Alone in the Night - 2. Alone 2

I decided I wasn’t going to stay in Norfolk, but I didn’t know where to go or even how to go about leaving. There was no one in town I even remotely considered a friend who I could go to. There was no chance I would go back to school. With the black eye and bruises I knew must be on my face and body Child Protective Service would surely be called to investigate. There was no way I was getting thrown into that system. After trying to figure what to do, my stomach growling decided the first order of business was to get some food in me. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to wash the dried blood off of my face from my dad hitting me with the gun. I did not have a lot of money on me, but I found a nearby McDonalds and went to clean up. Looking in the mirror I saw the black eye and bruised face looking back at me. A nice cut from that damn gun and a bruise matching its shape was on the side of my face. I checked to see how black and blue my chest was and it was worse than my face. It was easy to tell I took a pretty good beating. It hurt to take a deep breath. I knew there was nothing I could do about how bad the ribs felt. The pain reminded me I was still alive. I got a couple things off of the dollar menu and sat down to eat.

With some food in my stomach, I finally decided that maybe someplace like Richmond would be the best place to go for the time being. It was a large city, was away from Norfolk, and only about one hundred miles to travel. Even though I was new to the area I realized I had a slight problem in that Norfolk is on the south side of the James River and the two bridges I knew about were a combination of bridge and tunnel, so there was no way I could just walk across them. I figured there had to be buses going between Norfolk and the ship yards in Newport News and decided to try that. It took a little time but I finally found one that got me across and thankfully I still had my bus pass so it didn’t cost me anything.

I found a spot along I-65 and figured I had nothing to lose by trying to hitchhike. Maybe I would get lucky and some axe murderer would pick me up. Since the weather was nice I had finally taken my shirt off while waiting for a ride and go figure, within ten minutes a car pulled over with a guy that looked to be in his late thirties to early forties. I put my shirt on to cover the bruising and ran up to the car and he asked if I was okay, then how far I was going. I told him I was headed to Richmond. He let me know he was only going as far as Williamsburg but that if I wanted a ride to hope in.

The guy introduced himself as Don and made small talk for a couple miles. He said he didn’t want to be nosey, but it looked like I’d been on the losing end of a fight. I give kind of a half laugh and just said yeah. He then asked me if I was running away from home and I told him, “No, I got kicked out.” He was quiet for a little while after that. He pulled over about half way to Williamsburg to get gas and came out of the store with some coffee for himself and a bottle of water for me. I thanked him and said he didn’t have to and he just smiled at me. It was little bits of small talk and patches of silence along the ride but eventually we made it to the outskirts of Williamsburg. He said he would take me to a spot he figured I could catch another ride and should be safe.

I knew what was going to eventually happen and emotionally I tried to prepare for it. He did finally ask me if I was interested in making a little money, so I asked him what he had in mind. He said that he thought I was good looking and really wanted to blow me. Being a teen, it’s pretty much a given that I’m always ready to go no matter if I’m in the mood or not and feel the world will end if I don’t get off a few times a day. I had not had a blowjob since the last time I had seen my ex-boyfriend and mostly thinking about the money, I said okay. He pulled over in a secluded spot and my first thought was, “please be a psycho murderer,” but he pulled out fifty dollars and handed it to me. I briefly thought about taking the cash and running, but he had been cool to me and had given me a ride. I felt disgusted for allowing myself to become a whore, but I knew I needed the money. I undid my pants and pulled them and my underwear down, then reclined the seat a little bit. He leaned over and took my rapidly hardening cock into his mouth and started sucking me. I only lasted a few minutes before I said I was going to cum and he just sucked harder. If you’ve never gotten off with bruised or broken ribs, it’s really quite painful. When Don felt he had every drop licked away he finally sat up. I pulled my pants and underwear back up, and he smiled at me and took me to my drop off. He said good-bye and wished me luck telling me to stay safe.

It was getting late in the day and I didn’t think I wanted to try and get a ride at night so I found a place to rest for the night. I think I got a little sleep. I wasn’t thinking about killing myself quite as much, although the thought was still in my mind. I’d go between pleasant dreams of my former boyfriend to fun times I had spent with my dad following a deployment. Every time I’d the dream would make me feel good the rage in his face would reappear and I could feel his fists hitting me.

******

When morning arrived, I woke stiff and sore. Panic briefly took hold until I remembered where I was and why. My ribs hurt like hell, but couldn’t let that stop me. I changed my shirt and decided it was time to try and find a ride to Richmond. It scared me not knowing what I’d find there, where I’d stay or how I’d get by. I resigned myself to the fact I might have to do things I didn’t want to. The reality of documentaries I’d watched with my mom about homeless kids was at the forefront of my mind. I went to the highway on ramp and set my bag down. Pulling off my shirt again I stuck my thumb out hoping no state troopers would pass by. I had a bunch of cars slow down and look, but no one stopped. Finally one car did stop, so I grabbed my bag and walked over to it as the window rolled down. The guy reminded me of the Train Man from the Matrix movie and I felt uneasy about getting in the car with him. Hmm, maybe I didn’t want to die after all. I told the guy thanks for stopping but I’ll wait here. That pissed him off and he took off spinning his tires covering me with rocks and dirt.

I hunger and thirst set in so I walked to a convenience store I could see about a quarter mile away. The clerk eyed me as I walked in and I would swear he was licking his lips. I picked up a couple bottles of water, a sandwich, and an apple. I looked around at the other over priced things they had, before going to the clerk.

He looked me over real hard. “How old are you?” When I didn’t answer a lecherous smile crossed his face. “You can have that stuff for free if you follow me out back.”

I tried to play dumb. “I don’t understand what you mean, sir.”

He just grabbed his crotch to emphasize his offer. “You can work for it. Trade something I want for what you want.”

I guess my black eye gave me a rough trade look that some guys liked. I’m not sure where I got the courage, but I leaned in and spoke quietly. “My fee is fifty bucksfor you to blow me. For seventy-five I’ll blow you. Cash only so five bucks in food and water isn’t going to cut it.” He looked a little mad as I smiled. “You know I’m under eighteen, so if you want some underage cock or my hot mouth wrapped around your dick sucking you off, you know the price.”

He picked up my water and food and put them back in the coolers. “Follow me.” He called to another guy worker. “Cover the counter. I’m taking a break.”

I followed him out back behind the store. There was a stack of pallets and a small storage shed that created a small hidden space. He pulled down his zipper as I dropped to my knees in front of him. He pulled out a decent size dick and sneered down at me.

I put on my best angelic smile. “I’m sorry for being mistrustful, but it will have to be cash up front or no blowjob.”

He glared at me, but pulled out the cash and handed it to me. I guess self preservation was rapidly overruling my disgust in having sex with men I didn’t want to, let alone getting paid for it. I leaned in and gave his cock a few soft licks, teasing it and getting it even harder than it already was. I finally wrapped my lips around it and got to work. I slid up and down on it taking a little more each time. He was about 6 inches, maybe a little longer, but before too long I was taking him all the way.

He started a running dialog of minor insults with his two favorites being, “yeah, suck that cock, faggot.” and “hot mouth you little cocksucker.”

I rolled my eyes at the bad porn script and did my best to keep from laughing or more accurately from throwing up. It fortunately didn’t take him too long before I pushed him past the point of no return. I guess having some kid on his dick didn’t help his staying power any. I pulled off, just before he came and finished him with my hand. He looked like he was in a daze and finally put away his dick. I went to the restroom in the store to wash up, trying to get the smell of him off my hand and face. When I came out, I got my food and water again and he just waved me out of the store.

I found a shady spot to eat my sandwich as I watched people come and go. A bite of my food caught in my throat as I thought about whoring myself out. I came to the realization I was going to need money to survive and it might be my only option to get paid. So far it hadn’t been bad and it was something I generally enjoyed doing. When you’re around a group of friends in a safe place, jokes about sucking dick for cash is fun and sounds kind of cool. The reality was I didn’t like who I was doing it with which meant it wasn’t fun. And did I really want to be a prostitute? No, I most definitely did not want to be one. I realized my situation meant it was something I’d probably have to do again. I was finally thinking about survival instead of suicide so I would probably do what I had to. I finished my sandwich and threw away the trash then headed back towards the on ramp.

******

I leaned against the sign for the highway with my shirt off again. It doesn’t hurt to advertise. If they’re not too close they can’t see the bruises. I waited with my thumb out as each car and truck went passed. It was getting on towards mid afternoon when a guy in his mid forties driving a nice Cadillac stopped next to me.

He rolled down the window and looked me over. There seemed to be a slight hesitation, possibly due to my black eye. “Where are you headed?”

“I’m going to Richmond.”

“That’s where I’m going. If you want a ride, hop in.”

I gave him a quick appraisal and figured this was going to be my best option or wait around the rest of the day. First impression he seemed okay and was nicely dressed. I didn’t see any ski mask or axe in the car. “Thanks, I appreciated the ride.”

He unlocked the door and I put my shirt on before getting in. His smile was friendly. “You don’t need the shirt unless you really want it on.”

I immediately thought I had made a bad decision on getting in. “I didn’t want to get the leather seats all sweaty. It’s too nice a car for me to risk messing it up.

He kept his eyes forward but the smile was still there. “Either way is okay, but I really did enjoy the view when you had your shirt off, so whatever you’re comfortable with.” There was silence for a moment from him. “If I offended you, I apologize and won’t do it again. The ride still stands. Just for both our safety, I’ve got pepper spray where I can easily get to it.”

Another few miles pasted in silence before he introduced himself. “I’m Andrew.”

“Matt.”

I noticed the wedding ring on his finger as I was glancing around. After a short time I decided he was a cool enough guy and pulled my shirt back off, relaxing in the plush leather seat as the warm sun hit me. I could see Andrew smiling as I removed my shirt off.

His smile faded and he was quiet for while. “I don’t mean to be too personal, but it impossible not to notice your black eye before you got in. You have a hell of a lot of other bruises. Are you a runaway?”

I think he could see me tense up as I tried to figure out an escape if needed. I tried to laugh it off though. “It just comes with the territory when you hitchhike.” I knew he didn’t believe me, but he let it go for a little while.

Andrew cleared his throat. “It’s not my place to tell you what to do, but I hope you’ll be careful. You’re a handsome young man and there are a lot of people that would like to take advantage of that or hurt you. If you’re in trouble, maybe I can help.”

I nodded, but stayed silent for a while. “I’m not a runaway. I got kicked out when they found out I’m gay. If it’s a problem, just stop anywhere and I’ll get out.”

Andrew did his best to reassure me. “I was hitting on you from the start. I don’t have the slightest problem that you’re gay. I’m not about to leave you stranded on the interstate.” He kept his eyes on the road, but I could see the occasional glance towards me. “I’ll be honest, when I first saw you, I stopped because I wanted to offer you sex in exchange for the ride. When I saw the bruises, I couldn’t do that to you. You’re incredibly handsome. Even covered in dark blue and purple marks.” He turned to face me. “You looked older outside the car, but I’m not sure your even legal. How old are you?”

“I just turned eighteen.” I don’t think he believed my lie.

Andrew changed highways as we reached the outskirts of Richmond. “I need to go to the airport to pick up someone. I can find someplace to drop you off or you can come with me. If you stick with me, I’ll make sure you get a good meal.

I tried to smile. “I’m sure your wife or whomever you’re picking up doesn’t need to see some strange boy waiting with you.”

His laugh actually put me at ease. “I don’t think my husband would mind a little eye candy.” He could see my skepticism. “I can promise you’ll be safe around us and if you’d like a place to sleep for the night we have the space in our home.” He returned his eyes to the road. “I’d be putting my trust in you, but you don’t strike me as the kind of person that would try to steal or hurt us in the night.”

My instinct was to not trust him. This was a stranger who picked me up along the highway with the intention of asking for sex. Why should I trust anything he said when the two people I did trust had hurt me so bad. Hunger and the thought of not sleeping outside again overruled my fears. “I’m grateful for your offer, but I want to meet your husband before making a final decision.”

A grin spread across his face. “You’re a smart young man.”

I had to ask a question about something that was bothering me. It took a little bit to work up the courage. “I don’t want to sound rude or ungrateful, but if you have a husband, why were you originally thinking of asking me for sex when you picked me up?”

I was surprised he wasn’t the least bit offended. “My husband and I have been together for many years. We love each other unconditionally and we trust each other completely. It’s rare when either of us does something outside of our relationship. We’re both men and it does happen sometimes. The fantasy of picking up the hot and sexy hitchhiker was too good to pass up. When it does happen, if we’re both not there we always tell the other exactly what we did and it can lead to some very fun times for us. Kind of like watching a porn only one or both of us get to be in it.” He was laughing at that and I had to smile too. “Regardless of what you said before, I’m pretty sure you’re not eighteen. That meant you were off the menu anyways no matter how cute you are. Just so you know neither my husband nor me will be trying anything with you.”

It didn’t take much longer for us to get to Richmond International Airport. After searching the parking lot, he finally found an open spot. “You can come with me inside or wait by the car. Your choice.” I think he was a little worried I’d take off if he left me alone. I put my shirt back on and grabbed my backpack as I followed Andrew. We passed a concession stand and he stopped to get some coffee. “Would you like something to drink? Coke, coffee?”

“No thanks. I’ve got a bottle of water.” I pulled an apple from my bag as we sat. I tossed my garbage. “I’m going to the restroom.”

It didn’t take me long and I was back sitting with Andrew talking about nothing in particular when a handsome redhead walked in our direction. Andrew got up and gave the man a hug then smiled down at me and held out his hand waving me to stand so he could introduce me. “Matt, this is my husband, Dan. Dan, this is my friend Matt.”

Dan kind of looked me up and down giving Andrew a raised eyebrow before turning back to me. “It’s great to meet you Matt.” As they got Dan’s luggage, Andrew explained I was hitchhiking to Richmond when he picked me up and that I’d recently found myself without a home. I cringed a little but tried not to let it show. I missed some of what Andrew and Dan were talking about, but paid attention when I heard Andrew say he offered me a place to stay at least for the night, but that I’d only agree if Dan was also okay with it. Dan looked me up and down again and gave me a real hard look before his face softened. “We’d very much like you to stay with us, but would you like to stay at our house tonight? Will you trust us and return the same trust we’re putting in you?”

I knew what he was asking and I couldn’t blame him. “I’m not looking to steal from you or anyone else. I’m grateful for the offer of a place to stay. If you’re both okay with letting a stranger spend the night, I’m not really in a position to turn you down.”

Dan reached over and put his arm around my shoulder causing me to flinch. “Let’s head home. You’ve had a long drive and I had a long flight.” We headed back out to the car.

They home was beautiful. Andrew showed me to a bedroom and mentioned there were towels in the bathroom. It felt good to take a shower. They were wonderful cooks and made a nice dinner. I found out Andrew was an architect and Dan was a doctor. Dan checked my injuries as much as I’d let him and told me there wasn’t much to be done about my ribs. We talked a lot about what had happened to me and I finally admitted I was only sixteen. I wouldn’t give them my last name because I knew they both wanted to go after my dad in any way they could. They were both furious that parents who had always been loving towards a child could turned their backs and violently thrown out someone just for being gay. They wanted me to turn in my father, but even with how hurt I was, I just didn’t want to go through it or ever see him again.

“Do you have any family you can go to?”

“Not in this country. They’re all in Scotland.”

That night as I rested in bed still crying, I heard Dan open the door to check on me. He returned a few minutes later and crawled onto the bed with me. At first I was scared he was going to try something, but he simply wrapped his arms around me, holding tight. When I finally cried myself out and started to settle down, Dan whispered to get some sleep and it would be okay. When we woke up in the morning, I realized that Dan was still holding me on one side and Andrew was on my other side. It felt so good and I strangely felt very safe. I briefly allowed myself to wish this could have been my life, protected by these two men that were willing to take in a stray.