Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 14:18:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mickey S <njmcmick@yahoo.com>
Subject: Second Wind, Ch. 9

If you are under age, or live in an area where reading stories that include
sex between males is illegal, or if you're not into this type of story,
please leave. This is a love story and it will take a while to develop, so
there won't be any love scenes in the first several chapters. If you're
looking for a more sexual story, I've written a few of those. Ask me. If
you're into romance, I hope this story pleases you.

I'd like to thank my friends in the Nifty Six for their support and
encouragement, especially Tim for his advice and his editing
assistance. The author retains all rights.  No reproductions are allowed
without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at
NJMcMick@yahoo.com.

Chapter Nine

Joey

For the next couple of weeks very little changed. Ben and I went to
Angelo's after bowling on Mondays as usual and then I'd spend an evening
later in the week at his place. We'd talk, have a glass of wine or mug of
cider and cuddle in front of the fire. A couple of times we went out to a
late movie and held hands like teenagers in the dark theater. Ben wasn't
pushing things, just giving me time to get used to being with him. I began
to think that maybe we were going a little too slowly. I wasn't sure just
what the next step was but I thought I was ready for something more, except
I wasn't sure how to tell him. I knew I didn't know how to make the first
move.

I continued my Saturday night dinners with Angie but was more careful than
ever not to let her think anything other than friendship was going on. I
stopped asking my nieces to baby-sit and went back to taking Connor with
us. It's hard to think it's a romantic date when you have a squirming
toddler with you.

One Friday night Ben and I went back to Connexions with Becky. Paul and
Chad weren't there but a few of Ben's friends were. We danced and had a
great time and when we got back to Ben's he kissed me goodnight and I went
home. I was beginning to feel sexually frustrated for the first time in my
life. I thought about calling Becky and asking her what I should do but she
beat me to it.

Monday morning of Thanksgiving week Becky called me at work to invite me to
lunch. She came by the nursery at one to pick me up. As we were leaving
Vinnie caught my eye, looked Becky up and down, and gave me a thumbs up
sign. I just smiled and shook my head.

I waited until we'd ordered and the waitress had brought our iced tea to
ask what was going on.

"Why does something have to be going on, Joey? Can't I invite one of my
favorite men to lunch without having ulterior motives?"

"Well, sure, Becky, but we've never gotten together without Ben before so I
was wondering."

"Okay, you got me. I've wanted to spend some time with you alone for a
while, ever since you and Ben started seeing each other, but I also have
something on my mind. A couple of somethings, actually."

"Well, go ahead, I'm all ears."

"First, what's going on with you and Ben? I know you guys decided to go
slow, but you don't seem to be moving at all. You may think it's none of my
business but get over it. You know I have to know everything and I care
about you two."

"I really don't know just what's going on, Becky. I expected Ben would have
made a move to go further by now. I've been wondering if maybe he's having
second thoughts."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Joey. He's still crazy about you but I think
you two have a problem. You're waiting for him and he's waiting for you. He
doesn't want to rush you if you're not ready. Besides, believe it or not,
Ben is shy about things like this. He's not used to making the first
move. He is a bottom, after all."

"A bottom? What does that mean?"

She suddenly got evasive. "Um, I'm sure Ben will explain all that but
basically he just prefers for the other guy to take the lead."

"But I don't know what to do. I've never done anything like this before."

"Just follow your instincts. More touching, more kissing, involve more body
parts. Maybe take some clothes off. Hell, you're getting me embarrassed
talking about this and that's hard to do. Just do what feels good. If you
get in over your head you can stop, but at least start."

"But what if I do something wrong?"

"Believe me, if it feels good, it's not wrong."

I thought about it as I worked on my burger.

"All right, I'll give it a shot."

"Good. Now for the second part, and this could be your opportunity. Since
Ben is going to be alone on Thursday I was thinking of bringing him a plate
of leftovers on my way home from my parents' so he could have some real
Thanksgiving food. But then I thought that he'd probably enjoy a visit from
you even more, if you can get away from your family, that is."

"What do you mean, alone? He said he was going to his mother's house for
Thanksgiving dinner."

Becky sighed. "Sam and Gale left for a vacation in Spain since last
week. They'll probably be having a very non-traditional Thanksgiving paella
overlooking the Mediterranean in Barcelona. I guess Ben didn't want you to
know he was going to be alone."

"What about his father?"

"He's going to his in-laws' on Long Island. I'd take Ben with me but my
sister and her family are coming down from upstate NY and she and Ben don't
get along. I was thinking that if your family eats early maybe you could
slip out and go see Ben in the evening. Or if you eat late, maybe you could
visit him earlier."

"Don't worry about it, Becky. I'll take care of it."

That night at Angelo's I took a stern approach to Ben.

"You know, Ben, if you lie to me and keep secrets, this relationship
doesn't stand a chance."

He looked shocked. "What are you talking about?"

"Your Thanksgiving plans with your mother. I've been talking to Becky."

"Oh, that. I'm sorry I lied but it's really no big deal. I'm used to being
alone and didn't want you to worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Yes, you will, but that's because you're coming to my house for dinner."
He shook his head. "I won't take no for an answer."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Joey. The only relatives of yours I've
met are your brothers and that didn't go very well."

"That's only John and Vinnie. Anthony was okay and Sal likes you. I'm sure
everybody else will love you. It's a holiday and everyone will be in a
great mood. You won't believe how crazy it is with that crowd. There will
be so many people they may not even know you're there."

"Okay, but I'm counting on you to protect me."

"You won't need any protecting, Ben."

I began to doubt my good idea when I told Mom in the morning.

"I wish you'd asked me before you invited him, Joey."

"I know I should have but it was a last minute idea. I just found out he
was going to be alone on the holiday."

""I suppose that's what happens when you live the kind of life he does. No
friends or family to depend on. He probably spends a lot of time alone."

"Mom! He has a family but they're away. And I'm his friend."

Mom still wasn't agreeable. She shook her head. "Besides, he's so
different. Everyone else here will be family."

"So let's show him what a great family we've got. He's not so different,
he'll probably blend right in with our crowd."

"But I already invited Angie. Now you're going to be spending your time
with this friend instead."

"What! How can you complain about me inviting Ben? She's not family
either."

"Well, she almost is, and who knows?"

"I do, Ma, she's not family." I stopped. I just didn't want to get into it
again. "So we'll just set two extra plates at the table. Unless you're
afraid you won't have enough food." I brought out my secret weapon.

"What a thing to say, Joey! Me not having enough food! Nobody has ever left
my table hungry!"

"Then it's settled."

Ben

I was apprehensive about meeting all of Joey's family at once. The few I
had met already didn't like me. I also wasn't looking forward to being the
only stranger in a house with over 25 people. Joey stuck by my side from
the time I arrived at two. He introduced me first to his parents. His
father seemed pleasant but I could tell his mother was struggling to be
nice as she thanked me for the roses I had brought her at Joey's
suggestion. Joey gave me a tour of the house. It was a basic colonial with
a living room, dining room and kitchen downstairs, plus a large family room
added onto the back. Upstairs were three bedrooms and a bath.

"How did your parents raise so many kids with only three bedrooms?"

"Donna Marie was in one and the three boys were in the other. Anthony got
married when I was two and Donna Marie the year after, so there was plenty
of room when I was growing up. By the time I was ten I was an only child."

There was a table set for twelve in the dining room, and two tables in the
family room, one set for ten and one for the smaller kids. There were kids
everywhere and adults, too. I tried to avoid John and Vinnie and they
seemed to like it that way. Anthony's oldest son, Tony (they're not very
original with names), was a senior at Montclair State so we talked about
school for a while. He said he had some gay friends there and was a member
of the GSA. John and Vinnie both made sure their kids didn't get too close
to me which was fine with me since I preferred to avoid kids anyway. Angie
arrived just as we were about to sit down to eat. She was surprised to see
me there but was pleasant toward me, though a bit stiff.

Joey had arranged for us to sit in the dining room with his parents,
Anthony and his wife Gina, Sal and Donna Marie and a few of the older
kids. My friends John and Vinnie and their wives and the rest of the kids
were in the family room. Joey sat between me and Angie, with me on his left
next to his mother. Mrs. Napoli said grace and everyone starting passing
the food around the table. Joey was holding Connor on his lap and Angie
offered to take him to help him feed the baby.

"Actually, I think it might be easier if Ben holds him. Since I'm right
handed it would be a better angle for me to get at Connor's mouth."

I looked at Joey as if he were nuts. While I was fascinated by the boy and
was warming up to him, I hadn't yet gotten up the courage to actually touch
him. It was silly but I was afraid I might break him. I'd never touched a
baby before. Joey knew that but picked him up anyway and sat him sideways
on my lap. I very tentatively put my left arm around him to hold him in
place. Connor twisted his head and looked up to see who was holding him. He
looked puzzled for a second and then smiled. "Loo!"

"That's it, Connor! You remembered!" I laughed, bent down and kissed him on
the forehead. The table had suddenly become quiet and I looked up to see
everyone staring at me. I quickly explained about trying to teach Connor
Lula's name. Pretty soon everyone was eating and talking. I tried to make
conversation with Joey's mom but she wasn't very talkative, to me at
least. Angie was mostly talking to Joey but occasionally tried to include
me in the conversation.

"So what nationality is Donnelly, Ben?"

"I'm Irish, Angie, on both sides. My mother's family name is Malone."

"So you're Catholic, then."

"Yep, I was even an altar boy."

Mrs. Napoli finally spoke to me. "I don't know how you can consider
yourself a Catholic with your lifestyle."

"Ma!"

"Well, Joey, we all know the Church's position on homosexuality."

"Yes, Mrs. Napoli, but there are plenty of Catholics who disagree with the
Church on lots of issues. Not just homosexuality, but divorce, birth
control, abortion, the death penalty. The Church makes the rules but they
know that people are going to make their own decisions."

"Well, it's still wrong."

"Ma, that's enough! Ben is my guest."

Mr. Napoli came to the rescue and changed the subject. "So, Ben, Joey tells
us you're an accountant. What do you specialize in, personal tax returns?"

"Actually, my department works for small businesses, those that are too big
for a bookkeeper to handle everything, but too small to have their own
accounting department. Who does your books at the nursery?"

"I've had the same bookkeeper for thirty years and an outside CPA who helps
her with the taxes. Joey takes care of the payroll. It's a lot of work."

"It sure is. If it gets to be too much you should give me a call. I'm sure
we could make things a lot easier for you."

"Thanks, Ben, but everything is working out okay so far."

After dinner I tried to help with the cleanup but it was hard avoiding John
and Vinnie and their families. I didn't feel very comfortable around
Mrs. Napoli or Donna Marie either. Moving though the house was like trying
to get through a minefield. At least Mr. Napoli, Anthony and Sal were
okay. I had been talking to Sal in the family room for a while and decided
to go look for Joey. The food had been good and of course being with Joey
had been great, but it had been pretty tense all afternoon and I thought
maybe it was time to leave. Joey was in the living room talking to John. I
overheard part of their conversation as I walked up behind them.

"I can't believe you let Connor sit on that pervert's lap, Joey. He
probably had a hardon the whole time he was holding him."

"Do you hear the nonsense coming our of your mouth, John? You're
disgusting."

"What's disgusting is the way that queer looks at you. If you don't care
about yourself you should at least watch out for your son."

Joey turned to walk away from John and practically ran into me. He looked
horrified when he realized I'd overheard the conversation.

"Oh God, I'm sorry, Ben. He can be a real jerk."

"Don't worry about it, Joey. I've heard worse. I'm used to it. But I do
think that maybe it's time for me to go. It was a nice meal and some of
your family are nice, but I think my presence is stressing out the rest of
them. It's better if I leave."

We found his parents and I thanked them for dinner. Joey walked me out to
the car.

"Well, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, Joey, but we've got a lot of
work ahead of us with that crew."

"Yeah, if they're this bad when they think we're just friends, I can't
imagine what coming out to them is going to be like, but it's something I
have to face up to sooner or later."

Joey

After I went back inside I hung out with Angie but after while I pretended
to have a headache and took Connor upstairs to lie down. I was pissed at
several members of my family and being around them didn't help. Around
seven o'clock I got Connor ready for bed and put him in his crib. I went
downstairs and found Gina and told her I was going for a ride. I didn't
feel like talking to Mom. I needed some fresh air and some time away from
everyone.

I just drove around for a half hour or so fuming over some of the things my
family had said to Ben. Without planning it I found myself in Florham Park
heading toward his house.


Ben

I let Lula out when I got back from Joey's, poured myself a brandy and
sprawled on the couch in the family room. I sipped my drink and thought
about the dinner. Homophobia aside, it had been an interesting
experience. Joey's family was amazingly large, especially compared to my
own. Even though they lived in separate houses, they really were one huge
close immediate family. Everyone knew everyone else's business. There
seemed to be no privacy and no secrets. The funny thing, from my point of
view anyway, was that no one seemed to care. They knew each other inside
and out and accepted and loved each other. I couldn't help but wonder if
that was only because everyone did what they were supposed to. They all
followed some unspoken rules so they all fit together. I could see how they
reacted to me, someone who had a different background and lifestyle,
someone who didn't follow their rules. How would they react to Joey when
they found out about him? Which would win out-their close family ties or
their suspicion and dislike of a different culture?

I must have dozed off on the couch because the next thing I heard was the
doorbell. I felt a little groggy and disoriented. By the time I got to my
feet the bell rang again. I went through the kitchen into the entrance area
and looked through the peephole in the door. Joey was standing there,
looking a bit agitated. I opened the door and stared at him, not quite sure
he was real.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be home with your family?"

"I think I OD'd on family today, the first time that's ever happened. Can I
come in?"

"Of course. Get your beautiful butt in here."

As soon as he was in I closed the door and pulled him into my arms and
kissed him. Nothing too passionate, just a warm, heart-felt welcome. I led
him into the family room, stopping to refill my brandy snifter and getting
a glass for Joey as well. We sat on the couch, clinked our glasses in
silent toast and sipped.

"I'm really sorry about today, Ben. I didn't want you to be alone and
wanted to spend the day with you so bad, plus I always have such a good
time when I'm surrounded by my family and I wanted to share that with
you. But they all behaved so badly. I've never seen my mother be rude to a
guest like that."

"I told you before to forget it, Joey. They really weren't that bad. My
only concern is how they're gonna react when they find out about you."

"I know it's going to be hard but somehow we'll all get through it. I don't
want to talk about that right now though. I just want to be with you. It
was torture having you near me all afternoon and not being able to touch
you."

He took another sip of the brandy, put the glass down and leaned over to
kiss me. I could taste and feel the remains of the warm tingly fluid in his
mouth. We kissed for a while, lying side by side on the couch, pressed
against each other. I let my hands run all over his upper body. He slowly
unbuttoned my shirt and ran his fingers lightly over my chest and
abdomen. I followed his lead and opened his shirt, tweaking his right
nipple. He gasped and shoved his tongue deeper into my mouth.

This was a first for us. Up until now we'd had plenty of hot make-out
sessions, but all fully clothed. I let my hands run all over his hard chest
and stomach, loving the feel of his smooth skin and the firm muscles
underneath. I could feel our erections pressing into each other though our
pants. Since Joey had made the first move I decided to take a chance and
push it a little further. I reached my hand down between us and rubbed the
hard bulge in his pants, then gave it a bit of a squeeze. He let out a moan
that seemed to come from deep within him. I moved my hand up a bit and
fumbled with his belt, finally getting it loosened, then unbuttoned his
pants and pulled the zipper down. All the while Joey was kissing me
fiercely. I took that as an okay to go further. I reached into his open
pants and felt his hardon through his boxers. He felt huge. I'd never cared
on way or the other about size and hadn't really tried to imagine what Joey
would be like but this felt very long and very thick. I ran my hand up and
down the shaft, feeling the heat through the cotton of his shorts. Joey was
really getting into it, bucking his body against mine. I was sure my lips
would be bruised the way he was kissing me but I didn't care. I grabbed the
head of his dick in my hand and gave it a squeeze. At that, Joey's entire
body stiffened and his dick started pulsing in my hand. I felt the warm
wetness spread through the material of his boxers. He was moaning and
groaning into my mouth with each spurt. At last his orgasm subsided and I
felt his body relax in my arms. His head fell away from mine and he had a
glassy look in his eyes. It took a minute for him to recover.

"Oh man, that was incredible, Ben. It felt so great but I didn't mean for
it to happen so quickly. I wanted to make it last."

"Don't worry about it, Joey. You obviously had a lot of passion built up
inside you. Right now I think we'd better get you out of those wet things."

His eyes widened a bit as I got up from the couch and took his hand,
pulling him up after me. Without a word we walked hand in hand down the
hall to the bedroom. Once in the room we stood facing one another and
kissed again. I pushed Joey's shirt back over his shoulders and let it drop
to the floor behind him. He did the same to mine and his pants fell down
around his ankles as well when he let go of them to work on my shirt. I
unfastened my pants and let them go so we matched. We stood looking into
each other's eyes for a minute.

"Are you ready for more, Joey?"

To be continued...