Removing the Gargoyle’s Mask

by Charlie Richards

  “Okay.” Logan thumped him on the shoulder. “Let’s get to work.”

  That sounded like a fantastic idea to Marty.

  Marty accepted a dinner invitation from Logan. Matthew joined them and they BBQed steaks, drank beer, and watched a ball game on TV. They groaned when their team made bad plays, booed the ref at bad calls, and screamed wildly when things went their way.

  He had fun and by the time he got home, he felt more relaxed than he had in ages.

  Deciding a little poker was in order—and another couple beers—he grabbed a couple bud lights from the fridge and settled on the couch with his laptop. As the computer booted up, he popped the cap off the first and took a quick swallow. Seeing he had a few new unopened emails, he clicked the link.

  Most were spam. One was a signed contract from a client. Two were bids from subcontractors. The final email gave Marty pause. He didn’t recognize the gmail address—GRay397—with a title of Coffee Bar Friend.

  Marty’s jaw dropped open. His breathing sped up. His finger hovered over the mouse as he debated whether he should open it or not. Could it really be from Raymond? How had the…man...gotten his email address?

  Deciding there was only one way to find out, Marty screwed up his courage and clicked the link.

  He quickly scanned the email. It was only a few lines, but they still made his heart beat faster in his chest.

  Hi, Marty,

  I hope you don’t mind me calling you Marty. We haven’t really spoken, but we’ve seen each other several times over the last couple of months. If you want to change that, log into yahoo chat and accept my friend request. I sent it a few seconds before this email. I hope to hear from you.

  Raymond

  P.S. I liked the heat in your eyes last night.

  Marty swallowed hard. Did he dare? He couldn’t deny he found himself extremely attracted to Raymond. Except, what about what he’d seen last night? He didn’t have anyone to ask about that. What could it mean? Maybe if he chatted with the guy, he could subtly find a way to broach the subject of birth defects?

  At the very idea of some sort of communication with the other male, Marty’s cock throbbed in his jeans. Okay, so his dick didn’t give a shit what Raymond looked like. Marty was man enough to realize he wanted the slender…male. If he chatted with him and got to know him, would that change? For some reason, Marty sure hoped not.

  Only one way to find out.

  Marty logged into Yahoo chat. The platform wasn't one he used often, so he wondered how the guy knew he had an ID for it. When he spotted the friend request from GRay397, he decided to find out. GRay. Ray. I like that. He accepted the friend request. After about fifteen seconds, where his computer processed the request and updated his contact list, Marty saw GRay397 appear under the available category.

  After a few seconds of indecision, Marty clicked on the name, opening up a new chat box. After clenching his fingers once, twice, he typed How’d you know my ID?

  Marty gasped when, almost immediately, the little message saying GRay397 is typing a message appeared above the message box. Had Ray been waiting for him? Seconds later, a message appeared on the screen.

  GRay397: I’m a reclusive hacker. I don’t like to go out much.

  Snorting, Marty actually had to admit that made sense. Smiling, he typed back, But you love double caramel macchiatos?

  GRay397: My friend, Bobby, got me hooked on them. I can’t seem to get the flavor the same at home. =) Gotta get my fix somehow!

  Marty couldn’t help it. He barked out a laugh at that. You get your caffeine fix at ten and eleven o’clock at night?

  When he didn’t see a response right away, he thought he’d offended the other man. His fingers twitched. Lowering his hand to his hard cock, he absently stroked himself through his jeans, searching for some relief, as he wondered what he could say to fix…whatever he seemed to have said wrong.

  Fortunately, after a couple of minutes, a new message appeared.

  GRay397: I’m a night owl. I sleep during the day & stay up at night. Always been that way.

  Okay, Marty could understand that. Lifting both hands back to the keyboard, he typed Ah, so when I see you at ten PM, you’re just starting your day?

  GRay397: Yep. ;-)

  Knowing he couldn’t just ask what he wanted to know—namely, I thought I saw you with wings and flying away last night—he decided to go with something a little more circumspect.

  You a big gamer? Don’t all hackers like online gaming?

  GRay397: LOL! Total myth. I could dispel a ton of myths for you. I’ve got a PhD in mythology.

  Oh, what a perfect opening!

  Really? What kinds of myths? We talking ancient Greek? Roman? Or do you mean the werewolf and vampire type myths?

  Hey, after seeing what he thought he saw last night, he wasn’t sure what myths Ray might be talking about.

  GRay397: I don’t know how much I should say. I don’t want to scare you on our first date… ;-) Maybe we should talk about how much I wish I had the confidence to stick around last night, instead.

  Sighing, Marty rested his head against the back of his couch and let out a slow sigh. Maybe Ray was right. Surely it wouldn’t be appropriate to ask about wings and a tail on their first…date. He smiled at the idea of a cyber-date.

  He’d never been on one before. Once again, the aching in his cock drew his attention. His dick sure didn’t give a shit what Ray might or might not look like. Just the memory of the male’s smell—coupled with the smoldering of the guy’s dark eyes—just damn!

  GRay397: You still there?

  Taking a second, Marty cracked his beer and took big swig, getting moisture back into his suddenly dry mouth. He swallowed, licked his lips, and swallowed again. What to say?

  Just got a beer. You could be right. Don’t want to be too deep on a first date, huh? =)

  GRay397: You got that right. ;-)

  There was only a few seconds before the next message, telling of his…Ray’s skill with the keyboard.

  GRay397: Let’s talk about something else…like maybe, how sexy I find you. Those broad shoulders. Those defined pecs and abs. So easy to make out under that green t-shirt you had on a couple of weeks ago. So sexy. Wish I could see and touch for real…

  Oh! Oh, damn. Licking his lips, Marty’s fingers hovered over his keys. God, it felt good to have confirmation that the attraction wasn’t one sided. What should he say to that?

  After swallowing once, Marty typed—I’d let you, ya know. Touch me. When you lowered your sunglasses and I saw the lust in your eyes. Just…damn! So hot! And your soft, sexy tenor? Got my cock so damn hard.

  Okay, so maybe sex hadn’t been in the immediate plan, but with his dick already aching in his jeans, he couldn’t seem to think with anything else.

  GRay397: What if I want to strip you down and suck your cock? Would you like that? I’ll nibble your sacks, press my fingers against that soft, sensitive spot behind your balls, and lick my way up the underside of your shaft.

  GRay397: Can you imagine that?

  Fucking hell! Groaning, Marty shifted in his seat. His cock pressed insistently against his fly. Just imagining Ray kneeling between his thighs, his dark eyes smoldering, his bearded face rubbing against his balls, his pink tongue flicking out, sliding up his shaft…Shit! He felt a bead of pre-cum ooze from his throbbing prick.

  God, yes. Got me so hard!

  GRay397: Take your cock out, Marty. Let me see it.

  Yeah.

  Even though Marty knew the other man couldn’t actually see it, he yanked his jeans open as quickly as possible. His cock head caught on the elastic of his boxer-briefs as he struggled to shove them down. His dick bent at an awkward angle, and he hissed when a spark of pain shot through his cock. Even that didn’t soften him in the slightest.

  When he finally freed his shaft, the cool air of his living room on his hot flesh caused his balls to tighten. With his dick
aching, he gave in to his need for pressure and wrapped his fingers around himself and jacked slowly. He hissed softly upon feeling his callouses rasp over the smooth skin of his rock-hard erection.

  GRay397: You stroking yourself? You imagining it’s my hand on your cock?

  The ping of his computer drew his attention away from his ever tightening balls and oozing prick.

  He rubbed the tips of his fingers together as he stared at the computer screen. Finally, he wrote I struggle with what to say. I’ve never done this before.

  For several seconds, he awaited a response. Finally, one came.

  GRay397: We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I just thought...

  Ray left the thought unfinished.

  Marty sighed. He looked down at his prick. Fuck it.

  Are you as hard as I am? I’m a pretty big guy, almost ten inches. Nice and thick. My balls feel hard, pulled tight to my body. I bet if you licked the pre-cum from my sensitive head, I’d blow. I’d paint your beard with cream. Would you like that?

  I was hard from just thinking about you when I logged in. Your eyes. Your voice. Wanna explore that lean body I know you must be hiding under your cloak. You do this to me. You gonna make me come? You gonna come with me?

  Marty waited, slowly stroking himself, trying to control his body’s rising need to come, as he watched for a response.

  GRay397: Oh Gods – you sound so hot – If I were there, I’d be on my knees for you. I’d suck your dick so hard you’d see stars. I’d massage your balls. Are they pulling tight? Mine are.

  Groaning, Marty reached down with his free hand and cupped his testicles, squeezing lightly. His chest heaved as tingles settled in the base of his spine. He felt his balls roll in his grip, drawing closer to his body. Yanking his hands away from his body, he managed to type.

  Fuck yeah! Gonna come!

  Marty gripped his shaft and jacked harshly. With his other hand he massaged the sensitive patch of skin behind his balls.

  GRay397: Yeah, do it! Come for me, Marty!

  Seeing those last few words tipped Marty over the edge. He roared with pleasure as he came, hard, painting his t-shirt and fingers with cum. One strand even managed to hit his chin. Panting, and grinning like a loon, he rested his head against the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling.

  After several minutes, he pulled himself together and let out a slow breath.

  Damn that was good. Can’t remember when I came so hard.

  He frowned, realizing it was true and extremely odd at the same time.

  Why the fuck is that?

  Then, he realized how insensitive that sounded.

  Shit, did you come? Do you still need me to get you off?

  It took nearly a minute to get a response, and Marty worried he’d offended the man. Finally, a response came and he heaved a sigh of relief even as he once again grinned.

  GRay397: Yeah. I got off. ;-) Thanks, tho.

  Marty nodded, even though he knew Ray couldn’t see it. He poised his fingers over his keyboard again, but paused, uncertain what to say now. Fortunately, it seemed Ray didn’t have that problem.

  GRay397: So, now that we’re both relaxed, tell me about yourself. What kind of music do you like? =)

  Snorting, Marty found he didn’t have any trouble answering. For the next several hours, he and Ray chatted about…stuff.

  Chapter Four

  “Well, someone had a good night,” Matthew teased.

  Marty returned his brother’s grin with a shrug as he flopped onto the booth seat opposite him. “Yeah, this time I did.”

  Matthew rested his arms on the table and leaned toward him. “So, what happened? You head to the bar last night and pick up a chick or something?”

  “No,” Marty scowled, feeling offended. Odd, since he’d never had a problem admitting to pick-ups in the past.

  His brother’s brows shot up. “Whoa, dude. You all right?”

  Realizing he scowled at his menu, Marty blinked and eased the expression. “Yeah, just…not sure why I got upset, actually,” he admitted.

  Punching him in the arm, Matthew smirked, “Well, you were in a good mood when you came in, so why don’t you tell me what has you so happy on a Saturday afternoon?”

  “Raymond’s a hacker. He contacted me last night,” Marty blurted.

  This time, it was Matthew who scowled. “Uh, really? How’d he do that?”

  “He sent me an email and asked to chat. So—” He shrugged. “We did. For hours.”

  “About what?”

  Marty had no desire to admit to the first part of their...discussion, even though his nearly mind-numbing orgasm was what first came to mind. In fact, his cock even perked up, plumping in his jeans at the memory. He felt grateful the waitress arrived right then to take their order. Once she’d taken their orders and left, he took a swallow of his water to buy another few seconds.

  Finally, he answered, “Things in general. Music interests. TV interests. Hobbies. Date shit.”

  “You had a, uh, a cyber-date?” Matthew asked hesitantly.

  Marty nodded.

  “Huh, must have been a good date.” Matthew smirked, eying him knowingly.

  Refusing to admit to anything—although Marty couldn’t stop smiling—instead, he asked, “So, the electrical will be done on Monday, then?”

  Matthew snorted, knowing exactly what Marty was doing. Still, he let him get away with it and answered the question.

  Their food arrived and they remained quiet for a couple of minutes, chowing down. During those few moments, Marty became aware of a pair of men sitting in the booth behind his brother…one with black hair and one a blond. Both were very obviously out and proud, given away by their dress, light eye make-up, and even the way they leaned together and chatted, the blond’s hands flying a mile a minute as he talked.

  Marty suddenly held up his hand to stop his brother’s flow of words. Matthew’s brows shot up in surprise, but he obeyed. The blond’s words carried to them. “No, Raymond didn’t tell me that,” the man stated, sounding surprised. “Our bearded friend found someone who caught his eye?”

  “Yup,” the black-haired man answered. “He said they chatted last night, but you know how shy he is when not on the computer.” The dude shook his head. “I hope he doesn’t make this Marty guy wait too long to really meet, ya know? From what he said, he sounds pretty nice.”

  His eyes wide, Marty’s gaze found his brother’s own stare. Matthew looked just as shocked. What were the odds that there were two bearded men named Raymond who chatted with a Marty last night? Yep, zilch.

  Deciding he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn more about the man who consumed his thoughts, Marty tilted his head toward the other booth. Matthew shrugged and started moving, sliding out of the booth.

  Marty also stood, then led the way to the next booth. The blond paused in mid-sentence and both men peered up at them. The black-haired man’s brow lifted in silent question. After his initial second of apparent shock, the blond crossed his arms over his chest and stated, “If you try to beat us up, our boyfriends will totally kick your asses.”

  Unable to help himself, Marty barked out a laugh and bumped shoulders with his brother.

  “What?” The dark-haired man’s green eyes flashed with obvious indignation. “Don’t think they can? You’d be wrong.”

  “I apologize,” Marty stated, finding his tongue. “I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation.” He held out his hand to the dark-haired stranger. “I’m Martin Beakman. Marty. I’m wondering if I can talk to you about why Raymond is so reclusive.”

  For a second, the man just stared at him. Then, his lips curved into a smile that lit his green eyes. He grabbed Marty’s hand and held on, sweeping his gaze over him while grinning and saying. “You’re Marty? Mmm, yummy. Ray-Ray is gonna be one lucky gar—uh, guy.” He tugged the hand he held while saying, “I’m Bobby. That’s Cornelius. Come sit
with us. Tell us all about yourself.”

  As he sat next to Bobby, Marty nodded toward his brother, who was retrieving their food. “That’s my brother, Matthew. Thanks for letting me interrupt your lunch and talking with me.”

  “Of course,” Cornelius stated. The man slid over, allowing Matthew to join them, too. “He’s a great guy. Super smart with a computer.” He shrugged.

  Marty nodded, chuckling. “I caught on to that when he emailed me out of the blue yesterday. I didn’t even know he knew my name.”

  Bobby and Cornelius exchanged a look before Bobby stated softly, “Well, he’s struggled a bit with being social, so he’s great at people watching. He picks up info others would most likely miss.”

  Nodding again, more slowly this time, Marty bought some time by taking a bite of his burger. Once he swallowed, he asked, “Is that why he wears the beard?”

  “Ah,” Bobby’s brows drew together and he picked at his…it looked like quiche, something Marty knew was a veggie option on the menu.

  Interesting.

  Cornelius stated, “The beard is actually a recent addition. I doubt he’ll keep it.”

  Before he could ask more questions, Bobby’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit.”

  Cornelius cranked his head and peered over his shoulder. He actually paled, which seemed tough considering his already fair complexion. Following the men’s gazes, Marty spotted two large men—two very large scowling men—striding toward their booth. The larger of the two—a light-skinned African American with long black hair—led the way toward them, followed closely by the big, bronzed black-haired Caucasian.

  Marty glanced between their two lunch companions again and could describe their expressions in one word—guilty. Realization hit him. “Damn. Those are your boyfriends?”

  Matthew turned to look and chuckled as he immediately stood…just in time to stand shoulder to chest with the massive Caucasian. Following his brother’s example, Marty did the same. He lifted his hands in placation. “I’m really sorry, guys. These your men?”

  “Yes,” the taller of the two stated gruffly, his dark eyes narrowed. The African American crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m Maelgwn.”