acapulco, a bandit held up the liquor store where Keira and Jerry were stockpiling supplies for her new bar. The bandit shot the cashier in the right shoulder on his way out the door. Keira leapt into action, ordering two other customers to lift the cashier onto a table. Using only a surgical knife she carried in her purse for protection, and a bottle of hundred-eighty proof alcohol, she deftly removed the small caliber bullet and bandaged the wound in a matter of minutes. Keira refused to accept payment since her limited license didn’t allow her to perform surgery.
Word spread throughout the neighborhood that the lady doctor from the north was a great surgeon who saved the cashier’s life. Keira’s selfless act garnered notoriety and deferential treatment for herself and Jerry. The next day and frequently thereafter, Keira found freshly cut flowers on her front porch. She never had to buy another bottle of booze and was greeted warmly as she walked down the street during daylight hours. A respectful, arms-length relationship developed between the Yorks and their neighbors.
Keira reserved two afternoons a week for her impoverished neighbors, never asking for payment. Although her native practice didn’t generate any income, Keira usually had fresh fruit and vegetables. It was taboo to harass the lady doctor and her quiet, crippled brother. Their home was never robbed, nor vandalized. They never entertained and were never invited to parties. After a year, Keira and Jerry had a comfortable, albeit isolated, life in their new home.
Nat
ives and ex-patriates both understood it was best to avoid Keira after she had several cocktails. She became vile, hurling insults at everyone within earshot. Her victims and her patients argued which was sharper: her tongue or her scalpel. When Keira became too obnoxious, Jerry would gently nudge her toward their villa on the edge of town, a chore which could take hours to complete. It became common wisdom to steer a wide path when the Yorks came stumbling down the street late at night.
CHAPTER 14
Returning from a holiday trip to New York, Vincent’s private jet crashed, killing him, his wife, and both daughters on impact. Vincent’s death left a huge vacuum in Eric’s life, both personally and professionally. Although tempted, he did not get drunk.
Even though Eric was Vincent’s handpicked successor, he was considered too young and inexperienced to assume the number one spot at NEI. While the company’s stock price plummeted, NEI’s board of directors agonized over a successor, but could not reach agreement.
Ten days after Vincent’s death, the succession issue was settled. Vincent had established a trust fund, appointing Eric as trust administrator. The trust fund included twenty percent of NEI’s voting stock. With the support of mutual funds controlling another forty percent of NEI’s voting stock, Eric demanded control of the corporation. At the end of a two-hour board meeting, Eric was elected Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NEI. The company’s stock price stabilized while Wall Street waited to see what Eric would do.
When the directors adjourned, Eric invited Eldon Finch to his office. “Eldon, we have some things to take care of right away.”
“Yes, sir,” Eldon replied.
Eric glanced at Eldon, then they both laughed. “Eldon!” Eric scoffed. “Please, keep calling me Eric, okay?”
“Okay. Eric it is,” Eldon chuckled.
Eric scribbled quickly on a notepad, ripped a sheet of paper off and handed it to Eldon. “I want every board member who voted against me off NEI’s board. If they don’t have the good grace to resign, ask them to do so on my behalf. If they won’t resign, we’ll hold a special election and they won’t be on the director slate I propose. Fill the open positions from the list I’ve just given you, soliciting them in the order listed.”
Eldon glanced quickly at the list. “I’ve never heard of any of these people.”
“No, I suppose you haven’t,” Eric muttered. “They’re all quite capable. Former colleagues, classmates, and professionals I’ve dealt with over the years. You can get their contact info from my secretary.”
“What about the insiders…..the NEI officers who voted against you, Eric?”
“Fire them!” Eric snapped. “I don’t want to see any of them again. They need to be gone by the end of the day.”
“Why do I get this nasty little assignment?” Eldon sighed.
“Because that’s what a good number two does,” Eric grinned.
“Number two?” Eldon echoed.
“Yes, I’m making you my number two and promoting you to Executive Vice President, if you want the job.”
“Of course I do!” Eldon blushed. “Thank you, Eric. I’m honored.” Finding gratitude difficult to express, Eldon returned to business. “Putting unknown directors on the board may hurt NEI’s stock price. The market may perceive the board as a mere rubber stamp.”
“I’m aware of that, so we’ll just have to dazzle the investment community with our growth and earnings. Then nobody will give a damn who’s on our board! If you thought I moved fast before, Eldon, just watch me now!” Eric warned his friend.
With lightning speed over the next few months, Eric trimmed operating expense by ten percent like a skilled surgeon, spun off several unprofitable companies which his mentor clung to for sentimental reasons, and terminated frivolous research projects. With the shrewdness of a man twenty years his senior, Eric acquired a corporation half again the size of NEI in a complex stock swap and debt issue. After six months at the helm, Eric renamed NEI. The new Foresight International soared to become the world’s tenth largest company. On a per share basis, the stock was earning eight dollars, up from three dollars a share. The stock market signaled its approval by boosting the stock price well above previous highs. To show its gratitude, the Foresight board offered Eric a lifetime contract as CEO, which he graciously limited to ten years, with a salary of $100 million annually. Eric had always been suspicious of titles-for-life, and people who accepted them.
In an incredibly short time, Eric became a crown prince of Corporate America in what seemed to be an effortless drive. Wealthy and powerful, he was no longer one of a large group of professionals, but one of a small, elite group. His name, always linked with Foresight International, even appeared on network news. The demand for interviews and photographs of Eric Price soared. Much to everyone’s surprise, Eric showed up at the office one day with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache, and agreed to sit for an official photo.
Eric’s travel plans, contact info, and all other personal data were kept highly confidential. He often used body doubles to decoy the press. When traveling, he was escorted by bodyguards, explaining they were to protect his privacy. To some friends, subordinates, and a few reporters, Eric’s need for privacy seemed like an obsession. They wondered what Eric Price was hiding, or who he was hiding from.
Cody knew Eric would be a powerful force in his life from the moment they met. When Eric appeared in the room where Cody lay bound and gagged, Cody saw those deep blue eyes ablaze and knew Eric was different. He spotted a man fiercely independent, and strangely ambivalent toward most people. Cody understood he could never totally possess Eric. Yet he felt this strong, proud, independent man needed him.
Cody Alexander was no garden-variety boyfriend. He had grown up in a show biz family and went on stage for the first time at age fifteen. An instant sensation, he continued performing with his older brother, Andy, for several more years before striking out on his own. Even though Cody’s parents were both successful actors, he was not raised by a string of nannies, nurseries, and prep schools. His parents and brother coordinated their careers so one of them would always be home with Cody. They saw the need for a stable environment, making many sacrifices so Cody could have a normal childhood, attending the same school and being with the same classmates through puberty. Cody made friends easily, yet he spent a large amount of time alone with his music and electronic toys. At age nineteen, Cody married Linda Rogers, a friend of Andy’s. Cody’s business manager and Andy were both adamant that getting married would be good for Cody’s career. The marriage lasted long enough to celebrate a one-year anniversary, then dissolved by mutual agreement. Cody finally admitted to himself, his family, and Linda that he was gay, and could no longer live a lie.
During his early twenties, Cody tried his hand at serious acting and writing. He could have chosen any number of directions and been successful. His poise, voice, six-foot frame and stunning good looks would have enabled him to become one of Hollywood’s great leading men, an international super-model, or even a politician. Instead, he broke into the business world, founding an entertainment company to produce and distribute his work. Then he began producing and distributing other artists’ work. The company grew quickly and became an international entertainment conglomerate by the time Cody met Eric.
Cody and Eric had a dozen dinner dates within a few weeks after meeting. They went for long walks after romantic dinners in chic restaurants. They talked late into the night. They played tennis, skied, and visited each other where they lived and worked. They laughed a lot and touched often, but never moved beyond simple kisses and caresses. As Eric parked his Porsche in front of Cody’s hotel one evening, Cody asked, “Why haven’t you asked me to sleep with you?”
Eric shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat of his Porsche, visibly embarrassed. “The time just never seemed right. Actually, I thought it might be too soon after…..well, you know.”
“How long should we wait?” Cody asked.
“I don’t kn
ow,” Eric shrugged.
“How about five years?” Cody suggested.
Eric scowled at Cody.
“Too long?” Cody laughed. “How about tonight?”
Eric smiled, but remained hesitant.
“Something else bothering you, Eric?”
Staring at the steering wheel, Eric wasn’t sure how to frame his question. He turned to gaze at Cody’s angelic face and swimmer’s build. “You were raped by a career felon. I read most of those guys have one or more STDs. Have you been tested since it happened?”
“Twice,” Cody assured Eric. “Negative for all STDs both times. I should probably tell you I’ve never slept with another man. In fact, my ex-wife is the only sex partner I’ve ever had, besides the rape.”
Eric was shocked. He believed Cody, but found it incredible. “You’re so adorable, I just assumed you’d slept with lots of guys.”
“Nope! You’ll be the first voluntary man-to-man sex I’ve ever had,” Cody replied. “And what about you, Eric? Ever been tested?”
“I’m clean, too!” Eric smiled. “Haven’t slept with anyone since I sobered up several years ago. I was tested for a life insurance physical last year and came up negative for all STDs.”
“And before that?” Cody asked quietly.
Eric was silent for a few moments, deciding how much to tell. “I did my share of sleeping around after I came out, but they were no more than one-night stands, with one exception. I fell in love with the first man I ever slept with, but that was a long time ago.”
“What happened to him?” Cody asked.
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