What They Don't Know - 8. An Explosive Confrontation.

On Wednesday, Ethan and I decided to run a few errands after work and then go to a restaurant for dinner, instead of going home first. We normally ate together every Wednesday night anyway, but we usually did it at either his place or mine, at least since this nonsense with Chad had started. Every once in a while, however, we would throw caution to the wind and go out to eat instead.

Whenever we did this, we usually went directly home after work first, so we could take a dip in the pool and enjoy oral sex before we went out for our meal, but tonight we decided to alter our normal schedule. The restaurant we planned to dine at was on the other side of town and closer to work than where we lived, so we thought it would be silly to run home and then drive back again. After thinking it over, we figured it would be smarter to run our other errands first and then stop to have dinner before going back to Ethan house. It would save gasoline, plus wear and tear on Ethan’s car, as well as a great deal of time. We could still have a little fun after we got back to Ethan’s place, but then I would have return home later, just in case we were being watched.

The restaurant we chose was one of the best in the area, and as you might expect, it specialized in southwestern cuisine. I had been the one to suggest that we dine here, since I knew Ethan really enjoyed this type of food and was used to it, but he tended not to bring me to a place like this, except on rare occasions. He did this because he understood that I wasn’t into this type of food as much as he was and usually had trouble finding something on the menu that I liked and was able to eat.

In the past, this had created some problems, since all too often I’d ended up with something I didn’t especially care for. Whenever that happened, I wouldn’t eat very much and this would upset Ethan, because he thought I was going hungry. Even though I’d try to finish everything on my plate, there were times when I couldn’t even force myself to do that. I hadn’t grown up in an area where Mexican or Tex-Mex food is popular, so I never developed a taste for it. Even though I had found a couple of dishes I liked, not every place makes these items exactly the same way, so I’d still end up having to force myself to finish it.

As soon as we arrived at the restaurant, we were led directly to a table, since the dinner crowd hadn’t started to arrive yet. After taking our seats, we quickly began to peruse the menus and Ethan suggested a few choices he thought I might enjoy and explained what they were. I knew he was doing this because he was concerned about me finding something I’d like and realized that unless he helped me, I probably wouldn’t eat a great deal.

Ethan wanted us to start out with an appetizer sampler first, because it would give me a chance to at least take a bite of each item that was on it. The platter contained appetizer sized beef chimichangas, chicken quesadillas, beef empanadas and Mexican pizza. It turned out that there were at least two of each item on the platter and Ethan explained that although these portions were small, they could also be prepared in larger sizes and served as the main course. When I tried them, I discovered that I actually enjoyed the first three items I tried, but the Mexican pizza was just ok for me and wouldn’t be something I’d want to make a meal of.

Ethan also decided to order the dinner sampler platter for his meal and insisted that I also try each item on his plate as well. He figured the more items I tasted, the quicker I would build my familiarity with the cuisine and find things I’d be willing to order on future outings. Even though I’d be sampling all of these different items, I’d still have my own meal to fall back on, since I had found something on the menu that I thought I would enjoy. This way we both knew I’d get to try a few more new items and wouldn’t end up going hungry.

When our meals came, I offered Ethan some of my entree, since he’d be giving me some of his. I had ordered the garlic butter New York steak, which came with refried beans and a garden salad. Ethan’s combination platter contained a cheese enchilada, a taco with guacamole, a tamale and a chile relleno, which is a stuffed chili pepper. He also selected the Spanish rice, instead of the refried beans to go along with his meal, so I’d be able to try that as well.

After Ethan gave me a bite of each item on his plate, I decided that I was okay with the enchilada and the taco, but I didn’t especially care for the tamale or the chile relleno. The Spanish rice was ok too, but it wasn’t something I’d want to eat very often or make an entire meal of. By tasting each of these different things though, I was discovering some other items I would be willing to order as a main course when we went out to eat.

It may not surprise you to discover that we also had a couple of Margaritas to go with our meal, and then we finished it off with a traditional Mexican dessert, Platanos Machos. Those are bananas or plantains that had been deep-fried in a batter made with cream, orange, butter and a dash of Grand Marnier. I found this to be absolutely delicious and would be willing to order it again, whenever I saw it on the menu.

Before we left, Ethan told me he was pleased with the way I was willing to open myself up and at least try new things, because he felt not everyone would be agreeable to doing that. He went on to say that even though we didn’t always enjoy the same foods, he was satisfied that I had at least been willing to sample those items first, before I made up my mind. He said that some people might just hear what those items were made of or take a quick look at them on the plate and then refuse to taste them. He seemed pleased that I wasn’t one of those individuals.

As we were getting up to leave, I happened to notice something that not only troubled me, but it also made my blood boil. Since I was furious, I hurriedly pointed out the source of my irritation to Ethan.

“Look over my shoulder toward the far side of the restaurant,” I began. “Do you see who’s over there?”

“Shit! What’s he doing here? Has he been following us?” Ethan asked in return.

“I don’t know, but let’s get out of here,” I urged.

What I’d noticed was Chad sitting on the far side of the restaurant, eating alone. I wondered if he had already been here when we came in or if he showed up later. It is possible that he might have been here before we arrived and we just didn’t notice him then, but it was more likely that he’d followed us from work.

If that were the case, then it meant he would have been behind us as we ran all of our errands too, since we hadn’t come here directly after work or gone home first. I was certain about one thing though, each time we ran into him it made our encounters look less like mere coincidences. There were just too many restaurants and theaters in the area, which made it highly unlikely that he continually happened to end up at the same place we were at purely by random chance.

Ethan and I mulled this situation over as we drove back to his place and concluded that Chad MUST have been following us. The only thing we could think of was that he had done this because he hoped to discover something that would get either Ethan or me fired or transferred out of the department. If we were a gay couple then one of us would have to leave our current position, because we’d be prohibited from working in the same department if we were boyfriends. That would then provide Chad with the opening he was hoping to fill.

Shortly before we pulled into Ethan’s driveway, he took a moment to remind me that we were going to go away for a while this Saturday, so we could separate ourselves from this madness. He reiterated that we weren’t going very far away and it wouldn’t be an overnight trip, but we would be far enough away that Chad wouldn’t be likely to follow us. Ethan explained that he just wanted us to be able to enjoy ourselves for a while, without having to look over our shoulders every second to see if someone was dogging us. I agreed that would be good and then Ethan assured me that he had already worked out all of the details.

When I asked Ethan if he thought we might be able to go inside and enjoy a little private time alone tonight, he smiled and invited me in. Even though we were still a little rattled after seeing Chad at the restaurant, we weren’t about to let him spoil all of our fun. Instead, we made our way back to Ethan’s bedroom, checked to be certain the blinds were closed and the curtains drawn, and then we stripped down and got ready to enjoy oral sex with each other. Before we began working our way to nirvana, we explored each other’s bodies and tried to stimulate as many different areas as we could. Once we accomplished that, we got down to business and brought each other’s to that final plateau of gratification.

After we both enjoyed our releases, we cuddled for a short time and then donned our swimsuits, so we could go out to his pool for a quick dip. We felt that if Chad were watching us, then we’d provide him with a show of some harmless fun to explain why we spent so much time at each other’s houses.

The next couple of days were kind of tense for us, because we kept on the look out for both Chad and Maria, to see if we could catch them trying to spy on us. Maria did speak to both Ethan and me during this time, but she didn’t seem to be prying into our business and never attempted to ask us any personal questions. Whenever we spoke to her, it was merely to exchange a passing greeting, discuss a work related topic or just ask how each other was doing. All of these encounters seemed to be fairly innocuous and certainly didn’t raise any more red flags.

Other than riding to and from work together, plus going out to lunch as we normally did, we didn’t spend a lot of extra time together over the next two days. We were extremely happy, and even relieved, when Friday afternoon rolled around and we’d finished work for the week. It also meant we were finally going to get away from Sherlock Holmes and Harriet the Spy for a couple of days and have a chance to forget about them, at least for a while.

We drove directly to Ethan’s house and he fixed us a delicious meal. He had invited me to have dinner with him tonight, but warned me we’d be eating in and this would just be a private affair at his place. After we’d eaten, we went in to the living room to enjoy each other’s company for a couple more hours while watching television. When the phone rang, Ethan made a face and then got up to answer it.

“Hello,” he began.

“Jack, I told you to leave me alone and not call here any more,” he screamed. “I’m going to go to the police department and ask them to place a tap on this phone, so they can record when you call me. Then I’ll use those tapes to press charges and send you to prison, so you’d be wise to listen up and leave me alone.”

After making that final comment, Ethan slammed the phone down.

“Are you all right?” I asked, after seeing how upset he was.

“Yes, I’m fine, but I am going to do that and report his calls to the police,” he replied. “I thought shit like this would end when I got out of high school, but obviously that wasn’t the case. Since we already have plans for tomorrow, at least for a good part of the day, then I’ll either do it after we get back or go down to speak with the cops on Sunday. I’m going to end this stupidity with Jack, one way or the other.”

I’d never seen Ethan this pissed before and knew he needed to calm down. I went down to his bedroom, grabbed our swimsuits, came back and threw his trunks to him. We put them on in the living room, since all the drapes were closed, and then I dragged him out to the pool, where he could work out his frustrations.

Over the next hour, we swam, horsed around and made out a little. Ethan seemed to be feeling a little better after we did this, but I could tell he still hadn’t forgotten about the phone call completely. Needing another outlet for him to release his anger, I dragged him to his bedroom, so we could enjoy another round of oral sex. After that, we cuddled for a little while longer, but as it began to get late, I decided it was time for me to go home.

Before I left, however, Ethan pulled me into a very passionate kiss and thanked me for taking such good care of him. Then, he told me he’d be over at 8:00 for breakfast and then he’d take me somewhere where we could relax and spend some time alone.

When I asked him where we were going, he told me that he’d already picked out our destination, but as usual he refused to clue me in about where that was. I still tried to wheedle it out of him, by being affectionate with him again, but he stuck to his guns and left me in the dark.

Later, when I was getting ready for bed, I began thinking about everything that was going on in our lives. I hoped that this new problem with Jack would disappear, once Ethan reported it to law enforcement, but I also prayed the situation with Chad would play itself out soon as well. I hated going to bed by myself every night and was looking forward to the day when Ethan and I would be able to share a bed, cuddle with each other and make love whenever we wanted.

I set my alarm for 7:00 the next morning, because I wanted to have everything ready when Ethan showed up. I decided to prepare omelets and home fries again, but not merely because those were two of the things I could do fairly well. It was also due to the fact that we hadn’t had eggs during any of our past few breakfasts together and I knew Ethan enjoyed them as much as I did. I felt this would be a good chance to indulge our cravings and I’d be able to please my boyfriend at the same time.

I was extremely happy to see Ethan when he arrived, even though we hadn’t been apart for very long. As soon as the door closed behind him, I threw my arms around his chest, squeezed him for all I was worth and then planted my lips over his. I then proceeded to give him the most loving and erotic kiss I knew how to deliver, before I had to reluctantly release him. I really wanted to keep this up for a lot longer, but I didn’t feel that I could. I had some sweet rolls in the oven to go along with the other things I was fixing and didn’t want them to burn.

After we ate, we rinsed the dishes quickly, grabbed a few things to take with us and then went out and got into Ethan’s car. I offered to drive, but Ethan said he knew where we were going and didn’t want to have to give me directions or tell me where we were heading just yet. I took that to mean we were going somewhere I’d never been before, so I just sat back and admired the scenery as he drove along.

Using the sun to gauge the direction we were traveling, I was able to tell that we were going both north and east at various times. This frequent change in our heading was due to the fact that roads aren’t typically laid out in only one direction or in a straight line. However, it did tell me that wherever we were going was northeast of Santa Fe, although it didn’t help me figure out what our destination was.

When we pulled onto an access road about an hour later, we passed a sign that let me know where we were. Ethan had brought me to Hyde Memorial State Park.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” I told him, as we parked.

“Are you disappointed?” Ethan asked, slightly concerned.

“No, not at all,” I answered. “It’s just not exactly what I thought we would be doing.”

“What did you expect then?” Ethan followed.

“I’m not exactly sure, but it wasn’t an outdoor setting,” I replied. “Whenever you’ve taken me out like this, we’ve usually ended up going to see architecturally significant buildings, historic sites or art galleries, so I guess I was thinking we’d be going to someplace like that.”

“But we have gone to other places outdoors, when we went to see the pueblo dwellings and wildlife center” he mentioned, “or did you forget about those?”

“I didn’t forget about them, but I figured we only went to the first place because it was part of an historic pueblo site you wanted me to see,” I confessed. “I did kind of forget about the wildlife center though, even though I enjoyed the time we spent there.”

“Well, I suspected you might have figured out that we were going to be doing a lot of walking after I made sure you were wearing comfortable shoes,” Ethan admitted.

“Yes, but we could have done a lot of walking indoors too, not just outdoors,” I replied.

“Yes, I guess that’s true, but this time we’re going on a hike,” he announced, with a grin. “I’ve even brought a couple of soft-sided coolers with me and one of them has a surprise in it for later.”

“You certainly are full of mystery and know how to plan an outing, don’t you?” I teased.

“I try,” Ethan answered, with a grin.

We got out of his car, collected the things we were going to take with us and then set out. Ethan told me that this trail was called the Hyde Park Circle Trail, because it went in a loop that was approximately three and a half miles long. This sounded fine to me, because I really enjoyed the last hike we’d taken together and was looking forward to doing this one too, because I could use the exercise.

Ethan grabbed my hand as he led me away from the parking area, so I knew this was going to be a good day. We weren’t usually able to show any affection or touch each other when we were out, so this was definitely a good sign. We started out at a fairly brisk pace, but we weren’t able to keep it up for very long. That’s because once we crossed the bridge that took us over the Little Tesuque Creek, the path suddenly started to rise up sharply in front of us.

During the first third of the hike, which was about a mile in length, we had to contend with a fairly steep trail and this caused us to slow our pace down considerably. It also proved to be quite a strenuous climb, since the trail rose nearly 900 feet in elevation over this stretch. For that reason, this first part of the hike turned out to be quite challenging and very exhausting.

Even though our path meandered in and out of the shade, the arduous nature of the climb, plus the fact that it was fairly hot out already, took its toll. By the time Ethan and I reached the top of this first challenging incline we were both perspiring quite profusely, so we paused briefly to allow Ethan an opportunity to reach into the cooler he was carrying and get us each a bottle of water. I was glad he’d thought ahead and brought the water with him, otherwise I would have been concerned that one or both of us might have suffered from dehydration or heat stroke before we got back.

While we sipped our drinks and caught our breath, we also took a little extra time to enjoy the panoramic views from this lofty perch. As we moved about, so we could peer through the gaps in the branches of the towering aspen trees that loomed all around us, we found the scenery to be positively astounding. Since the trail went in a loop, we also got a chance to look in every direction during the hike and this provided us with some magnificent views of the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, Sandia, San Pedro and Ortiz mountains. At one point, we could also see Black Canyon, although we weren’t able to pinpoint the large campsite that was located there.

About forty minutes into the hike, we reached a ridgeline where we were greeted by a gentle and very welcomed breeze. We both appreciated this sudden blast of cooler air as it washed over us and decided to stop here briefly, so we could continue to reap its benefits. We also decided to use this opportunity to have another drink of water, since we were still perspiring quite heavily.

Once we resumed our hike, the trail unexpectedly began to change. At this point, it became fairly narrow and quite rocky, which made it more difficult to traverse. I was very careful and watched my step closely, because I feared I might twist an ankle on the rough path. It also made me begin to wonder how long we would have to keep this up before we reached a section that would be much easier to travel over.

Sometime after we got past this rough spot, we came across some trail signs that indicated the Waterfall Trail branched off from the loop, so we decided to take that next and see what it had to offer. It turned out that it wasn’t a very long trail, only about a half-mile round trip, but it led to a splendid waterfall that cascaded down the rocky slope.

Seeing there were plenty of shade trees at this location, we decided to take another break here, while we enjoyed this magnificent and relaxing sight. Since we were alone, we also exchanged a few kisses, but we didn’t hug. We both thought that would be a little gross, seeing we had been sweating like hogs and our shirts were drenched with perspiration. Later, after we finished our hike, we learned that the movie ‘Seraphim Falls’ had been filmed at this very spot in 2006 and we could both understand why, since it was so beautiful there.

After we made the return trip and reached the loop again, we turned in the same direction we had been traveling before we decided to make this brief detour. As we continued our hike, we were somewhat surprised by how noisy it began to get. Even though the trail hadn’t been exactly quiet since we’d started out, because we’d always been able to hear the sounds of the traffic moving along the road we had used to get here, something new had been added to that cacophony. We were now assaulted by a great deal of shouting, which we eventually decided was coming from a nearby campground. It would appear that they must be playing some sort of games there and we were hearing the cheers as they urged each other on.

Even though the final leg of our hike wasn’t exactly what you would call peaceful, the trail was still very scenic and this was an enjoyable way to get some exercise. It also took up a good part of the day. Considering all of the stops we made to enjoy the scenery and re-hydrate, we spent nearly four hours making our way completely around the loop.

We were hot and weary by the time we got back to the car, but Ethan wasn’t about to let our adventure end there. I watched as he opened the trunk of his vehicle, placed the small soft-sided cooler he had been carrying with him on the hike inside and then pulled out a larger soft-side cooler in its place. He then led me over to the picnic area, where we sat down and discussed the hike for a brief time. Ethan seemed very eager to hear what I thought about our little outing and wondered if I had enjoyed myself.

I quickly dispelled all of his fears and told him that I’d had a simply marvelous time. Not only had I appreciated the exercise and enjoyed the wonderful scenic views, but I was also thrilled that we’d been able to hold hands, kiss and be somewhat affectionate along the way. I felt it had been absolutely invigorating that we’d been able to get away and spend some quality time with each other, without having to worry about anything else. I think Ethan felt relieved after he’d heard my positive feedback.

When we finally decided we were ready to eat, Ethan pulled two roast beef subs out of the cooler and handed one to me. They not only were loaded with plenty of meat, but they were also chocked full of lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, sweet peppers, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. After I started devouring mine, Ethan handed me a wine cooler that I could use to wash the meal down. We then proceeded to eat our lunch alfresco, out in the open air, and I thought it was a very nice way to finish off a truly remarkable and enjoyable adventure.

After we finished eating, we drove back to my place and quickly went inside. It was now late afternoon and we were sweaty, smelly and tired. Ethan had thought ahead and brought a gym bag with him, which contained a change of clothing, because he knew we would need to shower after we got back and he would need something else to put on afterward. This way he wouldn’t have to run home and could just shower with me and change at my place. Before we went in to shower together though, Ethan said he needed to use the toilet first, so I told him to go ahead and he could call me when he was ready for me to join him in the shower.

On the way in from the car, I had picked up the mail, so I decided to use this time to see if I had received anything important. First, I opened the drapes, so I would have some more light to see by, and then I shuffled through the pile and glanced at who’d sent each item. While I was doing this, one of the letters slipped out of the pile and fell to the floor, so I quickly bent over to pick it up. Just as my hand touched it, I heard a gunshot and the sound of cracking glass.

Instinctively, I dropped to the floor and glanced up at the front window. When I did, I noticed there was a hole in the glass, which most likely accounted for the cracking sound I’d heard. Since I wanted to determine if this had only been an accident, such as a wild shot from a hunter or someone target practicing, I though I should investigate a bit.

Although I couldn’t understand why anyone would be firing a weapon so close to a residential area, I pushed myself up on my hands and knees, so I could take a quick peek out the window. I kept bobbing my head up and down, as well as back and forth as I did this, in case someone had shot at me intentionally. I was just ducking down again when another shot burst threw the glass. This one missed me too and the bullet struck the couch instead. About that same time I heard Ethan open the door to the bathroom.

“What the hell is going on out here?” he screamed.

“Get down!” I yelled back. “Someone just took two shots at me, so get down on the floor and crawl into my office. I’ll meet you there, but whatever you do, keep as low as you can and don’t stand up!”

After telling him this, I began to slither, like a snake, across the living room floor until I also reached the office. When I entered, I found Ethan waiting for me just inside the doorway.

“Stay still until I tell you what to do next,” I informed him, as I crawled past his still form.

“Do you think it’s Chad, or maybe even Jack, who is taking shots at us?” Ethan wondered.

“I don’t know who’s doing it,” was all I answered, since I didn’t have enough information to tell him anything specific at this point.

By this time, I had moved over to the wall on the right side of the room, so I could get to one of the six-foot bookcases that were located on that side of the doorway. As soon as I was in position, I reached my hand into an opening on the second shelf from the bottom and found the latch I knew was located there. Carefully, I released it and then began to tug on the shelving unit. When I did, the right side of the bookcase began to swing in my direction and created an opening into a room that was hidden behind it.

“Quick! Crawl through here and move inside,” I ordered. “We’ll be safe there.”

Ethan didn’t question what I’d told him and quickly moved past me and entered the room.