North Meets South, Worlds Collide - 50. Chapter 50

The trip to Ios was a little more difficult. We left the hotel in the morning and flew to Athens, then took a much smaller plane toward Ios. It wasn’t but a few miles, maybe a hundred in a group of Islands south of Greece known as the Cyclades.

Once we landed and we had to land on Santorini, which had the closest airport. There we rented a car, a little light green Fiat and was ferried to Ios and again things just sort of wound down even more. It was now late Fall, but the temperature in the day was pleasant. But as we rode over on the ferry, I grinned at what I saw. No one cared Tony and I were together. They didn’t really seem to know about personal space. Men, women, and children were often together tightly in groups of two or more. Men with men, women with women and men with women. There were a number of men together that I wondered about. Were they relatives, just friends or lovers? Maybe all of the above! No one cared! Tony took my hands as we stood next to a railing and watched as we made our journey. The wind blowing our hair into messes, but we were so relaxed we didn’t care.

Tony grinned at me and kissed me. “This is going to be nice. It’s so beautiful here!” Then he kissed me again. “You’re beautiful.”

I smiled back looking at him. “You’re relaxed. That’s what I wanted for you and me.” I brushed his hair with my fingers looking at his handsome face. “You know, you could be Greek.”

Tony laughed. “Now I have to learn Greek?”

I shrugged. “What’s another language? But I’m looking forward to just us for a few days.”

Ios was a hilly island. The towns were….white! The homes and buildings were all pretty much white like sun-bleached rock. This wasn’t an urban area at all. It was an island and surrounded by the most beautiful turquoise colored water! There were these colored garage doors on many near the coast, adding color to the white landscape. The businesses here were pretty much all for tourism and there were resorts and villas around the city of Ios where we landed. Restaurants were many, so we had places to eat if we didn’t want to cook. We were on vacation, so we would probably take up on the opinion.

Once there we headed to the office to pick up the keys for the villa.

It was a little drive to the villa on the beach. It too was white. This wasn’t a beach home in the United States. It was better! Stone construction, but was pristine. It wasn’t a big place, only two bedrooms, but two baths, a kitchen, and a living area, but open doors and windows allowed the beach view, unobstructed. It was perfect. The wind was cool but nice. There wasn’t another house in sight of our villa. Nicely furnished and again, a lot of the furniture was white on the hardwood floors. The beach in the not far distance was deserted. I grinned to Tony.

“Take them off.” I pointed to him as I unbuttoned my shirt.

Tony smiled. “What? Now?” But he began unbuttoning his shirt, too. “You’re really going out naked? You?”

“That’s why I rented this villa. It had a private beach. No one around. If someone comes walking up the beach, so be it. It’s our beach for the week.” I grinned as I kicked my shoes off. Then pulled my pants off. “We can come in if it gets too cold, but it’s nice now.”

Tony quickly shed his clothes and we both headed toward the water which was still warm. Around the beach, the water was clear on the sandy areas, a topaz color a little farther out to a sapphire blue out deeper and the sky was clear on blue. Tony’s favorite color. We enjoyed swimming and just being together until it began to get dark. Then decided we should go in and eat something. We had a fully stocked kitchen, so putting a meal together wasn’t hard. But we didn’t even bother to dress. We had nothing that had to be done. It was very peaceful.

I woke the next morning hearing the familiar breathing next to me that told me Tony was still asleep. Then I looked at a surprise. Looking in our window was a burro! You know? Donkey? I smiled seeing this creature just looking in, not worried or anything, but just looking. Getting up I walked to the window. He or she didn’t move. I heard Tony roll over.

“What are you doing?” He asked sleepily.

“We have a guest.” I grinned opening our bedroom door to the patio beyond.

“What?” Tony sat up and looked up, seeing the burro. “Where’d he come from?”

I chuckled as I knelt before our new friend. “I read they’re wild here. He probably just wandered over to see there was someone here. He probably just wants something to eat.”

Tony propped on his elbow grinning. “You and farm animals.” He shook his head.

“I like all animals!” I smiled at the burro. “We have carrots, or maybe you’d like an apple. I had us fully stocked and I know we have apples.” I went to the kitchen and brought a couple of apples back.

“Don’t feed him!” Tony said, but still grinning. “He’ll never want to leave!”

“Why should he?” I asked opening to door easily so I wouldn’t scare him. “He lives here, we don’t.”

The burro backed up a little but was still staring as he looked curiously at my hand with the apples. He was interested.

I held an apple up. “All creatures love apples. Especially horses. So, I’m guessing burros should, too.” I held the apple closer. “Here ya go.” The burro sniffed and wandered closer, nosed the apple and took it. Now his little tail was wagging, if you’ve ever seen a burro wag it’s tail. Or ever seen a burro. I ended up with apple juice and donkey slobber on my hands but didn’t mind. “Yes, you like me. I’m a nice guy.”

Tony came to the door and leaned on the frame and just watched us continuing to smile. “I married Dr. Dolittle.” He chuckled.

“We’re all God’s creatures, Tony.” I smiled as I gave the burro the second apple and he let me pet him. “He’s a sweetheart.”

“As long as you have the apples.” Tony wasn’t rushing out to pet our new little friend. “So, is there anything you want to do? Besides making friends with all the animals on the island.”

“We don’t have to do anything.” I smiled as the burro got closer nosing me for more. “I’m enjoying Bucky here for the moment.”

“Bucky?” Tony laughed.

“He’s got a name, I’m sure, but he’s not likely to tell me, are you, Bucky?

“There’s a naked man kneeling and petting an ass named Bucky.” Tony was enjoying this, too.

I looked back at him. “And a naked man watching the naked man pet the ass named Bucky.”

Tony nodded his chuckle rumbling deeply. “Well, before you touch my ass, you’ll have to wash your hands from petting that ass named Bucky.”

Tony was really enjoying this. “Tony, don’t be an ass.” I grinned.

Tony laughed harder and shook his head again. “Oh, this is too good, we’re playing with the word ass and dealing with a real ass. I don’t mind. I like playing with ass, but not that ass. Just your ass.” Then he cocked his head. “Which is pretty tempting right now.”

I looked at him, but you can’t hide anything when you’re naked. He was liking my ass right now. “I see that.” I got up and came and kissed him passionately while holding my hands away from him. “I’ll wash up.” I turned back to the burro. “Come back and see us, okay, Bucky. We have plenty of apples?” I washed my hands and then went back to the bedroom where Tony was lying on the bed grinning and giving me the come here motion with his finger. “You want to play with my ass, or have yours played with?”

Tony nodded. “Yes.” Then he rolled on his back. “Sniff away! I want you to!”

Again, there were fireworks. It was also apparent he was beginning his midlife crisis.

“That was amazing, Mitch.” He sighed relaxing as we both enjoyed the afterglow. “Not bad for an old man.”

I grimaced. “Tony, you’re going to be forty. That’s not old.” I rolled so I could prop on an elbow and look down at him. “I realize I’m not there yet, so I don’t really understand, but what’s bad about turning forty? You’re still very good looking and you work out every day and are in great shape.”

Tony nodded but didn’t meet my eyes. “I do. And I find that I have to work out more than I am accustomed to, to get the results I'm used to.”

I nodded as my hands just naturally went to the hairs I loved on his chest. “Why are you worried about that?”

Tony’s eyebrows rose. “Why? Because I don’t want to get old.”

I smiled tightly. “That’s going to happen. You can’t stop time.”

“I know.” Tony smiled. “That doesn’t mean I’m giving in, I’m going to fight it tooth and nail.”

“That’s fine.” I kissed the part of his chest I could and up his chin to his lips. “Just trust in our love and know I’m always going to be at your side.”

He grinned but nodded slowly. “I don’t know, I know you’ll be with me, but I want to be here for you and with you. It’s something about that number forty that sort of bothers me. I’m scared I won’t be here.” He admitted. “I know I won’t be a young man anymore.”

I grinned. “No, you’re better than a young man.” I watched his eyes light up a little. “The best steaks are the ones that have aged, like the steakhouse in Manhattan you took me to, or the wine I like has to age into something wonderful, or even cheeses have mature to be at their best and most flavorful. You tell me macaroni and gravy just gets better on the second or third day when their flavors marry and marinate. You’re a greatly seasoned man that just gets better with time.” I grinned kissing him gently, slowly and putting all the love I felt into it.

“We’ve been together going on five years,” Tony said slowly. “I suppose we’re the macaroni and gravy. Just slowly marrying our flavors to become something wonderful.”

“We have wonderful now.” I grinned. “It’s hard to believe it will get better. I can’t imagine better, but it will be.”

He looked up at the ceiling. “It’s hard to get my mind to relax. I keep feeling like I’m late or something.”

I chuckled. “For what? We’re not expected anywhere for a week.”

Tony nodded. “I know.”

“No one’s expecting us at any time this week,” I added.

“I know,” Tony admitted with a smile.

“We can go into town, look around the island and just enjoy being together.” I proposed.

“That will be fine.” Tony nodded. “But we will be together. I was amazed when no one looked at us crazy on the ferry. People do, even in Manhattan.”

I grinned. “Being gay in Greece is accepted. They were openly with whomever they were with. That was nice.”

“I love you, Mitch.”

I kissed him gently. “I know.”