I got back to Hartford just after dark. I went into my apartment and plopped down on the couch, again the events of the day racing through my mind. I had fulfilled my promise to Eli; I had checked on Cy. He was still in Edgewater, although Claire had kicked him out of the house. From what I could tell, he was doing okay. I didn’t ask where he was living, but he at least had a job. Do I really want to get involved any further?
The guys I saw him talking to weren’t exactly the pillars of the community, but the bar was sort of a dive bar. You don’t exactly get the cream of the crop in a place like that. Cy was just being a good bartender and talking with his customers.
The look on his face when I told him what happened to Eli told me that he was upset by the news. Does he have someone to talk to about this? Does he want to talk about it? Damn it, Why did I care so much? Then Claire’s words echoed again, ‘his queer friends’, was Cy gay? Is that why I am so interested in him? Hell, would he even be interested in someone like me?
I barely slept all night thinking about Cy. The next morning, I did chores around the apartment trying to think of anything but my trip to Edgewater. I showered and got ready to go to mom and dad’s for our Sunday dinner.
Dad asked, “So, did you go to Edgewater?”
I nodded, “Yes.”
Mom asked, "Did you find Eli’s brother?”
I sighed, “Yes, I told him that Eli was gone and I’m not sure if he really cared. His eyes said he was upset, but his words made it sound like it didn’t matter to him.”
Dad said, “Well, you checked on him, your job is done.”
I shrugged, “I’m not so sure.”
He asked, “What do you mean?”
I said, “I feel like I want to talk to him again. He was working at a bar, and we didn’t get a chance to really talk.”
Mom said, “Ethan, are you sure you want to get involved? You have always had a soft spot for people like Cy; you really need to be careful.”
Dad added, “I don’t want to open old wounds, but from what I understand, Aaron led you down a similar path. I’m sorry Ethan, but that didn’t really end well.”
I sighed, “I know dad, but this is different. I’m not saying I want to rush into a relationship with Cy. Eli was a good friend when I needed one the most, I just want to make sure Cy is okay.”
The next week, I had the same conversation with Danny. He was just as skeptical as mom and dad but told me he would support my decision. I still had no idea what I was hoping would happen or why I was so worried about Cy.
A few weeks later, I was working on the latest set of floorplans we were drawing for Bob. We were getting busier every month, and Phil was talking about adding another draftsman so we could keep up. I actually didn’t mind being so busy, it helped me keep my mind off of Cy.
I got to the office on Friday morning and started up my computer to get to work. While it was booting up, I poured myself a cup of coffee. Phil was hanging up his phone as I walked by his desk.
He sighed, “Hey Ethan, why don’t you sit down before you get started. I need to talk to you.”
I said, “Sure, is anything wrong?”
He said, “Well, no, not really. It’s sort of a good news, bad news kind of thing.”
I sat down, “Okay, what’s going on?”
He said, “I just want you to know, that you are doing a great job, and all of our clients love your work.”
My stomach flipped, “Why does it sound like you are about to fire me?”
Phil exhaled, “You know that my wife is a loan officer at First Federal Bank.”
I nodded, “Yeah.”
“She just got an offer to be a branch manager.”
I said, “That’s great, but what…?”
He interrupted, “The branch is in Nashville.”
I asked, “Tennessee?”
Phil nodded, “Yes. It’s a really good opportunity for her, well, for us. We have talked about it for the last two weeks, and we decided she should take the job. We will be moving to Nashville in about a month. I’m going to start a new office once we get there.”
I sighed, “That’s great for you guys. I guess I need to start looking for a new job then.”
He smiled, “If you want to move to Nashville, you already have one.”
I chuckled, “Thanks Phil, but I think I prefer to stay around here. I’ll figure something out, I’m happy for you guys.”
He said, ‘I’m sorry, and I will write you a letter of recommendation and I want you to stay until we have all the drawings for our clients finished. I won’t be taking on any more jobs after today. I’m sure it will take all month to finish all the work we already have.”
I nodded, “Of course, I will stay until we are done.”
Phil said, “But if you find a job before that, I won’t be upset of you leave sooner.”
I said, “Thanks Phil, I appreciate you helping me get started in the business. I hope things go well for you in Nashville.
As promised, Phil had the letter of recommendation to me by the first of the next week and I started to get my resume updated. Well, actually, written. This was my first real job; a construction worker doesn’t usually have a resume. I had to ask Danny to help me. I wasn’t sure how impressive it was, but I was hoping having some on site experience would help offset the time I spent in Springfield.
I sent out a couple of applications, but by the time we closed the office, I still had not heard back from any of them. I was starting to consider talking to Bob to see if he was looking for any help. The week after Phil left for Nashville, I sent out a few more resumes and was thinking about all of my options.
I briefly considered opening up my own drafting office, but as soon as I looked at the price of a computer, the software package, and a printer big enough to print house plans, I decided I would need to save some more money. I had talked to Bob and some of Phil’s other clients and they seemed willing to hire me, but that was no guarantee I could make a living. I knew they were already looking for other drafters and by the time I got things started, they may already be doing business with someone else.
As I was checking all the job sites, I thought I should maybe expand my search outside of Hartford. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to move out of town, but that might be necessary to find a job. On a whim, I decided to check for jobs in Edgewater. They didn’t have any jobs for draftsmen, but I did see ads for four or five construction companies. I closed my laptop, I knew it was a long shot anyway, I was sure there were probably not any drafting offices in Edgewater.
I got up early the next morning and went to mom and dad’s; I wanted to catch dad before he left for work. Mom was making breakfast as I walked in, she of course, quickly fried another egg and added some more bacon to the pan. Dad handed me a cup of coffee.
Dad asked, “How is the job search going?”
I shrugged, “Okay I guess, I’m waiting to hear back from the places I have applied. I was even thinking about talking to Bob to see if he needs any help.”
Dad took a sip of his coffee, “That might not be a bad idea, at least until a drafting job comes along.”
I nodded, “I even thought about starting my own office, a few of Phil’s old customers said they would give me a shot.”
Mom asked, “How much would it cost to start up a business like that?”
I chuckled, “A lot.”
Dad asked, “Do you have any money from your settlement left?”
I nodded, “Yes, but buying all the things I would need would take most of it. I have no idea how much rent on an office would be, plus insurance and all the other stuff it would take to get a business started.”
Mom asked, “Could you work from your apartment?”
I shrugged, “Maybe, but my place is pretty small. The printer alone would probably take up my entire living room.”
Dad said, “You could clean out the storeroom in our basement, if you really want to try this. You wouldn’t have to pay rent, and once you get things going you could look for an office.”
I smiled, “Thanks dad, but I don’t think you and mom want a bunch of construction workers stopping by the house all day long.”
Dad paused for a moment, “We still have the money that we had saved for your college, Ethan. You could have that.”
Mom smiled at dad. I said, “I appreciate that dad, but you and mom should use that money. Why don’t you guys take a vacation? How long has it been since you took a trip anywhere?”
Mom sighed, “If it will help you Ethan, that is more important than us having fun.”
Dad nodded, “Your mom is right.”
I took mom’s hand, “If I remember correctly, next year is your 30th wedding anniversary. Why don’t you guys use that money to take that Alaskan Cruise you have always talked about?”
They gave each other a look and sighed. Dad stood and said, “Ethan, I don’t deserve you or for that matter, your mom and brother either. Having you guys stand up to me that day you got out of prison was the best thing to ever happen to me. I needed to be told to pull my head out of my ass. You decide what you want to do and your mom and I will help in any way that we can.”
I stood up and gave dad a hug and wiped my tears away. Mom did the same as dad turned his head and said, “I better get going or I am going to be late for work. I love you guys.”
In unison, mom and I said, “We love you too.”
Dad hurried out the door and mom let out a deep breath, “Do you want another cup of coffee?"
I smiled, “Sure mom, thanks.”
She filled both of our cups and sat back down, I said, “You really should look into taking that trip mom.”
She shrugged, “It seems so extravagant.”
I said, “So what? You guys have worked hard, 30 years is a big deal. You deserve to be extravagant.”
She put her hand on mine, “We’ll talk about it. You figure out what you want to do first, we want to help you if we can.”
I squeezed her hand, “I appreciate it mom. When I figure it out, you and dad will be the first to know.”
She smiled, “Why don’t you take a vacation? You were only out of prison for a week before you went back to work. Then you started taking classes, you have been working very hard for the last two years, you deserve a break too.”
I said, “I’ll think about it.”
We sat in silence drinking our coffee for a minute. I took a deep breath, “I was thinking I might make the drive to Edgewater again this week.”
She raised an eyebrow, “To talk to Eli’s brother again?”
I nodded, “Yes. I think he needs someone to talk to.”
Mom shook her head, “You have such a big heart. Eli must have been a very special friend.”
I said, “He was mom, he made my time at Springfield bearable.”
She said, “Just don’t mistake the feelings you had for Eli as the reason you want to talk to his brother.”
I looked into mom’s eyes as I pondered what she just said. She did have a valid point; I needed to think this through.
I finished the last of my coffee and stood to leave, “Thanks mom, I’ll keep you and dad posted on the job search.”
She smiled, “Call as soon as you get back from Edgewater and let us know how it went.”
I chuckled; she knew I had already made up my mind to go see Cy; she could always read me like a book. I drove home and packed my bag; I figured I would at least spend one night in Edgewater this time. I checked my email just to make sure I didn’t have anybody that wanted to schedule a job interview. I took my laptop along, so I could keep checking the job sites, I still needed a job after all.
By the time I got packed and filled my truck with gas, it was about noon when I pulled into Edgewater. I drove straight to the diner that I ate at the last time I was there. Their special today was a hot beef sandwich, and it was just as good as the meatloaf was.
After I finished eating, I drove to the west end of town. I saw a small motel the last time I was in town, there was also a Super 8 and a Holiday Inn downtown, but I figured the motel would be less expensive. I checked into the Edgewater Inn, and the friendly lady handed me the key to room 9.
She smiled, “If you decide you want to stay longer, just stop into the office and let me know.”
I nodded, “I sure will, thanks.”
I walked into my room and set my bag on the bed. The room wasn’t anything fancy, but it was clean and the bed seemed comfortable. I turned on the TV, just for some background noise. I pulled out my laptop to check my email; no job offers yet.
I knew from last time that the bar that Cy worked at didn’t open until 4 o’clock, so I had a couple of hours to kill. I checked the job sites again and changed my location to Edgewater. I’m not sure why, I surly wasn’t thinking about moving here, was I?”
I did some more research on what all the equipment needed to start a small drafting office would cost. I was considering dad’s offer to set up an office in his basement. I started to scribble on a notepad trying to estimate how many jobs I would need to pay for the equipment. I sighed, it would be a big risk, it always takes a couple of years for a new business to get off the ground.
I checked the time, it was already 4:15, The Corner Bar should be open, and I hope Cy is working today. I got in my truck made the short drive and walked in. Just like last time, the only other customers in the bar were four guys sitting at the same table at the far end of the bar.
I heard one man say, “No, not this week. It’s too soon, but definitely next…” He stopped as I sat at the first bar stool. I looked straight ahead so they wouldn’t think that I was listening to them. Cy turned and walked towards me.
When he saw who I was, he rolled his eyes, “Back again, huh?” I nodded, he stopped at the beer cooler, “Miller High Life?”
I gave him a slight smile, “Yes, please.” I set a five-dollar bill on the bar. He opened the bottle and set it in front of me and grabbed the five. He put it in the cash drawer and returned with two one-dollar bills and set them down in front of me.
He sighed, “Why are you back? Eli is gone; you did your good deed so now you can just leave me the hell alone.”
I said, “I just wanted to see if you wanted to talk about it. I know if I lost my brother, I would want someone to talk to.”
He rolled his eyes again, “I hadn’t seen him in over four years, I am used to being on my own. You really should mind your own business.”
I downed the rest of my beer and picked up one of the dollar bills and said, “I’ll be staying at the Edgewater Inn, room 9 if you want to talk.” I turned to walk out of the bar.
Cy shook his head as he grabbed the tip that I had left and stuffed it into the tip jar by the cash register. I stopped at a convenience store and got another 6-pack and then drove through Wendy’s to get some dinner. I spent the rest of the evening calculating what it would take to start a new business.
I stripped down to my underwear and lay across the bed trying to decide what my next move with Cy was going to be. His words said that he didn’t want to talk to me, but his eyes were saying the opposite, or was that wishful thinking on my part? God, I couldn’t stop thinking about those eyes.
I finally shut the TV off at about 11 o’clock and tried to get to sleep. The last time I looked at the clock, it said 11:42. I was startled awake by pounding on my door. I glanced at the clock, 2:28. I wiped the sleep from my eyes, trying to figure out who was at the door.
My eyes went wide when I opened the door, I gasped, “Eli!!”
Cy shook his head, “No, but I have been called worse.”
My mind began to clear, I remembered where I was, I said, “Oh, sorry, but you really look like your brother.”
He nodded, “Yeah, I have heard that a time or two before.” He shifted on his feet, “Can I come in?”
I said, “Yeah, um… sure. Come on in.”
Cy walked over and sat in the chair that was beside the bed, I took a seat on the edge of the bed. I asked, “So, what are you doing here?”
He shrugged, “I guess I do kind of want someone to talk to. Is your offer still good?”
I nodded, “Of course it is. Do you want something to drink or… I guess the only thing I have is a beer.”
He chuckled, “No thanks, I’m good.”
I said, “Okay, so what do you want to talk about?”
He stared straight ahead and sighed, “I miss him, Ethan.”
I held back a tear, “I know, I do too.”
Cy asked, “Do you know how he died? I mean, I know you said it was an accident, but…”
I told Cy everything that Hank had told me. Cy shook his head, “That doesn’t surprise me. Eli is always trying to save everyone else. The dumb shit. That damn boy scout attitude got him killed.”
I said, “Cy, Eli was a good man. You’re right, he would help anyone that needed it.”
The sadness in his eyes told me that this was harder on Cy than he let on the two times I spoke to him in the bar. He tried to be sneaky, but I did see him wipe away a couple of tears.
I said, “Hank also gave me a journal that Eli kept, he talked a lot about you. His dream after he got out was to open an auto repair shop with you.”
Cy chuckled, “That stupid gearhead, I don’t know anything about fixing no cars. The only reason I helped him work on anything was to just spend time with him. He was all I had, Ethan. Now, I am all alone.”
He couldn’t hide tears this time. I couldn’t help it; I walked to him and wrapped my arms around him. He put his arms around me and sobbed on my shoulder for what seemed like an hour. I just held him and let him get it all out of his system. My instincts were right; Cy did need someone to talk to. To be honest, I needed someone to grieve with too. My family was great, but I don’t think they fully understood my relationship with Eli.
When we broke our embrace, our eyes remained locked on each other. Neither of us spoke as we both leaned in until our lips met. Cy stood and lifted me up and we fell back onto the bed as we continued to make out. The passion in our kiss only increased the longer our tongues danced.
I remembered that I was only wearing underwear when Cy’s hand brushed against the wet spot on the front of my boxer-briefs. The tent that my erection caused was impossible to ignore. I started to pull at Cy’s shirt. We broke our kiss long enough to pull his shirt over his head. Cy quickly kicked his shoes and socks off, then his jeans and underwear soon joined the rest of his clothes on the floor. I also kicked my underwear across the room.
His muscular chest and rippled abs were just as impressive as his older brother. And that cock; I had used my memory of Eli’s uncut member to fuel so many jackoff sessions since I got out of prison. Now, Cy’s nearly identical cock was within my reach, the broad purple head peeking out of the stretched foreskin surrounded by those sexy ginger pubes almost made me cum right then.
We resumed our kiss as our hands began to stroke each other’s poles. We had still not spoken any words; we just rotated into a sixty-nine started to orally service each other. God, he tasted so good. I fondled his full nuts as I took him as deep as I could. We were both leaking precum to lube each other’s throats.
I released his cock and began to lick his nuts and then suck them into my mouth, one at a time. Cy ran his finger up and down the crack of my ass. I moaned as I spread my legs. Just as I had hoped, his finger found my pucker. Cy licked his finger and returned it to my hole. My eyes rolled back in my head as he pushed in to his first knuckle. He pushed further and hit my love button.
I rolled onto my back and pulled my legs up; I needed him to work my ass over even more. Cy grinned as he leaned down and replaced his finger with his talented tongue. He spat and slobbered all over my aching hole until his tongue breached the outer ring of muscle, sending me into orbit.
A minute later, I was begging Cy to fuck the living hell out of me. He didn’t have to be asked twice. Our lips were locked together again as he pushed in until his nuts were tight against my ass. Cy pulled back slightly as we stared into each other’s eyes, and he began to piston in and out. Holy shit, he was hitting all of my buttons. My tingling nuts began to tighten, and I knew I was past the point of no return.
Cy panted, “I am so close.”
I groaned, “Me too.”
He pushed in as far as he could and let out a final loud grunt. As soon as I felt the heat from his seed flood my insides, my cock began to pulse, shooting out a huge load of baby batter. I had not even touched it.
Cy collapsed on top of me as we shared another passionate kiss. My hot cum slick between our heaving stomachs, and Cy’s slowly deflating cock slipping from my cum filled hole. Cy pulled back and stared into my eyes. Those damn emerald, green eyes were casting a spell on me, fuck, this guy could make me do anything right now.
Cy rolled to my side, he asked, “Are you okay?”
I swallowed hard, “Yes, very okay. How about you?”
He sighed, “Yeah, I guess I’m okay too. I’m not sure what came over me, but…”
I said, “I didn’t do anything that I didn’t want to. It’s okay, really.”
He gave me a slight smile. He thought for a minute, “Did you ever do anything with my brother?”
I wasn’t going to lie, “Yes, but he was straight. I mostly just gave him blow jobs.”
Cy paused again and asked, “Did he ever returned the favor?”
I said, “Just a couple of times. I told you we were really close; he told me that he had never done that with any other man.”
Cy chuckled, “Yeah, that sounds like Eli.”
I kissed Cy’s cheek, “I told you he would do anything for someone that he cares about.”
Cy sighed as another tear formed in his eye, “Yep, my brother, the eternal boy scout. Always looking out for everyone else and look where it got him.”
I said, “Eli just wanted to help and protect the people that he loved.”
Cy turned and looked me in the eyes, “I was the one that should have been in prison.”
I leaned up on my elbow and asked, “What are you talking about?”
He took a deep breath, “Eli told you that he was arrested for driving a getaway car after a robbery, right?”
I nodded, “Yes.”
Cy said, “He wasn’t driving that car.”
I sat there trying to figure out what Cy was telling me. He continued, “It was Eli’s car, but he let me borrow it that night. I was driving the car. After we drove away from the store that my friends just robbed, I dropped them off at the place we had planned. I sped home and parked the car behind the house we lived in. The next morning when we saw the cops pull up, Eli made me hide in the closet in the back bedroom. I think he figured out what I had done. Evidently, a witness saw the car and wrote down the license plate number. The cops checked DMV records, and saw the car was registered in Eli’s name, they knew he had a record for minor crimes. When they came to the house, Eli matched the description of the man driving the car. You already noticed that we sort of resemble each other.”
I nodded as Cy wiped another tear away. “Eli never corrected the cops when they questioned him. My friends didn’t correct the cops either. The cops in Hartford aren’t the brightest bulbs in the pack. They had the car that was involved and the guy that matched the witness’ statements. Eli went to prison to protect me.”
To be Continued…
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