The Trick; After the Bomb Was Over, Before the Break of Day...

"He'll never admit it, never ask but...it's kinda up to us to do something." Jerry rolled on his back, seemed to think and then agreed. "Okay. what?"

"Rod has to have a place to live and, Jerry, let me find this one, your heart was in the right place but you're just too used to big projects, this is for a man and dog...a big dog, but a dog.:"

"Then there's the shop, neither of them would consider a strip mall, it doesn't even work in that environment....where it was, dangerous and all, was perfect, the apartment above and.....the fence for Matt."

"Yeah, Matt's fence." That was the hardest part. If he chose to, Rod could live in a tree but Matt leaning against his fence....and it had to be heavy chain link. And it had to be back by a trash filled  vacant lot and in a marginal part of town....taken as a whole, it was non-existent. Jerry's money couldn't buy it.....frustrating to a man who genuinely wanted to do the best for a really great guy and one of their best friends-after all, he'd introduced Jake to Jerry.

When the abandoned bank had blown up next to the shop, that finished the bank but the shop, even part of the vacant lot-now fire bombed clean-forever. Even if the neighborhood had been better, Jerry knew that no insurance company would rebuild it, almost impossible anyway. That little shop, unassuming as it was, might cost a million dollars just for the basics, forget the things that made it what it was, the gents club, Matt's apartment and...his fence where his business life as a whore was conducted. You couldn't just errect a fence, announce a male street entertainment unit was about to set up shop and....well, couldn't be done. 

Just then Jerry felt a little guilty about having Jake, Matt had not only introduced them but insisted they live together until they fell in love then get married. All of which happened. Each of them had been with Matt first, each of them had seriously thought that maybe he was the one-Jerry had even worn his collar for a while until Matt removed it and put it on Jake; Now both guys had collars, stainless steel links, welded shut, they were in this forever. When told they were gay. a visiting contractor only said, "Them two? Might just as well tell me a back hoe and eighteen wheeler was gettin' it on...." 

Jake rolled on top of Jerry, decided to kiss him, did. "Wish we had one of those clapper things they used to advertise so you wouldn't have to turn off the lights." And laughed.

Else where on the 38th floor, in Jerry's living room in fact, Matt and the Captain were sitting on the couch that seemed to flow, be just wherever you wanted it to be. Wearing clothes Jerry had bought him back when he thought Matt was what he wanted, he gave in to being sad, leaned against Cap, didn't say much. Cap held him, it was one moment his being older wasn't a bad thing, Matt needed a touch of someone being his sort of Father and who better than the man who routinely fucked him...as well as loved him and, sometimes he had to admit it, just like a Dad.... not that fathers fucked their sons....

"Beautiful out there. Jerry knew precisely the right floor to have as his, I went up to the top, to 40 and it's almost the same view but...same if you go two stories down. This works just perfectly, even the reflected sunset in the gas stations, who'd planned on that?" The answer was....Jerry. The same Jerry who, concurrent to their looking out the window, was a hundred yards away trying to fix a situation that, for one, his money couldn't. He held onto Jake and looked at the ceiling while his man licked his way down until it found a cock just ready to get hard.

"Uhm, I got the troops out looking for a spot for the shop, they'll find one, sure of it." The Captain had ultimate confidence in his men even if, reality, not many of them were actively looking for a fence onto which a male whore could lean. The just mentioned leaner's relationship to their captain was even less well known, an absolute necessity to preserve his position as Captain not to mention the respect of his men many of whom would not have approved or understood.

"Saul, the guy from 'O'Haul Yes, We Tow' has his guys spotting things. My money's on them, they find cars in the damndest places, even if there's already a business....did you see the check Rod got? The one I got? and I just lived over the shop. Never thought there'd be something like double indemnity on an explosion. And people wonder if renters insurance is just a gouge to get money....Looking at that check, I'd say the answer is....no."

"If you and Rod had caused the blow out, you wouldn't have got a penny...'Member? I am the law. ATF investigated it, all we said was, 'Yeup, sounds good to us and signed off on it. Insurance was screwed for every nickel, not even one of those shyster attorneys you hear on television could have got you more...I actually wondered if insurance might try and claim "Act of God" but proving that....

"We weren't in a car wreck, never heard them say to call if your home was fire bombed flat...if you discount the wrecked exterior of the Rolls...Jerry didn't even have it fixed, just bought a new one...well, I guess the appraiser said that the engine and the tires were salvageable so they just totaled the rest....think about it, that  new Rolls cost Jerry...nothing. I think they even let him keep the tires as spares."

"You know, don't you, if there were any way, any way at all you could live with me..."

Matt turned to him kissed him..."The living would be okay, it's when I put up my fence for my office across the front yard....." They both laughed. A little. "I'm easy, find an apartment, Christ with the money I can afford just about anything I want...I could even live here in Keller Towers."

That was funny for about ten seconds until they both realized not only was that a lousy idea but nice as this was, it was convenient to....nothing. Even Jerry had admitted that he'd built it too far out, he had the land and so....up it went. Six years later, it was about two thirds occupied. Jerry hadn't built it to make money but he hadn't planned on having to write off losses each year for as long as he had. 

"Rod seems to like it here, he's been down at the pool on 30, the gym...Herb in the garage has Clippers most of the day, lets him out...maybe the one to live here is Rod, where he lived before was no closer than this or so I gather. Only time I saw it was after the big boom, after the divorce proceedings when he and I went by and pissed on the shrubbery. Guess that ate into the 'curb appeal'. Yeah, I'll tell Jerry, or ask him, what's available....maybe he could even have a shop here...nothing like the old one..."

"Sure, and Jerry would build him the last word in barber shops; Rod would hate it." Truth was truth. 

"Here on the couch? Wanna do it?"

"Oh yeah. You first." Both were wearing pullovers or pull ups so it didn't take long for them to pull off. Matt did something for the Captain that most men couldn't-apart from giving him the best blow jobs in the city-he gave him a sense of youth. As he slid into Matt he didn't even think about that but, later, when Matt was purring with satisfaction, someplace in his mind he'd remember he'd done what not even many of the young can do, and do well. 

Jeff, Skip, Bennie, Saul from the towing company, a couple of Matts clients, were parked on Sixth Street opposite where Matt's fence had been, leaned against their cars and just...looked. It was Saul who, after the crews from the agencies had left dug through the trash, that part not burned up or blown away, they made and found about twelve feet of fence, badly mangled and bent but, using his truck and a building as a strong up right to hold one end, got it as straight as it was going to get. One original steel post had remained, bent almost double, straightened that was used as the pole to which the fence was attached. 

"Almost needs a plaque, some kind of memorial. Lot of good times started here...." They just leaned on their cars and looked. Saul, who had no taste for time and place and sex but was horny just then, suggested they all haul 'em out, stroke down and leave the jizz to mark the spot. One of the clients had a better idea, "Why don't we all just blow each other, we got an even number, works out pretty good. I think Matt would like that better...hell, we got police protection." Jeff blushed but Skip, his partner, was already heading for his knees getting ready to open Little Jeff's pants to find that 'little' as he well knew, only applied to his height.

Back on the 38th floor, Matt, who'd finished screwing the Captain, was now in his arms, both of them naked in the dark room; He was silently weeping into the older man's chest. 

Elsewhere, Jerry and Jake were aimlessly playing with one another, leading to nothing, aware that devastation of someone they loved was close by and there was nothing to do. Rod and Clippers were laying in another bed, Jerry had a lot of rooms, looking at the dark city wondering where, out there, was the future? All he knew was how to cut hair and that he did supremely well but you can't do it on a street by a burned out building-and even that wouldn't be there much longer.

Saul was on a mission. Okay, his "O'Haul Yes We Tow" was a roaring success based, he knew, on a ragingly clever name for it. One, he remembered, Matt had thought up when they were fucking. Saul had found the fence and its man meat quite by accident; He had  been looking, as usual, for illegals to tow away but found Matt instead. At first all he wanted was instructions, mainly on how to get out of this neighborhood, but when the profession of the good looking guy casually leaning against the fence was made clear, he'd asked him into the cab of his truck. Seeing the police permit to collect cars then call them, Matt gave him his usual friendly first responder discount and Saul got a fucking such as he hadn't had since well.... he hadn't had. Thinking that was a one time deal, it had been weeks-he really had been confused as to his directions-until he rolled down Sixth Street, amazed to find the same chain link fence accommodating the same man. Naturally, he stopped and this time got out. 

Matt had developed, largely because he had to, a memory for things and people; The cops found this useful as to who or what had gone down Sixth Street, when and, if he noticed, a tag number. On that day, Saul leaned against the fence saying he might have to set up some competition if the towing business didn't get better; Gypsy towers were hot on the dispatch and were almost psychic as to where a tow might be. Saul was substantially more honest, easy to deal with if it was your car that was about to make the trip to impound but...and that's when he said, "Oh, Hell, yes, I can tow..." which is where Matt stopped him.

"On the side, what you just almost said. 'O'Haul Yes, We Tow' and for that, no discount. But, buddy, not the cab of your truck, you won't get your money's worth. As happened, Saul knew of an SUV that hadn't been pulled in and, as a van that converted for overnight camping....Saul proved to be a good bottom, easy, enthusiastic, energetic....six months later, he was paying full price for whatever he wanted from Matt plus....had offered to park an SUV behind the fence for those in a hurry or who knew there was no horizontal space nearby that was semi private. He'd offered to put "O'Haul Yes Screwing Corp" on the side; Matt resisted; They'd become good friend. 

The word "Bleak" hung around him like the late February fog. In a friendly sort of way, he was getting sex when he wanted it, friends saw to that and money? The check from the insurance company solved a lot of problems....if he'd had them but, over time he and Rod had both established 401ks at the bank used by most of the cops; Their deposits just from rewards from catching criminals added up to a tidy sum, neither Matt nor Rod lacked for money. He'd always been frugal and now, living with Jerry and Jake, whatever he made, and however he made it, all was gravy. 

A buddy had asked Rod to take a chair in his shop until....and Rod had accepted-he had to laugh, wasn't even a door on which to hang a sign directing old clients to where he was now working.  Matt could also have had one but...a chair without a fence? Also, the Gents Club, which was largely his doing and it, along with everything else, went boom. He hung around the pool and the gym on the 30th floor getting back into shape, adding a little muscle, found ways to slip into the Captain's home, went on some dates with old customers who were really old friends and was generally miserable. 

Skip and Jeff were going to Saul's yard, more specifically to his garage, where he ran an occasional poker game. The name change for his business, his affable personality and his ability to do his work had turned it for Saul, he was assured of the future. (His popularity with the cops helped-on the side they tipped him as to where a tow might be or might be very soon.) Everyone was except...Matt. They all knew it but the point in talking about it? Nonexistent. Stopped at a light by Saul's, Jeff looked at the side of the yard where the tow trucks were parked when not out cruising the streets. "Good looking fence. Doesn't even look broken in...spose Matt could use it?"

"Baby, it ain't the same thing, he needed the shop, the trash in the vacant lot, the, well, you know, the whole thing. It's just a fence." But Jeff wasn't so sure. While Matt at that place was no good...it suggested to him that what he, all of them really, needed to look for was a fence and see what was around. The shop could be put in almost any old building, at least with a little work and if there was already a fence....He was sitting out a hand, talking to Saul, told him about the idea of Matt on his fence. Also about looking for fences...suggested the guys in the trucks had more time to look, the cops usually were involved which didn't leave much time for looking. 

The Captain was leaving Jerry's one morning when, as a throw away sentence, he suggested that Matt go some place, get out of town. Then closed the door.

Go some place. Get out of town.

Matt picked up his coffee mug, the one that had "Castration Is For Sissies" on the side, looked out at the view-clearly Jerry had bought this for the night time view-then stared out at...not much; Roads, all leading.....somewhere.

Naked, he strolled into the bedroom where Jerry and Jake were asleep. Made Matt smile, like two puppies they were slightly entangled; Even in their sleep Jake was clearly the submissive...if those terms could be applied to them. With his head on Jerry's furry chest, the usual line of night time spitlet curling around a nipple, it could have been photographed and sold with the word, "Contentment" under it. Probably not destined to be as popular as "God Bless Our Happy Home" but, with certain buyers, would find an audience. 

He crawled in the bed shoving Jerry over, forcing Jake off him and further to the side of the bed; Fortunately, Jerry believed in big beds or Jake would have  been wakened when he hit the floor. 

"Jerry, I need a favor".

"Uh hm, sure, you got it...." in his sleep all he'd done was recognize the voice and, when he'd shifted around to allow Matt to slide in, a body he knew very well. Out of habit, he reached down and squeezed the other man's nuts, a move that got his paw swatted. 

"I need the Rolls.
"Call the dealer right now...." He fumbled in his, by now, semi-sleep and made a hypnotist grasp for the phone. "What color?"

"Wake up, put a verb and a noun together, I don't want a new Rolls, I just want to borrow yours for a few days, maybe a while longer..."

"I'll tell Herb to bring it around." Again the reach for the phone which Matt was now holding so he could not get it. He'd slept with him often enough to know that he was hard to wake up-Jake was harder which was another reason they made a great pair. 

He stood up, picked up the bedside carafe of water then dumped it on him; This had an immediate effect. "Jesus, Shadow, what the fuck are you doing?"

"You offered to turn Jake in on a newer model." He paused to see if that percolated. 

"What? Jake?"

"Okay, you're semi-responsive, Jerry, I need to borrow the Rolls for maybe a week or more... It's your call, it's your car but...I have driven it, I have a license and, bless your heart and genitals, you've kept me on the insurance so..."

"Sure, that's no problem but...you always say you hate the Rolls....and what was that shit about trading in Jake?" 

"Nothing, forget it, just a test. Oh, one other thing, can I take some of the clothes you bought for me?"

Jerry, nude but damp, was fully awake. "What's the deal? The Rolls? The clothes?"

"Road Trip". He put one hand around Jerry's back, took his head in another, rolled him back-the wet sheets squished-and kissed him. On another day, years ago, he would have gone a lot further but seeing Jake, still sound asleep, fucking him was a non-starting issue: He'd introduced them, encouraged them to fall in love, been the best man at their wedding....all his feelings toward both of them were that of a-slightly-older brother. Didn't delete kissing, but that's as far as it went.

Matt wasn't going to show up that evening and now that he couldn't send Terry, his favorite officer for this job, to the fence to collect him....no Matt, no fence. Cap was a cop to his sore feet. Sitting  in his lounge chair, a taco salad, from a take out place in front of him two beers, cans not bottles, of Pabst, the television on, his service revolver holstered but stuck in the chair, he was a happy cop. Well, minus Matt. 

In the gloom he hardly noticed the large sedan pull up, stop and park. His usual peripheral vision vaguely made note of a man, suit, top coat, brief case in hand, coming up the walk. Probably someone from Headquarters. He spared them the trouble of ringing the bell, the door was open when the guy jauntily hopped up the steps. Shit, it was Matt.

The Captain knew before he'd even had arms put around him, before he'd been kissed...he knew as every cop instinctively knows, whatever it was, it wasn't good. 

Matt had his arms around him, their heads were ear to ear, "Tom...."Oh shit, nobody called him Tom and not Matt, his Matt..."Tom, I couldn't leave you, not my Cap...I, uh, I'm going on a road trip...that's Jerry's Rolls...Cap...please you just have to let me go...for now." They broke their embrace. Cap shrugged, "A policeman's life is not a happy one" rang in his head. Gilbert and Sullivan got that right.

"I'm not gonna even ask..."

Matt pulled a large manila envelope from his brief case, handed it to him and tried to turn away, head for the door."

"You do know I love you." It was a statement, not a question.

The Captain stood in his window, watched Matt open the door, get in, shut it then drive away. He stood there a long time before turning, sat back in his chair and reluctantly opened the envelope. It was the black and white photo of the man he loved, the one who'd just driven away, naked, on his knees, looking up, his  hands seeming to plead...

Tears don't do much for tortillas bowls but all he could think of as it got darker was an old title of something...."Maybe I'll come home in the Spring"......