Trial Of Strength (Book 14)

"BOB MEETS LUKE & LUKE'S BOYS"

Bob, the cofounder, with Randy, of the construction company, confronts an issue he has been dreading. A newly hired crewman, Luke, quits because the guys running the company are “as queer as a 3-dollar bill”. Luke has two young boys who worship him as the “best dad in the world.” But now he’ll have no job, so Bob has to talk Luke out of his homophobia and into the 21st Century.

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<><>    A Big Thank You From A Little House    <><>

The large new construction site was open at last, requiring many newly hired crew men.  This had meant a ton of work by the firm’s payroll assistant, the efficient young black boy Ossie.

Boss Randy was hugely impressed by Ossie’s work and Ossie had become a favorite of his.  So at the first assembly of workers Randy had been enraged when one of the new hires, named Luke, had tangled with the “uppity black boy”, as he called him, and had punched him to the ground.

The stunned Ossie heard Randy yell to Luke, “You are so fucking fired, man.  It was certainly a firing offence, but the last thing Ossie wanted was for Luke to be fired. He later explained himself to a surprised Randy and the other bosses. 

On a second interview with Luke, Ossie had glimpsed, on Luke’s phone, a family video of Luke’s return home after his first interview. In his backyard, Luke was celebrating his new job with his two young sons who hugged him excitedly and called him the “best dad in the world”.

But now, after the firing, Ossie told Randy, his mind went back to that video …the excitement on the kids’ faces … the joy in that little family – ‘you’re the best, dad,’. Ossie tried to imagine the same backyard tonight where dad would come and tell the kids he lost the job.  “Sir,” Ossie told Randy, “I knew I could not let that happen, whatever rules I broke to stop it.  And I didn’t want my company to be the cause of so much sadness.  That’s why I appealed to you.”

Bob had tears in his eyes as he looked at Randy, and Randy said, “Luke won’t lose his job, Ossie.  When he gets home tonight his boys will still call him ‘the greatest dad’.  Because for them, he will be.” 

Randy’s affection for Ossie increased and he made love to the boy.  

Ossie admitted that in begging for Luke’s re-hire he was breaking several rules in the book by becoming too emotionally involved in his work.  Well now he was throwing the rule book clear out of the window.  Not only was his mind running on the new hire and his happy family, but he himself was falling in love with his boss, and his boss’s lover, and their friends, and his whole world.

It was hard to say which of these made him finally reach his climax, but at last Randy smiled, “You’re a great lad, Ossie, way sexy, too.”  He bent and kissed the boy, a passionate lingering kiss that lasted as long as their orgasms. 

When at last they pulled back, Randy said, “And that was a great big thank you from that little family, who have no idea it was you who brought so much joy to their house today.”

As the gypsy and the boy lay panting together, Randy’s phone rang.  Bob said, “Randy, if it’s OK with you, I’m gonna spend the night over here with Brandon and Pete.”

“Sure. Buddy.  Ossie and I are doing just fine here, he makes a good bedmate. You’ll get yours tomorrow.”

“Don’t I always?” Bob laughed.

Randy snuggled against Ossie.  “Seems you’re here for the night, kid.”

“Fine by me sir.”

Randy sighed.  “That man of mine – too smart for his own good.  I sometimes think he’s running the whole show.  Or he thinks he is.”

<><>    No Love-Cave For Randy    <><>

Next morning Ossie pulled himself out of the tangle of Randy’s brawny arms.   “I gotta go to the work site early, sir.”

Sleepily, Randy flapped his arm out reaching for him.  ‘Ah no, Dude, I thought we were gonna go again – several times maybe.”

“Sir, Ossie smiled, “Yesterday I already made you break so many rules, I mustn’t make a habit of it.”

“Ah, c’mon kiddo.  I’ve always made a habit of breaking rules, that’s half the fun of life.”

Just then Bob walked in.  “ … And it’s why you are such a terrible influence on the boys around here, Randy,” Bob said in his most scolding tone.  “Pete, Brandon and I had a great night and I asked Pete to join me for breakfast.  I always think it’s a good idea to include Pete in meetings with Brandon.   You know how he worries that we’re. working his boy too hard.”

Randy was shamed into submission.  “Ah, you’re right, Ossie, I’ll come to work with you.  I can see that from now on you’re gonna be the new taskmaster around here.  Maybe you’re the one I should have fired.”

Ossie grinned, “Whatever you say, sir … you’re the boss.”

“Hmm, I’m not so sure about that.  Seems I’m not allowed to fire staff these days.  I tried that yesterday and look where it got me … I was more or less told to go crawl back in my cave.”

And it’s that kind of behavior that caused you to lose jobs in the early days.  You don’t want the indignity of firing yourself, do you?”

“So let’s get going, sir,” Ossie said. “We don’t want the crew to get there before us and beat us to the punch.”

“Not such a great choice of words, kid, after what happened yesterday.”  Randy ruffled Ossie’s thick black hair.  “That shiner Luke gave you is gonna be a doozy.”

 Pete and Brandon came in at that point and the handsome Ranger smiled, “Wow quite a crowd, I thought this was gonna be a quiet breakfast for three.”

“It is, Pete.  Ossie here insists on dragging me off to work.”

“Ah,” Pete laughed, “at last, Bob, you’ve found someone who can make Randy toe the line.”

<><>    A Smoldering Issue?    <><>

 Randy threw his arm around Ossie, and they left.

“Randy seems to be in high spirits today, Bob,” Pete said.

“Yeah, don’t be fooled by all his talk about yesterday.  The reality is, the first day on the new site went real well, largely thanks to Ossie.  He put in a ton of hours in the past few weeks and presented terrific lists of potential new crew guys.”

Brandon came in with breakfast on his wheelchair tray table and Bob helped him set it up on the table and pour coffee.  Bob said, “And I owe a huge vote of thanks to Brandon for discovering Ossie and hiring him.  Who knew?  A twenty-two-year-old kid who loves working with staff so much, and has such a talent for it.

Brandon grinned.  “He’s a find, that’s for sure.  I used to divide up staff management among our guys and it was a bit messy.  Ossie’s got it into great streamlined shape.”

“It’s a big load off my mind,” said Pete.  “Remember how I used to think you were working so hard you were headed for a breakdown, kiddo?  By the way, that incident with the guy who punched Ossie?  Was it serious, do you think?”  Could something like that happen again?”

“I was thinking about that, Pete, and it’s a complicated issue.  It’s not a black and white thing – you know, white resentment of a black guy in authority.  After all, we have plenty of black guys in the crew and there’s never been a prejudice issue.  Hell, two of our site managers – Zack and Darius – are black, and the crew loves them.”

“So what, then?”

“Well …. The idea came to me during a long conversation with Ossie. Sure, he’s young, black and good-looking, with those green eyes and all, but, more important, he’s also sharp as a tack.  And that could be the problem.  It must have been obvious to Luke that Ossie is whip smart and great with people.  He’s confident without being aggressive or overbearing.  And I have a feeling it’s that that threw Luke for a loop.  There’s nothing to criticize about young Ossie.”

“Not even that he’s gay?” Pete asked.

“Oh, Luke didn’t know that, I’m sure of it.  That fact doesn’t feature in any of our dealings with staff.  Of course, it’s a question we’re not allowed to ask job applicants.  If we did we’d be rightly accused of discrimination.  Have you ever been aware of that kind of problem, Brandon?

“No, Bob, surprisingly not.”  Brandon chuckled.  “Except between gay guys themselves.  “You know, one throws a hissy fit and threatens to slap the other.”

Pete laughed.  “But you know, dude, I often wonder how you deal with all that.  After all, you hire some of the butchest guys around – big tough construction workers, for god’s sake.  And all the managers and their staff are gay – unless I’ve missed a thing or two.”

Bob smiled, “No, Pete, you got that pretty accurate – and I know I’ve not missed anything.”

“You and your radar, eh dude?  So how do you manage that?”

“Mostly by not managing anything, Pete.  We don’t address the subject and it never comes up in the course of our work.  The managers and staff spend their leisure hours at home in the tribe, and the crew go off and do whatever manual laborers do for fun. 

“Sounds strange, I know, but I guess it has something to do with a relaxed attitude to sexual orientation in society in general, at least in California.  If there ever were a problem, we’re ready to deal with it, but all our guys are pretty laid back, staff and management respect each other.  Do you agree, Brandon?”

“I do, Bob.  I’m closer to the ground than you are, with much closer daily contact with workers.  And yet I’ve never heard of any budding problems, except maybe flip lighthearted jokes that you hear everywhere you go these days.”

“We certainly do in the Rangers,” said Pete.  “Dammit, the things we see and hear in the parks and forests would make your hair curl.  We try to ignore it – that’s what parks and forests are for – relax and have fun.”

Pete laughed.  “Oh sure, we occasionally see a couple going .at it loud and lusty right on the open path, and we gently move them on.  It’s that old cop phrase – ‘Move along folks, nothing to see here’.  And you know, the sad thing is that there really is not much to see either.”

 Brandon and Bob laughed, and Bob said, “That, Ranger, is because you’ve already seen the best of the best in the tribe.  Can’t beat that on the fire roads and towpaths you patrol.”

“I guess you’re right, buddy,” Pete chuckled.  “Still, it’s good to hear that you guys seem to have created an atmosphere where guys like Luke will fit in easily.  Long may it continue.”

Unfortunately it didn’t.

<><>    Queer As A 3-Dollar Bill    <><>

The next few days hummed along efficiently.  The new site, under Randy’s strict supervision, quickly began to take shape as a real live building site, with a crew that got along well.  Part of Ossie’s job was to mingle with the crew and keep his eyes and ears open for festering problems.  Some workers were more popular than others, as you would expect anywhere, but Ossie rarely had to intervene, which he did gently and discreetly.

He was careful not to observe Luke too often or obsessively as Luke would have noticed that and most likely taken offence.  As time went on Bob assumed that the initial flare up with Luke was just a settling-in issue. And would die down as most such incidents do.

Unfortunately, a couple of weeks later another issue arose that was more serious and difficult to handle, and one Bob had dreaded for a long time.  It was office manager Brandon who broke the news in Bob’s office.

Bob said, “Hey, kiddo, you look as if you’ve lost a dollar and found dime.  What’s the matter, the building on fire?”

“You’re not gonna like this, sir. But Luke resigned today.”

“No … oh I am sorry to hear that, Brandon.  And I thought he was getting on so well.  Not another flareup with Ossie?”

“No, sir.  They’ve been getting on well too.  But Ossie told me that near the end of his shift Luke came to him and said he couldn’t work for a company run by a bunch of queers.”

Bob groaned, put his elbows on his desk and buried his face in his hands.  “Oh dear, you know I didn’t think this day would ever come, Brandon.  Everyone gets on so well with each other and sexuality remains a private thing, as it should.”

“But here’s the good news, sir.  What you just said is still true.  Nobody else in the crew gives a shit about sexuality.  If they mention it at all it’s as a joke, a tease – you know, light-hearted clowning around like you get in any bunch of men working together.  But I really think this is something personal with Luke, a personal hangup – like that chip on his shoulder about Ossie.”

“That’s a relief, Brandon, I hope you’re right.  We certainly don’t want that kind of talk to spread.  So we should low-key it.  Tell Ossie to accept Luke’s resignation with regrets … but do not get into the issue behind it.  That can be very complicated. 

“But I’m truly sorry for Luke. I didn’t have much personal contact with him, but I was starting to like him and his devotion to his family.  I got a sense that they’ve had some setbacks lately, and now this loss of income could be a real challenge.   I wish there were something I could do but it’s very delicate.”  Bob pondered a while.  “You have his home address in the files, don’t you?”

“Of course, sir.  It’s in Highland Park, not far from here at the end of Figueroa – the dodgy end.”

“Walking distance?”

“Oh yes, sir, especially for a fit man like yourself.  I hope you can help, sir.”

<><>    Luke Warms Up    <><>

It was a cool, sunny evening as Bob walked along the back streets of Highland Park.  The sunshine helped brighten the modest, forlorn-looking old cottages that lined the streets.

He had decided to drive down to the end of his own street and walk from there to Luke’s house. Much more casual – just out for a stroll.  His own Mercedes was being serviced so he had taken one of the firm’s spare cars, a rather smart Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV.

Bob was feeling apprehensive as he searched for Luke’s home.  His generous spirit made him feel sorry for a man struggling to raise a family on a limited income, especially one who had voluntarily given up that income for what Bob considered misguided reasons.

All the modest houses looked the same, so at first, he was confused, but then he saw him.  A few houses up ahead a man was painting what in better years, had once been a white picket fence, but had long since turned gray and peeling.  Bob felt tears sting his eyes, feeling incredibly moved by the picture of a man trying to spruce up this simple little house that would probably defy the attempt.

It was even more depressing knowing his backstory – a man struggling to bring up a small family, two young boys who thought of him as the best dad in the world, now facing the task of telling them he was out of a job again.

Bob watched him from a distance for a while, but decided he had to take the plunge.  He took a deep breath and ambled as casually as possible up to the house.  Luke looked up and nodded casually, then took a double take and squinted.  “Don’t I know you?  Hey, ain’t you one of the bosses of the firm I work for?”

Bob smiled.  “Used to work for, as I understand it, Luke.  My name’s Bob.”

“Ah, so that’s what this is all about, coming to spy on the guy who’s given you so much trouble.  Well I don’t hang out with guys like you and your buddies, and sure as hell don’t work for them and expose my sons to them. I got nothing against you personally, man, but we got nothing to say to each other.”

“Actually, Luke, I think we have a whole lot to talk about.  Please believe that I dropped by to see how I can help you.” 

“Help me?  You, help me?  Huh.  How are you at painting picket fences?”

“A bit rusty, I’m afraid – but I could give it a try.”  Bob’s handsome face lit up, his soft, steady brown eyes smiling at Luke.  “Actually, I was thinking more on the lines of buying you a drink.  That old pub is still down the road overlooking the Arroyo – been there for years.”

Luke was taken aback.  “Look, man, I don’t know what your angle is.  All I know is you and your kind are queer as a three-dollar bill … probably come here trying recruit my boys.”

Bob visibly winced and the smile left his eyes – but the kindness remained. “Recruit is such an ugly word, Luke, and so far from the truth.”

Luke looked embarrassed and painted a few more strokes.  “Yeah, well, maybe I didn’t mean that exactly.  Look, man, I don’t know shit about you and your kind, and I don’t wanna find out.”

“Not even make a start?”  Bob grinned in that winning way no one could resist.  “OK, I tried.  I’m no good at painting fences anyway … Much better at beer buying.”  He chuckled and turned away, his shoulders drooping.

Luke hesitated, then called after him, “Hey, what did you say your name was?”

“It’s Bob.”  The shining, brown-eyed smile was back.  He walked back and held out his hand. Luke hesitated and shook it.  It was a limp handshake though, and Bob returned it with a steely grip that startled Luke.  Luke surprised them both by saying, “Look, since you walked all this way, I guess I am a bit parched out here.  My wife Laura has taken my boys to the grocery store.  They won’t be back for a while so I guess I could use a short drink.”

“Excellent,” Bob grinned.  “He didn’t say anymore. He felt they were both walking on a cliff and the slightest wrong word could knock them over the edge.  So they walked silently in the direction of the pub that had a grassy patio out back, overlooking the rustic Arroyo Seco.

They sat at one of the small tables and Bob said, “So what’s your favorite beer, Luke?”

“Ah anything I can afford, like a Bud.  “They have great Craftsman Beers here – brewed close by in Pasadena – but they’re too pricey.”

“Really?” Bob smiled, I’m really into Craftsman Beers – something we have in common.”  Bob ordered two, then grinned.  “I know what you’re thinking, Luke – that’s probably all we have in common.”  Luke managed a smile and shrugged silently. 

Bob softened.  “Actually, Luke, I’ll level with you.  That is why I dropped by, hoping to clarify a few things about us – the ‘queer’ thing as you call it.  That seems to be the cause of the current issue here, and I often think that disagreements come from a lack of information. Stop me when you don’t wanna hear anymore.  The Craftsman Beers were not a bribe. Information or not, we can drink them till the cows come home.”

Luke’s second smile encouraged Bob to continue.

“OK.  Long story short.  I used to be married to a woman and the marriage went real bad.  I drove away, headed down to Mexico, and got off the freeway for a breather in Hollywood.  I went into a beer bar and sat next to a gypsy-looking construction worker.  And I fell in love with him.”

Luke became animated.  “See, that’s the bit I don’t understand, dude.  How can two men fall in love?”

“Pretty much the same as a man and a woman fall in love.  Threw us both for a loop, it was so strong   We didn’t understand either at the time, but fortunately we didn’t try to understand.  If we had I’d probably be here boring a stranger with my life story.  As it was, we left the bar together.

“We had nothing in common …Randy was a roughneck construction worker, I was a sophisticated financial analyst.”  Bob chuckled.  “He used to say I had diplomas up my ass.”

Luke laughed and took another hit of beer.

“But by some miracle it worked.  We stayed together and eventually decided to form our own company – me the brains, him the brawn.  And … well … that’s pretty much it.  You’ve seen the result.  We attracted other men like us and you’ve met many of them – like Ossie and Brandon.  Then we hired crew men, most of them probably not like us in that way.  We didn’t ask – weren’t allowed to.  But we all work together well.”

Luke frowned.  “But I still don’t get it.  I mean, you and Randy … what do you guys do?”

“Ah, the question everyone asks.  And what they usually mean is sexually.  OK, so leave the bed thing out of it for a minute, and we do pretty much the same as you and Laura, or any other loving couple do.  And if you asked me what we do in bed, I wouldn’t tell you, any more than I would ask that question of you and your wife.”

Luke stared at Bob and smiled.  “So that’s it?  I gotta say, it seems to work great on the site, a decent bunch of guys  …”

“… even though some are attracted to other men, and some not.  The point is, Luke, we all like and respect each other.  We’re working together to make the company a success.  But there’s something crucial you have to know and believe.  We do not prey on boys … we do not recruit, we are not a cult. Look around you at work.  Do you see anyone under eighteen working there?  No, never have, never will.” 

“But Bob, all those rumors and stories you hear …?”

All made up out of fear, and out of ignorance of the real facts. That’s why I’m here today, talking to you.  I’d love you to change your mind about quitting, but whatever choice you make I want it to be an informed choice, based on facts as they really are.”

Bob took another long draft of beer.  “Boy, this beer is good.  We should do this again.”  He smiled again.  “And that is not a come-on, dude, simply enjoying the beer – and the company.  Well – correction – I am recruiting you, Luke – to come back and work for us.

<><>    Persuasion    <><>

Not quite knowing where to take this next, Bob said, “So tell me something about you and your family.  You say your wife is Laura, so what are your boys’ names?”

Luke brightened. “John and David.  John’s the younger, five, and just finishing kindergarten.  David’s seven, already in first grade, and the teachers say he’s doing real well.”  Luke grinned.  “Maybe one day he’ll have diplomas coming out of his ass, like Randy said of you.”

As he talked about his boys Luke’s face began to shine and actually became handsome, Bob thought, in a masculine ‘dad’ sort of way.  Luke launched into some of the clever things the boys said and did, until he stopped abruptly and chuckled, “There I go again Laura’s always saying I talk about the boys too much.”

“No problem there, Luke, a dad being proud of his sons.  And I can see why you’re so protective of them, I get that.”

“The weird thing is how proud they are of me.  They call me the best dad in the world, though God knows I’ve not much to be proud of.”

“I’m sure that’s not true, Luke.  Tell me about your life.”

“Ah, you don’t wanna hear about my problems and setbacks – the way my dad died and left us with nothing but medical bills, and all the other things that knock you sideways just at the wrong time.”

“But Luke, that’s where I want to help.  Our company has terrific medical insurance, a plan Brandon worked hard on.  And kids’ allowances too, Brandon will be talking to you about all that.  Or, at least, he will if you stick around…  I sometimes think life is mostly just a question of luck.  If I had not met Randy all that time ago … “

Bob paused, gazing into the distance, and Luke knew he was back in that bar, looking at that rugged laborer sitting next to him.  “I know Randy would like to have had boys of his own.  But he’s got the next best thing – lots of them in our tribe.  He is so fiercely protective of those boys.  If he sees anyone mistreat them he goes apeshit.”

Luke grinned, “I know, Bob.  I got a taste of it, remember?”  He suddenly looked at his watch.  “Hey, it’s been real good talking to you Bob, but I gotta get back to the family.  They’ll be back soon and I wanna be there.”

“Of course you do, Luke.  You know, at the start you said we didn’t have anything to say to each other, but I think we covered a lot of ground.”  He hesitated. “See here, Luke, I really don’t want you to quit your job, so let me make a suggestion.  Come back for a while, at least, and give it another try.  I guarantee there will be no, er, problems of a sexual kind, and your boys don’t have to be involved in any way.

“I will tell Randy of our conversation and I already told you how protective he is of youngsters.  If things don’t work – though I’m sure they will – you can, well, just quit again” He shrugged and laughed.  “It’s getting to be a habit.”

“Thanks, Bob, I appreciate that … so it’s a deal.  Hey look, there’s Laura and the boys lugging all those grocery bags.”

“Why did they walk? Safeway is quite a long slog down the road.”

“Ah, the damn truck’s on the fritz again.  It’s at that stage that you fix one thing and something else goes bad.  I think it’s at the end of its road,” he sighed. “But we’ll manage somehow.”

They walked on in silence and Bob’s mind was racing.  “Luke, I have an idea.  The car I drove here is one of the firm’s cars, he have a lot just kicking around, and sometimes someone in the crew buys one from us.  You could drive this one as a loaner and eventually Brandon will arrange for you to buy it, really low monthly payments.

“Bob, I really couldn’t …”

“Yes you could and you will, Luke.  “That’s something I insist on.  Come on, let’s tell the family.”

They met up with the bag-laden trio and Luke introduced Bob.  The boys turned shy and said politely, “Hello, sir.”

“Guys,” Bob said, “I gotta get back home, but there’s something I wanna show you.”  They walked on to where Bob had parked the SUV.  “This is it, Luke.  Boys, your dad told me you were having trouble with your truck …”

“Trouble?” David grinned impishly.  “It’s clapped out, sir.”

“Which is why I’m giving your dad this one, David – as a loaner at first and then to own.  So it’s yours.”

There were gasps of astonishment and Laura hugged Luke, then the boys threw themselves at him.  When the excitement died down, Bob said, “Only problem is I now need a ride to the bottom of my street.”

So they all climbed in, Luke driving, Bob next to him, and two excited boys and their mother in the back.  “It’s a Jeep Grand Cherokee, John – they’re the best,” David said to his little brother, pretending knowledge he didn’t really have.

“Hey, kids,” Luke said, “how about we pack some food for dinner and drive up to the top of Griffith Park and watch the sunset, like I always promised you?”

More whoops of joy followed, and the boys said, “Dad, you’re the best dad ever.”

Bob glanced over at Luke, who rested his hand on Bob’s and squeezed it.  This time with a firm, solid grip

<><>    Happiness Through Men’s Eyes    <><>

When he got back to the house, Randy was already home.  He looked up and broke into that craggy blue-eyed grin Bob loved so much.  “Randy, we are so fucking lucky.”

Randy twisted his mouth in that salacious Mae West grin.  “Boys, luck had nothing to do with it.”

“Luck had everything to do with it, Randy, I’m beginning to realize that.  If we hadn’t met the way we did in that bar …”  Bob’s eyes misted over.

“Key, kiddo, what brought on this sudden attack of nostalgia?  Where have you been anyway?  Wait, don’t tell me.  You’ve been to see that guy who keeps quitting on us – the guy I fired, then had to un-fire.”

“That’s right, his name’s Luke.  I went down to his house and met his wife and two boys, John and David.”

“Did you set him straight on all this ‘queer’ mumbo jumbo – I mean really set him straight – that you didn’t want to jump his bones?  At least this time I don’t have to ask, ‘did he fuck you?’.  I already know the answer to that.”

“I’m serious, though Randy.  Meeting Luke and his boys really made me think.  I mean, a guy who loves his kids, and they idolize him, but he’s not had many breaks in life – always short of cash, shabby little house, clapped out old truck. 

“And worse, he’s still got these old-fashioned ideas about not taking orders from black boys like Ossie, or not working with ‘queers’ who wanna recruit his boys.  It’s life in the Dark Ages, Randy and he’s never had anyone to turn on the light and show him the way out.

Randy was smiling affectionately.  “And maybe you’re the guy with the torch?”

“Not only for Luke, but for all the guys like him out there who can’t catch a break.  And not only me, all of us.  We all got lucky and here we are, men and boys, perfectly placed to help them. And don’t give me that cynical look, dude, you’ve done more for those guys than anyone, they idolize you.  I’ve seen kids clustered round your knees gazing up at you in awe, drinking in whatever it is you’re teaching them.”

Randy’s eyes were shining.  “And the luckiest of them all is me, buddy … lucky to have met you.  “You don’t know how many times I’ve tried to imagine life without you, and … and I can’t.  There is no life without you Bob.  Sure, you’re right about all that other stuff and we’ll do that.  But right now there’s one thing I want more than anything. 

“Earlier today I looked out this window and watched you striding across the lawn to the office, with that quiet, confident smile on your face.  You were dressed like you are now – jeans, loafers and a white dress shirt, casually open hallway down your chest, sleeves rolled up to the elbows.  Luck?!  Dude, I hit the jackpot that day in the bar.  And it’s the kindness as well as the stunning looks.  So just for a while I want to be selfish and have you to myself.  I want you to make love to me, you beautiful man.”

Randy quickly shed his clothes, lay on his back on the bed, propped himself on his elbows and smiled up at his lover.  Bob looked down at him and slowly unbuttoned the rest of his shirt, shrugged it off and draped it over a chair.  Every move, every expression made Randy realize why he loved him so much, and why he wanted to spread love and compassion around, as Bob had so elegantly described.

When Bob was naked, he stood at the end of the bed and smiled down at the naked gypsy.   “Two of the luckiest men in the world.”  He lay forward on the bed. Wrapped his arms round Randy and held him tight for a long, long time.  His face was buried in Randy’s neck, and he kissed it, then further down, down the cleft between his pecs, down over the ridges of his eight-pack abs.

“Of course, his face ended buried in Randy’s wiry black pubic hair, and from there he licked slowly up his long beer-can thick cock.  He sucked Randy’s cock then went to work on his face.  Gently, he turned Randy over and slid his cock inside him.

The fuck was long and languorous, the perfect union of two handsome, generous men who considered themselves to be the luckiest men on earth.  And at this moment there were few who would disagree.  They were lost in each other, so deep in love that orgasm was almost an afterthought.   

As they lay blissfully in each other’s arms, Bob’s mind turned back to a father and his boys.

Oh, by the way, Randy, I gave them that spare Jeep SUV – well they’ll buy it eventually, but no hurry.”

“Quite right,” Randy grinned. “Wonder where they drove to.”

“Oh, I know that.  Luke suggested they take a packed dinner and drive to the top of Griffith Park to watch the sun set.  They’re probably there right now.  David, the older boy, likes to impress his kid brother John, like explaining the superiority of the Jeep.  He’s probably describing the Observatory behind then, sitting on the steps as the sun goes down and sparks gold, while John gazes at him in awe.”

“While wonder-dad Luke smiles at both his boys, the happiest man on earth.

“Like all of us at this moment,” Bob said. “I sometimes think that happiness is best seen through the eyes of others, like that little family.”

Randy chuckled.  “Dude, all I need for total happiness is to be here with you.  Simple as that.”

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TO BE CONTINUED IN “A Trial Of Strength” – Book 14: Chapter 24