Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 16:40:11 EDT
From: RitchChristopher@cs.com
Subject: briarwood:new-heaven-and-new-earth-97
All rights reserved. Copyright held by the author. If you are underage or
are offended by gay fiction, containing graphic sex and explicit language,
please exit now.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
"BRIARWOOD"
Copyright Ritchris, 2006
A dramatic saga
by
Ritch Christopher
<><><><><>
BOOK NINE
"A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter Ninety-seven
Tell me your secret,
How you wake up every day
And instead of thinking how horrible
Life is, in every single way,
You see the sunshine,
The brand new day..
The colors of the rainbow at your feet,
Instead of endless shades of gray.
Tell me how you drift into sleep
Without first overdosing on pills,
How you awake to gentle calling of birds..
Instead of mocking parental drills.
Tell me how, when you fall,
You pick yourself up again,
How you dust off the pain you hold inside,
And don't cry, even when...
The sun stops shining,
The birds stop singing,
The walls close in..
And your head starts ringing
You must be a solider, yes that's what you are..
I ask how you do it, and I guess the answer's this:
Strong or weak, you survive each day because you are who you are.
Poem by Uisce
copyright 2002
<><><><><><><><><><>
The limousine dropped Lee and Hunter off at the townhouse after
leaving Rob and Tim's apartment. Roger told the two that he, Cliff, Billy,
and Marc would be by around 10:00am the next morning for a day of
sight-seeing. Hunter needed no flashlight to place his key in the door lock
as his eyes were still beaming from the get-together at Rob and
Tim's. Hunter was on cloud ten. He had gone above cloud nine after he had
sung Sammy's second act song with Tim accompanying him on the piano.
Hunter opened the door of his apartment and immediately turned
around to face Lee, whom he picked up in his arms and swung him completely
around twice before setting him down in the foyer.
"LEE!" Hunter shouted, "Isn't THIS just the most glorious night? I
don't know whether to thank Dame Fortune or get on my knees to God and
thanking Him for sending you to me! MY GOD! I can't believe what just
happened! AND YOU! You, little runaway! You're a BRIARWOOD BOY and didn't
even know it!"
"I...I'm glad the evening went well for you, Hunter..."
"Ah, come on! Weren't you glad to see your Uncle Roger and Father
Cliff?"
"I suppose...It's just that I thought I had escaped and no one
could find me..."
"For chrissakes, Lee, what are you running away from? Do you know
how many millions of guys would trade places with you in a nanosecond?"
"I don't want to be a part of a family. My family is dead..."
"Jesus Christ, Lee, the rumors on the gay blogs say that Roger
gives his Briarwood Boys up in the millions of dollars."
"Then, my eight-hundred bucks proves I'm not really a Briarwood
Boy, after all."
"Yes, but you left town without anyone...especially, Roger, knowing
that you were leaving."
"I guess money is more important to you than it is to me."
"I...I've never thought much about money, Lee."
"That's because you've always been rich! When you're born poor, you
don't miss what you've never had. I...I miss Jake. I had him. He was my
brother and my life."
"Then what you say must be true. I...I never had a brother, so I
can't miss what I've never had. Hell, I've never had a best friend...until
you..."
"You think I'm your best friend, Hunter?"
"You're closer to being a best friend than I've ever had before."
"Friendship is a two way street. Do you think I'd consider you as
MY best friend?"
"From your negativity, I guess not..."
"If I were to go upstairs and pack the things I came here with and
left...how long would you miss me? A day? An hour? Your 'nanosecond'? We've
known each other for what? Two days? Three? And you think we can become
best friends the same way you pick up your sex partners in a gay bar?"
"Lee, you're not like any sex partner I would meet in a bar. You're
special. You're honest, sincere, and although I have nothing to compare you
with, I've thought during the past few days I...I might fall in love with
you."
"WHY? So that you could BUY me things with your money? Dress me up
the way you want me to look? Show me off like you would a new BMW or
Porsche? I can't be anyone's boy toy..."
"Is that what you think?"
"I said it, didn't I?"
"What about last night on top of the Empire State Building? You
seemed to like kissing me."
"Yes, but only in the shadows. You, Hunter, like being center
stage, showing off, attracting attention. I'm just a small town hick
country boy. The thousand bucks I had in my pocket before I went to the
Briarwood bus terminal was the most money I'd ever had at one time in my
life...and half of that belonged to Jake."
"You don't like me because of my dad's money?"
"I didn't say that, but it DOES make us different."
"Lee, I can't believe you're saying all this. I've just had the
grandest night of my life and you're pulling my euphoria down to a complete
halt."
"I'm sorry."
"But, don't you see? It was because of you that I got to meet Rob
Hawley and Tim Woodrow. They love you and care for you! I'd give every dime
of my dad's inheritance to be in your shoes."
"Hunter, if you get the part of Sammy in Tim's show, I don't want
it to be because of me. I want you to earn the role, honestly, with YOUR
talent. I'm sorry, but when you got up and started singing with Tim, I...I
felt, again, like I was being used by you."
"Fuck! If that's what you were feeling, I won't even
audition. There are other shows that are casting right now. I'll forget all
about 'Dark' and see if I can get into the chorus or dancing ensemble of a
new show."
"No, Tim is expecting you the day after tomorrow, and I don't want
you to disappoint HIM or yourself."
"Can we change the subject? You didn't say whether or not you
enjoyed your meal at the French restaurant..."
"It was a bit difficult for me to enjoy a hamburger steak with
french fries, knowing what it cost. I could have had practically the same
meal at McDonald's for three bucks! But, I DO appreciate your taking me
there. I...I'm just sorry, for MY sake, that we had to run into the bunch
from Briarwood afterwards."
"Well, changing the subject didn't seem to improve the mood. I'll
try another. Did you hear that one of the 'n'sync' guys came out of the
closet? He announced that he's gay."
"Whoop de doo! Why do gay people have to proclaim their sexuality?
Do they want the world to KNOW that they're different or that they're
freaks? So, he likes to go to bed with men and give blow jobs or get fucked
in the butt! What difference does that make? I knew a guy in Fort
Stockton...a straight guy, who liked his wife to insert an ice cube up his
butt just when he came after fucking her...but that wasn't on the news. I
had a friend in high school who used to fuck livestock on his daddy's
farm...cows, sheep, a horse, even a chicken. That was a lot stranger than
the 'n'sync' guy saying that he liked sex with men. Why do gays have to
'come out'? It's no one's business what anyone does in bed. I already told
you that I had sex with my brother. In most states, I could be put into
jail...but I didn't call NBC news to announce what I was doing! 'Coming
out' is just someone's way of getting attention he's not getting any place
else. He proclaims, 'I'M GAY!' and I say, 'So'? So what! Are we suppose to
feel sorry for him? Praise him for being so brave to reveal his dirty
laundry in public? Wave a flag? Wait for the Jay Leno jokes? I don't need
to know his business. Let him keep it to himself and be happy. What must
his mother think? Can you imagine the guy in Texas calling his mother on
his wedding night to say, 'Mom, I love it when Mary puts an ice cube up my
ass when I'm coming!' or 'Mom, Mary goes down on me and then she spits my
semen back into MY mouth!'. What kind of guy would do that? So why would a
guy want ANY and EVERY one to know what he likes to do in bed? When I was
in the Cole Institute, I would hear gay guys talking about seeing photos on
the Internet. One would say, if you look closely enough, you can see the
outline of his dick in his pants! Often I would reply, 'Didn't you know he
had one?' What's the big deal about a celebrity's penis. All male
celebrities have them! They have to pee, don't they?"
"You said that your dad was a preacher, didn't you?"
"A hard-shelled evangelical preacher."
"I think you missed your calling. Your sermon which you just
spouted out was brilliant!"
"That's something I'll NEVER be...is a minister!"
"Do you intend on going sight-seeing in the morning?"
"Sure. I don't want to make Roger and Cliff think I'm depressed or
anything. I've got to keep up my 'front', so to speak."
"Then, it's all right if I go, too?"
"Heck yes! Your not going would arouse another suspicion."
"Your Uncle Roger..and I think Father Cliff, as well, think that
you and I are a couple."
"I know. They're the happiest two gay men in the world...and they
want everyone in the world to be just as happy as they..."
"They'll only be in New York for a couple of days, would you like
to put on a little act for them to convince them that you're really happy?"
"What? Pretend that you and I are lovers?"
"Just for pretense...not real."
"Why pretend?"
"What do you mean?"
"I know that you want to go to bed with me. I've had gay sex
before. Would you like me to have sex with you?"
"I think you're setting a trap for me and I don't know what game
you're playing. You know damned well, I'd love to have sex with you...but
why the sudden change? Why are you suddenly giving in? If we go to bed, I
can expect to wake up and find you gone in the morning?"
"NO! I told you I was going sight-seeing."
"You really would go to bed with me?"
"I asked if you would like me to..."
Hunter grew tense. "But what repercussion can I expect after we're
through?"
"I just feel that I OWE it to you. You bought me clothes, gave me a
place to sleep, took me out to an expensive restaurant...I should do SOME
kind of retribution."
"Oh, no! I'm not accepting payback. That would be like treating you
like a whore and I can get a whore anytime I wish. I want you to give
yourself to me, freely, because YOU want to and for no other reason."
"In that case, I'll go to my bedroom and go to sleep by myself."
"I think that's a good idea."
Lee started up the stairs and said, "Good night...and thanks for
dinner."
"You're welcome..."
Lee went up the stairs and Hunter went into the kitchen. He stopped
and listened for the sound of Lee closing his bedroom door. Then, Hunter
opened the cabinet door under the sink. In the back of the cabinet was a
small box with a lock on it. Feeling that he was alone, Hunter unlocked the
box and got out several small bottles and a large one which was labeled,
'AZT'. Hunter got out the exact number of pills, swallowed them with a
glass of water, turned off the lights and went to his bedroom.
"Goddamn it!" Hunter uttered.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The heated kissing session in the car between Chris and Will had
subsided. Actually, they were both out of breath and took time out for a
breather. Will was sitting looking straight ahead into the chilled autumn
black night in Briarwood. The unleashed passion which had built as they
were 'making out' left both with dozens of unanswered questions...questions
which both feared to ask. Was this just a instantaneous release of built up
tension and grief? Did each of them say too much? How much of their erotic
platitudes were real? Where could a relationship between them lead to?
Should either of them pursue it to the next step? Was hopping into bed
together too much too soon or was sex out of the picture for now...or ever?
The silence in the car was as thick as humidity on a July evening,
but this was September and the weather had turned cold. Who would dare be
the first to speak...and what in God's name could or would he say? Finally,
it was Chris who broke the stilled hush.
"Did we go too far?" Chris asked, looking at Will, who was still
looking straight through the front windshield.
"I don't think so, but perhaps, you do..."
"We WERE rather 'caught up' in the moment. I was afraid what it
might do to you?"
"Want the truth?" Will asked, looking at Chris.
"Always from you..."
"This is the best I've felt since before I went to Iraq...before
Rick...and of course, afterward. I'm totally relaxed. I'm fulfilled as if
we had had a great night of sex. What about you? Are you feeling guilt and
remorse?"
"Do you mean do I feel as if I cheated on Ed?"
"Yes..."
"No. What about you and Rick?"
"There were no men in my life before Rick, but if he were alive,
he'd want me to carry on with my life without him. At least with his death,
I didn't have to make a choice between him and marrying Kathy. God! I used
to lie on my cot at night in Iraq and visualize what the two of them would
say to each other. Rick knew all about her, but she, of course, had no
reason to suspect anything between him and me."
"Ha! Can you imagine the scene if you and I started a relationship
and the news got out? Kathy's family AND your mother would have every
Bishop from every diocese from every state barring me from the
priesthood. I'd be lucky to get a night manager's job at a Seven-Eleven
convenience store."
"That's because you don't speak Arabic!" Will replied, trying to
ease their tension with a small joke.
"It's not that I didn't want to kiss you, Will. Believe me, I
did. I kept thinking that you would want more from me and that could lead
to disaster for both of us. If I rebuked your advances, it would drive you
over the hill again with your 'PTSS'."
"Chris, why would anyone HAVE to know?"
"Do you honestly believe we could carry on in a clandestine fashion
and get away with it? Roger and Cliff could spot it immediately...not to
mention Jay and Troy."
"They wouldn't say anything, would they?"
"Most likely not. But where and when would we meet? Outside the
Briarwood city limits after midnight?"
"You live alone, don't you?"
"Yes, in that big gothic mansion which Ed and I called home."
"Suppose Dr. Herbert said that for my emotional therapy, it would
be a good idea if I spent more time with you...even move in, temporarily,
at your place. No one but YOU and Dr. Herbert know about me. No one else,
including my mother would ever suspect a thing. I could fake a few panic
attacks around her and let Dr. Herbert suggest that YOU are the only one
who can calm me..."
"I...I don't know, Will."
"You hinted that the place is too large for you and gives you eerie
feelings being by yourself there. I...I could be a companion to you and
hopefully, fill some of the loneliness you feel there."
"Will, do you WANT a relationship? I mean, if you DID move in with
me, would it be companionship or something bigger?"
"You mean, like sex?"
"Yes. I don't know what kind of sex you had with Rick, but since he
was your one and only lover, it's quite different living together, sharing,
planning, dreaming..."
"Chris, I've done nothing but dream about you for several days. So
far as I know, Rick was the first man I was ever physically attracted
to...until you sat on my bed the other day. I almost had to put a pillow on
my lap to hide my raging hard on."
"'I' excited you, sexually?"
"Hell, man, you know that dudes don't turn me on...or at least,
they didn't used to. I don't know if you realize it, but you're really one
hot Reverend! I know you're more experienced than I...and I would always
have the feeling that the guys you met or went to bed with before me would
give me an inferiority complex..."
"Are you fishing for a compliment?"
"Maybe? Do...do you find me, at all, attractive?"
"Jesus Christ! You could be on the U.S. Army recruiting
poster. Even gay guys would join up if they thought they had a chance to be
your bunk mate!"
"So you DO find me attractive?"
"Hell, yes!"
"Enough to get it up for me?"
"You did a pretty good job of getting it up a few minutes ago when
we were kissing..."
"That was better than a compliment. I appreciate your telling me
that!"
"Look, Will, if I take you to my house now, don't you think we
should get your prescriptions filled just for good measure?"
"YES! DEAR GOD! Let's go get those fucking pills and make everyone
happy! Don't tell my mother or Dr. Herbert, but I'm not taking a single one
of them. I don't need them as long as I can be near you."
"Good. I want you to continue seeing Dr. Herbert, but for GOD'S
sake, but mostly, my own, please don't mention me to him..."
"Too late. I told him that I found someone who interested me in
Briarwood and he guessed, you, right off!"
"So much for clandestine affairs and keeping a secret relationship
in Briarwood!"
"Chris, would you do me a favor?"
"If I can..."
"Let's go pick up those goddamned pills and take me home with you!"
"You have an ulterior motive for wanting to go home with me?"
"I...I'd like to satisfy my curiosity to see if we're
compatible. We don't have to have sex. I'd just like to roam through your
house, see where you live, look at your books, your CD's, your DVD's...I'd
like to smell your bathrobe in the bathroom to see what you smell like as a
man, not a priest. You DO have a bathrobe, don't you?"
"Yes, Ed and I had matching terrycloth robes."
"Will you call your mother as soon as we get there and tell her
where you are?"
"Chris, I'm NOT twelve-years-old and need my mother's permission
for a sleepover! The nights I had sex with Rick, I sure as hell didn't call
my mother to get her to say, it's OK!"
"Maybe not, but with your PTSS, she's worried about you, I'm
sure. I don't want her to think you've run away or have been picked up by
the police and put into a psych ward."
"OK! OK! I get your point! I'll call her and tell her I'm going to
stay at your house and help you unpack some of the stuff you brought home
from Europe."
"Let's hurry to the pharmacy and stop by the grocery store to pick
up two steaks!"
<><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Roger and Cliff had no trouble getting Billy to go to bed once they
had returned to the hotel from Rob and Timmy's. Billy really had no
ultimate desire to find out if Marc was gay or if they would have a jolly
good time in his private hotel room. Billy was just glad to be near someone
his age after witnessing Jake's death and nearly his own. Marc had let it
be known that he had no friends, so having a sleepover with Billy was a
rare joy and treat in his spurious life as the son of celebrities. The idea
of the two of them spending the night together and going sight-seeing all
day the next was thrill enough for both of them.
Cliff knew that Billy wouldn't overstep the boundary of good
manners and even safe sex, should the moment arrive. But Cliff and Roger
were so pleased to see Billy in such good spirits...the best they had seen
him in many days. Cliff and Roger decided to have a late night cocktail
before retiring. Roger made a pitcher of vodka martinis and the two sat
outside on the open patio of the Presidential suite at the Waldorf and
looked at the New York autumn night.
"Did Lee look all right to you, tonight?" Roger asked.
"Considering that he just lost his brother, he seemed okay," Cliff
answered, taking a martini from the tray Roger was carrying.
"What did you think of Hunter?"
"I don't know. He seems ambitious, but he has a lot of talent..."
"Do you think Tim and Rob were impressed by him?"
"I think so, Rog. It's obvious that Hunter knows the straight play
inside and out. I don't think that the role of Sammy requires a dancer, but
if Hunter can dance half as well as he sings, I think he stands a pretty
good chance with his audition."
"Do you think I should offer MY influence?"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT! You might be the show's backer, but leave the
casting entirely up to the director and Tim. This is one of those times
when you shouldn't meddle, Mr. Harold Prince!"
"All right, I'll stay out of the production end of my new show."
"Roger! It's NOT your new show! It's Tim's!"
"Oh, sweetheart, I know that. I just thought if I could do anything
to get a struggling young actor a break..."
"I know how you finagle to get your ways. I've been married to you
so long, I can actually get into your mind and read your thoughts."
"Cliff, you could read my thoughts when we were teenagers. You knew
how much I loved you before 'I' did. I think you had to convince me that I
did."
"Oh? And when did you first realize that you loved me?"
"The nights I spent at my house after I'd left you after the school
day was over. That's when a person REALLY knows how much someone means to
them...not when you're around them, but when you're NOT around them..."
"Then you'll never fathom how much I loved you when you traipsed
off to see the Dalai Lama in Tibet. God! Those nights without you were so
miserable for me, Roger."
"Then I'm glad Lee has Hunter to be with. I came home to you, but
Jake will never come home to Lee. He must miss Lee terribly."
"I don't really think that Lee and Hunter are a couple. Seeing the
outside of Lee's townhouse, the boy must come from a 'money' family. That's
the exact opposite of Lee."
"Cliff, can I tell you that I was actually hurt when Lee left so
suddenly. Had I known he was coming to New York, I would.."
"I KNOW, Rog! You would have stuffed his pockets with money and
opened up a bank account for him..."
"What good is my money if I can't give it away to people who need
it more than I?"
"Lee was brought up in a very poor household. He never got used to
having money and he, unlike most kids, today, learned to get by without
it."
"You know I would have given my last cent if there was anyway I
could have saved Jake's life."
"I know, and God forgive me for even thinking about it, but it
COULD have been Billy instead of Jake. The acid was meant for Billy."
"When do you think we should tell him about Chuck's suicide? He's
sure to find out when we return home to Briarwood?"
"Not during the next few days. I hope that Marc's schedule will
allow him to spend lots of time with Billy. I'm tempted to ask Rob and Tim
if Marc can go to New Hampshire with us."
"That's a wonderful idea, my love...but then, you're ALWAYS full of
wonderful ideas. That's why I could never live without you!"
"HA! How about when you went to Tibet without telling me where you
were going?"
"That's when I was trying to find out who the real me was. I had to
find out what there was about me that made you love me so much!"
"And just WHAT did you find out about yourself...AND me?"
"That in this world of imperfection, you were the closest thing to
being a divine human and I had to be the luckiest guy in the world to have
you in my life."
"Oh, no! 'I'm' the luckiest to have you! It's been a daily goal of
mine to help as many people as you have!"
"We DO make quite a team, don't we?"
"Oh, by the way, Mr. Fort Knox, did Walter tell you that you did or
did NOT own this hotel?"
"Did you hear me calling Walter while you were showering this
afternoon?"
"Nope. I can read your thoughts! Remember?"
"You, dirty bum! Can you read my thoughts RIGHT NOW?"
"Uh huh!"
"And...?"
"You're thinking evil, nasty thoughts!"
"So, if you know so much, are you ready to meet me in the bedroom?"
"As soon as I finish my martini!"
"Hell, I'll make a fresh pitcher and put it on the night stand
beside the bed."
"You're a lecherous old roué, Mr. Cole!"
"And YOU, Father Cole, are the cause of my being that way!" Roger
stood up. "Come on, finish your drink and I'll strip off your clothes at
the same time!"
<><><><><><><><><><><>
Billy showed Marc where to put his clothes, toothbrush, and
overnight gear and went to the small refrigerator unit near the bed.
"Wanna Coke? Milk? Some juice?" Billy asked.
"A Coke would be great!" Marc replied, taking a seat on the couch.
"Two cold Cokes coming up!" Billy said, popping the lids of two
cans. "Whaccha want to do? Watch TV? A DVD?"
"Why don't we just talk awhile? Get to know one another a little
better!"
"Great! I LOVE to talk!" Billy said, sitting on the couch cushion,
next to Marc. Billy crossed his legs and sat on them in a Yoga position.
"How long have you been Roger and Cliff's adopted son?"
"Not long...less than a year..."
"They ARE gay, aren't they?"
"They'd better be! They adopted me as a couple."
"What's it like to have two gay dads?"
"Shoot! I don't even think about it! They're just Daddy Roger and
Daddy Cliff to me. I mean, being gay is what they do in private. When
they're around me or other people, they don't act any different than anyone
else."
"Are your real folks dead or were they alive when you were
adopted?"
"It's kinda hard for me to explain it. I mean, usually, I don't
talk about it, but, somehow, with you, I feel like I can tell you secrets."
"Tell me as much or as little as you like, Billy."
"I...I shot both of my parents with a Colt 45 gun..."
"Aw, you're shitting me!"
"No shit! I did."
"Why, for God's sake?"
"Because they were going to kill me. You see, my dad was really
strict. I had to be the perfect son. Then one night, my mom found me with a
bunch of gay magazines filled with naked pictures and she went and got my
dad. Both of them started kicking and beating me and my dad said that he
thought I'd be better off dead than being gay..." Billy took adeep
breath. "So he came after me with a butcher knife to cut off my penis. I
managed to escape to my parents bedroom where I grabbed the gun my dad had
in his night stand and in the process closed my eyes and started
shooting... killing my mother who was in the room AND my dad."
"God! Billy! I'm so sorry."
"The judge ruled in my favor, saying that it was self-defense. I
had no family left...no one to turn to and Father Cliff and Roger came to
my rescue and Roger's lawyer, Walter Clayton, got all the legal papers
drawn up and I was adopted in just a matter of days. So, Roger and Father
Cliff became my Daddy Roger and Daddy Cliff."
"You're HOW old?"
"Almost sixteen...the same as you..."
"How old were you when you discovered you were gay?"
"I'd probably known it all my life, but I could never BE gay
because of my parents."
"How did you know 'I' was gay, Billy?"
"Heck, if you were straight, would you have held my hand in the
limousine?"
"Damn! I did that without thinking! God, if my agent knew, he'd
shit bricks!"
"Well, you can relax with me. Your agent will never find out
anything you do when you're around me or my two dads...even Uncle Rob and
Uncle Tim. They sure as heck won't say anything either."
"I can't believe I held your hand in front of your two dads. It
just seemed so natural and the right thing to do when you grabbed my hand."
"Do you have a boyfriend in Hollywood?"
"God, no!"
"Then, who do you have sex with if your agent is so careful with
you?"
"I DON'T have sex."
"WOW!"
"Wanna hear something worse?"
"Sure, it's tell your secrets night."
"I...I've never had sex with anyone in my life."
"Not even a jerk off session with your best friend?"
"Billy, I've never HAD a best friend! My parents don't give two
hoots in Hades about me, yet they keep me guarded like I was Charles Manson
or Osama Bin Laden. I'm allowed to go to acting classes, dance lessons,
voice coaching, and my private tutor comes by daily for my schooling. I
don't go to movies, restaurants, clubs, concerts, NO PLACE!"
"CRAP! And I thought my life was lonely with MY parents! What about
church? Do you go?"
"My folks are atheists and I guess I am too."
"You don't believe in God?"
"God? I don't even know what studio He works at."
"If you get the part in Tim's play, where will you live?"
"With Rob and Tim, I guess."
"Someone made a joke at the restaurant that they might adopt
you...is there any truth to that?"
"Dear God, how I wish! Man-oh-man, to have two fathers like you
have...I'd be the happiest kid in the world!"
"Would you like to see if I can make that possible for you?"
"How, for God's sake?"
"Marc, my two dads have performed almost as many miracles as there
are in the Old Testament!"
"Yes, but how could they...?"
"Leave EVERYTHING to me!...AND Daddy Roger and Daddy Cliff AND
Uncle Walter."
"I...I suddenly feel like hugging you!"
"Then, what's stopping you?"
"Lack of experience, I guess..."
"How about ME hugging you, then?"
"I'm all yours!"
"Careful what you say..." Billy uncrossed his legs, leaned across
the couch and put both arms around Marc. Marc was timid at first, but
slowly got the urge to put his arms around Billy. The two embraced
tightly. Billy could actually feel Marc's heart beating next to his
chest. "Relax, Marc, I'm not going to hurt you. Relax and enjoy the
moment."
Marc gave a sigh of relief, exhaled broadly, and Billy moved his
head so that his lips were inches away from Marc's lips and Billy kissed
him. Marc moaned as he pulled Billy's body even closer to his own.
"How was that?" Billy asked.
"More wonderful than you can imagine," Marc said, softly. "Was if
okay with you? I mean, did I do it right?"
"Marc? Was that your first kiss?"
"I'm afraid it was. I...know you were disappointed, probably."
"Oh, no, I wasn't! If you like, we can practice kissing all
night..." Billy smiled. "Would you like to kiss me, now?"
"Uh huh..." Marc said, leaning in to kiss Billy, only Billy
surprised Marc by slipping his tongue in between Marc's lips.
This made Marc so excited, he raised up on the couch and lay his
body on top of Billy's, all the while, grinding his crotch into
Billy's. Billy responded by raising his lower torso to meet Marc's and thus
began a first-time session of dry-humping for Marc.
Billy pulled his head back long enough to say, "Wanna get out of
these clothes and go into the bedroom?"
"You don't mind if I'm a rank amateur?"
"Ha! I was once one myself. I can show you how to make love the
easy way."
"I'm ready, Billy. I've been ready all my life."
The two didn't wait to get to the bedroom before stripping. Billy
began undressing Marc as Marc undressed Billy simultaneously. Soon they
both were naked, still lying on the couch.
"My Lord, Marc! Your body is as beautiful as your face."
"I can't believe this is happening, Billy."
"Just wait, the night is just beginning...a lot more things are
going to happen before we get to sleep."
"Billy, would it be all right if I took your...you know, in my
hand."
"Only if I can take YOURS at the same time."
"Good God, Billy! You're HUGE!"
"From what I'm holding in MY hand, I'd say we're the exact same
size."
"Let's go into the bedroom and show me how to do EVERYTHING!"
"That might take a while...as long as we get enough sleep to enjoy
the sight-seeing in the morning..."
"Billy, I think you have a few sights I want to see, tonight!"
"You're on, Mr. Carlton. It's SHOW TIME!"
The two naked teenagers ran frolicking from the couch to the bed.
<><><><><><><><><>
When Roger and Cliff's entourage left Rob and Tim's, the two
Broadway Tony winners walked back into their West 75th Street apartment
where Rob turned and gave Tim a tremendous hug.
"Didn't I tell you that Roger would like it?" Rob exclaimed.
"I WAS rather proud, if I say so myself!" Tim replied.
"Are you going to let Roger back the entire show by himself?"
"Just try and stop him! We both know that when Roger gets enthused
about a project, money is no object...Come to think of it, money has never
been an object for Roger about ANYTHING!"
"He certainly made his Briarwood Boys lives possible with
luxury. You know, neither of has ever touched the endowment he gave
us. It's just sitting in Chase-Manhattan growing interest," Rob said.
"We've never HAD to touch Roger's money because of the success of
our last two shows. Maybe in a year or two, IF 'Dark' is a hit, we can get
away to Europe, just the two of us. We moved directly from Briarwood to New
York, got into 'Green Dolphin Street' and except for a quick jaunt back
home, we haven't been any place except to work and here."
"Tim, while Marc is spending the night with Billy, this is a good
time for the two of us to talk."
"You mean about adopting him?"
"Yes."
"Rob, I know that Roger and Cliff adopted Billy when he was
fifteen, but I always figured that when it came time for us to consider
adoption, we might get a baby like Jeff and Johnny, when they got their
twins. Marc, on the other hand, is sixteen. In a couple of years, he'll be
going off to college, so that would only give us two years with him."
"I know, babe, but Marc NEEDS us so much. He'd still be ours AFTER
he goes off to college. Who knows, if he takes the role in 'Dark', he might
not go to college like the Foster kids, Sutton and Hunter. Since the two of
them made a big splash on Broadway, they've gone from hit show to hit show
to hit show...non-stop. The same thing might happen with Marc. I know we
could look after him and his career than his agent out in California. But
MOST of all, Tim, we could give him love and a home. Those are the TWO
items he's never had...and if WE don't apply to adopt him, he'll never know
either!"
"Can you hear Marc calling you, 'Daddy Rob' and me, 'Daddy Tim'?"
"Honestly? I'd LOVE to hear him say it."
"He and Billy surely hit it off great, didn't they?"
"I hope Marc will be all right! The last time we were in Briarwood,
Jay mentioned how horny Billy stays. I don't really know if Marc is gay or
not?"
"I doubt if Marc knows. But I'm sure he can handle Billy."
"HA! What I'm afraid of is how Billy will handle Marc...remember,
'The Karate Kid'...'hands on...hands off'?"
"I'm certain that if anything out of the ordinary happens, both
Roger and Cliff are very close by."
"I didn't tell you because I didn't want Billy to hear, but Cliff
took me into the kitchen and told me that Chuck Brindley, the kid who threw
acid at Billy, but caused Jake, Lee's brother's death, committed suicide in
jail."
"My God!"
"Billy had gone to jail to see Chuck just hours before. Billy
wanted to forgive Chuck for doing what he did."
"Billy doesn't know about the suicide?"
"Not a word. Cliff and Roger whisked him on an airplane to New
York, then on to Jeff and Johnny's in New Hampshire, before Billy could
hear about it on the news."
"Damn! That poor kid! First, both his parents, then watching Jake
splashed with acid, and now Chuck. I...I'm glad Marc went back to the hotel
with Billy. The two will be a great comfort for one another."
"I hope not TOO much comfort!"
"What do you mean?"
"Hell, if Roger thinks Marc is a good companion for Billy, he'll
call Walter Clayton and begin adoption proceedings to adopt Marc for Billy,
as a brother."
"You know, Roger JUST MIGHT DO THAT!" Tim replied.
"So what do you think? If Marc is agreeable, should we try to adopt
him before Roger does?"
"I think I have to agree with you. Marc would STILL be a Briarwood
Boy for Roger and Cliff. Of course, his real parents may want some kind of
adoption dowry or whatever it's called."
"We've got money we'll never spend and you know it!"
"Rob, do you think Marc's right for the role of Sonny?"
"You knew he was right as soon as you set your eyes on him at JFK
airport when he arrived from L.A.. Of course, when you heard him sing and
read, there was no other actor considered for the role."
"While we're on the subject, what was your opinion of Lee's
roommate, Hunter?"
"Tim, he LOOKED right and God knows, he can sing the part!"
"I'd considered using a named performer, but, although the role of
Sammy is important, it's not that big..."
"Let's just wait and see if he shows up at the audition the day
after tomorrow and see how he compares with the tryouts planned for
tomorrow!"
"Do you think there's a love connection between Hunter and Lee?"
"I don't know, but it might be good for Lee's sake."
"Ready to go to bed?"
"MORE than ready. We have a busy day tomorrow. Hundreds will be
lined up outside the theatre...ALL thinking they have talent. It's just too
bad we don't have Simon Cowell helping us with the auditions."
"Simon DOES know talent when he sees it!"
"HA! Can you see me imitating him when the first little girl comes
in to sing for the part of Reenie and I slap my hand on the desk and say,
'OH, GOD, YOU'RE HORRIBLE!'."
"That's a shock of recognition, I never want to hear when I
AUDITION for a show."
"Sweetie, you audition in our bedroom every night."
"Yeah, and I always get the part I want!" Rob said.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
Hunter went to bed with his mind racing over the evening's
events. He had actually met the composer, lyricist, AND the star of the
play he wanted to be in more than any in the world. He had also had a long
discussion with the only boy he might ever fall in love with. Both prizes
were dangling right before his eyes. BOTH were so close and yet, so many
obstacles stood in his way of achieving either of them.
During dinner when Lee told Hunter that he had acquired AIDS from
his piano teacher in Texas, Hunter came so close to telling Lee that he,
too, had the HIV virus. But then, Lee went on to say, he had been cured at
the Cole Institute and Hunter clammed up and couldn't tell Lee about
himself. Lee was cured. Hunter was not. Hunter wondered if he would ever
have the nerve to tell Lee the truth. He also wondered if he could stay
well enough to perform 'Dark' eight times-a-week?
There was NO one individual who Hunter could blame because there
had been SO many one-night tricks. It could be any of dozens of guys in the
night. How many had HE infected before he found out that HE contracted the
virus? Hunter had experienced his happiest night ever tonight and all he
could do in the dark of his bedroom was turn his head into his pillow and
cry. Just when everything could be so perfect...'Suddenly, there's God, so
quickly', Tennessee Williams wrote.
<><><><><><><><><><>
(To be continued in "Briarwood" Book Nine--'A New Heaven and a New Earth'
chapter 98).