What They Don't Know - 2. Our Weekend Together.

Saturday morning, Ethan picked me up right on schedule. After stopping for a quick breakfast, which I insisted that he let me pay for, he took me to Espanola to visit the Puye Cliff Dwellings. We were fortunate that it happened to be a beautiful day, with the sun shining brightly and a few wispy clouds floating lazily overhead, so it made for a nice, relaxing drive to get there. This trip also provided me with plenty of time to not only enjoy the wonderful scenery, which I was still becoming accustomed to, but it also gave me an opportunity to appreciate the fantastic company and stimulating conversation we were having.

As we made our way to our eventual destination, Ethan informed me what his life had been like growing up in New Mexico and he regaled me with many delightful and humorous tales about his childhood and youth. He was fortunate that he’d never lost his parents and had lived in the same neighborhood until he left for college, but it didn’t mean his life had been that much easier than my own. He’d experienced his own share of heartaches along the way, as he sought to come to grips with his sexual orientation, struggled with having no other gays around he could relate to and finally being harassed by some of his high school classmates who determined he must be queer, since he hadn’t showed an interest in girls. It also didn’t help that Ethan never met anyone else who was gay until after he started college, so he had to endure this alone.

After Ethan finished filling me in about these things, he switched gears and began to inform me about the historical background of the area we were going to. First of all, he explained that these dwellings had been at this location for more than several hundred years, which meant they were here long before the Spaniards began to explore and settle the area back in the 1500s. It also meant this particular Native American group was at this location even before Columbus traveled across the Atlantic and made the Europeans aware of the ‘New World.’

Upon reaching the site, we started out at what is referred to as the Harvey House. This building got its name because Fred Harvey had been the one who had it constructed at the base of the cliffs in the early 1900s, to serve as a bed and breakfast. The structure now functions as the gift shop, but it also doubles as a greeting area. When we arrived there, we found several Native Americans dressed in authentic garb wandering about the site. At various times they even performed traditional dances, both as entertainment and to remind us about the people that first inhabited this land.

From there, we walked up a fairly steep, but paved, trail that led up to the level of the dwellings, which were located along the face of the cliff. Although I found this interesting and was intrigued to see how the native peoples lived here a thousand years ago, I spent most of my time thinking about how I’d like to get Ethan alone in one of these secluded areas and then see what ‘popped’ up.

Unfortunately, that never happened and we made our way back to our original starting point. After reaching the base of the cliffs again, we were then escorted onto a bus and driven to the very top of the mesa, where we were told about how the Tewa people had lived here more than a hundred years ago. Although this was quite interesting, I spent most of my time scanning the surrounding area and enjoying the magnificent view that currently enveloped us, and I’m not just talking about watching Ethan.

The panorama was absolutely breathtaking, as I scanned the dessert landscape that surrounded us and watched a collection of wispy cirrus clouds drift lazily overhead. I eventually focused on mountains that loomed up in the distance and marveled at their pure, majestic beauty. It was so different from what I was used to that I stood and gawked at them for a couple of minutes, before I returned my attention to the immediate surroundings.

When I did, I noticed a scattering of ruined structures off to one side, which had once provided shelter for the native people. Now, much of the material used in their construction lay in disarray on the ground, but seeing this definitely made me wonder what life would have been like for the individuals that once resided here. All of the land, which spread out before us in every direction, had sustained them and been their entire world. When they lived here, there were no borders or fences to prevent them from going wherever they wanted and the land, along with the natural bounty it contained, was here for their benefit and use. These people took this responsibility very seriously and did their best to be good caretakers of this gift from their gods.

After we completed our tour of the site, we made a quick stop to have lunch next, before we moved on to our next destination. While we were eating, Ethan informed me that we were going to visit a few of the area’s cultural and architectural masterpieces as soon as we left there and explained that he felt it was important for me to see these truly exquisite structures. He added that he felt visiting these locations would better help me understand the significance they held for the various groups that had constructed them, as well as for the current residents.

The next stop we made was at the Loretto Chapel, which is an impressive Gothic-Revival building. The original design had been modeled after a Parisian chapel, but the truly captivating aspect about this church is the unique spiral staircase that provides access to the choir loft. In addition to the buildings beautiful exterior design, this unique feature has become the focal point that draws many people to this location. The locals come so they can have photos taken on or beside it, but the staircase also attracts many tourists as well, so it has become a valuable asset to the community as a whole.

Ethan informed me that for many years after the chapel was constructed, carpenters had claimed that the only way to get to the loft, which is twenty-two feet above ground level, would be to use a ladder. These carpenters claimed that constructing a proper staircase would take up far too much of the chapel’s usable floor space to make it practical. After hearing this, the nuns prayed to discover a solution for this problem and shortly thereafter a new carpenter mysteriously arrived at the chapel.

After assessing the situation, this unnamed carpenter built the celebrated circular stairway that is there now. This staircase makes two complete 360-degree turns, as it rises from the floor to the choir loft, and was constructed using only wooden pegs and no nails. It also has no visible means of support, which for many believers makes it a truly miraculous feat of construction. For that reason, this is the spot where many Brides and Grooms want a photo taken, with the hope that their marriage will remain as strong and last as long as this amazing stairway.

“I’ve seen other spiral staircases, but this one is absolutely incredible,” I observed, after seeing it up close. “I mean, how did the carpenter build it without it having any apparent support?”

“I don’t know, but that is what makes it so unusual,” Ethan agreed. “It was even featured on an episode of ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ a number of years ago, so you might be able to find a copy of that episode online.”

I was intrigued and thought I’d try to look up that particular show, as soon as I could find the time.

After we left the chapel, we traveled to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi next. When we entered, I picked up a brochure and read that construction on this particular structure began shortly after the end of the Civil War and the Cathedral was built in the French Romanesque-Revival style. Even though it contrasts significantly with both the Loretto Chapel and the nearby adobe buildings, it maintains the distinction of being one of Santa Fe’s most celebrated landmarks. I was sincerely impressed during my visit there and felt it was another unique and valuable experience.

Our final stop of the day was at the Palace of the Governors. This adobe structure was ordered built by the first Spanish Governor of the territory in 1610 and was meant to serve as the governmental seat. It is also the oldest continuously occupied public building in the U.S., although it hasn’t always served the same function. Today, this building is used as a part of the state’s history museum and contains artifacts that reflect the history of the region. It includes various items from the Spanish colonial period, others from when the region was a Mexican territory, still more from when it was a U.S. territory and finally the exhibits from the period after it became a U.S. state. There was a great deal to see at this location, but I definitely think it was worth the time we spent there.

As we were driving away, Ethan looked over at me, reached out and placed his hand on mine before he spoke.

“I really hope you enjoyed what we did today,” he whispered.

Although it was a simple statement, I thought he sounded a little insecure. This made me suspect that he doubted I’d had a good time, so I felt I’d better alleviate his concerns.

“Yes, I found it all very interesting and I really enjoyed spending the day with you,” I assured him. “I wasn’t aware that some of those places even existed and I learned many interesting facts about the area, which gives me a better understanding and appreciation for my new home.”

I think I saw him relax a bit after he heard my answer, so I had a feeling that until that moment he might have been worried that this excursion hadn’t been something I’d enjoyed. He might have even suspected that I had found it boring. However, once he discovered I had actually enjoyed what we’d done, Ethan squeezed my hand gently and continued to hold on to it, as we made our way back to his house.

As soon as we arrived there, Ethan invited me in to clean up first, before we went out to dinner. After thinking about it briefly, I told him I thought it would be best if I ran home to shower and change instead. We were both hot and sweaty after our outing, and because I hadn’t brought any extra clothes with me, I wouldn’t have anything to wear after I washed up. Since he didn’t want me to go, Ethan suggested that I could put on something of his when I finished showering, and after thinking it over, I finally agreed.

Unfortunately, we didn’t shower together, because I think Ethan was afraid it was too soon to make such a suggestion. I believe he felt that if he tried to rush me into something like that before I was ready then I might back off and go home. I wouldn’t have, but he didn’t know that for sure, so he chose to play it safe. Once I finished my shower and dried off, Ethan took me back to his room and showed me my clothing options. After looking the choices over carefully, I picked out something that I thought would look good on me. Once I’d made my selection, Ethan went in to take his shower while I got dressed.

Since I’m slightly more slender than he is, his slacks were a little baggy on me, so I was glad that I had worn my belt when I got dressed this morning. I now used it to make certain that I didn’t accidentally embarrass myself if Ethan’s pants suddenly slipped off my hips, which they might have done if I hadn’t had my belt with me. I had barely finished getting ready when Ethan completed his shower and came back into the room to dress. While he was doing that, I collected all of my other garments and took them out to the living room, so I wouldn’t forget to take them with me when I went home after we ate. When Ethan came out to join me a few minutes later, we got into his car and made our way over to the restaurant to eat.

Since we had already agreed that I would be paying for this meal, I insisted that we go to one of the finer restaurants this time. I wanted us to have a nice quiet dinner, complete with drinks and dessert, but I preferred we did it someplace that would provide us with a semi-romantic ambiance. I didn’t put it quite that way when I explained my requirement to Ethan, but I did tell him that I wanted it to be a nice place where we could be ourselves and talk privately, without having to worry about the other patrons focusing in on what we were doing or saying. He didn’t seem to have any problems with my criteria and took us to a very lovely establishment.

Throughout the meal, I thanked Ethan multiple times for showing me around the area earlier and for taking me to all of those wonderful places we had visited. I was trying to make certain that he knew I’d had a good time and was glad we’d done those things together.

“I want you to know that I really enjoyed spending the day with you and I would also like to give you a little more information concerning the question you asked me earlier,” I advised him. “When I first moved here, I just thought of New Mexico as a warm, dry area where I now lived. I never really thought about how life here had been influenced and shaped by all the different cultures that had once inhabited the region. Now, I see that each of those groups has had an impact on all aspects of life in this part of the country, from the food, art, music and customs. Those things all came together and were influenced by the Native Americans, Spaniards, Mexicans, the Catholic Church and the early settlers. Each of those groups brought something different with them and thus impacted what we see and do here today.”

“Yes, I agree with you, but I guess that having grown up in this area I just took most of it for granted and never really thought about it as much as you have, except for the stuff they taught us in school,” Ethan confessed. “Now, that you’ve mentioned it though, I can see what you’re talking about. I just thought the places I showed you were interesting to look at and never really considered how they affected my life.”

“I think that coming from another part of the country made these things stand out more for me,” I agreed. “I couldn’t help but notice that the architecture, especially the adobe buildings, is quite different from what I’m used to seeing. Not only that, but nearly every restaurant around here serves foods that are only offered in specialty restaurants back home, if they are offered at all. It seems that most people in this area enjoy a lot spicier foods than I’m accustomed to as well.”

“Yes, I guess that is an acquired taste,” Ethan added, with a wink.

“I just want you to know how much I’ve enjoyed the time we spent together today,” I continued. “It’s something I won’t soon forget.”

“I really enjoyed it as well,” he agreed, “and I’m looking forward to spending more great times like this with you too.”

I was very happy when I heard him allude to spending more time together, since I was hoping this wouldn’t be our last ‘date,’ so to speak. After draining a couple of glasses of wine and finishing our meal, we topped it off with an after dinner drink and dessert, and then he drove us back to his place.

When we pulled into his driveway, Ethan invited me in for a nightcap and I eagerly accepted. I didn’t care if I seemed overly anxious this time, because I really was and didn’t mind if Ethan knew it. In fact, I was counting on the fact that he would pick up on my eagerness and hoped it would give him the courage to follow his heart. I prayed he had the same feelings for me that I was currently harboring for him and that he’d act upon them.

I was a little surprised when Ethan pulled out a bottle of cognac and offered me a drink. As I took the snifter he extended in my direction, he put the bottle down, picked up his own drink and sat down beside to me on the sofa. He didn’t just merely sit next to me, but he was so close that we were actually touching and I could feel the heat from his body against my side. I didn’t want him to think I didn’t like this, so I leaned against the back of the sofa and got as comfortable as I could. When he saw me do this, a small grin began to creep across his face.

“Would you like another?” he asked, when he saw me take the final sip of my cognac.

“I don’t think I should, but thank you for offering,” I politely refused. “Between the wine, the after dinner drink and the cognac, I might not be able to vouch for my future conduct if I were to have another drink.”

“In that case, I insist,” he responded, with a giggle. “It sounds as if I might end up getting lucky if I continue to ply you with alcohol.”

“Save the alcohol, because you don’t need to give me any more in order to get lucky, if that’s what you want,” I replied with a smirk.

Ethan’s face broke into a huge grin, as he set his snifter down and then leaned toward me.

“I certainly like the way you think, Bryan,” he whispered into my ear, as he moved his head closer. “I like everything about you and really would like for us to become close.”

After saying this, he slowly extended his lips toward mine and I eagerly welcomed them. They felt extremely soft as they made contact, so I parted my lips slightly and eagerly welcomed him to slip his tongue inside. Ethan quickly responded to my invitation and before long, our tongues were performing an erotic dance as they got to know each other better.

While we kissed, our hands began to roam over each other’s body and we slowly stroked arms, backs and faces, as we explored this new relationship. Neither of our hands ever wandered below the waist, although I was as hard as granite and fairly certain that Ethan was too, but it was clear that this was more about exploring our feelings than about sexual gratification, at least for now. What we were doing was an expression of the early stages of love and not merely a response to animalistic lust.

“Stay here with me tonight,” Ethan offered. “We don’t have to do more than just cuddle and kiss, but I don’t want you to leave.”

“I don’t want to leave either,” I readily agreed.

After making out in Ethan’s living room for quite a few more minutes, he eventually encouraged me to get up and follow him back to his bedroom. Once we were there, we slowly helped each other remove clothing, until we were down to our underwear, and then we got into his bed. We began kissing again and then merely held each other and cuddled until we drifted off to sleep. It was truly the most peaceful and blissful night’s rest that I have enjoyed in a very long time.

I woke up at one point, because I had to use the toilet, and after I got back in bed I propped myself up on my elbow and gazed at Ethan lying beside me for a very long time. I didn’t turn on any lights, but there was a sufficient amount of moonlight filtering through the window that allowed me to observe him as he slept. The soft glow of the moon made Ethan’s appearance seem almost surreal, but it didn’t diminish how handsome I thought he was. Maybe others wouldn’t see him in the same light, but I certainly did. Although I realized I haven’t known him for very long, I also understood that I’m absolutely smitten by him.

When I awakened again later, it was to the smell of coffee brewing and food being prepared. Since Ethan was no longer in bed with me, I figured he must be in the kitchen cooking, so I slipped out of bed, put on my pants and pulled on a shirt, before I went out to find him. He was exactly where I expected him to be.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he greeted me. “Are you hungry?”

“Good morning to you too and I probably could use something to eat,” I confirmed.

“Great! I was just starting to fix some eggs and bacon,” he advised me. “So how does that sound to you?”

“It sounds fantastic,” I agreed. “I just hope I’m not creating a problem by making you go to all of this trouble.”

“Not at all,” he countered. “I would have been fixing something for myself anyway, so preparing a little extra food is not a big deal.”

Ethan grinned and gave me a wink after saying this, which I think was his attempt to put me at ease. It worked, but I still felt a little guilty about making him wait on me.

“So how would you like your eggs fixed?” he quickly followed.

“Over easy, if that’s all right,” I answered, “but what can I do to help?”

“I’ll tell you what,” he responded. “You can get the plates and cups out of the cupboard to the left of the sink and you’ll find the silverware in the drawer directly below it. After you do that, you can get the bread out of the fridge and make some toast if you want. Since you asked for your eggs over easy, you may want some toast to mop up the extra yoke.”

Happily, I got the required items out of the cupboard and carried them out to the dining area, so I could set the table. Then, I prepared several slices of toast, which I buttered and took out to the table as well. A short time later, Ethan brought in a platter with the rest of the food on it.

“Don’t be shy and help yourself,” he suggested, as he set the platter down in front of me. “I can always make a little more, if this isn’t enough.”

“I think you’ve got enough here for four people, not just two,” I teased. “Unless you’re starving this morning.”

“I’m only starving to spend more time with you,” Ethan countered, which I thought was a very sweet thing for him to say.

“Well, I don’t have any other plans for today, so I’ll stay as long as you’d like,” I agreed. “I’ll just have to go home later, because I don’t have any clothes here that I can wear to work tomorrow.”

“I could always loan you something of mine,” he offered. “After all, you’ve already worn some of my things.”

“True, but I’m sure one of our co-workers would likely notice that I’m wearing something they’ve seen you in before and then begin to wonder why,” I joked. “Rather than do that, we might just as well send a newsletter around the office notifying them that we just spent the weekend together. I don’t think doing that would be any less subtle, because I’m sure they’ll quickly figure it out either way.”

“It wouldn’t bother me if they figured it out,” Ethan replied, with a wink. “Would it be a problem for you?”

“Other than the typical rule about spouses and partners working together, the only thing that would concern me is that I’m new and don’t really know the others yet,” I answered. “I don’t want them thinking that I’m shacking up with my trainer just to make a good impression on him.”

“Is that what you’re doing?” he asked, slyly.

“It had crossed my mind,” I teased, “but actually I think I’m developing a crush on my trainer.”

“Only a crush?” he asked, feigning a pout. “That sounds like a grade-school student having a crush on one of his teachers.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think a grade-schooler would have been kissing his teacher and shoving his tongue down his or her throat, as we were doing last night,” I replied.

“Ok, you’ve got me there,” Ethan confessed,

“Good, but I will admit that I can absolutely see this developing into something much more than just kissing and cuddling,” I suggested.

“Oh?” he responded. “Are you offering to have sex with me, Mr. Walters?”

Ethan had a huge grin plastered on his face and he moved his eyebrows up and down, as he waited for my answer.

“I don’t think I’m actually offering, at least not yet,” I told him, “but I am suggesting that it’s a definite possibility at some future time.”

“Hmmm. Are we talking like in an hour, day, month or what?” he asked, while letting the question trail off.

“That would depend on how good you are between now and then,” I teased.

“Oh, I can be very good,” he responded, while causing his eyebrows to flutter up and down again.

At this point, Ethan stood up from his seat at the table, walked over in front of me and then bent down, so he could wrap his arms around my neck. As soon as he pulled my face close to his, he planted his lips over mine once again. Within seconds, our tongues were dueling and our hands were roaming over each other’s upper torso, until Ethan eventually broke the kiss.

“Although I don’t really want to stop, I think we should ease up a bit,” he instructed. “If we don’t finish our breakfast first, we’re definitely going to run out of energy, especially if we keep moving at this pace.”

After giving me another quick kiss, Ethan went back to his place at the table, sat down and began devouring his breakfast. He kept looking in my direction and made all kinds of provocative and sexy faces at me, to let me know he was serious about his previous suggestion.

After we finished eating, I began to clear the table and rinsed the dishes off in the sink, before I loaded them into the dishwasher. While I was doing that, Ethan was cleaning up the pans and other items he had used to prepare our meal. Once we’d completed those tasks, we grabbed another cup of coffee, headed into the living room and sat down together on the couch.

“So what would you like to do today?” I asked him.

“Beside ravishing you?” Ethan asked.

“Yes, beside that,” I replied, while flashing him a devilish grin.

“Well, I could show you more of the area, take you to a movie or we could just stay here and watch TV or a DVD. If we stay here, we can also fool around a little while we were watching the

screen,” he added, hopefully.

“That certainly does sound tempting,” I confessed.

I didn’t give him a definite answer, because I wanted to see how long I could drag this out and make him suffer. It’s not that I wanted to cause him any pain, but I did want to see how badly he really wanted it.

“You’re really making me work for this,” he stated, after a few seconds, “but I don’t mind. You’re definitely worth waiting for.”

That did it. His last comment was so sweet that I knew I wanted it as much as he did. No, I didn’t get up and race into his bedroom right away, nor did I immediately begin ripping his clothes off. However, I did admit to myself that I’d most likely be doing something sexual with Ethan before I returned home.

After I suggested we just watch a DVD, Ethan showed me the selection he had and we agreed on one of them. We then got comfortable on the sofa and settled in to watch the movie, which we never really focused on. I know I wasn’t paying any attention to what was on the screen, because Ethan and I started kissing and making out like two high school sweethearts. Well, maybe that’s not such a great analogy for what was going on, because in our case this was done slowly and passionately, rather than attacking each other like two dogs in heat.

I don’t know how long it had been since the DVD finished playing, because neither of us had been watching it, but eventually Ethan noticed it had ended, so he grabbed the remote and flicked it off. When he did that, I stood up, grabbed him by the hand and pulled him off of the couch. Then I dragged him behind me, as I led him back to his bedroom.

Neither of us said anything, but we didn’t have to. I believe we both knew what was going to happen next. You see, I had decided that I couldn’t stand the thought of waiting any longer before Ethan and I moved to the next level, so I took it upon myself to act.

Once we were in his bedroom, we slowly began undressing each other and orally exploring the various parts of our partner’s body, as it was uncovered. We had already orally examined each other’s mouth, ears and neck in the living room, so once our shirts were removed, we began focusing in on the chest area and paying homage there. Over the next several minutes, our lips and tongues not only played with the other’s areolas and rigid nipples, but we also explored every inch of smooth, hairless flesh between them, right on down to the navel. We also let our tongues play with and explore the other’s belly button, with the only difference being that I had an innie, while Ethan had an outie. Basically, other than our faces and slight difference in build, that was the biggest difference I’ve discovered between us.

Obviously, we didn’t stop there and were soon tugging down each other’s underwear, so we could wrap our lips around our partner’s rigid manhood. Once again, we were very similar in this area too, since we were both circumcised and about seven inches in length. We attacked each other ravenously, until we reached a powerful climatic explosion, but then we mutually agreed to stop there, since we wanted to have something to look forward to and enjoy at a later time.

After we finished up in the bedroom, we got dressed again and went outside to take a walk around his neighborhood. We did this until lunchtime, when we came back inside and fixed a couple of sandwiches. After that, we starting playing the DVD again, but this time we actually watched it, even though we did take a few seconds out from time to time, so we could kiss and cuddle some more.

Once the movie ended, we agreed to take a quick dip in Ethan’s pool. Since I didn’t have my swim trunks with me, and the area around his pool was quite exposed and would allow his neighbors to easily view what we were doing, it ruled out skinny-dipping. Having no other alternative, I borrowed a pair of Ethan’s shorts, since he didn’t have a spare swimsuit to loan me. Fortunately, this was a pair that had an elastic waistband and were a snug fit on him, so they suited me just fine. After we swam and horsed around in the water for a while, we sat on the chaise lounges that were beside the pool for a little while longer, as we enjoyed the lovely afternoon and soaked up some rays.

After a while, Ethan suggested that we clean up and change, because he wanted to take me out for dinner. Since I didn’t want to wear the same clothes that I had on the night before and I didn’t have anything else with me, I told him I was going to run home to shower and change first. Ethan tried to talk me out of doing this by saying I could wear something of his again, but he also let me know that he wanted me to spend the night.

I eventually explained that I’d feel better going home first, because I wanted to wear my own clothes this time, so I’d just clean up there. Ethan finally agreed with my idea and said he’d clean up and then drive over to my house to pick me up, but he wasn’t giving up on the idea that I would spend tonight with him. Before I left, Ethan reminded me that I could either bring back clothes to wear to work at that time, or if I chose not to spend the night, he would drop me back off at my place after we ate. I told him I’d think this over and let him know my decision later, but I didn’t let on that I was very tempted to stay with him again.

After returning to my house, I jumped in the shower and hurriedly started to clean up. While I was doing this, I spent some of the time considering Ethan’s previous offer and eventually made my decision. After I finished my shower and dried off, I dressed in a pair of slacks and button down shirt, but I also packed some things in an overnight bag to take with me.

I had obviously decided I was going to spend the night with Ethan, and even though it was possible this would appear as if I was really anxious, and possibly even desperate to have sex with him, I didn’t care. All I knew was that I really enjoyed being with Ethan and wanted to spend as much time together as possible. Maybe my decision had to do with the fact that I had a very strong suspicion that this would turn into a very loving and long-term relationship, so I wanted to do everything I could to encourage it.

When Ethan showed up and saw that I had an overnight bag packed to bring with me, he flashed me a really sexy grin and then helped me load everything into his car. We had a very lovely and extremely relaxing meal first, and then we returned to his place, where I spent the night. You might be surprised when I tell you that we didn’t do anything more than just kiss and cuddle again, but it was plenty for me. That’s because I loved feeling him lying next to me, and just knowing he was there by my side made my life complete.