*Sneak Peek* A Rural Start

[Wayne Gray]

This is the first scene of a story I've started.  I think I'm going all the way with this one.  I don't know, we'll see.

 

A Rural Start

 

"Well, this was fun."  The toilet flushed, and Robbie, the handsome redheaded man Wren had gone home with grinned as he swaggered out of the bathroom.

 

Wren frowned and sat up on the bed.  "'Was?' Is the night over?"

 

Robbie stood beside the bed.  "Well, we both got off. Usually signals the end for us, right?"  He bent to pick up his pants. "I can take you home."

 

Wren felt a hot stab of disappointment, and it flickered on his face.  Robbie didn't seem to notice. Wren stood, suddenly ashamed at his nakedness.  "No. No, I'll take the bus. It's fine."

 

Robbie had missed his expression but not the tone in Wren's voice.  "What? Did you want to stay over or something?" There was an undercurrent of annoyance in Robbie's words.

 

"Oh no."  Wren put on his jeans and pulled his shirt over his head.  "Nope. Definitely not."

 

Robbie frowned as Wren tied his shoes.  "Man, what's with you?" Robbie cocked his head at him.  "You were the one to lay down boundaries, Wren." He shrugged.  "You're the one who's too good to settle down. So I'm not gonna pretend that I'm anything but a fuck for you."

 

Wren felt a sliver of anger, but it swiftly mingled with acquiescence to the truth.  "You're not just a fuck." Wren shook his head. "I never wanted you to feel that way."

 

Robbie snorted, and he slipped his naked legs under the rumpled sheets.  "Yeah. You want me to feel like you're giving me the gift of your presence."  He stared, his blue eyes hard. "You wanted distance, you got it. And now, what?  You want me to fawn over you? Spoon and get close to you, so my brain confuses what this is again?"  Robbie set his jaw. "Nope. I'll ride your cock because that's fun. But I've learned my lesson, and that's all you're getting from me."

 

Wren felt as if he'd been slugged.  He looked at Robbie then bit his lip.  "Well, okay then." He had the unmistakable twinge of guilt.  It's true - he had been the one to walk away from Robbie's attempt to go beyond "fuck buddy" status.  It was also true that Wren had done that because he wanted to remain unattached - free to have sex with whoever he liked, whenever he wished.

 

What really twisted the knife was Wren knew Robbie liked him.  He knew that Robbie wanted more, and Wren had banked on taking advantage of that to spend the night with the cute young man.  That was a far more pleasant option rather than return home to his own apartment.

 

He gathered his jacket and left Robbie's place, then Wren threw the coat over his shoulder and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans.  He walked head down in the warm air of the spring San Diego night.

 

It was early March.  Wren hated that the city never had more than two seasons - hot, and not-as-hot.  Already, things moved toward the eight-month-long "hot" time of the year. Soon it would be warm, dry, and monotonous.  The area hadn't had a summer rainstorm in years, and Wren dreaded the constant sunshine that was just around the corner.

 

He continued along his way.  He got to the bus station debated a moment and kept walking.  He needed to clear his head, and the movement helped. The streets of Hillcrest were well lit, and there were still people out and about.  He wasn't overly worried about safety, not that early into the night.

 

Though, he was still alert.  After six years, things about the city began to grate on him, and the amount of crime was one.  During his first year, he had been mugged at knifepoint, and he didn't relish that happening again.  After that Wren enrolled in a self-defense course and learned a few Krav Maga movements against the most common attacks a man might run into on the street.  He was by no means an expert, but he faithfully went to practice every week, did drills on his own, and he slowly improved until muscle memory took over during the practices.

 

Wren slowed as he got to the corner of University Avenue and 30th Street.  He looked at the vast complex of condos which lined both sides of 30th Street.  He had been there before, and he couldn't help but think of a past acquaintance he knew lived there.  "Hrmm. I wonder if Bobby is up." He checked his phone. It was only ten thirty, and Bobby was always a little wild.  He was probably out and about, but it couldn't hurt to call.

 

Wren stopped at the corner.  Bobby had a beautiful little condo on the second floor near the intersection.  Bobby was a newly licensed pharmacist and earned good money, which is how he could afford to buy the place right in one of the most desirable parts of the city.  He and Wren had a few classes together in San Diego State University, and they had more than one night together between the sheets.

 

The phone rang, and Wren smiled as he thought of Bobby - his strong, dark limbs, deep brown eyes, and bass voice.  All were things which Wren found a turn-on when wrapped in the package of Bobby Parson.

 

"Hello?"  A sleepy-sounding voice answered.

 

Wren frowned.  "Bobby? Hey, it's Wren.  I didn't wake you, did I?"

 

There was a grunt, and Wren heard sheets sliding around as Bobby moved.  "Yeah. It's all right. What's up?"

 

"Shit.  Sorry." Wren looked down at the sidewalk as he spoke, one hand on the stucco of the beige building.  "Uh, I wondered if maybe you'd be up for a visit. It has been a while. We've not hung out much since we graduated."

 

There was a pause.  "Wren, man, I'm paired up.  You remember Gregory."

 

Wren grimaced and worked to keep the disappointment out of his voice.  "Ah, that's great. Well, congratulations. Greg is a great guy."

 

'And a fun fuck,' Wren couldn't help but think.

 

"Thanks."  Bobby paused again.  "Though, if you wanted to get breakfast or something with us sometime …"

 

Wren could hear the hesitation in Bobby's voice.  Wren knew, in Bobby's eyes he was just a fun mistake.  Greg's too, actually. Now that they had found someone willing to commit, Wren was no longer in the picture.

 

"Uh, yeah.  Sure. Tell you what, I'll email you.  We can set up a date sometime."

 

A short time later he hung up and sighed.  There was no avoiding it, he had to go home.  Wren blew out a breath, jammed his hands deep into his pockets and turned up 30th Street.  Five blocks later, he was there. He looked up at the darkened windows of his second-floor apartment tucked behind the YMCA.

 

"Please be asleep.  Please be alone." Wren pulled his keys and slowly walked up the stairs to the apartment.  He slumped when he saw the doorknob with the dreaded sock tied around it.

 

"Company.  Awesome." Wren gritted his teeth and sat down beside the door, his back against the building.  Sometimes Travis brought girls home, and in the tiny one bedroom apartment, it meant whatever they were doing was obvious everywhere in the space.

 

Travis was also a bit of a homophobe.  Wren remembered how Travis tried to explain his requirement that Wren never be inside when he had a date over.  "I don't have a problem with you being gay, but I don't want you in the apartment when I have girls over. It's weird to think you can hear us banging."

 

Wren sighed, leaned his head back against the cool building and waited.