The Cove

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Who's Who?

BARRY: A brawny oversexed manual laborer who's in a three-way love with Beau and Kale; the deep feelings he feels and the tangled relationship he's into makes him unsecure and uneasy, feeling a sort of 'third wheel'.
BEAU: The refined and wealthy boss of the Cove; while confident about his sexuality, he's still not out to the world; he's married to Kale, but he recently found out, much to his own surprise, how deeply he loved Barry.
KALE: a poised, sensible Hawaiian counselor; he tries his best to make the 'three-way couple' with Beau and Barry work, but it's not easy, especially because he and Beau are married to each other, but Barry is not.
GERRY: a muscular straight man in his mid-sixties who struggles to explores the 'other side' of his sexuality, his attraction to men; since he joined the Cove, he's made a long journey, and now he's going to face the last hard step...

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Synopsys

Gerry takes the last and most important step in his journey into man-love. Beau keeps his promise and comes out publicly, causing to the Cove some troubles with the press; but the turmoil is even greater when Beau makes an unbelievable proposal.

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Additional downloads (PDF)

~ Cast of Characters: the complete “Who’s Who” of the Cove!
~ Floor Plan of the Cove
~ Book 01: Chapters 01-10 (PDF with bookmarks)
~ Book 02: Chapters 11-20 (PDF with bookmarks)
~ Book 03: Chapters 21-30 (PDF with bookmarks)
~ Book 04: Chapters 31-38 (PDF with bookmarks)

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≈ CHAPTER 38 – THE MAGIC OF THE COVE ≈

 

~ Breaking News ~

Few minutes before 7pm, the entire Cove gathered in the ample living room to watch the news on Channel 8. Yesterday, at dinner, Beau had said them that the news might’ve been particularly interesting that evening, and they were very curious to find out why.

“But where is Beau?” – Alex said, glancing around – “If he doesn’t come downstairs quickly, he will miss the newscast!”

“I don’t think he’s at home, sir” – Charlie said – “When I came back home ten minutes ago his car wasn’t parked in the street like usual, and it was already missing when I went out, more than an hour ago…”

Everybody turned to Kale, shooting at him puzzled glances, but he shrugged his shoulders and joked: “Don’t look at me, I’m always the last one to know anything! Anyway, too late: the news has started, turn up the volume!”

A handsome reporter, kindly introduced by the anchorman in the studio, started talking from an external location, and all the guys of the Cove gasped with surprise, looking at where he was talking from. “Thank you Jeff!” – the reporter said – “Today we’re broadcasting live from Maison de la Motte, the representative residence of the renown Beauregard Rice-Duncan here in town. Mr. Rice-Duncan his hosting one of his famous charity meetings, and the whole Gotha of the charity organizations is here. He himself asked us to attend the event, and we hope he will tell us something regarding the persistent rumors about his recent marriage.”

“Look!” – Brennan exclaimed, excited – “That’s the ballroom at Maison de la Motte! And there’s Beau, too! Oh, look at how elegant he is in his tuxedo… He’s so sexy!”

Amongst the giggles, the reporter from the TV hastened to say: “Mr. Rice-Duncan is about to begin his speech, let’s hear his words!”

On the TV screen, Beau climbed on a low podium and took a deep breath. “My dear friends” – he said in a warm but authoritative tone – “I’m glad you all accepted my invite, despite the short notice. We often meet to decide which charity projects need our patronage and to raise the needed funds, but this meeting is special in many ways. First and foremost, I’d like to share with you something personal: as some of you may have heard, I finally got married...”

The audience started clapping joyfully, expressing polite congratulations to Beau, who went on: “Thank you, my friends. I know the press is here, and sure enough they’re eager to know something about my spouse: well, his name is Kale, he’s Hawaiian and I truly love him. He’s the man of my life.”

Several people suddenly stopped clapping, while other clapped their hands even louder; everyone started exchanging loud comments, and not all of them were enthusiastic.

“Yes, I’m gay, I’ve always been, and I’m proud of it. Now I’m finally proud of it, but it’s not always been like that. I’ve been living hiding my true nature for years, and I forced myself and my man to live our love story in the secrecy of our home. But now we’re married, and I don’t want to hide anymore.”

There were more handclaps from someone, and more outraged comments from others, and Beau didn’t relent: he’d set the ball in motion and now the show had to go on.

“And that’s not all. This mansion we’re at this evening is my representative residence, but I actually live in another house, here in town, that we call ‘The Cove’. At first, my lover Kale and I were the persons living there, but soon we took with us a male friend who needed our help to put his life back on tracks, after realizing he preferred men over women. And then came another couple, a man and his boy who were having a hard time because of their sexual inclinations. And Kale and I didn’t stop there: to this day, The Cove is a safe place where fifteen men and boys joyfully live their life, nurture the kids and love each other, healing the wounds they’ve been inflicted just for being themselves.”

Several guests stood up shaking their heads. The eldest and the wealthiest of them addressed him with obvious disdain: “I’m not going to stay here one minute more! Mr. Rice-Duncan, consider all my financial support to your charity projects revoked. And be so kind not to invite me anymore to your meetings. Good evening!”

He strode toward the main door, followed by several other guests. Beau looked at the now half-empty room and didn’t seem shocked nor sad about what just happened. He actually was expecting that: while someone thought he lived in a sort of ivory tower, he knew first-hand the real world and how mean and narrow-minded it can be.

 

~ The importance of the Cove ~

“While I do appreciate your staying, and I thank you for that, I want to make one thing clear: I didn’t invite you all here to ask for your approval, but to tell you about a charity project I have in mind. This is why I told you about The Cove. You see, in the last years I opened my house to several friends who needed my help, and I helped them at my best. But I can’t stop thinking that it’s not enough.”

Beau paused and looked around and the now silent audience: “How many gay men out there can’t live a decent life because of their sexual inclinations? How many gay boys can’t find the support they badly need from their families or are thrown away from home because of that? How many gay people desperately struggle to just be themselves and only get rejected? My house, big as it is, can’t possibly host them all. I can’t possibly look straight at all their eyes and tell to all of them ‘you’re perfect as you are’. The Cove can’t help them all...”

Apparently, his ardent speech had some effect, because the guests were exchanging sympathetic glances.

“So I came up with an idea: create a Cove in each town, and spread the spirit of acceptance, understanding and mutual support that is the very heart of ‘my’ Cove all over the country! A place where a lost kid can be taught how to live and love, a place where a broken man can rebuild his life… like I myself did. Yes, you may think that I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, and this is undoubtedly true, but I don’t wish any kid out there to live what I had to live due to my sexual inclinations. I’m going to use all my resources to bring a Cove wherever it’s needed, and I hope you will want to share this project, this dream, with me.”

Beau climbed down from the podium and the camera moved again to the reporter: “Wow, Jeff, this is some juicy news we got!” – the journalist said to the anchorman in the studio – “A Hawaiian husband for Mr. Rice-Duncan, a ‘Cove’ where unfortunate gay men and boys have been given a second chance and a project to create…”

Kale turned the TV off a bit shocked. True, Beau had clearly stated before the marriage that he was going to come out to everyone, and even warned that at first it would’ve been hard for Kale to bear with the interest of the press. Kale knew it, and was prepared to that… but watching it all on TV was a bit unsettling.

“As the reporter said… wow, this is some juicy news…!” – Kale then breathed in the silent room, looking around at the men, who were a bit shocked themselves – “Beau had guts to tell all about himself that way, but now all of us are involved. How do you feel about that?”

Wahkan rose on his feet and said: “I’ve already fought this battle, and I won, with the help of my valiant Falcon [1]. I admire Beau for deciding to fight his own. He’s strong, he will win.”

“At the Air Force base everyone knows about my sexual inclinations” – Stewart said shrugging his shoulders – “Hell, I even underwent an inquiry for sexual harassment! [2] I don’t care what people think, nor does my boy Ricky.”

“What about you, Alex?” – Kale asked – “I know that many of your acquaintances, including your former fellow cops at the Precinct and your current employer don’t know anything about your lifestyle…”

“Hey man” – Alex replied with a friendly smile – “have you heard what big boss Beau has just said? The Cove gave me and Charlie a second chance, a new life, and this applies to Jorell and LaShawn, too; and Rowan and Brennan. And in a way, to Gerry, too. If Beau decided to spill everything out, it was important for him, and I’m going to support him in any way, come what may. I owe him, we all owe him.”

“Since no one is asking me” – Barry said when everyone stopped talking – “here is what I think: I don’t give a shit about it! And I’m fucking starved!”

“Barry!!” – Kale exclaimed, feigning an outraged reaction, but shooting at Barry a thankful glance: as usual, Barry’s crude comments had the power to dispel the tense vibes, and instantly the room echoed with laughter and playful comments.

 

~ Gerry’s journey ~

After dinner, the group disbanded, and all the guys retired to their rooms for the night. Alex had just removed his shirt when he heard a soft knock on the door: it was Gerry, who had come bringing some fine brandy and three glasses. “Gerry! What a pleasant surprise!” – Alex saluted him, and Gerry flashed a cautious smile: “Sorry for the untimely intrusion, but I thought we could have a last drink and some chatter before going to bed, if it’s fine with you…”

“I’m all for it! Come on in, buddy!”

They sat around a small table placed in front of the big window and Gerry poured some brandy into the glasses, offering one to Alex and one to Charlie, who was a bit hesitant, as he was not used to drink liquors, but tried to look as confident as he could.

Sipping the liquor, Gerry shot a thoughtful glance at Alex. “What you said earlier, downstairs, hit me deep. About the Cove granting a new life to you and Charlie and in a way to me, too. You were righter that you probably thought…”

“I didn’t want to come live here…” ­– Gerry explained – “I didn’t feel comfortable about living with a large and well-knit group of gay man and boys. Don’t take me wrong, I’m not homophobic in the least: I was actually… scared. When I first met Rowan, my affair with Caleb was just a distant memory, and back then I never questioned my sexuality, as Caleb was one of his kind. But then Rowan and I moved to the Cove, and I knew that it was time for me to dig deeper into myself, and I didn’t know what I would’ve found.”

“I can only say that I’m so glad you came here” – Alex commented – “and not just for bringing Rowan back home. But I guess we’re a rowdy bunch of over-the-top guys, and maybe our lifestyle shocked you…”

“Shocked? No, Alex, no. One of the few perks of being my age is that you don’t get shocked easily. But at my age it’s difficult to change, it’s damn hard to see things under a different point of view. And yet, I had to rise to the challenges the Cove posed me day by day. With the help of my Rowan I explored sides of myself I was scared to know…”

“And what have you discovered?” – Alex asked gently.

“That Caleb was not one of his kind…” – was the thoughtful reply – “I discovered that what Caleb gave to me was just a short stretch of the long road to man-love. Since I moved here I’ve done things that I could never think possible. Before coming here, I had been fucked only by Caleb, when I was younger, and once by Rowan. Oh, and Barry! Shit, how can I forget the mighty fuck he gave me! It was meant as a punishment fuck [3], but it opened my mind… wider than my ass!”

Charlie couldn’t stifle a chuckle, and they all burst into laughter.

“Anyway, since then, I did some more steps in my journey, as Rowan showed me how delicate and tender can be man-love, and Brennan too; but they are kids… I know, Rowan is thirty, but he’s the same age as my late son, for me he’s just a kid… Anyway, making love to younger guys is so easy… Grown up men are different, and the few times I’ve had sex with grown men, it was always unsettling. Including when… well, when I sucked your cock, Alex. I think you remember, right? [4]”

Alex flashed a friendly smile and covertly adjusted his package into the shorts: “I definitely remember. It was… something special.”

“It was for me, too. An important moment in my journey” – Gerry replied, frowning – “But the road is still so long, and there are so many things that still scare me.”

“Things like what? You even got from Barry one of his infamous fucks! After that, nothing could really be scaring to you!”

They all giggled, but Gerry soon became more serious: “I’m not scared of physical pain. So far I never… I never let a man, a confident assertive man, make love to me. Make love, Alex. It’s different than being fucked, and much more scaring. What if… if I feel what I felt for Caleb? What if I discover that after all I’m into men? I’m not a teenager, Alex, I’m sixty-three: what if I realize I wasted all these years running after women when my destiny was to… submit to other men?”

Alex reached across the small table and placed his hand over Gerry’s. “I’m twenty years younger than you, but I’ve been into men since I was born, and I can tell you one thing: when it comes to make love to a man, forget the word ‘submit’. Offering yourself to a man is the sweetest gift you can give to him, and it takes guts to do that. Ask Kale: he loves to be on the receiving end, but never once I saw him ‘submitting’ to anyone.”

“I guess you’re right…” – Gerry replied, uncertain – “But still I… I don’t know if I’m ready to take this last step.”

Alex stood silent for a moment, looking intensely into Gerry’s eyes, and then flashed an urchin grin: “Wanna try? If you think I’m the right man to try with, of course…”

 

~ The last step ~

Gerry hesitated, and then said under his breath: “I wouldn’t do it with anyone but you, Alex. You are dominant, assertive, but you know what love is. I see it every time you look at Charlie. Love me, man… Make love to me…”

Both men rose to their feet and slowly stripped to their underwear. Charlie watched them in silence, wondering whether he should’ve sneaked away, to give the men the privacy they needed, but Alex’s voice made his heart beat faster: “Charlie, prepare him.”

“P… Prepare, sir?”

“Yeah, kid” – Alex replied, talking to Charlie but looking at Gerry – “I want you make Gerry feel good, make him hot, make his body feel on fire. Suck him, lick him, kiss him, make him feel how much we love him. And then loosen his man hole and grease it all, so that he’s ready for me…”

Charlie leapt on his feet so abruptly that his chair almost fell backwards. He quickly stripped off with feverish hands, and when he dropped his pants his young cock was as hard as stone. He went closer to Gerry and tentatively touched his furry torso: “May… May I, sir?”

“You heard the big guy, kid” – Gerry replied with a tender smile – “I’m in your hands…”

Charlie couldn’t believe that he could finally put his hands (and his mouth) on Gerry: since the man moved to the Cove he’d been a wet dream for Charlie, but just a dream, as Gerry was not inclined to indulge into man-sex. Now Charlie could finally worship Gerry’s hairy chest, his meaty nipples, his bulging pecs, his massive biceps. The boy’s tongue and lips were tireless and explored every inch of Gerry’s torso, without any haste. He slowly knelt in front of Gerry and gently pressed his face on the man’s bulge, inhaling his manly scent and blowing hot breath through the thin fabric of his briefs.

“Kid, you’re wonderful…” – Gerry said in a low voice, and Charlie doubled his efforts, gently munching on Gerry’s trapped cock and taking handfuls of his marble buttocks. Unable to wait any longer, Charlie pulled down Gerry’s briefs and quickly took his stiffening cock into his mouth. Now Charlie was in his natural element, as his oral skills were legendary since the days he worked at the Mighty Stud.

“Ooohhh….!” – Gerry moaned, when the last inch of his long cock disappeared into Charlie’s skilled mouth and felt the boy’s throat muscles rhythmically tighten and relax around his engorged glans. But when he was thinking that Charlie’s blowjob was the best one he’d ever got, he uttered a surprised gasp, feeling the boy’s long tongue come out of the overstuffed mouth and gently tickling his balls.

“Fuck…! Shit, kid, what are you doing to me… It’s… Awww, fuuuck!”

Charlie recoiled with a proud smile on his face: Alex asked to ‘prepare’ Gerry, and looking at the stiffness of his long cock he was definitely ready! The boy looked sideways at Alex, who was sitting near them, on a chair, massaging his bulge; the bulky guard flashed a knowing smile and nodded, acknowledging Charlie’s skills: “Good boy… Now take care of Gerry’s… other side!”

Charlie rose on his feet and gently pushed Gerry down on the bed, on his back; the man seemed a little restless when Charlie grabbed his legs and raised them in the air, but didn’t put up any resistance and didn’t say anything. The boy looked down, at the enticing hairy hole slowly appearing between the muscular buttocks, and moved down to make love to it.

But as soon as his tongue tentatively touched the puckered hole, Gerry stiffened and turned to Alex: “Is… Is this really necessary?”

“It’s wonderful, trust me, man” – Alex replied with a smile – “It’s something that makes your knees go weak for the pleasure…”

“I know” – Gerry said, a bit ashamed – “but… well… this is something the only Rowan does to me, it’s our secret act of love, and I… I…”

“No need to explain me, Gerry. It’s wonderful that you and Rowan have your special acts of love…”

Alex looked at Charlie and pointed his chin to the nightstand; Charlie got the message and took a big tube of lube from the drawer and took a large glob of slimy gel on his fingers. He spread it on the man’s quivering hole, and then, with utmost kindness and respect, pushed his middle finger into the clenched sphincter. Charlie knew that Gerry was not a virgin, but he didn’t want to make him feel violated, or uneasy: all he wanted was to give that muscular DILF the greatest pleasure he was capable of.

Gerry’s moans told to Charlie that he was on the right road, so he boldened and added a second finger, gyrating them to better spread the lube inside the tight canal.

“Relax, Gerry…” – Alex said with a mellow tone – “The boy is making love to your ass, open up for him, offer yourself to him…”

With a groan of pleasure, Gerry held his legs even higher, and Charlie could clearly feel the tense anal muscles relax enough to allow him to insert a third finger. A fleeting smirk of discomfort appeared on Gerry’s face, but it lasted just few moments, because Charlie started wiggling his fingers into the man’s chute, reaching to his joy button and titillating it in the most exquisite way. “Nnngghh… Oh, fuck… Keep doing it, kid! Keep going!”

Charlie went on for a while, loosening Gerry’s hole until he guessed he was ready. Sure enough, Gerry was now relaxed and ready to be fucked, but Alex had such a thick cock, and Charlie was not sure he could break into Gerry without hurting him.

Alex silently moved closer to Charlie and took some lube from the tube, and the boy gasped with surprise when Alex, instead of shoving his greasy fingers into Gerry’s ass, grabbed Charlie’s cock and started stroking it, making the stiff young rod slick and stiffer than ever.

 

~ Man-love ~

“He’s not ready for me, yet” – Alex said to an astonished Charlie – “He needs to be loosened some more. Go for it kid, and make Gerry feel your love for him…”

Charlie flashed a nervous glance at Gerry, but the man smiled tenderly, nodding his consent: Charlie was a boy, and being fucked by a boy was something that Gerry had already experienced; if anything, it was thrilling for Gerry to feel the manly ardor of a guy so much younger than him! “Make this old man happy, kid…” – he said playfully, and Charlie smiled wide: “I’m going to make this hot stud happy…” – and gently eased his dick into Gerry’s fiery furnace.

Charlie was so excited by the idea that he was actually fucking Gerry, the tough biker, the hot grizzly bear that populated so many of his daydreams, that after few powerful thrusts he suddenly stiffened and gasped loud, shooting like a cannon all his boyish juice into Gerry’s depths.

Gerry flashed a sorry glance, as he was enjoying the love-making very much, and it was sad it ended already; but then he realized that Charlie apparently was not done, yet. “Sir, may I go on, sir?” – he pleaded, without stopping his hips – “You’re so hot, I couldn’t hold back, but there’s more, sir! Much more!”

“Kid” – Gerry laughed, pleased to be such a tease for a young buck like Charlie – “you can fuck me with that wonderful love stick of yours all night long, if you want! Go on, young man! Open me wide, as your man asked!”

And that’s what Charlie did. Now that he let out the excessive steam, he went on pummeling Gerry’s sturdy ass with great vigor, putting in his thrusts all the youthful passion of his twenty years. It didn’t take long until Gerry started squirming and said: “Fuck, kid… My cock aches… You’re making me cum…”

“Hold back, Gerry…” – Alex said, getting closer to them; he placed his beefy hand on Charlie’s buttocks and sneaked a finger inside his ass crack, until the fingertip was on the boy’s hole: “Time for the fireworks, kid…” – he growled, and shoved his thick finger into Charlie. The boy’s response was immediate: “Oh, sir!! Oh, SIIIIRR!!!”

Countless shots of youthful cream added to the ones already filling Gerry’s depths, until Charlie, exhausted, pulled out and leaned to Gerry, to place a tender kiss on his lips: “It’s been wonderful, sir…”

“Same here, kid. Gee, cumming twice in a row without ever stopping in between! Never did that, not even at your age. There’s a tireless stallion pawning inside you…”

“Thank you sir!!” – Charlie exclaimed, feeling overly proud that his manliness got such a high praise from a man who definitely knew life. The boy rolled sideways and landed on the mattress on his back, giving way to Alex, who was greasing his cock with plenty of lube. He knelt between Gerry’s legs and leaned to him until their faces were just an inch apart.

“Now it’s time for sweet love, man” – Alex said with a tender smile. – “You’re about to be loved like never before… Are you ready?”

“Guess so…” – Gerry replied, a bit tense, expecting to feel Alex’s cock intrude in his ass, but instead Alex locked his lips to Gerry’s and gave him a breathtaking kiss, making their tongues embrace and dance, and sharing their breath. Gerry felt his head spin, as he’d never given such a passionate kiss to a man, not even to Rowan, and sure enough not to Caleb: back then, kissing was something strictly reserved to their wives.

Lost into the swirl of emotions that Alex’s kiss was giving him, Gerry’s mind barely registered Alex’s hefty cock slowly entering his now loosened anus, made slick with two fresh loads of boyish juice. Out of pure instinct, Gerry’s legs locked behind Alex’s back and started tightening rhythmically, to make Alex dig deeper into him, take him completely, own every inch of him.

By now Gerry had been fucked by several guys, but what Alex was doing to him was totally different. Even Caleb, who for sure had tender feelings for Gerry, didn’t have experience with men, and often times was quite rough with Gerry; including the first time, when he didn’t realize that a virgin male ass needs much more gentleness (and lubrication) than a woman’s cunt. Not to mention Barry, who was purposely forceful with him, and split his ass open shoving his humongous cock all the way in, with one powerful thrust. Rowan and Charlie, sweet as they were, were too young for Gerry to feel a deep relationship with them.

But Alex… Alex was showing him for the first time what making love… no, what being loved by a man really meant. Being a man himself, Gerry knew well the difference between giving a fuck and making love to someone. He could clearly tell the difference between the rough fuck he once gave to Barry, or the gentle fuck he gave to Kale and Brennan, and the sweet love he made to Rowan or Gladys.

«Right, Gladys…» – Gerry thought at some point, while Alex’s cock moved inside him like a velvety caress – «Is this what she feels when I make love to her? Does she feel the same need to cling to her man and give him all of herself? Does she feel as thankful as I feel now, for the sheer pleasure my man is giving me?»

Alex started panting harder and rose upright on his knees, holding Gerry’s legs up and apart and rocking his hips in such a sensual way that Charlie, lying next to them, couldn’t restrain a lustful sigh.

Gerry looked intensely at Alex and said with coarse voice: “I can feel it, buddy. I can feel your love, your passion, your tenderness. It’s almost too much to bear… I… Nnnggh… I… AWWW, FUUUCCCKK!!”

Gerry’s cock erupted a steady stream of white thick cream and his hands gripped hard on the bedsheets. Charlie couldn’t stay put, and quickly took Gerry’s spurting cock into his mouth and started sucking hard, heightening even more the almost unbearable pleasure that Gerry was feeling.

The hot scene, with Gerry tossing his head from side to side, delirious for the pleasure and Charlie greedily drinking every drop of his semen, sent Alex through the roof; he grunted loud and stiffened, and slammed his hips one last time against Gerry’s firm ass, planting his manly seed deep inside him.

When they came down from the sexual high, Alex leaned again to Gerry and held him tight, without saying a word. Charlie sensed that they needed some privacy, and silently moved to his room.

 

~ What now? ~

After few minutes, Alex rolled on the mattress and smiled at Gerry, but his smile soon faded, looking at the deep frown on the man’s face: “Hey, buddy… What’s wrong, didn’t you like it?”

“Like it? It was much more than that, Alex, it was almost sublime. I… I really hoped it wasn’t like that. I dearly wished it would’ve been… ‘meh’! Fuck. Sixty-three years gone with the wind, chasing the wrong dream, lying to my wife and to my women, including Gladys. I made them think I was a stud who lived for them, but apparently I’m a cock-lover who prefers to open his own legs, rather than make a woman open hers…”

Alex’s mouth sagged open: “Gerry, you can’t really think what you just said…”

“Why not, isn’t it obvious? I never felt like this before, I never had such a powerful orgasm, never felt so close with the person I was making love with…”

“I think you already felt like this before” – Alex said with a knowing grin, propping himself on an elbow – “And you had even a more massive orgasm than this, before…”

“When?”

“When you made love with a woman for the first time. When you lost your virginity with her. Am I wrong?”

Gerry stood silent for a moment, recalling memories from a distant past: “Fuck, it’s been ages ago… She was older than me, and much more expert, but she was sweet and tender, and when I came… fuck, I almost fainted for the feeling! I couldn’t breathe, and when I looked down at her beautiful eyes, I knew for sure that I was madly in love with her…”

“What happened to her?” – Alex asked, almost sure to know the answer.

“We lost touch shortly after…”

“You see, what just happened between us was not that different, Gerry. In a way, it was your first time, or at least it was the first time you discovered a side of man-love that you didn’t know. Tonight I already dared to give you some advice, and I want you to trust me again: what happened tonight has nothing to do with Gladys, your wife and your women; and surely enough has nothing to do with your undeniable manliness. Fuck, don’t you hear the sighs of desire every time you cross a room? And in case you don’t know, you made many a boy cream his pants…”

Gerry burst into a loud laughter: “That’s not true! Come on! Ha ha ha!”

“Cross my heart and hope to die!” – Alex exclaimed playfully, happy to have been able to snap Gerry out of his rueful mental trip.

“You sound like a Boy Scout” – Gerry laughed – “but you definitely don’t look like one! Ha ha ha!”

“Yeah, it sucks” – the bulky guard said, pouting and feigning a sad expression – “They rejected my application…!”

“Ha ha ha!! You’re something else, Alex! But seriously… thanks man. Tonight you took me by hand and brought me to a beautiful and scaring place, but you made me feel safe. Though I’m not sure where I’m going from here…”

“You’re going back to ‘your’ Rowan” – Alex said getting off the bed and pulling Gerry with him – “Your boy has already run a much longer stretch of road into man-love than you did, and his journey has been incredibly harder than yours, or mine. He’s a wise guy, and can show you the way.”

Gerry picked his clothes from the floor, but didn’t put them on, covered as he was of sweat and sperm: “I guess I’m going to cause some more sighs, going downstairs like this…”

“You bet” – Alex replied, walking Gerry to the door.

 

~ Un-marriage? ~

The following days were, for the Cove, like living in a mixer at full speed.

The press, eager to get more juicy details about Beau’s marriage and that ‘Cove’ full of gay men and boys he talked about, stationed out of the big wooden house, always ready to stop whoever came out and interview them.

The reporters quickly learned that stopping Barry and insisting to interview him was a big mistake, and he was granted a sort of free pass to come and go at will; on the other hand, some of the other guys were happy to talk to the press, especially Stewart, who felt comfortable enough with his lifestyle to talk about it in public, and Wahkan, who didn’t want to miss a chance to reach the Sioux boys living away from their people and traditions.

Kale, at first, tried to stay at home, hiding from the press, but after a couple days of ‘siege’ he decided that something had to be done. He put on an elegant shirt and some smart slacks and went out to face the reporters.

“I guess you’re waiting for me” – he said aloud while the reporters gathered around him – “and I’m willing to give you what you want. But here’s the deal: I will answer to all your questions, all of them, but then you will leave and never come back. Deal?”

The journalists agreed, and the long interview began. Kale answered many questions, often regarding his home land and his family, or the Cove, or the circumstances that led to his relationship with Beau. And all the while Kale soldiered on, because talking in public of such personal matters went against his deepest nature; but then he reminded himself that this way the Cove would’ve regained his peace, and went on answering to the questions.

Anyway, not all of Kale’s answers were the ones that the press expected. “Don’t you think” – asked at some point one particularly narrow-minded reporter – “that promoting so blatantly your lifestyle and your same-sex marriage can be misleading to the youngsters?”

Kale shot him a steely glance and replied: “Firstly, it’s not I who is ‘promoting’ my lifestyle: it’s your prurient questions and your morbid curiosity! I wonder when you’re going to ask me ‘who acts as a woman’ when I’m with my husband! Secondly, if there’s a boy or a young man out there who thinks he’s ‘wrong’ only because his sexual inclinations don’t meet yours, he must know that there is an alternative, that he can love whoever he wants, and even marry him, and there’s nothing wrong with it. There’s a thin line between putting me under pressure to get some gossip and disrespect the entire LGBTQ+ community, and you crossed that line by a good mile!”

The other reporters shot reproachful glances to their colleague, and quickly took their leaves, thanking Kale for his kind availability. Kale turned around and went back to the Cove, and by the time he reached the sofa in the living room, he was trembling for the tension.

Beau was waiting for him, and held him tight in his arms: “My wonderful man, it must’ve been hard for you. I feel so guilty for putting you in such a situation…”

“You’re not to blame” – Kale replied, cuddling up to Beau – “The world is full of people like that reporter. I only hope I could give him what he deserved…”

“You definitely did” – Beau said, holding Kale at arm’s length and flashing a cheeky smile – “I can’t wait to hear the evening news!”

The last comment made Kale giggle, and they looked into each other’s eyes with great tenderness. “I love you, husband” – Kale said, and Beau echoed him: “I love you, husband.”

Their lips met in a sweet, tender kiss, and for many long moments nothing existed any more around them: only the man they deeply loved and his warm lips. While still kissing, they heard the main door open, and Beau saw with the corner of his eye that it was Barry, who was coming back from work. Hastily, Beau recoiled and assumed a neutral pose, as if he and Kale were no more than dear friends.

“Hey” – Barry said to the couple sitting on the sofa, and Beau replied with an embarrassed “Hi”, while his eyes followed Barry going upstairs. When alone, Kale looked at Beau with surprise: “What was that? Why did you act like a kid caught red-handed?”

“Well, you know…” – Beau replied, tentatively – “Maybe Barry could get hurt to see us exchanging effusions like that…”

“I thought we’d got over that, and we’ve made clear that the three of us are a sort of ‘three-way couple’, as Barry calls it.”

“Yeah, you’re right, but still it must be hard for him, as we’re married, you know… This three-way couple may seem a bit… unbalanced to him, don’t you think so? I just don’t want him to feel hurt, that’s all…”

“But we are married, Beau!” – Kale exclaimed, without any anger, but uncertain about how to manage the situation – “We can’t just get… ‘un-married’, can we? You’re right, the relationships between the three of us is a bit unbalanced, but it’s something Barry must accept: we may be a three-way couple, but a three-way marriage can’t exist, and there’s nothing to do about it.”

Beau didn’t reply and just watched intensely at Kale, deeply hit by his words. After a short while, he nodded and gave to Kale a sweet kiss on his cheek: “Forgive me, Kale. It was stupid by my side reacting that way.”

Kale flashed a tender smile: “I actually think it was very romantic by your side being so caring to Barry. It’s a weird situation, and we still have to find a way to deal with it.”

“You’re right, as always…” – Beau said with a smile – “It’s almost dinner time, let’s go change for dinner.”

 

~ Sappy words ~

Truth to be told, Beau, too, was right: Barry was trying his best to adjust to the new, unsettling situation, but he couldn’t forget that no matter what, Beau and Kale were married. It was a fact, there was nothing they could do about it, but still looking at the two lovebirds cooing always caused an unpleasant pang of pain in his heart.

The following evening, Barry came home as usual, and this time he found Beau alone, sitting in the living room. “Hey man” – Barry said as usual, and headed to the staircase, but before he could climb the first step, he felt a strong arm holding him by his waist. He turned around and suddenly found himself into Beau’s arms.

They looked straight at each other’s eyes for a long moment, and then Beau breathed: “Say it again, Barry. Tell me that you love me…”

“Fuck, man” – Barry replied, weakly trying to wriggle off Beau’s embrace – “don’t you have anything more important to do than harass me?”

“I’ll make it easier for you: I love you, Barry. I love you so much! You’re part of my life, and I need to know that you love me, too”

“You sound like a sappy romance book…”

“Say it, Barry” – Beau pleaded – “It’s important for me. Because if you don’t love me like I love you, I… I…”

“I love you Beau… Fuck you man, how do you do it? You look at me with your puppy eyes and here I am, making a fool of myself and acting like a schoolgirl. I love you! Now can you please let me go?”

“No.” – Beau said, grinning ear to ear, and held Barry even tighter, while their mouths locked in a passionate, knee-weakening, mind-blowing sensual kiss. A quintessential Beau-kiss.

“Put a nice shirt for dinner” – Beau said to a gasping Barry when he finally recoiled – “Will you do it for me?”

“Fuck…” – Barry grunted, stepping back and heading upstairs – “Fuck… Fuck…”

Despite his complaints, Barry did it, and when he appeared in the dining room in his slim-fitting black shirt, left open halfway down to his waist, many mouths sagged open and many cocks twitched under the table.

“You look wonderful!” – Beau said to Barry on behalf of the entire Cove – “and such a display of elegance can’t be wasted. I dearly hope that after dinner you all can join me in the living room, to enjoy each other’s company, have a drink together, have some nice chat… Will you?”

Everyone nodded affirmatively, while exchanging puzzled glances, most of which directed to Kale, who again shrugged his shoulders. Wahkan, too, glanced around, to then fixate his piercing gaze on Beau, who he looked away, so as to not reveal to the astute Sioux what he had in mind.

Dinner was joyful and boisterous as usual, but there was a sense of anticipation in the air, fueled by Beau’s stifled happy smiles. When all the plates and the dishes were empty, Beau moved to the living room, followed by all the boys and men of the Cove, who sat down on the many armchairs and sofas around.

“The last couple weeks have been a real rollercoaster for all of us” – Beau said when everyone was comfortably seated and with a glass in his hand – “and I think it’s almost a miracle that tonight we’re all here, joyfully sharing an evening together. The Cove has been on the brink of crumbling down, something that I could never think possible, but it happened. Some of you may not know that the Cove was born in this very room, while this big old house was still undergoing a major renovation, masterfully made by Barry.”

Beau raised his glass to Barry, who smiled, proud of the result of his hard work.

“But Barry didn’t just renovate this house: he unknowingly was the sparkle that ignited the fire that still today burns inside the Cove’s heart. Back then Barry, who was still married to a woman, had just found out that he felt a strong attraction to men, and for some terrible moments his entire world crumbled down [5]. Most of us discovered, not without some struggle, to have a preference for men since we were children, or teen; but I guess that it’s much harder when you discover this side of yourself when you’re a grown-up man, and you spent your entire life sharing your bed with women, and you even married one…”

Beau looked around, glancing at Kale [6], who nodded positively; and unexpectedly (for Beau, at least) Gerry did the same.

“Desperate and lost, and heavily drunk, Barry that night came here” – Beau went on – “and the following morning I came downstairs and found him giving to Kale one of his infamous fucks. For a long moment my heart stopped, as I deeply loved Kale, and seeing him making love to another man was a terrible shock. But then I understood that Kale was not cheating on me with Barry: he was helping him come out from the debris of his former life, to bring him into a new, beautiful and exciting life.”

“Amen!” – Barry said solemnly, sipping some brandy and smiling lovingly at Beau and Kale.

“That night I realized that helping Barry was way more important than me or Kale” – Beau went on – “And while at the moment no one of us realized what was happening, the Cove was born that early morning. And the rest is history.”

 

~ An unbelievable proposal ~

Everyone started exchanging comments at the same time, and for a moment the room was filled by the loud chatter, but Beau raised his hand, and instantly had all the voices trail off.

“But that’s just a part of the story” – he said seriously – “because, unbeknownst to us, that early morning something else was born: a bond, a strong life-long bond that tied, and still ties, Kale, Barry and myself. We didn’t know, back then, and we went on ignoring it until recently, but that distant day a seed was planted, a seed that sprouted and made us become part of what we call a ‘three-way couple’. Some of you may have noticed it: Kale, Barry and I are not just friends, we are… lovers. We deeply love each other, in different ways of course, but still each of us realized that our lives would be miserable without the other two.”

Again, many exclamations and comments filled the room, and Beau gave to his friends some moments to talk to each other, before raising his hand again, commanding silence.

“Of course, Kale and I share our lives since a longer time, and by now I’ve told to Kale many times how much I love him and I need him. But so far I didn’t have the chance to do the same with Barry.”

Beau looked intensely at Barry and took a deep breath. “Barry, as ‘sappy’ as it may sound, I love you. Just thinking of living my life without you makes me feel sick, it’s something I can’t even imagine. For years I’ve admired your confidence, I’ve relied on your strength, and I… well, I lusted after your overwhelming manliness. I told to myself that we were friends, that we loved each other just like we all at the Cove love each other, but slowly you became part of me. I needed a traumatic experience such as seeing you going away to realize that I couldn’t do without you…”

Barry was nervously fiddling with his glass, and murmured: “I… I don’t know what to say… Damn, you know that fancy speeches like yours are not my cup of tea…”

“Then, let me do the talking” – Beau said smiling wide and standing up. He went to Barry and with gentle firmness pulled him on his feet. “What are you doing?” – Barry asked, puzzled, and Beau flashed a mysterious smile.

“You see, Barry, I’m far from being perfect, I’m self-centered and not very attentive to other people’s feelings, but when I know that something’s the right thing to do, I do it. When I realized that I was in love with Kale, that we were a couple, and knew for sure that I wanted to spend my life with him, I proposed to him. Now I’ve realized that you are part of our three-way couple, I’m in love with you and I want you to be part of my life, so…”

Beau let go of Barry’s hands and, much to everyone’s astonishment, bent a knee in front of him, taking a small velvet box from his pocket. He opened it, and there was a white gold engagement band, identical to the one he gave to Kale not long ago.

The silence, in the room, was complete and all eyes were riveted to Beau when he said in a loving but formal tone: “Bartholomew Roland Watts… Barry… will you marry me?”

 

For a minute, sixty endless seconds, no one moved, no one even breathed, and Barry himself felt petrified, until his face became a mask of restrained anger and he shouted: “Fuck you, man! This is not funny! I guess you’re proud of poking fun at me in such a masterful way, no? Well done, such a nice speech just to make fool of me! Go fuck yourself, you and your tinfoil ring!”

He took the glass with the remains of his whisky, gulped it down and then furiously threw it against the wall, making it shatter into a thousand pieces with a loud crash.

Then he turned around and headed to the staircase, grumbling unrepeatable curses and stomping hard his boots on the floor.

 

* * * * * * * *