Session Fourteen
Now that Cal was gone, Rory was the only person Larry could talk to about him. Larry had gone through earlier psychological trauma inflicted by an abusive sadist, so he found dealing with a broken heart manageable, not that it didn't hurt. Rory was attentive and sympathetic and what more could anyone ask for, since time is the best cure for lost loves. In any case, the two guys became close, affectionate friends.
Rory also found that Larry could use an automation of his safety design projects. It would be a version of a design and layout program, several of which existed in open versions. Rory began tinkering as Larry refined his requirements. He wanted a program that could create fixtures and supplies as objects that could be moved around a factory so as to minimize fire danger. It was almost a computer game effort. Tom was a great help but he was busy with the University job, so Rory did most of the work himself with Cyril doing graphic interfaces and menu logic.
Rory valued the chance to work at Eric's house, since Andrew was working endless hours, many of them at home, trying without much success to develop some new clients as well as models. He was a little hard to be around while he was working; his frustrations sought any available outlet. Rory found himself regretting the unavailability of Seth's ass for target practice.
“Larry, I think your housemate Logan is getting to like you,” Rory observed one night when they were working.
“Yeah, he is pretty down-to-earth for a movie star. Or former movie star. Whatever he is. Anyway, he's easy to be around.”
“You might as well have a little fun,” Rory suggested.
“Oh, no. It's bad enough that Eric and Z think we're getting involved; leave Logan out of it.” They both laughed at their friends' quick and mistaken assumption. “You know I like you though; you're like a brother I never had. Anyway, messing with Logan would drive them crazy,” Larry was still laughing.
“I don't think they'd object. They want to see you happy and satisfied.”
“The problem is that I haven't really convinced myself that Cal isn't coming back. I keep a little hope going... Well, you know.”
“All the better to have a little fun with Logan. Just saying ...”
They wrapped up their work and Larry walked Rory to the door; he gave his friend a little goodbye kiss. “Oh, shit; they saw us.” Eric and Z were coming up the front walk.
“Let's give 'em something to talk about,” Rory gave Larry another kiss.
“You're gonna get me in trouble with my landlords,” Larry whispered and they laughed again.
“Hey, guys,” Rory said to the arrivals as he left.
Andrew was at home when Rory got in. “Want a drink,” he asked.
“Sure, whatever you're having.” Rory gave him his best smile and attempted a kiss.
“Will you hate living with someone who is on unemployment?”
“No, I'll only hate living with someone who feels sorry for himself.”
Andrew hugged him and said, “Well, I'll try to keep that part to myself. Stein and Stein said goodbye to me. That ingrate Seth is already measuring my office for new curtains.”
“You'll get another job and knock 'em out of the box.”
“Maybe, but they're pretty much the best firm in town. San Francisco isn't LA; there aren't dozens of talent agencies here.”
“Wait 'til your boss lets Seth get on top; then he'll know what he's missing.” Rory squeezed Andrew's cock gently. “I've been missing you all day.” Andrew generally liked to bottom for Rory, but this time he topped to their mutual satisfaction..
The next day Cyril and Bernice announced their engagement. “It's probably a mistake,” Cyril said and Bernice readily agreed, “but it's something we think we need to do, in case it isn't.”
“Then we need to have a party,” Rory said. “Give me an invitation list and I'll do the rest, with your approval, of course. Black tie, you think?”
Bernice and Cyril stared at him and then laughed. “Right, black tie,” Cyril rolled his eyes.
“I don't know, Cyril,” Bernice commented looking hard at him. “You could do it; you'd look good.”
“List first; outfits second,” Tom prompted. He congratulated them kissing them both. Cyril didn't mind and Bernice was pleased.
“I don't hear it,” she said, cupping her ear.
“VROOM, VROOM!” People came running from the next offices to see what had happened and left to spread the good news.
Rory went home at the end of the day not knowing quite what to expect from Andrew. The house was spotless. He saw Andrew in the back room they used as a den standing in just a pair of shorts cleaning the windows.
“Andrew, get out of the window. People will think you're a ...”
Andrew turned around smiling. The shorts were just boxers and a hint of his cock was showing through the fly opening. “A window washer?”
“A hot-looking window washer,” Rory added.
“Physical labor. Clears the brain. Stretches the muscles. Builds an appetite. Of course, I have no idea what I'll do tomorrow, but today went fine. I wonder if I really can get unemployment.”
“The office is in Oakland, if you're serious,” Rory explained. “I haven't heard much good about the process, and then they disqualify you if you refuse to accept what they call 'suitable' work.”
Rory went to Eric's house that night and showed Larry a preliminary version of the software for his fire risk management program. Eric and Z were out but Z's brother Darren was there. Rory set things up on the dining room table. Larry entered the basic features of a sugar mill and warehouse he was working on and then where flammables were located. It was like magic; he could relocate anything anywhere with a move of the mouse. Larry thanked Rory profusely, which made Darren curious.
“That's a lot of thanks,” Darren said.
“Rory did this on his own time. For me. I'm not paying him. He did it because he's a good guy. I need to tell him how much I appreciate it because I don't do anything else for him,” Larry explained.
“Sure you do things for me,” Rory said.
“Like what?” Larry wanted to know.
“You and Cal taught me how to … how to be a friend, I guess.”
“Compared to what you did for us?” Larry asked.
Darren's ears perked up. “What was that?”
“Basically I told them time is what we all have the least of. Ok, Z-man, Junior?” Rory joked, thinking how much Darren looked like a younger version of his brother.
“Thanks, Rory.”
“What for?”
“For teaching me to keep my mouth shut when I don't know what I'm talking about,” Darren said.
Larry returned to the program, “Now that everyone has you thinking you're special, would it be possible to turn the mouse actions into a written script, a list step by step of what actions the mouse took?”
“I know a self-documenting program generator routine that works the same way; I bet I could modify it. I'll need a few days,” Rory promised.
Larry was delighted, “Writing is what I'm least good at. I can see everything that needs to happen but the writing part is hard.” He turned to Darren and said, “One of the benefits of not paying Rory is I get to kiss him, and he's a real good kisser.” Larry gave Rory a brief, friendly kiss on the cheek and then winked at Darren.
“This sure is be-kind-to-Rory night,” Rory said, happy with the attention.
Darren asked how the program remembered all the objects. “Is that the word, objects?”
“It's a matrix of object labels and characteristics. Label, degree of danger, portability, old location, new location, and so on. The program generator routine will turn the changed value into English, that's all. In this case we won't be doing any gross matrix manipulation, which is really fun, by the way, changing values and textures of whole sets and classes; here we'll just be detecting changed values not generating them.”
“A label, not an object?”
“The complete set of values is the object, the label identifies it.”
“Texture?” Darren asked.
It's a property of the topology of spacetime. Some people doubt whether it really exists, but you can manipulate it, theoretically, of course, with useful results.”
Eric and Z returned as the session was ending, pleased to see Darren's rapt interest and involvement. They all broke for a drink. Rory asked for water; and when it was Darren's turn, he asked for water, too. While they were making the drinks Z said to Eric, “He's never asked for a glass of water in his life. What's up with my little brother?”
When Rory had left and Larry taken his work material to his room, Darren said to Z, “Did you know Rory's like a genius or something? He thinks in four dimensions - at least four, maybe more. He sees way more than we do, or more than I do, anyway. And Larry says … well, he thinks Rory is amazing, too.”
“He's a Berkeley grad; they don't waste time on idiots there. And he's nice to Andrew, that can't be easy all the time. Quite a combination,” Z said.
“I bet he could have gone to Stanford,” Darren said revealing what side of the local rivalry he was on.
“So could you, if you would put up with a little more mom-and-dad stuff,” Z reminded him.
“You left. I don't need to remind you what it's like in that house,” Darren let the stubborn streak that had made him leave home show. “Eric should get to know Rory better, they both like math.”
“He tried once. It wasn't a match; nobody's fault.”
“He should try again.” Darren said.
Darren went to his room next door and Z went to bed. Before falling asleep he said to Eric, “Darren thinks you should get to know Rory better. He says Rory's a mathematical genius.”
“I never doubted the genius part,” Eric said. “You want the window open?”
“A little, it's pretty cool tonight.”
“The cold makes you snuggle up to me. I like waking up in the night with you in my arms. Like now.”
