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    Valkyrie
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

The Hollow Hills - 7. Chapter 7

Galen

I knocked on the door of the slate-gray ranch house and waited. A short woman with long brown hair opened the door.

“Come on in. You must be Galen.” She held the door open for me and I entered the house. “I’m Sally. I can’t tell you how nice it is to finally meet you.”

I looked at her quizzically. I had no idea who she was.

“Galen!” Jody strode over and enveloped me in a bear hug. He left his arm around my shoulders and grinned at Sally. “I see you met the missus.”

“Missus?” I looked at him incredulously. Jody was a notorious ladies’ man. I embraced Sally. “You must be pretty special if you tamed this big lug.”

“You got that right.” She reached up to whisper in my ear. “He’s pretty special too, but don’t tell him that.”

I laughed. I liked her already. I handed her the bag I brought with chips and salsa.

“You didn’t have to bring anything,” she said as she took it and walked toward the kitchen.

“Please tell me you didn’t cook anything.” Jody made a face.

“Don’t worry. It’s all highly processed store stuff.”

“That’s a relief.”

I smacked him on the arm. “For your information, I’m learning how to cook.”

“Keep away from me while you’re learning. I’ve eaten that shit you call food before.”

“Thanks, asshole.”

“C’mon. I’ll introduce you to the guys.”

He led me over to the living room where a bunch of guys sat watching a football game. He introduced me to everyone, but there were too many people to remember. Apparently the team they were rooting for was doing well, because everyone started yelling, cheering, and high-fiving each other. Jody engaged in an animated discussion of the play with one of his friends and I wandered to the kitchen where the women were congregated.

“Do you need any help?” I asked Sally.

She shook her head. “No, I’m all set, thank you. That’s very sweet of you to ask.” She introduced me to the other women.

I spent the next hour hanging out in the kitchen, chatting amiably with Sally and her friends.

“So Galen…are you single?” one of the women asked. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. She had been flirting with me since I arrived.

“Yeah, I just ended a long-term relationship.”

She scooted a little closer to me. “Oh, that’s a shame.”

Sally looked at me sympathetically. I don’t think either one of us believed her.

The oven timer dinged just as someone knocked on the front door. “Galen, do you mind getting that? It’s probably just Ethan with the pizza,” Sally said.

“Yeah, sure.” I jogged to the door and opened it. The guy that was with Jody when we met on the street stood with an armful of pizza boxes. His eyes widened when he saw me and he blushed. I took a couple of boxes from the top of the stack. “Let me give you a hand with that.”

“Thanks.”

We walked into the kitchen and set the pizza down on the table. Someone from the living room yelled, “E! It’s about damn time you got here! You’re missing a hell of a game!”

He looked at me, then at the living room, hesitating.

“Get your ass in here! You gotta see this play!”

He smiled at me almost apologetically before walking into the living room.

I helped Sally set up the pizza and we were immediately descended upon by the horde of guys from the living room. I took a slice of pizza and a couple of wings. One of the guys put his hand on my shoulder and directed me to the living room.

“C’mon and join us. We don’t bite.”

I sat on the couch. Ethan walked into the living room with a plate heaped high with pizza and wings. He stopped, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. The only open seat was next to me.

He sat down and smiled. “You didn’t take very much. You don’t have to be shy around these guys. They’ll probably eat a whole pizza each.” He laughed nervously.

“I’m not a big eater. If I’m still hungry after this, I’ll get some more.”

“Well, just don’t wait too long or there won’t be anything left once these vultures have been set loose.”

“Duly noted.” I took a bite of my pizza and studied Ethan. He was a little bit shorter than me and had a stocky build. His blond hair was cut short and he had bright blue eyes. From the flush on his face every time he looked at me I figured he was gay and probably interested. He was cute, but he wasn’t Josh.

Jody sat in a chair next to the couch. He took a huge bite of pizza. “You should have brought Jamie. You know neither of you need an invitation.”

I winced. I hadn’t seen Jody in years. Of course he didn’t know. “Jo… Jamie and I broke up.”

Jody stared at me in mid-bite, wide-eyed. “No! When did this happen? Damn…you guys were like the dream couple.”

Ethan was shoved into me as another guy wedged himself onto the couch. He turned bright red, but I don’t think he minded the close contact. “Sorry.”

“It’s ok.” I took a deep breath. “He cheated on me, Jo. A lot.”

“That son of a bitch! If I ever see him again, I’m kicking his ass!”

I smiled ruefully. “Get in line. Liam already promised him the same thing.”

Ethan was rigid next to me, fiddling with his pizza.

“Liam wanted to come, but he’s on duty today.”

“What’s that old bastard up to?”

“Better watch what you say…he’s the sheriff.” I laughed.

“No kiddin’? I had no idea he even lived in this town. Shit. We all gotta get together soon.”

“How can you not know he’s the sheriff? Don’t you watch the news?”

“I’m too busy to watch TV. The only thing I really watch is football.”

I spent the rest of the evening ‘watching’ the game with the guys. I’m not a big sports fan, but I didn’t mind the eye candy on the TV. Ethan remained sitting next to me and tried making small talk, but it was obvious the guy was nervous as hell.

It didn’t take long for everyone to clear out after the game. At around nine o’clock all that remained were Ethan and I.

“Jo, do you mind if I stay a little bit? I’d really like to talk to you.” I had so much I wanted to tell him.

“Yeah, of course, babe. Sally won’t mind. I told her all about you.”

I raised my eyebrows. “You did?”

He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “Yeah. I told you she was special.”

I was surprised. Not many people understood my relationship with Jody.

“I’ll let Sal know you’re staying.” Jody walked into the kitchen.

Ethan sat silently for a minute before looking at me. “Would you like to go get a cup of coffee sometime?”

I was surprised he managed to find the courage to ask me out. “That sounds nice, Ethan, but I’m pretty busy over the next couple of weeks. I have a ton of work and I also need to travel to Boston.”

“Oh.” He turned bright red. “Ok, then. It was nice meeting you.” He grabbed his coat and left.

I felt bad for shooting him down. The look on his face reminded me of a kicked puppy. I didn’t feel ready to try another relationship. Maybe if I wasn’t so hung up on Josh…

Jody plopped down next to me on the couch and put his arm around my shoulders. “The night is ours, babe.”

I smiled and put my arms around him, burrowing into his chest. He drew me close and kissed the top of my head.

“How did we ever drift apart?” I murmured.

“I have no idea.”

“I didn’t realize how much I missed you until I saw you on the street.”

“I tried finding you, but the mail I sent to the last address I had was returned as undeliverable. I wanted you to be the best man at my wedding.”

“I would have liked nothing more.”

“What happened? Why didn’t you send me your new address? You changed your phone number, too.”

“I don’t know. I guess it just slipped my mind. I could have really used your support over the past few years. I didn’t want to admit it at the time, but things really changed between Jamie and me.”

“Tell me.”

“It all seemed to start when he was hired at the firm he currently works for. They were all about appearances. Every weekend we were going out to clubs and to these really fancy, exclusive parties. Jamie never wanted to just stay in. There were times when I wanted to spend a day with him all to myself, but he never wanted to. I guess that should have been my first clue.

“He started finding excuses to leave me at the clubs. He’d see someone he knew and rush off to say ‘hi’, leaving me to fend off the vultures. Then he’d swoop in, put his arm around me and say ‘sorry boys, but he’s coming home with me.’ I think he liked all the attention I got from other men. He sure liked dancing with other guys and watching me dance with other guys. God, I feel so stupid telling you this. I should have seen what was happening.”

“You trusted him.”

“Yeah. I guess I was just being naïve. I started hating going to the clubs and resenting Jamie for being so selfish. I don’t know why I didn’t stand up to him. The parties were even worse. All the people there were so vacuous. I shouldn’t have been surprised he was cheating on me, but when I found out it hit me like a sledgehammer.”

Jody held me tight, caressing my back. “How did you find out?”

“I came home early to surprise him on our fifteenth anniversary. It turns out that I was the one who was surprised. I went the full-out romantic route. I had two dozen red roses, a shitload of candles, and I was even going to cook for him. Well, attempt to cook at any rate. I had a backup plan in case dinner turned out to be a disaster.

“I set everything on the counter and heard noises coming from the loft, so I went upstairs to check it out. Jamie was fucking some twink on our bed. The worst part was that the asshole didn’t even stop when he saw me!” I scowled, fighting back tears that I thought I was done with.

“Damn, Galen. That’s cold.”

“No kidding. I think he wanted to get caught. I tried to work things out with him, but he wanted nothing to do with any counseling. He didn’t even try to fix things between us, Jody. He told me that if I wasn’t so boring in bed he wouldn’t have to screw other men.”

“I’m totally kicking his ass if I ever see him again.”

“Thanks.” We sat in silence for a few minutes. I was really enjoying being in Jody’s arms again. He was always my source of comfort whenever I needed one.

I met Jody when I was ten years old. I spent the summer with Liam at my aunt and uncle’s house. Liam and Jody were friends and we hit it off immediately. The three of us were always together. When I came to live with Liam when I was thirteen, Jody was still a part of Liam’s circle of friends. We didn’t become very close until after I started dating Jamie. Until that point, I had been very distant with all of Liam’s friends, including Jody. After being betrayed by my best friend back home, I was very leery of trusting anyone. That changed once I knew that they accepted me for who I was.

Liam, Jody, Jamie, and I all went to the same college right after high school. That’s when my friendship with Jody really developed. One weekend Jamie and I had a huge fight. I don’t even remember what it was about. Liam was out with his girlfriend so I went to Jody’s room. He had a girl over, but sent her away when he saw how upset I was. That was the first night I spent in Jody’s arms. I poured out all my frustrations and fears about Jamie and he just listened patiently, providing me with the comfort I needed. When I finished, he brushed my hair away from my eyes and kissed me. I should have been shocked, but it just felt right. When I asked him why he did that, he said it was the only way he could express his feelings for me. This is where it gets a bit complicated and why people don’t understand our relationship. Jody and I are very physically demonstrative. He usually has an arm around me when we’re together and we’ve spent more than one night in the other’s bed. Clothes on, but cuddled together. We kiss occasionally when our emotions are running high, but we’ve never had sex and I don’t ever plan on having sex with him. I just don’t think of him that way. We’re lovers in the sense that we’re two people who love each other; we just don’t express it physically in the way most people envision.

“So you’re learning to cook, huh? Whatever possessed you to do that? You’re terrible in the kitchen.”

I playfully punched him in the arm. “I’m learning.” I told him all about Josh, including my feelings for him and his rejection.

“The right man will come along, Galen. You’re too special for anything different.”

“Thanks, Jo. You always know how to make me feel better.” I paused. “So tell me about Sally. I never would have imagined you settling down with someone.”

Jody laughed. “Yeah, who knew? She’s amazing, Galen. I honestly never thought I’d meet anyone I wanted to settle down with. I knew she was the one the minute I met her, though.

“We met at a party about five years ago. She knew my reputation and wouldn’t give me the time of day. She figured I was just looking for a quick fuck. I refused to give up. Two months later she decided to give me a chance. I haven’t touched another woman since I set eyes on her. Not even during those very long two months. I asked her to marry me a couple of years later. It was the happiest day of my life when she said yes.”

I smiled. “I’m so happy for you. I really like her. She seems perfect for you.”

“Yeah. I don’t know how I managed to get so lucky.”

“Well, you deserve some happiness.”

I headed home after we made plans to meet for lunch the next day. My heart was full when I arrived home to Tigger greeting me at the door with loud meows and headbutts. He curled up next to me as I lay in bed. As I stroked his orange fur I found myself wishing that it was Josh’s salt-and-pepper gray hair that I was running my fingers through. I pushed the thought aside as I drifted off to sleep.

Thanks, as always, to the very awesome Cole Matthews and Lisa for their input into this story. I love reading reviews, so please let me know what you think about the chapter. What do you think of Jody? Should Galen have turned Ethan down? Where do you think the story will go next? I'm not sure how to link to it, but there is a discussion thread for this story in the PA stories forum. Thanks for reading!
Copyright © 2018 Valkyrie; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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It's almost too bad Jody is married. They seem so good together. But right now, Galen needs a friend, not more complicated emotional stuff. It was only fair that he said no to Ethan. He is too hung up on Josh right now and Ethan seems too nice to be caught in that cross fire.

 

Nice to get more background on Galen.

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On 04/02/2015 06:14 AM, Puppilull said:
It's almost too bad Jody is married. They seem so good together. But right now, Galen needs a friend, not more complicated emotional stuff. It was only fair that he said no to Ethan. He is too hung up on Josh right now and Ethan seems too nice to be caught in that cross fire.

 

Nice to get more background on Galen.

Jody is a great guy and just what Galen needs right now. You are right that it's probably a good thing that Galen turned Ethan down. Ethan is definitely a nice guy who doesn't deserve any drama. Thanks for the review! :)
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I felt so bad for Ethan. I still feel like Josh is too warped for Galen. Eight years is a long time to delude yourself... maybe he likes being treated like crap... I want a hug from Jody. He seems awesome. Galen needs a nice, solid man, that he can trust... and so far that IS NOT Josh... Coffee with Ethan couldn't hurt, as long as Galen is honest... liked this chapter a lot... cheers... Gary

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On 04/03/2015 01:53 AM, Headstall said:
I felt so bad for Ethan. I still feel like Josh is too warped for Galen. Eight years is a long time to delude yourself... maybe he likes being treated like crap... I want a hug from Jody. He seems awesome. Galen needs a nice, solid man, that he can trust... and so far that IS NOT Josh... Coffee with Ethan couldn't hurt, as long as Galen is honest... liked this chapter a lot... cheers... Gary
We only know part of Josh and Roger's story. We see what the relationship is like now, but you haven't seen what it was like in the beginning (you will in a few chapters ;) ) Ethan's a real sweetheart. I felt bad for him, too. He really likes Galen. :) I want a big hug from Jody, too. He's a great guy. Thanks again for all the reviews!
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I'm really hoping that Galen continues to work past Ethan, but not buying drinks on it. Ethan has too many issues, Galen deserves better--and having Jody come back in his life at just the right time is a good thing! I'm actually hoping the guy Galen met at Jody's house (that asked him out) won't give up--that could be a fun match! Or does Jody know another guy and is going to attempt to be a matchmaker?

Really enjoying the story!

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On 04/03/2015 05:13 AM, Robert Rex said:
I'm really hoping that Galen continues to work past Ethan, but not buying drinks on it. Ethan has too many issues, Galen deserves better--and having Jody come back in his life at just the right time is a good thing! I'm actually hoping the guy Galen met at Jody's house (that asked him out) won't give up--that could be a fun match! Or does Jody know another guy and is going to attempt to be a matchmaker?

Really enjoying the story!

I think you mean that you hope Galen works past Josh. ;) Josh does have a lot of issues. We'll see how persistent Ethan is. He's a good guy. Jody's timing was perfect. He's just what Galen needs right now. Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. :)
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Damn…you sank my heart with Ethan's bare-bones, last-call attempt to talk to the guy he was so obviously into: “Would you like to go get a cup of coffee sometime?” I don’t know how else to say it, but it was so touching. Maybe it's just that when I was young, I WAS Ethan, all self-aware, blushing and trying to fit in. It's a great moment in the story for us kicked puppies.

 

Learning about the close bonds that Jody and Galen have is fascinating and wonderful. It was also intriguing to learn a bit more about Galen's past, and how he came to be close to Liam, Jody and Jamie.

 

This is a very enjoyable chapter!

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On 04/15/2015 10:03 AM, AC Benus said:
Damn…you sank my heart with Ethan's bare-bones, last-call attempt to talk to the guy he was so obviously into: “Would you like to go get a cup of coffee sometime?” I don’t know how else to say it, but it was so touching. Maybe it's just that when I was young, I WAS Ethan, all self-aware, blushing and trying to fit in. It's a great moment in the story for us kicked puppies.

 

Learning about the close bonds that Jody and Galen have is fascinating and wonderful. It was also intriguing to learn a bit more about Galen's past, and how he came to be close to Liam, Jody and Jamie.

 

This is a very enjoyable chapter!

Ethan is a real sweetheart. I'm glad you were touched by his tenacity. Jody is awesome. I totally want a Jody in my life. LOL I'm glad you liked the chapter. Thanks for all the reviews! :)
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I feel very badly for Ethan. On the other hand, I'd never even have had the courage to ask, but it must have hurt to have gotten shot down so definitively. And contrary to appearances, gay men are not so thick on the ground in any part of Vermont that Ethan can just go look for another. For that matter, neither can Galen. Oh dear. Great chapter.

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On 12/09/2015 01:48 AM, Parker Owens said:

I feel very badly for Ethan. On the other hand, I'd never even have had the courage to ask, but it must have hurt to have gotten shot down so definitively. And contrary to appearances, gay men are not so thick on the ground in any part of Vermont that Ethan can just go look for another. For that matter, neither can Galen. Oh dear. Great chapter.

Thanks, Parker. Yes, poor Ethan. He's such a sweetheart and it's never fun to get shot down. Thanks for the review. Reading all your reviews has gotten me back into the mood to work on this story. :)

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On 12/09/2015 01:48 AM, Parker Owens said:

I feel very badly for Ethan. On the other hand, I'd never even have had the courage to ask, but it must have hurt to have gotten shot down so definitively. And contrary to appearances, gay men are not so thick on the ground in any part of Vermont that Ethan can just go look for another. For that matter, neither can Galen. Oh dear. Great chapter.

Thanks, Parker. Yes, poor Ethan. He's such a sweetheart and it's never fun to get shot down. Thanks for the review. Reading all your reviews has gotten me back into the mood to work on this story. :)

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Really? Geez Galen, sorry he's not Josh! Handsome is as handsome does! Go out for coffee, maybe only ever friends but is that a bad thing. Galen needs some how not to be such a prick lessons.

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On 04/27/2016 12:58 PM, Mikiesboy said:

Really? Geez Galen, sorry he's not Josh! Handsome is as handsome does! Go out for coffee, maybe only ever friends but is that a bad thing. Galen needs some how not to be such a prick lessons.

Awww...Galen's not a prick. A bit oblivious maybe ;) We haven't seen the last of Ethan yet.

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Yeah.  I guess I was just being naïve. I have to agree with this. Come to the party Galen fight for your man. lol A great chapter we have look inside Galen this boy needs help lol.

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31 minutes ago, Albert1434 said:

Yeah.  I guess I was just being naïve. I have to agree with this. Come to the party Galen fight for your man. lol A great chapter we have look inside Galen this boy needs help lol.

He has his issues, that's for sure. ;)  Thanks again for reading. :) 

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I feel bad for Ethan.  Galen needs some friends like Jody, who are not connected to Josh.

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Poor Ethan but enough is enough, Galen. Are you listening? And there's always:  when I arrived home to Tigger greeting me at the door with loud meows and headbutts. 

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59 minutes ago, aditus said:

Poor Ethan but enough is enough, Galen. Are you listening? And there's always:  when I arrived home to Tigger greeting me at the door with loud meows and headbutts. 

:yes:  🐱  

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Late to the conversation, I know, but anyway . . . 😄

I'd dearly love to have a Jody in my life.  A close friend like that is more precious than gold.

I hope Galen has the sense to look around at his options.  Ethan seems like a lovely chap.  Granted, we know nothing about him yet, but I'm smitten anyway.

 

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55 minutes ago, BigBen said:

Late to the conversation, I know, but anyway . . . 😄

I'd dearly love to have a Jody in my life.  A close friend like that is more precious than gold.

I hope Galen has the sense to look around at his options.  Ethan seems like a lovely chap.  Granted, we know nothing about him yet, but I'm smitten anyway.

 

I think we all need a Jody in our lives :)  And it's never too late to the conversation.  I'm thrilled to see new comments on this story.  :)   

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I too would like a Jody in my life.  I feel like I could just walk up to him and tell him I needed a hug.:hug:Then I'd get a great hug from him, no questions, no judgements.  

Ethan may show up again, so I won't say much. Galen at least did not lead Ethan on. 

The thing with Josh needs some resolution so Galen can get on with his life.  Coming home to a loving pet is good, but also a bit sad. ❤️ this chapter!

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3 hours ago, raven1 said:

I too would like a Jody in my life.  I feel like I could just walk up to him and tell him I needed a hug.:hug:Then I'd get a great hug from him, no questions, no judgements.  

Ethan may show up again, so I won't say much. Galen at least did not lead Ethan on. 

The thing with Josh needs some resolution so Galen can get on with his life.  Coming home to a loving pet is good, but also a bit sad. ❤️ this chapter!

Thanks!  Jody would totally give you an awesome hug with no question or judgment :) 

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I like Jody and completely understand his relationship with Galen, it's a sort of brothers from different mothers thing. Poor Ethan, he got up the courage to ask Galen out only to be shot down. Personally, I think Galen should have accepted with the caveat that at this point what he needs most is a friend. Maybe just maybe that will happen.

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2 minutes ago, dughlas said:

I like Jody and completely understand his relationship with Galen, it's a sort of brothers from different mothers thing. Poor Ethan, he got up the courage to ask Galen out only to be shot down. Personally, I think Galen should have accepted with the caveat that at this point what he needs most is a friend. Maybe just maybe that will happen.

I think it's impossible to not like Jody.  Everybody needs a Jody in their life :)  As for the rest... :X 

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