The Watch - 1. Chapter 1

A line of discarded clothes lead form the front door the to bedroom of the dark apartment. From inside heavy breathing and moans could be heard. A man about 6'4" with black hair and gray eyes was pounding away into the blond man who was on all four's on the bed except for one hand that stoked his hard cock. The blond moved his butt to the beat at which the man entering him moved, taking the condom covered, lubed dick further up his ass. The dark hair man had one arm on the blonde's shoulder, massaging the muscles to encourage his happy butt buddy. He used the other hand to grope his own ass.

As he reached climax the man with black hair leaned forward so his lightly hairy chest rubbed against the back of the man he was fucking. As he made his final thrust he shouted one name, "Josh!"

After he shpt his load, he held the man under him protectively as he let his dick slowly fall out of the man's ass. The blonde sighed. The Dark haired man, by the name of Robert, was one of the greatest fucks in town. You just had to put up with some of his personality quirks. One of them was being called Josh.

The blonde's real name was Dan and he had the honor of being one of the few people to get a repeat fuck from Robert. Most of his tricks were one time, see you later or never, fucks. Maybe because Robert and Dan had come to agree that neither one of them would treat this relationship as anything emotional, Dan got to be wined and dined and later fucked in Roberts spacious apartment. He just wished he know who this "Josh" character was. He suspected that he might have been an old boyfriend who broke Robert's heart or some old high school crush Robert never got the chance to fulfill. Either way, Robert would always end his fuck with calling out that man's name and it was getting annoying because Dan was starting to fall for Robert even against his better judgment.

Robert was now out of him and slowly lowering Dan on to his back for while Dan rarely shot his load just from fucking, Robert was one of those considerate tops that always made sure his bottoms got off. Dan exhaled as Robert took his dick into his mouth, quickly taking it too the root before moving pack up, his tongue sliding along the sensitive bottom ridge. He then swirled his tongue around the head before repeating the process over and over again.

Dan, while face flushed from the excitement was still troubled on what to do. Should he try to change their weekly fuck to a more personal arrangement, or should he cut his losses now and stopping seeing Robert before he really fell in love and had his heart broken. It was already a little too late for the later. When Robert would wine and dine him each time it was almost like a first meeting of lovers. He would flirt like crazy before putting on some music and dance while he necked him. It was the hunger in Robert's love making that made him such a great fuck. One knew that he was giving you everything he had to please you and himself. It was also this reason that Dan knew it would never work out. Dan was just a cast character for some fantasy Robert was living. It was not Dan that Robert was fucking but the person Robert imagined him to be.

It was just as he was about to shoot off his own wad that he came to his decision but as he shot off he had to ask himself;"Why o why do goodbyes have to be so hard?"

Robert was in his usual spot looking from his window to the office building across his and just like clockwork his fantasy came walking down the hall past the windows. He was a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties with dark brow hair and a lightly tanned complexion but that was hard to tell though looking past two panes of glass. He was around 5'10" in height, shorter then the 6'2" that Robert boasted but that just made him cute in his eyes. But what really attracted Robert's attention was how the young man looked at his watch at least one time each time he walked down the hall. How could such a young man be so stressed over time while Robert, already past thirty still acted like a kid fresh from college? What he saw was a stressed out young man that needed someone to show him how to relax and if there was anything Robert was good at it was relaxing.

For the past three years he had been the PR man for a law firm. It was his job to speak to the press whenever one of their skilled but socially inept lawyers had a case that invited media attention. His job was also to show the firm's corporate clients a good time.

In addition to those duties he was also the firm's fashion expert and taught the new lawyers the proper demeanor required of associates at the firm. He almost found it funny that studies had been done on the clothing a lawyer wears and their success in court. Certain colors seemed to affect a juror's trust of the lawyer. This proved to him how weak the legal system had become. They were paying him to give his advice so in the end he didn't complain. It also gave him a chance to explore his favorite hobby, shopping.

That alone was his only "gay" call sign. That and flirting with all the new interns he felt were open to a little "male bonding". Something that he would really like to do with the person he was watching from the window.

Today was different though, instead of turning off to at the eighth door, he continued walking until he reach the glass bridge, which connected the two buildings and made his way to the side Robert was on. Roberts heart pickup pace as he lost sight of his target.

"Up to your old fantasizing." A voice surprised Robert out of his concentration.

"What! Oh it's you Glenn." Robert sighed with relief, he was suppose to be writing a report that was already a day late. He had been afraid one of the senior partners had come by to check on it.

"Well I guess that's a yes." Glenn laughed.

"A yes to what?"

"To you joining me and Kyle for lunch today." Glenn returned before running out of the office to prevent any chance of Robert arguing.

Glenn and Kyle were one of the most senior of the associates working at the firm. They also happened to be committed lovers. These two facts seemed to be related in that they had been up for promotion to partners several times but each time were skipped over for a more junior associate. It could not be due to low performance, the couple brought in more billed hours then any other non-partner member of the firm. The three of them agreed that it was the old senior partners that didn't want a couple of fags as fellow partners at the firm. It was only Glenn insistence that one day the firm would get over its issues with gays that kept the two of them working there that, plus the firm's bad reputation for black listing any associate who left the firm on less then happy terms.

Glenn and Kyle had been the rock that Robert had clung to ever since he had moved to Kansas after his lover had dumped him. Robert, who was raised an orphan had major issues dealing with abandonment. Since as long as Glenn had known Robert, he dated often and he dated as many people as possible for a short of time as possible. Very few people could ever get close to Robert. It was probably the fact that Glenn was committed to Kyle that allowed Robert to befriend the couple. With no chance of there being a sexual relationship between them, Robert was more willing to share his emotions without feeling vulnerable. Today's invitation to lunch Robert was sure was another of Glenn's interventions to get him to start looking for a serious relationship.

Dreading what was to happen in another 90 minutes, Robert buried himself in his work. He hoped that Glenn and Kyle would just go straight to there usual dining spot on the hope that Robert would met them there. It would give Robert the excuse that he just lost track of time and forgot to join them. This time though, that excuse would not work as his friends came knocking on his door at the appointed time.

"All right Robert you can stop pretending to be working on your expense report and join us." Glenn chided.

"Do I really look like I'm not working?" Robert said with sarcasm.

"No, but you'll use it as an excuse to avoid talking to us." Kyle returned.

Glenn and Kyle were a perfect match. They were the same age, 42, and the same height 6', same swimmer's build. The also looked like the Tao symbol for the ying and the yang with Glenn gray hair and blue eyes and Kyle's black and brown. It almost made Robert sick when the two would finish each other's sentences and laugh when they would give each other identical gifts at Christmas. They were the perfect pair that Robert always wanted in his life abut because he never could believe he could have it, he lived his life by living recklessly.

"Are you going to make us drag you down for lunch because Kyle and I have been working out so I think we can take you this time?"

Robert laughed at that. He was just two inches taller then the two but much stronger. Robert worked out his frustrations lifting weights and it showed be it the tree trunks he had for legs or the 18 inch biceps he carried around. He was a bull of a man but what he liked best about his body was the tight V that went from his broad shoulders to his narrow 31 inch waist. To make his point he walked over and lifted the couple, one in each arm.

"I think I'm the one who can do the carrying around here." Robert said as all three of them began to laugh.

Only a few office doors opened to see what was happening being that most people had already gone out for lunch. But those that did, shook there heads at the three's merriment. All who worked there knew the reasons why Glenn and Kyle had not been promoted and felt that the two were not helping their cause by hanging around a player like Robert.

Kyle seemed to know this as he tried to remove himself from Robert's hold before too many people saw them. Glenn didn't care, he loved Robert free spirit and didn't give a damn about other people's opinions.

For lunch they went to their favorite barbeque pit. It was a little ways from downtown in Overland Park but for Kyle and Glenn it was worth the drive for the best brisket in town. Robert, the fitness fanatic that he was could understand how they could eat the stuff.

"You two are going to become two fat queens if you keep on eating those sandwiches." He remarked as he looked at their stuffed faces marred with barbeque sauce while he worked the skin off the chicken he was eating.

"You need to treat yourself better Robert." Glenn scolded as he wiped the sauce from his face. You're not going to be young forever."

"You would still have your six pack abs if you stopped eating all that fat." Robert returned.

"Robert, I'm 42 years old, I'm not suppose to have a six pack and I don't need one. I worked to get myself a Kyle instead."

"How sweet of you to say that!" Kyle grinned before giving his lover a kiss on the cheek, leaving a red smear.

Glenn returned the kiss without the sauce before turning his attention to Robert. "Robert I know you like giving off this tough guy image and everything but we both know that you are a lost puppy at heart. You need to find yourself a good boy to look after you before you're too old and all the good ones are taken."

"I had a good one and he left me. What does that say about me?" Robert returned.

"Robert what it tells me is that he was a jerk and didn't deserve you." Kyle said in anger at the man who hurt his friend.

Nobody ever wanted him. That was Robert's mantra. His parents never wanted him, they gave him up to an orphanage when he was born. He was never adopted so he grew up feeling no adults ever wanted him also. When he was found out to be gay at summer camp, the other kids turned against him also even though he had been one of the popular kids at the time. But it was his lover leaving him that proved to Robert that all he was good for was a one night stand and a quick fuck. People seemed to love him for his body or money not who he was as a person. Only one person had ever loved him and he had lost him the same summer that he was pushed out of the closet.

It was the summer of 86. Each year the children at the orphanage would go to a summer camp where kids from different children's homes would gather. It was the favorite time of year for Robert because he got to meet new people who were in the same situation as he was. While many of the kids were young, there had been a circle of friends that Robert had made from kids who were never adopted. These were the only friends Robert had including a small group of ever changing jack off buddies.

It seemed that ever since Robert was 13 and had waked into his first one that many of the boys went through a period of exploration. Living in sex-segregated homes also added to the sexual frustration many of the teens felt. The only difference was that unlike many of the boys who moved on after getting into high school, Robert did not. Robert was coming to terms with the fact that he would never like girls the same way he found himself liking boys.

Robert was 16 this year and was going to be a camp councilor for the first time. He was looking forward to it since it gave him the chance to watch over the younger campers. He liked being looked up to for a change instead of being scrutinized and looked down upon by potential parents.

This year he was going to be watching over the nine year old campers. This was usually a tough task as these kids were approaching the age where they were getting too old to have a good chance at being adopted. It was also an age where the kids were just coming to terms with the fact that they were orphans and all that it entailed. He seemed to have his work cut out for him cause as soon as he entered the cabin he saw a small dark blond haired boy crying.

"What's wrong there pal?" Robert quickly asked as he rushed over to the boy.

"I want to go home!" The boy sobbed, his face flushed from crying.

Robert, who was already very tall pick up the boy and let him cry on his shoulder. "It going to be ok, summer camp will be fun!" He tried to encourage.

"I don't want to be here! I want my brother back!" He continued to cry.

"Oh no!" Robert thought. "Either his brother had just left the orphanage or this kid was a fresh arrival straight from some tragic event."

There was little that Robert could do except take care of the boy and make sure he felt loved. He took the boy to one of the councilor's beds, which were extra long and lacked a top bunk and let the child sleep there.

"Don't worry pal, I can be... " He almost said "brother" but stopped himself from adding more pain to him. "I'll take care of you." And take care of him he did.

Robert learned from the camp supervisor that the boy named Josh, last names were not to be used for obvious reasons. He had only been at the group home for a week before coming here. His family had died coming from a football game Josh's older brother had played in. There was no other family and after a few months in foster care it was decided to send the boy to a home. It was a hard decision on whether to send the boy to camp as he had just arrived at the orphanage but since there would be no other children left besides him and because it just wasn't practical to keep the orphanage running for the two months just for one child, the choice was either to send him off to foster care again for the two months or to camp. For the lady who ran the place the choice was obvious and so to camp Josh went.

Robert felt sorry for the boy for while Robert could not remember his parents the thought of loosing one's entire family filled Robert with a lot of sympathy. It could be said that in never having a family while always wanting one gave Robert a great appreciation for what the boy was going through. As a result he made it his mission to make sure Josh only had happy memories of camp.

To that end, Robert stuck to the boy like glue and Josh seemed to appreciate it. It was in the third week of camp that Robert found how much when during the telling of campfire stories Josh climbed into Robert's lap and fell asleep. From that day forward Josh would sneak into Robert's bed each night.

Sometimes Robert would stay awake until Josh joined him, moving the sheets aside so he could slip in easier. Josh seemed happy when he was with Robert but some mornings Robert would wake up to a pillow still damp from Josh's tears.

They did this during the whole summer. When they left for their own homes, they exchanged addresses and kept in contact the whole year until they met again the next summer. When Josh finally saw Robert he ran to him and hugged him and Robert for the first time understood what unconditional love was. While they were no longer in the same cabin, Robert and Josh still hung around each other like brothers.

In addition to gaining a brother, Robert was also becoming aware of another man's attention. His fellow consoler Ted was a 17 years old in his last year at his orphanage. Ted was a tall stringy youth who had a reputation as a practical joker. It had been while Robert was showering that Ted made his move. Robert had just finished washing his body when he reached for the shampoo. What was supposed to come out was green. What came out was a blue dye that had little effect on his black hair but added a bluish tint to his skin.

"Ted!" Robert shouted as he ran back to the cabin. The kids were gone to archery at the time but Ted was there, laughing his head off when he saw Robert.

"Hey smurf!" Ted laughed when he saw Robert, a towel wrapped around his waist but still dripping wet.

"Why you..." Robert got out before he went and tackled Ted, loosing his towel in the process.

Ted himself was only dressed in a pair of running shorts which some how in the struggle disappeared. Robert did not know it at the time but this was a planned attempt at seduction by Ted who was on his high school wrestling team in the featherweight division. So while Robert was the stronger man, he could not get a grip on the slippery fish he was struggling with. It was him that ended up on the bottom when he was finally worn out. Well almost worn out, his dick had risen to the occasion while the rest of him hadn't. Ted also seemed to have a similar response. What could have been Robert's fist true sexual experience with a man was interrupted when one of the kids returned early.

"Ed, what are you doing back!" Ted shouted as he quickly got off Robert.

That ended everything. Ed had come back early with a sprang ankle and saw the two together with their dicks erect. Ted hoped that the boy would keep it to himself but soon the whole camp was talking about it. The senior counselor had no choice but to send both of them back to their institutions. A few of the kids had come from abusive situations and the description of what had happened between Ted and Robert caused one child to have nightmares.

The consoler was very sorry for having to send the two away, knowing it would hurt them emotionally. That sympathy though did not extend to the other counselors who ostracized the two while they had to wait two days for their rides to arrive.

Since Ted was the only person who would still talk to him Robert learned why Ted had tried to set up a romance with him. It turned out that Ted had been a pen pal with one of Robert's jack off buddies who had already left the orphanage. Ted had a very hard life at his institution. There were no jack off buddies for him to bond with. In one day of frustration when he got into fight with the supervising parents he had shouted out that he was gay. After that day he had been alone.

Ted told Robert that he often thought about running away but didn't know where he would go. He really didn't know what he wanted to do with his life. College was a dream but that was all it was for him. He didn't play sports nor did he do well enough in school so scholarships were out of the question. He felt trapped and for a young man that's a very dangerous situation to be in. Ted's sense of humor did not come from him being jolly but an attempt to convince himself that he should be.

Ted's ride arrived first. The two of them agreed to write each other and wished each other the best but all of Robert's letters were returned unopened and with no explanation. It would always trigger guilt in Robert, not knowing what had happened to Ted and not knowing what he could of done to help him.

Robert spent that last night at the camp alone and it was a loneliness that he would soon become familiar with. He now knew what Ted meant in feeling trapped. He thought about running away and even killing himself but it was at this moment that Josh came to his rescue.

Josh had heard that Robert was leaving camp for good. It left him upset that the one person who had replaced the loss of his family was being taken away from him. So when he was sure that the consolers were asleep, he snuck over to the empty cabin Robert had been housed in.

Robert was woken from his sleep when he felt a warm body move next to his.

"Robert why are you going away?" Josh asked with sad eyes.

Robert almost said that he had done something bad but knew that would upset Josh. "I was picked by a family!" Robert lied.

"That's great. Do you think they'll take me as well?"

"We'll just have to see!" Robert tried to smile but his eyes stung with tears.

"If they don't, I turn 18 next year and will try to come for you myself." A bigger lie but Robert was now trapped in the fantasy of remaining Josh's brother.

"I'll miss you." Josh said as he rested his head against Robert's chest

"And I'll miss you Josh but I promise to write to you twice a day."

"You will, then I'll write you three times a day!" Josh said.

"Can you write that much?"

"I can learn. I do well in school."

"Good but don't wear your fingers out." Robert said as he gave Josh a tickle.

"Hahaha, I won't. Robert... why do some of the consoler's say you're a bad man."

"Do you think I'm bad?"

"No... I love you Robert."

"And I love you kiddo. Now I think you better get back to bed before they notice you're missing."

"All right. Bye Robert."

"Bye Josh."

Robert was so touched by Josh coming to see him regardless of the trouble he could have gotten in that it freed Robert from the trap he had felt himself in. Love was still a possibility. In fact it was real. Josh loved him and for the moment that was all Robert needed to know. As he slept he dreamt of adopting Josh and forming a small family of their own. The next day was hard as he had to face the dark glare of the driver sent to get him but Robert was confident that things would turn out well in the end.

The two of them kept their promises to write and for a while all was well. For Robert those letters were his lifelines. Whenever he felt sad he would turn to one of Josh's letters for encouragement. So it was with great sadness when Robert received a final letter telling him that against the odds Josh had been adopted. He wrote to congratulate Josh on the good news but the letter was returned unopened. No more letters came from Josh and when Robert asked Josh's home for his new address he was told off. Regardless, Robert kept on going hoping that Josh was happy wherever he was.

When he graduated from high school, Robert signed up for the navy where he served for five years. He then used the GI Bill to pay for school at USC where he studied marketing. It was when he was a student that he met the first love of his life.

Robert had gotten over his issues with his sexuality the first time he went to the baths in San Diego. He liked cock he found. He liked giving cock especially. Calling Robert an aggressive top would be an understatement back in those days. The goal was not to find love but to get off and to get off often.

It was at a bar that he cruised the man who would become his first and so far only lover. Lance was in advertisement, having graduated two years ago. He was an up and comer and had developed the same reputation as a bottom as Robert did as a top.

What had started as an occasional fuck turned into more regular engagements until the two of them found their clothes on hangers at each other's apartments. Something had to be done and that something was Robert moving in with Lance.

Everything seemed to be working fine. Robert finished school and was now working in public relations. Lance was slowly moving up the corporate ladder as well. But just like many things it wasn't a big thing that broke them apart but a slow death. It started with Lance talking Robert to attend swinger parties and latter progressed to Lance bringing strangers to their bed wanting Robert to have sex with them. Lance then began coming home after midnight until one day he didn't come home at all. Robert had expected this to happen but what he didn't expect that Lance would plan this walk out of the relationship so calculatedly.

Robert woke up one day to find a letter slid under the door. In it was a letter telling Robert that Lance had left him for good. He had gotten a promotion to move to LA and had taken it without telling Robert. He had paid the rent until the end of the contract but wanted Robert to leave before the end of the last month so Lance could pick up his things. This told Robert that Lance already had a new apartment and most likely replaced everything he needed at it including Robert himself.

Robert didn't realize until he lost Lance what being in a relationship had meant to him. It had meant family and belonging to another person. So for the second time Robert found himself mourning his orphan-hood. After moving out, Robert found remaining in San Diego too painful so he began looking for jobs elsewhere.

When the offer came from Kansas City Robert almost laughed it off. Things were getting too painful though. The old bars where he and Lance had hung out now were centers of whispers. Robert had lost connection with many of his friends when he got involved with Lance and Lance's friends now avoided Robert with guilt in their eyes. So, with nothing else coming in yet Robert took the trip to Kansas.

He had at once clicked with Glenn and Kyle during his interview and it was by their combined effort that they convinced Robert to move to Kansas City. They soon learned their friend's sad story and made it their mission to find Mr. Right for him. It was just that Robert never seemed to cooperate.

They would introduce Robert to some of the quality men they knew around town but by the end of the evening Robert would be flirting with another person. They tried dinner parties but Robert would just sit and mope about. Many of their friends told them to give up but they kept doggedly trying. Today's lunch meeting was to finally get Robert to go to an old fashion church social that Glenn and Kyle often went to at a Unitarian church in nearby Lawrence but Robert had already made an appointment this Sunday, an appointment with the cute waiter who had just winked at him.

After paying their bills and Robert leaving his number, Glenn and Kyle headed back to the office. Today they were interviewing a new lawyer to handle the patent law cases coming from the medical center in Kansas City and the pharmacy business in Lawrence where the University of Kansas was located. Kyle, who was in corporate law while Glenn handled civil cases, was going to be at the second interview that was being held that day. When he entered the conference room he almost shouted in surprise when he saw the object of Robert visual fantasy staring at his watch at the conference table.

"Oh hello sir," the young man jumped from his seat.

"Oh please sit down and don't call me sir, it makes me feel old. Call me Kyle." Kyle said reassuringly. Kyle almost thought he saw a scared rabbit look on the man's face.

"Yes, Kyle." The man said, relaxing a little before sitting back down with his hands in his lap like he was attending etiquette class.

"Rats," Kyle though. I can't see if he's wearing a wedding ring. It would be great if he were not married. I could invite him to church and use that to get Robert to come along. I guess I'll have to use the direct approach. "So...Josh are you married?" He even has the perfect name.

"Yes sir... I mean Kyle I am with one child already."

"Great to hear that." Kyle said with an unspoken "NOT!" added to the end. "I think I recognize you. You work at the firm just across from us."

"Yes I do...Kyle." Josh replied, still having problems not saying "sir".

"So why are you switching teams so to speak?" Kyle said before he realized the irony of what he just said. Switching teams was exactly what Robert would want this married hunk to do.

"Well Kyle the other firm really doesn't have much of a client base when it comes to patent law and y'all do. When I joined them I really was just a replacement for the one that retired but he only left me with a handful of clients. I've been able to get a few more but y'all are the ones who have most of them so when a spot opened up here I decided to take it."

Kyle nodded his head in agreement. The other firm was not know for having a lot of corporate clients but when he looked at the list of clients Josh had amassed during his time at his firm Kyle found a case load that would keep any normal lawyer pretty busy.

"So tell me Josh, how many of your clients are willing to bail ship and join us here."

"All but two and those two were ones I got from the lawyer who retired."

"Well that's great! You won't mind taking on a few more cases if we hire you?"

"No sir I think I can handle it."

"Kyle." Kyle corrected.

"Oh right... sorry Kyle."

"No problem and I mean it. You should have no problem getting the position. We would be glad to steal you from our competitors. So, do you want me to show you around?"

"Sure."

Kyle took him around to see the partners and other associates leaving Glenn and Robert for last.

"Hi honey." Kyle said as he stuck his head into Glenn's office.

"Hi dear. What's up?"

"Oh I'd like you to meet our next fellow associate, Josh Harper."

"Hi," Josh waved as Kyle pulled him into view.

"So the firm decided to hire you?'

"Not yet but Kyle here thinks that I'm a shoe in."

"Yep, he bills nearly twice what he'll make his first year here so they would be stupid not to." Kyle beamed.

"Is he married?" Robert mouthed but didn't vocalize as he walked up to them.

As Josh was busy shaking Roberts hand, Kyle point to his left ring finger to indicate yes. Robert made a quick frown but quickly recovered with a smile.

"Is everything all right sir?" Josh asked when he saw the change in expression.

"Oh yes everything is fine. I just remembered I had a messy divorce case to finish up before the day is done."

"That's sad, divorce that is." Josh commented.

"It can be, but some times the people are better off." Glenn said before wrapping an arm around Kyle

"So you and Kyle are..."

"A committed couple...yes.' Glenn said to prevent Josh from using the "g" word. "It shouldn't matter what the person is, only how you feel about him or her. The person I love just happens to be a guy that's all."

Josh didn't reply to this but only stared at his watch.

"Well we better get going. We still have one more person to see." Kyle said in order to break the awkward silence.

"Well I guess I'll see you later Kyle. It was good to meet you Josh." Glenn said as he followed them to the door.

"Bye." Josh was able to mumble, his eyes still on the watch.

The last person they had to see was Robert. Robert would be responsible of getting Josh to fit into the culture at the firm.

"Hey Robert, I got a surprise for you." Kyle laughed while Josh waited outside.

"What is it? I am nearly done with this report." Robert grumbled.

"You'll see. Come on in Josh!" Kyle shout to the closed door.

To the mention of Josh's name, Robert's eyes shot up from his work to the door and in walk the man he had been fantasizing about for the past three years.

"Hi I'm Josh Harper." Josh smiled with his hand outstretched.

"Hi, I'm Robert Townsend, head of public relations."

The two took each other hands and it was like a bolt of energy had hit Robert. While Josh had only been ten the last time Robert had seen him, this Josh had dark brown hair but the same blue eyes he remembered his Josh of having. He had to quickly turn away to hide the fact that his eyes were tearing up.

"So where are you from Josh?" Robert asked as he stared out the window.

"Oh, I was born in Texas but was raised here in Kansas."

"My Josh was born in Texas," Robert remembered. "So what brought you here?"

"Just looking for a better job is all."

"Well I'm sure you'll fit right in. I'll have to take you shopping if you get the job."

"Shopping? Why?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you Josh, Robert is our clothing consultant. You know the old saying, "the cloths make the man" Well at this firm we take that seriously." Kyle laughed.

"That would be great. I'm still just a farm boy when it comes to cloths."

"I think you would look great in whatever you wear." Robert thought he had said to himself but was surprised when he got a reply.

"Thanks."

"Well Mr. PR man do you want to take our prospective associate out for dinner?"

"Uhm no, sorry I can't I'm going to have to finish this report so I'll be in the office late tonight."

"All right," is what Kyle said but his tone shouted "COWARD!".

"That's ok, my son is having a school play tonight anyway."

"Really, what are they playing?"" Kyle asked.

"The frog prince. My son plays the role of the gold ball the princess drops in the well. It not a speaking part but he loves the costume."

"Well have a good evening then."

"I will, thanks and thank you Kyle for showing me around."

"It was no problem Josh. Do you need me to show you the way out?"

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks again."

"Bye Josh." Kyle smiled as Josh walked toward the elevators. When Kyle was certain that Josh was gone he closed the door to Robert's office. "So you want to tell me what that was all about?"

"He looks so much like him." Was Robert's only reply.

"Well Robert he might but that's no reason for you to avoid him like this." Kyle scolded.

"He's married. He has a kid. What am I suppose to do?"

"That's never stopped you before."

"Well it stops with this guy."

"Which guy?" Kyle nagged.

"The guy who you brought to my office."

"Oh my god, you can't even bring yourself to say his name." Kyle realized. "Here Robert.' Kyle said leaving a card on his desk. "This is the name of the investigator Glenn uses to get dirt on the other spouse in a divorce case. He also does missing people cases as well. I you are afraid that this guy is the same as the boy you knew at camp he will be able to find out especially since we have Josh's social security number and address already on record."

"I don't think I could handle knowing either way but thanks."

"No problem Robert. But remember even thought he is married there is nothing stopping you from being his friend."

"Thanks again Kyle but I would like to be alone right now."

"Sure thing bud. Have a good weekend." Kyle said before he left

Robert went back sit behind his desk. He picked up the card. Fiddled with it for a while before putting it into his wallet. He then went and got out his small black phone book and made a call. The last thing Robert wanted was to be alone this night. He might even call Dan.

It was three in the morning when Robert woke up with a start. He was in bed with his latest trick, a blond who had one of the cutest bubble butts he had come across in a long while but for some reason having another warm body in his bed did very little for him. It wasn't the comfort he had hoped for.

Robert quietly snuck out of bed and went to his desk where he had his wallet locked up. He took out the card that his friend had given him. It had the name of Ed Williams, private investigator. It also had the listing of two phone numbers one private the other cellular. It also stated that he was available 24-7. Nervous about calling at such a late hour but more scared that he would loose his courage he made the call."

"Hello, Williams Private Investigators. A cheerful female voice answered.

"Uhmm yes, I am Robert Townsend I received your name from a friend, Glenn Winston. I was told you can investigate a person's past.

"Yes sir."

"Can you find out if a person has been adopted or would that complicate things?"

"Not at all sir. But it might take a little longer to find out who his real parents are."

"No problem. Does his social security number help?"

"Yes that would save us some time."

"Well the person's name is Josh Harper and he works at Smith, Wesley, and Kamp. I don't have his number on me but I'll call you in the morning with the info."

"No problem sir. If you have the info we need we can have the report done in a few days."

"Thanks"

"Now stop worrying that little head of yours and go to sleep Mr. Townsend." The woman cheerfully chided.

"Yes Mrs...." Robert started realizing he didn't even know the woman's name

"Mrs. Williams, Mr. Townsend." The voice replied, completing his sentence."

"Thanks Mrs. Williams, goodnight."

"Nite." Robert said as he hung up the phone.

Robert then went to bed and put his arms around the stranger in his bed, imagining that it was Josh he held. He had called Dan but Dan had made an excuse not to show. Robert knew that like many of his tricks, he had gotten tired of being used as a fantasy for another man. He had found a replacement, not as good, but just as willing as Dan had been, enough to fight off the loneliness that consumed him when he slept by himself.