Mileah giggled.
Norman was speechless. He searched for words. He had to maintain his image as the office stud. “All I can say is what I would do with a woman in that situation. I would cover her with kisses, you know, lots of tongue. At least one kiss would be so deep that I would surely satisfy just about every craving in her body. And she would beg for more.”
“And, of course, you’d give her exactly what she begged for,” answered Mileah.
“Yes, oh yes!” retorted Norman. “They all want it. They all dream about it. And, when they see what I’ve got, they squeal with delight, ‘Oh, yes! Yes, please!’ I don’t mean to brag, but I am sort of a pleasure machine.”
“I don’t know about that,” giggled Dorinda, “but you sure have turned into a bag of wind lately.”
“You certainly have,” echoed Mileah, “and your mind is so preoccupied with sex, you need to get some religious counseling. You men are all alike, thinking your bodies can cure just about any problem a woman could have.
Mileah pondered on that, then she went on. “The problem is . . . a man’s body next to mine can cure anything that ails me. As long as he’s a hunk, it don’t matter to me what he’s got in his brain or his heart. Lord, help me, I’m too messed up to give advice. Dorinda, talk to Wally. And you, Norman, come over here a minute, I need to find out something.”
Dorinda spoke softly, “Wally, you’ve got to get control of your good sense and stay away from Tony. He’s like a puppeteer, and you’re on the end of his strings. I know you are all messed up and you want a man to love you in a special sort of way. But let it be a decent man who will give to you out of his heart.”
Meanwhile, Mileah had been whispering something to Norman. He replied softly, “Sure, I’d like that. Your place about eight?”
Mileah held her finger to her lips, “Hush.”
Dorinda spoke again, “Norman, maybe you ought to try laying some love on Wally. You’ve been wondering about guys kissing guys. Now is your chance. It wouldn’t mean you were gay or anything like that. You would just be experiencing something else the world has to offer. And you’d be helping poor Wally. Think of that.” She turned and winked at Wally.
Wally smiled.
Mileah stood up, hands on her hips, a troubled look on her face. “Dorinda, my sweet lady. I cannot believe I am hearing such trash come out of your mouth. Aren’t you a minister in your church? For shame!”
“Forgive me, Mileah. I got carried away. It all came out wrong. I am sorry. I didn’t mean to offend anyone. I was just trying to help Wally.”
“Apology accepted, dear,” said Mileah as she fluffed up her hair and moistened her lips. “Besides, Norman has another commitment this evening, don’t you Norman?”
“I sure do,” grinned Norman. He adjusted his package and went back to his desk, swiveling in his chair like he was on the merry-go-round at a carnival.
Mileah adjusted her boobs and let out a little squeal of delight. Then, she sat at her desk, wiggled her hips to get comfortable in the chair, and started working.
Chapter 9
Wally didn’t hear from Tony on Wednesday or any time on Thursday. He would not be at home on Friday as he had made plans for the weekend. He was going to use two vacation days to make a trip to Richmond, with his parents, for a visit with Aunt Jane, his mother’s sister. They would leave early Friday morning and return to Poplar Hill on Sunday afternoon. Wally would still have Monday to do laundry and straighten his apartment. It would be a welcome time away from work.
What if Tony tried to contact Wally, over the weekend, and didn’t know where he was? There was no way for Wally to get a message to Tony unless Tony called him or stopped by. Maybe he should just explain the situation to his parents and stay home. Sunday was Father’s Day. He could take his parents out to dinner instead of making the trip. They would understand, or would they? Wally had made a promise to them. He intended to keep it.
When Friday morning arrived, they loaded up the car and left. Several times, Wally wanted to turn around and go back to Poplar Hill. He had to make himself keep going. He was glad Aunt Jane liked to run around shopping and going to new restaurants. That, at least, would keep his mind off Tony for a while. But, in the down times, like after a few beers and some TV, when he was trying to get to sleep, thoughts of Tony came out of nowhere and stayed a spell. Perhaps it was due to love, perhaps instinct, but Wally was absolutely certain Tony had been trying to find him while they were out of town.
Wally was so proud of Tony. He tried to explain it to his mother and Aunt Jane. They didn’t understand such a relationship. Wally was trying to make it sound like a super close friendship, pure and without intimacy. But, he struck out on that one when he let it slip that Tony had kissed him on the mouth. Aunt Jane pretended not to be troubled, but she was. And Wally’s mother, like all good moms, was in denial. It went over her head because she wanted it to. She didn’t want to face it. Wally’s dad pulled the timeworn hard-of-hearing trick. Out of absolute frustration, Wally stopped trying to explain.
Sunday couldn’t come soon enough for Wally. The trip back to Poplar Hill seemed to take forever. Wally counted mileposts on the Interstate to keep his mind on driving. He chewed gum. He listened to the radio. But, mostly he agonized over the possibility that Tony had tried to contact him. It seemed to take hours to get their food when they stopped for lunch. The last thirty-five-mile stretch of Interstate felt more like ninety-five miles. Wally didn’t dawdle when they got to the guest parking spaces next to the apartment building. He quickly transferred luggage and shopping bags from his car to his mother’s car. He tried not to let his impatience show.
When Wally’s parents pulled out of the lot and headed home, Wally zoomed up the stairs to the third floor. He had to find out if Tony had called. Wally didn’t have Caller ID, so a message from Tony was the only way he would ever know.
As he got halfway across the living room where he could see the answering machine, he was pleased that the message light was blinking. Wally whispered a request for God to please let it be Tony, then pressed the button, “Hey, it’s Tony. I’ve been trying to get hold of you. I got the car, and . . . I got a phone! It’s 555-0237. Call me just as soon as you get this message. I love you. Bye.”
Wally dialed the number. It rang three times. Tony answered. “Hey dude!”
Wally started, “Tony, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here when you called. I took Mom and Dad to Richmond for the weekend . . . ”
“Well you should have been at home;” snapped Tony. “I wanted to spend Saturday night with you. I was going to let you bathe me. After that, you were going to wrap me in a beach towel and pat me dry. Remember? And, we were going to sleep in the big bed like I promised you at the jail. You do remember, don’t you?”
Wally sighed. “Yes, but we were supposed to do it last week right after you got the car. I haven’t been able to reach you since.”
Tony unloaded his frustration, “You need to get a cell phone so we can keep in touch better. You’ve got to be a modern guy if you want to keep up with me. The way it was, I had to call six other people before I could find a place to stay.”
Wally suspected that Tony had a whole list of bed partners to call for those nights. Of course, they would all kowtow to Tony’s perfect anatomy. Wally wondered how Tony could keep up with all the preferences and quirks of each partner. How could he make them all feel like they were his first choice, the only one he really wanted to be with? Was it difficult for him to change gears from straight to gay?
“Wally, talk to me. Are you still there?”
“I apologize, Tony. My mind was wondering.”
“For God sakes, what were you imagining? I know, I bet it was my magnificent body and what you missed last night.”
“Very funny, dude.” responded Wally.
“Well, you do have the hots for me. You’ve said it a hundred times or more. We could have done anything you wanted Saturday night, if you’d been at home.”
>
“There’s always tonight,” remarked Wally. “I could drive you wild tonight . . . Will you let me? I don’t go to work tomorrow. I am still on vacation.”
“I’m not sure about that,” answered Tony. “ I’m really tired. You know, Sarah has another daughter by this Dennis fellow she used to sleep with. Her name is Monica. Dennis doesn’t pay much attention to her. But, Monica and me, we really get along. Today is Father’s Day, so I had me a daughter who was old enough to appreciate me. I took her to a movie. We went to the park. We ate out. Liza’s too young to enjoy stuff like that. Besides, she’s getting to be like her mama, you know, difficult with a capital ‘B.’ ”
“That’s great, Tony. With two young ladies hankering for a good father, you should think about settling down. They need you.”
“Me? Settle down? I am mild compared to Sarah. She sleeps around so much, it’s a wonder she doesn’t have enough kids to start a school.”
“I’m not trying to run your life, Tony. I love you. I want you sleeping next to me, at least now and then. But, you have so much other stuff going on.”
“OK, Wally. I’m sorry for acting like you’re not important. I wouldn’t have the car without you lending me the money for the down payment . . . Let’s see. It will be late, but I will try to make it. Could you leave a key under the doormat? That way, if you’ve already turned in, I could let myself into the apartment and crawl in bed beside you. I could snuggle up to you and wake you with my special Prince Charming kiss. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
Wally shivered as Tony’s proposition began to sink in. “OK, you’ve got a deal. Try not to be too late.”
“Hey, . . . I almost forgot something about the car.”
“What’s that?” asked Wally. He suspected more money. Would passion override his good sense, again?
“Well, it’s a great car, a repossessed Mustang. But, the tires are crappy. I could get myself killed driving too far on those. Could you help me buy four new tires tomorrow? That place on Harper Drive is running a special. Please, could you help me? I don’t want to get pulled over. I don’t want to die in a wreck. I don’t need that. Please. I’ll make it up to you in bed. I promise. And, of course, I will pay you back.”
Wally thought a few seconds. He loved Tony too much. Besides, his good judgment was in orbit around some remote planet–blasted there, no doubt, by Tony’s first kiss. Wally took a deep breath. “Sure, I’ll help you get the tires. We will work out the time in the morning. I love you, Tony. You are everything I ever wanted–everything I ever needed.”
“Love ‘ya, too.” Tony ended the call.
Wally unpacked his things from the trip, put away his clothes, and did some laundry. He took a shower, shaved, and dabbed on his favorite cologne. He wanted to smell good for Tony.
As he lay under the covers, anticipating Tony’s arrival, he tried to have loving thoughts--pleasant thoughts--lusty thoughts--about Tony and his body. Tony’s features were as perfect as any renaissance statue in Italy, maybe beter. He considered Michelangelo’s statue of David. He smiled dreamily as he conjured up the sensuous lines. Oh, those muscles, he thought. Some guys would kill to be built like that. So, here we have a sculptor on a roll, creating luscious manhood from head to toe, that is until he gets between the navel and the thighs. And, what does old Michelangelo do to mark David as the hunk of hunks? He gives the poor guy the most pitiful weenie a chisel ever pecked out. Shame!
What if Tony and Michelangelo had been buddies? Oh, man! What if that statue could have been retooled with Tony’s prominent part as a model? It would be a real eye feast. Most likely, they would not display it in public squares. Oh, it wouldn’t be shame that kept it off the streets--not in Italy. It would be a precaution to protect the redone part. All sorts of catastrophes—like vandalism, whirlwinds, and earthquakes–could cause the Tony-David to lose a piece of its glory. I can just see archaeologists excavating half of Italy trying to locate Tony-David’s doohickey. They might never find it. And, if somebody else did, they’d keep it to show off at parties. Centuries later, the statue would be just like Venus de Milo. It would be known for what was not there.
These thoughts faded into oblivion. The hour was late. Wally was tired. There was no Prince Charming slipping under the covers beside him, no warm lips massaging his face. Nothing was stirring, not even a mouse. No stockings were hung, with care, by the chimney–he didn’t have one. Any children nestling would have to be in another apartment. Wally was the only sugarplum in this apartment, and a tired sugarplum he was. Forget that Santa Claus mentality and all the fairy-godmother stuff, at least for tonight. Wally was dog-tired.
A horn honked outside. Wally heard footsteps in the hall. He waited for his prince to burst through the door and cover his body with kisses. The footsteps went on by. The couple from the apartment across the yard were on the balcony shouting and swearing. A dog barked in the distance. Wally’s refrigerator began to hum. Wally fell asleep to the self-deprecating taunt that grated through his mind. I should have known better. I should have known better. I’ve been screwed again. It’s almost like the playground in third grade, he mused. I tried to catch the softball they were bouncing off the wall, and it hit me between the eyes. Thud! I should have known better.
Chapter 10
When Wally woke up the next morning, Prince Charming was not in the bed beside him. His Highness was not in the shower, nor on the pot. There was not a royal cook at the range fixing a scrumptious breakfast for the Prince and his lover. There was no one. Wally was alone. To make that sink into his mind, slow-witted from lack of coffee, Wally opened the apartment door and lifted the doormat. The key had not been disturbed.
Wally had been duped. It wasn’t like it was the first time ever. He should have expected it. Tony didn’t like drama unless it served his own purposes. He avoided confrontations whenever possible. It was easier to invent a magnificent promise, full of passion, and have no intentions of keeping it. The promise got him out of the picture. Breaking it? Well, Tony wasn’t around to feel the hurt and see the emotions of the other person.
Wally had fooled himself into thinking that it might be different this time. He was angry, but not at Tony. Wally was angry with himself. He pulled on the elastic waistband of his sleep shorts until he could see down inside. Yep, it’s all there. What’s wrong that I am not good enough for Tony? He makes these incredible promises when he needs cash. Then he sleeps with somebody else. And what do I do? I keep going back for refills. Sure, Tony. Take all my money, Tony. I am your friendly green doormat plastered with pictures of famous presidents. Walk on me, buddy!
A few straggling tears trickled down Wally’s cheeks, then a gushing horde. He threw himself on the sofa, burying his face deep in an overstuffed pillow. It was a cleansing sob.
Later, Wally got up and headed for the shower. He decided it was time to clean up, get dressed, and do what any other self-respecting, hurting person would do. He would go shopping! And . . . a cell phone would be the number one item on his list.
As Wally climbed into the shower, he was in no mood to sing. The sob session had left him vulnerable to more tears. Perhaps, something unusual, even preposterous, would be a better shower pastime. For some reason, flashes of a television documentary about ostriches began to traipse about in Wally’s mind. Soap, shampoo, hot water, and ostriches. Actually, quite relaxing. Interesting creatures these big birds. And some of their habits--strange indeed. As Wally toweled dry, he wondered, Do ostriches stick their heads in the sand to avoid reality? Or, do they stick their heads in the sand because they need to cry?
Wally was a fussy dresser. He always wanted to look like he stepped off the cover of a catalog. Today he honestly didn’t give a ding. If every hair stayed in place and all his colors matched, that would be fine. If not, who cared? He might be a hodgepodge of designs and materials, but he would be a decent hodgepodge. The fact is that everything did match, except for the socks. One was navy, the other black. Either Wally di
d not notice the color blunder, or he knew about it and was not going to fix it. Otherwise, there were no wrinkles, no spots, no shabby places.
Wally figured the best place to shop for clothing and cell phones, was Bradley Square Mall. It was northeast of Poplar Hill on the outskirts of Brockton. As he walked toward the entrance, he reminded himself that the primary purpose of this trip was a cell phone. If he happened to stumble upon a shirt that struck his fancy, or some comfortable walking shoes at just the right price, he might get those. The cell phone was a must. Wally had missed too many calls from Tony. He was tired of making excuses. He was tired of getting excuses.
Wally entered through the west portal of the mall and made his way to the Concourse of the Four Seasons. The trees, fountain, park benches, picnic tables--with a glass dome covering all--made this a perfect hangout when the weather was extreme. Wally had not come this morning to escape a thunderstorm or a blizzard. He had come to consult the billboard with the mall map and directory. Wally was familiar with the clothing stores and their eye-catching displays. Shoe stores were usually nearby. But cell phone stores? These would be like the specialty shops tucked in every cove and corner of the mall. Wally needed some names and locations. Thank heavens the stores were listed alphabetically by category.
Wally had no idea so many phone companies had outlets at Bradley Square:
American Cellular
East Coast Communications
Intelliphone
Mountaineer Wireless
Republic Telephone & Telegraph
Springfield Cell-Solutions
Wally remembered Tony talking about RT&T and being able to make free calls to his friends who had the same company. He also noticed that the Republic Telephone & Telegraph shop was near the concourse. He decided to start there. It was a wise move. Thirty minutes later, Wally had a two-year introductory contract and a free cell phone. At last, he had joined the modern world. He would never miss another call from Tony.
Unexpected Angel Page 5
