Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 17:53:00 EST
From: Draginacht@aol.com
Subject: David's Initiation: The Recovery 05

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real
people or events is purely coincidental.  The story contains graphic
descriptions of sex between men. Anyone who is forbidden by law to read such
material must stop now.  This story is being posted to the Nifty Archive
solely for the enjoyment of its readers.

*******

David's Initiation: The Recovery 05

*******

As the airplane climbed through 10,000 feet, the cabin crew began preparing
the meal service and Dave began thinking about Dan, he hadn't written for
several weeks, not since before Paul died. His thoughts were interrupted by a
very attractive flight attendant with a friendly smile.

"Good evening, Mr. Baker, we'll be starting the meal service before long,
would you like something to drink before that?" Although Dave was still
twenty years old, dressed in an expensive suit and carrying a laptop
computer, he easily projected a more mature image so the flight attendant
never questioned his age.

"Oh, no thank you," Dave noticed her nametag, "Liz." He was beginning to pick
up on Paul's tricks. "But if you have a Chardonnay, I'd like to have that
with the meal, what are my choices tonight?"

"We have chicken in a wine sauce or prime rib for your entree with mixed
vegetables."

"The chicken sounds good," Dave replied and Liz turned around and disappeared
into the galley.

After the meal service was cleared away, Dave kept a cup of coffee. After the
cabin lights were dimmed, Dave opened his laptop and began composing an
e-mail to Dan, which he would send when he got home.

"Dear Dan,
    It seems like I begin every note to you with an apology for taking so
long to write so let me get that out of the way right now. I apologize for
taking so long to write.
    A lot has happened since my last letter. I think that the last time I
wrote I told you about my lover and partner, Paul. Well, he died in a car
accident in late October and my life hasn't been the same since. I actually
didn't know he was gone for over two weeks until his lawyer and best friend
found me and broke the bad news. I ran off to see Kate and John and they gave
me a lot of support. I wound up coming out to John and he took it awfully
well. He and Kate are my strongest support system.
    Also, one of my roommates from the Army came to live with me; that was
before Paul's death, and he has been a great help too. His name is Miguel
Sanchez, he now goes by Mike; I'm sure I must have mentioned him in some of
my earlier letters while I was still in the Army.
    The whole family was at Kate's for Thanksgiving and I almost freaked
because I missed Paul so much. The Sunday after Thanksgiving Kate delivered
her third son, John David. I flew up to and arrived just in time to go in
with John and see him. He was only a little over two hours old and John let
me hold him. God! I never knew they were so wrinkled when they popped out but
he was beautiful. I called him `JD' and Kate and John decided that is what
they would call him.
While my parents were in with Kate and JD, John told me they had noticed how
upset I was just a few days earlier and were worried. I felt I owed them an
explanation so the day after Christmas I told them why I had been so upset.
Dad wasn't real excited to find out his son was a queer. He didn't throw me
out of the house but he hasn't spoken a word to me since I came out to them.
    At the moment I am on an airplane going home from Dallas where I spent
the weekend with Paul's family. They are just great! They want me to come
back as often as I can and I told them I'd like to. I really like them. It's
almost like they want to adopt me, be a second set of parents.
    Wednesday, New Year's Day, Mike and I will probably sit around and watch
football all day and eat stuff that will make us fat. Then we'll have to run
around the block a thousand times to make up for it. The spring semester
begins two weeks from next Monday and I'll be taking 21 credit hours. I
expect the University to honor its pledge and recognize me as a sophomore.
It's going to be a rough semester but the heavy class load should help keep
me focused and keep my mind off of Paul.
    Please write me soon and tell me about your plans when you get out of the
Navy in five months. Also, how is your family doing? I don't have any
contacts in our old hometown except for my parents so I'm not able to keep up
on what's happening there.

Your best bud,
Dave"

While he had the laptop open, Dave decided to begin making notes about his
dream house, the one he would build for himself one day. It was titled:
DREAM HOUSE
1. Exterior style: Country French.
2. Interior: eclectic.
3. Library: like Art's.
4. Kitchen: like Kate's.
5. Driveway: circular like Alex and Steve's.
6. Two master bedrooms: one up and one down.
7. Master bath: large walk-in shower and urinal. (Dave decided that his house
was going to be a man's house and he wanted to have a urinal.)
8. Exercise/workout room on ground floor.
9. Four additional bedrooms up stairs. (That made a total of seven bedrooms,
two down and five up.) Each bedroom must have a private bath.
10. Four-car garage.
11. Two-bedroom apartment over garage.
12. Large swimming pool and hot tub.

That was a good start. Dave would add to that list as time passed; he figured
he was several years away from building such a dream. He shut off his laptop
and put it under the seat in front of him, leaned back in his seat and closed
his eyes. At that moment he felt pressure shift his body weight and knew the
Captain was beginning the initial descent from cruise altitude and they would
be landing before too long. He realized that being able to detect such subtle
in-flight changes was probably a sign that he was flying way too much.

The house was dark when Dave slid the key into the lock and turned it. The
time was just past 9:00 PM. Either Mike was asleep or was still out. Dave
concluded the latter. Tired from his trip, he unpacked quickly, connected his
laptop to the telephone line and sent his e-mail to Dan, brushed his teeth
and slid into bed. He was asleep almost as soon as the light faded from the
room.


"Riiiing! ... Riiiing! ... Riii... Hello?" Dave answered, still half asleep.

"DAVE! Thank God you're home!" Dave recognized Mike's voice and it sounded
like trouble.

"Where are you?" Dave asked.

"I need help!" Mike pleaded. "I'm at an Exxon station at..." Dave could hear
Mike asking someone for the name was of the intersection, "... at Second and
Randolph. Can you come get me?"

"Yeah, you stay right there; it'll take me about twenty minutes to get there.
Are you gonna be okay until then?"

"Yeah, but hurry!"

Dave didn't like the sound of this. He happened to glance at the clock and
saw 12:34 AM. What was Mike doing in that part of town? It had a bad
reputation for crime. Dave quickly slipped on a pair of Levi's, a sweatshirt,
and his sneakers, and grabbed his jacket and keys on the way out the door.
`Mike, you're a magnet for mayhem,' Dave thought as he started his pickup
truck.

Dave saw the Exxon station as he approached the intersection and pulled in
between the building and the first row of pumps. Mike came walking out of the
building before Dave got stopped and grabbed for the door. Dave looked
closely but didn't see any evidence of physical harm but he did notice Mike
was walking rather stiffly. Mike pulled himself into the truck and sat down
rather gingerly.

"Let's go home." Mike almost pleaded; his voice was strained.

"What happened?" Dave asked as he pulled away from the building and swung the
truck around so he could get back out onto the street.

"I got fucked." Dave knew Mike was always a little blunt but he just thought
Mike was being a little dramatic.

"Whatta ya mean?"

"I... I decided to go back to one of those gay bars we visited last week..."
Mike WAS straining to talk. "And I met this guy... We had a few drinks, we
danced, and he invited me to his van... He had a conversion van parked down the
street and it was really nice. We started messin' around and he said he
wanted to fuck me. When I saw how big he was... Damn, he was as big as a bear
can... I told him I couldn't take anything that big... He got mad and called me
a tease and said he was gonna show me what happens to a tease and before I
realized it he had me in handcuffs... I was laying on my stomach... bent over
some kind of cot... and my hands were hooked to a ring on the wall of his van...
and he fucked me. GOD it hurt!"

"Shit... shit... shit!" Dave said. "Do you know if he used a condom?"

"Oh yeah! He made a big production of makin' me watch him roll it on over his
big cock... He wasn't real long, just big around... God it still hurts, Dave!
STOP! STOP!" Mike shouted and Dave slammed on the brakes thinking there was
some danger. Mike hadn't buckled his seat belt and had to brace his hands
against the dashboard to prevent his head from hitting the windshield.

Before the truck stopped completely, Mike opened the door and ran back behind
the truck. Dave saw him bend over and pick up something then start back to
the truck.

"What's that?" Dave asked about an object Mike was holding in his hand.

"It's my wallet, the guy took it out my pocket before he shoved me out the
door." Mike answered as he began looking inside it. "Damn! He took all my
money. He must have thrown it away after he stripped it. I had at least
forty-five dollars in there."

`Damnit Mike, how could you be so stupid!' Dave thought to himself, he was
beginning to get angry. "Mike, we need to get you to the Emergency Room!"

"NO! Not there!"

"Give me one good reason why not!" Dave was worried and it showed in his
voice.

"They'll ask a whole bunch of question that I don't want to answer; they'll
probably report it to the police; they might even shove a TV camera up my ass
to look around. That's three good reasons not to go there."

"Okay!" Dave thought those were three perfectly valid reasons why Mike SHOULD
go to the E.R. but he knew Mike wasn't about to do it so he had to come up
with an alternative. "Listen, Mike, you weren't fucked, you were raped." Then
in his best command voice Dave told Mike what was going to happen. "We're
gonna go home. You're gonna strip and let me inspect you. You could be
injured; that guy could have torn your ass and that could be dangerous. If I
find any blood then you have no choice, I'm taking you to the E.R. Is that
understood!"

"Yes, sir." Mike replied meekly. Suddenly it was like Mike was back in the
Army and Dave was his commanding officer giving him orders and he responded
accordingly.

Another thing that was frustrating Dave was the traffic light situation, they
seemed to be getting all red ones. All tolled, they made it back to the house
in about the same time as it took Dave to get to the Exxon station.

Dave sent Mike into his room with instructions to remove all his clothing
except his briefs. Then he told Mike to go into his bathroom where the light
was better, put a towel on the floor and get on his hands and knees. In a few
minutes, Mike called out that he was ready and Dave went into the bathroom,
closed the top on the toilet and sat down on it.

"Okay, I'm gonna pull your briefs down. And if there's any blood, you know
where we're going, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know. Go ahead." Mike said submissively.

Dave placed his fingers under the waistband of Mike's briefs and reluctantly
pulled them over his hips and down to the floor. His first thought was to
look at the inside of the briefs; he saw some fecal matter but no blood. Dave
breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your shorts seem okay, no blood. Now I'm gonna have to pull your cheeks
apart. Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Dave could hear some anxiety in Mike's voice, like he was
afraid of what Dave might find.

Dave placed his hands on either side of Mike's buns and gently separated
them. "Eew!" Dave said quietly.

"Whatta ya mean by `eew'?" Mike asked with concern.

"Well, there's some fecal matter around your hole and it looks like some of
the tissue is distended around your anus -- like you have lips or something.
The tissue looks puffy, inflamed, but there's no blood."

"Thank God." Mike sighed with relief. "Now what?"

Dave released his grip on Mike's buns and sat back. "I think you'd better
get in the shower and try to wash off. I'm gonna go to the drug store and see
if I can find something to put on you back there."

"Okay," Mike replied and he began to get up from the floor. Dave could see
that Mike had an erection but he wasn't hiding it.

Dave went into his bathroom, washed his hands, put his coat back on and left
for the all-night drug store located in the strip mall just two blocks from
the house.

Mike finished removing his briefs, turned on the shower, waited for the water
to get hot, and adjusted the temperature then stepped in. He felt dirty and
his ass hurt so badly and he was so scared he might be seriously injured that
he hadn't had any thoughts of a sexual nature when Dave was inspecting him.
The hot water began to cascade over his head and it felt good, good that is,
until it reached his ass. Then it began to burn like fire and itch. Mike
began to groan. He grabbed the bar of soap, rubbed it between his hands until
he had lots of suds then slowly began to wash his butt. He could feel the
tissue Dave had talked about and tried to massage it back inside with some
success. The more he massaged, the better it felt. Eventually he moved on and
washed his entire body, returning several times to his anus.

The drug store was empty, except for a clerk and the pharmacist. Dave quickly
found an aisle with a sign over it that advertised `OINTMENTS'. He started
looking for anything that had to do with anal problems and soon found them,
they were all in one section. He picked up one and read the label for
application instructions and any cautions. The first ointment cautioned `For
external use only' so he continued looking. Finally he picked up a small box
of Preparation H and read where it claimed to reduce swelling and itching.
And it could be used internally. Dave's greatest dilemma was that he didn't
have a clue if he was doing the right thing. Dave could have asked the
pharmacist but he couldn't think of how to ask such a sensitive question. He
wasn't sure if the stuff he had in his hand would help Mike, but it probably
wouldn't hurt so he decided to buy it.

Dave took the box of Preparation H to the checkout where he faced a young man
who looked like he might be from India. At that moment, Dave remembered the
first time he bought some condoms and how embarrassed he was. He felt just
about as embarrassed now.

Back at the house, Dave found Mike drying off, having just finished his
shower. "How do you feel?"

"Man, it sure burned down there when the water hit it. Now it itches. What'd
ya get?"

"This is all I could find. I don't know if it's what you need but I'm pretty
sure it won't hurt." Dave handed the box of Preparation H to Mike and said,
"I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."

"Me too," Mike replied, "just as soon as I find out what this stuff can do."

Monday morning Dave was the first out of bed, around 8:45 AM. He went to the
kitchen, started the coffee, poured juice, fixed some corn flakes with a
sliced banana on top, added milk, and sat down to eat. About ten minutes
later, Mike staggered in, still half asleep. He at least was wearing sweats.
They looked at each other but didn't say a word. The whole atmosphere felt
awkward; neither man knew what to say. The coffee was ready so Mike filled a
mug for himself and one for Dave and sat Dave's mug on the table for him.
Then Mike poured his juice, fixed some corn flakes, skipped the banana, added
milk, and sat down to eat. Mike stared into his cereal as he ate and Dave was
reading yesterday's newspaper that Mike had brought home. The silence was
deafening.

"Dave..."
"Mike..."

They both looked up and spoke at the same time.

"You first," Dave said as he laid the paper down on the table.

"Uh... Dave... about last night... I want to apologize." Dave just sat and
listened; he wanted Mike to get it out of his system. "I was a fool for going
to that bar... and an even bigger fool for going with that guy. I guess I'm in
too much of a hurry to be gay. I thought I could go there and meet other gays
and we would all want the same thing. Guess I was wrong. Or at least I picked
the wrong guy. What am I supposed to do, Dave?" Mike looked at Dave with
pleading eyes. Mike was honestly asking for help.

"Look. You don't owe any apology; you didn't do anything wrong. I don't know
what to do but you're probably not gonna want to have a repeat of last night
any time soon; let me think about it. You know, I was thinking last night
that I don't really know anybody here who is gay. There has to be a campus
organization, we just have to find it. I'll start looking around while
you're healing. How does that sound?"

"Yeah, my butt's so sore I may never want to do that again. You have a good
idea. I've read the campus newspaper that customers leave laying around and
I've seen stories about gay and lesbian groups." Mike paused for a moment
then, "How did you and Paul meet; you never told me that story."

Dave began at the beginning and told how he and Paul met quite innocently in
the weight room of the Gym Annex and how they worked up to their first sexual
encounter.

"It was all a matter of chance, really. Neither one of us was looking for the
other; it just happened. Well, maybe we were looking and helped it just a
little but it really was chance. I almost chickened out when I found out he
was an officer but I'm glad I didn't."

"Man, that's a great story. I wish I could be so lucky," Mike mused.

"You never know, Mike, maybe you will."


Mike was now the evening shift supervisor working from 4:00 to 10:00 PM.
Business was usually quite busy because a lot of college kids came in looking
for a substitute for the institutional food they encountered in the residence
halls. That meant that Dave usually ate dinner alone unless he went to the
Subway to bug Mike or found somewhere else to eat.

Monday afternoon, Dave had gone to the bookstore and purchased as many used
books as he could find for next semester. Because most of the students were
still on vacation, his choices were almost limitless. That evening he chose
to pick up some Chinese and eat at home while looking over his books for the
next semester. Dave had told his academic advisor that he wanted to add
another course to bring him up to 21 hours but he hadn't decided what to
choose. Then it came to him -- he'd take Spanish. He'd like to be able to
speak to Mike in Spanish and he also knew that in the construction business
the number of Mexican migrant laborers was growing. Having a working
knowledge of the language might prove beneficial.

He heard the phone ringing in his room and went to answer it. "Hello?"

"Dave, I'm so sorry to hear about all your bad luck. How're you holding up?"

"Hi, Dan, it sure is good to hear your voice; I'm fine, really! How're you
doing."

"I'm better than I have a right to be. Listen, when I read your e-mail I
couldn't believe all the things that have happened to you. Man I'd be a
basket case yet you seem to be truckin' on. Are you really okay?"

"Yeah, some days are better than others but, as I told you, Mike Sanchez, my
roommate from the Army is living with me and he's been a big help. He's at
work right now or I'd introduce him to you."

"Ya know, Dave, you were always the serious one, and you really care about
your friends. I'm a good example of that, you could have dumped me long ago
but you haven't. I really appreciate that. You were my first and I'll always
remember that."

"Well, you were my first too, and I'll always remember that. Now, let's not
replay too much history, I already told you about me in my e-mail, now tell
me all that's happening with you."

"Wellll... I've been sharing an apartment with two other guys but one of them
just got discharged so now it's just Scooter and me. Larry, the one who left,
found a job in the Silicon Valley making really good money and he says
there's a chance he can help me find a job when I get out in June. That's
good because we'll still be close to San Fran. I've learned the locals don't
like for you to call it Frisco, must sound too much like Crisco, or
something."

"How's your family?" Dave jumped in. He knew that once Dan got on a roll the
only way to stop him was through rude interruption.

"We write every once in a while but hardly ever call; I called them for
Christmas. Mom and Dad seem fine, they want me to come home when I finish
with the Navy. I didn't tell them but there is no way I could ever go back
there. I'd suffocate in the narrow-minded bigotry that pervades that part of
the country. Out here it's laid back and if it feels good, do it."

"Now Dan, it's not that bad here. I'm still here and doing quite well, thank
you."

"Oh yeah? Man if you came out here for a visit I could take you into the
Tenderloin District and show you how to really live. I could get you paired
up one on one, or with a three-way, or a four-way, or even an orgy if you
wanted. Life is great!"

"You be careful, Dan, I want you to still be alive the next time I see you."

"Oh, not to worry, I'm careful. Say, Dave, it's been great talkin' to you
and now I have to go. You got my number so call me some time. And think about
coming out for a visit some time, okay?"

"Yeah, I will, and thanks for calling, Dan, so long."

"Bye Dave." Dave heard the line go dead.

"Danny, just watch yourself." Dave said to the telephone on the desk. He was
concerned by what he had heard and there was nothing he could do to change
it.

Tuesday was New Year's Eve and there were a lot of sales still going on in
the stores. While Mike slept late, Dave went to the mall, to Brooks Brothers
and found Ruben. Dave had given a lot of thought to his new responsibilities
in Dallas it was clear that one suit and one sport coat were going to be
inadequate for his needs. He asked Ruben to fit him with two more suits,
another sport coat and two more pairs of slacks. Ruben helped Dave select
several more ties and three more shirts.

Mike came home as usual at 10:15 and said business had been real heavy; lots
of people were calling in orders for New Year's Eve parties. Then he had to
go in early Wednesday morning because they had to fill a lot of advance
orders for football parties before noon. Then he would have the rest of the
day off. Dave had a sense that Mike was doing very well at his job because
management kept asking him to do more and more and he continued to produce.
He wondered if he should ask John what he knew.

Life was slow over the next week and a half until the students began returni
ng to campus for the spring semester. Dave saw his academic advisor and
added Spanish 101 to his schedule but he didn't say a word to Mike about it.
Something else was happening to Dave. Not only had he increased his class
load in an effort to keep him busy, the pain of losing Paul was causing him
to subconsciously erect a high, thick wall around his emotions. His feelings
were putting up defenses against any recurrence of such trauma. Only one
small portal existed through which a restricted number of people were allowed
to pass - his parents; Kate, John and the boys; Alex, Steve, and Connie
Roehl; Art; Mike; Dan. Even then, there was an inner shield that guarded a
secret chamber where the memory of Paul resided.


The second week of school, Dave was in the Union Building after lunch
searching the bulletin board where various student activities post notices of
meetings. It didn't take him long to find one that announced the next meeting
of the campus gay and lesbian group and immediately below that notice was one
that read:

PHYOLS Foundation:
Volunteers are needed to provide support for local victims of HIV/AIDS.
Volunteers can choose between food baskets, fund raising, meal preparation,
friend support, publicity, and many other activities. The next meeting will
be at 7:00 PM, Thursday, January 23, in room 023 of the Student Union
Building.

Dave read it again. He remembered the volunteer work he was involved with as
a member of the Alpha Society in high school and decided this might appeal to
him more than the campus gay organization. He decided to attend. Later that
evening Dave told Mike about the Phylos Foundation and that he was going to
the meeting. Dave was sure that most of the people who would be interested in
such volunteer work would be gay and that should offer them an opportunity to
get acquainted.

Thursday at 6:45 PM, Dave approached the door to room 023. He looked for a
sign that would confirm he was at the right place but there was none. The
door had a small rectangular window in it and looking through it Dave could
see a table on the right with a young man sitting behind it kind of like a
receptionist. He couldn't see the rest of the room because high cubicle
dividers, probably to prevent casual observers from seeing who was there
blocked the view. Dave opened the door and stepped up to the table.

"Good evening, are you here for the Phylos Foundation meeting?" The young man
pronounced the word `fee-los'.

"Yes I am." Dave stated with a smile.

"Welcome. My name is Stanley Wallace and the meeting will be starting in
about fifteen minutes." He extended his hand, which Dave accepted and shook.
"Would you please sign in on this roster?" Stanley smiled back and handed
Dave a clipboard with a place for him to write his name, address, phone
number, and major.

`This has to be the most effeminate guy I've ever met yet he seems like a
nice guy. But that grip is like a cold fish.' Dave thought as he filled in
the requested information.

"Okay, follow me and I'll introduce you to the chairman. Are you gay?"
Stanley asked that question as casually as if he were asking for the time of
day.

"Yes, do I have to be?" Dave replied with confidence and a smile. He
remembered the first time anyone asked that question, he and Kate were
sitting on the front steps of their house. His answer then was `yes' but it
was filled with pain, sorrow, guilt, and embarrassment. And he ran away and
cried. What a contrast between then and now! Now he felt comfortable
admitting who he was; there was no pain, no guilt, and no embarrassment. And
at that moment Dave made a decision. From now on, he would no longer run from
the fact that he was gay. No, he wasn't going to buy adds in newspapers or
radio or TV. The people he really cared about already knew he was gay and
that would be his guideline. When dealing with anyone he considered a close
friend Dave just wouldn't go to any length to hide his being gay. In fact, he
might even come out to that friend if he thought the circumstance was
appropriate.

Dave followed Stanley around the opening in the divider where he could see
approximately fifteen other men standing around in small groups chatting.
Stanley walked up to a good-looking young man and began the introduction.

"Chase, we have a new volunteer, his name is Dave Baker."

"Hi, Dave, welcome to our group, I'm Chase Schuler. We'll be getting started
soon but we have time to introduce you to our gang." As he talked, Chase
began walking to a group of three men who appeared to be engaged in a deep
discussion. "Hey, guys, let me introduce you to a prospective member of our
group; tonight's his first visit." They all turned around. The man closest to
him looked familiar but he couldn't place him.

"Dave, let me introduce Reverend Tim Fields, he's our spiritual advisor and
good friend. We all call him Dr. Tim." Chase said.

Dave had already begun to extend his hand but withdrew it. His mind
immediately filled with the memory of his outburst in the church where Rev.
Fields was the minister. At first, Dave was hesitant about greeting this man
but eventually he shook Rev. Fields' hand. Dr. Tim was as cordial as could be
and projected a kind of calmness that quickly put Dave at ease. At that
moment, Stanley interrupted to tell Chase that two more prospective
volunteers had arrived and Chase asked Dr. Tim to help him out by continuing
to introduce Dave to the other members.

Dave felt uncommonly comfortable in this group. He noticed that within five
minutes everyone on the room had checked him out and he had returned the
compliment. He would later learn that three of those present were straight,
the rest were gay. This was the first time he had given much thought about
straight people being infected with HIV/AIDS.

About this time Chase stepped up on a short platform at one end of the room
and asked for everyone's attention.

"I want to welcome everyone tonight; we have four visitors who have expressed
an interest in volunteering with us." Everyone applauded. "I think I should
explain a few things about this club to help you get a better picture of what
we do and don't do. At the end of the meeting you can pick up some literature
that is available on the table at the back of the room.

"I suppose I should start by explaining just exactly what the Phylos
Foundation is. `Phylos' is the Greek word for `friend'. The group here
tonight represents the campus contingent of the greater metro area Phylos
Foundation. Occasionally we hold joint meetings either here or at the
downtown office.

"The Phylos Foundation is a service organization whose mission is to enhance
the quality of life for men, women and children infected and affected by
HIV/AIDS. We currently have a few homes, places where those with HIV/AIDS can
go when they have nowhere else to go. One of these homes provides holistic
services in managing HIV/AIDS by addressing the physical, emotional and
spiritual needs of people affected by the disease.

"Case management assistance is provided to people newly-diagnosed with HIV
infection in order to help them get appropriate medical treatment, as well as
other necessary support services. Support groups are provided to assist
people with HIV/AIDS in learning skills needed to cope with the stress
associated with living with the disease.

"A nutritional services program consists of the food baskets and meals
delivered to homes. Transportation is provided to men with HIV/AIDS to
medical appointments, as well as social services appointments. Low-income
persons with HIV/AIDS are provided access to non-medical supplies, such as
paper products, personal hygiene articles, cleaning supplies and materials to
assist.

"The Phylos Program links persons with HIV/AIDS who have no support system
with trained volunteers who assist them with socializing and activities of
daily living.

"Finally, we are a non-profit, tax-exempt service organization with no
political affiliations and donations are tax-deductible.

"By coming here tonight you have expressed an interest in helping your fellow
human beings who have contracted HIV/AIDS. We ask that you fill out a
questionnaire and tell us what area you might be interested in. Over the next
few weeks, working with the Metro office, we will place you in an activity
that is beneficial to all. And let me be clear, some activities require
special training. Now, if you have any questions, please ask them."

Dave and the three other prospective members began asking a variety of
questions, which were passed around to seasoned members to answer. Dave was
beginning to get a warm feeling about the group and its stated goals. After
talking with several of the veterans, he decided he'd be better off starting
in the `food basket' area. The meeting adjourned just before 8:00 PM and
Dave felt like it was time well spent. He also accomplished another objective
and that was to make contact with other gay men on campus, guys he could
introduce Mike to.


Todd Pepper walked out of his Management Class at 9:00 PM. He was majoring in
Hotel and Food Service Management at the university. After his freshman year
he ran short of money so became a part-time student at the university and got
a part-time job as a bellboy at the Westin Hotel. He would be able to
graduate in a year and a half.

After a quick trip to the library to check on some references, Todd walked to
his car and started for home. He was hungry because things at the hotel had
been hectic and he just barely made it to class on time. At that moment he
noticed the Subway Shop in the strip mall. He pulled into the parking lot and
parked directly in front of the shop. The time was 9:45 PM.

Todd pushed the door open and walked up to the counter under the sign that
said, "ORDER HERE." Behind the counter was a young man about his age checking
the supply of subway buns in the warmer. `Nice ass!' Todd thought. `A real
bubble butt. The rest looks pretty good from the back side, turn around so I
can see the rest of you.' At that moment, Mike turned around and Todd was
even more impressed. The young man had a great smile, gleaming white teeth
against a soft gray-brown complexion. But the eyes were what really got
Todd's attention. They were big and round and the deepest brown he'd ever
seen. The guys medium length black hair didn't lay completely flat on his
head and Todd felt the urge to run his fingers through it.

Mike was in the process of getting the shop ready to close for the evening.
His co-worker was in the back doing the same. If Mike needed him, he could
call.

"What'll it be this evening, Sir?" Mike was now facing the new customer,
looking directly into a very warm, friendly smile topped by the most
beautiful gray eyes he had ever seen. If he hadn't already finished his
greeting, Mike would be stammering to complete it.

"How about a six inch turkey, Mike." Todd had noticed Mike's name tag.

"What kind of bread we gonna put that on tonight, Sir?" Mike felt a little
flustered, he wasn't sure why.

"Ya got any of that oregano style?"

"No sir, we're all out, but we do have Italian."

"That'll be good and throw on some American cheese."

Mike picked up a fresh bun, sliced it in half, actually it was a little
bigger than half, then sliced around the sides, spread the bun open and added
four slices of turkey -- three is normal - and three slices of cheese -- two
is normal. Mike didn't know why he was giving the guy more that he was
supposed to. "What else, Sir?"

"Oh, lettuce, tomato, onion, olives, green pepper... that ought to do it... and
some vinegar and oil on top."

Mike finished adding all the ingredients the very attractive customer
ordered, wrapped it up, stuffed it in the bag with some napkins and placed it
on top of the counter. "Would you like to make that a `Value Meal' with
something to drink and some chips?"

"Yeah, that'll be nice. I'll have some of these bar-b-q chips and a Dr.
Pepper."

"Okay, Sir, that comes to $5.25." Mike announced as he looked again into
Todd's deep gray eyes.

When Todd handed Mike a five-dollar bill and a quarter their hands touched
briefly and they both felt a slight tingle. `Stop imagining things!' Mike
told himself.

"Are you getting ready to close?" Todd asked.

"Yes, Sir but you have time to eat that here if you like, we won't kick you
out," Mike said with his most charming smile. He wanted the guy to stick
around a little bit longer so he could get a better look at him.

The customer sat down and began eating his sub. Several times Mike looked at
the guy and he was looking back. Mike quickly diverted his eyes as if trying
not to get caught looking. A couple of minutes later Mike walked out from
behind the counter and began wiping off the tops of the tables. As he was
bent over one table trying to reach the far side, Mike glanced over his
shoulder at the customer and it was clear that the guy was looking at his
butt. Their eyes met and the guy smiled. Mike quickly looked away. A few
moments later Mike was bent over another table and the same thing happened.

At 10:00 PM, Mike locked the front door and continued the process of closing
for the night. Five minutes later the late customer stood, tossed his trash
in the trash receptacle, and walked toward the door. Mike was ready with the
key and unlocked the door.

"Come back again, Sir," Mike said as the guy walked out of the shop.

"Oh, I will, see ya next Tuesday night." His statement had a very warm sound
to it.

Mike watched as the guy got into his car and drove away.


When Mike got home at 10:15 PM, his normal time, Dave was in his room
studying. Mike really wanted to talk about what had happened at the shop but
decided not to bother Dave right then. Instead, Mike, washed his hands and
face, brushed his teeth, shut the door to his room and went to bed. Over and
over Mike replayed the last twenty minutes in the shop. The guy was hot. He
was good looking, had a great smile, very appealing eyes, and a nice trim
physique. They were probably the same height; the guy was more muscular than
Mike. Without thinking about it, Mike's right hand found his erection and
began stroking it. The more he thought about the guy the hotter he got. Soon
Mike was shooting his sperm all over his abdomen in a release of sexual
tension that was so satisfying. After lying quietly for about a minute, Mike
reached for some tissue and cleaned his cum from his body.

"He said he'd be back Tuesday. Yeah, we'll see." Mike drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Mike awoke to the feeling of something pulling on his arm.
It was Dave.

"Time to get up and go running, wetback."

"Hey, gringo, leave me alone." Mike complained as he pulled his arm free,
rolled over and faked going back to sleep.

Dave wasn't about to give up; Mike was often like this, he just need to be a
little more persistent. Dave couldn't resist Mike's bubble but sticking out
from under the covers and his right hand made a loud `POP' when it struck
raw flesh.

"You rotten fucker!" Mike yelled as he came up off the bed, caught Dave and
dragged him back on the bed with him, laughing all the while. They half
wrestled half tickled each other until they were both winded and collapsed.
"Okay, okay! You win." Mike finally conceded; he was totally at ease with his
nakedness.

Moments later they were out on the street on the standard three-mile run they
had become so accustomed to making. About ten minutes into the run Mike began
to tell Dave about what had happened at the shop the night before and Dave
listened with great interest.

"I wasn't sure what to make of it." Mike finally concluded.

"Well, Mike, it sounds to me like he was trying to pick you up."

"Ya think so? Wow!" They ran a few more paces in silence. "He said he'd be
back Tuesday night. What should I do?"

"That depends. Are you interested?"

"Well, yeah... I guess so," Mike replied.

"Okay, the next time you catch him looking, don't look away... give him a nice
smile. Not one of your killer smiles, give him a coy smile, like you `might'
be interested."

Mike started laughing. "You want me to be coy? Are you serious?"

"You don't want to seem too anxious... even though you might be. He might get
the idea you're easy."

"Well, I might be... easy, that is."

"C'mon Mike, you don't want to go there again."

"Yeah, I guess not." They continued running silently for a few more minutes
then Mike said, "Yeah, I see what ya mean. I want respect." That was the end
of the conversation as Dave picked up the pace for the last few blocks to the
house. Mike continued thinking about the possibilities that awaited him
Tuesday evening.


*******

(To be continued.)