Eric's Story

[EasyRory]

Ceviche and Burgers, and lots of pie a la mode.
Sounds good to me.

It's all he knows how to cook.

 

[EasyRory]

This story is fantastic...

Thanks for the encouraging words.

Inevitably, ever though I revise these chapters multiple times, the minute I post one, a better idea comes along.

I worked in a factory once where one engineer couldn't stop tinkering and revising new inventions. One day he was gone. The boss said, "Sometimes you just have to shoot the engineer and ship the product."

That applies to writing also.

 

[ThreeCrows]

I love this story, the wonderful characters you've created, and the relaxed and charming style of your storytelling. Hopefully, you take this as a compliment (as that's how it's intended) - your writing sort of reminds me of the Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City books.
Not much else to say other than I look forward to each new chapter and hope you keep going.

 

[EasyRory]

Part Fifty


Without drawing attention Z removed the two bottles of beer, as if they were just empties, which they nearly were, he told me. The rest of the meal was uneventful and Ted and Darren seemed unresentful over finishing the meal with Vitaminwater.

Based on the amount of food left over, which was none, and the compliments received, which were many, Z's dinner was a success. Reston seemed especially grateful for spending the long afternoon with a friendly bunch. I decided we needed to include him more often.

“How about my sliced tomatoes?” Larry asked.

“They were great,” Cal said. “The best I've ever had.”

Andrew was about to make a comment about the two of them but I shook my head and he just smiled.

When Ted was ready to leave, I asked him, “Not to be nosy, but how much beer did you actually drink? I can still smell it.” When he said the bottle Z took away was his third, I told him I'd drive him home. He started to protest but I countered, saying, “You know how the Alameda police are; they look for any excuse.” He didn't live that far away and cheered up when Darren said he'd ride along. It would be an easy walk back.

We got in Ted's car and the two of them sat in the back, leaving me alone in the front. I would have felt like a chauffeur if the car had not been so small. Ted lived a short drive away on Versailles Avenue, which Alamedans proudly pronounce phonetically.

I got to the heart of the matter, “Ah-hem, are you two being careful?” I thought I could see Ted copping a feel but the rear view mirror was really small.

“We were careful not to slip in the shower,” Ted said chuckling.

“Eric, all that happened was Ted jacked me off in the shower,” Darren said. “And it felt great,” he said for Ted's benefit. “The only trouble was I came too fast.”

“You came a lot!” Ted said, ignoring me.

“I'm gonna come again if you don't quit,” Darren said. I could see the goofy grin on his face.

The mirror was big enough to let me see Ted's head dive into Darren's lap.

In the time we spent at a red light I heard, “No. Stop. Jeez! OH FUCK! UNNNGH!”

The smell of fresh cum filled the tiny car and I wondered if I had been that reckless at nineteen. I was determined to be severe with them and tried to think of the appropriate reprimand but nothing came to mind. I burst out laughing, seeing Darren dazed and Ted wiping cum off his mouth.

“Can't keep my hands off you,” Ted said huskily. No wonder Darren was excited by him. I could see his appeal and remembered being exactly that reckless in a car with Shoe once. “It's the cream-colored house,” he said to me.

We got out of the car and said goodbyes. Ted's last words were, “Darren 2 – Ted nothing. You owe me.” He said it casually, but I bet he had a reason for saying it.

Ted was a determined cocksucker, but messy. “It's starting to get dark. No one will notice the front of your pants,” I told Darren. Naturally, as we walked past the park for which Park Street is named, one stoner pointed and said, “Creamed your jeans, huh, dude?” His fellow stoner commented, “Cool.” I stifled a laugh.

“Very funny,” Darren muttered.

“Ok, so at the rate you two are going, you're going to get to the part where you need to be careful. You have condoms?”

“Eric, we've never done a thing. There's nothing to catch.”

“How do you know? Ted seems like maybe he's more than a beginner.” Darren didn't say anything. “I'll give you some condoms when we get home. Use 'em, ok?”

After half a block, I said, “You two reminded me of a time when ...”

“Eric, I'm actually a little embarrassed about this. Do we have to keep talking about it?”

“No. No, we don't.”

After another half block, “But you're very easy to like, Darren, and I don't want anything to...”

“I get it, Eric.”

“Ok.”

When we got home he waited on the porch and acted disgusted as I gave him a handful of condoms; but he took them and went to Carolyn's.

Seth had waited for us to get back and confirmed arrangements for the next day. Andrew was training him right: always treat the talent as if they're idiots, they probably are. He told Z he'd go with them to the shoot, which was near Crissy Field, and subtly confirmed the exact departure time. I complimented him on his skill. He thanked me and said he needed to go see Andrew and then he'd be back at Carolyn's.

Larry, Cal, and I helped Z finish cleaning up and then bedtime came for all. Z and I heard Cal and Larry come up the stairs. They paused by Larry's door for a short while and then Cal went up to the attic.

“I think those two have got to the kissing stage,” I told Z and then I kissed him. “You're going to be the hottest cook on the island.” He made his opening moves to fuck me, but I sidetracked him, kissing his neck and nipples, working my way lower. I loved playing with his foreskin and then worshipped his cock with my hands and mouth. When I started sucking him he came almost as quickly as Darren had, uttering the same 'unnngh' noise. Of course, I couldn't tell him that.

“Shh...,” I whispered, “You're going to make Cal horny.”

“He's going to get a lot hornier before we're done.” Z started going over my body with touches and kisses and I thought he was going to pay me back with a blowjob as well, but his ardor and forcefulness increased and I realized he still wanted to fuck me. The love and urgency in his kisses made me want to give him whatever he needed. Under his spell I felt dreamy and drunk on sex, open and aching for him, like I was made for his cock. He teased me and entered me slowly. My legs wrapped around his body and then went slack as he took over. Precum continued dripping from my cock and I could feel it cooling on my stomach as Z increased his tempo. He jacked my slick cock and I warned him I was close. He whispered “Me, too,” and we came almost together.

Z went to the bathroom to get a towel to clean me off and I heard the faint but unmistakable sounds of masturbation coming from the attic. Poor devil, I thought, as Z wiped my stomach and chest.

The next morning Z must have left quietly; I never heard him go. The sun was up and I was lying lazily in bed around eight. Cal came down and went to Larry's room. I heard indistinct mumblings of conversation and then an outburst. “We gotta do something, Larry. Fuck me. Suck me. Do something. I can't stand it any more.” Poor devil, I thought again. I wondered if Laurie heard him. They both went downstairs and out the door.

I had a full day of school and needed to get going. As I passed Laurie's room she asked, “You heard that?” I nodded and she shook her head mystified, “Guys ... And they claim women are hard to understand. I don't care what they do. Why can't they just do it?”

“Because Larry's convinced 'doing it' would be a disaster.”

She shook her head again and I left to listen to a discussion of whether string theory made the concept of infinity useful only when dealing with irrationality.

In between sessions I called Reston to tell him how much I was enjoying Berkeley and instead listened to him tell me how much he had enjoyed the day in Alameda. He and Mark were planning to get together and see if some version of investment banking was possible at the level of a community bank and mini-ventures.

Two sessions at the College of Alameda and I was done for the day. Midterm grades would be posted at the end of the week. “You're not actually worried, are you Mr. Malone?” my anatomy professor asked. I told him no, but my immediate employment depended on how well I did. “You finished second out of 38 in my class, if a preview will ease your concern.”

I grinned and asked him who was first. “That little Asian girl who never talks but has memorized every known fact about anatomy,” he answered. “I wonder if she's looking for a husband.”

I got home and Cal was running around bouncing off the walls and the ceiling. Larry quietly commented to me, “No, I didn't fuck him and any chance of that is probably gone.” Meanwhile, Cal made about four calls and as many trips to the attic.

“There's a new team in San Jose, the Wolves, and they bought my contract from the Sabercats. I'm playing football again! Maybe! Almost!” He impulsively kissed us both, without any passion in either case. “There is a training camp and physicals starting tomorrow. I'm gonna stay with a couple of my old teammates tonight and save the drive in the morning!” Cal was actually jumping up and down at one point. “Oh, man! This changes everything!”

“It sure does,” Larry said without emotion.

“Oh, my God. Larry.” Cal's face collapsed as he turned to his friend.

I excused myself and went to my room. Shortly I heard Laurie arrive home and Cal gave her the news. Larry went to his room.

Then Z and Darren got in and I went downstairs as they heard Cal's news. Cal made a couple more trips to the attic and then stopped in Larry's room. He came downstairs acting subdued and said goodbye to us all. “I don't know how long this is going to last, but here's hoping. You guys have been so great. There's still stuff in the attic ...”

“We'll keep it for you, Cal,” I told him.

Laurie kissed him and he gave us all a fond last look. Waves and wishes of luck followed him out the door. Larry came at the last minute and waved.

There was an uncomfortable silence and we all looked at Larry the way drivers look at a wreck on the side of the road. Larry was having none of our pity.

“What a great guy! The months working with him at the high school were the best of my life.” We started to offer consolation but he cut us off. “Now do you see why I never wanted it to go too far? Cal is straight as an arrow. Anything physical with me would have been out of desperation, like guys in prison. He's out of prison now, our little gay prison here, and he won't look back. Thank God he doesn't have anything to regret.” Larry was close to tears, but they never came.

“He will look back, Larry, and he'll remember you as a high point in his life. He's not as shallow as you think,” Laurie said.

“I don't think he's shallow. Not at all. He's very honest in a way most people aren't, and sometimes he seems shallow if you don't know him. But I knew him very well.”

“He loved you, Larry, just as much as I love Z. You can talk and talk and come up with excuses and exceptions, but he loved you and don't you forget it, or diminish it or belittle it.” I wasn't sure if my words helped.

We got a weak smile from Larry and Larry got a hug and a kiss from Laurie that, in Laurie's fashion, could be taken any way Larry wanted.

Larry's phone rang. “No, he's gone to San Jose. Yes, I would love to see Misfits with you, Rory.” Larry left with a see you later to all of us.


“Wow,” Darren said and lapsed into silence.

“And how was your day?” I asked him.

“It was fine. You think I got a sunburn?”

“Maybe a little color, not a burn” Laurie said.

“He thinks he got a burn on his ass,” Z said. “Changing clothes in the open air was a surprise.”

Darren gave the family giggle and said, “Z got an erection right in public.”

“My old problem,” Z sighed. “I was standing close to some other guys.”

“They were girls, mostly,” Darren said, raising his eyebrows.

“Why, Z, you rascal,” a suddenly sultry Laurie said, snuggling up to him. And just as suddenly she pulled away, “Z!”

“Old faithful. The Energizer Bunny. Whatever you want to call it,” Z sighed.

Laurie gasped, “Bunny? More like a Giraffe!”

 

[justright25]

Hmmm things are beginning to get interesting again in the old Peralta house. I can only hope for Cal's return and for Larry's wish of true love to be fulfilled.

 

[DonQuixote]

Rory,
An exciting installment, that's for sure.

Happy Cal is getting a chance to play ball, again.
San Diego is at least still in CA - a bit of a haul, though.

A bit of early legal teen "enthusiasm" in the back seat of the care, too, lol.
Thanks.

 

[EasyRory]

San Diego is at least still in CA - a bit of a haul, though.

A bit of early legal teen "enthusiasm" in the back seat of the care, too, lol.
Thanks.

San Jose, not San Diego. Depending on traffic it's about an hour down the 880 from Alameda. The bankruptcy of the Sabercats and the enfranchisement of the new Wolves are factual, as is almost everything in the story except my characters.

Early legal teen? I thought I firmly hinted Ted is older that the typical h.s. senior without actually giving his age.

It actually felt like California here today. We had a little earthquake.

 

[DonQuixote]

I apologize for the snafu in my reading on SD instead of SJ.

Do you know the Way to San Jose, . . .
Dionne Warwick.

That's not too bad at all, then. When Cal is off for a day or two, it's still possible for him to make a trip back to visit the boys.

I saw 19 in the story, I thought. That's Early Legal Teen, at least to me, lol.

As to earthquakes, there was a 5. something on the Richter scale centered in Canada a couple weeks ago that some people, including a co-worker and my wife felt. I somehow missed it, even though I was in the same building as my coworker when it happened.

There's a fairly major though ancient fault line in the Adirondacks - we get a quake every now and then.

Nothing like CA gets, though.

 

[EasyRory]

I saw 19 in the story, I thought. That's Early Legal Teen, at least to me, lol.

Good, I learned my lesson when another story vanished over an age problem.

 

[DonQuixote]

Ah, yes. the by-laws to keep our august forum safe from the constabulatory.

 

[EasyRory]

Part Fifty-One

The high school gave Cal's paying position to Larry for the remaining few weeks of the season. The recognition pleased Larry, whose very real contributions to the coaching staff had been overshadowed by the glamor of Cal's pro experience; but the coaches saw Larry's value and the players respected him, listened to him, and liked him.

I asked him, “Larry, is the 'Back Flip Fuck' thing forgotten?”

“By the team? No, they know about it; but they don't believe it was actually me doing the fucking, only the flipping.” He chuckled at people's willingness to overlook things they didn't want to believe. “Cal never believed it either, even after I told him the truth. He just blocked it out, as if it never happened. Anyway, I don't talk about it at school either way. I tell them I needed the money and that it was a big mistake, which is true.”

Cal's phone calls initially were lengthy and daily but their frequency and duration diminished as the weeks passed. Although Larry's disappointment never showed, his warmth and humor were missing. My heart broke for him; and I would have offered some comfort, except I didn't know how and he never would have allowed it.

At Larry's invitation Laurie, Darren, Z, and I attended the last game which Alameda won, beating Bishop Dowd by a field goal. Ted Dorrance played during the first half of the game, getting in enough time to become a varsity letter man. His knee was apparently better, but he didn't seem to push very hard.

Cal came up for the final game of the year and got a hero's welcome from the team. He was enthusiastic when he saw Larry, but the old intensity wasn't there. Whatever Larry really felt, he only let friendship show and after the game at a party on the field he spent more time with the team members and their families than he did with Cal. The distance wasn't obvious to anyone outside of our household; but it was real. Then, when the evening was over, Cal used a morning practice as an excuse to go straight back to San Jose.

Larry said he was going to hang around the party. So the rest of us walked back to the house talking about everything except what was on our minds. It's very difficult to watch a friend suffer and not be able to do anything.

The next day Larry told Spreckel's he was their man; Spreckel's in turn expanded his duties to include the facilities of their parent organization, a beet growers' cooperative in the Midwest.

The day after that the Fire Department called and invited him to reapply for employment. The government and the union decided that the best solution for what to do with Larry's abuser was to transfer him to another city and hope for the best. Larry felt the Spreckel's job was superior in every respect, but the appeal of actual firefighting was in his blood and he wanted to stay current in the field through actual work. In the end he decided to take a part-time position with the Fire Department; Spreckel's concurred with his choice. So between his jobs and trips to Minnesota, our favorite assistant football coach became a very busy man.

Darren, meanwhile was stepping into some of Z's old jobs. Laurie took him to the Alameda Yacht Club to help out during a busy lunch day and as a result of that job he continued working at restaurants and clubs up and down the estuary. He was meeting Ted now and then but he told me that his condom supply was untouched and unneeded. He also told me what a hoot working at the Alameda Yacht Club was. He met Steve, the chef who was going to teach Z how to cook. Steve was an education all by himself and then there was the head waiter, who was always checking out the guys wearing the trademark semi-transparent shorts.

I told him about how I met Z working at the Alameda Club, when Z gave me advice not to wear red striped boxers with the white shorts.

Darren said they were still using the same shorts and then he switched to the chef. “Eric, that guy Steve wants to get fucked by everybody. Another waiter was making a joke out of it and then I found out - well, actually he told me - that he had fucked him before lunch in a supply room. The other waiter swore he wasn't even gay and Steve just talked him into it. Well, I didn't believe that exactly, but he said he ended up fucking Steve sort of accidentally. He is kind of dumb, but can you believe that?”

I just shrugged and Darren continued. “Then there are these two Asian guys who have fucked everybody who ever got within fifty feet of their boat, according to Mike, the gate guard. I think Mike knows you, by the way; he knows Z. He said the other waiter, Dave – the one who fucked Steve, could barely walk off that boat one night.” He paused and took a breath, “So I asked Dave if he had fucked the Asian guys and he said he wasn't sure. He had a few drinks on the boat and it may have been the other way around. Dave said he went home with a sore ass. Can you believe all this? Everybody's getting laid but me.”

“You don't see that happening with Ted?” I asked.

“Mmmmm, I don't think so. Ted's not so innocent; he gets around – a lot, just like you said. I don't think he's always so nice to people, either; and he expects a lot in return. We just fool around a little, that's all.”

“I think you share your brother's people smarts. I'm not going to stop worrying about you, but I'm going to worry less.” Darren grinned and went to Carolyn's.

After it became obvious Cal wasn't coming back, I offered Cal's attic room to both Darren and Seth, but neither one accepted. I think Darren didn't want to be that close to Z; but Seth told me he liked living with Carolyn. She was giving him good advice on how to handle Andrew's clients, especially the older ones who didn't get their old price any more. “She's really smart, Eric; maybe better than my mom. And she gives me clues on how to handle Andrew, too.”

“Now you are handling Andrew? I thought he was handling you.”

“Well, he still fucks me sometimes, if that's what you mean. But he's decent about it and I don't mind; in fact, I kind of like it since I don't have anything else going on at the moment. And Andrew and Rory; man, I don't know what's going on there. It keeps Andrew off my ass, or ON my ass, I guess.”

“I wish you weren't so clinical about sex, Seth. It should be special, not part of your job,” I told him.

“It will be, when I find somebody special. Meanwhile, … you know, a guy's gotta get his rocks off.”

So my unofficial charges seemed to be surviving ok and I didn't feel like they needed my attention when I went back to the hospital. That didn't happen in October, as I had hoped; it happened after Thanksgiving. I went into the ER part-time, doing three shifts a week, which was all I could do and go to school as well.

Without a paramedic certificate, I was used as a patient care assistant in the ER. I helped with ambulance transfers, patient movement, vital signs, and helped the rest of the staff with any physically demanding or unappealing actions. If it involved bodily waste, it was usually my job. I was under much more detailed supervision than when I was riding the ambulance with Luke.

I suppose Luke actually did supervise me closely during the good old days, but he was very relaxed about it and very competent himself; so he made it seem more like counseling. The nurses were fairly thick-skinned and some of them measured their professionalism by how rude they could be, not just to lowly folk like me but to the patients, too. It was an aspect of the hospital I hadn't seen much of before.

“So now you see why I liked riding the ambulance,” Luke said when I had the chance to talk to him.

Our relationship was different now; there were layers of people between Luke and me and our direct interaction was infrequent although I saw him every day. I looked around and wondered whether eventually being 'promoted' to paramedic was going to mean much difference in what I did and whether I enjoyed it. I wasn't thrilled with prospects, but I decided to get the certificate and then reassess. At least it would mean more money, if nothing else worked out.

What really bothered me was the constant negativity, the incessant bitching about everything by most of the staff. What a bunch of whiners! Man, could they find ways to get pissed off over nothing; and I swear there were people there whose only goal in life was to stab other people in the back.

Spike and Julie seemed like the only genuinely decent people in the place. It was great seeing them regularly, plus I got to see Erica. She was already a charming little kid and almost a year old. The charm was going to be important because she was showing no signs of beauty. Carolyn and Z, who claimed to be experts, said she would grow out of her homely phase and I hoped they were right. But 'Erica', what could I say? She was named after me! How could I not like her? Still, I hoped her sister, due in about four more months, might be more of a looker.

Spike, Julie, Luke, and Z all saw a brighter side to the hospital than I did and urged me to give it some time; I decided they were probably right. Luke in particular was sensitive to my unhappiness with the staff attitudes in the place.

“Yes, the morale sucks, Eric, and the dissatisfaction feeds on itself; but just a couple of people with your attitude can change the place. Give it a shot.”

Rotating shift work was also hard, harder than regularly working the evening shift I had been on; and, as junior assistant nobody, I got assigned mostly nights, weekends, and holidays. Another chance to excel, I told myself. If it hadn't been for Z, worker of miracles, budding chef, light of my life, and head cheerleader for the hospital job, I'd have given up. Just another month and the paramedic courses would be over, I told myself. So I kept my nose down and toughed it out.

The ads with Darren and Z came out timed for Christmas promotions and Andrew said sales of the clothes the two of them wore were 36% higher than the other items in the collection. They agreed to model in a couple of area stores for men's night promotions and got an hourly rate as well as a cut of whatever they sold.

They worked an event event at the Nordstrom's on Market Street in the city and made the news. Darren was wearing a black slacks and jacket combination and misunderstood how the sales were supposed to work. He and other models were on a slightly raised dais showing off their outfits and one customer said he wanted to buy Darren's clothes. It was Darren's first sale; and he quoted the price, which the customer paid in cash. Darren said he go get the right size, but the customer, joking, said he wanted what Darren was wearing. So Darren took off his togs and delivered them on the spot. He was decently clothed, more or less, still wearing a tight grey t-shirt and black boxer briefs; but even in grainy newspaper photos he looked incredibly hot and set off a small stampede as gay guys fought to stuff cash into his underwear.

In addition to the cash for the clothes, which he gave the store, Darren ended up with slightly over eight hundred dollars as well as newspaper and TV coverage. Andrew was delighted, of course; all publicity is good. Nordstrom's was delighted as well, although they sanctimoniously issued a public apology for the 'unfortunate misunderstanding'. Later, as a result, Darren and Z got a bunch of new modeling offers.

Somehow, and somehow's name was probably Seth, the word got around that the food fight guy, the back flip fuck guy , and the cause of the Nordstrom riot all lived in Alameda. We had news people at the door for a few days, but the sensation was short-lived and life on San Antonio went back to normal. Still the resulting pictures of Larry, Darren, and myself were pretty good and they spelled our names right.

Larry worried whether Spreckel's would object to his revived Internet fame, but they didn't take official notice, if they noticed at all. Darren was the astonished one. “Back flip fuck! How did you think of it?” I heard him asking Larry one morning when I was trying to sleep.

The Christmas break at my schools also enabled me to go to Los Angeles for Maddie and Deck's wedding right after Christmas. Although I was nominally the best man, being an out-of-towner, I didn't have any of the usual duties to perform other than a toast or two. They had a wedding planner who handled the best man's usual duties and tried to handle Z as well. Despite the hitting on Z, which he secretly liked, I think, the bachelor party and the wedding were two days of fun. Tanyeli was maid of honor so I functioned as her official escort, although Z was the one she wanted to see.

She was determined about spending some time with Z for business reasons, she said. The Forum line of clothing that they had both promoted was pretty successful although because of its slim cut the success was more European than American. Tanyeli wanted Z to return to Europe and take an active part in promotions. She was insistent that flying in and out wouldn't work; he needed to be there to take advantage of pop-up opportunities.

After the bachelor party Z and I lay in bed. “Eric, I have to tell you. Tanyeli and I had a little thing in Europe; we were alone with a bunch of foreigners and thrown together all the time. And one thing led to another,” Z confessed.

“Shh. You don't owe me any explanations. I didn't sit home every night while you were away, either.” I ran my hand down over his chest and cupped his cock feeling it grow.

“Anyway, I think she wants to resume that part of our relationship, too. Not just the business part.”

I snuggled closer to him. “I can't advise you. All I can say is I love living every minute of every day with you. If you think you need to spend some time in Europe, that's what you have to do. I'll still be here when you get back.”

“You idiot!” Z kissed me. “I'm telling her no. Don't go acting all self-sacrificing on me.”

Some really great sex followed and I have to say I was on top of my game as well as on top of Z. He came with my cock in him and it left him breathless; but I didn't stop. I slow-fucked him and it took a while 'til he came again. His second orgasm was physically draining, maybe even a little painful, and left him almost dazed. “Every minute of every day,” I repeated, with my hard dick still in him, pumping slowly. He clung tight to me as I fucked him harder; his face had that puffy, mid-sex, bruised look that was so hot to me, irresistable when it was Z, and this time as he continually kissed me I let myself come.

“I love the way you can come twice,” I told him.

“Only with you,” he told me; but I think that was a happy lie.

The next day's wedding was a Hollywood production, in the good sense of that expression. It was beautiful. Everything was perfect. The reception was at the Beverly Hills Hotel; the after party was going to be at the Belair. The big reception was full of Disney people. Z and Tanyeli were being a couple so I spent some time with Charlie and Ed, two of the editors I'd known. We laughed about Mexico, commiserated about the movie, and looked forward to the next one.

“And here comes the reason for our trouble,” Charlie said. Logan Long and a girl I didn't know came up and said hello. Charlie and Ed drifted away. Logan was very conservatively dressed and as a couple they looked almost innocent and very attractive.

“I'm sorry about the movie, Eric,” he said.

“Yeah, well, there will be other chances, Logan. Chin up.”

“For you, maybe; I'm lucky Deck invited me to the big reception. Nobody else in town will even talk to me.” He looked me in the eye and he wasn't feeling sorry for himself; he was just being factual.

“Don't worry, Logan,” Melissa, his date, said, “Something will turn up.”

“The stock market, maybe,” Logan joked with a smile. I could see a reminder of his old adolescent appeal in that smile. Then I was called away for more pictures.

“See you at the Belair?” I asked.

“Not invited,” Logan said waving.

 

[DonQuixote]

Rory,
I finally got a chance to read your new chapter.

It's too bad that Cal is drifting away from Larry. I guess being out of the "gay house" and back in "hetero jock land" is chilling his enthusiasm for the great guy that is Larry.

I'm glad Larry got the offer and the expanded opportunities at Spreckles, and an opportunity back at the Fire Dept. That they are allowing the bung hole that was his boss to keep a civil service job, even in another city, sucks.

I know I keep saying the same thing, but I am thoroughly enjoying your story.

The intimacy between our two main guys was incredible, too, lol.

 

[ThreeCrows]

I am kind of thinking this is leading to Darren and Larry ending up together perhaps? It seems like Darren's made it clear that Ted's not for him, and wasn't Larry one of the first ones he "chose" when asked about sex?

 

[EasyRory]

Part Fifty-Two

We got home about ten in the evening still a little buzzed from the champagne and the fun of the two days.

“Welcome back,” Larry said. “I saved you a couple of sandwiches in case you're hungry.”

There was a platter on the table with some sandwich halves left; they actually looked pretty good. Larry and Rory had been eating and working diligently. Larry had what looked like a different version of his football player cards on the table and Rory sounded like a machine gun as he typed on a laptop. Shot bursts of amazing speed; I had no idea anyone could type like that.

I dropped our stuff in the bedroom and returned to the dining room. Larry was explaining to Z what was going on.

“This is the sugar mill layout. The red paper boxes represent flammables. The yellow boxes are things that can start a fire, mostly machinery and volatile substances. The transparent circles with the white borders are places where these two things come together, places where a fire can start,” Larry explained.

“What are the black boxes?” Z asked.

“Those are facts of life - parts of the building or equipment that are too expensive or too hard to move. So I shuffle the stuff around, eliminating as many white bordered circles as cheaply possible, while still making sure the sugar gets produced and boxed.”

“And I'm turning it into a computer program, so he can do it with a mouse instead of scissors and colored paper,” Rory said without stopping his typing.

“Rory's a genius,” Larry said.

“I'm just modifying some free BSD software; Larry came up with the idea,” Rory paused and smiled.

“BSD?” I asked.

“Berkeley Software Distribution. It's code written at the University that is free for anybody to use or modify,” Rory explained.

“Not to change the subject, but how is Istanbulla?”

Rory quit typing. I could see his jaw tighten as he looked at me. “You know, that isn't even her name?” He didn't sound pleased.

“No. Really?” Z nudged me to shut up.

“Her name is Mitzi Markolowitz. At least she got the initials right. She went to Vegas to work with a team of Elvis impersonators. She is probably fucking a team of Elvis impersonators by now.” He went back to his typing and Larry gave him a squeeze on the shoulder.

Rory sighed and said, “I think I'm done for the night.”

“You've been at it since this morning,” Larry said.

Rory folded his laptop and stood. “When I'm coding I have to keep at it 'til my fire goes out,” Rory said to us all. “It comes in spurts.”

“So do I,” I said.

Rory gave one of his rare laughs. “Ever since that first weird night at the Tiki, Eric, you've always been a friend.”

Larry walked him to the door and then returned to gather up his factory layout. “You know, sex aside, there is something beautifully innocent about Rory.”

“He's smart, too. I've always liked him,” Z said, his look warning me not to make any jokes.

Larry headed for his room, humming something upbeat.

“I wasn't going to say anything,” I whispered to Z. “Do you think they're …?”

“I hope so.”

Laurie came in and said she wanted to tell us something. “Larry?” she called up the stairs, “Do you have a minute?”

Larry came down just wearing a t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts; it was subtle but clear that he wasn't wearing underwear, reminding us all of what a great body he had.

Laurie looked carefully at him and said, “Anybody who passes you up is an idiot,” and she hugged him and kissed his cheek. When she let go at last, it was even more obvious Larry wasn't wearing underwear and he quickly sat down at the table.

“Ok, here goes.” Laurie said. “You are the dearest friends in the world, but I've decided to move back to Stockton. My mother needs help right now and I haven't got any real reason to stay around here.”

We all asked if we could do anything and Laurie explained that her father was in failing health and, except for Cal, there was no one to help her mother. “She just needs somebody around, I think. I can get a waitress job in Stockton to keep busy and there's even this old boyfriend who says he's still interested.” She laughed about the boyfriend part, but I think she was grateful for him.

“We're your family, too,” Larry said. “Remember you can count on us.”

“We really have been a little family, starting back when Dan and Mark lived with us. You will always be welcome to come back, Laurie. There will always be room for you in our house and in our hearts,” I told her.

It wasn't a exactly a group hug, but we all got into it. Laurie cried, of course; and the next day we loaded up the Ford and I took her to Stockton. Her old boyfriend was a little older, by which I mean early thirties, but the look in his eyes when she got out of the car convinced me that she was as welcome in Stockton as she was in Alameda. With hugs and promises, we parted.

I had to hurry back to Alameda in order to get to work that night. I breezed into the house and caught Rory kissing Larry.

Ah-hah! I thought, but Z and Darren were standing right there. The kiss turned out to be just congratulatory. Rory's program worked and needed only minor tweaks to make it really useful. Congratulatory I could accept, but there was a look in their eyes; those two either already had or soon would have more to celebrate, I thought.

Andrew drove up and came in. “Sweet Eric, I have good news!” he announced. He barely acknowledged Rory.

“Can it wait? I'm late for work.”

“Get ready and I'll drive you to the hospital. Or rather Seth will.”

I changed pants and we left almost immediately.

“Drive slowly, Seth. I need a couple of minutes with Eric. The good news is there's work for you; but there's a little dispute between Amanda and Stein and Stein.” Andrew plunged into the details. “We have the rights to your photography and associated modeling. She has rights to Hollywood and any collateral business. The lacrosse sports clothes and equipment endorsements are sort of a gray area. Lawyers and stuff are being mentioned. It's not that much money for us, but it is for Amanda. My boss, however, doesn't want to lose the fight. He's afraid that it would be a bad precedent for other relationships and clients.”

Andrew paused and looked at me expectantly. I said nothing. “So what do you think, Eric?”

We were at the hospital and I got out. “I have no fucking idea. Take two aspirins and I'll call you in the morning. We have other stuff to talk about also. Thanks for the ride, Seth.”

The late afternoon ER was fairly quiet, still working off the daytime backlog of non-emergencies that walked in the door. Tom, the born-again pizza boy was there.

“Hey, Tom, are you sick?”

“Eric. My man.” He rose to his feet.

My man? I wasn't anything like his man.

“This is my boss, Tony. He burned his hand firing the oven and we've been waiting two hours for somebody to help. He's not gonna die, but it's fuckin' painful,” Tom explained.

I looked at Tony's hand and arm; it was a series of small burns that collectively must have hurt like blazes. “Wait, I'll be right back.”

I explained the situation to Luke who met me in an examining room. “Here, take this. Burn cream, just like what we used in the ambulance. And two morphine tabs, one now, one in twelve hours. Keep applying the cream. By the time the second tablet wears off, the pain should be bearable with aspirin or Tylenol. If the blistering is bad or gets infected, tell him to come back.”

I fixed up Tom and his boss and they were happy, especially after the morphine kicked in, although the hospital had just lost a customer. Luke was interested in the patient, as usual, not the paperwork.

The rest of the shift was drudgery and I was glad when it was over. As I was about to walk out, Spike came up and asked if I'd be home in the morning. When I said yes, he said he'd stop by; he was desperate for a little favor.

In the morning, Z and I discovered that the little favor was baby-sitting for Erica. “Just an hour and a half, I swear,” promised Spike. “Say hi to Uncle Eric, sweetie,” Spike said and left before we could complain.

Z and I decided the sun-dappled front lawn was the best place and put a blanket down on the grass. We played with Erica, whose conversation consisted of babbling, drooling, and occasional word-like sounds. She could, however, crawl and was speedy, covering the length of the blanket in about five seconds. “Now if she can scale that up to the hundred meter dash,” Z said, “she can be another Erica McLain.”

“Erica Who?” I asked.

“McLain. Actually she's a jumper at Stanford - was in the Olympics. Don't you follow the news?”

“My namesake is not jumping any Tom, Dick, or Harriett for your amusement,” I told him, as I tickled Erica, who giggled back, and then blew a little of her breakfast at me. “She has your giggle, Z.”

The hour and a half passed quickly, but when it was up there was no sign of Spike. I heard the door close at Carolyn's and glanced over the fence into the dejected looking face of Logan Long who was walking toward the street.

“Logan,” I waved from the blanket. “Come join us.”

I introduced him to Erica and Z and then explained Erica's presence, just as Spike drove up. Spike had a thousand apologies for being five minutes later and I accepted them. I returned Erica to him with a comment that she was clean but maybe getting hungry.

“Say goodbye to Uncle Eric,” Spike prodded.

“Eh-lick,” she said with a toothless smile and my heart melted.

“What a baby,” I smiled to her. “She knows my name,” I bragged to the world.

Logan, Z and I moved to the porch as Spike and Erica drove away. “Is that your Porsche in the street?” I asked Logan. He nodded. “So poverty is not yet part of your tragedy, huh?”

“No. I've been making good money since I was ten and I had good manager. Money isn't a big problem. Buying another Porsche might be; but I can keep this one going,” Logan explained and then shifted gears. “I was looking for Seth. His mother gave me the address.”

“Do you have a cell phone?” I asked and Logan handed me one.

I pressed some buttons and listened for an answer. “Andrew, it's Eric. Put Seth on please.” I waited and said, “Seth, a friend of yours is here.”

Logan took the phone and said a tentative hello not knowing what response he might get. Z and I walked inside and let Logan talk.

Logan knocked and entered. “Can I wait on your porch for Seth?”

“Sure, you want lunch?” Z said.

“I'm glad you offered, Z. I want to see what you'll make,” I said. “Z is taking cooking lessons,” I explained to Logan.

“I'd make reservations, but we won't need them at Boogie Woogie Bagel Boy,” Z said.

We headed down the street. “We're going to WALK?” Los Angeles Logan wanted to know.

Over sandwiches we reviewed Logan's problem. “I can't really offer any excuse; the pictures are right there in front of people.”

“How bad are the pictures?” I asked on the way home. “I've never seen them.”

In the kitchen Logan used my computer to enter a website and called up the photos. There was one of Logan and Seth, kissing, with their pants around their knees and two others with each boy holding the other's cock. In one Logan had the tip of Seth's cock in his mouth and in the other picture Seth was holding Logan's cock and about to do the same.

“That's it? No fucking?” I asked.

“Isn't that enough? What more do you need?” Logan was mortified looking at the screen and seeing himself on display again.

Seth came in and greeted us all. Z and I let the two of them talk for a while and then a thought came to me. We burst in on them, interrupting nothing. The two young men were just sitting apparently out of things to say.

“What if,” I said, getting their attention, “What if there were more pictures? A video, in fact.”

They looked at me like I was nuts. “What if the video included a girl or better yet two? You two used to mess around with girls together, everybody on the set knew that.”

“They did? Everybody?” asked Seth with his mouth open.

“Dude,” Logan said, “of course, they did.”

“What if, in this video, you two challenge the girls to a Lesbian kiss? And then the girls demand you two do the same thing? You two moan and complain but reluctantly give each other a little peck. We incorporate the kissing shot from the Internet. And then you challenge them to eating a little pussy and they challenge you right back. And you two practically throw up, laughing and barely touching each other's cocks. And we incorporate the cocksucking pictures. And then you two fuck the girls brains out.”

I looked from Logan to Seth to Z. “And THAT video leaks out onto the Internet, showing that the other photos were a malicious smear by the evil spurned lover Colin Turner and at the same time making the two of you into flaming heterosexuals. The magic of Hollywood.”

Seth was ebullient, “You think it would work?”

“We would have to make sure Colin doesn't have any other photos,” I mused.

Logan looked to Seth, “Would you do that for me?” he asked sheepishly.

“Not for you, asshole. I'd do it for the hell of it. What a cool idea! You think it would work? Eric? Z?”

The 'asshole' term was possibly affectionate, possibly not; I couldn't tell. Seth could be very calculating these days; but he did like a challenge.

“Older women, not too hot-looking, huh?” Z contemplated. “You'd want the scene to look so skanky only straight guys would do it.”

“You really think it would work?” Logan asked again, looking from face to face.

“Let's do it,” Seth said looking at no one.

 

[justright25]

Love this newly calculating Eric. He has always been smart but never done anything bad. Nice to see his darker side.

 

[DonQuixote]

Rory,
I love it!

First the ER - no paperwork w/ Morphine? THAT could be dicey.
But, the good will aside,
Eric & Z babysitting Erica - a great little bit of "normal" life.

And then, the coupe de grace - how to reconstruct the down low pictures.
I don't know that I consider them dark and underhanded at all - just a shot at partial redemption so his world and income aren't DOA.

And on that, I'm off to work - late!

 

[EasyRory]

Part Fifty-Three

“Does anybody need to know that you are here?” I asked Logan as we walked up the stairs.

“Not, really. I'm not in daily touch with my family and I'll call my agent tomorrow.” He sounded regretful and a little lonesome.

“Ok, here's your room.” I put him in Laurie's old room. “Your next door neighbor is Larry. Introduce yourself when he gets in – and help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I'm going to work, be back around eleven-thirty tonight.”

The poor kid looked pretty forlorn; I had to feel sorry for him. “Cheer up, Logan, the world hasn't ended yet,” I told him and ruffled his hair. “Z and his brother are going to a Nordstrom store in Walnut Creek; you could go along with them if you want. You would probably get recognized, though. See you later.”

At the hospital I took my break at the same time Luke took his. It was our main contact these days. He laughed his ass off at the video concept.

“It's a great idea. I bet it will work well enough to fool most of the people most of the time; and you can make a damn good living doing that. There are always skeptics, I guess; but their proof will be non-existent, unless your young friends go off the rails in front of cameras again.”

“I don't think that will happen. They have learned their lesson about being discrete, Logan, anyway. Seth makes me wonder; there's a reckless, I-don't-give-a-damn part to him. He's accepted his life, I think; but he's not a happy homo. I think he wants to pay somebody back but doesn't know who.”

“Mark says the ad you made with Laurie for the bank is a hit with their customers; they're getting lots of new community-based individual accounts. The trouble is they're not the most profitable customer to have. He's looking for a way to get more small businesses in the door. If you think of anything, he'd sure like to know.”

“How are things with Mark?”

“The sex is ok, more than ok, I should say; but it's way more than that. He's so great to have around. We compliment each other so well. He's another guy who didn't need college to make him a genius. In fact, he's just about perfect, I can't think of a flaw.” Luke paused and looked around the room to see if anyone could hear. “I'm frightened of how much I love him. I don't know what I'd do if … ”

“I know that feeling. It's the same with Z.”

“Well,” Luke took a deep breath, “Aren't we a pair?”

Julie joined us, ponderously sitting down. “If I hadn't seen the ultrasound, I'd say this was triplets.” She did look big.

“Have you picked out a name?” Luke asked.

“Morgana?” I asked.

Julie laughed, “We really did consider your middle name, but decided it was a little witchy for an Alameda girl.”

The rest of the night was fairly busy and I got practice drawing blood. There was another new guy working and he got the shit detail.

Smelling fairly sweet and antiseptic for a change, I walked home hoping Z would be there; but the house was quiet. I walked upstairs and encountered Larry tiptoeing out of his room. He put his finger to his mouth.

“Shh. Logan's asleep.”

Larry went downstairs. I changed and joined him. “So you met our guest?”

“Yeah, he said hello and we talked. He hasn't had the easiest life, did you know that? His stories make my early problems look trivial.”

I didn't want to pry, but I looked at Larry with the obvious question on my face.

Larry didn't answer me directly. “Man, he was tense and exhausted, driving all last night all the way from LA. He'll probably sleep forever.” Larry could slap my hands in the nicest way.

“Did he tell you about his immediate problem?”

“The pictures? Yes. So, I told him about my video and how easy it is to fool people who want to be fooled. Gave him a little confidence, I think. I'm going to sleep. See you tomorrow.”

Z and Darren came in. Darren had a glass of water and then went to Carolyn's. I went to bed and was soon joined by Z. “Where's Logan? The room is empty. Did he leave?”

“He's in Larry's room.”

“Go, Larry!” Z said.

In the morning Z and I were sitting at the kitchen table have toast and coffee when Logan came down, looking like a movie star. It's a hard look to describe. The person looks good, of course; but it's more than that. There is this aura that surrounds a famous person, as if some secret spotlight is shining on the star only, pulling light from the surroundings. A few politicians and sports figures pull it off, too, but not many. Maddie could do it.

That morning Logan glowed at high wattage. “Man do I feel better! What a great night's sleep. I feel fine. Hope you feel just as good.”

“I think it's because we're close to the water,” Z said.

“Close to something,” I added.

We heard slow footsteps. Logan went to meet Larry at the bottom of the stairs. By leaning way back and looking through both the kitchen door and then the dining room door, I could watch Logan give Larry an Academy Award quality good-morning greeting, a tender kiss that seemed to contain equal parts of satisfaction, gratitude, eagerness, and affection.

“Eric, quit spying,” Z said.

“They're standing right in the door!” I answered, and then I had to scramble to keep my chair from falling backwards.

Larry looked like shit with a thin smile painted on, almost blinded by Logan's attention. After two glasses of grapefruit juice some of his color came back. He smiled back at Logan and then Larry's eyebrows lifted a little. Logan was doing something nice to him under the table.

Seth came in and Larry and Logan chilled a bit. Larry went to get dressed and Seth sat at the table.

“Ok, where do we start this video thing?” he asked.

“First, I think we need expert opinion,” I suggested. Nobody has really answered the 'Will it work?' question.”

One expert in the form of Andrew walked in the door. “Amanda gets all the equipment commissions; that was absolutely a direct result of the movie,” I told him. “You and Amanda split the rest. Deal?”

Seth couldn't quite hide his approval of the compromise and Andrew, after pouring his coffee, said, “What else did you want to talk about?” He looked quizzically at Logan, not quite placing the face.

“That can wait. Something else came up,” I said. I ran through the circumstances and the proposed solution.

“You rascals,” Andrew said, smiling benignly at the boys. “Of course it will work. I wish I'd thought of it. How can I help?”

“Sell it to Amanda. Soften her up with our compromise deal and see what she thinks of the video,” I proposed.

Seth suddenly wasn't so happy. “Does she have to know? So soon? It's like I need her approval or something.”

“Well, kind of, you do. If she doesn't think it will work, we're not going to do it,” I told him and Andrew nodded.

Andrew first settled the agreement on my lacrosse commissions and then outlined the video concept; then he put Amanda on the speaker. “Eric is right to worry about whether Colin has more pictures. Other than that, I think it could work. You might want to have Disney onboard with the concept if not the execution. And everybody needs to sign nondisclosure forms.”

“Deck and Maddie are away for two more days. I can talk to Deck then,” I said. “Um, where do we get the girls? Amanda? Andrew? You have any contacts?”

The call ended with Seth muttering, “Now she's gonna pick out a whore for me.”

“A mother's love knows no bounds,” Andrew consoled. “At least she didn't volunteer to do it herself, Sethie.”

Finally at the end of the week, I talked to Deck, who laughed and thought the idea had possibilities. It worked out that his bosses at the studio were even happier, since they might be able to recoup some of the cost of “Sticks and Stones.” Deck all but took over the arrangements; he got his friends Charlie and Ed for the filming and the editing. They weren't cameramen, but they knew enough.

“They'll be vital for the editing; but the camerawork isn't as important. We don't want this looking too professional.” Deck's advice mad sense.

So Seth and Logan and two 'girls' arranged by Andrew headed back to LA for the difficult part of the caper. The girls were in their thirties, a little the worse for the wear, and willing. Amanda figured that anybody she could find in LA might be tempted to blow the secrecy the video needed.

Money changed hands; I don't know how much, but it was significant. The girls, of course, did very well; Charlie and Ed were also well compensated. Everybody who knew anything got paid and signed the nondisclosure aggreement. Logan fronted all the money, with the understanding that the studio would pick up half if the movie ever went into release.

I did notice Logan give Larry a hug and whisper something in his ear as he left. Larry stood on the porch waving and grinning, watching him go. Whatever their deal was, it was working out better than Cal's departure.

Rory arrived soon after Seth and Logan had left. “Oh, did I miss him? I wanted to say good-bye, since he made me almost famous.”

“What did he do?” Z asked.

“He went to a meeting at the Pacific Film Archive with Larry and me and answered questions about how the directors get some of their effects. He spent the whole night talking to anybody who came up to him; the whole room loved him. The directors are giving me the credit for the best meeting all year.”

Rory set up his computer and Larry opened a binder to a bunch of numbers. Rory entered the numbers and told Larry to take over.

“This is amazing. So amazing. Rory, it does everything I wanted. Did you see this, Eric? It's awesome. I move this storage bin symbol with a mouse and it automatically generates text describing what took place. Wow!” Larry stood up and gave Rory quite an amazing kiss.

Rory couldn't have been more pleased. I wondered if he misread Larry's action. He took Larry's face in his hands and kissed him back. Larry accepted the kiss more or less casually, pushing Rory gently away like an overly-friendly dog, and then went back to telling Z and me about how great the program was.

After the boys got to LA, things happened quickly. It only took a few days for the new video to show up on the Internet. The action was hot enough to attract a lot of attention; there was no question that it was Logan and Seth fucking two older women. It was fuzzy enough that viewers complained it wasn't graphic enough; nobody would have paid money for it as porn. Lastly it was embarrassing enough for all participants to make the world think it was real. What was unmistakable was the boys fucking with abandon; all accusations of homosexuality went away. A side deal with Colin kept him quiet and he denied having any other material. A week later Disney announced the immediate release of “Sticks and Stones” to take advantage of the publicity.

“Sticks and Stones” basically sucked if you were looking for a great movie, but it did respectable business and made a little profit. Logan was actually pretty good in it and got a three-picture deal as a result.

I made a little splash and attracted some attention and offers; but I told Amanda that I wasn't going to lead a closeted life. As a result, most of my offers went away, including the lacrosse-related ad campaign. Disney, by which I mean Deck, however, hired me as a consultant on another lacrosse movie they were planning.

For the rest, Seth and Andrew are living together, but purely for business reasons; they are so close they complete each other's sentences and have doubled Andrew's client list. On the personal side, Andrew, after many appeals and concessions, got Rory back – for how long, nobody knows.

Seth, meanwhile, is broadening his experience, if that is a fair way to express fucking anything that moves. As far as I know, Reston is the only person he has been with more than once and that connection may have a future to it. Seth has always wanted a father, maybe he can settle for an older lover.

Darren is an unwritten book. I believe Duong and Chengyu very pleasantly ended his virgin status a couple of different ways on their boat during a voyage to nowhere. He still lives with Carolyn and is being very picky about his partners, although I know he and Tony, the pizza boy, had a night or two together. Darren never said anything; but Tony spilled the story and Tony would love some more Darren, any time, any place.

Luke and Mark are like Z and myself; we're welded together forever. Z finished his degree and is head of communications for the College of Alameda. I'm of course a paramedic. We both do a little modeling whenever Andrew scares up some work. I think we're now on his B list.

The disposition of the Peralta house is still undecided. Mr. Levenson told me that my relationship to Tony Peralta was more direct though not close as another cousin they dug up in Texas. He says it will be in the courts for years and the other cousin is likely to die before any resolution. I told the other cousin he was welcome to use the house or vacations or stuff; but he just called me a faggot and hung up.

I occasionally hear from a sports coach in Ensenada who asks about the Peralta house and now calls me his dear cousin or 'caro primo', since it is now an established fact that I am part Mexican. He is married and is working to re-establish his Alta California dynasty in Baja California. Z and I are planning a visit.

Laurie told us she is engaged to her old boyfriend and that on their honeymoon they are going to visit Cal who has been traded to the Cleveland Gladiators. I asked her if she meant the Cleveland Browns and she said, “If only.” It turns out that Cleveland also has an arena football team.

So that's how things are in Alameda.

Oh wait, I left out Larry. Logan's parting whisper to Larry was, “I love you.” Larry, however, thought Hollywood star, I'm not believing that. About two weeks later, a box came for Larry. Z and I watched as he opened it. It was a watch with a dial big enough to be a hubcap. It was engraved 11:27.

“Is that some kind of Biblical reference?” I asked him.

“No, it's about the first night I spent with him. He said he'd never forget it and I said he forget it in a week. He looked at the clock and said, 'Eleven twenty-seven.' It's been a couple of weeks; but I still think it doesn't mean anything.”

Then Logan went to London for the British opening of “Sticks and Stones” and shortly another box appeared from England. Larry opened it and it was a perfect model of an old horse-drawn fire truck, with Alameda Fire Department painted on it. He read the card and blushed furiously. The card read “For my favorite hose man. L.L.”

“Larry, you might want to reconsider ...” I said, but he cut me off.

“Don't say it, Eric.”

“Well, can we put the firetruck on the mantel? It would look great there.” It did look great there as I regularly reminded Larry.

About three weeks later, a box came from Hong Kong. This time it was a gorgeous model of a modern hook and ladder truck with the Alameda F.D. name on it. Larry said it was a perfect replica of the one at the Bay Farm Station even down to the number painted on the door. “How did he know that?”

“Who's it from?” I inquired innocently.

He gave me a look and the accompanying card. The message said, “You can climb my ladder any time. L.L.”

About a week later I glanced out the window and then heard the doorbell. “Want to get that, Larry?” I said, pretending to be busy.

Larry opened the door and a pissed off Logan entered, repeatedly pushing Larry backwards, “I tell you I love you and what do I get? You don't call. You don't write. Not even a thank you!” Then Logan glanced over at me and said, pleasantly, “Hi Eric. See, I can act. Hey, the truck looks good there.”

He turned back to face Larry and Larry just said, “Come on.” They went to his room and didn't come down for hours. When they did, they reminded me of Z and myself in our early days, blissed out unable to stay away from each other.

It was a long distance romance for a while, but once Logan's picture commitments were done he moved in. The front room was big enough for two, unless one of them is a movie star. Logan, however said his movie days were over; he started working at the Pacific Film Archive with Rory. I suspect Logan is wrong and he'll get offers in the future although they may not be leading roles. He really can act.

Z and I both have always liked a busy house, so now it's the four of us with occasional visitors, foundlings, and friends old or new keeping the house on San Antonio a happy place.

There a bed for you, if you need it.

 

[EasyRory]

Ok, finis, that's all folks.

But stay tuned. I think our friend Rory has been misunderstood. He may have his own story to tell.

 

[rocabar]

What a fantastic trip... Thanks EasyRory!

 

[DonQuixote]

Rory,
A truly fitting ending to our saga of Eric, Z, Larry, and all the other great characters you brought to life for us.

No BIG Disney contract or Sports Endorsement, because Eric wants to be Eric - and that includes loving Z openly. Oh well. I suspect he's much happier as a certified paramedic working sort of with Larry and continuing to help people.

I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful, heartwarming tale. I look forward to learning more about our somewhat ADD accountant type guy who's personable enough, but easily distracted by one sex or another.

Maybe some of our friends will make cameo appearances in Rory's story, too.
Let me know when it's out there - I don't get to the main forum listings every day, and I don't want to miss your next endeavor.

Thanks, again, for sharing your considerable talents, and all of the time it took you to craft this story for us.