by John Simpson
Just before noon, Clay went upstairs, got dressed, and came back down.
“Well, thank you for a great time—what I remember of it anyway. I’d better be going now.”
“Sure, I have to go up to the Blue Moon anyway to get my car. I drove last night because I was afraid it might be snowing or just too cold to walk when it came time to leave. As it turned out, neither one of us was in shape to drive so we ended up walking anyway.”
“I’ll drive you up to the car,” Clay offered.
“No, that’s alright. I wanna walk and clear my head.”
“Okay,” Clay said as he came over and kissed Alex on the cheek.
They walked out of the house together, and Clay got in his car as Alex went up the street, mumbling to himself the entire way to his own car. It was like a refrigerator when he got in, and he couldn’t wait to get back to his house.
“SON of a bitch!” Alex said out loud as plumes of hot breath hit the air. He couldn’t believe Clay didn’t remember having sex with him.
Once back home, Alex poured another cup of coffee and turned on the television, even though he wasn’t really watching it. He was stunned that Clay didn’t remember anything after the midnight kiss. Alex knew Clay had drunk quite a bit, but never in a million years would he have thought that Clay wasn’t very aware of what they were doing in bed. Alex wouldn’t take advantage of a drunk who couldn’t give consent.
Alex also knew that if Clay hadn’t had so much to drink, he might never have let his walls down enough to have sex and enjoy it. Alex knew Clay liked everything they did, and the full menu wasn’t even explored. Alex had been counting on introducing Clay to the other aspects of gay sex the next time they went out. Now all that had changed.
Should he tell Clay what they had done? Should he stay quiet about it? Alex concluded that he had to tell Clay about their bedroom encounter, or he couldn’t look him in the eye again. After an hour had passed, Alex dialed Clay’s home number.
“Clay, Alex here. Look, we need to have a chat. Can I come over tomorrow sometime?”
“Of course. In fact, if you like, you can come over this afternoon after I’ve had a nap. Is it anything important?”
“Yes, I believe it is. Okay, I’ll come over around five.”
“Fine. I’ll fix us something quick to eat so you don’t have to cook again today.”
“That would be nice. See you at five.”
NERVOUS butterflies flitted around in Alex’s stomach at the thought of telling Clay the truth about last night. But Alex didn’t see a way not to tell Clay and remain friends. He would just have to man up and do what was right.
A nap sounded good, and after Alex finished his coffee, he went upstairs, changed the sheets, and took a two-hour nap. When he woke up, he felt much more rested and got out of bed to take a shower. He dressed and went over to Clay’s with a sense of dread looming over his head.
WHEN Clay opened the door, he was all smiles.
“Come on in. It’s been so long since I last saw you!”
“Yeah, seems like that, doesn’t it?”
“Just throw your jacket over there and come into the kitchen. We’ll eat there instead of using the dining room table, if you don’t mind. So what’s the issue you wanted to talk about? You sounded so serious.”
Alex sat down, took a sip of wine that had already been poured for him, and took a deep breath. Clay served hamburgers, fries, and baked beans and then sat down.
“Look, Clay, you know I’d never do anything to hurt you, right? I mean, I consider us close friends.”
“Okay, now you’re scaring me. Yes, we’re friends, and you’re someone I hold dear, so what’s this all about?” he asked before taking a bite of his hamburger.
Alex pushed his plate back and looked at Clay.
“You asked me what happened last night after we left the club. You said you didn’t remember anything after our kiss at midnight, right?”
“Yeah, and I kinda wish I could remember,” replied Clay.
“Well, something did happen, and I was shocked this morning when you told me you could remember nothing.”
“Okay, so something happened, what?”
“We made love. When we got home, we went to bed, and we had sex—wonderful, fulfilling sex that you seemed to enjoy. It shocked me to hear that you didn’t remember any of it, and it also dismayed me. I had no idea you were so drunk that you didn’t know what you were doing, or we would never have had sex.”
Clay swallowed and put the hamburger down. “I’m embarrassed for some reason. Do you mind telling me what we actually did?”
“Oral sex both ways and a lot of kissing. You proved to be a very good kisser. We both got off, I cleaned you up, and we went to sleep. It was a wonderful end to a great evening.”
Clay sat still and stared at the hamburgers. Alex could tell he was running all the information through his mind, trying to decide how he felt about it.
“Was I any good? Or were you like, God, this guy can’t even suck a dick?”
“No! You were good. I sucked you off all the way, and then you finished me by hand after blowing me for a bit more. I had a great time before at the club and a great time afterward in bed. Clay, let me be honest with you: I wanna make love with you many more times, and I wanna teach you all that you’ve missed out on learning. This is the year of your fiftieth birthday, and it’s time you knew how to make love and enjoy doing it, don’tcha think?”
“I do vaguely seem to recall being naked next to you, because I remember how good it felt to be that close to a friend. You had a good time with me?”
“Yes, I had a wonderful time with you. I want many more such times with you.”
“Thank you for telling me.” Clay picked up his burger and took another bite.
“You’re not mad or freaked out, are you?” Alex asked.
“No, not at all. I’m surprised that I let myself go and satisfy the cravings that I’ve had for you, but I wish I could remember the details! I still don’t know what your cock looks like!”
Alex threw his head back and laughed. Clay began to chuckle and then turned red in the face.
“You are precious, Clay. You can see my dick anytime you want. Are you sober tonight?”
“Yes, of course I am.”
“Okay, I was just curious,” Alex said as he picked up his wine, took a long sip, and then began to eat again.
When they finished dinner, they went into the living room and sat down. Alex put his arm around Clay and was surprised when Clay leaned into his shoulder.
“Don’t suppose since we slept together that I can get a peek at your dick?”
Alex laughed again, stood up, and dropped his jeans and underwear.
Clay whistled. “Now I’m sure I was drunk. I sucked that beauty and don’t remember!”
Alex chuckled again and pulled everything back up.
“As long as you don’t feel I took liberties with you, I’m not upset that you don’t remember. It just means we need to make love again sober so that you do remember it. How about tonight?” Alex asked.
“Hmm, not tonight. This isn’t a stage lie or anything, but I have a headache. I was hoping that the wine might relieve it some, but it hasn’t. It had better be gone by tomorrow, so how about we go out to Starbucks, have a nice cup of coffee, and then head over to the scene of the crime for a repeat performance?”
“That sounds nice, baby. What time?”
“You wanna grab dinner somewhere?”
“Blue Moon?”
“Sure, let’s just repeat the entire night so I can remember it this time!” Clay said with a broad smile.
“Let’s say six o’clock. Can you pack an overnight bag so you can spend the night again?”
“You sure? I don’t have to stay, you know.”
“I’m sure. Dinner, Starbucks, and home for the night.”
“It’s a date, handsome,” Clay said.
“Lemme get a kiss from you,” Alex said as
he leaned in and kissed Clay. “You’re special, whether you know it or not,” Alex said as he stood up.
As he was leaving, he thought he saw tears in Clay’s eyes but couldn’t be sure. Alex was relieved that the truth about New Year’s Eve didn’t cause his friend to short out. Now, he had a date that would end up the same way… only this time, Clay would remember!
CLAY closed the door, went back into the living room, and sat down. A smile crept across his face as he chuckled to himself. Alex had passed the test with flying colors, and Clay couldn’t be happier.
He was fully aware of what happened the night before between him and Alex, although he was indeed drunk. But in order to be able to trust Alex before he gave his heart to him, he had to prove to himself that Alex was trustworthy. By telling Alex that he didn’t remember anything, he gave Alex the choice to stay quiet or reveal the truth. Revealing the truth showed he was an honorable man, and that made Clay feel safe with him.
The sex had been fantastic. Now he couldn’t wait for another bout with Alex—sober this time. He had so much to learn about how to make love to a man rather than just getting him off, and he knew that Alex was the perfect man to school him.
AT HOME, Alex was in a great mood. He was going to get to sleep with Clay again as well as go out to dinner and coffee. It would be their second date, and he became momentarily lost in the memories of Clay naked in his arms. Why he felt like a kid getting his first dose of sex was beyond Alex, but he was thrilled to be able to show off his equipment in Clay’s living room and have Clay admire everything. He would make sure that the next night was perfect in every respect. Since Clay didn’t remember their first time, it was a new first time for Clay, and Alex definitely wanted him to remember it this time.
Alex had grown hard just thinking about another night in bed with his friend. Maybe Clay was the one for a long-term relationship? Time would tell.
Chapter Twelve
THE next day saw some more light snow, about an inch that once again made everything look pretty. Alex spent the day cleaning the house from the holidays and making it look as near to perfect as he could.
Clay did more or less the same thing but didn’t have as much to clean. When he was finished, he went shopping for some new underwear. He wanted something unlike anything else he had ever owned. He wasn’t dressing for himself but for Alex.
Alex called the Blue Moon, made reservations for six o’clock, and took a shower a little after five. He dressed in clothes that he knew made him look good and went down the stairs. At 5:45, Clay rang the doorbell.
Alex let Clay in and hugged him.
“Nice to see you this evening. Are you ready for dinner?” Alex asked.
“I sure am. Then Starbucks and back here to watch television.”
“Yeah, or something like that,” Alex responded with a smile.
“Since it’s not sub-zero weather and the snow has stopped again, can we walk?”
“Sure, why not. If it feels slippery, just grab onto me and I’ll keep you on your feet.”
Alex threw on a leather jacket, and they went to the Moon for dinner. As they walked in, the owner recognized them and smiled warmly.
“Welcome back. I hope you had a great time on New Year’s Eve!” Tim said.
“Yes, we had a great time, thank you. Hopefully, you’ll do that every year,” Alex said as they were taken to their table.
“Well, that’s the plan. Shall I book you two a reservation for December thirty first?” he asked with a laugh.
“Might be a tad early for that, but we’ll get our reservations in.”
Tim handed them menus and left so that the bus boy could fill their water glasses, and the waiter appeared for their drink order.
“I’ll have iced tea please, not Long Island, regular iced tea,” Clay said.
“And I’ll have a glass of white wine, Riesling please,” Alex said.
“Did you have a nice day?” Alex asked.
“Yes, very pleasant. Cleaned the house, went out shopping, and then got ready for tonight.”
“I spent most of today cleaning my house too. It picked up a lot of mess between Thanksgiving and today! I was embarrassed for myself when I saw how much needed to be done.”
Their drinks were served and their orders taken. As the waiter walked away, both men checked out his very-attractive ass.
Clay turned back to Alex and said, “I have something to tell you, speaking of ass.”
“What? You were looking too!”
“Yes, I know. I am sadly inexperienced with men, and I’m almost fifty. I’ve had very little sexual experience and no experience with love or close relations. There were a couple of guys in the past, years ago, who I began to trust, only to find that all they wanted was money.
“Then I met you here in this little town—retired cop who apparently has never had a lover, as such. I found myself wondering if you were any different than the other men I’ve run into in life. So, I told you a lie to see what you would do about it. I was so relieved that you did the right thing, and I’m now embarrassed at having lied. I hope you’ll forgive me and try to understand.”
“What lie?”
“I lied when I told you that I didn’t remember what we did New Year’s Eve. Yes, I indisputably had way too much to drink, but my memory was and is fine. I wanted to see if you would tell me the truth or hide it. You told me the truth like a man, a man I can now trust. That is, unless you get so pissed over this that you don’t even wanna finish dinner,” Clay said as he looked down at the table.
Alex sat back in the chair and stared for so long that Clay became twice as nervous.
“I had a feeling that you remembered,” Alex said at last, bluffing. “But I gave you the benefit of the doubt since you’re not a drinker on a regular basis. Why did you feel it necessary to test me?”
“Like I said, I needed to know if I could trust you or not. A gentleman would have told his partner what happened instead of concealing it. Are you furious with me?”
“I’ll let you know later. Here comes dinner,” Alex said as a waiter put down their entrees.
They ate in silence as Alex thought about what had happened, and Clay could hardly enjoy his dinner because of it. When they were finished and dessert was offered along with coffee, both declined.
“Dinner is on you,” Alex said to Clay.
“Of course, no problem,” Clay said as he dug out his credit card.
Starbucks was only three blocks over and one block out so they stuck to their plan for the evening and walked. They could both see their breath in the cold night air, which made them walk all the faster. Finally, they got to the shop and found two other couples sitting at the tables. One couple appeared to be gay.
They ordered their coffees and sat at a table for four toward the back of the room where the suspected gay couple was sitting. When they settled in, Clay asked once more.
“Alex, please tell me if you’re mad at me! I don’t like this silent treatment. If you wanna end our friendship, just say so, and I’ll go home now.”
“No, I don’t wanna end our friendship over this. But you have to be punished some way for lying to me.”
“Oh really? You think I’m some sixteen-year-old boy who you can ground for the month or something?”
“Excuse us. We couldn’t help overhearing you two quarreling. Mind if we join you?” the older half of the maybe-gay couple asked.
Not knowing what to say, Clay looked at Alex.
“Sure, it’s a table for four,” Alex answered.
When the other couple sat down, they all introduced themselves.
“Jim and I have been together over forty years now. We met when we were just twenty-one, and we’ve been together ever since. We married four years ago up in Massachusetts. If there’s one secret to staying together through the good times and the bad, it’s love and communication. You’ve got to love one another so strong that nothing else matters, and you’ve got to communicate when something
’s not right. What I heard was Clay offering to end your friendship over whatever has happened. Alex, I take it, is the injured party. Wouldn’t it be up to him to put ending your friendship on the table?”
“You’re right, but I have to tell you, we’re not lovers or boyfriends. We’re friends of less than a year. I did something that might not be aboveboard due to a lack of experience dealing with men and relationships, and Alex is angry. I don’t blame him for being angry, but I don’t deal well with the silent treatment.”
“And you, Alex, you feel that whatever he’s done deserves some kind of punishment? Is that the way adults would handle it?”
“What I have in mind is very adult. But that’s between him and me.”
“Do you intend to end your friendship with Clay?”
“Not if he takes the punishment.”
“Clay?”
“Yeah, okay. I can only imagine what it is—probably free books for a year or something.”
“You’ll just have to wait and find out. Now relax until we get home, my home, that is.”
“Well, seems you boys have things to work out. All I can tell you in the end is that a relationship is worth every bit of trouble it can bring. Because along with the trouble, comes a lot of bliss and happiness. You can’t get one without the other,” Paul said, chuckling as Jim smacked him lightly on the head.
“Thanks, Paul and Jim, for sitting with us, but we need to get back to my house,” Alex said.
“I hope we’ll see you two around since you appear to live here.”
“Yes, we both do. I run Clayton’s Rainbow, a bookshop that will be opening back up full time around March. Not really sure yet. Right now I open one day a week for six hours for locals.”
“Great, we’ll have to stop by and look the place over. I had heard someone bought the bookstore. Glad to meet you both. Now go work out the issue and kiss and make up!”
Clay and Alex shook their hands and left for Alex’s house. It was colder than when they’d arrived at the coffee shop. A light snow began again and remained steady all the way home.
