Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2007 13:39:45 -0400
From: xennos67@gmail.com
Subject: A New Beginning

She looks at me uncertainly at first.  She knows that something is
different between us, and that my lack of availability for the last 24
hours has been an ominous thing.  She nonetheless invites me into her
apartment, and we sit for a bit.  Realizing that there is no way to avoid
the issue, I come right to the point of explaining to her that our short
lived relationship cannot continue.  I have no idea how I form the words
that I tell her, but it seems to make little difference since she sits
and stares at me not quite meeting my eyes, but avoiding my look by an
angle as if she is looking at something to my side.  "I am sorry Libby" I
lamely say, trying to think of ways to cushion the blow, but she just
sits there quietly for a moment and then confirms that she knew it
wouldn't last.  "I clearly didn't please you." she says in an  accusatory
voice.  "It's not all about you Libby, any more than it's all about me.
Sometimes things just don't happen and it's no one's fault."  She rolls
her eyes at this, clearly having heard some variant of the argument
before.  "I never understood what you were doing with me to begin with."
she says dismissively.  "What is that supposed to mean?"  I query.
"You've been sleeping with me for over a month, but you clearly don't get
anything out of it."  she says bitingly.  "How do you know what I do or
don't get out of it?" I ask.  "It's not like you can fake an orgasm.  You
never climaxed with me once."  I feel my expression darken.  "I told you
when we got together that it took time for me to get to that point.  I
don't climax easily until I've been with a woman for at least a few weeks
to a month."  This statement was almost a lie until I qualified it by
specifying that I was talking about being with a woman.  It wouldn't have
helped anything to explain to her how I met a lover who could get me off
not just the first time we made love, but every time we did.  She feels
bad enough without knowing that her romantic rival is a man that she
goaded me into kissing.  At any rate, it is irrelevant since she refuses
to accept from me any explanations regarding my past sexual experiences.
It soon becomes apparent that the conversation could go on for hours, and
so I put a coda on the conversation by saying "Look the bottom line is
that this isn't working for either of us, and I feel like I'm harming
you.  I don't want to do that or be that so I think we need to step back
and be friends.  If you don't want to be friends, that is your choice."
She laughs bitterly and says "We weren't friends to begin with."  I shake
my head and say "All right then, if that's the way you want it."  I stand
up and leave without another word.  There's no malice in it, and honestly
I don't feel that bad.  If anything, I feel relieved.

I come home and check my voice mail.  There are 4 or 5 messages from
Libby that I mostly delete and then I find one from you.  "Just calling
to see how it went.  Give me a call when you get this, and let me know
how you are."  There's a feeling of heat that creeps up the base of my
skull when I hear your voice on the phone.  I don't call right away but
sit down and collect myself a bit.  It is literally the first quiet
moment I've really had since I ran into you at Biddy's.  I try to slow my
heartbeat down but I can't.  It's all too present for me to just push to
the side.  The feeling isn't exactly one of panic, but it feels close.
Up until now I pretty much went with the flow without questioning what it
meant.  Now, back in my own apartment, the memory of what happened
becomes somehow more real than ever.

I look at the phone and at your number, written on the back of your
business card.  The time stamp on your voicemail was a couple of hours
ago.  I contemplate tossing the card away and hoping you don't call back,
but I know that would be childish and stupid.  I pick up the phone and
begin dialing your number nervously, hanging up a few times before
finishing.  When I finally do let myself finish, there is a feeling of
commitment when the phone begins to ring.  I hear it ring three times
thinking it will flip over to voice mail.  Then the phone picks up and I
hear your voice say "Hey there."  "Hi, I just got home" I say simply.
"How are you doing?" You say, to which I respond with the typical answer
"fine".  We make small talk a bit before I finally say "I talked to
Libby."  You are quiet for a moment before asking how it went.  I give a
brief synopsis of what passed.  "Are you OK?"  you ask.  "Well, Libby and
I didn't have much of a relationship, so I don't really feel bad about
it."  "I knew that Tom, but that really wasn't what I was referring
to." you say softly.  "I know."

There is silence for a bit until you say "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I don't know."  I reply.  Another pregnant pause.  "Do you want to come
over?"  you ask.  I feel the heat at the base of my head again.  "I'm not
sure.  I need to do some laundry and pay some bills."  "You can do your
laundry over here if you like.  I have my own machine so it won't cost
you anything."  I stammer a bit before you say "Hey, it's cool if you'd
rather stay home tonight, but the invitation is open if you want to
come."  "Thanks." I say somewhat shyly.  "No pressure, really." You say.
We say goodbye and hang up.

I jump on the computer and do my bills, and then think for a moment and
do some searches on homosexuality.  Initially most of the sites I find
are nothing but porn which I don't bother with.  I try modifying my
search basically trying to find something that gives me some idea of what
happened.  I eventually find a couple of articles that don't really tell
me much but make reference to men discovering they're gay in their mid
30s and 40s.  The articles suggest everything from repressed
homosexuality bursting forth to simple mid-life crisis.  It doesn't tell
me much that I hadn't already thought of.

I go into the living room and try to watch some TV, but there's nothing
on I really have any interest in.  I feel restless, and start to pace
from one room to the other.

It's not long before I am knocking on your door with my laundry basket in
hand.  You open the door and smile.  I smile shyly and come in.  You take
the basket from me before I have a chance to say anything, and then put
your arms around me and kiss me.  Again, I don't have a lot of time to
think about it, but I also find myself responding pretty much
automatically.  "I'm really glad you came back." You say.  "I'm sorry I
didn't call first."  I say uncertainly.  "It's OK, really.  I was hoping
you'd come."

We eat an amazing dinner complemented with a red wine that you say you
bought the last time you were in Napa.  I don't say a lot but you don't
seem to mind.  After dinner, we sit on the sofa and talk.  "I wasn't sure
you'd come back today." You say.  "I wasn't sure I would either."  I
reply somewhat uncertainly.  "You don't have to explain anything to me,
Tom.  I'm glad to see you."  The heat at the base of my skull again.
"You are?"  I reply.  "Well why wouldn't I be after the last two days?"
I feel my cheeks redden.  "This all happened really fast." I say.  "Yeah,
it did, didn't it?" you laugh back.  "Is it too much for you?"  "I really
don't know."  I reply.  "We can slow down if you like." you say.  "That
might not be a bad idea." I reply.  "Then that's what we'll do.  We'll
take a step back and give you time to catch up."

Later on, I am naked, lying in your bed with the taste of your semen in
my mouth and throat, I revel in the touch of your hand on my belly.  So
much for trying to slow things down.  My cock begins to stir a bit,
having emptied itself into your mouth a short time earlier.  My heart
continues to pound well after my orgasm.  I'm very conscious of my
nakedness as your hand moves from my belly to my thigh and leg.  We say
nothing for a long period of time until you ask me how I am.  I reply
simply "I feel good."  I'm still not used to pillow talk with a man, but
at the same time I feel myself stiffening again under your hand.  "You
have a fantastic cock, you know that?"  I hear you say.  "I never
considered it before now." I reply somewhat bemusedly.  "That's a shame."
you say.  "It really is gorgeous, both hard and soft."  I reply
breathlessly "Thank you."  My breath becomes shallow as your strokes
become lighter and more teasing.  The lighter your touch, the harder I
seem to become.  You cradle my head in your arm as you tease me.  "Look
at me" you say as your fingers slide down my face to my lips.  I feel
your fingertips enter my lips and I gently suck them.  After a time your
wet fingers move to my erect member and stroke it slowly.  The slickness
of your fingers makes me shudder.  I keep my eyes fixed on you as best I
can when I come.  The force of my orgasm makes my eyes water.  I close my
eyes and feel your lips on my eyelids.

I wake up some time later and see you lying next to me.  I now realize
that I am going to wind up spending the night here again.  I don't have
to worry about clean clothes since my laundry has all been washed and is
sitting in a basket by the bed.  I look over at you and see your back to
me.  I let my eyes look at the contours of your back, the broadness of
your shoulders.  I turn toward you and touch your arm.  You stir a bit
and take my hand, pulling it around you in your sleep.  I pull up close
to you and feel my cock harden against your body.  I honestly cannot
remember the last time I had so many erections in the period of a day.  I
pull up close and kiss the nape of your neck.  "Goodnight lover" you
say.  I flush with heat, and then repeat the words.  "Good night lover".
When I wake up in the morning, my arms are still around you.