The Freshmen - 3. Chapter 3

August 6, 2004

Tribeca, NYC, NY

JJ

I stared at my phone in annoyance, my finger poised over the ‘send’ button. I hated this, hated being the person who called to ask someone out. It felt demeaning that I would have to stoop to that level when people should be asking me out. Plus there was always the risk that I would be rejected, and that was truly unbearable. I summoned up all my courage and hit the button. After the second ring I got nervous, and thought about hitting the ‘end’ button, but by the time I decided to do that, I heard Kris’s deep voice telling me to leave a message. I panicked at that, because I hadn’t dreamed he wouldn’t immediately pick up my call, so I hung up.

I sat there, now even more upset, because I’d called and hung up when I should have left a message. I sighed, knowing that the only way to save the situation was to call him back and speak to his voicemail. I grabbed a pen and wrote down what I was planning to say, then I steeled myself all over again and dialed his number. I freaked out when he answered because I was expecting a recording. “I thought you weren’t going to call me,” he said, flirting shamelessly. I smiled, because that meant he’d programmed my name and number into his cell phone.

“Yeah, I wasn’t real happy about breaking my rule, but I actually called to ask you to go out with me tomorrow,” I said, trying not to sound nervous but failing miserably.

“So this is a date?” he asked.

“Let’s call it that,” I said. “It’s a charity banquet at the Waldorf.”

“What do I wear to that?” he asked nervously.

“You’re going to meet me at Dior Homme in two hours and I’ll solve that problem for you,” I said.

“I’m buried right now,” he said nervously, then sighed. “I’ll meet you there.” I didn’t understand why he would be buried, so I ignored his issue.

“Excellent,” I said. I called Dior Homme and told them I was coming in and what I wanted, then pulled myself together and went out to grab a snack.

“Hello Mr. Jeremy,” Jacinta said. She was my housekeeper, and she’d had my back during some of my toughest trials. Normally I wasn’t friendly with the staff, I was polite, but she’d earned my trust, so I treated her differently.

“Hello,” I said. “Can you make me a light snack?”

“I will be happy to,” she said, smiling and showing off her horribly crooked teeth. She was a nice lady, but not in the least way attractive. “I was worried that you were starving.”

“I haven’t been hungry,” I said glumly.

“I heard that Mr. John was here,” she said, in a questioning way.

“He just stopped by to tell me that he met someone and they were together,” I said. I tried to be strong about it, but a tear fell out of my eye and I wiped it away angrily.

“I am happy for him, but sad for you,” she said sympathetically. I wanted her sympathy, but at the same time it made me feel pathetic.

“I’ll get over it,” I lied.

“Miss Susannah left here and seemed upset,” she said, probing more.

“She’s mad at me because I got sick of her trying to control me, and I blew her off tonight and tomorrow,” I said.

“I am glad you finally realized that,” she said, then put a snack down in front of me. I was intensely irritated that she’d seen me being whipped like a little bitch and didn’t say anything, but then again, she probably figured it wasn’t her place.

“Took me a while to wake up,” I grumbled.

August 6, 2004

Santa Cruz, CA

Will

“I love this place,” Travis said as we swam ashore for lunch. “There’s no one else out here. No competing for waves.”

“I know,” I said. “Water’s colder, but the wetsuit takes care of that after a few minutes.”

“You surf in California, you have to get used to cold water,” he said philosophically. We’d just gotten to the beach and were walking towards our cooler when I heard my phone ring. I hustled over to answer.

“Hey,” I said, probably sounding out of breath.

“Hey, did I catch you at a bad time?” this deep, melodic voice said. I paused to glance at the phone and saw that it was K-Kris.

“Not at all,” I said. “I was surfing and just came out of the water for lunch.”

“Bitch,” he said jealously, making me chuckle. “Your brother invited me out on a date.”

“JJ called you?” I asked, stunned.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t he?” he asked, and sounded annoyed.

“JJ hates doing that,” I said. “He probably sat there, practicing what to say, then finally got the balls to call you.”

“He didn’t have to worry,” he said. “I mean, I know he’s your brother, but he’s fucking hot.”

“So I’ve been told, mostly by him,” I joked.

“I wanted to make sure you’re cool with this,” he said. That was such a gentlemanly thing to do.

“I’m fine with it. I told him you two would probably get along,” I said.

“He’s a lot different than most of the dudes I meet,” Kris said, and that really made me laugh.

“Dude, you have no idea,” I said. He didn’t say anything, so I got that he wanted me to tell him why. “He’s been with a couple of guys, so he knows what he’s doing, and he’s a bottom for the most part, so you’ll appreciate that.”

“Most definitely,” he said.

“He was raised in this environment where he was all uptight, kind of the same thing as a Disney princess,” I said.

“You’re saying he’s a Disney princess?” he asked, laughing.

“That’s what I’m saying,” I said seriously. “The world revolves around him completely, and he expects you to accept that. He’s very self-absorbed, and not a little uptight. At the same time, he’s very generous and, once he likes you, he’s a very caring guy.”

“Alright, so how do I approach him?” he asked. It was weird as fuck to give someone advice on how to nail JJ.

“Slowly,” I said. “Don’t think you’re going to fuck him on the first date. He’s going to have to get to know you first. I mean, you may be able to talk him into a blow job, but you’re better off waiting to close the deal.”

“Bummer,” he said. “I’m used to guys who take one look at me then their pants are down and they’re bending over.” I laughed at that.

“No doubt, but he’s not like that,” I said. “He’ll appreciate your pedigree.”

“So I should wear my signet ring?” he joked.

“Definitely,” I said.

“Hey thanks,” he said crisply. “Gotta run.” He hung up before I could say goodbye.

“Who was that?” Travis asked.

“K-Kris from New York,” I said. He stared at me, waiting for me to explain how I met him, which was not unlike what Kris had just done on the phone. “I met him in New York at a gay bar. I was really pissed off after I fucked Dustin, that racist piece of shit, and I was super rude to him. I pointed out that his Rolex was fake.”

“That was pretty hostile,” Travis said.

“I know,” I said, not a little frustrated. “I ended up buying him dinner and a real Rolex.”

“You bought this dude a real Rolex?” he asked, totally shocked.

“Well yeah, after I was a total asshole and faced him at this bar, I thought it was only fair that I make it right,” I said. “That way if someone heard me say that and they tried to give him shit about his watch, he could show them it was real.”

“Makes sense,” he said, then frowned. “So you slept with him?”

“I did,” I said casually. I recognized that this was the kind of conversation I hoped I could have with him when we weren’t together, and that I could get it to the point that it was fun for both of us. “This guy is so hot, he’s almost as hot as you.”

“That hot?” he asked, pretending to be offended. He was so cute.

“That hot,” I confirmed. “He’s a total top, and he’s scored some serious dudes, so he knows what he’s doing. He’s got the perfect dick for it too. Almost too big, but not quite. The only thing was that he was pretty mechanical.”

“What, you had to tighten his bolts,” he joked.

“No, it’s just that it almost seemed like I was in a porn movie, where everything was scripted,” I said, then chuckled. “Okay, now you’re on top riding him. Now stop, roll over on your back. Now he’s going to pound you,” I said, in a voice that I thought a director would use.

“Cut!” Travis said, making me laugh hysterically.

“It was mechanical because of that, and because there weren’t any feelings involved,” I said seriously. “That’s the difference.”

“I can see that,” he said. “I can also see that the waves are awesome.”

“Let’s go,” I said. I grabbed my board and beat him into the water.

August 6, 2004

Tribeca, NYC, NY

JJ

I finished eating my snack, took a shower, and spent a long time getting ready. I was dressed in a more casual way, but in an outfit that was incredibly chic. I looked at my watch, decided I was just on time, and called for my car.

I walked toward the foyer and ran into Susannah. “You’re going out?” she asked.

“I’m meeting a friend,” I said.

“Can you give me a ride to the dinner party?” she asked.

“I can have the car take you after it drops me off,” I said.

“I don’t want to be late,” she whined.

“Neither do I,” I said. We said nothing for the rest of the trip. When we pulled up to Dior Homme, I simply said “goodbye” and walked into the store.

“Welcome Mr. Schluter,” the manager said. It was awesome that he was waiting for me. “I do not think your friend has arrived yet.”

I looked at my watch. “Thanks, Georges. I’m about ten minutes early.” I took that time to explain what I wanted, then looked at my watch in annoyance. At precisely the end of the two hours I’d given Kris, he walked into the store, panting because he was out of breath.

“I made it,” he said, smiling at meeting the deadline. It was impossible to look at him and not be blown away by how hot he was.

“You did,” I said. “Tomorrow’s charity banquet is pretty highbrow. Georges and his friends are going to make sure you look terrific.”

“Um...,” he said nervously, and I was at least in touch with his feelings enough to know he was worried about how much this shit would cost.

“This is my gift to you, to thank you for going with me tomorrow,” I said.

He leaned in and gave me a sexy kiss on the cheek. “Thanks,” he said. “You are awesome.”

“Sometimes,” I said, but could not help smiling. I realized that it had been a long time since someone had flirted with me and appreciated me. It felt really good. After that, Georges and his team whisked him back to the fitting room and we made the poor guy try on a bunch of different outfits. It took us an hour and a half to finally finish up.

“Shall I have these couriered over to your residence, Mr. Schluter?” Georges asked.

“That’s fine,” I said, and got a raised eyebrow from Kris. We walked out of the store and I smiled at him. “Just because your clothes are coming to my place doesn’t mean you get to stay there.”

“That’s not a ‘no’,” he said, being a total wolf. I led him into the Prada store. “Where are we going now?”

“You’re not all that smart, are you?” I taunted, getting an eye roll in return. “You need shoes.” The service there was good, which wasn’t surprising since I’d been in here so often. We walked out of the store with two new pairs of shoes for him.

“I only needed one pair for tomorrow,” he objected.

“You needed another pair for work,” I said, since the shoes that he’d worn to the gallery last night were the weakest link in his ensemble.

“You’re right,” he said, embarrassed. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” I said. “Dinner?”

“Absolutely,” he said. “Last time I was here with Will, we went to Cancilla’s. I mean, you’re probably too classy for that restaurant.” That was super flattering. I was starting to really like this guy.

“I like that place,” I said. “Even if it is pretty much a total Italian restaurant cliché.” I buzzed the driver and in no time at all, the Maybach pulled up. He gawked at it even as we both got in.

“Holy shit, this is one nice ride,” he said.

I told the driver where we were going then put up the privacy screen. “This is my personal rolling cocoon,” I joked, getting a chuckle from him. “I can sit in here and watch the people and the city, or I can pull these curtains closed to block them out. And if I see something I want to check out, I simply buzz the driver and I can re-enter the outside world.”

“This is the coolest thing,” he said. “I totally get how that works.”

“Do you have plans tonight?” I asked, since I was really enjoying him.

“No,” he said. “I’m all yours.” I giggled like an idiot, then stopped myself. I called our office at Escorial and asked them to get me the best seats they could at a play tonight, and they ended up scoring box seats at Hairspray.

“We have to be at the Neil Simon Theater by 8:00,” I told him.

“We’re going to see Hairspray?” he asked enthusiastically. I was kind of surprised he knew what was playing at that theater. Maybe it was a gay thing.

“We are,” I said.

“I have been wanting to see that,” he said. “Thanks.”

“I wanted to see it too,” I lied, since I’d already been to it when it premiered. Still, it was a good play, and worth seeing again.

We got to Cancilla’s to find the lobby crowded with people waiting for a table. “Shit, we should have gotten reservations.”

“Follow me,” I said, being cocky. I walked up to the hostess stand to see the same loud, brassy lady who had been here the last time I’d shown up. “Your name is Dottie, right?” I asked, shooting my most charming smile at her.

“That’s right,” she said skeptically, then recognized me. “Oh my God! You’re the skater. The one who won an Olympic gold medal.” She said that loudly, so the other people would hear. It was a waste of time pointing out to her yet again that I hadn’t won the Olympic Gold, that instead I’d won the US Men’s National Championship.

“Something like that,” I said. “How long is the wait for a party of two?”

She smiled at me. “Right this way.” She led us to a booth in the back, which was quite intimate.”

“Thank you so much,” I said. I slipped her a $50 bill, just to be polite, and she acted like she was going to argue then pocketed the money. Kris started chuckling. “What?”

“This is the same booth I sat at when I came here with your brother,” he said.

“I hope you enjoy it more this time,” I said grumpily, because I didn’t want to think about him being with Will.

“I am absolutely certain that I will,” he said. God he was charming.

The same waitress I’d had the first time I came here appeared at the table, smacking her gum as she pulled out her pad. “Whadda ya want to drink?” she asked rudely. He got a beer, and I got a chardonnay.

“You said you were buried,” I said. “What’s that about?”

“I’m an investment banker and I work at Goldman Sachs,” he said. “I’m pretty new, and that means that to prove myself and move up the ladder I have to work hellish hours. I’m usually there 12 hours a day, but sometimes that balloons into 16.”

“Why would you subject yourself to that?” I asked, horrified. I couldn’t imagine having that kind of schedule for a job, even though I’d put in that many hours when I was skating.

“Because even though I have this illustrious heritage, it doesn’t come with cash. If I want to pay off my student loans and be successful, I have to work my ass off,” he said.

“I’m sorry you have to do that,” I said sincerely.

“It is what it is,” he said, and shrugged. “What about you? Did you really win the Olympic Gold?”

“No,” I said, chuckling like he had. “I won the US Men’s National Championship kind of by default. I didn’t really do all that great, but all the other guys just completely blew their routines. The disaster in Dallas, they called it.”

“That is impressive,” he said. “Do you still skate?”

“No,” I said. “I tore my ACL, and after surgery I decided I just didn’t want to do that anymore. When you’re a skater, the US Skating Federation places all kinds of pressure on you to be this pure, wholesome guy. I mean, I pretty much am that way, but I didn’t want to let those assholes have any input on who I dated, or that kind of thing.”

“Did they find out you were gay?” he asked.

“I’m actually bisexual,” I said. It was cute that he seemed bothered by that, but annoying that he didn’t realize how big of an admission that was for me to make to someone I didn’t know all that well.

“That works,” he said, winking at me and making me blush.

“Definitely,” I said, trying to not be a total idiot.

The waitress returned with our drinks. “Know what you want?”

“I’ll have that fish dish you put together for the Upper East Side stiffs,” I said. She smiled slightly at that. Kris ordered lasagna.

“So now I’m into the fashion world,” I said, continuing our conversation.

“What do you do?”

“Formally, nothing, but I’m really involved in the scene. My specialty is colors. I’m good at picking out what’s going to be trending, and I’m really good at matching them,” I said proudly.

“That was obvious when we were shopping,” he said. I tried not to let him see me basking in his praise.

“My grandfather owns Mode, so I work with them informally,” I said.

“Why don’t they give you a job?” he asked.

“Why would I want a job?” I asked, sounding like the spoiled rich boy that I was. He blinked at me in amazement. “Bellona Carter runs Mode with an iron fist. Her nickname is the Dragon Lady. If I worked for her, I’d have to put up with that bullshit. This way, I only have to sort of put up with it.”

“I’ve heard that about her,” he said. “I guess you don’t need the money.”

“I don’t,” I said, being cocky. “I can get as involved as I want, but if I want to do something else, I can.”

“It gives you freedom,” he pronounced.

“It does,” I agreed with a smile. I gestured to his right hand, where he was wearing a unique ring on his fourth finger. It was so ornate it was almost gaudy, but too tasteful to earn that description. “What’s that ring?”

“This is one of the coolest family heirlooms I have,” he said proudly. He took it off and handed it to me. “It belonged to one of my great, great…,” he paused, as if trying to remember how many greats to add, ”...a whole bunch of greats...grandfather.” I laughed.

“So a long time ago?” I teased.

“In the 1500s,” he said. “He was the Count von der Schulenberg, and this is his signet ring.” I stared in amazement at this ancient relic. There was some sort of gemstone with a coat of arms carved into it in a very intricate way. The ring itself was gold, and looked like it was supposed to be dragon legs wrapping around his finger.

“Is this a garnet?” I asked.

“Very good,” he said. “They generally used a stone that was easier to carve. The other options were probably carnelian or agate.”

“So how did they use this?” I asked.

“I’ll show you,” he said. We were done eating so he flagged down the waitress and ordered a piece of cheesecake. “You have to share that with me.”

“I freak out if I gain half a pound,” I said glumly.

“What the fuck?” he asked. “Dude, you look amazing.”

“Thanks,” I said shyly, almost acting like I had when I’d been with Alex, trying to convince him I was totally virginal. The cheesecake arrived and he gestured for me to give him back his ring, which I did. He carved off a bit of cheesecake then stuck the garnet stone of the ring in it.

“See?” he asked, pointing to the imprint.

“Impressive,” I said, and he laughed, assuming that was partly a pun. I studied the thing but I didn’t see the purpose for it.

“Back in the 1500s, to seal something you used wax. So he would drip melted wax on a letter or a document and stamp it with his ring, then everyone would recognize that he’d signed and sealed it,” he explained.

“That’s pretty cool. You make me feel nouveau riche,” I said grumpily, as I handed him the ring Stef had given me a couple of years ago.

“This is really nice,” he said.

“My grandfather got one made for each member of our family, to remind us that we’re all bound together,” I said.

“What a cool idea,” he said, even as he wiped off his ring and put it back on his hand. He took a bite of cheesecake and his eyes bulged. “This is good.” He got another bite on his force and aimed at my mouth. “Try it.”

I opened my mouth and he put the cheesecake in there in a slow and steady way, the same way he’d have fed me his cock if I were blowing him. I had a raging erection, even before I tasted the cheesecake. “You’re right, this is good.”

He looked at the Rolex Will had bought him. “What time do we need to leave?” I glanced at my own watch.

“Now,” I said. We flagged down the waitress to bring us the tab. I grabbed for it but he yanked it out of my hand in a playful way.

“You bought me a freaking tuxedo and a suit, so I’m paying,” he said. I was going to argue, but that was rude.

“Thank you,” I said. I called for the car, so by the time he finished signing off on the bill and we got outside, the Maybach was waiting for us.

“This is the ultimate way to travel,” he said. “Sometime I should show you my old stomping grounds.”

“We’ll have to plan on that,” I said. I was really enjoying him, so at this point, anything I could do with him sounded awesome.

He looked at me, forcing me to look back at him. “So far this has been the nicest date I think I’ve ever had.”

“You’re full of shit,” I said, shaking my head.

“No, I’m not,” he said, and put his hand on the side of my head and gently pulled me toward him. I closed my eyes and was kind of surprised when our lips met, but that only lasted a millisecond, and then our mouths were working together in perfect synchronization. This dude was one amazing kisser. We finally ended the kiss when the car stopped in front of the theater. I was breathless. “That was one amazing kiss.”

“It was, and it was all you,” I said. The driver opened the door and I got out, pausing to adjust my erection and getting snickers from him. His chuckling was even more obvious when Kris got out in the same condition. Suddenly I desperately wanted to see his penis.

“It was not,” he said, getting my mind back to our conversation. “That’s how I can tell if I connect with the guy I’m with.”

“Kissing and not fucking?” I teased.

He looked at me and raised an eyebrow at my saying something as forward as that; I must have blushed so much I was as red as a firetruck. “That can work, but I think kissing is a better indicator.”

I stopped at the will call and snagged our tickets, then they let us go in through a special door. “Why is that?”

“I think it’s because it’s something that’s both intimate and basic,” he said, pondering my question. “It’s kind of like the foundation stone. If I’m with a dude and the kiss doesn’t work, the best I’m looking at is a one-time hookup.”

“What if it does work?” I asked.

“Then I’m much more into the dude, and I’m more likely to see him again,” he said.

“Good news for me,” I said shyly.

“Good news for both of us,” he said. We got to our box and sat down, and he stared at me in amazement. “Dude, I have never had seats this good.”

“I’m glad you like them,” I said.

“I like the seats, and I really like you,” he said, and leaned in to give me another kiss. We stopped when the play started, but I was so ready to blow off the show and just go make out. My mind flashed briefly to Carullo, and I was still sad, but now the pain was at least bearable.