“That’s very good,” remarked Sylvia. “Young Wally hasn’t the best judgment in choosing friends. Perhaps you can keep him from wandering out to pick daisies, as it were. It may be you who will help him to be more observant and not to bury his head in the sand like an ostrich. I can tell you that the benefits will outweigh the effort. Each of you will have someone to come home to, someone to share with.”
Behind Sylvia Hunnicutt was a short lady in her late sixties. She had reddish hair with patches of gray. She was not as elegant as Sylvia, but she had a stunning smile and a playful air. She kept waving her hand, smiling, and batting her eyes trying to get Norman’s attention. She cleared her throat.
Sylvia stopped talking. She threw her head back, moving it slowly from side to side, with her lips in a snarl that seemed to say, Can’t she wait her turn? I must finish introducing myself first.
Then, Sylvia turned to face the lady behind her, to let her see the snarl. After that, she turned back to face Wally and Norman, and graciously stepped to the side. “Gentlemen, this is Dorothy Pritchard. I just call her Dotty. Before Daddy died, she was his housekeeper. During her employment, we became friends. Now, we live in that big house together, partners in crime, you might say.” She smiled, though somewhat strained. She did not know how Wally and Norman would receive that bit of information. “We often entertain new members of this church. We would be delighted for the two of you to come over for dessert this evening. Dotty bakes a simply sinful chocolate cake.”
Dotty made a slight curtsy. She smiled and kept batting her eyes, but didn’t say anything.
Wally smiled at Norman as if much more was understood than was spoken. Sylvia and Dotty looked at each other. Years of devotion shone on their faces.
Norman spoke, “Yes ma’am. We’d like that.”
Sylvia replied, “About sevenish, then?” As she and Dotty were turning to leave, Sylvia added, “Much is to be said about devotion and caring in a friendship. The relationship must be forged on a common bond, held together by love–unconditional love–just as you heard in the message this morning. Both parties must be willing to make equal contributions for the friendship to endure. Else, you have little more than a carnival atmosphere where one reaps all the benefits, and the other is rather like an all-day sucker. Don’t ever forget that, young men. Don’t ever forget that.”
Chapter 33
Wally and Norman decided not to go out for Sunday dinner. Since they would be having that luscious chocolate cake, with Silvia and Dotty, in the evening, Wally would fix lunch. They would spend the rest of the afternoon watching TV, surfing the internet, or napping.
As the elevator door opened on Wally’s floor, he and Norman could hear a phone ringing. “That sounds like my landline,” said Wally. “It is my landline!” He started running down the hall. The ringing stopped just as he reached the door. “Crap, it’s hard to tell who that was. I don’t have caller ID except on my cell phone.”
As Wally entered the apartment and crossed the living room, he noticed the red light flashing on the answering machine. “How about that! I hardly ever get a message, and now there is one. It’s probably a telemarketer where they give you a toll-free number to call back.”
Wally walked over to the machine and pushed the button. The recording started. “Hey, it’s Tony. I’ve been trying to get hold of you. Things are beautiful here, just like everyone says. I love you. Bye.”
Wally’s mouth flew open. His chin quivered. He turned and fled into Norman’s arms, sobbing. All the grief of the past few days had finally come to roost.
Norman’s strong arms eased the movements of Wally’s shoulders. His broad chest muffled Wally’s wailing and gasping. He rested his chin on the top of Wally’s head and softly patted him on the back. Wally’s crying eased into a whimper as Norman ran his fingers through Wally’s hair and lightly kissed it. Now, Norman didn’t feel strange that his arms were wrapped around another man’s body. There was no sense of urgency about the proper amount to time to caress without being labeled odd. Norman didn’t seem bothered that feelings of tenderness spread through his mind, that an inborn desire to protect flared within his heart. He didn’t even feel embarrassed by the tinge of stiffness that crept into his groin. He began to breathe heavily as a chill crept up his spine and spread into his shoulders. Playfully, he fluffed Wally’s hair. He drew back, kissing Wally on the forehead. With his voice soft, yet still very masculine, he said, “Something told me I needed to be here for you.”
“Thank you,” said Wally. Then, with his face out of shape, red, and wet, he looked at Norman. He smiled through leftover tears. “I love you, Norman. I’ve got to get over this and go on with my life. I love you.”
Norman’s compassionate look turned into a wide smile. “Well, it so happens that I love you too, Mr. Wally Jackson. And I’m willing to work out something between us, but . . . ”
“But what?” interrupted Wally.
“Last night I discovered that I’m in love with your soul, your mind, your heart, everything that makes you special. I’m just crazy over you. I don’t want to be without you, not even for one night.”
“I kind of figured that,” said Wally. “I mean--that kiss . . . how can you kiss me like that and not go any farther? It could drive a person wild.”
Norman smiled and rolled his eyes, “Those kisses are a gift. I don’t know how or why I can do that. I guess it is something we both need. I prayed about it because it’s just not the usual thing that guys do with each other. I didn’t get an answer, but I didn’t feel condemned, either. I guess it’s like my toe.”
“Huh?” asked Wally. “I must have lost something in the translation.”
Norman chuckled. “One of my toes is crooked. I mean I have this absolutely perfect body and a crooked toe. But, I am not going to ask God why or treat it like a major deformity. God has been so generous with my good looks. I guess he has reasons for everything.”
Wally smiled playfully. “You’re not bashful, are you?”
Norman smiled. “No, I’m not.” He had a playful twinkle in his eyes. “I can’t help it if I’m such a hunk. Think of it this way. You’ve got your own private male model, your own personal centerfold . . .” Norman stopped abruptly. He whispered. “And, I’ve got you. Oh, God! I’ve got you!” Norman placed his hands on each side of Wally’s face and peered intently into Wally’s eyes. “I can’t even begin to explain how I feel.”
Norman hugged Wally and playfully kissed the end of his nose. Then he asked, “Could we fix up the extra bedroom for me? I’ll buy some new furniture. We would each have a room, but once in a while, or maybe lots in a while, we could sleep in the same room, and talk, and kiss, and . . .”
Wally cleared his throat. “I think you know what my answer is. You’ve got to be certain that is what you want, also. We’ve got to be careful not to assume things about each other. We need to remember we are wired up different.”
Norman’s eyes were full of understanding as he looked at Wally. “I think this is a real concern of yours. But, what does it matter how we are wired up, anyway? You want us to be together a lot, but you’re concerned about my caramba. You’re afraid the temptation is going to be too big . . . ”
Wally started giggling.
“OK, Mr. Wally Jackson. What did I say that was so dad-blamed funny. I wasn’t trying to be funny. I am trying to keep you and me out of trouble. It’s gonna be tough, us two together. What’s gonna happen if I start to have feelings I don’t how to handle? Have you ever thought of that?”
Before that time, Wally had never understood Norman’s concerns about them living together. He assumed Norman had no problems, at all, with it. He spoke gently, “Well, Norman. We just need to always be on the lookout. If we start getting temptations we can’t handle, we need to confront them and talk about them, like two sane young men. . . ”
Norman put his arm around Wally. “Mr. Wally, did I ever tell you how sweet and lovable you are? Man, I would die if I did
n’t have you in my life! I might be the hunk in this arrangement, but you’ve got a personality that just grabs me and hangs on. Oh, I love you so much!”
Wally rolled his eyes. His face brightened with a toothy smile. He let out a playful growl. Was he getting some tiger in his veins? He grabbed Norman and held him tight. His lips went after their target. He hadn’t done that before. Norman had always been the one to initiate the kisses.
Norman got all bug-eyed. Wait a minute, he thought. I’m the dominant person here. I’m the protector. I’m supposed to start the kisses. Then, his mind changed gears. You know, Wally’s pretty good at this stuff. He really loves me. Norman relaxed. He closed his eyes and drifted off into the land where daydreams are made.
When they pulled away from their embrace, Norman had a look of enchantment on his face. “Man alive! Where on Earth did you learn to kiss like that?”
Wally looked intently at Norman. “When I’ve got somebody like you in front of me, it just comes natural. Oh yes, yes it does!”
“Well,” said Norman. “It looks like I’m not the only hot tamale in this restaurant. Whee-oh! We’re gonna be quite a number together, us two. Yes, we are. I am a man of my word, Wally Jackson. I don’t make empty promises. So, I tell you. I am willing to hang out around here as long as you want me. Oh, man, I love you!”
Wally gave a sly smile. “Hey, Norman . . . with all this talk of spare bedrooms and hot tamales . . .well, uh . . . did I actually ask you to move in with me? I can’t remember.”
Norman pretended to be shocked. “No, but you were thinking it awful hard. And your eyes--they were dropping hints like confetti at a parade.”
“People might talk about us, you know.”
“Yes, but that’s their problem,” replied Norman.
Then, he changed the subject abruptly. “Hey. What time are we supposed to be over there, at Sylvia’s, for cake and coffee?”
Wally replied, “Around seven is what they said.” He noticed a look of contemplation, perhaps longing, in Norman’s eyes.
“Well,” said Norman. “It’s only one thirty, right now. I’m not really hungry for food. How about, let’s take a Sunday-afternoon nap. We’ll have plenty of time to clean up and have a sandwich before we go over there.”
Wally looked at the sofa. “I usually nap on the couch, and it’s not big enough for two. But it pulls out and makes into a bed. We can do that. I’ll get some sheets from the linen closet.”
Norman’s lips covered Wally’s mouth in mid-word. He pulled back. “That’s too much trouble. Use your brain, little buddy.” Norman’s voice became a bit shaky. His was breathing hard. “We’ll take off our Sunday duds. We’ll pull back the covers on your bed. We’ll crawl underneath the sheets and nap together. It’s that simple.”
With his jaw set, Wally looked at Norman. “Isn’t this one of those things we need to talk about? You know . . .like temptations.”
Norman shook his head in disbelief. He rolled his eyes. “Listen to what I say, little buddy. Read my actions, sweet mouth. I love you. Nothing is going to change that! Do you want to crawl under the sheets with me, or do you want to nap on the couch by yourself? Which one is it, man?”
Chapter 34
The two walked into the bedroom. Norman stood on one side of the bed, Wally on the other. They pulled back the quilted spread, in folds, until they reached the foot of the bed. As they lifted it and draped it over a large chair, Norman remarked, “You’re the first guy I ever knew that actually made up his bed in the morning. Most of them just let it stay all mussed up. Girls, too, for that matter. Beds don’t get made except in motels. How come?”
Wally chuckled, “Because I’m different. My Granny always said I was cut from a finer mold.” Wally began to pull back the sheets and fluff the pillows.
Norman removed his Sunday duds, piece by piece, right down to his undershorts. “Well, maybe your Granny was right. And, maybe that’s why I love you,” said Norman as he slid out of his boxers. “If you don’t mind, Wally-boy, I am going to take my nap au naturel. It can’t do no harm. I am thinking I might end up that way anyhow, before the afternoon is over.” Norman sat on the edge of the bed. He turned to open the drawer of the nightstand with one hand and fished around inside with the other. He smiled as he got something out of the drawer and placed in under the pillow. Norman didn’t like running around somebody’s apartment trying to get supplies to keep the love going. It was like turning on the air conditioner when you wanted things to stay heated up. He lay back, and covered himself with the sheet and a lightweight cotton blanket. He looked at Wally. Passion and bewilderment were mingled on Norman’s face. His voice snapped. “Don’t stand there looking stupid. Get the rest of your duds off and get under here with me. Please!”
Wally gave Norman a sassy look. He removed his boxers. “How poetic,” he mused as he slid under the sheet and tugged on the blanket. Wally didn’t need to turn off the light. It was the middle of the afternoon. As for darkening the room, the blinds and drapes just didn’t do it. That had never been a problem for Wally. He worked during the day and slept at night.
Norman stuck his face in his pillow. Then he flung himself over on his back. “Wally,” he whined, “I can’t get to sleep in the daylight.”
Wally interrupted. “I thought we didn’t come in here to sleep, like we are just calling it a nap to convince ourselves that it is all right. I guess we’ll just have to do whatever we do in the daylight. We’re on the third floor. It’s not like anybody can see through the window.”
“Yeah, but I have to have dark for all that whatever stuff. I love you so much man. I’ve got the major hots for you. Come up with an answer. Quick.”
Wally turned to Norman, “Take another look in the drawer of the night stand. There should be a blindfold way back. I bought it for Tony when he told me that he might get a night-time job.”
Norman fumbled in the drawer and produced the blindfold. “Tah, dah!” he trumpeted. “I’ve heard these things are really sexy. You’ll have to help me put my hands in all the right places.”
“Well,” said Wally. “Maybe we shouldn’t be moving things this fast. If you suddenly changed your mind, and got scared, and walked out on me, I would die a million times over. I couldn’t take that on top of what happened to Tony.”
“I told you I won’t be walking out on you!” retorted Norman. “I love you too much. I’ve been thinking about this, in bits and pieces, for a long time, longer than you might ever imagine. Even before Tony. I bet you didn’t know that, did you?”
Wally remained silent. He lay on his back with his hands folded behind his head, trying to decipher what Norman had just said. Before Tony? he thought. How could that be unless Norman fell for me when we first started working together? I wonder if it was meant for Norman and me to begin with, and Tony got in the way. Or did God know what would happen with Tony, and put Norman in my life? Most likely, God is the only one who can answer that. One thing I know for sure. I’ve had the hots for Norman since I met him. But, not in my wildest imaginings did I think I would ever be beside him in bed.
Norman adjusted his blindfold. He moved slowly to Wally’s side, just short of being on top. He propped himself up on his left elbow next to Wally’s arm. He moved his right leg across Wally’s thigh and let his knee come to rest between Wally’s legs. Wally cooed as he felt Norman’s body brushing against his skin.
Norman inched his face upward until he could feel Wally’s breath. He explored with his tongue, gently licking Wally’s chin, his cheeks, the end of his nose, until the tip of Norman’s tongue came to rest on the edge of Wally’s lip.
Aren’t these blindfolds absolutely wild? he thought. If I lick or touch in the wrong place, I can always cover for it by blaming it on the blindfold.
Wally emitted low sighs as Norman’s tongue slowly lapped its way around the edges of his lips. He savored Norman’s ardent breath. Wally’s mind blazed with desire as Norman’s tongue moved past his lips and teeth and
strained to explore the inside of his mouth, polishing and currying his tongue, blending watermelon and cinnamon flavors into a sensuous mixture. Wally purred as Norman probed so far that his lips rested on Wally’s face, massaging it deliberately and rhythmically. Wally’s mind melted as Norman’s hand traced its way along the lines of Wally’s body, and Norman’s fingers found a place where they could linger a while. Wally lost his ability to think, or reason, or compare. Bolts of overpowering delight shot and bounced through his head. Wally was being loved–by a man–a sensuous hunk. And, all that was asked, in return, was for Wally to love him back.
Norman pulled away from Wally’s face and slowly removed his fingers from the place they had visited. But, before Norman had a chance to turn over, Wally gave him a playful push. It seemed like slow motion as the glorious hunk disengaged himself from Wally and rolled flat on his back.
Seizing the opportunity, Wally flung the covers out of the way and changed his position until he was on his knees facing Norman. “Grrrrrrr,” he growled playfully.
Norman giggled. “Help me, help me,” he yelled in a falsetto voice.
Wally smiled. He chanted, drawing out the words. “Popsicle. Popsicle.”
“Oh, no!” wailed Norman, barely able to keep from giggling.
“Oh, yes!” chimed Wally. He moved swiftly toward Norman’s waist and pounced.
Norman groaned like someone being punched in the tummy, and losing his breath. Then he relaxed. His body squirmed slowly from side to side, grinding his hips into the mattress. A long, barely audible, murmur, was punctuated with soft squeals of delight.
When Wally stopped for a moment. Norman ripped away the blindfold and hopped upon his knees. He placed his hands around Wally’s chest. He spoke softly, yet firmly, “OK, sweet guy. It’s time, now.”
Norman didn’t need to explain himself. Wally knew what was next. His heart began to beat faster as he lay on his back, looking at Norman who was beside him, still on his knees, bouncing playfully on the mattress, stroking himself. He spoke to Wally in a reassuring manner, “It will be all right, little buddy. I’ll be gentle. If it doesn’t work this time, we can keep practicing. I promise.” He looked at Wally. He looked at himself. Oh my, I hope I don’t hurt him. Speaking again, he said, “OK, Wallykins. Turn on your side facing away from me. It will be easier for you.” Norman knew not to force himself. He loved his friend too much to hurt him.
Unexpected Angel Page 16
