Oil Man

Ch. 07

SHITSTORM

Matthew:

I wake up early on this Friday morning to find a man in my bed.  Bradley had arrived yesterday on the last shuttle out from the oil rig.  I remember that we have a lot to talk about regarding our future together. That will have to wait until I get home tonight.

I turn toward Bradley and begin rubbing my hands over his chest, feeling his thick pecs of solid muscle.  As my palm moves south, I get chills as I run my hands over his washboard stomach. Still farther south, I find his morning wood throbbing, begging for attention and I intend taking care of that. I pull the elastic of his boxers down and underneath his sperm makers. I take a close look at this buffet of male masculinity before I start licking his balls; up and down his hard shaft and then that thing I love so much. I feel his hand on the back of my head.  A slight pressure tells me he wants to feel my warm, wet mouth on his morning hardness. I give my man what he wants.

Bradley doesn’t last long before he’s filling my mouth with his seed. I think about a rich protein breakfast and this is the best. When he gets still, I roll over onto my back and he quickly bends over and kisses me.

“Matthew, I always feel so slutty when I kiss you after I come in your mouth, like I’ve done something forbidden, nasty, slutty and I’m beginning to like that feeling.  It’s something I never experienced before I met you.”

“Ah-Ha, I’m having a bad effect on you,” I joke.

“I’m enjoying these new things you’re exposing me to.  Please corrupt me more, please,” he says with an over-the-top dramatic flair.

We both laugh hysterically.

Bradley, starts more sexual play and I get ready to disappoint him.

“Babe, I don’t have time for any more fun, right now.  I have to get to work a little early to preview the completed report about your oil rig.”

He flops onto his back, looking disappointed, hurt.

“I know you’re taking a little vacation time, but I have a full day plus of work ahead of me.  I wanted to take today off but there is no one to sit in for me on the news at six.”

“Matthew, I understand but I have missed you so much, I want to use every minute we have to show you how much I love you and want to be with you.”

“I know and I want the same.  But my contract is coming up for renewal and I can’t change my dedication to the job right now.  I feel differently about the job after spending those days with you on the rig, but I have to keep up my usual interest for now.”

“I didn’t know about your contract renewal.  I understand.  Go get ‘em.  I’ll keep busy. Maybe I’ll explore the neighborhood a little.”

After a shower and getting dressed, I return to the bedroom to give my man a goodbye kiss and then hurry to my car and the dreaded drive to work.

Bradley:

Getting out of bed slowly, I look around the bedroom, admire Matthew’s taste in decor, and nod my head with approval, noting that everything seems as perfect as he is.

I explore the apartment a little more and am equally pleased at what Matt has done with the place.

I shower, pull on some jeans and a t-shirt and in the kitchen prepare a light breakfast of toast, marmalade and coffee.  Then it’s out to explore this Dallas neighborhood.

I walk a lot, sit a lot and do even more people watching.  I grab a lunch-time bite at a small no-name fast food place.  After a bit of shopping, I start the long walk back to Matt’s place.  It’s funny when I speak to Matt, I generally call him Matthew but when I think of him, I think Matt.  Dr. Cochran back on the rig can have a field day with that. Shrinks live in a different world, I guess.

It feels good to be back in the apartment and off my feet.  I watch TV for a while before I fall asleep in a recliner chair that is the most comfortable thing my ass has ever rested on.

I awake around 5:00 PM and immediately get the idea that I should go to channel 12 and watch the oil rig report with Matthew.  I shower again and dress up a little with slacks and a shirt with buttons.  I call for an Uber and rush downstairs full of excitement about seeing Matt and watching our work on TV.

At channel 12 I’m confronted with something I had completely forgotten about: security.  These guys don’t know me so a call is made to the newsroom.  The guard on the phone asks my name, repeats it into the phone, hangs up and gives me a temporary ID card. He tells a second guard to escort me to the newsroom.

In the news center, Molly sees me and rushes over, gives me a big hug and asks me to wait.  As soon as a commercial break starts, she talks to Matt in the studio over an intercom.

Molly says, “Bradley, come with me,” and grabs me by the arm.  We enter the studio and she shows me where to stand off-camera.

A guy holding a clipboard comes over and grabs a chair, brings it over to me and says, “Sit if you want, it’ll be more comfortable.”

I finally have time to look at Matt.  He smiles and waves and returns to look at the camera.

“Standby,” the guy with the clipboard yells.  Then, “Live in five.” He holds up five fingers, closing a finger as each second ticks off.  He counts off, “five, four, three, two,” pause at one and then points toward Matt.

Matt resumes reading from the scrolling teleprompter, looking directly at the camera, with an awesome look of knowing and confidence.  I am fucking more than impressed.

The studio is a busy place with camera movements and the guy with the clipboard making everything happen when it’s supposed to. He snaps his fingers, points and the cameraman knows exactly what to do.

I am truly intimidated with this operation.  The crew clicks together like the workings of a fine wrist watch.

At about fifteen minutes before 7:00 PM, following a commercial break, Matt starts into the oil rig report.

Matthew:

“What do you think of when you’re standing at the gas pump waiting to fill your car’s tank?  Probably not a single thought about the people involved in getting gas into your vehicle. We take for granted the fact that there are people who work at sucking the black gold out of the ground and send it on its way to get turned into gasoline for our cars.  We are about to take you on a trip aboard an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Explore with us the technical facility and take a look at these men who are there 24-hours-a-day for month-long periods. Theirs is shift work to guarantee we have gasoline for our cars and to ensure that other fuel-greedy things our lives demand are properly fed. Extracting oil from the ocean’s floor is approaching the 130-year mark.  We here at channel 12 think it’s about time to recognize the heroic men who work out there in the Gulf and at oil rigs in so many other locations.

Video comes up on-screen giving Matt a chance to relax and watch.  The rest of the report is self-contained with Matt’s recorded voice over video explaining various parts of the oil rig operation.  The segments where Matt appears on-camera from the rig are parts recorded by me and I feel a surge of pride and excitement as I watch my work being transmitted to homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and beyond over a satellite link.  The piece is finally over, completing the news presentation and Matt thanks everyone in the studio for their excellent work. 

He comes over and gives me a sweet kiss on the lips which brings applause and friendly hoots from the people in the studio. We rush out of the studio and down a hallway. In the TV control room, he thanks everyone for their great work.  Just before leaving, he says, “Oh, this is Bradley, the guy who shot parts of the oil story.”  Everyone applauds.  I am touched but a little embarrassed at all the attention I am getting.

As we walk back to the newsroom, I tell Matt, “I‘m surprised that I get credits in the oil rig story along-side yours and the others.”

“You deserve more. A one-man crew is severely limited with what it can do and the shots you recorded of me talking on-camera give the report a lot more authenticity.  Gotta give credit for well-done work. By the way, our legal department says you need to sign a release stating that you are giving your work on the report to us freely and that there are no further obligations, so forth and so on.  If you want to be paid for your work, I will arrange an appointment for you to work that out.”

In the newsroom Matt looks around at everyone, waves and yells, “Excellent work everyone.  Thank you for a great show.” We rush to Matt’s car and drive home.

“Do you give all those thanks every day after every 6:00 PM news show?”

“I do.  It’s important for everyone to know the thing they contribute to the program is important.  It may look like a laidback job but it definitely is not. Those people are under stress for several hours without a break until we have all parts of the show figured out and waiting for 6:00”

I give Matt a big, “WOW!”

“Some of the crew need a one-on-one pat on the back now and then and I try to remember to do that.  Someone has to make them feel like a needed part of the team.  The news director should be doing that but he seldom even walks through the newsroom to make an appearance. I don’t know what he does all day.  I make all the decisions in the news operation.  No one goes to the boss for an answer.  They come to me because they know I will listen to them.  These folks make me look good when I’m sitting in front of that fucking studio camera.  I owe them a lot for their professionalism and dedication.”

I had picked up chicken, Coleslaw and bread for dinner so that we can stay here and talk about our future. If we go out, we’ll never get started today with talking and we don’t have a lot of time to do it.

We sit on the couch and put a little distance between us as we sip on wine.

“Matt, you’ll have to get us started because I have never sat down and discussed a relationship before.”

“OK. Studies show that most relationships and marriages break down due to poor communication.  I want to avoid those sorts of problems if we can.  So, we talk and set some things in place to help prevent fuckups in communicating.”

“Good idea.”

Matt continues, “I don’t want to call them rules because that sounds so harsh and demanding as well as restricting.  I would like to look at these things we decide on as suggestions for a smooth relationship.”

“Like what?”

“Well, for instance, are we gonna have an open relationship.  Or, do we play with other guys only together.  Or, if we should do something on the way home or while out shopping, is it OK to do that as long we tell each other as quickly as possible after the incident? Is it cheating if we keep our play with a stranger a secret?  Do we say we can’t play alone with the same person more than twice, to prevent becoming attached to that person?  Or, do we want to be totally monogamous?”

Bradley, looking very surprised said, “Fuck. I have never thought about so many different types of relationships, but I truly get it.  I had just assumed we would be exclusive.”

“Well, after a few years the newness of the great, hot sex usually wears off and men tend to want to have some fresh meat.  It happens to straight couples too but society prevents the heteros from easily doing anything about the situation. Gay people look at it differently.”

“I think I will never get less excited about sex with you than right now.” Bradley tells me.

“OK, but just in case the sex does become less exciting, we should be prepared to deal with it and prevent the collapse of an otherwise great relationship.  See what I mean?”

“Yeah, it’s a just in case thing.”

“Bradley, cheating can kill any relationship or marriage.  If we define what cheating means to us, we can avoid that.  I told you about all the types of relationships I know of.  Oh, there IS one more.  Some couples get off on watching their mate having sex with someone else. Like I would sit and watch you fucking a hot guy and I would get excited and maybe jack-off.  Straight couples do that, also.  But that’s not something I’m interested in, at least not at this time.  But, things in a relationship can change over time. And don’t forget about threesomes, or foursomes or group sex.”

“Fuck.  This is getting complicated.”

“Babe, it’s just the way things can possibly be in a relationship.”

“I think I just want it to be you and me.”

“It can be but we need to decide about how to react to possible change.  For instance, what if a year from now, Joey decides he wants to explore being a bottom and he wants you to bust his cherry.  We need to be prepared to deal with that immediately, not waiting until we talk it over later.  See what I mean?”

“You mean you wouldn’t be jealous if I fucked one of your friends?”

“If we agree now about how to deal with a situation before it happens or after it happens, there would be no cause for jealousy. If you do it alone and then tell me about it to avoid cheating and keeping a secret, it wouldn’t matter. The same applies to me. In any case, it’s just sex, not love.  When you and I have sex there is so much love exchanged between us.  With guys I have had sex with in the past, I never had the feeling I have with you.  With them it’s just sex.”

Bradley thinks about what I had suggested and then responds, “I think we should be exclusive until we really get to know each other and allow that all of those types of situations are possible for us when one of us feels he has an interest in broadening our sex life.”

“Are you sure you’d be OK with doing a threesome, for instance?”

“Matt, I don’t know how I’d feel if you suggested a threesome or any of the other things you mentioned, but I think we should agree now that if one of us want to no longer be exclusive, we have to agree on what the other person is suggesting.  We both agree or it doesn’t happen.”

“Sounds like a good idea, to me. And remember common sense and tolerance play a big part too.”

“Do we call this home? Or do we get a bigger place or a house?”

“Yeah, you can give up your efficiency apartment and move your ‘shit’ over here. But we can do that later.”

“Cool,” Bradley said. “Now let’s get some of that chicken and Coleslaw.”

After dinner, we cuddle on the couch with oldies music playing in the background.  The oldie, ‘What ‘Bout Us’ by Champaign comes up on the radio. I take Bradley by the hand and say, “Dance with me.”

He takes me in his arms, I wrap my arms around his neck and press my body against his.  The lyrics to the song release magic into the air. We dance slowly, bodies rubbing together.  I can feel Bradley’s erection pressing against me. He must feel mine. Man, this old R&B song can rip your fucking heart out.

‘Some people are made for each other, some people can love one another for life, what about us?’

As the song fades, Boys2Men takes over with ‘I’ll Make Love To You.’  We dance a little longer and then Bradley whispers in my ear, “Let’s love one another for life, starting right now.”  He takes me by the hand and leads me into the bedroom.

I can truthfully say that I have never been loved like this time. Bradley makes love to me in such a way that I get lost, I’m in a special place full of love, passion and happiness. He enters me, touching those special spots that make the sex so hot and works at deliberately hitting those sensitive places.  His hands are all over me.  He lifts me into a sitting position, hugs and kisses me and gently releases me to guide me back down onto the bed. 

He speaks passionately but just above a whisper, “Matthew. Matthew. Matthew. You are mine for life.  I love you with my heart and soul.  Be mine and I will be yours, always and forever.”  He is sobbing a little, holding back tears of happiness. We have never before had sex so intense and that lasted as long as this time.

After Bradley comes inside me, he pulls out, rolls over onto his back, looks at me and says, “Sit on me and come on me.”

I sit on his groin area and jack-off violently and shoot the biggest load of my life, spraying his chest, belly, cock and balls.  I don’t usually think about coming or even think about my dick, but this time, combined with everything else, it is a great climax to fabulous love making.

I snuggle up to Bradley’s side enjoying the sexual afterglow.  He surprises me again as he slowly rubs my spunk all over his chest and belly.

“Shower?” I asked.

“Later.”

We drift off to sleep and wake several hours later since we had gone to bed so early.  When Bradley discovers that I’m awake, he starts caressing me, kissing, rubbing his hard cock against me and we make love again.  The smell of cum and sweat fills the air adding to the excitement of raw sex.

After Bradley comes, he takes my dick in his hand for the first time ever and strokes me until I fire my load up into the air before it falls back down onto us and the bed. This sexy man is full of surprises tonight.

We go to sleep and wake about 10:00 AM on what is to be a busy Saturday.

After breakfast we go shopping for food and beer.  Bradley has already picked up a bottle of wine to take to Nick’s BBQ and also wants to take a case of San Miguel beer to the cookout.

Neither one of us has been keeping up with our workouts and with some free time after shopping, Bradley suggests we go to his fitness studio to workout.  I will be his guest.  Next workout will be at my fitness studio and we will decide after that on which one we will use together in the future.

We work out, spot each other, and touch in ways workout buddies do not do.  This draws a lot of attention from the other guys, several of them people Bradley knows.  I am thrilled to be the center of attention.

In the afternoon we get ready to go to Nick’s for a cookout. Beer and wine are loaded into the car and we drive away.  Bradley will meet some of the guys I know.  A party of gay men will be a new for him and he needs to experience this.

At one point, Nick comes over to me, noticing that Bradley is not around, and says, “You probably should go inside and check on your man.  I saw him go inside with one of the guys I know to be constantly hunting for prey and Bradley is definitely prey for that dude.”

“Bradley will be OK, he can take care of himself,” I say. But as soon as Nick walks away, I go to check on Bradley.

Inside I find a guy I don’t know standing way too close to Bradley.  I am not jealous but who talks to a hot guy with only inches distance between them unless they have a not-so-hidden motive.  I notice that Bradley’s jeans are showing quite a bulge.

“Hey, Bradley.  Having a good time?” I ask.

Bradley looks like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Hi Matthew, we are just talking,” he says blushing a bright red.

The hunter moves away from his prey when I walk in.

“High, I think we have never met, I say to the other guy.  “I see you’ve met my boyfriend.”

“I’m Jack.  We are just talking.”

“Yep, I can see that,” I said nodding toward Bradley’s hardon.

The guy obviously hitting on Bradley excuses himself and quickly goes outside.

“Having a good time?” I ask.

“Matthew, we were just talking.  We didn’t do anything.  I didn’t touch him. He was getting closer and closer to me and suddenly grabs my crotch. I push his hand away and then he touches my chest, feels my pecs and tells me how sexy I am, and I get hard.”

“OK.”

“Matthew, I didn’t want him touching me and I didn’t want to get hard.”

“Bradley, this often happens when gay men get together. It’s pretty common.  If you had been interested, he would have found a private place to take you to for fun.”

“Matthew, believe me, I would never do that.  I wouldn’t”

“Bradley, forget about it.  You’re telling me what happened and you didn’t do anything.”

I grab Bradley’s now deflated crotch and tell him, “Just always remember that this belongs to me.  If you share it with anyone else, you have to tell me or it will be cheating.  And if I find out you are cheating, I will deal with it and I don’t know how right now, but I will not be calm like I’m acting now.  But we are OK.  We’ll talk more after we get home.  Have a good time and stop worrying.”

“Matthew, can we just go home?

“We can go if you want, but you shouldn’t let this incident get under your skin.  It isn’t the last time this will happen to you.  Gay men will have sex at the drop of a hat. You’re not used to that, yet. And they see it as sex, just sex.  You can have sex without love but for couples in love, sex most of the time involves love.  But they can also have raw sex that is just hot sex. All of that understanding comes with experience.”

“Go?

We say our goodbyes.  Nick is concerned that Bradley has been scared away by the guy who was hitting on him.  I just comment that Bradley is new to being in the middle of this many gay men and he now feels uncomfortable.

As we are walking away, a guy rushes us, gets in my face and says, “I hear your boyfriend was hitting on my boyfriend and then you, mister big ass TV newsman, come in and give my boyfriend a hard time.”

“Man, your boyfriend is a fucking liar and you are drunk. Now, just walk away.  You got it all fucked up,” I say.

The drunk asshole reaches out to grab me and in two seconds I have him down on the patio tiles holding his arm behind his back. He’s straining to get free.

“Listen motherfucker, if you ever approach me like that in a place where I don’t know you, I will break your fucking arm. You are getting off easy this time. Don’t think that just because I suck dick that I can’t fuck you up and I don’t mean that in a good way.”  I offer a hand to pull him to his feet. Bradley and I leave.

Bradley is quiet all the way home and remains like that after we are in the living room sitting on the couch.  I have to be careful what I say to try to make him feel better.  I don’t want to make him feel worse that he already does.

“Babe, is something bothering you?  Tell me, no bullshit.”

“Matthew, I feel so horrible about what happened in the house at Nick’s place.  I got hard with that guy and I feel that was wrong but I didn’t know what to say to show I wasn’t interested.”

“Bradley, a dick most of the time has a mind of its own.  Have you ever been in a situation when you tried not to get hard?  Didn’t work, did it? That situation was new for you because I’m the only man you have gotten hard with. Then a stranger tries to get into your pants and it is scary.”

“I understand what you’re saying but I still don’t feel right about it.”

“Come on.  I’m not upset because I know gay men will most often hit on a man they find attractive and they succeed most of the time.   I’m not suggesting you go along with guys who hit on you and let them blow you.  It’s up to you to make your own decisions. If you do something with another guy and don’t tell me about it, it’s considered cheating, according to what we agreed to.”

“How would you find out?”

“Because the other person brags about what a hot guy he just sucked off and word then gets around.  I eventually hear about it through the gossip mill or someone will come to me directly and tell me that my boyfriend is cheating on me.”

“Guys talk around about having sex like that?” Bradley asks with surprise.

“They do, but let’s not beat this to death right now.  We can discuss it another time.  You know, so many guys defend their sleeping around by saying that Mother Nature built men to spread their seed widely and that’s the reason.  However, that theory remains unconfirmed and most scientists consider it bullshit.”

We soon go to bed and Bradley, for the first time since we met, is not in the mood for sex.  He said he feels guilty about the incident at Nick’s and doesn’t feel he is good enough for me anymore.

I talk to him again about his concern and how what he experienced is something that often happens among men who are not monogamous. The conversation continues for about half-an-hour before he finally says he will see how he feels in the morning.  I snuggle up to his side like always and a few minutes later he places a hand on my arm, pulling it tightly against him.

Sunday morning brings me a sad feeling because this is the day for Bradley to fly back out into the Gulf, if he doesn’t decide to extend his time for us to get things on track. I wonder when he will be back in my bed again.

I slowly begin our morning ritual. Licking and sucking this fine specimen of manhood.  He starts moving a little as he begins to wake up.  As he becomes aware of a hot, wet mouth engulfing his hardness, he humps a little into my mouth.  Then his hand rests on the back of my head, pushing me balls deep down on him.  His thick cock throbs violently and he lifts his ass up off the bed during a loud and powerful orgasm that rocks his entire body.  He keeps humping my face until his seed has emptied down my throat.

Bradley finally speaks: “Thanks for the pep talk yesterday about my dick attack at Nick’s.  I feel pretty much OK about it today.”

“Bradley, you never have to do anything with the guy who hits on you. Just take it as a compliment.  He could have hit on any one of those guys at the cookout but he chose you.  The way I see it, he has good taste in men and nothing really happened. Let’s move past that.”

He nods.

“Please understand that I’m not painting a negative picture of guys who sleep around.  It’s just a term or label, and I don’t see having a lot of sex with other guys bad.  I just want us to define our own relationship so we don’t get caught up in problems that might generate jealousy.  It’s really simple if we know what to expect from each other. There should be no misunderstandings between us.”

We don’t talk much after that until Bradley discusses staying longer or going back to work.

“Matthew, I’ve been tempted to stay here longer, but regardless of how much I want to stay, I probably should get back to the rig and let them see that I am doing better and probably am ready to go back to work.  I still need to make a good impression, although the job is not my number one priority any longer.  Love changes everything in one’s life.”

“That it does.  That it does.”

Bradley leaves late Sunday afternoon on the final shuttle for the day back out to the oil rig and his buddies.  They will likely have a lot to talk about since they now know he’s in a relationship with me.  I can easily imagine the locker room talk. All of that should make Bradley feel better and help him to get back into his routine of the past few years.

Bradley phones me after he arrives back out there and tells me he has so much vacation he probably can never used it all and since the personnel department is constantly pushing him to take some vacation, he will do that.  He says he understands that l’ll be working during the day but we will have evenings together.  He’ll keep me posted as soon as plans are firmly in place.

We are phoning a few times a day now and exchanging countless messages.  My big guy phones on Wednesday to say he is returning on Thursday of next week to stay for two weeks, if that is OK.  I am ecstatic at the news.  I miss him more than words can say.

A week after Bradley is back in the Gulf, I am at Nick’s Greek restaurant on Saturday for dinner. I sit at an out-of-the-way table alone until Nick comes over and asks if he can join me.  He puts his glass of red wine and cheese plate on the table and sits.  In the course of our conversation, I ask him to tell me that long story about himself he had briefly mentioned once before.  He has a full staff on-board tonight so he is just managing.

“If at any point in my story, you don’t want to hear more, just tell me to stop.”

I nod an understanding.

“One day when I was in 10th grade, I came home to find my dad there much earlier than usual.  He tells me to put my backpack and stuff away and come right back to the living room.  He sounds serious, irritated and mad; I can’t read his mood.  He then tells me that my mom has found some magazines under my mattress.  Fuck, I’m busted.  She has found my gay porn stash.  Dad says they are not decided on what to do about this yet.

The next afternoon when I come home from school, I find my electronic things on the front lawn, busted to shit, destroyed.  I open one of the garbage bags and find some of my clothes.  I am so pissed.  I grab a bag and storm over to the front door.  I’m gonna give them shit for doing this.

I try sticking my key in the front door lock but it won’t fit.  I inspect the lock to discover a new bright and shiny lock, explaining why my key no longer fits.

There’s an envelope with my name scribbled on it attached to the front door with a single strip of transparent tape.  I rip it off the door, read the note inside and panic. The note tells me that I am no longer welcome in their home and that they will not respond to any further attempts to contact them.

I start crying.  I am out on the street and on my own.  A school kid. I phone my best friend Doug Hughes. He and his dad arrive at my place a few minutes later in Mr. Hughes truck.

He tells me to take pictures of the lawn to show my personal belongings scattered over the carefully manicured green grass.  We haul my stuff to the Hughes’ house.

Mr. Hughes says I can stay with them for as long as I want and that I can share Doug’s room so I won’t feel alone and deserted.

Doug and I had already fooled around over the years from 7th or 8th grade. He was out to his parents and friends and Mr. Hughes told me they had also suspected I was gay.

Nearly a year later Doug’s attitude toward me changes so I ask Mr. Hughes if I can move to the basement. Doug and I don’t spend much time together after that.

One more year later, and the owner-manager of this restaurant asks me if I want to move in with him.  His daughter and son are in New York and Los Angeles and his wife had passed away a couple of years ago. 

I ask what my obligations will be, wondering if I’m about to get a daddy in my life and I’m not into mature men. He says I will help him tidy up the house on weekends.  I will have my own private bedroom and even though he likes to buttfuck handsome young men, that is not part of our deal.  He assures me there are no hidden or unspoken requirements.

On moving day, Mr. Hughes, Doug and I packed my stuff again into the truck and hauled it to Mr. Theopolis’s house. “

I ask Nick, “Do you have any further contact with your parents?  Have they come around?”

“Yeah, here for dinner one Saturday.  When the waiter approaches their table, they ask for me.”

“And?”

“I tell them the waiter will take care of them.  I remind them that they want no more contact with me so I don’t see that we have anything to talk about any longer.

I also tell them that I turned down an offer to be adopted by the Hughes family.  I remind them that Mr. Hughes is a lawyer and he says I can take your asses to court for money with all the evidence I have to prove how you had treated me, your own son.  So, this is the last time we will communicate.  We don’t exist for each other.  Now, enjoy your meal. Oh, just so you know, I own this place with no attached debts or mortgage payments.”

“Wow.  They really have balls.”

“Fuck ‘em. Mr. Theopolis passed away about a year ago and willed the restaurant, the house and some money to me.  His kids got the rest. So, I own this place now. I think one reason he asked me to move in with him was the fact that his kids have successful careers that have nothing to do with the restaurant business.  He knew that I loved this place so much and that I would take care of it.”

After a couple of minutes of silence, Nick askes how my love life is going.  I tell him about Bradley getting hit on at the cookout and how it really makes him feel guilty.

“Matt, I’m sorry, but you know how guys are.  You’re one yourself.”

“But I am well-known and don’t sleep around and not because I wouldn’t like to, but the press will love to have a juicy story about me groping some guy in a bar.  I avoid gay bars because of the attitude prevalent in most of them.  Pretty much only go to a straight bar within walking distance of my place. But, to answer your question, things with Bradley and me couldn’t be better.”

“What about that story of your first love.”

“We’ll have to save that for another time.  I need to get out of here.  I have a few things to take care of before I go to bed.”

“No problem.”

“Now, if I can get my check I will pay and scoot.”

Nick refuses my money and says his payment is the nice chat we had.

Bradley arrives the following week as planned. He is disappointed when I tell him I have to go to corporate headquarters in San Antonio on Monday for a few hours but will not stay there overnight.

“The flight between Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio is only an hour and fifteen minutes,” I tell him.

“You’d be at work anyway on Monday and I need to get out and see normal people on the streets.  I’ve been hiding out on the oil rig for so long and after meeting you I want to return to civilization.”

Thursday night we go to a Texas BBQ place for dinner and return home for watching TV and a lot of love-making. Bradley is feeding some of his fantasies it seems. He is actually touching my dick and sometimes asks me to come on him after he has his orgasm.  He manhandles me a lot and that is a real turn-on, feeling his strength. He can move onto his back or pull me on top and stay inside of me the whole time.  He does a little dirty talk, too.

I am so happy now with Bradley and me getting to really know each other, and making plans, talking about what we want in our relationship.  It’s all so good.  I have no way of knowing at that time that a shitstorm is brewing which will turn our relationship upside down and possibly destroy it.

After a fantastic weekend, I depart Monday morning for corporate headquarters in San Antonio.  The planned event is cut short by an unexpected problem at one of the other radio-TV operations.  The corporate executive hosting our event is going there to fix it.  So, I will get back to Dallas sooner than expected.

I enter my apartment and hear voices but can’t tell what they are saying. I yell, “Honey, I’m home,” with a comical flair and walk into the living room.

Sitting on the couch is Bradley wearing only his boxer-style underwear.  A woman is sitting beside him, naked down to the waist, big tits hanging out.

Bradley jumps up and yells, “Matthew, it’s not what it looks like.”  He’s in a panic.

“What else CAN it look like.  You in your underwear and a half-naked woman is sitting beside you.  What else can it look like except that you were having fun while you thought I was in San Antonio on business, not having fun.”

Bradley starts to speak again but I interrupt him. “I want you both to get the fuck out of my apartment.  Get the fuck out!”

The woman says, “Bradley, let it go. We have created a major shitstorm. Let’s get out of here now before things get worse than they already are.”

I run to the bedroom, throw myself on the bed and cry until I am exhausted and fall asleep.

I sleep for three hours and awake to remember my shitstorm surprise from earlier in the day.  If Bradley had been sitting half naked with another guy, I would have assumed that he would have told me about it later.  The fact that he was with a woman made me feel like he is not giving up his desire for women and I can’t live with that. I can’t compete on equal footing if the other person is a woman.  I don’t know how.  I am not sure Bradley and I have anything left to build on. I know I will have to talk to him but I can’t do it right now.  I’m not ready to try to deal with this situation.  I struggle through the evening but can’t sit still, can’t focus on anything and I have to work tomorrow with all of this shit in my head.

To be continued