Eleven-and-a-half: A Fantasy Of Great Length by Ray Wilder

Chapter 42: Flashback

This is a work of fiction. All the characters, events and locations
portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons,
events or locations is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 1996. All rights, implicit or implied, except for
distribution by this archive and personal use by the individual downloading
the file, are reserved. Inquiries regarding publishing rights for this book
should be directed to: raywild@aol.com

========================================

	As the summer months drew on Arnold and Ed were able to find
solutions to their personal matters and formed a bond between them. Nothing
was ever said about Mr. Ridell. Together, with Mary and David, the two boys
dove into a body building regimen that perplexed those who watched
them. Arnold was driven by an obsession to become as big as David. Ed was
driven by his need for acceptance into this new circle of friends. It was
what everyone else was doing, so he had to also if he didn't want to be
left out. But before long the bug had severely bitten and Ed found himself
pushing through painful, muscle blowing reps when the last ounce of energy
had been expended long before. And loving it.
	And loving Arnold. He had quickly come under the spell of sex with
Arnold. They all had. And Arnold never seemed to run out of energy. He
would drive himself through powerful workouts all day long, sometimes seven
days a week, and then get back to the house and dive into a series of
isolated exercises that would focus on one or another muscle group. His
huge body got more so. With amazing speed he approached his goal. Day after
day he would stand in front of the huge mirror in the basement gym. Work
the pec a little more. Try a different hand position on that curl. Place
the tension on the dorsals a little lower to bring out this one small knot
of a muscle that seemed to be the key to David's powerful back. Push and
push and push until he couldn't move the muscle with no weight on it at
all. And then he would seek out one of the other three, or two of them, or
all three of them and dive himself into intense sexual couplings that would
leave them all devastated and drained.
	David and Mary became concerned about Arnold's growth. It seemed to
be happening too quickly. Would he reach burnout? Would there be some sort
of crash, a point where his body would just give out, unable to keep up
with his drive? Ed didn't seem to care. He was getting bigger, stronger,
had enough sex for two or three other people and more love than he had ever
dreamed there was in the entire world. He would workout with Arnold in the
basement, spotting for him, taking turns when Arnold's body cried out for a
brief rest. Watching this beautiful boy press and squeeze the last drop of
energy out of every single rep.
	They always worked in the nude unless some exercise required
special protection. At the most they wore a jockstrap and weightlifting
belt. But as the evening's activities would come to a close and Arnold
would be screaming with agony as he pressed a bar bell with twenty pounds
on it into the air for the five hundredth time, the air would become filled
with the smell of their efforts, their bodies sweaty, their crotches
hot. Their cocks would stiffen, pushing their jockstraps out. Ed loved the
smell of Arnold's cock when it was like this. He'd wait until the last rep
was finished and then press his face against the other boy's crotch,
breathing deeply the smell of his heady cock odor.
	One afternoon, towards the end of summer, Arnold got back from the
gym and dug out the note that Tom and Judy had given him. He was very happy
with the way his life had been going the last few months, but sensed there
needed to be more soon. He was sure it had something to do with getting
back in touch with the rest of the world, but he had little money left from
what Mr. Ridell and the Patterson's had given him. They had been living
mostly on the generosity of their hosts and, although the couple would hear
nothing of money from the two boys, Arnold felt he and Ed were taking up
too much space in the other's lives. This guy, Ivan, might be the answer to
their predicament.
	He read the note for the hundredth time: We have a friend where
you're going who can help you if you want to make some money. Lot's of
money. He remembered that night of sex and knew their friend, Ivan, would
probably have something to do with that.
	He called the number on the note. The phone rang four times and
then an answer machine picked up.
	"Hello. This is Ivan. I can't come to the phone right now but if
you leave your name and number I'll get back to you. If you're calling
about the schedule, time and date remain as announced. Beep."
	"Hello, Ivan. My name's Arnold. I met a couple of friends of yours,
Tom and Judy, earlier this summer and they gave me your name. Said you
might have some work for me. My. . ."
	There was a click and a voice cut in. It was the same one as on the
announcement.
	"Hello, Arnold. Ivan here. Sorry about the machine, but I like to
know who I'm talking too. How're you doing?"
	"I'm fine, thanks. Do you know who I am?"
	"Yes. Yes. Tom and Judy's friend. I've been waiting for your call."
	"Sorry I took so long getting around to it."
	"That's okay. Okay. I spoke with Tom just last week and he asked if
you'd called yet. He says to say hi."
	"Thanks. Please do the same if you speak to him again."
	"Oh, I'll be seeing him this week."
	"Great."
	"So what can I do for you?"
	"Well, Tom mentioned that you might have some work for me."
	"What did he tell you?"
	"Nothing much. He left a note for me that seems a bit cryptic,
actually. But I liked them a lot and figured any friend of theirs, et
cetera, et cetera."
	"Well, they spoke very highly of you and your, ah, talents. I've
actually been quite eager to meet you. Do you get downtown very often?"
	"Actually, no. I've been very involved with a family on the
northwest side."
	"Why don't you come on down to the gym sometime and we can chat."
	"That would be great. Is it all right if I bring a friend along? I
think you might be equally as interested in his, er, talents as well."
	Ivan laughed largely. "I like you, son. Sure. Bring your friend
along. You know were Decker Street is?"
	"I'm sure I can find it. When is a good time for you?"
	"How's tomorrow?"
	"Tomorrow's just great. Say, ten o'clock?"
	"In the morning?"
	"Yeah?"
	"Son, the only time I see ten in the morning is sneaking up behind
it from the night before. Let's say three o'clock. In the afternoon. 521
Decker Street. If anyone gives you any grief just tell 'em Ivan says to go
fuck themselves. They'll leave you alone."
	"Three o'clock tomorrow. Fine. See you then. Thanks."
	"Thanks for calling, Arnold. I'm looking forward to meeting
you. Bye."
	"Bye."
	Arnold hung up the phone. His heart was pounding, his breathing was
rapid and his cock pressed excitedly against his pants leg. He ran his hand
along the inside of his thigh, stroking the shaft, pressing against its
heat, flexing it and making it jump against him. He knew this all had
something to do with sex. The cryptic nature of it all seemed wonderfully
dangerous and intriguing. And best of all, it meant money, independence.
	He laid down to take a nap, to let his body recover from the
morning's workout. It had been chest and legs today and those body parts
were humming with energy. His hot cock against his pumped thighs was making
him very horny. The wonderful pain in his pecs, his favorite muscles, ached
to be touched. He hoped that Ed, who had stayed after at the gym to talk
with some women there, would be home to help him through his focus
work. Tonight it was going to be arms. Perfect timing. He was going to walk
into "The Body Works" tomorrow afternoon and blow Ivan's socks off. Arnold
wasn't sure what this work was about, could only guess at its sexual
nature, but knew that Ivan would not be able to resist him. He slipped off
to sleep with thoughts of sexual acts with strange, wonderful people in
strange, wonderful lands.
	"Arnie?"
	"Huh?"
	"Arnie, you awake?"
	"Huh? Ah, yeah. What time is it?"
	"It's four-thirty. You asked me to wake you up at four-thirty."
	"Oh, thanks. Yeah. I'm awake. When did you get home?"
	"A few minutes ago. I brought some friends along."
	"Friends?"
	"Yeah. Those two ladies I was talking to when you left the gym."
	"You need the bedroom?"
	"Huh? Oh, yeah. Maybe later. They asked if they could come along
and watch."
	"Watch what, Ed? As if I don't already know."
	"Yeah. I told them about our focus work and they got all kinds of
excited. Seems they've been keeping an eye on us for the past couple of
weeks. Wanted to know if we were doing some kind of drug or something to
make us so big so fast."
	"What'd you tell them?"
	"I said 'no way!', of course. Then I told them about the focus work
and they got down on their hands and knees and begged me to bring them home
to watch."
	"Hands and knees, Ed?"
	"Well, knees anyway. One of them. Looks like you could use a little
'on the knees' action yourself." Ed ran his hand up the inside of Arnold's
thigh and squeezed the long tube of flesh that lay along side it in the
pant leg. Arnold groaned but grabbed Ed's hand and pulled it away. "What's
up, Arnie? You goin' celibate on us?"
	"Just don't want to dissipate the energy, Ed. Tonight's
special. We've got to work extra hard tonight."
	There was a knock on the bedroom door and one of Ed's friends stuck
her head in.
	"'Scuse me, but you mind if I use the bathroom?"
	"Nope. It's the next door down the hall on the left."
	"Thanks. Hi. I'm Heather."
	"Hi. I'm Arnie."
	"Yeah. I know. Seen you at the gym alot."
	"Yeah. I guess I've seen you there, too. We'll be out in a couple
of minutes, okay?"
	"Sure. We'll be around." She giggled nervously and withdrew her
head, leaving the door slightly ajar.
	"Could you close the door, Ed. And flip on a light, will ya."
	Ed pushed the door closed and snapped on the desk light over in the
corner. He came back and sat on the edge of the bed next to Arnold and
leaned on his arm, putting his hand on the mattress across the other boy's
body. He stared at him for a few seconds, drinking in his beauty, his eyes
scanning the face, the torso, the arms. He leaned forward and kissed him
lightly on the lips, his other hand stroking Arnold's forehead and
hair. Arnold pressed into him and the two locked in a passionate embrace,
their hands roaming over the other's body, squeezing, pressing, caressing
the huge bulges of muscle which lay beneath their clothing. Ed sat up and
stared into Arnold's eyes.
	"You're really something, you know that?"
	"Thanks. I'm real glad you're along, too."
	"So. What's all this about?"
	"Here. Read this."
	Arnold handed Ed the note with Ivan's number on it. Ed read it,
looked hard at Arnold and read it again.
	"I don't get it. I mean I don't have to ask what you did to these
two. But what's with this Ivan guy?"
	"Don't really know. These are the folks I was with the night before
I picked you up hitchhiking. When I got out of the shower that morning
they'd split and left this note. That's all I know. I called him this
afternoon and he wants to see us tomorrow at the gym."
	"Us?"
	"Yeah. I figured you might be into earning a little spare
change. We've been running on generosity here all summer. I'm feeling the
need for a little independence. Like the note says. We'll go have a
friendly chat. If we don't like the deal, we'll bug out. These two folks
were real up front and honest. If they recommend this guy, then that's good
enough for me."
	"Great, but what's the deal?"
	"Don't know. Ivan was just as cryptic on the phone. I can only
guess, from the note, that it has something to do with this," Arnold
squeezed Ed's bicep, "this," he squeezed his pec, "and this," he reached
into Ed's crotch and gave his cock a tender stroke.
	Ed's legs fell open and he pressed his groin up against Arnold's
caressing hand. His eyes closed, his head fell back and his lips parted in
a quiet moan of pleasure.
	"Ooooooh. Now look who's dissipating energy."
	Arnold pulled his hand away, breaking the spell abruptly. He flexed
his stomach, bringing his legs up perpendicular to the bed and then swung
them over Ed's head and down to the floor, putting him in a sitting
position next to his friend. He threw his arm around the other boy's
shoulders and shook him.
	"So, you see. That's why we have to kick ass tonight. With the work
we did today in the gym and the misery we're going to put ourselves through
this evening, we are going to be very, very hot when we waltz our well-hung
bodies into Ivan's office tomorrow."
	"Great."
	"Oh-oh. What's up?"
	"Nothing. Come on. Let's get to work."
	"Nope. Not a chance. We're not walking into that torture chamber
with a cloud hanging over us. You know the rules. Your turn. What's up?"
	"I don't know, Arnie. Something tells me this is going to have
something to do with having sex with a bunch of strangers. Or in front of a
bunch of strangers. Or both."
	"You feel uncomfortable about that." Statement, not question.
	"Yeah. Pretty much always have. It's kind of kinky and nice with
David and Mary. But they're. . . family. I'm not real keen about making any
big changes right now."
	Arnold had to think for a couple of minutes. Ed sat there,
patiently waiting. He trusted Arnold in everything. He loved Arnold. He
also knew Arnold loved him. He wouldn't do anything to harm or make him
feel uncomfortable.
	"I've been feeling kind of strange about being here the last few
days. It's like I've been in an egg and I'm getting ready to hatch. When I
dug out this note I had a real big feeling rush over me, like a door had
opened and a cool, fresh breeze came blowing in. You're right. This may not
be the best thing for you. I don't know. But I'm real sure about this being
for me. I wanted you to come along because, well, I wanted you to come
along. But if this isn't what you need, I'll understand."
	"So what you're telling me is that this is it."
	"No. I'm not saying that at all. All I'm saying is that I've gotta
do something and I want you in on it, too. In fact, I'm not sure I could
handle this alone."
	"What if I don't want to do this thing, whatever it is?"
	"I don't know. Because I don't know what this thing is. I'm going
downtown tomorrow with an open mind and some big bulges and I'm going to
find out some things. I really want you there with me because I just feel
like this could be real good for both of us. If you say no, I'll go
downtown by myself, anyway. But I won't be very happy. Have I steered you
wrong yet?"
	"Nope."
	"Best decision you ever made was waiting on that train platform for
me. Look at you now. You've got a body that people fall over themselves
for, you've been getting laid by the three hottest bodies in six states,
got yourself set up in some real good digs. . ."
	"That's the part I'm worried about, Arn."
	"This place?"
	"Yeah. I don't want to give it up."
	"Well, yeah. Me neither. But I don't think we can stay here
forever. I knew these people barely better than you when we got here. It's
not like they're relatives or something, although I'm sure David and Mary
would disagree. But I'm starting to feel like I'm taking advantage of
them. We are."
	"So you think we'd better split, huh?"
	"I think it's about time we started supporting ourselves and let
these fine folks get on with their lives. They've dedicated themselves
entirely to us since we've been here. They haven't spent a single night out
alone. I'm ready. I'm feeling real ripe. Time we got ourselves picked."
	Ed contemplated his shoelaces.
	"Ed."
	"Yeah, Arn."
	"You're contemplating your shoelaces, again."
	"Yeah. I know. I think I tied one backwards this afternoon at the
gym."
	"I think you're old enough to tie them yourself."
	"Okay. I'll come along. But you do all the talking, okay?"
	"We're in this together. We'll be all right." He pulled Ed to him
and they hugged and patted each other on the back, giving each other a
healthy squeeze before moving apart. Arnold placed his palms on Ed's cheeks
and pulled him into a deep, confident kiss. When they finished both the
boys' eyes were moist with tears. They had made a big decision and both
knew their lives were going to be radically changed by it.
	"So, what about Heather and. . ."
	"Cindy. I think. Or Cynthia. I can't remember. They want to watch
us."
	"Do they know about our work habits?"
	"Nope. I wanted to talk it over with you before I spilled the
beans."
	"I don't feel good about changing our routine. Especially with
tomorrow being so important."
	"What do you want to do? Should I send them home?"
	"What do you think. It's been a long time since we've had a sex
partner from outside this house. You think we might be spoiled?"
	"Actually, the thought had crossed my mind. When they came on to me
this afternoon I thought it might be nice to have some new blood. Ya gotta
plow in some new fertilizer every once in a while to stimulate the crops."
	"So they can stay, but they have to take their clothes off."
	"My thoughts exactly. I don't think we'll have any trouble
convincing them of that. They were certainly eager to do that this
afternoon at the gym."
	"I gotta be serious about this workout, though, Ed."
	"Hands off until we're ready."
	"Okay. And what about us? Do you think they have us figured out
yet? Let's take it easy until we find out how they feel about man-sex."
	"Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke."
	"You serious?"
	"Yeah. The only reason I put up with this crap night after night is
for the pleasure of your body and that cock of yours. I thought I might be
a little nervous about it when I invited them here. But with this thing
tomorrow, it just might be good practice."
	"Maybe we should put on a little show for the ladies. It'll either
make them sick or so horny we won't be able to keep them off us. Shall we?"
	"It's show time."
	"That's the worst Jack Nicholson imitation I've ever heard."
	"That was Walter Brennan."
	"Did Walter Brennan say that?"
	"Nope."
	"Oh. I'm confused."
	"So's Walter and Fred."
	"Who's Fred?"
	"Don't tell me you've never heard of Fred Astaire?"
	"Stop this, Ed. You're starting to scare me."
	"Come on, hunk. Let's go get big arms."
	The two boys headed for the door. Ed got the doorknob and opened
it, signaling Arnold to precede him through the door. They drove the 'no,
no, no, after you' routine into the ground and then simultaneously squeezed
through the narrow opening together. Even chest to chest, as was their
custom in these matters, they were barely able to muscle their way into the
hallway and out into the living room where they were met by the bewildered
looks of Heather and her friend Cindy or Cynthia. They stopped in their
tracks, looking like they'd just got caught sneaking out of their room
before their homework was done.
	Arnold smiled and waved stupidly. The women smiled warily and waved
back. Ed stepped forward to make the introductions.
	"Ah, ladies, this is Arnold. Arnold this is Heather, who you've
already met and Cindy or Cynthia who you haven't."
	"It's Sarah."
	"Oh, shit."
	"Way to impress the ladies, ace." Arnold slapped on his most
charming of smiles and crossed the room to Sarah who was sitting on the
sofa with her friend. He offered his hand and she took it. They shook for a
moment and Arnold gazed heavily into her eyes. Two deep pools of
aquamarine. Her angelic face began to glow with a soul melting grin as she
fell under Arnold's spell. Ed sighed in relief. She would remember nothing
of his little faux pas by the time Arnold was done with her.
	"Ed tells me you're interested in our exercising techniques,
Sarah."
	"Huh? Yeah. I mean, yes. We've been noticing you guys lately and
were curious how you were putting on so much mass in such a short amount of
time. Ed says you aren't using any drugs."
	"Ed's right. Everything is au natural. Everything." He turned to Ed
and gave him a wink. Ed tried to stifle a laugh but was
unsuccessful. Heather shot him a suspicious look and her friend a
questioning one. Sarah shrugged. Arnold attempted to smooth things over
before letting them in on the good stuff. This was not going to be easy.
	"I'm sorry if we're a bit silly. We've just been making some pretty
heavy decisions and we needed to get our spirits up before heading on into
the gym. As you must know from your own involvement in body building,
mental attitude is one of the key factors in a successful training
session."
	"Gee, Sarah. He talks like you do. Like a book."
	"Shut up, Heather. At least he doesn't sound like a comic book like
some of the other guys at the gym." She flashed another smile up at Arnold.
	"Sorry, Heather. I was just trying to explain how Ed and I approach
this because how you react to what we have to tell you next is going to
decide whether or not you stick around for the evening's activities."
	"Hey, Arnie. I think you're scaring them."
	"Don't mean to, Ed, but they've gotta know what they're getting
into."
	He turned back to Sarah, whose hand he was still holding. She was
absolutely mesmerized. Arnold knew she would understand. He was worried
about her friend, though. He glanced at Ed and gave him a look to indicate
that she was his responsibility. Arnold sat down on the edge of the coffee
table across from Sarah. Ed seated himself in the armchair next to
Heather. They touched knees and Heather draped her hand familiarly over his
upper leg. Arnold shook his head slightly. She was not going to take this
well. He let Sarah's hand go and thought, 'Well, here goes nothing.'
	"Ed and I are very, very serious about these focus sessions. Over
the past few months we've developed routines that help us get the results
you say you've been keeping track of. I'm very flattered. And, as you can
see, our system works. But we've never shared our time in these sessions
with anyone outside this house. I presume you know who lives upstairs."
Both women nodded. "Then you know the inspiration and guidance we've been
getting. David and Mary are both very dedicated and successful body
builders and we've learned a lot from them.
	"So it's just a little scary for Ed and I to let someone else in to
watch us. We work a certain way. You may not agree with it. We also have a
certain relationship which supports that routine. You may not agree with
it, either. I'm telling you this so that you don't think I'm just trying to
scare you or put you off. Okay?"
	Sarah's gaze never left Arnold's eyes. She slowly nodded in the
affirmative. Heather looked curiously at Ed but saw that he was as serious
about this as Arnold. She shrugged and nodded as well.
	"Good. Now the first thing is that Ed and I are lovers."
	You could hear a pin drop back at Billy's gym. Heather's hand
slowly slipped from Ed's thigh and she sat back in the sofa. Sarah never
moved.
	"That's not to say we're gay. I think I speak for both of us when I
say I am very turned on right now and hope you both stick around after our
session to help us celebrate our efforts. But we are very open about our
sex and use its energy in body building just like we do a bench press or
cable flies. We get big, we get hot, we get sexy. With whoever's there. Are
you still with us?"
	Sarah was getting very turned on. Her breathing was becoming rapid
and her legs slowly began to scissor apart and together. Her nipples
pressed against the T-shirt she wore, making Arnold's mouth water. His eyes
dropped to them and she pushed her breasts forward just a bit more to tempt
him. He looked over at Heather who had taken the arm cushion from beside
her and was holding it protectively against her chest. She looked back and
forth between these two gorgeous studs. She'd never suspected. What the
hell was she going to do now. She'd even sucked Ed's cock in the bathroom
at the gym, for God's sake. She slowly nodded her head, but remained where
she was, cushion in place.
	"Good. Now I hope you'll find this next item a bit more to your
liking. We workout in the nude." A quick pause to ascertain the presence of
grins on everyone's faces. "And we expect nothing less, or should I say
more, from you."
	Without a second's hesitation, Sarah pulled her T-shirt up over her
head and set it on the sofa beside her. Her full, firm breasts bounced
enticingly on her chest as she settled back down. Her shoulders were
strong, her collar bones and neck muscles stood out. The pectorals just
above her breasts had a roundness of their own. Her arms were well-muscled
and defined, a faint layer of veins covered her lower arms. Beneath her
jutting breasts, their dark brown nipples growing harder as they came in
contact with the outside world, was a flat, rippled abdomen. Arnold and Ed
both became uncomfortable. Sarah noticed Arnold's predicament and ran her
hand up the inside of his thigh. Her eyes widened and her tongue lightly
traced her lips.
	When the energy in the room had reached the point where something
was going to break, Ed, Arnold and Sarah all turned to Heather who was
still fending off this attack of her sensitivities with the sofa
cushion. She looked back and forth at the three of them as if she had no
idea what was on their minds. Surely they didn't want her to take her
clothes off as well. She turned to her friend and gave her a look that
asked how could she have done this to her.
	"You don't have to," said Ed. "You can wait out here or go home if
you want to. We're not forcing you. But I'd really like you to stay."
	"You guys are weird. I figured you had to be up to something
strange. No one gets as big as you guys are so fast without something being
up."
	"Are you afraid of being naked?"
	"No. Of course not. It's just that, well. . ."
	Sarah turned fully on the sofa to face her friend. "Heather. Think
about this afternoon. Ed's still the same guy. Aren't you the least bit
turned on by all this? I mean, look at these guys. I'm so hot, I can barely
keep from ripping everything off right now. You guys ever been raped
before?"
	"Well, actually. . ."
	"Don't tell stories out of school, Ed. Besides, in the end we
consented."
	Heather threw the cushion at Arnold. "Never mind. I don't want to
know." She grabbed the bottom of her own T-shirt and pulled it quickly over
her head. She was also braless (no surprise there) and equally as
physically stunning as Sarah. She sat there for a moment, folded her arms
across her chest, realized how futile that was and dropped them to her
side, folded them again, finally flung them back, pushing her chest out,
flexing her upper torso and arms. The other three broke into a round of
applause. She got a little self-conscious again, stooped forward a bit and
blushed. Sarah leaned over and gave her a hug. Arnold and Ed both made a
move to join them but stopped themselves. If they got started now, they'd
never get anything done. They were ready to go into the gym. But Arnold had
one thing further to add.
	"There's just one more ground rule. You must not interfere. I can
promise you right now that it's going to get very hot and steamy in
there. There'll be lots of bodies bumping into bodies. We both get very
turned on while we do this. Stay away. If I might suggest, and this is only
a suggestion, that the two of you find some way to dissipate your urges
until we're through. You catch my drift? We'll let you know when we're
finished."
	Sarah was staring unblinkingly at Arnold again. Heather was
contemplating her shoelaces. A match made in heaven. Arnold reached out and
took Sarah's hand and led her down the hall to the gym. Ed stood and
offered his hand to Heather. She looked up at him with small traces of
doubt wrinkling her forehead. She wasn't sure.
	"Heather. I'm gonna tell you something. And this is no
bullshit. You are about to have the most incredible experience of your
life. There is nobody like Arnold. I can't tell you about it. You have to
be there. He's. . . he's. . . it's like having sex with the universe. You
know what I mean?"
	Heather shook her head. She was getting more scared.
	"That wasn't a very good way to put it. It's the most wonderful,
spectacular. . . Come on. You're gonna love it. I promise. It's
magic. That's what it is."
	Heather pulled her hand out of Ed's, grabbed the cushion and held
it to her chest. Ed sat down on the armchair again, but kept his
distance. He knew he had to let her make up her own mind.
	"I don't want magic. I don't want to fuck the universe. I just
wanted to have a good time with a couple of well-hung guys who might want
to have a good time back. I don't understand all this magic shit. I'm just
a girl from a little town who's stuck in a big city and doesn't know shit
about anything but the guy-girl, man on top, make him breakfast in the
morning kind of sex. This other shit scares me."
	Ed's heart was breaking. He knew exactly where she was coming
from. But how could he tell her it was going to be all right? What was the
key to her understanding? What had been the key to his own understanding?
He was still working on that one, himself.
	"Your ol' man grow corn?"
	"Yeah. How'd you know?"
	"Just a hunch. He get drunk a lot?"
	"Yeah."
	"Mine, too. One day I got sick of the corn and the routine and
getting the shit kicked out of me. I split. I stood at the top of a
expressway ramp, stuck my thumb out and got picked up by that big stud in
the next room. He was like nothing I'd ever met before. He took me in, no
questions asked. Shit, we weren't ten miles down the road and we were
already having sex with each other. I know, I know. You don't want to know
about that stuff. But I'm telling you it doesn't matter. It's not about
boy-boy or girl-girl, or anything like that. It's about people. Just
people. He just lets it happen. His own way of shaking hands and saying
'Howdy.' And you think I'm hung? This guy's big."
	Heather's eyebrows raised in question. Ed smiled. He had her
interested again.
	"Eleven-and-a-half. And that's no shit. But it's not a
problem. There's something he does that makes it just right, no matter how
he's using it. Never have figured it out."
	"You ever, you know, had it?"
	"Yep. Many times. He's so gentle and loving that it never
hurts. It's never too much. Everyone I know who's had it never had a
problem. But that's not the best part. It's what happens while he's with
you. Have you ever flown in a plane?"
	"Yeah. What's that got to do with it?"
	"Have you ever flown without a plane?"
	"What kind of question is that?"
	"I'm serious. This is where the magic comes in. It scared me so
much the first time I nearly ran away. In fact I nearly ran away twice. And
then I found I couldn't run away so I tried to make him hate me and tell me
to go away. But I couldn't do that either. No matter what I did, he
wouldn't give up. He brought me here, got me in good with David and Mary,
took me to his bed and wouldn't stop loving me. I couldn't stand it
anymore. I finally broke down and started loving myself. That was the one
thing that was fucking me up. I couldn't love myself."
	"I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about. Are you
saying I don't love myself?"
	"Can't make that call, Heather. Don't know you well enough to
judge. And even if I did, it's not my place to say. I'm just telling you
what happened to me. So he brings me here, takes me to bed after we get our
little differences straightened out, and he makes love to me. I've had sex
lots of times with different people, boys and girls. But I'll tell you,
Heather, that night I realized I had never been made love to
before. Ever. Scared me again. Big time this time. But it was a good
scared. Because this time I knew where it was coming from. I trusted Arnie
and he trusted me and we made love and it was like flying without an
airplane. No shit. Now I know you're thinking I'm pretty insane right
now. And, for all I know you may be right. I guess I'd be the last to know
that I've gone over the edge. But I look at myself before I met Arnie and I
look at myself now, and I can't believe the difference. Look at this body."
	He jumped up and ripped off his shirt. He didn't flex, he didn't
pose. He just let her see him in his relaxed state. His beautiful round
pecs sloped out and over a flat, ridged abdomen. His broad shoulders were
capped with firm, round deltoids that bulged above thick upper arms swollen
with strength. His forearms were broad and veined. The sides of his chest
tapered down to a hard, muscular waist. Heather stared at him. She wanted
to reach out and touch this gorgeous body as she had earlier that day. Her
gaze drifted down to his crotch where the zipper was pressed deliciously
forward by the contents of his briefs. She knew what was there. She wanted
it. She wanted him. Maybe.
	No one had ever spoken to her the way this man was now. No one had
ever been so open, so plain, so giving of himself. She was truly
scared. But she realized it was fear of the openness. Fear of the lack of
boundaries. No fences. No rules. No one to tell her what a bad girl she was
and don't ever do that again. She could hear her mother's terrible voice in
her head warning her what would happen if she let these two men touch her
soul that way. She'd never be the kind of little lady her mother wanted her
to be.
	Ladies didn't act that way. Ladies did what they had to do to make
the man happy and then they went off and wept and cleansed themselves and
went back to the cooking and cleaning and having the baby that the man
forced her to have and let him beat her when he got drunk and wore long
sleeve blouses in the middle of summer so the neighbors didn't see the
bruises and finally, one night, when she couldn't stand the abuse anymore,
when she couldn't sit by and watch as her drunken husband went to her
little daughter's room and the crying started and the screaming and the
begging and she couldn't stand it so she'd grab the husband's shot gun down
in the hall closet and wait until he was through with his daughter and then
she'd blow the top of his head off with both barrels and spend the rest of
her life in prison for putting her daughter and herself and her husband all
out of their collective miseries.
	That's what ladies did.
	She was sobbing heavily and was thankful for the strong arms that
enfolded her. Thankful for the shoulder that held her head. Thankful for
the calm, un-sexual way the comfort was offered. She ran her hands along
Ed's arms, felt the power of them, felt the love of them. She pulled her
head back to find he had some tissues he was offering her. She thanked him
and took them. She blew her nose in a very unladylike manner, laughed at
the hooting sound it made and did it again. She smiled through her tears
and gave one of the tissues back to Ed, who needed one as well.
	He glistened in her tears. His broad, muscular body seemed to waver
and shimmer. He was like an angel. This plain talking angel with the kind
heart and caring soul. He'd known exactly what she was going through;
apparently had some of the same crap in his own life. He smiled and held
out his hands to her which she took. He stood and pulled her to her feet.
	"Come on. Let's go flying."
	They turned towards the hallway and found Arnold and Sarah standing
in the doorway. They, too, were teary eyed. It took Heather a couple of
moments to realize they were also completely naked. She gaped unabashedly
at the huge cock that hung, semi-rigid, from Arnold's groin. She realized
she was gawking and laughed.
	Arnold and Sarah laughed.
	Ed laughed.
	All the way down the hall.