“Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.” This, of course, means that you should not condemn the actions of others, if you are guilty of the same actions.
***
I returned to our table and distributed the drinks. As I sat down, Mike asked, “what was that little talk with Heather about?”
I shrugged, “I’m not sure.”
Before I could tell Mike what she said, Cole asked about the book I was working on. I smiled as we talked about the book and the research I had done so far. We spent the rest of the evening talking about everyone else’s jobs and the like. As we were all getting ready to call it a night, we saw a man enter the gym and walk straight to Conrad. After they had a brief conversation, Conrad, Heather and the man immediately walked to the door to leave.
I asked, “who was that guy.”
Cole said, “I think his name is Will Kline, he is Conrad’s assistant or campaign manager or something.”
We were ready to leave, so we followed them out the door, I watched as Conrad and Heather walked to his car, Conrad had his arm around Heather. As soon as they thought they were out of sight, Heather pulled away from Conrad to get in the car. As they sped away, it appeared that they were having a spirited discussion. Will Kline jumped in his car and followed them out of the parking lot.
Mike chuckled, “it looks like all is not well in paradise.”
We all agreed as we said goodbye and left to go home.
As I drove us to Mike’s house, he asked, “so what did Heather have to say when you were at the bar?”
I said, “I’m not really sure, she just told me that Conrad didn’t practice what he preached.”
He asked, “what does that mean?”
I shrugged, “she said that his public persona is much different than his private life. I’m still trying to figure out what that means. I mean, I know politicians always say what they think everyone wants to hear, I just have no idea what his personal life is like.”
We continued to speculate as we pulled into Mike’s driveway. I put my car in park and said, “thank you for talking me into going tonight, other than our talk with Conrad, I did have a nice time.”
Mike said, “I’m glad you came tonight too.” He paused a moment, “do you want to come in for a minute? We could have another beer, or I could make some coffee.”
I shrugged, “I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee.”
I followed Mike inside, he said, “make yourself at home, I’ll put the coffee on.”
I looked around as I took a seat on the couch, it was the first time that I had been to Mike’s house. It was a modest home in a nice neighborhood. While it wasn’t overly decorated, it was tastefully done. While the furniture and pictures on the wall were nicer than your typical bachelor pad, they weren’t indicative of a man living in a house decorated by a wife.
Mike walked into the living room and joined me on the couch. He said, the coffee should be done in five minutes.”
I said, “you have a nice place, Mike.”
He smiled, “thanks, I like it. I have to admit, my sister did help pick out the furniture when I bought the place. She also picked out the stuff on the walls.”
I chuckled, “it suits you.”
I sat there looking at him, he was so handsome in his suit and tie, he really did clean up well. Everything he had done and said over the last couple of months told me I could trust him. I was sure everything that happened that day 20 years ago was because of Conrad. Mike was also looking into my eyes as we remained motionless on the couch. We both started to move closer to each other, our eyes still locked, until our lips met.
Mike drove his tongue into my mouth, I did the same to him. I felt my cock begin swell as we continued our make out session. We both came up for air, Mike asked, “do you want to go to the bedroom?” I nodded, “yes.” He took my hand and led me down the hall, we immediately began pulling our clothes off and seconds later, we were kissing as we fell onto the bed. Our naked bodies now pressed together, our precum leaking cocks rubbing against each other. Mike still looked as good as he did in high school, if not even better. Mike broke our kiss and started to work his way down my body. I let out a slight whimper as he nibbled my ear, then gave me a gentle love bite on my neck. He kissed down my chest, once again giving each one of my nipples a nibble. Mike stroked my erection as he continued his trek down my stomach. After a quick lick of my belly button, I felt his tongue wrap around the swollen head of my engorged manhood. Mike had definitely learned some new skills since our last time together. My hands instinctively went to the back of his head as Mike bobbed up and down, his chin rubbing my cum-filled nuts with every bob. Mike looked up at me as he continued to suck my cock, I smiled down at him. I said, “move around, let me return the favor.” He quickly pivoted so that his cock was in front of my face. We were soon sucking each other like a couple of newborn calves. He tasted even better than I remembered. I worked a finger toward Mike’s ass, grazing his pucker. He reacted by spreading his legs, I pushed further as he let out an appreciative moan. Mike released my cock from his mouth and rolled onto his back. He panted, “will you fuck me?” I moved into position, gave him a kiss and said, “I would love to.” We kissed again as I aimed my pole at its target. I slowly pushed in until my nuts were tight against his fur covered ass. Mike grabbed my ass cheeks, and we were soon in rhythm, my dick bottoming out with every stroke. You would have never known that it had been years since we had been together, we were anticipating each other’s moves and working as a single unit. Mike reached down and stroked his cock, between breathes, he said, “you have me so close right now.” I responded with a breathless, “me too.” We locked our lips together and soon were spilling our seed, Mike’s between our heaving stomachs and mine inside Mike’s tight, warm hole.
Once our spasms subsided, I fell to Mike’s side, and we shared another kiss. He said, “I’m glad you let me talk to you at the Tavern that night, I have wanted to explain everything to you for a long time.”
I smiled, “yeah, I’m glad too. I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance to explain sooner.”
He said, “I don’t blame you.”
I gave him another kiss. He leaned up on his elbow, “I do have one question for you though.”
I smiled, “what is that?”
He asked, “why did Conrad call you Taylor Allen?”
I took a deep breath, “I guess I should tell you about that, since we are being honest with each other.”
Mike had a concerned look on his face, “ok, should I be worried, are you an undercover spy or something?”
I chuckled, “no, it’s not that crazy.” I paused, “when I quit writing for the Chronicle, after I finished my second book, I started to think about my income. The book had just been released and I was worried that if it didn’t sell, I might have to beg for my old job back. I had written a couple short stories on an erotic gay website, and they were pretty well received. I did some research and found a place to publish full books. I quickly took those first stories, expanded them so they were long enough and got them published. I couldn’t use my real name, so I used my last name as my first and my middle name, Allen, for my last name.”
Mike laughed, “so you write trashy gay porn books?”
I said, “I prefer to think of them as erotic gay novels. Don’t laugh, I make some pretty good money at it.”
He was still chuckling, “I’ll have to read some of them sometime.”
I sighed, “I should warn you, the first one may have been written about a guy that falls for another guy in high school. The second guy betrays the first guy, and in the end the first guy, sort of gets revenge on the second guy. It may have been based on something that happened to me a long time ago. But in my defense, the first guy didn’t have all the facts, and the second guy had been a real jerk for years.”
Mike raised an eyebrow, “so how did you… I mean the first guy, get revenge on me… I mean the second guy?”
I shrugged, “you will have to read the book to find out. I may have to write a sequel though, maybe where the two guys work things out and start over as good friends.”
Mike gave me a kiss, “I think I will wait to read the sequel, it sounds much better.”
I smiled, “it sure seems that way.”
After we cuddled for a minute, a thought occurred to me, “wait a minute, how do you think Conrad knew about my pen name?”
Mike sighed, “I might have an idea, he may have read some of your… erotic novels.”
I said, “what? Why would he read anything like that?”
He paused a moment, “Conrad may not be completely straight.”
I sat up and looked at Mike, “what does that mean.”
Mike took a deep breath as he sat up, “we are clearing the air, and there are going to be no secrets between us, right?”
I nodded, “yes, that would be a good place for us to start over.”
He said, “after you left that day in high school, I heard noises coming from my closet. I opened the door to find Conrad in there with the camera, well he already had his pants off and was jacking off, I guess watching us turned him on.”
I asked, “are you serious?”
Mike nodded, “yep, and after I pulled him out, he begged me to let him suck my cock and then he wanted me to fuck him.”
I was stunned, “and did you?”
He sighed, “yes, I’m sorry, but when someone offers to suck a horny eighteen-year old’s cock, he usually doesn’t turn them down.”
My mind was racing, I was still trying to wrap my head around this new information, “so you think Conrad is gay?”
He shrugged, “he sure was that day, I have no idea about now. I guess I assumed that when he married Heather, that he had just been experimenting. I have heard of others doing that in high school and college.”
I nodded, “yeah, maybe. But why didn’t you ever tell anyone else about this?”
Mike said, “look Devin, I was still dealing with my parents about this whole thing with you. Conrad told me he could make my life hell if I told anyone about him. You left for Houston, and I had to stay in town, it was just easier for me to keep quiet and try to put my life back together.”
I sighed, “I guess I can understand that, I’m sorry you didn’t have anyone to talk to.”
He said, “it’s ok Devin, I got through it. Hey, do you think that is what Heather was talking about when she talked to you at the bar tonight?”
I said, ‘I’m not sure, do you think she knows?”
He shrugged, “They have married over ten years, maybe she caught him with another guy.”
I asked, “do you think Conrad would take that risk now, I mean since he is being considered for Lt. Governor?”
Mike said, “I don’t know, hell, who knows with Conrad, he thinks his daddy’s money can fix any problem he has.”
I nodded, “that’s true. Damn, this would surely explain why she said he was a hypocrite. What an ass, trying to pass legislation limiting gay rights while he is in the closet himself.”
Mike said, “yeah, typical Conrad. So, you aren’t mad at me for what I did with Conrad that day?”
I shook my head, “I have no right to be mad at you for that, hell, I didn’t talk to you after that day. You don’t have any other bomb shells to drop on me, do you?”
He chuckled, “no, do you Taylor Allen?”
I laughed, “no, I think we’re even.”
He smiled, “good, do you want to spend the night?”
I said, “I have been laying here naked for the last hour, waiting for you to ask me that.”
Mike wrapped his arms around me, and we drifted off to sleep, we were still holding each other when we woke up the next morning. Mike made us coffee as I got dressed to go home.
I gave him a kiss as I opened the door to leave, I said, “I’ll call you later.”
He smiled, “I’d like that.”
I walked in the house, dad was reading the Sunday paper, he looked up, “well. look who’s finally home, did you have a good time at the reunion?”
I smiled, “I did.” I felt myself blush, I was a grown man, but I turned back into a teenager sneaking into my dad’s house after a late night.
He chuckled, “relax son, you don’t owe me an explanation, unless you care to share who you spent the night with. Anyone I know?”
I nodded, “you know I was going with Mike. We went back to his place for a cup of coffee afterward, and well…”
Dad said, “I see. It’s your life Devin, you already know how I feel.”
I said, “I know dad, I promise, I am being careful.”
He smiled, “I want you to be happy, and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
I returned his smile, “I know you are just looking out for me, but I’m a big boy.”
He went back to his paper, “that’s my job.”
I went to my room with a smile on my face and changed clothes. Dad and I spent the rest of the day doing some chores around the house. About midafternoon, he went to the freezer and set some pork chops on the counter to thaw for dinner.
He said, “I thought we could grill tonight.”
I nodded, “sounds good, but you have three chops. Are you expecting company?”
Dad shrugged, “Maybe you want to invite Mike to join us.”
I felt a lump form in my throat, I gave dad a hug and said, “thanks dad.”
I called Mike and invited him over, although he was hesitant, I convinced him that dad was trying, so it would mean a lot to me if he would join us. I made some twice baked potatoes and a salad to round out our meal. I took a quick shower and was setting the table when Mike arrived, right on time.
Dad answered the door with a smile, “hi Mike, it’s been a long time, it’s nice to see you again.”
Mike looked nervous, “it’s nice to see you too Mr. Taylor.”
Dad shook his head, “it’s Dave.”
Mike smiled, “thanks Dave.”
I grabbed some beers from the fridge, handing one to dad and Mike. Dad said, “thanks Devin, remember, I only allow myself one beer.”
I chuckled, “I know dad, just don’t get drunk on me, I’m not sure if I can carry you to your room anymore.”
That seemed to ease the tension, and the conversation started to flow. Mike seemed to relax, and I was so proud of dad for treating Mike like he was welcome in our home.
After we finished our first beer, dad went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water for himself and another beer for Mike and me.
I said, “the chops should be ready, I’ll step out and grab them, you guys can go ahead and sit down.”
I loaded the chops on the plate, turned off the grill and walked back inside. As I made my way to the kitchen, I heard the last part of their conversation.
Dad said, “he is all I have in this world Mike, you had better be telling the truth and promise me you will never do anything to hurt him.”
Mike took a deep breath, “I promise you Dave, I couldn’t be more sincere. I can’t tell you how empty my life has been the last twenty years. I still remember the look on Devin’s face as he walked out of Prescott’s office that day, I would die if I ever saw that look again. That night a couple of months ago, when he agreed to talk to me again, was the best day of my life. In the weeks since, I have finally felt that my life might be complete. I’m still not sure where all of this will lead, but I am looking forward to finding out. I can only hope Devin feels the same way.”
Dad smiled, “thanks Mike, I am glad to hear that. I must admit, I have noticed the happiness in Devin’s eyes since you guys have been talking. But remember, if you ever hurt him, I will hunt you down and kick your ass.”
They both laughed, Mike said, “yes sir, if I hurt him, I will let you kick my ass, because I would deserve it.”
I wiped the tear from my eye, I didn’t want to interrupt their talk. I went back to the door and shut it loud enough so they could hear me coming in. They were releasing the handshake that they had just shared as I walked in.
I said, “the chops are done to perfection, hope you’re both hungry.”
They both smiled at me, and Mike said, “I’m starving, thanks again for inviting me over.”
Dad said, “you are welcome here anytime Mike.”
The rest of the evening went very well, and I was seeing a new side to both dad and Mike. They had come to an understanding, and it was clear that they both cared for me. I started to understand what Mike was talking about with my dad and for the first time, my life might be complete too.
Mike and I continued to see each other, even more frequently now. He and dad were still getting along great, and we were starting to talk about our future together.
I had put the finishing touches on my book about Duncan Oswald, I sent it to my publisher for editing. They would usually send it back a couple of weeks later with notes and suggestions, so I had a little time to start another erotic story. I was putting an outline together, I was seriously going to write the sequel that I had teased Mike about. I had the two main characters start out as enemies, just as Mike and I had been, then get back together years later. I changed all real-life details and names of course, but the story was very similar to ours. I even showed Mike the outline and he offered some suggestions. He was particularly helpful when I was writing the sex scenes, we even acted them out for authenticity.
As I was starting to write “Enemies and Lovers” I got a phone call.
I didn’t recognize the number, I answered, “this Devin Taylor.”
He said, “hi Devin, this is Paul Harris in Oklahoma City, I’m a writer with the Oklahoman. I’m not sure if you remember me, but we went to journalism school together in Houston.”
I searched my memory, I said, “yeah, Paul. Professor Trimble’s Ethics in Journalism class. How have you been?”
He said, “doing well thanks, how about you?”
I answered, “doing good too. What can I do for you?”
He said, “I’m sure you’ve heard about Conrad Brooks being considered for Lt. Governor. Well, I have been assigned to write a story about him. I heard that you went to high school with him, is there anything you can tell me about that?”
I chuckled, “well Paul, not really. You could say that Conrad and I weren’t the best of friends in school. To be honest, we hated each other. Anything I would tell would be severely prejudiced, and we wouldn’t want to disappoint Prof. Trimble, would we?”
Paul laughed, “no, we wouldn't, I understand. Have you talked to him since high school?”
I said, “as a matter of fact, I saw a few weeks ago at our high school reunion, again the words we shared weren’t very pleasant.”
He said, “I see, can you tell me, was Will Kline there?
I paused a moment, “I think he showed up late in the evening, he briefly talked to Conrad, and they left quickly after. At least one of my other friends said he thought the man was Will.”
Paul sighed, “that’s the same story I have been getting from almost everyone I talk too.”
I asked, “why is that unusual, isn’t Will his assistant?”
He chuckled, “that’s what his official title is, but I have been trying to figure out why a sophomore in college needs a personal assistant. Will Kline has been at Conrad Brook’s side for at least 18 years.”
To be continued…
