Okay Jack, your life is getting back on track. Do your best on your interview and you will be rewarded, just as your dad has always told you. Remember, I told you losing your last job was going to be the best thing to ever happen to you.
I can’t prepare for what else is going to happen over the next couple of years. Life is full of ups and downs, but you got this…
***
I was glad that I took the time to hang my suit up after that first night with Alex. I was also glad that I had more than one dress shirt and tie, I hadn’t had time to wash the shirt I was wearing that night. After Alex and I gave each other a kiss for good luck, he went to his place to prepare for his own interview. I showered and picked out a shirt and tie and headed to my interview, arriving 15 minutes early. I waited in my car for 5 minutes and then went into the office of Emerson Manufacturing to wait to see Frank Emerson, the owner.
A few minutes later, a man that appeared to be in mid-forties greeted me with a handshake. He smiled and said, “Hi Jack, I’m Bob Emerson, My father Frank and I will be talking with you today. If you follow me, we will go to his office.”
I followed Bob down the hall, and he paused at the door and motioned for me to enter the office. I saw a man sitting behind a big desk, I could clearly see the family resemblance between him and Bob.
Bob said, “Jack, this is Frank Emerson, my father. Dad, this Jack Tanner, the applicant for our open accounts receivable position.”
Frank stood and shook my hand and motioned to the chair in front of his desk, “Nice to meet you Jack, please have a seat.”
I smiled and said, “Thank you Mr. Emerson. It’s my pleasure to meet you too.”
He chuckled, “None of that Mr. Emerson stuff around, half the staff would turn around to see who you were talking to. Most of the employees here are relatives.”
Bob laughed, “Yes, please call me Bob and him Frank. We are pretty informal around here.”
Bob began by giving me a brief history of the company. Frank started the company in the late 1950s in his garage. He was a truck mechanic in the Army during the Korean war. When he returned home he designed a hydraulic jack that would lift a large truck and began building them. The jack soon found a market and Frank had to move into an old gas station. By the 1960s he moved into a larger building that had been used as a warehouse. He continued to develop new jacks to accommodate the bigger trucks that were now on the road. He also developed more products used to maintain truck fleets. He built a new building in 1982, the very building I was sitting in right now. Bob also told me that there were plans for an expansion in the next year.
Frank said, “It’s about time for me to hang it up, Bob will be taking over by the end of this year.”
Bob nodded, “I started working here about twenty years ago, after I finished college. Dad had me start out in the shop and learn all of the machines and had me do every other job we have. He finally thinks I’m ready to take over.”
Frank shrugged, “I’m not sure if I think you are ready to take the reins, but I’m ready to let them go.”
Bob said, “The position we have open is for someone to handle our accounts receivable. You will be responsible for sending invoices to all our customers after we ship them a piece of equipment. The position has been open for over a month, ever since dad’s cousin retired.”
Frank said, “Yeah, I would have had it filled two weeks ago, we’ve had several good candidates.”
Bob rolled his eyes, “I should tell you Jack, this has always been a family affair. All of dad’s siblings and some of his cousins have worked here over the years. They are still stuck in the old days, and all of our bookkeeping is still done with journals and ledgers.”
Frank shook his head, “It’s worked for almost fifty years. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Bob chuckled, “We are going to be starting the 21st century in six years, dad, it’s time to move into the 20th.” He turned back to me, “I would like to get our books on a computer, several others in the office will retiring over the next couple of years. I want someone to help me select the accounting software and get our books converted. I am also looking into some CNC equipment for our shop.”
Frank sighed, “I don’t have a clue about all this technology crap, so it’s definitely time for me to ride off into the sunset.”
Bob and I talked for another hour and while I had never kept a full set of books, I had enough business and accounting classes to know I could handle the job. Especially with all the new accounting software that was now available. He told me that Vicky had given him all the info on my last job and thought I would be a good choice for this one. I was getting more and more excited the longer we talked.
After Bob asked me all of his questions, and I asked all of mine, he told me what the salary was going to be. I stifled a big smile; it was very generous and slightly higher than my last job.
He asked, “So, what do you think, Jack?”
I nodded, “I am very interested, and look forward to hearing from you after you finish all of your interviews.”
Bob said, “You are our last interview, that is if you accept the job.”
I asked, “Are you offering me the job right now?”
He nodded, “Yes, I am.”
I walked out of the building with the biggest smile on my face, I was starting my new job on Monday. I can’t wait to tell Alex; I hope his interview went just as well.
I drove straight to Alex’s apartment, his car wasn’t there, so I waited in the parking lot. About half an hour later, Alex pulled in and parked beside me. He had a big grin on his face as he got out of car and walked toward me.
He asked, “What are you doing here.”
I smiled, “I wanted to see how your interview went.”
He said, “It went great, they told me it’s between me and one other person, they are going to call in the next two days. How did yours go?”
I couldn’t contain myself any longer, I burst out, “I got it Alex, I start on Monday.”
He wrapped me in a hug, “That is awesome, let’s go inside so I can congratulate you properly.”
We went inside and took our ties and coats off. Alex listened as I told him everything about my new job. I then sat and listened to him tell me about his interview. We soon shed the rest of our clothes and celebrated our good day the only way two horny gay guys could.
The next day, Alex got his phone call and was starting his new job on Monday too. This gave us another excuse to celebrate.
I, of course, called my parents and told them the good news, they were just as happy for me. I haven’t told them about Alex just yet. Things were going great, but I wanted to make sure things were going to work out before I told them. I know I told them about Heath too soon.
Alex and I got started on our jobs and they were going great. Bob and I were researching software to suit our business, and I was glad he was willing to spend whatever it took. I was so glad that Windows was now standard on all new computers, and that a mouse had replaced the commands that DOS required. It was going to be a big task to get all our information onto the computer, but I was glad that I was getting in on the ground floor.
About a month after we started our jobs, Alex came over to my place for dinner. We had been spending a lot of time at either his place or mine. We talked every day, either in person or at the very least on the phone.
After we finished eating, we relaxed on the couch talking about our day. Alex said, “My siter, Beth, called me today.”
I laid my head on his shoulder, “How is she doing?”
He said, “She’s good. Remember I said that I told her about us a couple of weeks ago?”
I nodded, “Sure.”
He said, “She told me she wants to meet you. She invited us to her house for dinner this Saturday night. Kyle is going to grill steaks.”
I said, “Okay.”
Alex asked, “Do you want to go?”
I lifted my head and smiled, “If you want me to, of course I do.”
He smiled, “I really do want you to meet her.”
I gave him a kiss and said, “I would love to meet your family. Would you like to meet mine?”
Alex nodded, “Yes, I would.”
I said, “I was planning on going home for my dad’s birthday in three weeks. I’ll call mom tomorrow to let her know I’m bringing you with me.”
I guess meeting each other’s family was the next step in our relationship. It was getting real, and I couldn’t be more sure that we were doing the right thing. I called mom the next day and she was thrilled that I was finally bringing someone home to meet them.
Alex picked me up on Saturday, and we drove to Beth and Kyle’s house. Beth was in the kitchen as we walked in, Kyle and the boys were in the back yard lighting the grill.
Beth turned and gave Alex a big hug, “So glad you could come little brother.”
He said, “Thanks for having us over, sis. This is Jack. Jack this is my sister, Beth.”
She brushed right past the hand that I extended to shake hers and she wrapped me in hug. She said, “It is so nice to finally meet you.”
I smiled, “Thanks for inviting me.”
Before we talked any more, Kyle walked in, followed by four-year-old Conner, and two-year-old Cole. Alex introduced me to Kyle as Conner and Cole jumped into his arms, screaming, “Uncle Alex.”
Alex picked them up and said, “Hey guys, this is my friend, Jack.”
I smiled and said, “Hi guys.”
They both eyed me suspiciously as Cole played shy and put his head on Alex’s shoulder and Conner said, “Hi.”
Beth asked us how our jobs were going and I soon felt very welcome. After we finished eating, Conner and Cole took Alex to their room to show him some new toy. I helped Beth clear the table.
She said, “I am so glad to meet you, Alex has done nothing but talk about you since the day he met you.”
I chuckled, “That was a great day for me too. I think I have really fallen for your little brother. Hasn’t he ever introduced you to anyone before me?”
She laughed, “No, he hasn’t. You are the first person he has ever introduced to us. Oh, he talked to me about a couple of guys, but never the way he talks about you.”
It felt like my heart was going to burst. It felt so good to know Alex felt the same way about me as I did about him.
I held back a happy tear and said, “I do love him, I haven’t told him that yet but, I really do.”
Beth gave me a hug, “That is so good to hear, you guys will say that to each other when you are ready.”
My curiosity got the best of me, I asked, “Do your parents know about me?”
She looked at me, I quickly said, “Alex told me that he hasn’t talked to them in years, but I was just wondering if you…”
Beth shook her head, “No, I don’t talk to mom and dad very often either, not after the way they treated Alex. I made it very clear that I thought they were wrong, they still don’t agree. They stop by a few times every year, usually to drop off a birthday gift for the boys. Mom always calls to invite me, Kyle and the boys for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but I just tell her that we will not be there unless she invites Alex too. We invite Alex over here and have our own little family get together. And it goes without saying, you are now included.”
I said, “Thank you.”
Beth asked, “What about your family?”
I smiled, “I was lucky, my parents took the news that I was gay very well. I am taking Alex with me in couple of weeks to meet them. I’m sure they will love him and he will feel just as welcome as you made me feel tonight.”
Alex, Kyle and boys came back into the kitchen laughing and giggling. By the end of the evening, Conner and Cole had warmed up to me. And soon, Alex and I were on the floor wrestling with them. My heart just melted as we were getting ready to leave and right after they gave Alex his goodbye hug, they both jumped into my arms to give me a hug. I have to fight back a tear when they said, “See you later Uncle Jack.”
A few weeks later, Alex and I were driving to my parents’ house for my dad’s birthday. I hoped it would go as well as it went when I met Alex’s family.
We walked into the house and I made the introductions; mom gave Alex a hug and dad smiled and shook his hand. I breathed a sigh of relief as we quickly started talking about how our jobs were going and mom filled me in on all the happenings around town since I had last visited. My sister showed up with her new boyfriend, Alex, suddenly felt less self-conscience with another newcomer in the room.
My brother arrived and immediately wrapped me in a headlock and said, “How ya doin’, ya little queer?”
I pulled away and pulled his arm behind his back and said, “Doin’ just fine, ya big douche bag.”
Alex and sis’s boyfriend were just staring at us, wide eyed, when mom said, “That’s enough you two, now set the table, dinner is just about ready.”
Even two grown men knew that when mom speaks, you listen. We obediently set the table, and we were all enjoying a nice home cooked meal. The rest of the weekend went well and Alex and I drove back home, relieved that we had the love and support of both of our families. At least the ones that were speaking to us, we agreed that Alex’s parents were the ones that were missing out.
We had our routine down, after work every day we would go to one of our apartments and eat dinner together. At least once a week we spend the night together, sometimes more. Over the next two years, work continued to go well, I had the books fully loaded on the computer that Bob purchased. As he predicted, the office staff had shrunk from 5 down to 2. It was just me and Connie, Bob’s wife. The others were all older and decided to retire instead of trying to learn the new technology that we were now using. Bob was using the money he saved on payroll to add CNC equipment to the shop and a CAD system to develop new products.
Alex and I went out for a nice dinner to celebrate our second anniversary. I had wanted to bring up the idea of moving in together, but I didn’t want to rush Alex. I knew that I wanted us to always be together, and if we shared living expenses, my dream of buying a house could become a reality. I was waiting for Alex to drop a hint before I made the suggestion.
We got back to my place after dinner and went straight to my bedroom. Alex leaned in gave me a kiss, “The last two years have the best of my life. I love you.”
I felt a tear run down my cheek, “I love you too. You are the best thing to ever happen to me too.”
We resumed our kiss and began pulling our clothes off. As soon as we were naked, we fell onto the bed. After a little more kissing we rotated and soon were feasting on each other’s cocks. Alex’s precum flooded my taste buds; I will never get tired of his flavor.
I released Alex’s cock from my mouth; I wanted to taste his nuts. I had learned over the last two years that Alex really loved to have his balls played with. I was only too happy to give him all the pleasure that I could. Alex responded by doing that thing that he did with his tongue. That never failed to get my motor revving.
I turned things up another notch when I worked a finger into Alex’s perfect, pink pucker. This caused him to spread his legs so I could add a second finger. Alex spit out my cock and got on his hands and knees. He thrust his ass out and gasped, “Eat my hole, please!”
I was only too happy to honor his request. I moved behind him with one hand on each cheek and dove in tongue first. As much as I loved the taste of his cock and balls, I loved the taste of his ass even more. I worked over that sweet hole until Alex panted, “Just fuck me already.”
How could I refuse the man that I love. I aimed my weapon at his hole and slowly sank in, my spit and slobber combined with my precum, provided all the lube I needed. I started to pump in and out as I leaned down so my chest was tight against Alex’s back. I gave his neck kisses and little love bites as I continued to pound his ass. Alex also had a little trick he did with his ass muscles that I could never match, but it never failed to push me over the edge. Alex leaned forward, I stayed inside him as he was soon lying flat on the bed with me on his back, still sawing in and out of his ass.
He did that thing with ass muscles again and I lost all control; I began to pump out every ounce of sperm that I had stored in my nuts. Alex craned his neck so he could give me a kiss. I slowly pulled my deflating manhood from his hole and turned Alex onto his back so I could give him a proper kiss.
I broke our kiss and smiled as I looked at his fully engorged pole pointing to the heavens. I gave it a couple of tugs as I moved to straddle his waist. Alex’s eyes rolled back in head as I impaled myself on him and began to bounce.
Alex panted, “God, that feels so good.” He grabbed my hips as he started to thrust his upward. His breathing increased, I could tell he was getting close. I doubled my efforts and was soon rewarded when Alex’s cock exploded.
I collapsed on top of him and we shared another long, deep kiss.
We cleaned up and cuddled for a while, until Alex said, “I didn’t bring any clothes for work tomorrow, I guess I should go home.”
I was a bit disappointed as I replied, “We could set the alarm, so you would have enough time to go home in the morning.”
He gave me a kiss, “I have an early meeting, sorry, but I should go.”
Reluctantly, we got up and dressed and I kissed Alex goodbye. After he left, I kicked myself for not talking to him about moving in together. That would solve this problem. I promised myself I would bring the subject up the next time we are together.
It took about 15 minutes to drive between our apartments, so when my phone rang 20 minutes later, I knew it would be Alex. I answered on the first ring.
“Hello.”
Alex asked, “Can I come be where you are?”
I smiled as a tear formed in the corner of my eye. God, he always had the right words. I said, “Of course you can.”
He said, “I’ll grab my clothes and be on my way.”
I hung up the phone and was so excited for Alex to get here. I was definitely going to ask him to move in with me. I paced the floor looking out the window every minute to see if he was pulling into the parking lot.
After half an hour passed, I was starting to get a bit concerned. Five more minutes and I called Alex; there was no answer. The next half hour was excruciating; I tried several more times to call. After it had been over an hour, I decided to drive the route that we normally took, maybe his car broke down. Just as I grabbed my keys, my phone rang.
Relieved, I answered, “Alex, where are you?”
Beth said, “Jack, it’s Beth.” It sounded like she was crying.
My heart sank, “Beth, what’s wrong?”
Between sobs, she said, “Alex was in an accident. Jack, he didn’t make it.”
***
…Jack, after all these years, I still don’t know what words to say that would give you any comfort. I will tell you to lean on Beth, you will both need each other. Kyle and the boys will also be a big help as you work through everything. Your family is going to be a very important support group for you too.
Things are not going to be easy but listen when people offer to help. You will not be able to deal with your grief alone, and you won’t have to.
To be Continued…
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