Hard Job

by Jeffery Craig

  Toby left the room and John Brown undressed. He draped his clothes on the back of a chair and then sat down, waiting for Toby to return.

  “Oh! I’m sorry!” Toby apologized as the nude man stood when he entered the room. “I thought you’d already be on the table or I would have knocked before entering.”

  “I wasn’t sure what to do, except to get undressed. I’ve never had a massage in a place like this. Don’t worry – this is just like being in the locker room at the gym. Plus, I’m not at all modest.”

  “Now that you mention it, I guess it is sort of like a locker room,” Toby said as he carried the bottles of chilled water to the counter.

  “Is one of those for me?”

  “Sure – sorry. I must be kind of flustered for some reason.” He started to walk across the room to give him one of the bottles, but Bill met him in the middle of the room.

  “Thanks. I was getting thirsty.”

  Toby took a step back to give Bill more space, knowing that some men were really touchy being close to other men – especially when they were naked.

  John Brown stayed where he was – totally unconcerned – and unscrewed the bottle cap and then took a long drink. Small drops of condensation fell from the bottle onto his chest. John Brown gently rubbed it in. “That’s refreshing!” he teased and then shivered slightly. “I might be glad it’s warm in here after all.” He took another drink and then walked a step forward and handed the half empty bottle to Toby. “Thanks.” He maintained eye contact and asked shyly, “What am I supposed to do now?”

  “Now you get up in the table. You’re supposed to get under the top sheet.”

  “Won’t it just get in the way?” John Brown asked doubtfully.

  “No, I am trained to work around it to preserve the client’s modesty.”

  “To late for that!” John Brown laughed and indicated his unclothed state. “I vote we skip the sheet.”

  “I’m…ah…really supposed to do it that way.”

  “Who’s going to tell? It’s just you and me here today,” John Brown said as he sat on the edge of the table. “What now?”

  “Let me give you the run down.” Toby walked him through the process, and answered a few questions.

  “Thanks. Now I know what to expect,” John Brown said with a grateful smile. “Should I lay back on the table now?”

  “Yes, and while you make yourself comfortable, I’ll put on some soothing music and grab some other stuff.”

  Toby put on the music and adjusted the volume, and then picked out a bottle of lotion. After looking back at the man on the table, he also picked up a bottle of oil, and a couple of long narrow towels. “I think we should try both lotion and oil. You can decide which one you like the best. Both are unscented and hypo-allergenic, so neither of them should cause you any problems.” Toby pulled a small rolling table closer to him and sat the bottles down. He slung one towel around his neck and folded the other and placed it on over the man’s groin. When Bill lifted his head slightly and looked back at the towel, Toby grinned sheepishly. “That’s to protect my sense of modesty – not yours. Things are going to get up close and personal here in a minute.”

  “Thanks, Toby, but I’ll be okay. I just plan to enjoy the experience. I’ve been anticipating this for a while.”

  “Okay, but remember what I said. I’ll also check with you about the pressure I’m using. Other than that, I’ll try not to talk much unless you want to start a conversation. Some people like it quiet.”

  John Brown nodded his agreement and Toby started the massage. After a few minutes, John Brown lifted his head. “Toby, could you take my glasses for me? It’s still kind of warm and they keep slipping down my nose.”

  “Sure.” Toby took the glasses and set them on the small rolling table. “And you’re right – it’s taking it a while to cool down. I’m already sweating and I haven’t even really started working yet.” Toby started on the arms and hands and picked up one of the man’s hands to support it against his chest as he worked the delicate muscles and tendons.

  Bill chuckled. “You are sweating. Your shirt is drenched already.”

  “Sorry,” Toby said. “Let me grab a towel so it doesn’t bother you.”

  “Doesn’t bother me at all. But, you could take off your shirt. It’s just us after all.”

  Toby looked down at his shirt and shrugged. “I wouldn’t even consider it any other time, but if you really don’t mind, I think I will.” John Brown assured him that he wouldn’t mind at all and Toby pulled off his shirt and toweled of his chest. “That’s better already.” He finished the initial portion of the session, occasionally exchanging some light banter with his client. ‘Why don’t you turn over and I’ll start on your back.”

  Bill followed instructions and Toby repositioned the towel, and then opened one of the bottles from the table. “I’m going to try some oil now and you can tell me which you like better.”

  After a few minutes of working on the man’s upper left side, he moved to the right. As he looked down, he noticed the tattoo on the back shoulder. It almost triggered a memory, but Toby couldn’t quite capture it. He shook his head and focused on the man on the table. He slowly worked his way down the body and started working the man’s glutes.

  John Brown reached behind him and pulled off the towel. “I don’t think that’s needed and it seems to be getting in the way. Like I said, I’m not worried about you touching anything accidentally and it feels better without the towel.”

  Toby continued his work and Bill lay quietly on the table. Toby could feel the man begin to relax as he worked down the strong thighs.

  John Brown let himself just experience the massage, enjoying the feel of Toby’s hands and the slide of the oil. “I didn’t know if I would like this,” he admitted to himself, “But damn, it feels great. I could get used to this. I like his hands on me.”

  Toby moved to Bill’s other thigh and bent the leg at the knee slightly and the moved the whole leg upward so that he could get to the large muscles. As he did, he heard Bill sigh on the table. “That feels great, Toby. If you could work just a little higher, it would be perfect.”

  “Here?” Toby asked moving his hands upward until they were just underneath the buttocks.

  John Brown exhaled as Toby’s hands massaged the flesh, enjoying every minute. “Yeah, that’s the spot.”

  He didn’t speak again for the next several minutes, but Toby knew he was enjoying the session from the small sighs of pleasure coming from the table. “Okay, I think you can turn over now and I’ll finish up the front.”

  John Brown hesitated. “I…uh…I‘m embarrassed to admit this, but I need a minute. I got so relaxed and your hands felt so good that I ….got excited, and it will take a minute for things to go back to normal. I’m sorry – I don’t know why this happened.”

  Eventually, Toby realized what Bill was trying to tell him and shrugged it off. “Don’t worry about it. It happens more often than you think.” Toby handed him the towel and said, “Take your time and just drape this over yourself when you’re ready. I’ll get a drink of water.”

  Toby turned his back and opened his water. He heard the man turn over on the table and took another drink. He turned back around and the man seemed to be in control of himself, although Toby did notice the bulge of the towel on the man’s groin was more pronounced than it was at the beginning of the session. Toby wasn’t offended – he thought it was actually kind of endearing.

  John Brown was surprised his body had responded so obviously to Toby’s touch. He’d felt a growing attraction for some time, and had longed to be the man on the terrace with him on the summer evening he’d watched him and his friend in the moonlight. John Brown tried to reason through his physical reaction, and more confusing to him – his feelings. He didn’t usually have feelings he needed to work through.

  Toby walked back to the table and continued the massage. He worked the man’s chest, using quite a bit of pressure on the firm p
ectoral muscles, and then worked his way down the muscles of the abdomen, moving his hands in slow circles as he progressed. He noticed Bill didn’t have the typical six-pack everyone seemed to strive for, but his stomach was taunt and tight, and Toby could feel the muscles shift slightly under the skin. He moved to the hips and then down the thigh. As he worked up the inner thigh, he could see the towel beginning to rise again. He took his time finishing since the man seemed to be enjoying it, and then switched to the other leg. By the time he had completed the other, Bill was well on his way to being fully erect. “I hope he’s not embarrassed again, because it really does happen more than people think.” Toby moved his hand hands back up the man’s body. “He’s really nice looking too, and he rocks those retro-glasses he was wearing.” Toby’s hands stilled at the top of the shoulders. “We have about fifteen more minutes, Bill. Where would you like me to spend the time?”

  John Brown knew exactly where he’d like Toby to spend the time, but knew better than to say. “Maybe on my upper back and shoulders?”

  “That’s where most people need extra attention,” Toby told him. “Go ahead and roll over and I’ll see what I can do.”

  When Bill turned over, Toby caught a glimpse of his impressive looking equipment. Noticing Toby’s glance, John Brown took his time adjusting things before lying flat.

  Toby looked away quickly and once Bill had repositioned himself on the table, he finished up by working the muscles of the shoulder and neck, noticing the tattoo again. “Alias,” he thought as he read the tattoo’s lettering. “Why is that familiar to me?” He placed his hands on Bill’s back. “That’s it, I’m afraid. How do you feel?”

  “I’ve never experienced anything like that,” John Brown answered truthfully. “It was wonderful.”

  “Good, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m going to leave you here. Please take your time getting up – there’s no rush. If you want, you can use the showers in the men’s locker room down the hall before you leave. I’m going down there in a minute and rinse myself off, and I’ll meet you out front when you’re done.”

  “Thanks. I think I’ll take you up on that.”

  Toby replaced the bottles on the table and then put the towels in the hamper in the corner. He quietly left the room.

  John Brown stayed where he was for another couple of minutes, thinking about what he’d just experienced, and enjoying the hard, pulsing feel of his erection. Once it had subsided a bit, he slowly rolled over and put his legs over the edge of the table. He walked over to the counter and picked up a large, clean towel and secured it around his waist. He picked up his clothes and his shoes started for the door. He remembered the glasses on the table and went back for them, and then made the short trip down the hall. He walked into the men’s changing room just as Toby was stepping out of the shower.

  “Sorry I’m still in here, but the water felt good. I’ll be out of your hair in a minute.” He pulled a towel off a hook and wrapped it around his waist.

  John Brown wished Toby hadn’t been so quick with his towel, but the liked the current view of the man’s damp skin just fine. “Please don’t rush! I wouldn’t mind the company.”

  “Okay. I don’t have anything else to do after this, so I’m not in any real hurry. Why don’t you tell me what you thought of your first real massage? Was there anything that would have made it better for you?”

  John Brown ducked his head shyly as he unwrapped the towel from his waist and stepped into the shower. “It was great Toby.” He turned on the water. “The only thing that would have made it better is something I’m not about to tell you – although you can probably guess after seeing my little…problem.”

  Toby laughed, but didn’t comment.

  John Brown smiled at the sound of his laughter and suddenly didn’t want their time together to end. “I wonder if there’s a way to get him to spend more time with me.” He decided to take a chance. “So Toby, are you seeing anyone special?”

  Toby was surprised by the unexpected question and it took him a moment to respond. “No, I’m not. I’ve had rough few months and right now there’s no one special in my life – at least in the way I think you mean.”

  “Well, since that’s the case…would you consider….going out with me?” This time John Brown was the one surprised by his own question. He didn’t know what made him ask, but he could feel his heart beating in his chest as he waited in nervous anticipation for the answer.

  Toby mulled over the offer. He thought about what his life had been like over the past months. He thought about Mitchell and seeing him with Bradley on what was probably one of their first dates. He admitted how appealing he found the man currently in the shower, and how nice and normal he seemed. He also admitted that he thought Bill was very attractive, in a shy, geeky science guy sort of way. It was a big bonus that this particular science guy obviously worked out and on top of everything else, was impressively hung. There was something which just drew him to this guy. “Yeah….I might.”

  “Really?” John Brown was stunned. He walked to the door of the shower stall and looked over, surprise written on his face. “I mean, you would?”

  Toby grinned at the man’s mixture of disbelief and eagerness. “Yes, I would, Bill. You name the time and the place.”

  John Brown figured there was no reason to wait. “Okay. How about…right now?”

  “Now?”

  “There’s no time like the present! I think I’d better strike while the iron is hot and before you can change your mind.” John Brown smiled engagingly over the stall door. “You did say you didn’t have anything else to do tonight.”

  “You’re right, I did say that.” Bill’s smile grew bigger, and that decided it for Toby. “Okay. What do you want to do?”

  John Brown considered everything he’d learned from watching Toby these last few weeks and tailored his suggestion accordingly. “I don’t know. My favorite thing to do is to grab a bottle or two of wine and some take-out food from somewhere, and find some place where we could talk and get to know one another. It’d be nice if we could find someplace near here, where we could just sit on a patio and watch the sun go down.” John Brown ducked back under the water to rinse off some soap and then appeared back at the shower door. “I know that probably isn’t exciting, but….what do you think?”

  “I think it sounds….like a great idea. It’s one of my favorite things to do. As a matter of fact, I know of a place very near here if you don’t mind that it’s a bit of a mess. I …uh…live right across the street and I have a great terrace on the third floor. The only thing is – there’s no elevator. We have to walk up a couple flights of stairs.”

  “I don’t mind stairs – if you’re sure. I won’t want to impose on you on our first date.”

  Toby liked the idea of having an actually first date. “It’s not a problem – if that’s what you really want to do.”

  “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.” John Brown stepped out of the shower and dried his hair with the towel.

  Toby watched him in the mirror as he removed the towel from his head and dried off. “He certainly has no body issues,” Toby thought. “And there’s not a damned reason why he should.”

  John Brown walked naked to the mirror and combed his hair roughly into place with his fingers and then wiped off the few drops of water that still clung to his chest. He caught Toby’s eyes in the mirror and smiled. “I’m afraid I didn’t bring anything fancy to change into, Toby. You’ll have to excuse me and take me as I am because I didn’t plan on anything like this happening.” John Brown found himself wanting to make a good impression, because he thought that was how dates were supposed to work.

  Toby smiled back, trying to keep his eyes above waist level. “That’s fine, Bill. I don’t feel like getting dressed up anyway. Usually at home I wear as little as possible.” His gaze flicked downward for an instant before snapping back to Bill eyes. “Besides, I’ve already seen you at your…uh…very best, back on the table.�
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  John Brown had caught Toby’s shifting eyes, and thought he might be flirting, so he decided to try it as well. He ducked his head again and grinned shyly. “About that, Toby?”

  “Don’t apologize again, it’s kind of flattering.”

  “That’s not what I was going to say. What I was going to say is, you weren’t seeing me at my very best. There was still quite a bit of room for improvement.”

  Toby blushed when he realized what he was being told, and John Brown found it very appealing. He walked to the bench where he had laid his clothes, and watched as Toby walked to where his own clothes were waiting.

  Toby dropped the towel and bent to reach for his underwear. He felt soft terry cloth touch his skin and stood slowly.

  “You missed a place, Toby.” John Brown gently dried the moist skin, caressing it and wanting to touch more. He moved the towel lower and stopped just above Toby’s ass. “That’s better,” he whispered before realizing how he sounded. When Toby turned his head with his lips slightly parted, he cleared his throat and removed the towel from Toby’s skin and went back to his clothes. “Now get dressed and let’s go find a bottle of wine and some food.” John Brown watched Toby dress as he pulled on his own clothes. “I wanted to just keep touching him. I feel happy for some reason, and I hope I’m making a good impression.” John Brown thought about Toby’s lips as he buttoned his shirt. “I wonder if he’ll let me kiss him tonight. I’ve never kissed a man before.” As he slipped on his plastic framed glasses, he decided that it was a very good thing that he hadn’t killed Toby Bailey after all.

  Their first date was very enjoyable and they talked and learned a little about each other over a bottle and a half of wine. They agreed to meet the following evening. When Toby asked what Bill wanted to do, John Brown responded, “Exactly this, Toby. I want to do this again if you don’t mind. It’s the best evening I can ever remember. I’ll bring dinner and the wine. You provide the company.”