Christmases I’ll Always Remember - 1. Chapter 1: Christmases I’ll Always Remember

Part 1: Kelin

“You look lonely,” one of the other partygoers said. “Didn’t you come with anyone?”

It was early September and the fraternity was holding this little get together after the homecoming football game.

“I guess you could say I did and I didn’t. I know that’s a strange answer, but it’s accurate. I was invited to this party by a one of my friends who’s a member of this fraternity. He invited a couple of others as well and we all came as a group, but the other guys all have dates and don’t need me hanging around with them.”

“In that case, would you like some company?”

He was a good-looking guy, with sexy brown eyes, wavy black hair, and lips that longed to be kissed. Since he had approached me, I thought I could safely assume he was also gay, so I decided to take him up on his offer.

“Sure, I’m Daniel Feeney.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Daniel, and I’m Kelin Rattler. I don’t belong to this fraternity either, but I know a couple of guys that do and they urged me to come to the party. They said I’d have a good time, but I’m not.”

“I know how you feel, because I’m not having any fun either. It’s nice to meet you as well, but I have a question for you. Seeing your last name is Rattler, does it mean that I have to watch out for your bite?”

He laughed. “You might have to watch out for the bite of some of my relatives, but I’m safe to be around.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“What year are you in and what’s your major? I’m a junior majoring in Bio-Tech.

“I’m a junior as well, but I’m majoring in communications with a public relations concentration.”

“Interesting, but what are you planning to do with a degree in that?”

“That depends on several factors. So far I’ve learned how to write press releases and answer questions at a press conference, as well as how to issue statements when responding to difficult situations and dealing with journalists, and much more. It means that when I graduate I’ll be able to look for a job as a public relations professional in any number of different fields. I might end up working for a giant corporation, or possibly I’ll get a job with a politician or a political group. I could also be hired by a law enforcement agency, work for a university, or represent a professional sports team. So, as you can see, my options will be unlimited.”

“Does it pay well?”

“Fairly well, but it will depend in which of those areas I get hired. What do you plan to do with a bio-tech degree?”

“I’m really interested in DNA and would like to get a job working in that field.”

“It sounds intriguing, but I’m a little surprised that we haven’t run into each other before this, seeing we’re both juniors.”

“It’s a large campus and we have different majors, but I’ve noticed you hanging around before.”

“You have?”

“Yes, I have, but you were always with someone else at the time and I wasn’t sure if that person might be your boyfriend.”

“It was probably just one of my friends. I haven’t had a boyfriend in a couple of years.”

“I wish I’d known that. Do you want to stay here or would you like to go somewhere else?”

“Seeing my friends have all abandoned me, I was thinking about leaving here anyway, so what do you have in mind?”

“If you’re hungry, we can go somewhere and grab a bite to eat, or we can just walk around campus and talk.”

“I’m a little hungry, so what if we go to Taco Bell? It’s not far from here and we can easily walk there?”

“Sure, that sounds good to me too.”

We chatted as we walked and eventually the conversation turned to when we knew we were gay and when we came out.

“I knew I wasn’t interested in girls ever since I first started school,” I began. “I was more interested in being able to see the other boys without their clothes on.”

“Yes, I guess that might give you a hint that you were gay.”

“Yeah, and I got my chance to do that when I was in third grade. My parents enrolled me in an after school swimming program at the Boys and Girls Club, and since I couldn’t very well wear my swimsuit under my clothes all day long, I had to change there. I would put a towel and my swimsuit in my backpack in the morning and take them with me, and as soon as school ended for the day, I’d race there so I’d be able to see all of the other boys change.”

“But at that age I think all boys are all kind of curious about those things.”

“Maybe, but I never outgrew it. Even when I got older I was still wondering what the other boys would look like naked, but at the same time most of them were becoming interested in girls.”

“Yeah, I was pretty much the same way, but I did it a little different than you. I’d invite the other boys over to my house to play, or I’d go to their house instead, and I’d always find a way to get them to play Truth or Dare with me. One of my favorite dares was to challenge them to get naked, and because I could only do that to one of them at a time, it took a little while before I got to see all of my friends naked.”

“Did they ever dare you to do the same thing?”

“Yes, one of them would occasionally challenge me to do it too, so they all got to see me naked as well, but that didn’t bother me. I liked it when they looked at me while I was naked, and it was even better when they made comments about my body. I was bummed out when they outgrew doing that, and then I had to find another way to get to see them naked.”

“What did you do?”

“Well, when we got older and we were all going through puberty, we started asking each other if we jerked off, and then one day someone suggested that we should do it together.”

“Were you the one who suggested doing that?”

“No, actually it was one of the other boys. He’d heard that some of the older guys were doing that, so he thought we should do it too.”

“I bet that must have made you happy.”

“Yes, it did. So when did you come out?”

“I was kind of outed in middle school, because I was always doing whatever it took to see the other guy’s dicks when we were going to the toilet. I got caught checking them out a couple of times, and that’s when some of the other guys started calling me gay and a fag, but I didn’t come out to my family until my final year in high school.”

“I came out in my freshman year. I would have done it earlier, but I was afraid that if I did then my friends might not want to jerk off with me any longer. For the most part, though, I didn’t have any problems when I did come out.”

“You’re lucky. I got picked on pretty bad at times after I was outed, but it helped me get my first boyfriend. He heard what the others were saying about me, and since he was gay too, he started inviting me to come to his house after school or on the weekend and we’d mess around.”

“Didn’t they pick on him as well after they found out he was inviting you to spend time with him?”

“No, because he’d invite me when no one else was around, and since he lived out in the country, I’d ride my bike there and no one ever saw me doing that.”

“That worked out, so it wasn’t all bad for you then.”

“No, a few good things came out of it.”

We wanted to finish our conversation before we entered Taco Bell, so we’d been standing on the sidewalk in front of the building for a while before we finally entered. After we ordered, we sat at a table that was well away from everyone else and then we continued our conversation.

“How did your parents take it when you finally told them?”

“They said they’d suspected I was gay for a few years, since I hadn’t been talking about any girls and never had a girlfriend, but they were pretty cool about it. My mom was just upset because she knew I wouldn’t be giving her any grandkids.”

“Yeah, my mom had a problem with that as well, but she said she didn’t mind, as long as I was happy. My dad was just bothered by the fact that I didn’t enjoy very many of the same things he did, so we didn’t have a lot in common. He eventually said he didn’t mind that we didn’t have a lot in common, as long as I was happy and found things that I enjoyed doing.”

“That’s good. At least they let you know that they were concerned and supportive.”

“Yeah, and they also agreed to pay for my college education. If they were upset about me being gay, then they might not have done that.”

“I’m glad to hear they’re doing that for you as well, and my parents are also paying for my college education.”

During our conversation, we discovered that we had a great deal in common, and despite the fact that I’d only known him for a couple of hours, I felt incredibly close to him already. I hoped it meant that this wouldn’t be the only time we’d be getting together. .

We finished eating in between talking, so we decided it was time to leave Taco Bell.

“Would you be interested in coming back to my room with me so we can talk some more?” he asked.

“Yeah, that sounds good to me, so let’s do it.”

A smile broke across his face when he heard my answer, and then he held my hand in his as we made our way to his dorm. When we got there, he led me up to his room and opened the door for me to enter.

“Oh, you don’t have a roommate,” I blurted out when I entered and only noticed one bed.

“Yeah, I’m in a single room this year,” he responded, and then he sat down on the bed and patted the mattress next to him to let me know he wanted me to sit next to him.

I hesitated briefly, because I wanted to think about this for a few seconds first. I’d initially expected that he’d have a roommate, so I felt it would be fairly safe to go there, but eventually I sat down on his bed beside him and we continued to chat. A short time later, he leaned into me and gently placed his hand on the side of my face so he could turn it toward his. He then placed his mouth over mine and ran his tongue over my lips, so I opened my mouth and accepted his attention.

We only kissed for a couple of minutes, and then he waited for me to make the next move, but I wasn’t certain I was ready to do that. We’d only met earlier that evening and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go further, but I also worried about how he was going to react if I failed to respond. I must have looked like a deer caught in headlights at that point, because I didn’t speak or react, so he took the impetus and spoke instead.

“I apologize if I’m moving too quickly for you, but I’ve really enjoyed your company tonight and thought you felt the same way.”

“I’ve enjoyed spending time with you as well, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to do more yet. I’ve made some hasty decisions in the past after being attracted to a cute guy and rushed into relationships that didn’t work out. It took a while, but I eventually discovered they weren’t as attractive on the inside as they were on the exterior. They turned out to be inconsiderate, domineering, and deceitful, but the worst part about it was that it was much more difficult to get out of the relationship than it was to get into it. For that reason, I don’t want to move too quickly and rush into another relationship, because I don’t want to risk repeating the same mistakes. I think it would be best if we take our time and get to know one another better first, before we do more.”

“Ok and I don’t have a problem with that, but will you at least give me your cell number?”

 

“Sure! I’ll give you my phone so you can enter your number into it, and you can give me your phone and I’ll do the same. Ok?’

“Sure, that will be perfect.”

“But only call me at night or on the weekend, because I usually turn my phone off while I’m in class.”

“That’s not a problem.”

When he handed me his phone, it turned off before I had a chance to enter my number. “What happened?” I asked puzzled.

“Damn, it probably needs to be charged again,” he said. “Let me plug it in and turn it on, and then you’ll be able to enter your number for me.”

“Does this happen often?”

“Yeah, unfortunately it does. I guess I use my phone to do too many other things, so the battery is constantly dying before I get a chance to charge it again.”

Now that he’d fixed the problem for me, we both entered our phone numbers and were given our own phones back again. I decided it was time to call it a night, so after I thanked him for keeping me from dying of boredom at the party, I gave him a quick kiss and prepared to head back to my dorm room. He offered to walk me there, but I told him I knew the way and I’d be fine. However, after seeing the disappointed look on his face, I wondered if I’d ever hear from him again.

I kept myself busy over the next few days and didn’t even think about him again, so it’s probably why I was surprised when my cell phone rang on Wednesday and I discovered it was Kelin calling.

“Dan, there’s a new movie coming out this weekend that I want to see and I was wondering if you’d like to go with me.”

“I don’t know. What movie is it?”

He explained all of the details to me, including the various times it was being shown, and after he finished I agreed to join him. I could tell from the upbeat tone in his voice that this made him happy, and then he suggested he would meet me at my dorm and we could walk together to the dining hall first. He added that after we ate we could take the campus shuttle to the cinema complex and catch one of the later shows, which was fine with me.

Fortunately, the college offers a shuttle service that makes stops at several different locations that students are known to frequent, and this included the cinema complex. So, on Saturday I met him out in front of my dorm and we walked together to the dining hall. We chatted about a bunch of different things on the way there and as we ate, and when we finished we took the shuttle to get to the cinema complex.

Kelin offered to purchase both of our tickets, but I insisted that we each pay for our own. I didn’t want him to think that I was taking advantage of him, and I also didn’t want him to believe that I owed him in other ways later. However, he did buy a large bucket of popcorn for us to share, along with two drinks, and I accepted the drink that he handed to me.

During the movie, our hands would occasionally come into contact when we both reached into the popcorn bucket at the same moment. A couple of those times we allowed them to remain in contact for a few moments before we each grabbed a few kernels of popcorn and lifted them toward our mouths. This temporary contact seemed to distract our attention from the movie briefly, because I know it did mine, but then we’d turn our attention back to the screen and watch the action. However, I found these momentary interludes to be quite romantic.

When the movie ended, we took the shuttle back to campus, and then we merely walked around for a while holding hands. Rather than going directly to either of our dorms, we found a quiet spot on the grass, under a tree, and sat down to discuss the movie. As soon as the discussion ended, Kelin kissed me again and I responded to his attention without hesitation. We spent quite a few minutes making out, and this time I wasn’t worried about it going further. We were outdoors where others could see what we were doing, and when we decided to call it a night, he walked me back to my dorm before heading back to his own room.

Even though I spent most of Sunday studying, every now and then thoughts of Kelin would creep into my brain. He was slowly getting to me, because he wasn’t like any of the other guys that I’d dated before. He was willing to consider my feelings and he listened to what I had to say. I knew I was beginning to fall in love with him.

Kelin surprised me yet again when my phone rang on Tuesday evening and his name popped up on the screen.

“Hello.”

“Dan, I called to see if you’d like to go out to dinner with me on Saturday at TGI Fridays. It’s located at the mall, so we can take the shuttle there, and if you’re willing to join me, I want you to know in advance that this time I’m paying for everything.”

I was kind of taken aback and didn’t say anything right away, and then the call suddenly ended. This made me wonder if he’d taken my hesitance as a negative response and hung up, so I attempted to call him back, but my call went to voicemail. I left a message and tried to explain why I’d hesitated when my phone rang again.

“Hello.”

“Sorry about that, but it seems I forgot to charge my phone again,” he said apologetically. “I was walking back to my dorm after my last class when I decided to call you, so I had to hurry and get to my room so I could hook up the charger and call you back.”

“Oh, ok. I thought you were upset that I didn’t answer right away.”

“No, my phone just went dead.”

“Ok, I’ll go to dinner with you, but I can afford to pay for my own meal.”

“No, this time I’m paying for everything. Just consider it a date. Ok?”

I thought about this quickly. “Uh, ok. I guess it will be all right.”

He then told me what time he’d pick me up at my dorm, and then he added one final comment. “Love ya, babe, and I’ll see you then.”

He loves me? I was still undecided. Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, I wasn’t totally convinced about him yet. I wondered if he’d merely been putting up a good front to pull me closer, and then as soon as I gave in he’d suddenly show his true nature. I wasn’t convinced about this and didn’t want to get fooled again, but so far he was unlike any of the other guys that I’d dated before, so maybe this was truly the way he was. I certainly didn’t want to hold him at arm’s length so long that he decided I wasn’t worth the effort and moved on, so what was I to do?

I found it difficult to concentrate in my classes or on my studies during the remainder of the week, because all I could think about was Kelin. I was becoming obsessed with thoughts of him and having difficulty sorting out my true feelings. Was I in love with him as well, or was I merely infatuated? I had to figure this out and do it quickly.

I was glad when my last class ended for the week, and when I woke up on Saturday morning, my first thought was about Kelin and our date. I felt like a teenage girl who is totally enamored with her first crush or a teen idol and spent hours constantly thinking about him, but my idol is real and I’ll be having dinner with him later.

I showered and changed well in advance, and then I attempted to study for a while. Needless to say, my effort was feeble and I wasn’t able to concentrate on anything other than Kelin for the rest of the afternoon, so I eventually gave up and walked down to the lobby and waited for him to arrive. When I noticed he was walking down the sidewalk and heading toward my dorm, I went out to meet him. After we greeted each other, we walked over to catch the shuttle to the mall, and then we walked the short distance from where the shuttle had dropped us off to get to TGI Fridays.

We didn’t have too long to wait before we were seated at a table, and while I was looking at the menu, Kelin spoke. “I’m going to order the Surf ‘N’ Whiskey Turf, and I suggest you do the same. I’ve had it before and it’s really good.”

I quickly glanced at the menu again to see what it included and discovered it wasn’t exactly a traditional surf and turf meal. Instead of consisting of filet mignon and lobster tail, this one had a sirloin steak and fried shrimp, but I agreed to give it a try. Kelin seemed pleased and also ordered Mozzarella Sticks as an appetizer for us to share, and then we both ordered a drink.

The Mozzarella Sticks were wonderful way to begin the meal, and I was glad that I’d followed Kelin’s suggestion about the entrée as well, because the Surf ‘N’ Whiskey Turf was very good. When we finished eating those items, Kelin asked another question.

“What would you like for dessert? We can share a slice of Carlo’s Rainbow Cake, or have the Brownie Obsession, or we could go with the Cinnabon Caramel Pecan Cheesecake.”

“I’m really quite full, so I’ll pass on dessert.”

“Oh, common, we’re going to share it and it won’t be that much, so which one would you prefer?”

“They all sound good, so order the one you prefer.”

“The Rainbow Cake looks interesting, but it might be a little too gay, so it’s between the brownie and the cheesecake. Which one sounds better to you?”

“Ok, order the cheesecake then.”

He did, and I was planning on only taking a couple of bites and then stopping, but it was so good that I ended up eating half of it with him.

“I’m glad to see you found enough room to join me with this, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat it all,” Kelin teased.

He then paid the bill and we left the restaurant, but we had to wait a while before the shuttle arrived. When we got back to the campus, he asked another question.

“It’s too cold to hang around outside, so are you willing to come back to my room with me?”

“Sure, we can do that, and I had a wonderful time tonight.”

“I’m glad, but it’s not over yet.”

I was wondering what he meant by this comment and considered that he might try to take advantage of the situation once we got to his room. I began to question if it was wise to go to his dorm with him, but once we got there, I discovered what he had in mind.

“I bought a bottle of wine earlier in the week, so will you join me for a drink?”

I immediately began to wonder if he was hoping to get me drunk so he could take advantage of the situation, but I quickly determined that wasn’t the case. I realized I had a full stomach and I’d merely be having two or three glasses of wine, which wasn’t nearly enough to get me drunk.

“Sure, that sounds good. What kind is it?”

“It’s a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.”

“It sounds great, because I’ve had that wine before at home. I snuck it from a bottle that my mom had opened but hadn’t finished.”

“I’m grad you approve.”

As we drank the wine, I told him how much I’d enjoyed the meal and the evening, and then he moved closer so he could kiss me. I was glad he did, because I wanted to kiss him as well, and then we spent the next couple of hours making out and polishing off the bottle of wine.

I was slightly surprised that he didn’t try to go further or attempt to convince me to spend the night, but he didn’t try either of those things. Even thought he might have been hoping that I would make those suggestions, he was obviously willing to wait for me to let him know when I was ready to go further. I appreciated his patience and understanding, since I wanted to be convinced that he was definitely the one before I did either of those things.

“It’s getting late, so I’d better head back to my room,” I said.

“Are you sure? You can stay here if you want.”

“Not this time, but I appreciate the offer. I was planning on getting up early tomorrow, because I have a lot of studying to do.”

“Ok, if you’re sure, then I’ll walk you back to your dorm.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can make it there on my own.”

“I picked you up at your dorm earlier and I want to take you back there as well. Ok?”

“Sure, if you insist.”

I was intrigued that he wasn’t trying to talk me into staying there and spending the night with him instead and was honoring my wishes. After walking me back to my dorm, he kissed me one final time before I went inside, and then I watched as he headed back to his dorm until he disappeared from sight.

 

 

Part 2: The Holidays and Beyond

A couple of weeks later, Kelin invited me to go to dinner and a movie with him and I agreed, but only if he allowed me to pay my way for both. I didn’t want him to continue paying for everything, because I thought he’d eventually feel I owed him something in return. He accepted my condition, although he did take a moment to let me know that he didn’t mind paying for everything, and then we agreed on a time when we’d leave to take the shuttle.

We went to TGI Fridays again, because we’d enjoyed it so much when we went there before. After looking at the menu, Kelin asked me a question.

“Do you know what you’re going to have?”

“Yes, I think I’ll go with Fridays Signature Whiskey-Glaze Chicken this time.”

“Ok, and I’m going to order the Crispy Whiskey Combo, and I’ll order the Mozzarella Sticks as an appetizer again, if you don’t mind sharing them with me. Do you?”

“No, I’ll do that if you want.”

“Good,” he replied triumphantly.

After we placed our orders, he asked me another question.

“Do you know what you’re going to do for Thanksgiving?”

“Yes, my parents are coming to pick me up on Wednesday night so I can spend the holiday with them. What are you doing?”

“My parents are going to pick me up on Wednesday as well.”

“I’m glad that you’re going to spend the holiday with your family. It’s a good thing neither of us lives very far away from campus so our parents will be able to pick us up, even though we live in opposite directions from here.”

“Yes, I’m glad that neither of us will be alone for Thanksgiving, but I was going to invite you to come home with me, if you weren’t going to be with your family.”

“Thank you, and that’s very sweet of you. I probably would have made the same offer to you, if I knew you were going to be here alone.”

To tell the truth, I’m not sure if I would have actually thought about doing that, but now that he’d mentioned it, I would have invited him to join my family if I’d thought of it.

My dad drove to campus to pick me up after he got out of work on Wednesday, and I imagine Kelin’s dad did the same thing, but we live in different dorms, so I didn’t happen to see him leave. On the other hand, I was surprised to see my dad was alone.

“Where’s mom?”

“She chose to stay home so she could get a head start on preparing Thanksgiving dinner. There’s a lot to do in order to get the turkey and everything else ready, and she’ll put the turkey in the oven very early tomorrow morning.”

“I didn’t know that, but it makes sense.”

“So how have you been doing? Are you having any problems in any of your classes?”

  

“No, I’ve been doing fine, but all hell’s going to break loose when I get back.”

“Why’s that?”

“It’s because I’ll have two papers to write and an oral presentation to prepare when I get back, as well as studying for finals. We’ll be taking those a couple of weeks after we return from Thanksgiving break so they’ll be done before we leave for Christmas break.”

“Yes, that does sound as if it’s going to be rough on you, so rest up while your home so you’re ready to do your best when you return to campus.”

“Yeah, that’s what I plan on doing.”

I actually had a very nice Thanksgiving, and in addition to spending time with my parents, both sets of grandparents arrived early the next day to join us. My mom’s parents almost always join us, because they don’t live very far away, but I was a little surprised when my dad’s parents arrived. They live in another state and usually have Thanksgiving with my dad’s brother, who lives much closer to them. In fact, I believe this is the first time they’d been here for the holiday since I was in my early teens.

“I’m glad you came this year,” I greeted them when they arrived. “How was your trip?”

“It was fine,” Grandpa Feeney answered. “We actually arrived last night, but we chose to stay at a motel near the airport since I didn’t want to drive here in the dark.”

“I’m just glad you came to join us this year.”

Of course, my grandparents all quizzed me about how I was doing at college and if I’d made any new friends. I told them I was enjoying college and doing well, and I also told them it was nothing like high school and much more difficult. I then explained what I’d be doing when I returned to campus, and they all wished me good luck on the assignments I still had to complete, as well as on my final exams.

After we finished talking about those things, I told them that I’d made a few new friends, but I didn’t mention Kelin by name. I also didn’t tell them that we’d gone out a couple of times, because I wanted to be certain if a relationship was going to work out first, before I did that.

We had a very enjoyable meal together and then visited for a little while longer. However, my dad and both grandfathers watched the Dallas and Detroit NFL games as well, but they joined us for dessert during halftime of the second game. When that game ended, my mom’s parents went home, but they made sure to let us know that they’d be returning the following day. My dad’s parents were going to stay with us until their flight left on Saturday and they’d sleep in the guest room.

My dad’s parents insisted that they take us out for breakfast on Friday morning, and then we spent some time alone with them before my mom’s parents arrived. After we all had lunch together, my dad and both grandfathers went in to watch the LSU-Arkansas college football game, and when it ended we all sat down and had Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner. We had turkey sandwiches this time, and my mom gave everyone a choice of having a hot or cold sandwich. My mom’s mother also brought a large bowl of her homemade macaroni and cheese to go with the other leftovers, and my mom prepared a large dish of butternut squash to pass around. It was all very good.

Later, after we’d finished off the leftover pies, cheesecake, and other sweets for dessert, my mom’s parents said goodnight to everyone and returned home again. My dad’s parents would be spending one more night with us, and then they’d leave for the airport after we all had breakfast together in the morning. It had been a wonderful holiday with my family.

My parents drove me back to campus on Sunday, but they didn’t stay for very long. They wanted to return home so they could get ready for work the next day, and I wanted to get started on the various things I had to do before the semester ended.

I was busy working on my oral presentation when Kelin called.

“Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?” he asked.

“Yes, it was very nice. How was your Thanksgiving?”

“It was good, but I’m glad to be back here, because I really missed you. Did you miss me?”

“Yeah, I did, but I was really too busy to think about very much, since both sets of grandparents were with us as well. I hadn’t seen my dad’s parents in years, so I spent quite a bit of time with them.”

“Oh, I’m sure that was nice,” he responded, although I detected a hint of disappointment in the way he’d said it. “I was only with my mom and dad, but we talked to all of my grandparents on Thanksgiving Day, because they all live in different states than we do. We used to spend Thanksgiving with one set of grandparents or the other every year, but it’s really difficult to do it now that I’m in college, so we just have a video-chat with them instead.”

“I’m sorry that you couldn’t all be together like we were.”

“It’s ok, because I’d rather spend my time with you. Do you think we can spend some time together before Christmas break?”

“I’m sure we can, but it won’t be for very long because I have a great deal to do. Aren’t you going to be really busy as well?”

“Yeah, but I can still make time for you.”

“And I’ll make some time to spend with you as well, but like I said, it probably won’t be very long.” I then told him the same things I’d told my parents and grandparents about all of the things I had to do. “I hope that will be all right with you, and then we can spend more time together when we get back in January.”

“Yeah, I can live with that, as long as you can find time to celebrate Christmas with me before the semester ends. I’d like to have dinner with you and spend some time alone in my room before you leave to go home.”

I thought about this quickly. “Will you settle for dinner at the dining hall, or do we have to go to a restaurant?”

“I really want to take you out for dinner. Do you think you can make that much time for me?”

“Ok, I’m willing to do it on Saturday night before finals weeks. Will that be ok?”

“Yes, it will be fine, but I want to pay for everything and then you have to come back to my room afterward so I can give you your Christmas present.”

“Kelin, I can pay for my own meal and you don’t have to give me anything for Christmas.”

“Please, it’s really important to me that I pay for everything and you let me give you a Christmas present.”

“Let me think about it and I’ll call you in a few days to let you know what I decide.”

“Ok. I love you and this is really important to me, so I hope you’ll let me do those things for you. I promise you won’t regret it.”

After the call ended, I spent a few seconds thinking about what he’d just said. First of all, he told me that he loved me again, but was it just part of a set up? Did he just say it so I’d be more likely to give in to his request? I also wondered if the term ‘Christmas present’ was merely a euphemism for having sex. Did he think that if he paid for my meal again and gave me a present that I’d feel I owed him and would finally give in?

To tell you the truth that was my first impression, but it was before I considered some of the other things he said. He repeated that it was really important to him, and then he promised I wouldn’t regret it. If he was merely using this as a ploy just to get me to have sex with him, or possibly even forcing me into doing it, then I’m certain I’d regret giving in when I thought about it later. Was I being too suspicious and relying on my past experiences too much and not giving him a fair chance? Was I about to pass up a chance to find true happiness by not doing this? I had to consider it further.

I finally made up my mind and called him back on Tuesday. “Ok, I’ve decided to let you pay for everything, if that’s what you want to do, and I’ll go to your room with you afterward.”

“Thank you and you won’t be sorry. I’ll meet you at your dorm at 6:00 and it will be a wonderful evening for both of us.”

That didn’t sound as if he was planning to force or talk me into having sex with him, because if he did then it wouldn’t exactly be a wonderful evening, at least not for me. Maybe he truly meant what he was saying, so if he had a Christmas present for me, then I’d have to get something for him. I didn’t have much time to think about it and pick it up, so I had to figure something out quickly, but for now I had to get back to studying for finals.

When I woke up on the Saturday before finals, I spent a great deal of time primping for my ‘date’. I spent a lot of time choosing the clothes I was going to wear, and then I went to brush my teeth and take a shower. When I got back to my room, I spent even more time making sure my hair was just right, and then I got dressed and walked down to the lobby to meet him.

Kelin arrived promptly at 6:00 and he gave me a big hug and a kiss before we walked over to catch the shuttle. When we arrived at TGI Fridays, Kelin told the hostess his name, because this time he had made a reservation in advance, and we were seated quite quickly. After I picked up the menu and had perused it briefly, Kelin made a comment.

“I’m going to have the Surf ‘N’ Whiskey Turf again. What are you going to have?”

“Actually, that sounds good to me too.”

“Great, and do you want me to order the Mozzarella Sticks again, or would you prefer trying the Loaded Potato Skins or Fridays Signature Whiskey-Glaze Sesame Chicken Nuggets this time.”

“Let’s just have the Mozzarella Sticks again, since the meal is very filling.”

“Ok, that sounds good to me.”

The meal was just as wonderful as the first time we had it, and after we finished eating, Kelin asked another question.

“Which dessert do you want to share with me, the Brownie Obsession, the Toffee Caramel Molten Cake, or the Cinnabon Caramel Pecan Cheesecake again?”

“Let’s try the Brownie Obsession this time.”

“Great, I was kind of hoping you’d say that.”

After we finished the dessert, Kelin paid the bill and we left. While we were waiting for the shuttle to arrive, I looked at him and spoke.

“Thank you, I had a wonderful time. The meal was excellent, the dessert quite tasty, and the company fantastic.”

“And the evening isn’t over yet and I can’t wait to give you your present.”

I knew he wanted to give me a present, but the way he’d said it I thought he had more in mind than just that, and for some reason I was having difficulty getting past this issue. Once again, I wondered if he was expecting to talk me into or forcing me to have sex with him, or did he have something else in mind?

We took the shuttle back to campus, but before we went to his room, I told him I had to run up to my room to get something. I believe he was mildly confused about this, but he did as I asked. He looked at me oddly when I returned carrying my backpack.

“What do you need that for? I hope you’re not planning on studying when we get to my room.”

“No, but there are a few things inside that I felt I might need for later.”

I’m not sure if my response reassured him in any way, but we walked over to his dorm and went up to his room. Shortly after we arrived, he told me to take a seat on his bed as he went to get something off his desk. I thought he was going to come back with the present he had for me, but he returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses instead.

“Have you ever had Pinot Grigio before?” he asked as he held up the bottle of wine. This might be the answer to the question I wanted to ask earlier concerning what he meant when he said the evening wasn’t over yet.

“No, I haven’t,” I confirmed.

“I think you’re going to like it and I believe it will go nicely with what we had to eat.”

“Why do you know so much about wine?”

“My mom belongs to a wine club and tries a lot of different wines. I always take a little when she’s not looking to see which ones I like.”

“Well, I’m sure that if you like it then I’ll like it too, because we seem to enjoy many of the same things.”

As we sipped the wine, we talked. “What do you think of this wine?” he asked.

“I like it as much as I liked the other bottle of wine we shared.”

“Which do you like better, this wine or the Cabernet Sauvignon?”

“Actually, I like them both. It’s just hard to say which one I like better, since it’s been quite a while since we had the other one.”

“Ok, I was just curious.”

When we finished drinking the wine, I leaned into him and gave him a kiss. “Thank you, I’ve had a very lovely evening and the meal and wine were both terrific.”

“And it’s still not over.”

Shortly after saying that, he got up to retrieve something else from his desk, and when he returned he was carrying a small package wrapped in Christmas paper.

“Merry Christmas and I hope that you like this,” he said as he handed the package to me.

“Thank you, but I need to get something out of my backpack first.”

I then reached in and retrieved the present that I purchased for him, and I had it gift wrapped at the mall.

“Thank you, but when did you have time to buy this? From your reaction from when I first told you that I had a present I wanted to give you, I got the impression that you didn’t have a present for me.”

“I didn’t, because I wasn’t expecting you to get something for me, but after you mentioned you had a present for me, I took the shuttle one day and went to buy something for you. I’m hoping you’re going to like this as well.”

He wanted me to open his gift first, so I did as he asked. Once I’d removed the wrapping paper, I opened the small box and looked inside. It contained a gold chain with a single pendant dangling from the center, a golden feather.

“I’m sure you spent waaay too much on this,” I gasped.

“Not really, and I know it will look perfect on you. Let me help you put it on.”

“It’s gorgeous. Does the feather have any special significance?”

“Yes, it does. I was told it can either represent strength and growth or hope and freedom.”

“Interesting, and I really like it, but I still say you spent too much on it.”

“Quit worry about what it cost and just enjoy it.”

“Ok, but now I’m not sure if I want you to open the gift I got for you.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” he said as he began to unwrap the present I gave him. When he saw what it was, he laughed.

“This is perfect and I can really use it.”

I’d bought him a portable charger and power bank, hoping he could use it to keep his phone charged. When he went to kiss me as a thank you, I held him there and gave him a very passionate kiss.

“I owe you an apology,” I said after the kiss ended. “I’ve treated you unfairly and projected the actions of the previous guys I’d been with on you. I never really gave you a chance to show me who you truly are, and now I’m ready to correct that situation.”

“I’ve never thought you were treating me unfairly. Sure, you were being cautious because you didn’t want to get hurt again, but I thought you were merely being wise, not unfair.”

“You certainly aren’t like the other guys I’ve dated and I think it’s time to reward you for being such a great guy. You can also consider it another Christmas present.”

I kissed him again, and at the same time I began running my hands all over his body. He caught on quickly and started doing the same thing to me, but he wasn’t being overly aggressive and merely tried to follow my lead, so I decided to take it up a notch. I slowly lifted the bottom of his shirt and worked it up his chest, so this forced us to break the kiss briefly as he lifted his arms so I could remove it, and then we started kissing again. At the same time, he began to lift the bottom of my shirt, so I pulled back long enough to allow him to slide it over my head. Now we were both naked from the waist up.

As we continued to kiss, I began to unfasten his pants, and as soon as they came undone, I lowered the zipper. I intended this would let him know that I was willing to do more, but in order to be certain that he got the message I rubbed his penis through his underwear. This caused him to moan into my mouth, and it also led me to believe that he was enjoying my actions and possibly ready to go further. Without hesitating, I immediately began to tug on has pants and underwear to see if he’d allow me to pull them down, and I received my answer when he lifted his hips off the bed.

After I’d pulled both down so they were below his knees, I started kissing him again, but I eventually moved down so I could also kiss his neck, which elicited another moan from him. His hands were busy roaming all over my bare skin as I started to manipulate his penis with my hand. It was almost as if I’d flipped a switch, because he hurriedly began to unfasten and unzip my pants so he could do the same thing. When he started to lower my pants, I stood up so he could remove them completely, and I also hurriedly kicked off my shoes to he could take my pants and underwear completely off. As soon as I was totally naked, he kicked off his shoes so I could do the same thing to him, and we were both totally naked as we got back on his bed. At that moment, I bent down so I could perform oral sex on him, but he stopped me.

“Hold on and let’s 69 instead.”

I was happy to go along with his request, so we took up positions next to each other, head to foot, and then we performed oral sex until we’d each ejaculated.

I slept with him that night as well, but we didn’t do anything else – at least for now, but I was certain that would change when we returned for the second semester. When we woke up on Sunday morning, we showered and got dressed, seeing I’d put a change of clothes in my backpack as well, and then we walked together to the dining hall to have breakfast.

Needless to say, we were both in a good mood during the entire time, and when we finished eating I told Kelin that I was going to return to my room so I could study. I gave him a hug and kissed him one more time before we parted and went our separate ways. Once I got back to my room, I had to fight to stay focused on preparing for finals, since memories of the previous night kept flashing in my brain.

Finals week was difficult and the exams were very challenging, but even more so because I couldn’t stop thinking about Kelin during the entire time. I finally made it through each of my final exams, and then my dad picked me up on Friday night so I could spend Christmas with the family. My mom’s family joined us on Christmas Day, but my dad’s parents had shipped their presents to us and we waited to open them until they called on Christmas Day. Once again, they were spending the holiday with my Dad’s brother’s family, so we got to say hello to them as well.

Kelin called me on Christmas Day to wish me a Merry Christmas and tell me how much he missed me, and he also asked if I’d be willing to join him so we could spend New Year’s Eve together. He said his dad had already agreed to let him borrow the car to pick me up, so I quickly checked with my parents to see if it was ok with them. They said it was fine, as long as they got to meet Kelin when he picked me up, so I called Kelin back to relay that information.

During this call, he also told me what to pack and bring with me, because he was going to pick me up on the night of December 30^th so his parents could meet me as well. I spent the night sleeping with him in his bedroom, and it was also the night that we had anal sex for the first time and it was wonderful. It was also another belated Christmas present for both of us.

On New Year’s Eve, Kelin took me to a really fancy restaurant to eat, and then we went to a club that was having a New Year’s Eve celebration for college kids and those that were slightly older. They had two live bands that took turns playing, and Kelin and I danced nearly all evening long. It’s also where we brought in the New Year with a very passionate kiss.

After we returned to his house, he had a bottle of wine waiting so we could celebrate in private in his room, and then we made love again. It was a truly magical evening and the best New Year’s Eve celebration ever.

                                    *           *           *           *           *

I spent many nights during the second semester sleeping with Kelin in his private room, and then we arranged to share a dorm room during our senior year.

After we graduated, we both agreed to look for jobs in the same large city, because it was the most likely place where we could both find jobs in our fields. We shared a small apartment while we were job hunting and going through the interview process using the money we received as graduation gifts. It wasn’t anything to brag about, but it served its purpose, and then we got a much nicer place as soon as we’d each secured a job and had successfully completed the appropriate probationary period.

The Christmas after we’d moved into our new apartment, Kelin got down on his knee and officially proposed to me as he opened a ring box and presented me with an engagement ring. It was a ridged solitaire ring in white gold, and in the center was a sparkling round-cut diamond. It was absolutely gorgeous and I wore it on my right hand. It was the best Christmas present I’d ever received, and this Christmas, along with the first Christmas we celebrated together, are two Christmases that I’ll always remember.

We waited two more years before we announced our engagement to our families and friends because they’d already been pressing us to set a date and we didn’t want to give them more impetus. We also wanted to be certain that we were going to remain in our current positions and be able to save up some money to pay for the wedding, but it turned out we didn’t need to do that. When we announced our engagement to our parents, they each agreed to split the expenses for the church service, including the flowers and photographer, and pay for the reception. This came as a complete surprise and was greatly appreciated.

We had a double-ring ceremony and Kelin and I bought matching wedding bands for each other. They were made of white gold and had five slanting bars etched into the top, and the center bar contained three small diamonds. They were lovely and matched perfectly with the love we felt for each other.

We’ve now been married for five years, and even though we’ve had a few minor squabbles, it was never anything serious and we’re still very much in love. It turned out that Kelin was definitely the right guy for me, and I think it’s ironic that I’d only met him because we were both bored at a fraternity party that we’d attended during our junior year of college.

 

THE END