The Club

Pat’s Bar, Saturday night

somewhere after 9:00 pm

“We didn’t get married out of love, dontcha know,” shouted the first man.

“Naw, you got married ‘cuz she was the only one left,” a second man finished his statement.

Roaring laughter followed.

A third man adding his own point of view, “Or... cuz our daddies made ‘The Pact’ and you did what you had to do.”

Several men frowned and shook their heads knowing the truth of that. “Yes sir.” “True enough.” Others mumbled, “Ehyah!”

When it quieted down a bit, another man further up the bar started another observation about marriage. “Well, you know, and there were those, like good ol’ Sven up nord in Mora, who had a shotgun to his head!”

His buddy poked him and hollered his punchline, “You never heard an ‘I do!’ so loud as that boy’s.”

More uproarious laughter.

In case you couldn’t guess, it was a Saturday night and the men were well watered. Vik and Hugo, the faithful bartenders, were pulling drafts as fast as the glasses hit the counter. And Billy, their bar back runner-boy, was shuffling his cute tushie off bringing up cases of pilsner, refills of ice, washing glasses for the cocktail drinkers, and anything else that needed done. Not too many cocktail drinkers tonight, except maybe old Dave Schuster and Erik sitting down at the far end of the bar.

Good old Dave sat on his stool just about every night and everyone knew not to ever get your butt anywhere close to it. Many teased that he had a plaque on the back with his name on it, like in church, cuz his bill alone could keep Pat’s Bar in business. Dave actually loved all the ribbing and teasing he got. He loved the attention. He laughed right along with everyone else, enjoying the banter and the company. Even after all these years, he needed his time away from the wife, Anna, to be with the men.

Erik, on the other hand, didn’t come into town too often. He had been sitting quietly by himself until Dave came along and sat beside him. They sat together companionably, not saying much. Both had just ordered their second round. Everyone knew Erik only drank bourbon but he always said “whiskey” here, so’s not to call attention to himself. But the savvy bartenders knew his pour and brought him Kentucky’s finest.

Tonight his mind was somewhere else altogether. He didn’t react to the conversations at the other end of the bar or laugh at any of their jokes. He didn’t even respond to the friendly ‘hellos’ tossed his way as guys walked past him toward the john.

Dave leaned toward him and started up a conversation. “Those boys over there are all laughing about how guys get hitched one way or another. But the sad truth is, all of those stories are true.”

Erik turned to look over at him as Dave continued. “Me? My father and Anna’s got together when we were just wee ones and decided that the families were good together and should continue, so they engaged us. And, like most kids back then, we did what we were told.”

Dave had been around a long time. He was in his eighties at this point. He was a great friend of Erik’s Grandad for years and years. The two men were part of a small group of men who built businesses here in town and ensured that the town grew, bringing more business which drew people in from all around the surrounding counties.

Anna, his wife, was a severe German woman, very strict with her children. Her home was immaculately clean and ordered. She acknowledged people on the street, and in church, but rarely spoke as she never had a strong command of English, no more than a few necessary phrases. Not knowing that, most people thought she was a snooty old snob. A devout Lutheran, the family was in church every Sunday. She took no nonsense from her neighbors and could guilt the best of people into doing what she wanted them to do.

“I’ve heard that men in that kind of situation learn to love their wives. That it comes, over time. That true, do you think?” asked Erik.

Erik’s question surprised Dave but he smiled and responded by saying, “For some I guess.”

Erik turned and looked at him with a very sad face. “How ‘bout you?”

Dave met Erik’s glance and said, “No. Can’t say it ever did.” He paused a moment, then added, “I was a very lonely young man.”

Erik listened and acknowledged Dave’s story with a nod of the head. He was surprised at Dave’s admission, that he never loved his wife. He wasn’t expecting such a blunt answer. Maybe the drink helped.

Before Erik could say anything more, Dave continued, “I had my children and I did love every one of them. I had a great time with my boys. But it was my friends who saw me through. Many of us were in the same situation and we figured out how to live through it.”

Erik felt a pang in his heart at hearing this. 'This man is eighty-something years old and he figured out how to “get through it”? What's that mean for a guy like me?'

Dave startled him with another question. “What about you, Erik?” he asked.

“I would’ve thought you knew the story. Everyone else in town seems to,” Erik whined. Then he admitted, “Had to. Knocked her up.”

“Ah yes. Another reason we marry. Interesting, none of the men down there brought that one up.”

“Guilt,” Erik responded.

Dave chuckled to himself at the realization. He turned in his stool to face Erik now. “You know, marriage isn't about love, nope, not at all.” That got Erik's attention. “It's all about making babies. You gotta please the parents. Carrying on life. Living. Sometimes there's love,” Dave raised his glass, “but most times? You just get used to each other and figure out how to get along.” He drank. And…” he paused, staring at Erik intently, “sometimes you can't do much of that either.” Dave finished his drink and waved to Vik, the bartender, to bring him another one.

Dave nodded a thank you when his drink arrived. He took a sip and chuckled to himself as his thoughts continued. “Us men, we learn how to survive our marriages,” he started. Then with emphasis, he added a little louder, “because... we spend Saturday nights away from the wives, drinking to feel good, and trying to get a laugh out of it all.” He waved his glass around at all the men enjoying each other's company. There were a few “Cheers!” from the crowd when they saw his raised glass.

Erik stared down at his half-empty glass nodding his head up and down. It seemed he was listening. In his head, he acknowledged the truth of what Dave was saying. Though his family was all gone, he knew these men fairly well, and there was truth to Dave’s observations.

“Don’t let me scare you there, Erik,” Dave said as he poked Erik’s side, “Life ain’t that bad. I’ve had it good. And I wouldn’t trade things, well maybe a few things.” He laughed loudly. When he said that and Erik’s mood didn’t shift, Dave asked him, “What’s got you so glum tonight?” Getting no answer he observed, “I think you think too much, boy. I think it’s best if you sit back and enjoy yourself. Right now. Don’t you?”

Erik lifted his head, sat up straighter, gave a weak smile, and said, “You’re right!” And he ordered another drink from Vik. Dave followed suit.

Before the drinks arrived, Dave stood up and said, “Hey Erik, come with me.” He took hold of Erik's arm and walked him to the back of the bar.

As you left the main bar area, there was a narrow hallway that leads to the Men’s Room. Those doors were on the left, painted bright blue. On the opposite side, just before the exit into the back parking lot, were two more doors, pretty close together. One was painted a dark red, the other, a dark green. Dave opened the red door and pulled Erik on through.

They walked into another narrow hallway. This one was very dark with only one light lit at the very end of it. It took Erik a minute for his eyes to adjust to the blackness there. When he was able to see more detail, he noticed that on the left side of the hallway, was a couple of black partitions, about four feet apart. It was into one of these partitioned areas that Dave pulled Erik.

Dave pushed Erik’s face up against the wall, which surprised him, but he was drunk enough that Dave did it easily enough. Not knowing what to do he stood there docilely waiting for what’s next.

He didn’t have to wait long.

Dave stepped up close behind him and gave him a hug, which Erik thought pretty odd. This hug was not the usual kind, though. Because as Dave hugged him, he ran his hands down his chest, then lowered them to Erik’s waist, then even lower to the front of his pants. Slowly, he started undoing Erik's pants’ button, then his zipper. Erik tried to shift to his left so he could ask what was going on, but Dave’s grip grew tighter. Once the zipper was all the way down, Dave pushed Erik against the wall even tighter using his entire body to do so.

Erik felt his chest and belly pushed hard against the wall but realized his lower half didn't seem as crushed. Then he felt it. Something warm. Right between his legs. Then a touch. Clearly, it was a hand reaching inside his unzippered pants and pulling him out. He tried to pull back but couldn’t because Dave kept him firmly in place.

Now another sensation. Something warm, not too hot. Something smooth, and wet. He was surrounded by an incredibly exciting sensation in his groin that traveled down his legs and up his chest. He stood quite still. No longer resisting. He decided to wait and see what would happen next.

Erik's body reacted slowly, steadily, to the warm moist place that held his cock. He hardened more and more quickly. Then the wetness slid up and down his shaft caressing it, arousing him all the more. He began to breathe heavier. He gasped once or twice, at the pleasure he felt.

Then Erik noticed that Dave, who continued to stand behind him, was pushing forward against him. But there was something different too, a new sensation. This was a different kind of pressure on his backside. He realized that the old man was fully aroused and his erection pressed firmly between Erik's butt cheeks. Dave was rubbing himself up and down the muscled ass in front of him.

With Dave squeezing himself against his butt, and the sensations growing more intense in his groin, Erik started to make erratic grunts as he came closer and closer to his inevitable ejaculation. Finally, he could take it no more. He exploded into something, not sure what. He didn't care anymore. There were no more thought, no more questions. He stood. Dave still holding on to him. His body shook all over as he squirted semen from deep down in his ball-sack. Again and again. Over and over. He felt out of control as splash after splash came flooding out. That feeling between his legs, the one that now moved throughout his entire body, as he emptied his built-up seed, overtook him completely.

When, at last, his body began to calm, Erik felt Dave’s arms gently hug him once again. He sank into that needed embrace. Letting his head fell back onto Dave's shoulder, he allowed the man's embrace to envelop him.

Dave gave him another tight hug and shifted Erik’s body slightly to the left. Then he swapped places with Erik so now his face was against the back wall. His didn’t last long. Dave made that recognizable sounds of sexual pleasure, then a grunt of release. His pleasure completed, he took a step back, and gave himself a quick shake, then zipped up his pants. Dave turned to faced Erik once again and began feeling around his crotch. He packed him away, then zipped him up.

The two men strolled casually back to the bar, their drinks waiting. Vik, it seemed, was waiting at their end of the bar, smiling over at them, as they returned to their stools. He walked over and asked, “Evenin' Mr. Schuster, Mr. Erik. How are you two enjoying your Saturday night?”

Erik gave him a shit-eating grin but said nothing. It was Dave who said, “It’s always a pleasure to be here at Pat’s, you know that Vik.” He pushed against Erik and poked him in the rib. “Why do you think we’re here every Saturday night?”

All three men laughed at Dave’s quip. Vik slammed his hand down on the bar in response, giving Dave a knowing grin, and sauntered over to the men at the other end of the bar.