North Meets South, Worlds Collide - 52. Chapter 52

Again Bucky was there in the morning. Only this time, Tony was feeding him some apples. I grinned as I got up and went out the open door to the patio.

“I knew you couldn’t hold out forever,” I said leaning on the doorframe.

“He was knocking!” Tony explained. “This little ass was literally knocking on the glass.” He waved to the glass covered door. He turned back to the burro. “You wanted your breakfast, didn’t you? You just couldn’t wait.”

I chuckled. “We will have to buy more apples.”

Tony laughed nodding. “These are the last ones.” Then he frowned. “I didn’t even get one!”

I rolled my eyes. “They were for me, Tony. I’ve never seen you eat an apple. Mountains? Apple trees there in the yard. It’s part of my diet!”

Tony shrugged. “At least I would have had a choice.”

“You did!” I waved toward the kitchen. “You could have taken one any time, but you didn’t.”

Tony stood up and was about to wipe his hands…then realized he was wearing nothing and didn’t have a choice. “I’ve gotta wash. That ass is a messy eater.”

“That’s what happens when all you can eat with is your face.”

Tony came back from washing his hands. “Are we doing anything today?”

I grinned as I stretched in bed. “Well, we do have two more days here. We have some things to get for family as well as the apples. We can do it today or tomorrow. You decide.”

Tony smiled as he slid in beside me. “I know what I want now, I’ll decide later what to do.” He chuckled kissing me. “Good morning, sexy.”

My arms went to their places and pulled him tighter. “Good morning.” I deepened the kiss.

We did dress and went into town. This time shopping without anything in mind but looking for things that would interest family members. Oh, I did buy more apples for Bucky. And Tony should he decide to eat one. I love apples, but they weren’t the Golden Delicious I preferred.

We ended up having lunch at a little restaurant named Elpis. No surprise it served Greek food dishes. Okay, I had their spaghetti. I wasn’t corrected by Tony about how I ordered it either. It wasn’t macaroni and gravy here. Even Tony had some. He frowned after a couple of bites.

“What’s wrong?” I smiled, knowing what was going through his mind. I could read him after all this time. “Isn’t it alright?”

“It’s delicious,” Tony muttered.

I laughed at what he was presenting and what he said. “If it’s delicious, why are you not happy?”

“Because I’m not.” Tony griped. “This is Greek Spaghetti, not Italian Macaroni and Gravy. It shouldn’t be as good.” He pointed out the obvious.

I grinned as I shook my head. “I am so sorry about that, Tony.” Then I chuckled. “Italy is right over there!” I pointed across the water. “You guys are basically the same!”

Tony’s eyes widened. “We are not! You take that back! There’s the Ionian Sea and Adriatic Seas….not to mention a lot of the Mediterranean Sea between. We are not the same! We’re closer to Turkey!” Then he narrowed his eyes. “What if I said Scottish, English, Irish and Welch are the same?”

“They are.”

Tony growled. “You have a lot of Scottish ancestors rolling in their graves right now hearing you say that. Italians are not the same as the Greek!”

I held my hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay….you’re not the same. Don’t forget the Germans in my ancestry.” I chuckled. “Then why did Italy steal their gods?”

His fork hit his plate as he dropped it in shock. “What!? They are gods! We might have called them by other names, but we did not steal them! Gods can’t be stolen! They’re gods!”

I nodded. “So Zeus and Jupiter…?”

“They’re the same god!”

I nodded grinning. “Then this is macaroni and gravy.” I lifted the plate. “It’s the same dish.”

Tony frowned. “That’s it. I’m not talking to you for at least an hour.”

I nodded grinning. “We’ll see.”

He almost made it, but soon enough he was talking to me again. When we got back he had barely gotten in the door as I watched his shirt come off and he was pulling his pants off as he kicked his shoes to the side.

I grinned. “Maybe I should book us in a naked resort next time.”

Tony smiled back. “I said before. I’ll believe it when I see it.” He brought me into a kiss. “Let’s swim!” He started for the door that let us out to the beach.

I smirked. “Don’t worry,” I said, but knew he didn’t hear me. “I’ll put these things away.” I shook my head putting our packages down on the counter. Tony was truly relaxed now. It was great to see.

We did swim in the warm water for a while. It’s difficult to make love in the water. Those lubrications you can get that are waterproof? Well, they aren’t really waterproof, not really. So we didn’t bring any when we went in. Handjobs were the best we could do, but there were fish that probably wondered what the white stuff was that floated by.

We relaxed on the sofa again watching a movie. Tony drifted to sleep, his ear pressed to my chest to hear my heartbeat. I casually let my fetish have fun as I stroked his hair. It was a few minutes later I joined him in sleep, waking as he shifted his position.

“You’ve got a strong heart.” Tony managed quietly.

“I hope so,” I commented. “It’s worked for three and a half decades, I’d like it to beat a few more decades.”

Tony nodded. “It’s comforting to me. I like to hear it.”

I smiled kissing his head. “I know.”

The next morning was the same. Bucky was there again and both Tony and I fed him this time.

“We created a problem for Bucky,” Tony said sadly. “Two more mornings and we’re gone.”

I shrugged. “I think he knows that. Don’t you, Bucky?” The little burro’s tail was going again.

“He knows his name?” Tony marveled. “We just gave it to him.”

I chuckled. “He knows kindness and of course he knows we’re talking to him,” I said petting the burro. “But I’m sure there will be others. And have been before, that’s why he knew to come here that first day when he knew someone was here. If someone’s here, they might be nice. Like us.”

We didn’t have to go anywhere and didn’t. The next day we didn’t during the daylight but went into town the last night we were there. Ate again at a good restaurant and then back to Disco 69. We danced again and then were delighted to see Bret and Amanda Michaels had returned.

“Hi, guys!!” Amanda greeted hugging me. Bret shook Tony’s hand. Men. “We’re here for one last dance night before heading back to London tomorrow.”

Tony nodded. “We’ll be heading back to Charleston Sunday, but we’ll stop in Rome first in the morning.”

Bret smiled. “I hate this has to end, but we have to work.”

“The honeymoon doesn’t have to end.” I reminded. “We’re still on ours,” I said taking Tony’s hand.

“You guys are given us hope that maybe we can convince Stuart to look for someone in his life,” Bret said.

“He’ll only find what he’s looking for,” I said. “If he looks and wants it.”

We danced some more and then returned to the villa.

We fed Bucky one last time and then there was the trip back to Rome which was sort of anticlimactic, but it was nice to be in familiar territory again. Then that ended and we headed back to the United States. We arrived just after noon the next day after an all-night flight.

Weary from all that travel we entered our condo where there was music playing a little loud for me. But I’d never heard them before and then I realized they were singing in Russian! It was rock, but nothing I’d heard before. That’s why no one heard us come in. Putting the suitcase I had down I walked into the living area where I saw Sasha reading with his feet up. David was making something in the kitchen as Alik was watching.

“Knock, knock!” Tony said smiling.

All eyes turned, Sasha held the remote and killed the music, David brightened and rushed to us with Alik right behind him. “You’re back!!!”

I hugged David. “Yes, we live here.”

“Hi, Uncle Mitch!” Alik hugged me around the middle as he greeted in English and then said, also in English. “How was your trip?”

I chuckled and said in Russian. “Yesli ya otvechu na angliyskom yazyke, vy znayete, o chem ya govoryn?” I asked if I answered in English would he know what I was saying?

Alik shook his head. “Yeshche net.” Not yet.

I bent and kissed him on the head. “But you’re using it. Good for you.” I said in Russian. “And you’re doing very well.”

“Hi!” Sasha greeted with a hug and then he looked at me closer. “You are relaxed.”

“That was the whole point of going.” Tony greeted Sasha.

And of course. “Did you bring me something?” Alik asked.

Sasha frowned. “Alik.”

I grinned at Sasha. “He’s six, Sasha,” I said in Russian.

“Six and a half!!” Alik corrected.

“Excuse me.” I grinned. “Six and a half.”

David nodded. “And I was telling him, with the help of the translator, which Tony…I love…being six and a half, the best way to be a real American is to have peanut butter sandwiches once a day.”

I chuckled nodding. “I grew up on peanut butter,” I said in Russian. “Peter Pan Crunchy is my favorite,” I told David what I’d said.

“And that’s what I’m making. Want one?” David motioned back to the counter.

I shrugged. “Why not? I need something before we turn in.”

“Was it a late flight?” Sasha asked.

“Our original flight was canceled. We got another that flew later. It was a late flight.” Tony answered. “I’ll have one of those sandwiches, David.”

“Grape jelly?” David asked.

“Apple!” I corrected, having always preferred it to grape. “You’ve known me how long?”

David shook his head. “I keep hoping you’ll see the light. It’s Welch’s for pete’s sake.” Then he grinned. “And we’re out of apple jelly.”

“What!?” I asked.

“Yes, Alik likes a little toast with his apple jelly in the morning…lots of apple jelly,” Sasha admitted.

I grinned at Alik. “I can’t fault a man for good taste,” I said in Russian. “Bama apple jelly is the best.”

Alik nodded.

And then things were going to wind down and our vacation was over. It was time. Tony and I had a difficult time with the time adjustment. It was morning in Greece before we had a morning in Eastern Time Zone, so we were awake a few hours earlier than needed.

Walking into the hotel, and I’m sure you know by now, I’m a hugger and like to be hugged and give hugs, so when I was about to enter my office I was grabbed from behind and given a bear hug!

“Welcome back!!” Alan greeted me happily and then held me back to look at me. “You’re tan!”

“They had of sun in Ios!” I stated back. “And this one isn’t from a pump!”

Alan grinned reaching for my belt. “Any tan lines?” He smiled.

I swatted his hand away. “No.” I chuckled. “But I had to cover my ass in sunscreen. And Tony’s, too.”

Alan laughed at that. “But you look extremely relaxed.”

“Because I am extremely relaxed.” I waved toward my office. “Can we get to work?” Which of course he followed me. I grinned and handed him his package. “If you’ve never tried it, do. It’s a sensation you’d never expect.”

He was as bad as Alik opening the package. “Coffee and….” He held a bottle of liquor.

“It’s coffee they served on Ios and Barbaresso Ouzo. It’s a strong coffee.” Then I grinned. “You and Kent can get a little tipsy and be wide awake!! It’s a wild feeling.”

Alan laughed. “You always give the best gifts! Guess we can’t try it now.”

I nodded. “Because I know you, Alan. I know what you like.”

Alan nodded. “Yes, you do.” Then he smiled a little slyly. “So, no tan lines?”

I chuckled. “We undressed when we got there and only dressed three times, twice to go to town and once to the ferry. The rest of the time, naked.”

“You are turning into a wild man,” Alan said as he headed back to his office. “See you later in the mines.”

It was after the noon rush where everyone tried to check out at the last minute. That was a constant. I helped! We had the computer available and I was checking people out just as fast. As the morning wound down a man came in wearing a florist’s uniform. I’d never seen him before and he was looking a little confused. I grinned when I saw the single rose and he was heading right to Michelle who didn’t even question it now having been here almost two years.

“He gets it.” She muttered she pointed to me. I took the rose thanking the man. Michelle frowned. “Sure, you get a rose every week, but do I?” She grumbled.

I grinned. “I can have Tony speak to…” I looked at her. “…who are you seeing now?”

She sighed. “Not Mister Wonderful like you have obviously.”

I sniffed the rose. “Yeah, he is Mister Wonderful.” I grinned and turned to her. “And what’s even better, he thinks I’m Mister Wonderful!”

Michelle just sighed and walked away.

It was two days later when we all sat having dinner. I mean, Tony, me, David, Sasha, and Alik. Our house was filling up. It was great! Then…

“I’ve been thinking,” Sasha said slowly in the middle of the meal. “I’m making good money now….maybe it’s time for Alik and me to move to our own place.”

Even Tony was not happy with that. “Why? Isn’t your money being used to immigrate? Other expenses?”

Sasha nodded. “Yes, but I make enough now. Most of the expenses have been paid...”

I frowned. “But we like having you here, Sasha. You, Alik and David’s family, too. We’re family! If you want to…of course, but we don’t want you to move out. We love you.”

Sasha grinned nodding and lowered his head. “I know that. That’s why I haven’t brought it up before.” Then he looked at me. “We won’t move out…” then he looked at Tony and me directly. “…providing….I pay rent! You say I’m family. I feel like we are family, but as part of a family, I pay our part. It’s only fair.”

David shrugged. “Well, don’t ask me.” He grinned at me. “I love it here. Alik loves the indoor pool and the development’s center and he loves his room and toys…I know he doesn’t want to leave if he says it in Russian or English.” He smiled. “And I can say Khorosho, Alik, vremya, chtoby vyyti iz basseyna. Instructions to Alik to get out of the pool. No translator needed!”

Alik grinned and asked in Russian. “Why is Uncle David telling me to get out of the pool?”

Sasha smiled and answered in Russian. “He’s just telling Uncle Mitch that he can speak some Russian and we’re okay. He’s telling he doesn’t want us to move.”

“You don’t want to move away, do you?” I asked Alik in Russian.

“No!” Alik said hurriedly.

“See?” I said to Sasha in English. Then I sighed. “There may come a time when you have to. You may have to move to another city or just because, but don’t do it right now.”

Sasha nodded. “But I pay!” He said firmly. “Do more than clean the house. I contribute.”

Tony shook his head. “Okay, okay. Of course, you want to.” Then he grinned. “Then again, there’s the Thanksgiving celebration at the McKenzie’s coming up. You may change your mind.”

David nodded sadly. “You might change your mind about me. Our family, Mitch’s and mine, is pretty hard on outsiders. And you are most definitely an outsider.”

“And male. Don’t forget that important part.” I added. “Tony was nearly given the treatment because he was from New York. I can’t imagine how they will react to someone from Russia.”

“And a former member of the military for the Soviet Union,” Tony added.

“Which dissolved almost a year later!” Sasha said. “I needed a job!”

I nodded. “I know. I understand, but they will be tough to bring over to our side.”

David took Sasha’s hand. “I love you. I love Alik. I won’t let anyone hurt either of you.”

“Count me with David,” I said. “We’ll be with you the whole time.”

Tony looked as everyone looked at him. “What? I’m still treated as an outsider by some, not all, but I’ll be with you, Sasha.” He assured.