Life Goes On - 52. A Richer Peter Revives Old Friendships

November 1990

As Peter sat in his pew at St. Thomas Episcopal Church he contemplated his great uncle’s life and legacy. Will had started attending this church in 1979 following the resolutions passed by The General Convention of the Episcopal Church:

Resolved, that it is the sense of this General Convention that homosexual persons are children of God and have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church.

Resolved, that this General Convention expresses its conviction that homosexual persons are entitled to equal protection of the laws with all other citizens, and calls upon our society to see that such protection is provided in actuality.

While he did not attend on a regular basis he did support the Church financially. When the Church chose its first female priest, Pastor Sandy, he accepted the decision as representing how inclusive the church was becoming and increased his annual pledge. He also supported the Church with his talent. He gave art work to be sold or auctioned at the annual fair. In the parish hall hung two of Will’s paintings: one of the Church exterior and the other the interior highlighting the stained glass window over the altar.

Will had discussed his funeral arrangements years earlier, not in a morbid ‘I’m going to die way’ but ‘I want to be part of my celebration when it happens in the future’. He had selected hymns, scripture readings and listed three friends who he would be asked to do readings or reflections: Peter, Henry and Father Sean. Although Sean was a Roman Catholic, Pastor Sandy welcomed the suggestion of him as one of Will’s dearest friends. Peter knew Sean was liberal in his interpretations of doctrine. They joked how Sean’s Bishop would not be pleased if he knew he was participating in the service and would take communion. Although no one really cared they thought that possibly the Bishop would not have a problem with Sean’s taking the bread and wine since he would not consider it a legitimate religious event. During the Eucharist Service the bread would be distributed by a woman, Pastor Sandy, and the Chalice Bearer serving the wine would also be a woman. Peter’s wife, Louise, was a licensed administer of the chalice and served one week a month at their home church in Columbus. She never missed a Sunday. Peter attended sporadically.

The urn with Will’s ashes sat on a table next to the altar during the service. What Peter did not share with Pastor Sandy but did with close friends including Sean was that the urn also contained the ashes of JB, Will’s life partner and love who had died years earlier. Will had kept JB’s ashes so that he and his love could continue their happy life on earth into eternity.

Peter and his wife, Louise, sat in the front pew with Peter’s parents. His mother was Uncle Will’s niece. While his mother had called relatives on her father’s side of the family (Will was her father’s brother) to inform them of the details of the service Peter did not see any in attendance. However, since the Church was crowded he assumed he would meet some later. He had not seen any of his relatives on his mother’s side of the family since her father’s / his grandfather’s funeral in the 1960s.

As the closest relatives to Uncle Will, Peter and his mother greeted guests and accepted condolences at the entrance to the Parish Hall after the service. They were amazed at the number of people from the community who attended. All Will’s men friends who lived in Ohio also attended the service, reception and would all gather for a farewell to Will at the farm house that evening.

Only one relative of Will’s other than Peter’s mother, her children and grandchildren attended the service. Peter’s mother had always welcomed her uncle during his visits. Her father had tolerated his brother, Will, when he visited from Georgia and permitted him to stay at his home but not with a genuine welcome. Consequently Will was more likely to stay with his niece and her children, Peter and Ronnie. It was during one of these visits that Will invited Peter to visit him in Georgia. At the time of that first visit when Peter was 20 he met Henry and Seth. Will had told Peter that his family considered him different and were relieved when he decided to move away after high school and army service.

When Peter met this one relative, his mother’s cousin Abby, he learned she had not seen or corresponded with Will since his return to Ohio years earlier. It soon appeared she was only interested in any possible inheritance as she discussed what an old man without children would do with his money. When she made the comment that all he owned was an old farmhouse and that it was probably mortgaged to support a poor artist Peter held in a laugh. She would be surprised to learn his wealth accumulated through investments made with and on the advice of his love, JB. Any of the relatives who attended the reading of the will would learn how wealthy he was, how little they would get and how Peter, the grand-nephew who had been Will’s friend, companion and then caretaker was the primary beneficiary.

That evening the ‘Men’ in Will’s life assembled at the farmhouse. The guest list of this private party included many of the men who had touched Will’s life, ‘touched’ Will and many who had ‘touched’ each other: Adam, Alex, Bruce, Dan, David, Derick, Fred, Gary, Henry, Jacob (elderly farmer neighbor), Lee, Owen, Peter, PT, Roland, Tom, Sean and Vlad.

Years earlier Will had told Peter what to do with his vast collection of photos. He asked that all the erotic ones either be given to the photo subjects or destroyed. Then with a laugh “I want you and all my friends to have a party after my passing on to connect with JB – or whatever happens to dead bodies. Celebrate my life. Also, there is a large sealed envelope marked ‘Game’. Open it at the party and play the game I have created.” Peter opened the large envelope. It contained photos of twenty-five men showing their bodies between the chest to just below the dick. All of these men had willingly posed for Uncle Will. The photos covered a thirty year span with those of Peter, Tom, Seth and Henry taken in the 1960s. No one considered this an invasion of privacy as all were like minded. Each photo was numbered. The object of the game was to identify the man in each photo seeing only mid-body to dick. Most of the photos were of men in the room. Others were of men who were unable to attend the party: JB, Frank, Keith, Seth and Reg – deceased; Jacob and Rob in Washington DC and Ralph and Tim in Breslau, Pennsylvania. There was also a list of the names of the twenty-five subjects. A sealed envelope contained instructions ‘Do not open until conclusion of game – contains identification of each photo’.

As the men shared beer and pizza there was good natured joking as the photos were passed around. At the conclusion of the game the men most identified were Peter and Tom since they had had ‘experience’ with the highest number of men at the gathering as well as Henry and Derick – easy to identify as the only two black men. While Peter had the highest number of correct identifications he eliminated himself and Tom as eligible for the prize, a package left by Uncle Will. When the results were tallied Roland was the winner (after Peter and Tom). As he accepted the prize package he snickered as he said, “I had an unfair advantage having watched many of you ‘top’ my love. Also my ability of many years to visually undress men and fantasize about their attributes while on the street, at work, everywhere - gave me an advantage.” Everyone laughed as Roland opened the prize package that contained three porn tapes and a battery operated dildo. “What will I do with this?” he said as he hugged and kissed his Alex.

The next event at Will’s party was to go through and distribute the collection of erotic photos. Peter had previously gone through them. He had destroyed the old ones from Daisyville that included the naked conservative Christian pastor and his wife, the sheriff being fucked by a handsome black man and a Georgia state legislator fucking and eating the pussy of a woman. Keeping copies of photos taken by Uncle Will at the requests of the subjects had been his insurance against any repercussions for taking and holding this illegal material in the 1960s. How could a sheriff arrest or a pastor condemn a man who held compromising photos of them?

Peter had also removed the erotic photos taken of Paul and Rachel, the parents of David. These had been taken back in the 1960s when the young couple were eighteen. Peter would give the photos to Paul to do with as he pleased.

By midnight the party slowed down and some of the couples departed to nearby places: Peter / Tom and PT / David to their nearby farm, Jacob, former lover of Bob – the original owner or the house - home to his wife, Vlad / Aiden and Roland / Alex to rooms at a nearby motel. The remainder paired off going to various beds, sofas or mats on the floor. Henry / Derick and Fred / Bruce shared the king size bed of Will. Dan and Gary slept in the narrow bed in their son Danny’s room. Dan had told his son a guest might be staying in his room. He wanted to warn the boy to hide anything that a 14 year old boy might not want to share. Gary joked to Dan that if they discovered Danny had porn his father would be disappointed. Not because the boy did what a boy that age would do if given the opportunity but that it would probably contain mostly naked women.

During the night as they cuddled in the narrow bed Dan and Gary heard sounds that were more than mice scampering in the attic or the old house settling. This initiated a session between the two happily squished together in the narrow bed. Dan noted, “Will is certainly happy looking down on his home full of active men.”

The next morning all eighteen returned to the house and the conversations continued as everyone pitched in to cook breakfast, keep the coffee pot filled and wash dishes. By early evening when the last guest departed the party goers had cleaned and vacuumed the house. Except for a refrigerator full of leftovers there was no evidence of the manly festivities celebrating Will’s life.

The following Wednesday Peter and his mother’s cousin, Abby, who he had met at the church service were the only two who took the time to meet with the lawyer at the reading of the will. Peter knew he had been appointed executor of the estate and was aware of the contents of the will. Any hope by Abby that Will’s blood relatives who had ignored him would receive anything were dashed when a paragraph of the will was read, ‘Concerning my blood relatives, those who have been part of my life will be remembered, those who ignored me or shunned me will receive nothing’. Abby quietly left the office muttering something about ‘that degenerate old man’. Remembered in the will were Dan and Gary, PT, Peter’s mother and brother, Ronnie, Henry, and a small donation to the Daisy College student scholarship where Will had been an art professor. He had increasingly become unhappy with the conservative philosophy of the college and had told Peter ‘those gay hating white supremacist are lucky to get anything’. The will did include a substantial gift to St. Thomas Episcopal Church, the liberal church where his funeral service had been held. The remainder of the estate was left to Peter with no written instructions concerning its disposition. Will had reviewed with Peter how he wanted his art and photos distributed. Will had also discussed the future of the farmhouse if Peter did not want to keep it. He asked that it first be offered to Dan and Gary at a fair but low price. Their inheritance from him would provide a substantial down payment that would make it easy for the two employed men to obtain a bank mortgage. If they did not want to purchase the farm he asked Peter to offer its sale to someone in Jacob’s family also at a fair but low price. They already owned the barn next to it and surrounding fields. If none of them wanted it Peter could sell it at full market value.

When Peter discussed the sale of the house to Dan and Gary they were very receptive to the idea. Peter told them they could live there rent free for six months while they considered the offer. The two young men discussed the opportunity. Originally Gary had planned to use his inheritance from Will to pay down his student debt. The two decided to take up Peter’s offer. Peter told them he hoped they would welcome visits by Sean, an earlier owner. The two replied that Sean and all of Will’s friends would be warmly welcomed.

When Uncle Will’s lover, JB, passed away twenty-seven years earlier Peter had been the main beneficiary of his considerable estate. JB originally had planned to have his love, Will, be his primary beneficiary. Since Will had personally become wealthy thanks to his shrewd investments managed by JB he asked that JB make Peter his beneficiary. The fortune that Peter now had included some cash and common stocks of Fortune 500 companies. The bulk of the investments represented real estate purchased by JB and Will when both lived in Georgia. Thanks to the recommendations of Victor / Victoria Hermoso, their financial advisor in Georgia property had been purchased in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. While back in the 1960s this area had been a suburban area north of downtown Atlanta, today it was being developed into one of the main commercial / residential areas of the city with prices skyrocketing. Peter was stunned when he discovered the value of his holdings.

As he discussed his wealth with his wife, Louise, and lover, Tom, he realized that at the age of 52 he could retire and ‘do whatever he wanted to do’. Since his teaching and research were what he wanted to do retirement was not a serious consideration. While he had talked by telephone to his financial advisor he had not seen Victor / Victoria since JB’s death years earlier. Peter decided to visit his sharp and insightful advisor in Athens, Georgia. When he had mentioned at Will’s celebration of life at the farmhouse to Aiden, lover / partner of Vlad, that he planned to visit Georgia Aiden asked if he could accompany him and visit his parents in western Georgia while Peter visited Athens. He had met Aiden when the young man was a graduate student at University of Georgia years earlier at the home of the partner of the investment firm that employed his astute advisor, Victor / Victoria.

Luckily Peter at Ohio State and Aiden a professor at Cleveland State had the same week off for Spring break. Arriving at Atlanta airport midafternoon they drove to Athens in their rental car and were greeted at the door of their hosts’ home by Daniel Hewes, the now retired principal of the firm that had managed JB, Will and Peter’s investments.

Daniel Hewes and Alfred his lover were together when Peter first met them thirty years earlier. Three years later he again visited Daniel and Alfred following the death of JB, Uncle Will’s lover of many years. It was at that meeting that Peter learned he had inherited the bulk of JB’s estate and he had asked Daniel to continue to manage the investments. Victor was the investment advisor at the firm that Peter had dealt with since the inheritance. When Victor was Victoria to his few friends Peter had had the pleasure of intimate pleasures with the handsome man / beautiful lady.

Alfred announced that Victoria and her lover of twenty years would be joining them for dinner. Daniel suggested that they might want to freshen up and rest. He guided them upstairs to two bedrooms, each with a king size bed. “You may use either room or both, whatever your pleasure. Victoria and Herbert are arriving for dinner at 6:30. Do what pleases you until then, rest, take a walk or drive or join Alfred and me for conversation.”

They thanked Daniel for the hospitality and told him they would be down after freshening up. Peter told Aiden, “You are welcome to share a room with me. Tom and I have an open relationship. I will share with him whatever happens here.”

Aiden replied, “Vlad suggested that I warm your bed. While we are generally exclusive we have discussed the possibility of my enjoying this trip to the upmost.”

Peter replied, “I feel grubby after the flight so a shower is my immediate need.” As he said this he stripped naked.

“May I join you?” Peter just smiled and scratched his balls as he headed for the shower. Although he had not seen his friend naked for many years he had not forgotten the fetching body. He remember the fair haired tall Aiden with a well defined chest, small waist and cute ass. His cut dick while not the largest was an enjoyable sight hanging over small balls. Aiden stripped and followed. As he stepped into the large shower stall Peter pushed him against the wall. He then stepped back and eyed his friend starting with the eyes and moving down to the chest, flat stomach and ending with the perfectly formed dick and balls.

Peter stated, “God, you are beautiful.” He then moved in and took his friends hands forcing them over his head as high as possible. The pits with soft tufts of hair were exposed. Then he leaned in and gently kissed then licked one armpit. The aroma of a man who had not showered since the previous evening was a scent of ecstasy to Peter. Peter, whose pits were hairless, had a fetish about men’s pits, the less hairier the more titillating. Peter himself had hair in all the places a man would have hair (head, chest, crown over dick and balls) except for the arm pits. Aiden giggled as Peter’s pit stop tickled him. The two now dripping dicks stood out, straight and hard. Aiden disentangled himself from Peter’s pit attack and slowly knelt. He admired the magnum dick. First with his eyes and then with his tongue. While the size of this dick was slightly larger than his love’s, Vlad’s, the clean cut head appeared naked compared to Vlad’s natural skin covered piece. Aiden leaned in a swallowed it to its base. Between the sight of this handsome man and the pleasure with the pits Peter was almost immediately ready to blast. He grabbed the kneeling Aiden’s shoulders and braced himself as he released a flood of lust. Aiden sucked out the last drop and then stood. He wrapped his hand around his ready cock and almost immediately covered Peter’s dick and balls with his white cream. Peter looked his friend in the eye, “That was an amazing appetizer. I can hardly wait for a lingering dessert between the sheets. Now we better dress and join our friends. We wouldn’t want to dally and have them think we were celebrating out return to Athens, Georgia.” Peter said with a chuckle.

“Yea, like Daniel and Alfred would be surprised that we were renewing our friendship. I think they would be more surprised if we didn’t have a midafternoon encounter.”

“Well, you boys appear refreshed and rested.” Alfred said as they entered the living room.

Aiden with a smirk replied, “Refreshed yes. However, I am happy to report not rested.”

Daniel took Alfred’s hand, “Oh, to be twenty years younger and happy to be not rested.”

The conversation that followed was easy as the four caught up on the lives of the others since their last meeting years earlier. They were all surprised when the doorbell rang and they realized they had been talking over two hours. All four went to the entry hall to greet the dinner guests.

As Victoria and her friend entered both Peter and Aiden were stunned by the beauty of this woman (man). The blond wig had been replaced by a medium length black, hairdo with curls. The Dolly Parton bust was more modest. The form fitting dress was now appropriate for a woman almost fifty years old and the shoes were no long high stilettos. However, the angelic face, dark brown penetrating eyes and dainty hands were still there. The pastel dress emphasized the ebony black skin. Victoria was the most beautiful woman of her age that either Peter or Aiden had even seen in person. She kissed each of her friends on the cheeks. The cheek kissing was a sign that Victoria was no longer into deep kisses and whatever might go along with it. She then introduced her friend. “Aiden and Peter, I am pleased to introduce my friend and lover of almost twenty years, Whitney, or as his friends call him ‘Witty’.” Peter and Aiden studied the new acquaintance, probably in his mid-fifties, about the same ae as Victoria and a little older than Peter. He was tall, average build with a slight middle age spread, thin hair and thick features. As he smiled his eyes told them that he was an intriguing person. They later learned that he was the principal partner of a local CPA (accounting) firm. The body language between Victoria and Witty indicated a happy and completed relationship. During the evening Peter and Aiden visualized a naked Victoria giving or most likely receiving the love of her man.

When Peter asked, ‘How did you two love birds meet?’ Victoria answered with a smile on her face. “An attorney approached me who was probating a client’s estate that was especially complicated. The client’s accountant had been Witty. While our firm had handled the client’s investments I had never met Witty. For two days Witty and I worked together untangling the range of investments that included stocks, bonds, real estate and an off shore trust. It was one of the most complicated estates I had ever been involved with. Within an hour of working with Witty I was entranced by him. I don’t know why? It just happened. We ordered lunch and then supper to be brought in. Our conversation turned from the estate to our personal lives. I learned that Witty had been divorced for years and was not in a relationship. The only awkward period in our chatter was when he tried to discuss the Atlanta Braves baseball team with me. He is an avid Braves fan while I had no interest in the team or sport. We did agree on our two favorite TV shows: Hawaii Five-O and Maude. The second day we finished our project in the late afternoon. Witty asked if I would like to come over to his place and watch Hawaii Five-O that evening and share pizza and beer. Generally two guys would go to a bar and celebrate a work accomplishment over drinks and possibly dinner. However, this was the early 1970s and it would have been uncomfortable for both of us, a white guy and a black guy to hang out together. But that situation actually helped us to get to know each other better as going to a private home was the best way to avoid conflicts and strange looks. We sat on the sofa, ate the pizza and had beers. I was really attracted to this man and he later confessed to me that his feelings were mutual. I both shocked and pleased him when I said, ‘Tomorrow evening there is a Braves game on TV. I’m a virgin, yes I actually used that word, when it comes to baseball. Would you be willing to fill me in on the national pastime?’ The following night more beer and pizza. I soon became a Braves fan. At the end of that first game I suggested we watch the game the following night again at my place. I told him I would prepare a real meal, not just pizza, for us. He offered to bring dessert. Witty is not much in the kitchen but he does know where to buy delicious desserts. That third evening the Braves were playing on the west coast so the game started late. Then it went into extra innings. It was after midnight when the Braves finally won in the thirteenth inning. It was a Friday evening and I suggested, ‘It’s late and neither of us needs to be in the office tomorrow. You are welcome to sleep here. This sofa opens into a double bed.’ He readily agreed. Not knowing what might happen I had a slight dilemma. While I was dressed as conservative Victor, underneath I was Victoria wearing lavender nylon lacy panties from Frederick’s of Hollywood. I was not sure what would happen that night and that if we did get naked what his response would be to my lingerie. I went to the bathroom, removed the lavender panties and stuffed the small amount of cloth in my pocket. I did not believe his discovering I did not wear underwear would shock him, if I got lucky.”

“Returning from the bathroom I made an additional suggestion. ‘The bed this sofa opens into is very soft and uncomfortable. If you want comfort you are welcome to sleep in my bed.’ He then replied, ‘With you?’ I said ‘yes’. He replied, ‘I cannot sleep on an overly soft bed. So, if you do not mind it would be much more comfortable.’ I gleefully noticed a bulge growing in his pants. I found a toothbrush for him and he went into the bathroom. While he was there I stripped naked and got into bed. I do not own pajamas or any underwear that is manly so I did what came natural. When he returned from the bathroom wearing his boxer shorts I was sitting in the bed exposed from the waist up reading a TV guide. He was boning up so quickly got into bed. He sat next to me with the covers up to his waist. As I found an article in TV guide to share with him one of us and I do not remember which one accidentally moved his leg over. The other did not move away but instead pressed back. The rest is history. Except when one of us goes out of town on business we have shared a bed every night since.”

“About a week after our first encounter I showed him a picture of Victoria. While I had fallen for this guy I could not stop being myself. He was perplexed as to why I would show him a photo of a sexy black woman. Then I explained that it was me and she was who I am. He obviously already knew I had the equipment of a man and was speechless. Then, ‘Is this really you?’ We were at my place that evening. To my surprise he said, ‘I’m going out to get us some takeout supper. When I return I want to meet Victoria.’ He returned a half hour later with a takeout meal of Chinese. Victoria with her blond hair, shapely body and stiletto shoes answered the door. Two hours later we were eating cold General Tso chicken and rice. I do not need to explain why we let our meal get cold. Since then I have mellowed in dress but not in passion.”

Witty continued, “Here in Athens the only place she can be herself is at home with the blinds closed and when visiting a few special friends like Alfred and Daniel. But when we travel she is my lady. Last year we took a Caribbean cruise. Of course when flying and going through passport control she was Victor. But once on the ship I was delighted to be accompanying Victoria. One evening a couple at our table was making anti-gay comments about our waiter. I replied that one of my best friends is gay and that they would never suspect it if they met him so they should be careful with their comments. They would have shit in their pants if they knew my lady had balls. Another time as she sunned herself at the pool in her yellow polka dotted bikini a really hot handsome guy of about forty invited her back to his cabin. We wonder what his reaction would have been if she had taken him up on his offer?”

Victoria interrupted, “With my petite package I can wear a bikini. If I had the equipment of Witty there is no way I could hide it.”

Later as they departed Victoria again kissed Peter on the cheek and told him, “This lady will not be in the office tomorrow. But Victor (herself as a man) is prepared to discuss your situation and make recommendations. See you at 10:00.”

As the door closed after the guests departed Peter offered to help clear the table and clean the kitchen. Alfred replied, “You look exhausted. Since the dinner was catered the cleanup will be easy, basically just loading the dishwasher. Why don’t you two take it easy and go to bed.” Actually neither was tired and they assumed their friend was giving them an opportunity for some quality time as they both thanked their hosts for the dinner and delightful conversation. Upstairs the two got naked, pissed together, brushed their teeth together and were soon under the covers together. Peter whispered into Aiden’s ear, “This time it will be slow.” When Aiden reached for the other’s cock Peter pushed it away, “Touch anything but that. As I said this will be slow.” Using just feather strokes with finger tips each caressed every part of the other’s body except for the piece that wanted it the most. It was pleasure, ecstasy and torture being forced to hold back. Once again Peter pushed up Aiden’s arms and was soon licking, kissing and tenderly nipping the hairy pit. As Aiden giggle from the pit torment Peter whispered, “If you do mine you can have your way with me.” As Peter raised his arm exposing his hairless pits Aiden gingerly moved in with his tongue. While he had no desire to do this he did it to please his bedmate. Peter’s moans of pleasure spurred on the attacking tongue and soon Aiden was nibbling and sucking on this piece of a man’s body that was new to him. Then Peter rolled onto his side positioning his ass against Aiden’s man piece. As Peter reached for a condom conveniently left on the night stand Aiden needing no instruction realized exactly what his friend wanted. Then Peter rolled onto his back as he preferred to be in a position that enabled him to look into the eyes of the man fucking him. The following morning Peter again made his willing ass available to deflate Aiden’s morning Woodie.

After a hearty breakfast cooked by Alfred, Aiden drove Peter to Victor’s office. He then continued on to his hometown of Cou Rouge in western Georgia. By the end of the day Peter felt numb after absorbing the details of his inherited wealth. That evening he called Tom. Their discussion of Peter’s added wealth that the two would share ended with a joint jackoff session, Peter in Georgia and his love in Ohio.

The following day Aiden returned from the visit to his parents late in the afternoon. That evening Peter hosted his friends for dinner at Athen’s most lavish restaurant. After dinner and conversation Victoria and Witty went home to their bed, Alfred and Daniel cuddled in their bed and down the hall Peter once again offered himself to Aiden.