Soul Music: Love Encountered - 15. Close Encounters

Tony stood to the side in the crowded aisle of a supermarket on a Friday evening. He wasn't sure where he needed to go next. He looked back at his boyfriend who was slowly pushing the shopping trolley along.

“OK … What's left on the list, love?”

Geoff appeared to be in a world of his own. Tony hoped he wasn't dwelling on the incident from earlier in the day. A wonderful, fun shopping trip marred by the actions of one ignorant woman. There again, it was perhaps more likely Geoff was brooding about what to tell his mother.

“Geoff?”

“Sorry!” Geoff suddenly came to a halt, nearly causing a collision with the harassed-looking woman behind him.

She glared in his direction as she manoeuvred her way past his trolley.

“Ehm … Sorry, I wasn't … err …” Geoff's apology fell on deaf ears.

To cover up his confusion, he started looking with especial care at his handwritten list. Tony smiled with affection – it was one of those times when he found Geoff adorable. He wished his boyfriend was better equipped for encounters like that one. However, it was still something that made him feel protective and loving towards Geoff.

“God, it is busy, isn't it? And people like her don't help. Though maybe we should arrange a trolley handling course sometime?”

Geoff stared back mulishly, without saying anything. Tony had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud. Then they both grinned at each other.

“As I was saying …?”

“Yeah, sorry. Ehm …”

The menu he'd devised for their select gathering wasn't exactly haute cuisine, but it did need things they didn't usually buy. Hence the list – often they didn't bother except for odd things. Geoff was scanning both the list and what was in the trolley, marking what was left with his fingers.

“Well, the major thing is the lamb.”

“Can't get that here. I've ordered two racks for tomorrow from the butcher on Market Street. Sorry, it shouldn't be on the list really.”

“OK. That leaves … fresh olives, pointed red peppers, and whatever we're having for dessert.”

Tony scratched his nose. “Yeah … dessert. Your friend Helen made a good case for those cupcakes from that bakery cum café she frequents when I phoned her.”

“I'd second that, but they might not be quite right after a large-ish meal?”

“Hmm? Haven't decided yet. I was going to have a look at the freezer section as well. See if anything there catches our fancy.”

“OK.”

Geoff was just putting the list back in his pocket when a blond young man marched up to Tony and gave him a playful punch on his upper arm.

“Hey, Tony, mate! Where've you been hiding? Haven't seen you since we thrashed that bunch of losers at darts over at the Golden Lion. Before Christmas, wasn't it?”

“Oh … Ah … Hi, Matt.” Tony tried to cover up his surprise with a smile. “Yeah, it's been a while. How's the football going?”

The young man scowled. “The team's still doing badly. When are you gonna be back playing?”

Tony shrugged. “Not for a while yet injury-wise, and I might have to reconsider the commitment anyway.”

With a sinking feeling, Geoff recognised the young man from that hideous evening when everything between he and Tony had gone wrong. Yes, he'd only seen him for a minute or two, but large parts of that evening were burnt into his memory. Geoff felt his hackles start to rise. With the trolley still between him and his boyfriend, he wasn't sure whether to stay where he was, or to squeeze himself past the other shoppers and go to the front.

While that was occupying his mind, Geoff saw Tony being introduced to a hard-faced, fashionably-dressed young woman. The footballer's girlfriend? Geoff now had another quandry. Did he want Tony to introduce him to the couple as Tony's boyfriend, or not? The familiar hesitation loomed, but this time he also had a faint feeling of aggravation that Tony hadn't immediately acknowledged him. Geoff shook his head. What an idiot he was, and socially inept as ever. As he waited to see whether Tony would turn round, Geoff had his own surprise. Suddenly he was being tapped, or poked quite hard on the shoulder.

“Geoffrey? Geoffrey Lumsden?”

Geoff spun around as far as he could whilst still keeping hold of the trolley handle. He looked down slightly to see an inquisitive-looking face belonging to a perfectly-coiffured, petite woman, possibly about the same age as his mother.

“Err … Yes?”

“Oh dear. Don't you recognise me? It's Gloria Southgate. I'm one of your mother's oldest friends. Now, let me think. I first saw you, Geoffrey, when you were in the school nativity play.”

Which must have been when he was eight or thereabouts. The only thing he could remember of it was how scared he'd felt before going on stage. He had no memory at all of the woman stood in front of him. But then he'd never had anything much to do with his mother's friends. Geoff was immediately on his guard. His mother spent a lot of her time gossiping with her friends. Standing where he was, he was now very conscious that snatches of the conversation involving Tony were wafting past. He latched onto one.

“So, have you found anyone yet, Tony?”

Geoff forced himself to focus on the woman. “Hi. Err … Mum's certainly mentioned you. I don't think I've had the pleasure?”

The woman looked puzzled briefly, then smiled. “Well, you young people have your own friends, of course. You're the spitting image of your father, though you're carrying rather more weight than he ever did.”

“Oh …” Geoff didn't have any answer to that.

His ears caught hold of another snippet from the other conversation,

“Matt, I thought you'd already realised? Surely? My partner is a 'he' not a 'she'. He's a man about my age called …”

Geoff coughed several times, loudly, and hoped fervently that Tony wasn't at that moment pointing him out. After a brief pause, he took the initiative for once.

He smiled at the woman. “Sorry, Mrs Southgate, but I'm in rather a hurry. I'll mention to Mum that I ran into you. Nice to meet you. See you again sometime. Bye.”

Then Geoff turned back to face his trolley, and for extra cover, he took out his list and resumed studying it. Fortunately, his mother's friend must have headed off in the other direction. Geoff took a deep breath. That was close. Far too close. He really had to talk to his mother, although he still had no idea of what he was going to say. After a moment he looked up to see Tony was on his own again.

His boyfriend hurried up to join him. He was a little red in the face. “Bloody hell. It feels like we've both been ambushed. Minding our own business food shopping, and …”

Their eyes met. Geoff ran his fingers through his hair. “God, that was close. A friend of my mother's.”

“Ah. And I ended up lifting scales from Matt's eyes which I thought had long since gone.”

“Yes, I heard.”

“Oops. Sorry. Didn't realise I was talking that loudly.”

“Doesn't matter. You weren't particularly. Just my ears being peculiarly sensitive.” Geoff wanted to reconnect with a hug and a kiss, but of course, they couldn't.

Tony took charge of the trolley. “Let's grab the last of this stuff and get home. How about a quick supper, then bed? I've been fighting the urge to have an early night since lunchtime, or thereabouts. Pity we can't try out your new bed yet.”

Geoff blinked. “Oh … Oh, yeah.” A pink flush spread over his face as he realised what his boyfriend meant, and Geoff suddenly found the crotch of his trousers was getting really quite tight.

The following morning, Geoff stood in his garden, drinking in the sights, sounds, and the beautiful, fresh spring air. It was a fine, sunny day with the promise of real warmth. Tony was in town, doing the final bits of shopping – collecting the lamb, the cup cakes, and the wine, which they'd both forgotten. He shook his head. There was always something.

He'd just finished tidying the place up – dusting, vacuuming. It made sense to have the meal at his house as there was more room, and if Geoff was honest, a more pleasant ambience. His Edwardian terrace had bags more character than Tony's small, modern semi. Geoff smiled. Of course, it wasn't the house that was paramount, but who lived in it. The identikit feel of Tony's house was a minor drawback when compared with the warmth, love, music, and laughter he found there with his boyfriend.

Their early night had been another step or two along the road of his education in sex. Geoff flushed at the thought of it, and was so pleased that what was currently in his mind wasn't visible to his neighbours. Just taking himself back there was enough for stirrings in his groin. It was the first time they'd both seen each other completely naked. The picture he had in his mind of Tony was one that kept popping up ever since. While he was trying to sleep, and as he was doing the cleaning. His beautiful, sexy man, sprawled out on the sheet, sated, his fair skin flushed in so many places.

And that had been his doing. His! Geoff let out a deep breath of pride and satisfaction. His cock twitched again. It had been such an amazing experience. They'd spent a long while kissing, caressing, and slowly, tenderly undressing each other. Without realising how it had happened, Geoff suddenly found himself competely naked. He just managed to control his urge to hide, cover up, and the loving looks and kisses from his partner gave him courage. Tony had made such a fuss, praising parts of him he'd hardly noticed before. Sexually, anyway. Like his feet. Geoff stared down in their direction, wondering. They were nothing out of the ordinary. He still didn't think he was anything to look at. But if his boyfriend disagreed, then Geoff was almost willing to consider the possibility he was wrong.

Then Tony had lovingly wanked him to another climax, almost as shattering as the first one had been the weekend before. Geoff shook his head in disbelief. That was only a handjob. What would it be like if they ever had sex? He'd be lucky to survive. … Once he'd recovered, Tony allowed him to do the same back. Geoff smiled. He'd been concentrating so hard on trying to give his partner the best feelings that he could, Tony's warning that he was about to climax had taken him by surprise. He'd actually stopped, mid stroke, before getting back into the rhythm and taking his partner over the edge. Which took him back to the image of Tony lying there, his cum spattered on his belly. The feeling of giving such pleasure to the one he loved was profound. And up to a few months ago, he had no prospect of ever being granted such a privilege.

It was funny, but they both still took turns to use the shower to clean up afterwards. Geoff thought for a moment. To him, the bathroom was still deeply private. Much more so than the bedroom somehow. Well, the bedroom had been equally private until Tony had come along. One thing at a time … Once they were both back in bed, Geoff experienced something else new – being spooned. Held, cocooned almost. God, it had made him feel so loved, so at one with Tony in an unthinking, instinctive way.

Geoff realised he'd been standing still for quite some time. His legs were becoming stiff. Dragging himself out of his thoughts, he set off for a tour of the garden. He always thought of it like that – as if the garden was large and flamboyant, open to the public, and attached to one of the properties Tony was responsible for. A blackbird sitting on the fence was startled by him, first running along ahead of him, then reluctantly taking off for another part of its territory. The garden was much longer than it was wide, with a fence on one side, and a hedge on the other. The plants and bushes got a reasonable amount of sun, though those close to the hedge didn't do so well. Geoff looked all around as he strolled. Tulips, alliums, aquilegia, and large, decorative poppies punctuated the surrounding green with their bright, intense colours.

He loved his garden. Before he met Tony, it was one of his main means of relaxation. He could spend hours out in the sun, pottering around, doing some deadheading or pruning. Now perhaps, it was getting less attention than it should – he spent so much time at the other house that getting time in his own garden was tricky. If Tony and he ever got to the stage of living together full-time, Geoff hoped it would be his house they'd choose. Then he could introduce his partner to the joys of gardening. Other attractions would be the lack of mortgage, and larger rooms. They'd have to spend money on improving the heating though. And possibly on getting double glazing. But those would be one-off costs unlike the continuing drag of an expensive mortgage.

Geoff checked the time. Tony would be arriving very soon with the food and whatever kitchen utensils he didn't possess. A large roasting tin would be one. Thinking about where a vegetable patch might go, would have to wait. He turned round and was wandering towards the house when the back door opened and his boyfriend appeared.

“There you are.”

Geoff saw Tony squinting out into the sunlight.

“Would you give me a hand to unload the car?”

“Yeah, of course.” Geoff hurried the last few paces, and gave his boyfriend a kiss as he passed him into the kitchen.

He thought Tony was looking pale and unusually sweaty. Geoff turned back and eyed his partner up more closely, trying to remember his diabetes hints.

“You OK?”

Tony grimaced. “Hmm … not so good. That's why I called you in – I'm starting to get the shakes.” He shrugged. “I've been running around …”

“And not watching your sugar levels?” Geoff couldn't help sounding a little annoyed.

“Yeah. Something like that.”

“Right.” Geoff caught hold of his boyfriend's arm to steady him, and guided him to the nearest chair. “Got your testing kit handy?”

“It's on the passenger seat, in my jacket pocket.”

“OK. Don't move from here. I won't be a minute.”

Geoff rapidly made his way through the house until he was outside on the street. He found Tony's car, grabbed his jacket from the front seat, and while he was at it, picked up a couple of carrier bags from out of the boot. He hurried back.

“Here it is.” Geoff handed over the jacket. “What else d'you need?”

“Err …” Tony had found the testing kit, but was still fishing around in search of something else. “Sweets, if you have any. I can't find my emergency standbys. Or fruit juice.”

Geoff went off to retrieve a carton of apple juice from the fridge while Tony got on with what was necessary. His eyebrows went up at the result – his blood sugar was well down.

“I'll have a glass of that, thanks. Then we'd probably better have lunch sooner rather than later.”

Geoff frowned as he poured out the juice. “We're only gonna have cheese sandwiches and some salad.”

“That's fine. The bread'll give me the carbs I need.”

Tony took a long drink out of the glass. Finding it strange to be the protector for once, Geoff was about to give his partner a mini-lecture when he changed his mind. Instead, he went to get the rest of the stuff in. Uncooked food in a warm car wasn't the best idea.

As he was unpacking the last bag, Geoff noticed his boyfriend doing another fingerprick test.

“Better?”

“Yes, thanks. Much better.”

Geoff sat down opposite his partner at the kitchen table and looked over at the patient.

“You're a better colour, certainly. … Tony, love, you need to take more care.” Geoff felt himself turning pink when he said that, but he didn't care.

Tony chuckled. “Dearest Geoff, your concern is so sweet. This happens fairly regularly, you know. In fact, I'm surprised this is the first time you've seen me having a hypo. Is it really?”

Geoff nodded.

Tony smiled and reached over to take Geoff's hands in his. “It's nothing to get upset or worried about, love. It's all part of being a diabetic who's dependent on insulin. Though I should slap my own wrists for not having any emergency sweets. I could've sworn they were where they should've been. Oh well, I probably ate them the last time my sugar level needed a boost. Must remember to get some more.”

“Should I keep some here? Just in case?”

Geoff tried to recall the last time he'd eaten sweets. Junior school? Something like that.

“Perhaps. But you usually have some fruit juice around, don't you?” Tony smiled. “Come on, let's get lunch ready. I'm starving even without the effects of a hypo.”

Tony had already devoured one of his cheese sandwiches, and half a mug of tea, when he decided to return briefly to the subject of his diabetes.

“I was thinking I should keep a stock of emergency insulin here as well.”

Geoff looked up in alarm.

“It's OK, love. The insulin just sits in the fridge until such time that I might need it in a hurry.”

Tony saw his companion steal a glance at his insulin pump – a small pod which was just visible under his shirt sleeve. He looked back at his boyfriend.

“You got a question, Geoff? I'll answer anything you ask about my diabetes.”

Geoff pointed at the pod. “I thought that was meant to keep you healthy?”

“Yes, it helps do that. But it's not a cure-all. All it does is to ensure a regular supply of insulin which should iron out some of the highs and lows in my sugar levels.”

“Oh …” Geoff was thinking. “Do they ever go wrong?”

“Yes. Occasionally. Or they run out of medication at an awkward time. That's why an emergency stock of insulin for injecting is necessary. Dear one, I've lived with diabetes all my life. I know what I'm doing.”

Tony waited until his boyfriend nodded his acceptance before continuing.

“Geoff, I love that you are so involved in my health and well-being …”

“But?” Geoff gave a wry smile.

Tony gave an answering smile in return. “But … I don't want you to be constantly on edge about it. Diabetes when well controlled, is a chronic illness, not a life-threatening one. OK?”

Geoff's face was flushed pink despite his attempts to soften his request to back off on the question of his diabetes. Tony felt a little guilty. He got up and stood behind his boyfriend's chair. Wrapping his arms around Geoff's chest, Tony bent down and gave him a couple of kisses on his nose.

“Stop it! It's ticklish.”

“Hnh! You gone off my kisses suddenly?”

Geoff stared up at him. “Never.”

They connected for several seconds before Tony kissed him again, this time on the forehead.

“I am glad you're looking out for me. … Right, what are we gonna do this afternoon? We don't have to start thinking about the food until five o'clock or thereabouts.”

Geoff leant his head back and nestled it into the dip between Tony's ribs. Tony took the chance to stroke and mess with his thick, wavy hair, something he adored doing.

After a moment, Geoff came up with an answer.

“Ehm … I was out in the garden earlier, looking at all the flowers …”

“The garden! Of course.” Tony moved to sit down next to the other man. He looked sideways with a grin. “Why have I never had the official tour? How long have I known you?”

Geoff rolled his eyes. “Well, now's your chance. Take the opportunity for a personal, guided tour with the head gardener. Next tour starts in … ten minutes?”

“You're on.”