Cody in Wyoming - 10. Chapter 10

I like my music. I pride myself on the diversity of my tunes. They’re enjoyable and intriguing, to me at least. There are songs in my collection, however, that scare me. I love them and I fear them. Or rather, I love them and I fear the state of mind they elicit. I’m thinking: Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Rosalie Sorrels, Bonnie Raitt. Funny, I look at that list and realize… all women, all singer/songwriters, all sing about regret. I suppose I should spend some time with a therapist exploring the regrets of my life.

 

One such song shuffled out of my new iPod just before I arrived in Boise for my weekend at the Jaialdi with Rence. ‘Surabaya Johnny’ always breaks me up; it’s the implied story in the song. I can’t help picturing a proud woman who’s subjugating her dreams for the love of a no-good low-life in some hell hole port in the East Indies. Yeah, Kurt Weill knew how to twist the knife, at least for me.

 

The timing was bad. I tried to keep it together but my attempt at a composed countenance cracked as I drove into the confusion of Boise’s one way streets. I hate driving when my eyes are blurry with tears. I only hoped my eyes would get back to normal before I arrived at the hotel to meet Alain and Rence. Yeah, showing up with red, puffy eyes would make a real attractive impression on the two of them!

 

I found the hotel and then drove ‘round the block a couple times before parking. I splashed some of my bottled water on my face to reduce the effects of my little lapse. It had been brief, thankfully. I took the chance to look around: at the lowrise downtown which didn’t obscure the surrounding dry mountains; at the patches of green on those brown mountainsides shimmering in the heat; at the clear, blue, cloudless sky. When I’d found a parking place, I called Rence to let him know of my arrival, then grabbed my daypack and got Butch out of the car to accompany me into the hotel.

 

In the two years since Joel’s departure, I’d developed into a sob sister, always ready to spill a tear at the least provocation. Regrets? Yeah, I had a few.

 

The anticipation of spending a long weekend with Rence and the possibility of a new romance lessened the intensity of my angst, fortunately. Or, maybe the tension of spending a long weekend together, first at the Basque festival and then trout fishing added to the stress and had triggered the tears. Which was it? Either? Both? Feh! I was thinking too much!

 

Alain was waiting for me in the lobby. He flashed a shy smile my direction when he saw me.

 

“Rence’ll be down in a minute. How was the drive?”

 

I hadn’t expected conversation from him. I put Butch in a sit while we waited. “It was fine, though I’m kind of drained though from the hours of watching the countryside pass by.”

 

“Are you ready for dinner? We can get a bite at the festival down the block or we can go out for a sit-down meal. If you’re really wiped, we could just eat at the restaurant here in the hotel. Or, if you’re beyond wiped, we can order to-go and eat in the room.”

 

He was being gracious, something I hadn’t expected.

 

“I don’t know… first things, first; Butch is dying for a walk. Probably needs to pee like a racehorse. With him, it would probably be easiest to eat at the festival or in the room. Will they let him into the festival?”

 

“Ummm… don’t know. Let’s wait for Rence, then we can decide.”

 

We waited in silence, not a comfortable silence, either. Rence appeared at the bank of elevators after a few minutes.

 

I couldn’t resist the smile that spread on my face. Rence’s expression mirrored mine. He spread his arms as he approached. Butch stood, but didn’t position himself between the two of us as he had long ago at the gas station. He gently butted Rence’s thigh, demanding attention while his tail wagged.

 

“Karl, buddy, it’s good to see you.” He crushed me in a hug. I winced. He couldn’t have seen my response, but he must have felt me tense or heard my pained inhalation. Butch let out a barely audible rumble.

 

“Oh, damn! I’m sorry. I forgot about your injury. Did I hurt you?”

 

“It’s just sore after driving all day. Don’t worry. It doesn’t usually bother me. I’m almost all better.” Rence reached down to rub Butch behind his ears, oblivious to the dog’s protective instincts.

 

“Well, that’s good. I promise I’ll be more careful.” He winked at me.

 

“So, Alain, Karl, what’re we doin’ for dinner? I’m ready to eat. And, what’re we gonna do with Butch?”

 

Alain spoke up quickly, “How ‘bout we order to-go and eat in the rooms? Butch can hang with us and Karl can rest after the day’s driving?”

 

Again, Alain surprised me with his courteousness. Rence quickly agreed.

 

“Well, let’s get you settled into your room. You’re right next us. We have adjoining rooms, so it’ll be ‘homey’! Let’s get your stuff, then we can figure out what to order.

 

“Alain, while Karl settles in, how’s about you head down to ‘the block’ and grab some good stuff from the Jaialdi vendors? Maybe we can head down to check it out later? Or, there’s a dance performance tonight across the river… We’ll figure it out once you’ve arrived, Karl.”

 

Within 45 minutes, I was settled in my room, I’d given Butch a quick walk and we three humans were eating dinner in Alain and Rence’s room. The food was good for street vendor food: a couple types of sausages, stewed peppers, a fish and potato stew, sweet bread. Rence told me what each sample was, but with my trouble pronouncing the Basque names for each item, well, I don’t know what we ate. Rence didn’t tease me (much) about my inability to identify them.

 

We followed dinner with an evening at a dance performance which included a couple troupes from the Basque countries in Europe and (strangely) a local modern dance company (the program described them as offering an ‘interpretive number’). The ethnic and modern idioms didn’t set well with each other; nevertheless, it turned out to be a good evening with good company. Alain was thoroughly engaged in the Basque dances and enthralled with the contemporary works.

 

After the performance, as twilight was fading from the sky, Rence and I walked Butch around downtown Boise. We found our way to the Boise River for a romantic stroll through a park along the bank. I so wanted to take Rence’s hand as we walked. I hate that paranoid feeling of not know the relative safety of an area. I’m accustomed to knowing where it’s safe and where it isn’t in my familiar haunts but didn’t want to risk being queer-bashed in Boise.

 

Rence broke my reverie, “I know we’ve gone over this before but I want to feel confident that you’ll be safe in LA and, Karl, I don’t feel confident after the attack. I don’t want you to be hurt again. I don’t want to be tied down by my responsibilities at the ranch when you’re a thousand miles away and hurting. If something like that happened again, I’d be climbing the walls. The idea that you could be hurt makes me crazy, Karl!”

 

“Rence, settle down. It really was a fluke. It could happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone. It could happen right here in downtown Boise. Or, I could slip on a wet rock and knock my head when we’re out fishing Monday, or get hit by a semi on the way home. You need to relax and accept that it was just a chance occurrence.”

 

“Maybe, maybe not… but you gotta admit, you haven’t been run over by a semi and you haven’t slipped and hit your head. Look around you. Do you really think there’s much chance you’ll be attacked here?”

 

Rence had a point. We were walking through Boise’s riverside park. Swallows were swooping over the river bed. Butch was tugging on his leash to get better access to the scents left by a previous dogs or wild animals. It was quiet aside from the jangle of Butch’s tags. Even though we were in an urban area, it was quiet and deeply peaceful.

 

“Karl, it may have been a chance event, but, face it, the chances of an attack are astronomically higher in LA, even in a ‘safe neighborhood’, than they are in a place like Boise. Can you honestly tell me you feel as safe there after being knifed?” Rence was getting wound up.

 

I halted. Butch came to the end of the leash and turned his head to check my reason for stopping. Rence turned to face me.

 

“Rence, you’re right. I don’t feel as safe as I used to. I startle when I hear sound behind me. I feel my blood pressure spike when someone looks at me strangely. But, Rence, think of it… everyplace has its inherent risks. Please don’t take this wrong… I hope this doesn’t sound too personal…. but… you remember when you talked about your parents dying in a car accident? Remember that you said that people died out on your rural roads because they’re so lightly traveled and because you’re so far from emergency services? Well, when I was attacked, I had help the instant it happened and an ambulance was there in less than 15 minutes. Ya gotta balance your risks, Rence, and accept what you can’t control. You’ve accepted the risk of death in a car accident. I’ve accepted the risk of an unprovoked assault.

 

“I’m sorry. Maybe that was harsh. I guess I got a little carried away. I shouldn’t have made my point using your parent’s deaths as an example.”

 

“No, that’s OK. I guess I was pushing you, too. You’re right. It just gives me the heebie-jeebies, thinking someone, a stranger, hurting you intentionally… just picking you out from the crowd and threatening your life. ‘Cause that’s the difference, isn’t it? An accident’s an accident but an attack is intentional. That’s just… Karl, it’s just wrong!” He was getting agitated and exasperated.

 

I wanted to take his hand and comfort him. Hell, I wanted to take him in my arms and hold him and calm him and whisper comforting words in his ear. Butch came to lean against our legs, asking for a butt rub. Rence reached down absently to administer the treatment. We turned to stroll again. We headed away from the river and were soon passing a small art museum and then the Idaho Historical Society.

 

“Listen, Rence… everywhere has its trade offs. I mean, look at these two museums. They’re nice. But, picture the museums of Los Angeles: the Getty, the LA County Museum, the Huntington, MOCA, the uh… the Norton Simon. There’s gotta be more that I can’t think of off the top of my head. On our walk, we’ve passed the Contemporary Theater and the Philharmonic Hall. There’s a lot here in Boise. They’ve got culture, but it doesn’t compare to LA, even slightly. It can’t.

 

“Rence, all I’m saying is, I need what’s available in a city, a real city. I like what’s available in a city. I’d love to live in a smaller, quieter and more human-scaled place, but I’ve gotta work. I can barely make it in Seattle and Seattle’s a lot bigger than Boise. I mean, look around you, Rence – this is the cultural center of the region and there’s, like, nothing here! Look! There’s no here, here! I couldn’t… Oh fuck! I couldn’t survive out here, Rence! I’d be bored out of my skull! Where’s Boise’s Korea Town? Where’s the Cuban restaurants? Where’s the comedy clubs? Where’s the strip? Where’s… Oh Fuck! I’m blowing it, aren’t I?”

 

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Ease up, Karl! Get down off your high horse! I don’t know if you’re blowing it, but you sure are sounding like an urban snob! You’ve gotten onto this rant before. Well, earth to Karl! This is not California! This is not the coast! Slow down, fer Christ’s sake!”

 

Rence turned to face me on the path. He blew out an exasperated sigh and then looked me directly in the eyes.

 

“This is really the crux of things for us, isn’t it? I mean, for you and me.” He tapped me on the chest.

 

“We’ve been dancing around this question of compatibility, whether we can rationalize getting involved or not. So, Karl, whada ya think? Could we make it work? Is there hope for us? Country mouse and city mouse, eh?”

 

I had no response to that. I felt my shoulders sag.

 

“Rence, gimme a minute to pull my thoughts together, will ya?”

 

We turned away from the river bank and headed back towards the hotel, each wrapped in his own thoughts. We really were different. Where did that leave us as a couple? Or, as a potential couple?

 

We hadn’t walked more than a block when Rence swatted me on the shoulder.

 

“Listen to us! We sound like a married couple that’s considering a divorce! And, we’re not even in a relationship!”

 

“Oh, I don’t know. I think you could say we’re in a relationship… of sorts. We’ve just not gotten around to consummating it!” I chuckled and Rence chuckled along with.

 

“What is it about us that we’re so careful? Why haven’t we tumbled into bed and fucked like rabid wolverines in rut? I guess we’re geezers, eh? Cautious? Timid? Pantywaists?”

 

“Who’re you callin’ a pantywaist? Why, I’ll have you know…” I just couldn’t find the energy to continue the bluster. I wasn’t in the mood.

 

“I don’t know, Rence… once bitten, twice shy? You’ve heard my tale of woe, of being dumped after dismantling my life to rebuild it with my ‘lifetime partner’. The same guy I’ve not spoken to in the last year. I’m not anxious to ever do that again, trust me. If I go about this… this ‘us’, this you-and-me… more cautiously this time, I like to think that’s due to… to accumulated wisdom based on experience rather than my being chicken!”

 

“I hear ya, but I think it’s time for us to move the game along or accept that we’ll be friends but not partners. Which brings us back to the fact that we’re really different and we want really different things in life. Is there a way we can – I don’t know – make allowances for our differences and still be committed to one another in a relationship? Some way we can organize our lives to take advantage of our individual preferences but that brings us together often enough to warrant us being a couple?”

 

“I’d like to think so, but wanting it’s not moving us forward, is it?”

 

Rence shook his head, ’no’. We continued our stroll back towards the hotel.

 

“Rence, I’ve been sort of dragging my heels. What would happen if I said, ’yes’? What if we got physical – well, had sex? What if we went into it as adults, with eyes open, and agreed that we care for one another and that it wouldn’t mean a life long commitment, but that we both were open to that… to a life long commitment… and that we’d like it if it worked out for us that way? Did you follow my tortured question? Do you know what I mean?”

 

“Ummm, I think I followed it and I think I could accept your terms, assuming I understood them! Did I just hear a proposition, Karl?” His lips were curving into a wicked smile.

 

“Hey, I’m not suggesting anything salacious! I’d like to be with you. I really like you. Would you join me in bed tonight, Rence?”

 

Rence’s smile relaxed from wicked to pleased.

 

“I’d like that, Karl.” He pulled me into a shadow, wrapped his arms around me and gave me a bracing kiss. I felt an involuntary shudder as he ran the tip of his tongue along my lower lip.

 

“Hey, let’s take this inside.” He grabbed my hand and dragged me back onto the sidewalk and towards the hotel. I nearly tripped trying to match his pace.

 

“Now who needs to slow down, Mr. Bumpkin? Am I not going fast enough for you?”

 

Rence turned to face me but kept walking backwards, a grin on his face, his hands gesturing in accompaniment to his words.

 

“Hey, Karl, did we just have a fight? Was that our first disagreement? ‘Cause if it was, our first time is gonna be make-up sex, and everyone knows, there’s nothing better than make-up sex! It’s the best!” His eyebrows arched into his forehead.

 

“Don’t count your chickens, Son! Ah say, Ah say, Ah saayyy… just don’t count your chickens!”

 

Rence let out a cackle of laughter while he picked up the pace. Between Butch hauling me along by the leash and Rence urging me to walk faster, I was nearly jogging by the time we got to the hotel entrance.

 

When we got to the lobby, he raced to the elevators. Butch lurched ahead, trying to stay in the vanguard. When I finally arrived, he jabbed the button to close the doors and then he looked at me, that wicked grin reappearing in stages. I wanted to mirror his grin, but winced as I rolled my shoulders.

 

“Sorry, my back’s still a little sore. Butch’s pulling me along kind of set it off again.”

 

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry, Karl. I’m so jazzed; I didn’t think. Would a backrub help or make it worse?”

 

“No, I’ll just take some aspirin. That’s all I need.”

 

“OK. I’ll take care of you tonight, Hun.”

 

He started to close on me, but instead of engulfing me in a hug, he tapped me on the sternum with his knuckles. I don’t know what I expected but this chest tapping was not on my list of intimate behaviors. He switched to rubbing my sternum, followed by my traps and then my neck. He continued until we reached our floor and the elevator doors opened, then he grabbed Butch’s leash and sprinted to my – our – room and waited at the door. Butch got into the act, jumping in excitement at the prospect of crossing the threshold.

 

If he could tease me with his silent tapping, I figured I could justify some teasing myself. I strolled slowly to the door whistling tunelessly, then patted my pockets, miming a search for the key card. He ended up impatiently patting my pockets, getting extra familiar, first with my chest pockets, and then with my trousers’ back pockets. I kept up the act, coming up empty handed. Rence started to lose patience, that is, until I reached behind his ear and ‘found’ the key card ‘hidden’ there. Vaudevillian slight of hand can come in handy at the most unexpected times. I feigned innocence but he got his vengeance when he tweaked my nipple.

 

As soon as the lock beeped, Rence shoved open the door, dropped the leash, and reached to grab me by the arm to drag me into the room before he remembered my sore back. Instead, he gave my neck a quick squeeze. After kicking the door shut, he reached for my head to press my lips to his and then press behind my lips with his insistent tongue.

 

Just then, from the door between our rooms we heard, “Karl, have you seen… Oh, sorry! Uh, Uncle Rence?”

 

Rence stiffened briefly and drew away slightly. He kept me close by his side when we turned to see Alain standing rigid at the door joining our rooms. The two carried on a short conversation. I have no idea what Rence said to Alain – it was in Basque – but Alain sighed and backed into their room, then closed the door.

 

“Sorry about that, Karl. We should have included you in the discussion. It just seemed easier to have a quick private discussion and minimize the interruption.” He turned to kiss me again.

 

“Wait a minute, Rence. What just happened? Tell me; don’t exclude me. I’m not gonna feel good about it if you do.”

 

Rence sighed. “Right. I suppose I should have let Alain know I’d be spending the night with you. And, I should have locked the door. He knows I’m gay. He knows I’m interested in you. The thing is, I don’t think he’s ever seen a couple guys making out before. It kind of took him by surprise. Then there’s probably the thing of seeing his uncle as a sexual being. He probably trying to erase that image from his memory bank right now! He’ll be alright. If not, we’ll talk more tomorrow. We’ll work it out. We’re pretty close, the two of us. We won’t let it fester.”

 

Rence turned back to me and drew me back into his arms. “Can we get back to what we were doing?”

 

“How about we brush our teeth and then head to bed?”

 

“Right… good thinking... my toothbrush is in the other room. Be right back.”

 

He left the room while I stepped into the bathroom to take care of my nighttime ritual. I skipped the various skin lotions, figuring I wanted to taste good if Rence chose to lick me when we finally ‘got down to business’.

 

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I could hear murmurings in the adjoining room. Rence and Alain were in conversation. It seemed just as well they were clearing the air right away. I sighed and dug through my bag for my script to run lines before turning out the light for the night. I wasn’t confident that Rence would be joining me that night. Strangely, it didn’t worry me. Knowing that his family was important only confirmed my opinion of him. I began practicing my lines, imagining the blocking as I read.

 

I must have fallen asleep. The next thing I remembered was feeling the tickle of Rence’s chest hair on my nose when he reached across to turn out my bedside lamp.

 

“Mmmm… hey tiger.” That was what I meant to say… what thought I said in my semi-somnolent state. I slid down into the bed.

 

“Hey, Hun. Go back to sleep. I’ll be here in the morning.”

 

Rence snuggled down with me. I reached for him for a clumsy attempt at foreplay, but he took hold of my wrists and held my hands immobile as he snuggled his back against my chest. I wiggled to get closer while I wrapped him more tightly in my arms. His body felt comfortable against mine. His chest hair felt great between my fingers. He heaved a satisfied sigh as he settled in for the night.

 

He hummed in contentment.

 

I might have heard him whisper, “I love you,” before I conked out.

 

 

 

 

------------- ~ o ~ -------------

 

 

 

 

Sometime during the night, I woke to feel my penis being drawn out the fly of my boxers. I remembered that Rence was in bed with me and realized he held my thickening cock in his warm hand. In my groggy state, I clumsily reached for my bed partner. I recognized the feel of his belly when my hand came in contact, so I followed the line of hair from his navel down to the waistband of his boxers. I pushed underneath to grasp his erection for the very first time. It felt great: warm, heavy, encompassed by wiry pubes, and uncut! I slipped his foreskin past the rim, down the shaft and then eased it back up to recover his glans. I played with it, slipping it off and then over his glans repeatedly. All the while, he was gently jacking me. He left off only to snag my boxers and slip them off. I took the hint and did the same to him. He rolled onto me. I felt his hairy chest and belly against mine, his weight pressing me into the mattress. It was uncomfortable, so I reversed our position. I felt his erection tight against mine. I started to hump while he sought my mouth with his. In the darkness, it took a few attempts, but he finally latched onto my lips and began a torrid assault with his tongue.

 

Funnily enough, we didn’t get much further in our passions. Oh, we continued our kissing and frottage; our legs grappled and became entangled in the bedclothes, but, just as we had slipped from sleep into sex, we gently slipped from sex back into sleep. We slept.

 

I became conscious next when I felt Butch dropping his head heavily onto the bed. I cracked my eye to see his pitifully aggrieved expression as he looked back at me. He was begging for a walk. I ignored him, turning over to find myself facing a sleeping Rence. He had turned during the night. His mouth was relaxed, his lower lip drooping. In the innocence of sleep, he had the incongruous appearance of a balding, heavily bearded young boy. I smiled. That is, until I felt Butch’s nose pressing into the top of my ass. I started at the cold intrusion to that sensitive area. My jostling woke Rence enough to gather me into his arms. He slung a leg over mine, bringing our crotches together. He must have been dreaming, because he was already erect when he started to gently hump me. I was torn between Rence’s needs and Butch’s.

 

“Rence…”

 

His lips curved into a slight smile, “Mmmm?”

 

“I’ve gotta take Butch out for a quick walk.”

 

“Mmm-hmm.” He mumbled in apparent agreement, but he only drew me tighter into his arms while he pressed harder into my firming cock.

 

“Rence, I’ve gotta get up. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”

 

“Awww…” He took on a disappointed expression without ever opening his eyes. He gave me a final squeeze and then freed me.

 

I bussed him on the forehead and rolled out of bed to find yesterday’s jeans and shirt. While Butch galumphed about in anticipation of his walk, I stumbled about collecting my wallet, the room key, a jacket… whatever I thought I’d need for a modicum of comfort while walking Butch around downtown Boise at dawn in the final days of July.

 

 

 

 

------------- ~ o ~ -------------

 

 

 

 

Butch was overjoyed to be out in the fresh morning air. I was happy to be out walking as well. He dragged my in the opposite direction from the previous evening. We made tracks in the direction of the state capitol building, Butch sniffing and occasionally marking the various parking meters, traffic signals and street lights. The capitol building looked imposing from a distance, but we didn’t get close because I planned on a short walk. I had other things in mind. The best part of our morning constitutional was our tour through the ‘Basque Block’, where many of the Jaialdi’s activities were centered. The street was decked in green, red and white bunting and banners and was waking up even at the early hour. It might have been fun to loiter and watch the festival awaken, but, once again, I had priorities.

 

It wasn’t until we were closing in on the hotel that I realized I hadn’t felt worried for my safety while out on the street alone. It struck me that it’s difficult to remark on a negative. But, my absence of fear was a distinct change from my recently acquired cautiousness and defensiveness. Before stepping into the hotel, I turned and looked down the block and saw this pocket of urbanity, surrounded by the dry hills and mountains of southwestern Idaho. This spot didn’t appear threatening to me, unlike urban Los Angeles or even Seattle. I didn’t spend time reflecting on my newfound calm, after all, an unclothed Rence was waiting in our room on the 4th floor of the hotel. I pushed open the door and Butch and I set a brisk pace to the elevator and my sleeping Basque prince.

 

Once inside our room, Butch and I stepped into the bathroom, him for a slurp from his water bowl and me for a brush of my teeth. After stripping out of my clothes, I tossed them beside the bed and then stood, watching Rence breath, watching him sleep. He lay on his side, sprawled across the breadth of the queen sized bed. In sleep, his boyishness reappeared. When awake, he had never appeared cute. But with one hand clutching the pillow pressed against his cheek and forcing his mouth open in a relaxed but idiotic expression, with his eyes dancing an REM induced tango, well, the man was loveable, even adorable. I felt fortunate that he found me interesting and worthy of his affections.

 

I was, however, starting to feel chilly standing naked at the foot of our bed. I circled the bed and crawled in at Rence’s back. I had planned to slip in quickly, but the sight of his rear end caused me to pause. What a great butt! There it was, full and meaty, covered with a wash of dark hairs and with a large black tattoo on the right cheek, a design with four commas meeting at their pointy ends. It was a butt that demanded the attentions of two hands, being too luxuriant for a solitary palm. Oh, my imagination ran wild with thoughts of attending to that generous set of glutes! The draft from the raised blanket raised goosebumps on his butt, so I stopped my study of his glorious rump and crawled in to join him. By the time I snuggled into his backside, I was well along to full arousal. With my arms around him, he wiggled against me, drawing my hand to his lips and giving me an audible smack on the palm of my hand.

 

“You’re hand’s cold, baby.” He blew on it and then pressed it again to his soft lips.

 

“What took you so long? I missed you.” He gave his butt some extra activity. Evidently, he liked the feel of my dick as it settled into the crease of his ass.

 

“Mmmm. Feels good, baby.” His hips began to rhythmically press against my groin. He took the meat of my thumb between his teeth and gnawed gently, then took my thumb in his mouth and sucked on it.

 

“Oh, baby… you feel so good.” He clenched his ass, gripping my erection between his glutes. I found myself thrusting instinctively.

 

“Yeah, that’s it. That’s good. Keep doing that.” His mouth had moved to the other side of my hand where he gnawed on the flesh at the outside of my palm until his tongue began to slip between my fingers and trace the tender webbing which he alternated with gentle bites to my palm.

 

I was torn between enjoying his making love to my hand and reaching down to his cock to use my spit wetted hand to play with him. He took the choice away when he rolled over to face me and pressed his soft, moist lips to mine while he pressed his erection against mine. Man, Rence can kiss! To say nothing of what he can do with the rest of his body! When he ground against me, a shudder rippled through my body.

 

“Mmmm, you liked that.” He ground his hips against mine again. I responded with another shudder.

 

“I like it when you do that.”

 

Rence continued to murmur and mumble as our passion increased. When he wasn’t verbalizing, he was humming or rumbling or purring. His entire body vibrated as he made love to me. I found myself echoing his vocalizations, vibrating along with him. We continued to rub, press and grind against one another until our motions began to lose their rhythm, until our breath caught and we clasped against one another while our hips thrust in spasms and with a final inhalation we orgasmed against each other’s belly. With our mouths open, we panted until our hips relaxed, until our breaths deepened and until our clutching eased.

 

“Oh, baby, I’m yours, all yours. You own me, Karl.”

 

I reached for yesterday’s t-shirt on the floor beside the bed and wiped us off. Rence wrapped me in his arms, drew me against his furry chest. He slung his leg over my thigh and dozed off. I dozed along with him.

 

I woke to a different world, a world in which I had a lover and, hopefully, a partner. Rence’s sliding out of bed must have woken me.

 

“Sorry, baby. Now that you’re awake, wanna get a bite of breakfast? They have a buffet downstairs.”

 

“Babe, I need to shower first. Gimme fifteen. Actually, we can’t leave Butch in the room. I can shower first and head down to pick up some food while you shower; then we can have a leisurely breakfast here in the room.”

 

“I’d love to, but today’s not gonna be a day of leisure for me. I’ve got a series of meetings scheduled in the AM and one for the PM. Remember when I mentioned it being a working weekend promoting our sheep products? It’s not gonna take much time after today. You gonna be alright spending the morning with Alain?”

 

“Uh… maybe. By the way, what happened after he surprised us? Did you work things out? Is he gonna be OK spending the morning with me? I mean, he’s never been real comfortable with me. Doesn’t he like me?””

 

“Yeah, he’s alright. Like I said last night, I don’t think he’s ever actually seen a couple of guys making out. And, Karl, I’m sorry I let you fall asleep alone. That’s really not how I pictured we’d be spending the evening.

 

“You know, he’s kinda awed by you, actually. He just needs to spend more time with you to relax. But we’re wasting time. Get in the shower and I’ll check on him. We’ve gotta get the day started.”

 

“Jawohl, mein kommandant!”

 

I jumped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Before I closed the door, I turned back to Rence, “So, you think he’ll be OK with me and with us?”

 

“Yeah, he’s gonna be fine. And stop wasting time and do as I command, if you value your life!” Rence glared at me with a theatrical scowl.

 

“As you wish.” I shut the door and bent over to adjust the water temperature. I was startled to hear the door open.

 

“Nice view, babe!”

 

I looked over my shoulder. Rence winked.

 

“The Princess Bride, right?” He looked so proud of himself.

 

“Yup! Now, stop wasting time as you value your life, wastrel! Chop chop!”

 

“Yes, your liege!” He made obeisances and before backing away and shutting the door.