Pretty Man

by Ryan Field

  “Where’s Marty?” Roland asked. “I thought he’d have the car by now.” Kenneth quickly removed his hand from Josh’s ass. Roland didn’t say a word.

  Marty pulled up with the car. “Here he is,” Kenneth said, and loped out the front door as if nothing had happened.

  But Josh stood there staring at the wall, his hands in his pockets and his eyes glued to the print. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were pinched so tightly there was a blue vein sticking out of his forehead.

  “What’s wrong?” Roland asked. Josh looked him in the eye. “He put his hand on my ass, squeezed it, and told me he’d ‘like to get in there, Doll.’ He’s lucky I didn’t kick his fat ass.”

  “Don’t pay attention to him,” Roland said, trying to make it all seem perfectly normal. “Kenneth is probably just testing you.” Then, hoping to make Josh smile again, he added, “Besides, in your line of work I’m sure you’ve heard much worse than that from guys far worse than Kenneth.”

  Josh shook his head and sighed. He lowered his eyes to the floor. “I guess you’re right.”

  But he didn’t say a word on the ride back. And when they had after-dinner drinks at the house, Josh sat in the corner of the library and sipped a small glass of port while Kenneth dominated the conversation again. Marty had two more martinis, and yawned each time Kenneth called Roland, “Doll.” By the time they were finally alone again in the guest room and Roland was ready to drop his pants and spread his legs, Josh was so livid he went into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

  “I think you’re going to like the garden party tomorrow,” Roland said through the closed door. He wanted to get Josh’s mind off Kenneth. “It’s being held at one of the oldest farms in Bucks County and the grounds are spectacular. The women all wear big hats, and the men wear pastel suits.”

  Josh pulled the door open and crossed the room to open his suitcase. “And maybe a few more of your friends can squeeze my ass and treat me like common street trash, too.”

  Roland stopped unbuttoning his shirt. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset. Why don’t you just take a deep breath and stop acting like a child? So he grabbed your ass, big deal. Let’s move on.”

  Josh slammed the suitcase shut and clenched his fists. “I’m acting like a child? That’s it. I want my money and I’m getting out of here. I’ll hitchhike if I have to. But I’m getting the hell out of here tonight.”

  Roland stopped breathing. His head went down and he closed his eyes. When he opened his mouth to speak, he had trouble mouthing the words. “I don’t have that kind of cash with me.”

  “I take all major credit cards,” Josh said, and reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. He handed Roland a credit slip. “You can fill out all the information yourself to make sure I don’t cheat you. I can get a confirmation tomorrow when I’m back in the city.”

  Roland took the slip and crossed the room so he could sit down at a small desk. He didn’t speak; he focused on filling out the form and signing his name at the bottom. His hand felt shaky. Roland took a deep breath and stared at the wall. When he finished writing, he lifted his arm and waved the slip in the air. His back was to Josh.

  Josh snatched the slip from Roland’s hand. The next sound Roland heard was Josh walking out the door. He sat at the desk for a long time staring at the wall, wondering why Josh had taken Kenneth’s flirtatious advance so seriously.

  When he finally stood again and walked to the bathroom, he looked down on the bed and blinked a few times. Josh left the new Rolex watch on top of the credit card slip at the edge of the bed. Roland quickly scanned the room. Josh hadn’t taken any luggage or any of his new clothes either. He’d walked out the door with the clothes on his back, expecting nothing more from Roland. At first, thinking like a businessman, Roland didn’t grasp the magnitude of Josh’s symbolic gesture. He saw things in black and white: They had an agreement, and he was obligated to pay Josh $5,000 for the week. He knew Josh needed the money. When it finally occurred to Roland that maybe Josh had enjoyed their week together just as much as he had, he put on his shoes, grabbed his car keys, and ran out of the house.

  It took a minute to figure out how to move the car seat forward—Josh had it so far back Roland could barely reach the wheel. It took another minute to figure out how to turn on the headlights. Roland finally managed to get the car into gear and out of the parking space. He hit the gas hard and sped down the driveway, swerving back and forth chaotically to avoid holes and bumps. He assumed that because Josh didn’t know the area he’d just backtrack toward town on the same roads they had taken to get there.

  About four miles from Kenneth’s, Roland rounded a bend in the road and saw a tall figure walking in the distance. He knew it was Josh; he could tell by the way his long legs bowed at the knee, and by the way he bounced heavily on the balls of his feet. Roland hit the gas and honked the horn. But when he got closer and Josh turned to see what was coming down the road, Josh threw his hands in the air and jumped into the ditch. Roland hit the brakes and the car came to a screeching halt; he’d been driving so fast the back end of the car swerved to the left a little. He wasn’t sure how to lower the windows so he got out of the car and shouted over the roof, “C’mon, get inside. I don’t want you to leave.” Josh stood in the ditch with his hands on his hips, shaking his head.

  “You’re a maniac!” Josh shouted. “I thought some drunken driver was going to run me down here in the middle of nowhere.”

  Roland extended his arm to Josh. “I wanted to find you, and I wasn’t going that fast.” He stepped forward and opened his palm as wide as it would go. “You left the Rolex. That was a gift for you to keep.”

  Josh shrugged and lowered his head. “I didn’t feel right taking it.”

  Roland clenched his teeth and squinted. He hadn’t expected to become so emotionally attached to Josh; he wasn’t used to this sort of expressive exchange. “I don’t want you to leave. At least not like this, on a dark road in the middle of the night. It’s dangerous. C’mon. Let’s go back, please.”

  Josh took a deep breath. He reached for Roland’s hand and stepped forward. “Just one thing, though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Can I drive?”

  Roland laughed. “You can do anything you want. Just come back with me now.”

  Chapter Ten

  Roland was in the shower shaving his body. He didn’t have much body hair, but knew Josh liked smooth skin. Roland wanted to be sure every inch of him was hairless, with the exception of a small, well-trimmed patch just above his penis. Josh was in the bedroom calling Hillary, who had been working nonstop at the bookstore while he was with Roland all week.

  It was a clear, sunny day. Roland could tell from the open bathroom window that it was breezy and dry, which was unusual for hot and humid Bucks County in August. Josh was animated that morning, but his conversation with Hillary sounded intense. Roland took his time in the shower to make sure his entire body was smooth. They were going outside for a morning swim, and he didn’t plan to wear a bathing suit. Kenneth and Marty were at the flower shop, checking the flower arrangements for the garden party that afternoon.

  Roland stepped back into the bedroom and saw Josh sitting at the desk, holding the phone and staring at the wall. “Is everything okay?” Roland asked.

  “Hey,” Josh said, “I didn’t hear you come out.” He tried to smile, but his voice was low and his eyebrows were pointed down.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Hillary just told me that the old guy who owns the building on Bleecker, where we have the bookstore, got a serious offer this weekend. Two guys from Murray Hill want to buy the building, renovate it from top to bottom, and turn the shop into a trendy furniture boutique.”

  Roland frowned. “I thought you had an agreement with him.”

  “We do, tentatively,” Josh said. “But it’s not in writing, and this is a really good offer. I can’t fault anyone. The old guy said we still had
a chance, though. He said he wouldn’t accept the offer if we can come up with the money by the end of the month. He said he really wants us to have the building and the shop, but he also has to be practical and think about his future. He’s been dying to move to Florida.”

  “Well that’s good news,” Roland said, “You still have time.”

  Josh jerked his head a couple of times. “We were planning on at least another two years of saving. We don’t have that kind of money right now, and there are only so many tricks I can turn in a week’s time. Even if we came up with a decent down payment, I doubt we could get a mortgage. In case you haven’t noticed, property values in the West Village have tripled in the past eight years.”

  Roland pressed his lips together and frowned. “How serious are these two guys from Murray Hill?”

  Josh stood from the chair and smiled. “I don’t really know. They have to sell their place in Murray Hill first, and there’s a chance that might not happen. All I know is that it is what it is, and sometimes things just aren’t meant to be.” He looked Roland’s smooth, naked body up and down and rubbed his hands together. “Are we still going out for a swim? I don’t want to talk about it right now. I’ll deal with it when I get back to the city.”

  “Oh yeah,” Roland said. “I’ll race you to the pool.” He grabbed a few towels and ran out the door. The pool at Kenneth’s house was designed and planned by Roland the first year they were in the house. He had it installed far enough away from the house so that he, or anyone else, could swim privately in the nude. He had tall rows of thick bamboo planted to maintain that privacy.

  Roland threw the towels on the gray pavers and jumped into the pool with a huge splash. He swam toward the far end, knowing Josh would follow. The water wasn’t freezing cold because it had been hot earlier that week, but it wasn’t as warm as heated pool water should have been. Josh jumped in, swam to the other end, and grabbed Roland from behind. He put his arms beneath Roland’s shoulders and pulled him back against his strong chest. He whispered into Roland’s ear. “This is nice, being outside naked with you. I’m already hard.”

  Roland pressed his ass into Josh’s groin. “Slip it inside me and let’s see how long you can keep it there without pulling out.” He spread his legs in the water and slammed his ass into Josh’s dick a few times.

  Roland lifted his arms out of the water and rested his elbows on the edge. He spread his legs while Josh prepared to mount him. Josh only had to press the tip of his erection to Roland’s hole and it slipped all the way inside without so much as a hint of discomfort. “Ah,” Josh sighed, his rock-solid cock all the way up Roland’s ass. “That went in so easily. And yet it’s really tight, too. I was afraid it might hurt without lube.”

  Roland leaned back into Josh’s strong chest. “You’ve got the perfect dick; it’s a good fit.” He wasn’t telling the complete truth. Years ago, when he was just starting to have sex with other men, someone taught him a little trick he’d never forgotten. What Josh didn’t know was that before Roland had left the bathroom that morning, he pre-lubed his anus, inside and out, with petroleum jelly so Josh’s dick would slide in easily. He’d always believed the one on the bottom had certain duties to perform: like shaving and cleaning and being prepared with lube. Top guys liked those special touches, and they were always grateful and wanted more. “Let’s go over and sit at the shallow end, on the stairs.”

  Josh pressed one hand on Roland’s chest and the other at the bottom of his stomach, slowly walking backward in the water. When they reached the shallow end, Josh pressed his hands against Roland’s hips and sat down. He spread his hairy legs. “How does that feel?”

  Roland closed his eyes and lifted his head in the air. “Fantastic,” he said. He lifted both his legs, spread them, and hung them over Josh’s upper thighs so his feet would dangle in the water.

  Josh rested his chin on Roland’s neck and ran his palms up and down Roland’s legs. “You feel fucking smooth in the water,” he said, “Grind your hips a little for me.”

  Roland pressed his palms on Josh’s thighs. “Like this?” He asked, making grinding, circular motions with his hips. His toes curled and he could feel Josh’s rough pubic hair prickle the soft skin on his ass. He tossed his head back and sighed.

  Josh reached down and grabbed Roland’s ankles, pulling them up higher. “Keep grinding into my dick, baby.”

  Roland rocked his hips, repeatedly clamping the lips of his anus around Josh’s cock. His legs were spread as wide as they would go, and Josh had his ankles pulled up so high his heels touched the backs of his thighs. This was the absolute deepest Josh’s dick could ever get inside his body, and yet his hole still begged for more. “You love dick, don’t you?” Josh whispered.

  “Ah, yeah. I love it deep like this. You are so huge and so powerful.” Josh let go of Roland’s ankles. “I want you to turn around now.”

  When his feet were on the bottom of the pool, Roland sat up and Josh’s erection slipped from his body. His movements were slow and calculated, so Josh could look down and watch the huge rod gently exit Roland’s small, tight hole. Then they both stood, walked into deeper water, and Roland wrapped his arms around Josh’s wide neck before jumping up and wrapping his legs around Josh’s waist. Josh reached down with his left hand and placed it on the bottom of Roland’s ass so he could spread it open. With the other, he slid his dick back inside. He didn’t poke or prod; the tip found the opening and slipped right in. Roland closed his eyes. “Yes,” he whispered. “Deeper.” He pressed his lips to Josh’s neck. He loved the way Josh smelled, like a man should smell: of raw beef and onions, with a hint of wet wood and cloves.

  “I like this,” Josh said. “I like your arms around me like this.” His hips bucked as his large hands massaged Roland’s ass.

  “Me too,” Roland whispered. He stuck out his tongue and licked the inside of Josh’s ear. He hadn’t done that before, and he hoped Josh would like it.

  “Yeah,” Josh moaned, “That feels good.”

  They lost track of time. Josh and Roland eventually wound up against the side of the pool. “Do you want me to go under the water and suck you off?” Roland asked.

  “No,” Josh said. “I want to fuck you. I need to come soon—my balls are starting to ache. Get down, lean against the side of the pool, and spread your legs.” Roland complied. Josh grabbed him by the waist and shoved him to the edge with force. He bit his bottom lip and smacked his dick a couple of times against the top of Roland’s ass before he mounted him. Then he bent his knees, grabbed his dick, and shoved himself all the way inside. Roland spread his legs and held the coping for support.

  “I’m gonna fuck that tight hole, baby,” Josh growled.

  “Deeper,” Roland begged.

  “Oh yeah,” Josh said, “I’ll give it to you deep and hard.” He reached down and jerked Roland’s dick with the same hard rhythm.

  Roland closed his eyes. His neck went limp and his head bounced. Josh’s hand was large and he jerked with such vigor that Roland had to concentrate on not coming too soon. He wanted Josh to come first. The fucking grew more intense. Water splashed out of the pool. “I’m gonna blow,” Josh moaned. “Here it comes.”

  There were five hard slams. On the sixth, Josh’s dick exploded and filled Roland’s ass. Roland orgasmed simultaneously. When Josh finally let go of Roland’s dick, he said, “That was fucking intense. Are you okay?”

  Roland clamped down on Josh’s dick. “I’m fine. Keep it inside as long as you can, and then fuck me again, harder.”

  Josh was about to say something, but stopped when he heard Kenneth shout, “Are you two down there?”

  “Oh fuck,” Roland said, “They’re back. What should we do?”

  Josh grabbed Roland’s waist and quickly pulled him to the edge of the pool. He pressed his hips hard and sat down on the steps so that it would look like Roland was sitting on his lap enjoying the water.

  “Josh,” Roland said, trying to break free from
his strong hold, “You should pull out now.” He didn’t want Kenneth to see him fucking another man in the pool; it didn’t feel right.

  “Just act natural,” Josh said. “He’ll never know I’m inside you.” Josh laughed. “At least, he won’t be completely sure.”

  Roland’s heart beat fast when Kenneth stepped into the pool area. “There you are, Doll. We’ve been looking all over for you.” Marty was behind him. His hands were in his pockets and when he saw them both in the water, naked, his eyes grew wide. Kenneth frowned. “Oh, I see I’m interrupting something.”

  “Ah, well,” Roland said. He moved to the left a little and Josh’s cock hit a sensitive spot in his ass.

  “We were just taking a quick swim, is all,” Josh said.

  Marty looked down and smiled. His pocketed hands played with his balls. It looked like he wanted to rip off his clothes and fuck Roland, too.

  Kenneth didn’t notice Marty. He shook his head and turned back toward the house. “We’re leaving for the party at one. I just wanted to see if you needed anything.”

  “Ah, no,” Roland said, “but thanks. We’ll be back up in a few minutes. We just wanted to get a morning swim in, is all.”

  “Take your time, Doll,” Kenneth said, walking back to the house. Then he noticed that Marty was still there, staring down at their naked bodies. “C’mon Marty. Let’s go, Doll. The show’s over and it’s time to feed the cat.” Marty licked his lips before turning to follow Kenneth.

  Roland took a deep breath. “That was awful. You really should have pulled out. After all, he was my partner for many years.”

  Josh slapped his ass. “You loved it, and you know it.”

  Roland sat back on Josh’s dick and sighed. He couldn’t argue. Josh was right.

  Chapter Eleven

  Expensive European luxury cars lined the pasture at Meadow View Farm like soldiers braced for combat. The guests moved about leisurely on the thick green lawn. Their wide-brimmed hats stippled the landscape, and their summer suits and designer bags and country casual shoes swarmed the entire south garden of the huge estate. The men huddled near the main bar in small, stuffy groups; while the women smiled and pointed at exotic flowers and shrubberies. They chatted about their most recent travel expeditions, politely competing for the most exotic destination, throwing their heads back and raising their voices to vibrant levels that sounded slightly fake. One of the older men stared at the crotch bulge in Josh’s new beige suit. Two women near the rose garden stopped talking altogether when he passed them. A cute bartender with tight black pants stared at Josh’s lips and squeezed the neck of a vodka bottle.