Soul Music: Love Sustained - 5. Life Lessons

Gloria Southgate leaned forward in her seat to pay the taxi driver the exact fare before she opened the car door, not far from The Boat in the town centre. More high-end eatery than pub, it was where Joy Lumsden often ate lunch. Gloria hesitated outside the entrance for a moment before moving away. She stopped on the pavement round the corner, away from the large, ground floor windows.

She would be taking a chance going in there. Several chances, in fact. The first one would be whether her friend was there at all. Both of them made a point of getting their hair done on a Wednesday, though not at the same salon, fortunately. Gloria hoped Joy would keep to her routine despite the emotional upheavals of the previous week. They hadn't spoken since the phone call about Geoffrey, and she wasn't sure that Joy would want to talk to her. That conversation ended on a sour note, and she didn't know how she would be received subsequently.

Gloria sat down on a low wall nearby, taking care her coat was between her skirt and the dusty bricks. She was too old to be standing around for long. To her mind, the subject of Geoffrey's sexuality was far from being closed. Joy might think her opinions were fixed, but there had to be room for movement surely. Gloria pursed her lips. How she was going to persuade her old friend to change, she didn't know. Not precisely, anyway. Her general premise would be that Geoffrey was still Joy's son. Essentially the same boy she'd known and looked after for all his life, though now grown up.

Would she succeed? She breathed in deeply. It was difficult to say. She wasn't that different from Joy. They were both conservative in their attitudes. Neither of them lived any of their life online. She had a tablet computer for email and photos; Joy, as far as she knew, had nothing. Her friend had never been one to adapt easily to change. She had taken a long time to get used to the move out of town. Gloria examined her nail polish. Matters of sexual proclivities had never occurred to her either until her great nephew, Josh, spoke out. She talked to his parents, then went and looked online. Her position had been one of ignorance rather than antagonism. Joy's combination of ignorance and loathing was likely to be a tricky one.

Gloria eased herself up and squared her shoulders. With a few brisk steps, she returned to the front entrance of the pub. It had to be done, even though it might cost her a friend. To see Joy so determined to alienate her son upset her. Geoffrey wasn't a bad man. He was simply both the same as before, and different. She took a breath and went inside. She stood still for a moment to let her eyes adjust after the bright sunlight. Looking round, she noticed the other woman sitting in an alcove with a glass of something. A dry sherry, most likely. Was she waiting for someone? There was only one way to find out.

The other woman appeared to be lost in a brown study as she approached. Gloria used a louder voice than normal. “Hello, Joy.”

Joy Lumsden looked up without saying anything. Her expression was unreadable.

Gloria noted how tired and on edge Joy seemed, a trip to the hairdresser's notwithstanding. “How nice to see you. Are you expecting a guest? Or might I join you for a bite to eat?”

After waiting for a second or two, Joy indicated the seat opposite her. “Morning, Gloria. You're looking well. You'll have to excuse me if you're expecting me to be my usual source of gossip and recent tidbits. I've a lot on my mind.”

Gloria murmured a response as she sat down and opened the menu. Leaving aside the subject of Geoffrey until later in the meal appeared a good idea. Hopefully, they would be better set up for a frank conversation. She surveyed the lunch menu. As a gastropub, The Boat had a good reputation for its cooking. It would be interesting to see if it lived up to its billing.

“How you ordered already, Joy?” The other woman shook her head. “I don't know about you, but the chicken and couscous sounds good. Or the linguine with prawns and chorizo.”

Joy gave the menu only the most cursory lookover. “I mostly ask for the fishcakes. Lobster and crab – difficult to get wrong.”

They summoned one of the wait staff over and gave their orders.

The two women ate their food in an uncomfortable silence. Gloria's attempts to chat about the pub's cuisine or its décor were met with one-word answers. She chewed on a mouthful of kale flavoured couscous. The only way to clear the air was to raise the subject she came to talk about. They both knew that was why she was there.

She took a sip of her white wine and cleared her throat. “Joy, have you spoken to Geoffrey since our phone call?”

“No. Why should I have done? He's no son of mine after what he said.” Joy's angry glare was unpromisingly hostile.

“And has Geoffrey made any contact with you?”

Her companion put her knife and fork down, food apparently forgotten about. “Gloria, I don't see that my relationship with Geoffrey is any of your business. However, if you must know, he sent me a letter containing a proposal concerning the house. I nearly threw it in the bin when I realised who it was from. Well, I did throw it away before I fished it out again a couple of hours later.”

Gloria toyed with a piece of chicken. “I hope you'll give proper consideration to whatever he has to say. Geoffrey is a solid young man, from what I know. I imagine he and his boyfriend would take good care of the house for you. And the garden.”

The other woman nearly choked on her drink. “Hah! Geoffrey is a … homosexual.” Joy lowered her voice more. “Gloria, I can't bear to think that someone related to me is a filthy, disgusting sodomite.”

“Joy!” She didn't hide her astonishment. “Really! Geoffrey's as much your son now as he was before he told you he was gay. Nothing's changed.”

“What? Everything's changed.”

The two women glared at each other, then drew breath, conscious that their voices had been getting louder. Gloria noted the occupants of nearby tables glancing in their direction.

She took another sip of her wine. “Joy, how do you think Geoffrey has changed as a person by telling you this?”

Joy stabbed at the remnants of the fishcakes. “He's made himself out to be a pervert, a disgrace to the family.”

“From what I gather, he's been living quite openly as a gay man. A quiet, normal life.”

“Normal?! And that's another thing. The deceit. Hiding himself from me.”

Gloria swallowed a sigh. “Are you really surprised, Joy, given your response when your son did try to include you in his life?” The other woman glowered at her. “Geoffrey is a hard-working, respectable young man. That hasn't changed with what he told you. Have you heard any gossip about him and his boyfriend? Has anyone been spreading any tittle-tattle?”

“That's beside the point. In fact, I'll be doing my best to ensure nobody talks about Geoffrey. The disgrace that boy has brought on me? I'll never live it down.”

Gloria sent up a prayer for patience. “I'm trying to make you open your eyes, before you drive your son away completely. Please take time to reconsider, to think things through quietly.” She thought little else could be achieved from their current conversation. “I'll be pleased to answer any questions you might have. Or I'll try to, anyway. Just give me a ring.”

Joy brusquely waved to the wait staff for the bill without replying.

She stood up. “I'll pay for my things at the cashdesk. Bye, Joy. Please think about what we've been discussing.”

The other woman looked at her, stony-faced. “I'm perfectly capable of making my own mind up, thank you, Gloria. Goodbye.”

As she walked away, Gloria could only hope that something from what she said would take root.

That evening, Stuart Fletcher sat in the living room of his new home, the signs of having only recently moved in all around. It was only the middle of the week and he was already knackered. As he looked up from his tablet, his eye caught sight of yet another unopened box. The weekend would have to be getting the curtains up finally and sorting the kitchen – he couldn't live off take-aways for much longer. He prodded himself in several places, seeking out any excess flesh.

He had yet to join a gym or find the energy to make himself do exercises at home. Starting out as the new manager in the local branch of the phone shop he worked for had meant putting in rather more hours than he was used to. But he had to keep looking good. He wouldn't get his boyfriend back if he were a flabby, over-tired wreck.They were good together. Tony had flair, both in how he dressed and as a cook. And he was a skilful lover. He just needed someone to stop him from becoming dull, conventional. Middle-aged. Tony would be a great draw at the Pink Penguin if only he'd loosen up. Dancing suited him. The club was somewhere else he hadn't had time to visit recently.

What Tony saw in his current boyfriend, he couldn't imagine. One lunchtime, he hurried out to buy an extension lead for his bedroom, when he saw Tony and the other man coming out of the Italian restaurant. They weren't kissing or anything, but it was clear they were a pair. Stuart scowled. His rival was gross – obviously never seen the inside of a gym, and no style whatsoever. The man's hair was a mess, and his own grandfather wouldn't have been seen dead in that tie. So what was it about him that had ensnared Tony? A passing glance or two hadn't given him much to go on. Was the other man really that good in bed? Stuart tried to imagine what it would be like to fuck such a lardball. Yes, Tony preferred his men to have some bulk, but not like that.

Stuart glared at his tablet and closed his current window. He opened a new one with a listing of online florists. A couple of dead-ends later, he grazed through a more promising site, trying to find something he liked. His last bouquet hadn't provoked any response, which was unusual. Even if a gift was unwanted, he remembered Tony being assiduous in sending out thank-yous. Most likely his rival had got in the way. Stuart stroked a well-groomed beard which was nothing like the thicket the other man sported. What was it like for Tony to kiss that? The sooner he reclaimed his boyfriend, the better.

Stuart clicked on an extravagant collection of scented blooms. That would do perfectly. When filling out the destination address, he put Tony's work address without any name. Then he completed the gift card, leaving little to the imagination about their supposed relationship. If it got opened by someone else, that was tough. He wasn't above making his boyfriend suffer a little for having abandoned him.

That done, he settled down to the task of finding out as much as he could about his mystery rival.

The following day, Tony called in at the office on his way home. He'd spent the day visiting one of his properties, inspecting things, talking to the volunteers and paid staff. As he hurried towards his office, he was stopped by Val, one of the general assistants.

“Hi, Tony. I'm glad I caught you.”

She held out a garish floral arrangement.

“Hi, Val …” Tony's eyebrows lifted in an unspoken question.

She grimaced. “Ah … Yes. These were delivered a couple of hours ago. The delivery instructions didn't include a name, so as I'd signed for them, I opened the envelope inside. Sorry. I only read enough to see your name mentioned.”

His hackles rose. He had a good idea who was responsible.

Val handed over the flowers and the wretched card. Tony took them both, putting the card straight into his trouser pocket. He found it difficult to hold the flowers in any way that didn't involve him getting a noseful of their overpowering scent every time he breathed in. Giving up, he put them down on a desk close by.

The woman coughed slightly. “I'm afraid Ed saw me accepting the delivery. He wasn't a happy bunny.”

Ed Thompson was his line manager. Tony took a breath. Personal deliveries at work were frowned upon. How the fuck was he supposed to know about this one? He'd be able to defend himself if any shit hit the fan. Ed was a reasonable guy, even if he was a keen enforcer of the rules. He itched to get into his office and read what the little shit had put on the card.

“Thanks, Val. 'Unsolicited' is the best description, I think. It won't happen again. Please ignore what you may have seen on the card.” Tony stared at the abandoned bouquet. “You like them?”

“The flowers?” She grimaced. “Too flashy for me, and my other half'll be sneezing all night if I take them home. Though …” She hesitated. “There's someone a couple of doors down who'd probably enjoy them.”

“Great. They're all yours. I want nothing to do with them.”

“Sure?”

“God, yes. And I'd be grateful if you didn't mention them to anyone.”

“Practical joke?” Val looked concerned.

“Sort of. … Anyway, here they are.”

She took them back agan. “I'll put them in the sink until Roger comes to pick me up.”

Tony gave her one last smile, then dived into the safety of his office. He stared at the bright green envelope, Lips thinning, he opened it up and extracted the card. Just what had Stuart put in there? He read the message quickly. From the false sweetness of the greeting, through the sexually suggestive message, and the repulsive sign-off, the whole thing was a construct. Something to cause trouble. And Stuart had nearly succeeded. Tony tore the card up into several pieces.

Turning to his laptop, he opened up his personal email account. He wrote a brief email setting out his position, plain and simple. He wanted nothing more to do with Stuart and if he persisted with the harassment, he would take out a restraining order. He'd also make an official complaint to Stuart's employers. Tony read the message over before he hit send. Hopefully, that would subdue the idiot's delusions, though he'd need rather more evidence before he could obtain an order.

Growling under his breath, Tony headed out, praying he didn't meet his manager on the way.

Geoff burnt off his frustration and anxiety in the garden after work. Walking up and down the long, narrow lawn with the old manual mower soothed him in its monotony. The scent of the cut grass was wonderful as always, redolent of summer. Despite changing into shorts and a tee, he sweated with the exercise, perspiration trickling down his face.

He stopped to empty the mower of the cuttings. The back door to the house opened. Geoff looked up to see his boyfriend appear.

Tony waved at him. “Hi!”

Geoff abandoned the mower in his haste to return to the house. How was it something as simple as Tony returning made him so happy? He walked straight into an embrace and a deep kiss.

As the kiss finished, Tony tightened his hold. “God, am I glad to see you. And you smell great.”

Geoff pulled back and raised an eyebrow. “What? I stink.” He gave himself an experimental sniff. “Been working in the garden for the past hour or so.”

Tony smirked. “To my nose, you smell gorgeous. That familiar Geoff scent, overlaid with fresh sweat? Perfect.” He drew Geoff back into the embrace. “Very sexy. A large dose of pheromones aimed straight down here …”

Geoff felt the other man's cock fill out against his thigh. He moved a hand so he could caress the organ, making it plump up even more.

Tony gasped in appreciation. “Oh, that's perfect, big man.”

Geoff heard next-door's dog suddenly yapping and running through their garden. He stopped immediately.

“Should we take this indoors?”

“Hmm …” Tony gave him a quick peck. “Upstairs sounds good to me.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yes.”

Soon out of the shower, the two men lay in bed – not doing anything, savouring the anticipation.

Geoff ventured a comment. “It feels weird to be here …”

“With me?” Tony sat up. He leant over to give Geoff a kiss. “What kind of back-handed compliment is that?”

Geoff gave him a mulish look. “Don't put words in my mouth then. I was going to say it was the time of day which made it weird.”

Tony chuckled. “I haven't been showing you enough good times. There again, it's usually the sofa during the day.” He turned onto his side, supporting himself on one elbow. “Let's see if I can make amends.”

After another kiss, Tony turned to Geoff's nipples. His mouth tweaked, teased, and lapped them until they both stood proud. His free hand played with Geoff's chest hair, following it down to his groin. He shuddered with pleasure. As always, his nips were connected to his cock which was swelling rapidly, lifting away from his body. He jerked again as Tony lightly scraped one bud with his teeth before laving the entire area with his tongue.

Geoff wished he could move – he too wanted access to his boyfriend's body. Tony was now half-sprawled across him, making his loving possession clear. Instead, he contented himself with stroking what he could reach of the other man's cock – the shaft, but not the head, or his balls. Then the organ swelled enough for him to reach more, as the tip emerged proudly out of the foreskin. He lost the gentle rhythm when Tony moved to attack both of his nipples at once. His boyfriend's hands were kept busy while he nuzzled and kissed his neck, another of his sweet spots. The pleasure made him arch his torso before he fell back onto the bed.

An amused chuckle penetrated the haze. “You enjoyed that.”

He nodded, eyes closed, savouring the last tingles. His cock continued to swell.

Tony's whispers in his ear continued. “I don't want you to cum just yet, big man. I have other plans.”

“Hmm?” He smiled, opening his eyes and turning to his boyfriend. “I like that you've started calling me that.”

“'Big man'?”

“Yeah.”

They kissed.

“So you should.” Tony gazed straight at him. “I'm not talking about this …” A pat on Geoff's stomach. “Or even this …” His cock was fondled. “Though I'm sure it'd qualify easily.” A throaty chuckle. “It's more about you as a person. Your big heart, your generosity, your loving kindness.”

Geoff stared back at his lover and felt himself melting under the intensity of Tony's gaze. Suddenly he had the urge to take the lead. To make up in some small way for his boyfriend's restraint, his seemingly infinite patience. He levered himself up slowly, dislodging Tony, who rolled onto his back with a questioning look.

“What's this?”

“You'll see.” He was on all-fours, moving to straddle the other man's legs.

Hesitantly, he took hold of Tony's swaying, pulsing member, using his fingers on the foreskin to caress his man's cock. That much he knew. He did that for a minute or two before he moved on. What he did next was a venture into the unknown. Geoff bent his head and licked the crown of the dick in front of him, lapping at it, testing its texture.

There was a gasp, a sigh of pleasure from Tony. “Oh, yes.”

Then he suckled on it, loving its living warmth, before swallowing the head and shaft into his mouth as far as he could. Other men made it look easy. He knew not to be too ambitious. Geoff tried to breathe through his nose, but the blockage in his mouth alone made him panic. He coughed out Tony's invading cock, forgetting to cover his teeth in his haste to clear the passage to his airway. Disaster.

“Owhh!” Tony sat up in a hurry, obviously in some pain. His hands gathered round his cock, offering it overdue protection.

“Sorry.” He sat down awkwardly on the side of the bed. “Sorry. I …” He felt like crying and shut his eyes. Why couldn't he do anything right? How had he made such a mess of it?

The mattress shifted and a welcome pair of arms embraced him from behind.

“What's the matter?”

He sniffed. “I hurt you. I wanted to surprise you, but …”

Tony reached round to press a finger against his lips, stopping him mid-sentence.

“You surprised me every which way, darling.” He chuckled. “Accidents happen. I'm OK – there's nothing to worry about.”

Geoff turned in the embrace. “Sure?”

“Yeah. When you're ready, let's go again. My cock wants nothing more than to be in your mouth, though without choking you this time.”

He smiled wryly. “OK.”

A few seconds later, he snuggled back into the other man's grasp.

Tony murmured a question. “Ready?”

“Hmm …” He turned his head. “'cept there's a ridge up against my back.” Their eyes met. “I wonder what it is?”

Tony spluttered. “My mighty weapon? A fucking ridge? Cheek!”

He took a firm grip on Geoff's cock as he giggled. His erection had vanished in the upset, but it was back.

“A velvety, hot, curved ridge any better?”

Tony snorted. “Hardly.” A kiss. “OK … We'll be great. I'll help you.”

The evening sun streamed in through the bedroom window. Tony lay on his back, legs spread wide, inviting his boyfriend in.

Geoff still sat on the edge of the bed. Tony held a hand out. “Come here. I can't wait all night.”

The other man smirked and raised an eyebrow. “I can see that.” Geoff clambered across the mattress until he was in the right spot.

He savoured the moment – his boyfriend ready to give him head. “OK. Start as you did before, but don't go any further. Don't forget to stroke the shaft while you're at it. That'll be quite enough to get me off.”

Tentatively, Geoff's lips embraced his cock-head. They were followed by a tongue which licked over the surface, exploring. The sensations made Tony gasp. He'd waited so long. Geoff stopped and looked up at him, eyes seeking reassurance.

“You're doing great, love. Bring on a hand or two, and it'll be perfect.”

Geoff resumed, swallowing a little more – the first centimetre of his shaft. His head bobbed while a hand tried to find a rhythm sliding his foreskin up and down. He lacked coordination, but it didn't impact Tony's enjoyment. The bobbing stopped as Geoff concentrated on getting his hands sorted. His tongue still got on with the job, washing everything it could reach. The rough texture against the sensitive surfaces gave Tony the shivers from the intense pleasure.

Again, Geoff came to a halt, emptying his mouth. “You OK?”

He took a deep breath and let it out. “It's perfect, big man. Everything's great.”

Geoff rolled his eyes. “Hmm … Something tells me it's far from perfect. Never mind. It's better than last time.”

He propped himself up. “You have no idea how I've longed for this. Believe me, it's amazing.”

His boyfriend blushed. He got going again, the coordination working this time. Tony lay back, happy and buzzing. His climax gathered. The novelty of the situation alone was an aphrodisiac.

“Suck harder. Tighten your lips,” Geoff obliged. “Now the same with your hands.”

He was close. A question needed asking. An important question. “Should I cum in your mouth?” He found it difficult to focus. “Elsewhere? It doesn't matter to me.”

Geoff stopped for a moment. He stared into Tony's eyes. “It matters to me. How else should I finally expunge the memory of that college dare other than with the spunk of the man I love.”

That settled it. He let himself get carried away, finally cumming in Geoff's mouth with a loud groan. His boyfriend was taken by surprise but recovered quickly enough to avoid spillages.

“Wow!” He came slowly back down to Earth.

“Was it OK?” An uncertain smile greeted him.

He smiled back. “Oh, yes.”