Home Away From Home - 9. Chapter 9

“This morning really flew. I haven’t even read one page of my book. I’m going to have to read a little before dinner.”

“What are you reading?”

“It’s one of my text books for next semester. I thought I’d get a little head start on it. There’s your mom waving us in.”

“Are you ready for lunch?”

“I’m not sure. Someone sunk my submarine and all my people are dead. Should we not have a memorial service?”

That did nothing else but start another round of laughter. Entering the kiosk, a waiter showed us to a table set for four. Looking out the window I saw Chet heading to the employee’s cafeteria. “Rita, would you mind if I invited Chet to have lunch with us?”

“No, not at all, go get him.”

“Come on Admiral, let’s get the swabby.”

We ran and caught Chet just as he was about to enter the cafeteria. “Chet, join us.”

We led him into the kiosk, Rita had already told the waiter there will be 5 of us. I had Chet sit between Anthony and myself. I introduced Chet to Tony, he already met Rita. “Rita, have you order drinks?”

“No, should we order our special?”

Looking at the bar and noticed he wasn’t busy, I headed in that direction. Before I got there, he had the ice crusher working, “How many?” I held up five fingers. “Go ahead, I’ll have Bernie bring them over.” So I went back and sat down and listen to Tony and Chet chatting.

While Tony and Chet were talking, I picked up an olive and dropped it into my glass of water. “What are you doing?”

“I’m sinking the sub, Rita.”

That started Rita laughing, when they looked at me I shook my shoulders, raised my eye brows, as if to say I haven’t the foggiest idea why she’s laughing.

Anthony looked at me knowing I did something. I tried to look innocent, it wasn’t working as I got a soft kick from Rita sitting next to me. That was when the waiter brought us our drinks and took our orders.

After he left, we told Tony and Anthony about our drinks. Chet thought they were too tart, Tony agreed but Rita and I had them before and like them as they were. It was two for and two said they needed doctored. So the tie breaker was Anthony. He sipped his, open his mouth and inhaled through his mouth. I knew that the cooling lime juice would cause a cooling effect in his mouth. “Do you want my honest opinion or my biased opinion?”

“Honest, always.”

“I can understand some may want a little sugar or sweetener, it’s a little tart. But the freshness in the mouth after drinking it, is a definite plus. I like it as it is.”

“I think we need a bigger panel. Carlo, order 5 more and then tell him split in into ten glasses.”

I didn’t even go to the bar, I stood up and held my hand up showing 5. He nodded and then I heard the ice crusher. I walked to the bar and told him to split it into a total of 10 glasses. When he had them ready he signaled, Tony and Anthony went to pick them up. He had ten people who agreed to the test. As he passed the drinks to the test panel, Anthony recorded their comments. For a while, it seemed we’d have another split decision. And then as they sipped and drew in their breathe, the count changed in our favor. At the end of 15 tests, there were 6 who wanted it sweeter and 9 who liked it as it was served. One woman asked what do you call this drink, Tony told them is was called an Icy Rita after his wife. I thought the poor woman was going to have a heart attack.

When I heard Tony tell the woman the name of the drink, I leaned over to Rita, “I guess Tony is going to need to thaw out the Icy Rita tonight.”

I waited for a few seconds while she realized what I said, and then she slapped me on my shoulder. Anthony looked at me, “Change places with me. You’re too dangerous next to my mom.”

As we got up to change places, I did something I would’ve never have done before, I kissed Anthony and then sat down in his seat. He just stood there for a moment, coming to the realization of what just happened. His mother saw his expression and had another laughing fit. It took Anthony about 10 seconds to realize what happened.

After lunch I took my book and went back to the room. The sun was hot and I wanted to read. As I walked into the cool room, I truly appreciated air conditioning. I must have been reading for about an hour when the door open and Anthony came in sweating profusely. “Why are you sweating so much?”

“I went to the gym and ran on the tread mill. I just have all of this energy today and needed to burn it off.”

“Why do you have so much energy or are you always hyper?”

“No, this is very unusual. I’m like jumpy. Can’t sit still. So I went to the gym and ran some of it off on the tread mill.”

“And now?”

“A shower followed by a massage.” I shook my head no. “Please.”

I put the book away, got up to get the massage board, leaned over and gave him a kiss and a swat on his ass. He smirked and ran into the bathroom. He was really getting to me.

When he was done showering and dry, he came out of the bathroom, without a towel. Climbed up on the massage table and gave out a sigh. I poured some oil on my hands and began the massage. As I worked his shoulder, “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

“I think it is easy to believe in love at first sight. But is it really love or infatuation. Some people want love so bad they internalize it to the extent that they talk themselves into it. But I do believe one can become attracted to someone quickly. Love, true love, takes time. When I’m ready to tell someone I truly love them I want them to understand it’s for a lifetime, but that’s me. Do you think you are in love with someone or in love with being in love?”

“I like you a lot.”

“I like you also a lot. But like and love are two different things. I could get to love you, but at this stage of our relationship, I don’t know enough about you and more important, you don’t know enough about me. I will tell you it’s my intent to know everything there is about you and I hope when I do, I’ll say I love you to you and it’ll be for a life time. Now are you fully confused?”

“I hear what you are saying, but why do I feel on the top of the world with you?”

“I’m the first gay person you have met that said I’m gay and likes you. Where you a closeted gay in high school?”

“Yes, does that make a difference?”
“Yes, it does. Think of a pressure cooker, all that steam represents all the repression of your feelings and then you meet someone who releases that pressure. How do you think that would deal with your emotions?”

“I don’t know, certainly relief from not hiding anymore. But Mom and Dad knew even before I realized I was gay. So there was some relief in them knowing and supporting me.”

“And now you have found someone close to your age who has not only provided relief, but has taken you into his life in a one on one basis. I’m not saying what you are feeling isn’t love, but if I were you, I’d want to pursue those feelings a little more, at least I want to. I need to make sure if we're together it’ll be for a lifetime. I definitely have feelings for you, I’m not denying that, nor my feelings. Here's what I see happening. We work on our feelings for the next two years and at the end of those two years, if we still feel like it’s love, we’ll make a lifetime commitment.”

“I’m ready to make that commitment now. I don’t understand why you aren’t.”

“Ok let me try it this way. I’m the first gay man who you have fallen for. You’ll be going to the university this fall and hopefully it will be the same as mine. But what if it isn’t, long range romances don't work. Now suppose you go to the same one as me, you’ll have your own group of friends, what happens if one of them takes a liking to you and you to them. You experiment, get sick, then what. Or you meet someone and fall in love with them, what happens then. I don’t want to see you hurt and I don’t want to be hurt either.”

“That could happen to you as well.”

“No, I don’t think it will. I have two years of college under my belt, I have not met anyone, I don’t have time or money to socialize. At the university, my nose is in books, like today. If I’m going to get ahead in this world, I need a solid head on my shoulders. If I was a social bug, then there could be a chance. Are you planning on joining a fraternity?”

“I haven’t thought about it. Would it make a difference?”

“Fraternities generally exist for social reasons. If you join a straight fraternity, you would be expected to prove your masculinity as well as your drinking ability. If it’s a gay fraternity, again you would need to prove you're gayness. It increases the possibility of finding someone else.”

“Suppose I don’t find or look for someone else. What then?”

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

He turned over and I could see tears in his eyes. I felt terrible, I hurt him with my words. I pulled him into my arms, kissed his forehead, “I’m sorry.”

“I know how I feel, I know who I am and I’m telling you right now I love you. You're funny, you're smart and you have my heart.”

“How do you know all of this in 1 and 1/2 days? Aren”t you afraid of being hurt, I know I am.”

“Before you were hired, my mom had a firm investigate you, your background, medical, tests result even your ancestors. But you weren’t the only one. There were a total of 12 boys selected from different universities. Every one was investigated, records examined, indirect interviews conducted until a profile was made. I read those profiles, my mother doesn’t know that I know about this or that I read the profiles. Some of the twelve came from very wealthy families, some had medical problems, caused by behavior when they were in high school. Of all the 12 boys, your profile stood out. Smart, excellent health and most of all a lot of common sense. When I read your profile, I fell in love with a profile, without even seeing you and after I met you, I was so excited you saw the result. Carlo, you may not love me yet, but believe me, I love you now.”

This was a lot for me to digest. I wasn’t sure how I felt. I knew some of it, Rita told me I was picked and Chet was involved. But 12 guys investigated and then Anthony reading them. I knew I needed to see my file. But what to do about Anthony? He certainly knows enough about me to make a decision but do I know enough about him. If I let myself fall in love with him will I get hurt. Is that what I am afraid of, me being hurt? It won’t be the first time I thought I loved someone only to find out they were using me. Never sexually, but Carlo has a car, Carlo can get this or that, Carlo can loan you money, invite Carlo maybe he’ll bring his sexy cousins. Yes, those rejections hurt. Is that the reason I want to wait? I’m very happy being with Anthony, he’s smart and funny. Those thoughts kept running through my head as I continued to hold Anthony while kissing his head. Someone once said, if you don’t try, you will never know.

Just then the phone rang, 30 minutes till dinner. “That was your mom, or should I say our mom, telling us to get out of bed and get dressed for dinner. You get dressed while I take a quick shower.” I saw the look in his eyes when I said our mom. There has a different look of happiness and of course love. Maybe I’ll be wrong but then I could be right.

I took a quick shower and dressed for dinner. When I was putting my shoes on, Tony knocked on the door. Anthony opened the door, “My submarine is trying to load his feet.”

His dad just shook his head and laughed as walked to get Rita. By this time I was finished and started to chase Anthony. We met up with his folks just outside of the restaurant. Rita not missing a trick looking at Anthony, “What’s the problem? Have you been crying?”

Anthony looked at me, “These are tears of happiness. Carlo and I had a very good talk. I'm very happy right now. I think, I may be able to resurface my submarine.”

When I heard that, I started to laugh. Soon Anthony was laughing as well. Rita looked at both of us. “Come on Mom, Dad is indicating that our table is waiting.” After saying that, I looked at my boyfriend and he couldn't smile any more. It took Rita about three minutes before it registered that I called her mom. By this time we were ready to sit down. She grabbed me and gave me a kiss on my cheek.

Anthony stood up and pulled me away, “You got your own, let mine go.”

I thought that the laughs that followed were any indication of what my life is going to be like with this family I better thicken my hide a little. Anthony set next to me and held my hand under the table. “Anthony, I’m right handed, I eat with my right hand.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll feed you.”

That just caused more laughs. Some of the people around us were a little annoyed. One group of ladies even asked the waiter to tell us we were making a disturbance. That sobered us up a little, just a little. We ordered our dinner while Anthony explained what he meant about resurfacing the submarine. We talked about our relationship and how we got there, I explained my fears and the temptations of college life and I didn’t want Anthony to miss out on anything that he'd regret later on. As we talked, it became obvious to me that Anthony was not the type of person who rushed into something. He put a lot of thought, although I now knew where he got his research, into his decisions. By dessert time, Rita and Tony were glad for their son and were glad that everything was good between Anthony and me.