Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2012 12:53:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: Damian <nvtahoeus@yahoo.com>
Subject: Luke and the Red Canvas Shoes - Part 5

This is the continuation of my story about Todd, 25, a physician assistant,
and Luke, 20, who first meet in a medical appointment that doesn't quite go
as either planned.  This posting is an in-depth relationship story that
will build slowly.  I plan to post subsequent chapters often, so please
check back.  Or let me know if you'd like to get an e-mail from me whenever
I post one.

No minors were harmed in the writing of this story, but if you are one
please go find something else to do.  Please do not reproduce this story in
any form without the permission of the author.  Your feedback is
appreciated.

Damian
nvtahoeus@yahoo.com


LUKE AND THE RED CANVAS SHOES


END OF PART 4

All I knew was that I wanted Luke like nobody I'd ever wanted before.  But
I also wanted to give him time to get completely comfortable with me.  We'd
made a lot of progress in a short time, but I wanted see more joy in those
eyes of his, rather than the fear and forlornness that had seemed to
radiate from them up most of the time until this week.

As I slipped into dreamland I hugged my pillow tightly and pretended that
it was Luke.


PART 5

To break from the "professional" relationship that had initially brought us
together, we had mutually agreed that Luke would continue to see
Dr. Webberley on Wednesdays -- my day off -- whenever possible.  That's
where he was the Wednesday after our pizza date, so I decided to bike over
to Lloyd's house and see if he was sitting in the driveway as usual.  He
was very predictable in that regard.

After some initial chit-chat about the weather and what-not, the
conversation turned -- as I hoped it might -- to Luke.

"You know, Todd, it pleases me to see that you and Luke are apparently
becoming friends.  He gets tired of hanging around here all the time with
me, and he didn't have any friends that I was aware of until he met you.
He looks up to you, you know."

"Luke's a great kid...er, guy...Lloyd.  I like him a lot.  I guess you
probably know he told me about how he came to move down here with you."

"Yes," Lloyd said, looking away sadly.  "My son and his wife didn't do
right by either of those boys.  I wish David had come to me the way Luke
did.  I would've gladly taken him in, too.  By the time I learned he'd run
away he had already gone back home -- which makes me sick to think about.
Now he's turning out like his dad and it's too late.  I'm hell-bent on
being sure that Luke doesn't do the same thing."

"I don't think you have to worry about that.  Luke is very happy living
with you and being away from...all that."

I was trying to be careful not to say to Lloyd how I felt about his son --
Luke's father -- but I could tell he was disgusted with him as well.

"If you ever get tired his attentions, let him down easy, Todd.  I know my
grandson -- finally after too many years of separation from him -- and he'd
be crushed.  Like I said, he really looks up to you.  He talks about you
all the time."

"He does?  That's nice."  I felt a warm sensation in my gut hearing that.
"I like Luke, too, and I don't...think you have anything to be worried
about.  He's always welcome at my place."

"Well, you're welcome here any time, too.  In fact, why don't you come back
over for dinner tonight, if you're not busy?  It won't be fancy, but I
think I could put something decent together, with Luke's help."

"That's really nice of you, Lloyd.  I don't mind if I do."

On the way home I thought more about what Lloyd had said about Luke looking
up to me.  While it pleased me greatly, it also seemed like a big
responsibility.  I felt like I was wearing a lot of hats -- big brother,
mentor, sounding board, role model.  Would I be able to be all those things
to Luke and still bring him along to the kind of intimate relationship I so
desperately wanted with him?  I wanted to throw off all those hats -- and
all my clothes -- and just be his lover.  Was that asking too much?


By 5 p.m. the sky was looking stormy, so I decided to drive my car back
over there rather than bike or walk.  Luke was happy to see me when he met
me at Lloyd's front door, but he also looked despondent about something.

"What's up, buddy?" I said.  "Did you find out anything from the doc
today?"

"Yeah, maybe.  Come on in and have a drink with Granddad and me and we'll
talk."

Because of his fundamentalist upbringing Luke had never touched alcohol
until he moved to Denver.  He said that Lloyd liked a gin and tonic every
evening before dinner, and Luke had come to like the same.  Lloyd mixed
three for us and we sat in the living room.

"Well, I've already told Granddad.  Dr. Webberley didn't find anything
wrong in my upper body, but he wants me to have some more tests run below
the belt.  He said that he suspects that I might have a growth on my
intestines that may be causing me to bleed slowly and be anemic.  He called
it a Meckel's something-or-other."

"A Meckel's diverticulum probably," I said, thinking back to my medical
training.  I'd never had a patient with one, but I knew it wasn't something
to ignore.

"Yeah, that's it.  He said the only way to fix it would be to have an
operation.  Kinda scary, huh?  No wonder my dad said I wasn't much good at
farming -- I had anemia and I didn't even know it till I came down here."

I felt for Luke.  He'd probably been much better at farming than his dad
had been at parenting.  But here he was only 20 years old and was facing
possible abdominal surgery.  I had to come up with something reassuring to
say.

"You know, Luke -- pardon me for slipping back into the doctor/patient mode
for a minute -- but this could actually turn out to be a good thing.  If
this really is the cause of your anemia, this surgery could fix you up so
you don't have to take iron medication long term.  That stuff is hard on
your stomach to absorb."

Lloyd had been quiet up till now, but I could tell he was troubled.

"Would they have to open him up to fix this Meckel's thing, Todd?"

"It's done laparoscopically these days.  He'd probably be in and out the
same day."

They both looked relieved.

"I'm glad to hear that.  I had abdominal surgery about 40 years ago, and it
was no picnic."

"Well, I'm glad to say that things have improved a lot since then.  Luke
might not feel good for a day or two, but it's not the big deal that it
used to be.  I'd say don't worry too much about it yet until they run more
tests.  We'll be there for you, buddy."

I looked over at Lloyd, and he nodded.  Luke looked for a second like he
was going to cry but pulled himself together.  I think he was really
touched by my comment.  Given his crappy childhood, he no doubt wasn't used
to people "being there" for him.

"Thanks, Todd."

"Is that meatloaf I smell cooking?" I asked.

"Yes.  Granddad and I put it together from a recipe he had.  I'd better go
check on it.  You want a refill on that drink?"

"No thanks, Luke.  One is plenty for me.  I need to find my way home, you
know."

"Well, not too soon, I hope," he said, patting me on the shoulder as he
walked by my chair on the way to the kitchen.  I found his touch
electrifying -- all the way down to a sudden hardening in my shorts.

Dinner was simple but delicious.  The guys had tossed a salad and fixed
some mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables for side dishes.  We washed it
all down with some red wine that I had brought and enjoyed a piece of
store-bought cherry pie for dessert.  Despite his anxiety over his health
issues, Luke got noticeably mellower as the evening progressed, even
laughing at some of Lloyd's lame jokes.  More and more he seemed to be
inching out of his shell, but it was going to be a long trip.

High winds and lightning had whipped up while we were eating, and by the
time we were done it was raining cats and dogs.  I wanted to stay a bit
longer but felt like it would be best for me to scoot on home.  I thanked
my hosts for the great dinner and made my way to the door.

As I looked out, however, I knew it would be unwise to leave just then.  I
would've been soaked before I even got to my car.

"Why don't you stay for a while longer, Todd?" Lloyd said.  "It's not fit
for man nor beast out there right now."

"You're probably right.  Maybe it'll slack in a few minutes.  You got a
game or something we could play for a while?"

"Well, I love cards," he said with a grin.  "I've been teaching Luke to
play gin rummy.  That's not a game for three, but we could play hearts --
do you know that game?"

"I think I've played it a few times, but it's been a while," I said.

Lloyd dug out the cards while Luke and I cleared the table and filled up
the dishwasher.  Coming from a home where playing cards was almost in the
same sin category as premarital sex, Luke was a little bewildered at first,
but he caught onto the game after a few practice hands.

Lloyd won most of the hands, but it was a blast to hang with these two.
Before I knew it, it was 9:30, but the rain hadn't let up a bit.  Looking
out the window, we could see that there were several inches of water in the
street, and cars were inching by.

"You'd better stay here tonight, Todd," Lloyd said.  "There's no way you'd
make it home without getting drenched."

I had serious reservations about accepting his offer -- not the least of
which would be the sleeping arrangements -- but I could see that he was
right.

"I'm bushed, fellas.  It's past my bedtime," Lloyd said as he excused
himself, leaving Luke and me alone.  I thought Luke looked he had mixed
feelings about this unexpected development.  I still didn't know where I
was supposed to sleep, but Luke turned off the lights in the living room
and kitchen and started down the hall to what I assumed was his room.

"Come on, Todd.  There's a spare bed in my room -- unless you'd rather
sleep on the couch."

"You sure, Luke?  I wouldn't want to put you out.  Where would you prefer
that I sleep?"

Halfway down the hall, he suddenly returned and took my hand.  The decision
had apparently been made.  I'd been dreaming of my first time to sleep with
Luke, but this wasn't the arrangement that dreams were made of.

First, we weren't alone in this house -- Lloyd was in the next room.  I had
envisioned us sleeping together someday in my apartment, but not 20 feet
from his grandfather.

Second, there were two twin beds in Luke's room -- one unmade one that was
obviously his and one piled high with his sundry possessions.  He obviously
wasn't a neat-freak like me.

"Sorry about the mess.  I'll throw this stuff over here and look for some
clean sheets and a pillow for you."

He rummaged in the hallway linen closet while I stripped down to my boxers.
His eyes took me in when he came back and found me that way, but he didn't
say anything.  We made up the spare bed together, and I asked him if there
was a spare toothbrush in the house.

"Granddad gave me a pack of them when I moved in here.  Let me show you."

I followed him to the bathroom next door, where I brushed my teeth with the
door open.  Not seeing any spare towels, I resisted the idea of taking a
shower until Luke appeared at the door with a set of them for me.

He didn't seem to want to leave his spot by the door, chatting on about the
bad storm and how glad he was that I hadn't tried to drive home in it.  I
opened the shower curtain and stripped off my boxers.

"How does this faucet work, Luke?" I said in all innocence.  I hadn't seen
one like it before.

"I'll show you," he said.  I stepped aside to let him past, but not very
far.  Our bodies touched as he slid past me to adjust the faucet for me to
get the shower flowing, and I felt myself chubbing up from the contact.

"There," he said.  "Just turn this knob for your temperature."  He turned
back from the faucet in my direction, and our eyes met briefly.  The back
of his hand grazed my thickening penis, and his face turned red.  My pulse
racing, I stepped into the tub and pulled the curtain closed.

"There's room enough in here for two, Luke."

No answer.  Either he was ignoring me or he'd gone back to his room.  Oh,
well, it had been worth a try, I thought as I soaped myself up.  I finished
up quickly and opened the curtain.  No sign of Luke, but I noticed he'd
left the door open.  I grabbed my towel and dried myself off.  I searched
around for my discarded boxers, but they were nowhere to be found.  Hmm...

Wrapping the towel around myself, I turned off the bathroom light and
padded barefoot to his room.  Curiously, I found my boxers lying on the end
of my bed.  Luke was already in his bed, covered from the waist down by his
sheet.  He was bare chested and looked deliciously sexy in the dim light
that glowed from the lamp between our beds.

"What's the dress code for sleeping here?" I asked with a smile, hoping
that he was nude under that sheet but wondering how I'd control myself if
he were.  He drew his sheet back far enough to reveal a pair of boxers.
Drat.

"I put a clean pair of boxers there on the end of your bed," he said
quietly.  "You can borrow them for tonight."

In the dim light I hadn't noticed that the boxers I saw weren't mine.  I
dropped my towel and slipped the clean boxers on.  Luke never averted his
eyes.  I realized he could have left the loaner pair in the bathroom with
my towel, but he'd made me bare myself in front of him again by putting
them on the bed.

"Thanks, buddy.  They're a little snug on me, but at least they're cleaner
than mine.  Where'd you put my dirty ones?"

"Over there with the rest of your clothes."

I returned to the bathroom to hang up my wet towel.  I closed our bedroom
door when I got back.  We were as alone as we were going to get with each
other now.

"Todd?"

"What, Luke?"

"Would you sit here a minute?  I want to ask you something."

My stomach did a little flip as I wondered what he was going to say.  I sat
on the side of his bed facing him with one bare leg up.

"What's on your mind, buddy?"

"Um, what did you mean earlier tonight when you said you'd be there for me
if I have to have the surgery?"

"Well, I can't literally be there during it, but you're my friend now and
I'll do anything you need till you feel better.  And I mean anything.  I'll
even take time off work if you need anything that Lloyd can't do for you."

"Why are you being so good to me, Todd?  What's in it for you?" he said
with tears in his eyes.

I had to stop for a minute and think about how to respond.

"I don't know, Luke.  I just like you a lot, and I feel like it's mutual.
You're just a very easy guy to be with, and I get a lot out of being with
you."

It felt like a lame answer, but it was the best I could do without telling
him that I wanted to make love to him more than anything in the world.  At
this point I still wasn't sure if he was straight, gay, something in
between, or none of the above.  This much I did know -- he had to be a
virgin.  I could just tell.

Putting my left hand on the other side of his torso, I leaned over with my
right and stroked his hair a bit.

"You've been through a lot, my friend.  You're just finding your way in
life after a rough start.  If you'll let me be a part of it, it would be my
pleasure.  I want to see you happy for once in your life."

"I am happy.  Now.  I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't found
Granddad...and you.  You scare me a little, but I'm learning to appreciate
you, too.  More every day."

"Why do I scare you?"

"I don't know.  It's just that you're older.  You're practically a doctor.
And I feel like you can read my mind sometimes."

"Well, I can't.  I often find myself wondering what's going on in that
handsome head of yours."

"I've just never in my life met anyone like you," he said, suddenly sitting
up.  He put his arms around my neck and held me tightly, just like he'd
done at my apartment door the last time he'd left there.  Only this time we
were bare chested.  His skin was so silky soft, and he smelled so good.

"Should we sleep now, or do you need something else?" I said after a while,
hoping against hope that it was something else.

"We should get some sleep, I guess.  Thanks for holding me."

Tearing away from his embrace was the hardest thing I've ever done.  I
couldn't resist giving him a kiss on his forehead.  He didn't kiss me back,
but the look in his eyes told me he was glad to get one.

"Good night, Luke."

"Good night, Todd."

I stood up and turned the light off, my cock blatantly tenting the boxers
he'd loaned me.  I wished I could turn off my mind, too, but it kept
spinning most of the night as I tossed and turned with erotic frustration
and unfulfilled yearning.  I didn't know how much more of this I could
take.



Before I'd even gotten undressed the night before, I'd set my cell phone
alarm to wake me up at 6:30.  Thursday was a work day, and I needed to go
back home before going to the office.  I woke up at 6:20, however, and shut
the alarm off.  I got up quietly so as not to disturb Luke.  He looked like
such an angel purring away on his stomach with his hands under his pillow.
His top sheet was half off, so I saw his back and one knee sticking out.

I slipped my clothes on, leaving Luke's loaner boxers on the end of my bed
and putting my own slightly dirty ones on.  I didn't think I should carry
them out of the house in my hands, which proved to be a wise choice when I
ran into Lloyd at the kitchen table sipping his morning coffee.

"Good morning, Todd.  How did you sleep?"

"Just fine," I lied.  "Good morning to you, Lloyd.  You must be an early
riser."

"We retirees ought to be able to sleep in, but I still wake up about 6
every morning.  Would you like a cup of coffee before you leave?"

"Thanks, but I'd better get on my way home.  I need to stop there before
going to work.  Thank you so much for the invitation to sleep here last
night.  I hope the storm damage wasn't too bad."

"Well, the morning news said that some tree limbs are down, so be careful
out there."

"I will.  Thanks again, and tell Luke I said good-bye.  I didn't want to
wake him so early."

"He's never up till 8 or so, but I'll tell him.  You have a good day now,
hear?"

"I will, Lloyd.  You, too.  Maybe I'll see you Sunday if I go biking."

"The coffee pot's always on.  Bye now."


I talked to Luke by phone Thursday and Friday evenings, and he came over to
my place on Saturday for a bite to eat and to watch a movie with me.  We
fit together so nicely on the couch, with him leaning against me with my
arm around his shoulder.  It was a bittersweet moment that I would treasure
and remember for a long time.

We sat there contentedly, both of us blissfully unaware of how this
comfortable new direction in our lives would soon take an unwelcome turn.



(To be continued in Part 6 soon)



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Damian
nvtahoeus@yahoo.com