Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2015 21:29:29 +0700
From: Robert Glass <robxglass@gmail.com>
Subject: The Virgin Joseph part 32

All right reserved. Any unauthorized use is prohibited. This is a
fiction. Any resemblance to people and/or events is coincidental. If
reading this deemed illegal to you, I implore you to stop. If it offends
you, please do not read on.

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PART 32


"So, what do you think? Here or back home?" Justin asked his fiancé.

"I think Joe is right. All our families are there, and we've booked
everything else. It's just a matter of postponing them all," she answered.

"And finding a new place."

"Yeah, that too." Norah slumped into Justin's chest. Chicago's winter maybe
harsh, but not as harsh as the adversary the venue owner had to
experience. "It's unfair. They're good people. I can't believe they have to
endure that. I mean a fire? Just before Christmas?"

"Yeah. They're good people. And it's a good place."

"That's your dream place. You always want to get married there," Norah
added.

"Yeah." Christmas hasn't been too jolly for some people. The venue owner
was one of them. Justin was one of them.

"Do you think we can wait for them to rebuild the hall?"

"I don't think so. They said it's gonna take months, maybe even more than a
year. There's insurance stuff, and then hiring planners and architects,
then building it. They don't advise it."

"I see." Norah stroked Justin's chest, just above his heart. Her fiancé
was the more sentimental of the two. He always had idealistic views about
his life and the people that he loved. She can tell that Justin was mulling
about things that he should've done to prevent the delays.

"I should've proposed to you sooner, like a year sooner."

"Hey, don't say that," Norah said.

"Think about it. We could've already gotten married by now. We would have,
what? Our seventh month anniversary."

"If you proposed sooner, Joe wouldn't be at our wedding."

"If I proposed sooner, Joe probably wouldn't leave Birmingham until we get
married," Justin argued.

"And you're going to let him feel tortured for almost a year because of
that?" To that Justin sighed.  Norah was right. Joseph was struggling in
Birmingham, with the crappy job that he had and the crappy family he
couldn't escape from. Sure, the way he left caused pain to a lot of them
but he did need to leave it all behind. "The way I see it, I have this ring
and you have that ring. We're going to get married and that's what
matters."

Justin rested his head against Norah's, cheek against forehead. He rubbed
the woman's arm a few times, thanking her for... everything. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said after tilting her head up. Their eyes met and
even after six years, the spark was intact. They kissed as though gravity
wanted them to.

Thank goodness they have yet to print and send out the invitation because
that would be a much, much bigger mess. They've already had the officiant,
the band, the photographer, the florist, the church, the dress and
suit... and good lord the honeymoon. Now the honeymoon has to be postponed
too.

"Does this mean I get to be the caterer?" Diaz asked from the dining
room. He and Joseph was in the middle of surprisingly engaging
conversation. Perhaps it was because they were talking about their shared
point of interest: Justin and Norah.

"No, you don't," Justin answered for the millionth time. Diaz has been
pushing for that and Justin was not having it. "You are my best man, and I
want you to be in the same room with me at all time, not handling shrimp
somewhere else."

"You suck!"

"I'm awesome," Justin shot back.

Justin was indeed awesome, even Diaz can admit it despite what he said. He
didn't want anyone else to be by his side for that fateful moment. If he
had his way, Justin would've asked Joe to be his best man and ask him not
to accept it. Then he would ask his brother again to be one of the
groomsmen and have him decline it too. He just wanted to give Joe the
honour but at the same time he didn't want Joe to be in close contact to
the rest of their family.

Joe didn't care about all that, he didn't even ask why. He wasn't
sentimental like that. All he needed was for Justin to be happy. He would
even be glad to not be invited to the wedding if it would cause trouble and
family drama. Now that it came up...

"I wonder if I should take Tom with me to the wedding," Joe said.

"Of course you should," Norah answered.

"I mean, mother and father are going to be there. Jason and Jean are going
to be there. It's going to get ugly."

"No, it won't," Justin stepped in. "I threatened them. You're my top
priority. If he can't be civil, then they can't come."

"You threatened them? That's not like you," Joe said. Justin was noticeably
perplexed. "You're a peaceful guy. You don't go around and tell your family
they can't come to your wedding."

"Oh, that's very much like me, alright. I love you, I'm on your side, and
they have to accept it. And now that I found you, you've got to be there,
with Tom, and every single one of your friends if you like."

Joe smiled after he mouthed thank you to his brother. Justin was a very
special person to him. The one who never ceased to love him, no matter
what. He was the only sibling who willingly learnt to change diapers and
feed a baby for him. The only one who would quell Joe's cries. The only
sibling who would choose play with him instead of his teenager friends. The
only one who was mad when their parents moves Joe halfway around the world
just to be left to some obscure family members every other month. Justin
was Joe's first and dearest friend.

Those mushy thoughts had to be halted for a moment, Joseph's heard his
phone chirping.

"It's Tom," he said. He turned to the Diaz who gave the same confused
look. "On skype?"

"Hi babe," came a voice from the phone, along with a moving image.

"Hey!" No matter how many times he received a call from Tom, Joe would
always shine and sparkle when it happened.

"Hi, Diaz!" Tom added once he detected the man's presence on the
screen. Diaz only waved back and smiled.

"Seems like a big party," Joe observed.

"Alice wanted to change it up," Tom said. In contrast to the previous
Christmases where Alice would host an intimate dinner party, this one
looked like a full blown drunk party. "Everyone is here, by the way."

"Really?"

"Yeah, even Paul is here." The view on Joe's phone changed, Tom had
activated the rear camera. On the screen Joe could see a tall and pale
figure in a deep discussion with Amy, blocking anyone's way towards Alice
and Nick's bedroom. The camera panned a little, showing the owners of that
very room talking to some people Joe didn't know.

Tom continued to give a tour on the party. Anna was the next to appear,
giving a pose thinking that her brother was taking picture. Joe got to
greet her newly official girlfriend, Beth, a butch girl so stunning that
had Tom confirming his bisexuality. There was Garry and Emma who could not
be bothered since they were furiously making out in Tom's bedroom. He also
managed to catch Lucy and Mike before they got out of the door.

Then he returned to the couch, sitting right next to Jake. They
greeted. Jake took over the phone for a moment as he wanted to trade
stories on the contrasting festivities the two of them were having.  Jake
was clearly drunk, he wouldn't do it otherwise. Tom was probably having a
good buzz and relaxed too, since he showed no resistance. Tom didn't mind
anyway since he found it cute for Joe to talk with his former crush; Jake,
the straight version of Tom. He began to wonder what some of Joe's sexual
fantasies were that involved Jake. Tom still couldn't get himself to think
about Jake or Nick or Alice that way. Henry or Sam? Sure. His old friends?
Hell no! But nobody was off limit for Joe... That old virgin!

Speaking off.

"Hey, look who I have here with me!" Tom said once he got his phone
back. He turned his phone to his other side. There sat Henry.

"Hello," the man said in his soft spoken manner.

"Henry! You came!" Joe said.

"I did."

"I have Diaz with me. Do you want to talk with him?" Joe offered.

Next to him Diaz was waving. Joe noticed a change of saturation in Diaz's
olive skin. The face beamed. It was jarring to see Diaz smile so much. Joe
couldn't help but wonder if he was acting that way too when he and Tom
started dating. It was Joe's first requited love after all, and it was love
from the moment they started dating.

It had been quite a year for Joe. It began with a kiss from Nick, the
second person Joe ever kissed. He got another kiss the day after, from the
only person that counts. Tom confessed his love, on the sidewalks of
Chicago, early in the evening, on the second day of the year. Then he cried
for the first time in 20 years. It was a mess. The sex that followed was a
mess too, since it was two old virgins doing it. It was magical and
meaningful nonetheless.

Sure, things hasn't been so smooth. They had their first serious fight
within a couple of months of dating. Then there was Tom's one drunk night
with Sam that ruined their relationship. There was also Joe's sexual
freedom that lead to him losing Sam. What is that man doing right now? Joe
thought. There's no news at all.

"Okay, stop hogging on my phone," Joe said to Diaz.

"Sorry." Diaz grinned like an idiot, suddenly all sheepish and awkward.

"Actually, no. I have to apologize in advance," Joe said. Before Diaz could
ask why, Joe had already turned to Henry. "Do you talk to Sam lately?"

"No, not really. He never texted me back so I don't try anymore."

"Wait, Sam as in his ex?"

"Yeah, the guy whose heart I played with by playing with his libido," Joe
smiled, showing a sad variant of it. He returned to his video phone
conversation. "Let me guess, he's been doing that since... October?"

Henry shrugged as he tried to find the answer within his memory. "Yeah,
probably. How do you know?"

"Halloween, the night he said he wanted to stop seeing me." Joe sighed. His
fall out with Sam affected everyone. Yet another reason to beat himself up
a little too hard.

"I see." What else could Henry say as a response? "Do you still try to
contact him?"

"Well, not actively. I don't see him visit the diner often since, and if
when he does, I don't know what to say. I just nod and smile. I called him
last Thanksgiving but he didn't answer, so I texted him. He didn't reply. I
texted him again today. Still the same."

"I'm sorry, Joey." Tom interjected. Joe was visibly upset, after all.

"Maybe I should just stop. I mean, he told me not to talk to him ever
again."

"Joey," Tom said compassionately. He knew how much it crushed his boyfriend
to lose yet another friend, one as close as Sam was to him. Seeing Joe so
tortured was not a pleasant experience.

"I'm sorry." Joe giggled all of a sudden. "I'm such a party pooper."

"I wish I was there with you so I can hug you, right now." Such sweet talks
forced Joe to serve a massive eye-roll. He smiled anyway, knowing that is
exactly what he needs.

"Diaz," came another man's voice. It was Henry. "Hug Joe, now!"

"Okay!" He answered.

Before Joe could say anything, he was engulfed in the warm embrace of the
bear man beside him. It was nice, of course, although weird. Joe liked
hugs, but only from selected few. If it weren't given by Justin, Norah,
Tom, Amy, Jake, and perhaps Sam, Joe would feel awkward in it. Including
the one he was in then. He was never been that close to Diaz anyway; only
lately they connected more since Diaz was dating Henry, hard. At least it
wasn't Nick that hugged him.

"Better?" Diaz asked.

"Yes, please." What the fuck does that even mean? "You're drunk, Henry."

"I'm driving. This is milk," Henry replied. "This is the guy who's drunk."
He pointed to Tom.

"You've been quiet-drunk, lately," Joe said to his boyfriend.

"Better than stripper-drunk." He laughed.

They continued talking, without interruption now that Henry and Diaz were
in the depth of their own conversation. Joe mentioned about Justin and
Norah's wedding being postponed, and that Tom had to come no matter
what. Tom told Joe the story of how Anna and Beth met each other. They both
noticed that it had been a season filled with budding relationships.

The conversation lasted for more than half an hour, even longer than the
new couple was having.  Perhaps because they have honed their craft; their
rhythms are in sync. Plus, they were not self- conscious at all. They did
not care if they were being disgusting or if they were alienating their
surroundings. They just wanted to talk to each other at the moment.

Even so, they knew their places; they said their prolonged
goodbye. Prolonged because the goodbye was followed by confirmations for
their plan for the next day, how the place they originally wanted to have a
date in had begun its renovation, which veered to their collective dismay
because they loved how things were as it was, which then the discussion
strayed to architecture and design and also philosophy of place or
whatever. Diaz, Justin, and Norah was fascinated by that long talk, so did
Henry. The only one adjacent to them who wasn't bothered was Jake, since he
had enough of it for the last decade.

"Wow, you guys are..." Henry started but couldn't finish.

"Annoying?" Tom offered.

"No, more like... adorable. Weird, but adorable."

"How so?" Tom smirked, taken aback that Henry made such comment. Not that
he never got similar response, his whole family does that all the time. But
it's Henry.

Henry shrugged. "I guess you're just so in tune with each other."

"It helps that we work in the same field... in the same office."

"I guess." Henry gave a smile, a bashful one. "I don't know if I can do
that with Diaz. I know nothing about food, and he knows nothing about tech
business."

"Well, I guess the discovery of each other's worlds would be the exciting
part of your relationships."

"Yeah." He let the thought marinate for a moment. Then reminiscence. "Sam
and I used to be like you guys. But it didn't work out."

Tom hissed, knowing his part in the separation. "Sorry about that. I
screwed up."

"No need. It was never meant to be. Things may be easy and the chemistry
was strong, but Sam was not ready for it. He was still in love with Joe."

"Yeah. That, too," Tom said as he poured himself another glass of wine. "I
kind of feel that it hurts Joe more than it hurt you... losing Sam, I
mean."

"Of course it does. Sam and I were just dating. We were just getting to
know each other. Sam and Joe was best friends, and then it ended. Just like
that. Sam cut him off. Threw him out. That's a little cruel. I mean, I get
why he did that, but he didn't have to be so brutal about it."

"I know."

"You know what?" A rhetoric by Henry. "I'm gonna call him and knock some
sense out of that idiot."

"You think he's going to pick up?" Tom asked, sarcastic but it sounded
genuine coming out of Tom's sweet voice.

"You're right." Henry pulled his phone out still. "I'm gonna text him. At
least he's going to read it."

"Sounds good."

Composing a text was not as simple as it sounded. Henry was a soft spoken
person just as he was a soft written texter. He wanted to give a long
speech but he didn't want to offend the man. He only wanted Sam to stop the
treatment he gave Joe, not spark a new war. It wasn't even required for Sam
to be friendly with him at all, just with Joe. Silent treatment was so not
cool; petty and childish.  But he couldn't say that to Sam, can he?

"Can we talk, please?" was all Henry ultimately written.

Sent.

Delivered.

Read.

No reply.

Why would Sam reply anyway? He made it clear long ago that he didn't think
that it was a good idea to continue dating. More recently he also never
given any indication that he was interested to continue contact of any
kind. Why the hell didn't Henry get the message?

Ugh! The text ruined his post orgasmic serenity. It made him realize that
the cum tangled within his hirsute stomach was getting cold and it was not
pleasant at all. He searched his night stand with his eyes, no Kleenex in
sight. He looked to his left, only his laptop. To the right there was his
rumpled sweater. Sam grumbled to himself, why didn't he prepare a cumrag
before jerking off?

Eventually he settled with his shirt which was still covering a good
portion of his chest. Removed it, dabbed stomach, wiped cock, and he was
mostly good as new. He sighed. That was not a note- worthy orgasm. His body
needed more but his body was too lazy to get out of his bed and go to any
party, especially his office's Christmas Eve party. The only people who
went there would be the people he saw every day and their dates. Futile.

Sam stared to the ceiling as though it would eventually agree with his
thoughts.

He looked again to his left, to his computer. The porn was still alive and
well, a good ten minutes yet to be seen. This porn was not enough to pull a
good one out of him. He specifically searched for the ones with at least a
geek in it. Yet all he found was muscled up hunks wearing glasses posing as
a student getting fucked by scruffy hunks posing as a student. That or
skinny pale twinks with glasses getting fucked by daddy type dudes, which
nearly freaked Sam out since it had a rape-y tone to it.

In the end Sam had to settle with the ole' reliable, Naked Sword. Typical
gay porn actors in their typical muscly bodies doing typical porn
sex. Infinitely not enough for satiate the longing in his heart... and at
the tip of his cock. He only masturbate lately, sometimes once a day. He
was not even hooking up. He did not even try to look good enough to be
hooked up. He let his hair and beard grow, he didn't trim his pubes, he
didn't dress snappy. The only saving grace was the fact that he still went
to the gym, only because he wanted to stay healthy.

Sam tossed the shirt, shut his laptop, and pulled his pants up from his
knees. He transitioned into the living room while wearing his grey knit
sweater. Needing a strong one, he fetched his trusty bottle of tequila from
the pantry and went back to the living room. He looked out the window only
to see snow. He turned on his TV only to see news about the snow. This
situation required a bigger gulp of the drink.

The spark from the lighter was the last noise he heard that night, that is
before he slammed the bottle onto the table. It was a new sense of
loneliness for Sam. Sure, being trapped inside the jail of unrequited love
to Joe was horribly lonely, but at least he had someone to banter
with. This? This was pathetic. His parents are away on vacation in
Hawaii. Lulu, Hank, and Josh, his brother, went to Miami. His friends were
probably having a blast in the office, or stay at home with their
respective families. Sam was alone.

The hiss of burning tobacco was a noise, not enough to shut the silence up.

Someone ringing his bell was enough to shut the silence up, even strong
enough to make him jump off his seat. Who would visit him at this time, he
wondered. "Who is it?"

"It's Henry." Oh fuck, Sam thought, what now?

"And Tom." Another voice. What the fuck?

Sam let the through the gate. He wait by the door for the impending
knock. They knocked. Sam opened. "What are you doing here?" Sam asked with
tangible hostility.

"I told you we need to talk," Henry said.

"The three of us?" Sam scrunched his face, letting the two know that they
were not welcomed. Him blocking the door should be sign enough.

"Yes. It's about..." Henry only managed to utter those words before Sam cut
him.

"I'm guessing it's not about the two of us."

Henry sighed. When they dated, he never saw this side of Sam. It was easy
back then. Sam was being difficult now. "No, it's not."

"And he's seeing someone," Tom added.

That certainly did not help the situation as they can see Sam gave Tom a
flaming glare. The man turned to Henry again. "Go on."

"It's about Joe." Henry was trying to be as calm as possible. He could feel
the atmosphere getting thicker with tension. In front of him was an angry
ex. Next to him was Tom who, which from the knowledge he gathered form
their rather short friendship, might get his protective side heightened
when intoxicated. "You haven't talked to him in a while, have you?" Henry
continued.

Sam sighed. This visit had been such a bother to him. He just want to
relax, smoke, and drink the night away. Talking about unnecessary things
was not in his plan. "He sent you, didn't he?" Sam accused. He continued
before Henry or Tom could answer. "I told him what I needed to tell him and
that's the end of it. And it's none of your business. If you want to make
it your business, go and tell him that this is not cool. End of
discussion." It was sharper than Sam intended, though a part of him felt
like it wasn't sharp enough.

"Sam..."

"Good night!" He slammed the door shut and locked it. That was
infuriating. He marched towards his bedroom, completely ignoring the
muttered insults that seemed to come from Tom. He reached his phone and
fire a text away. A text for Joe.

True. Joe's phone chippered. Norah was the first to notice, and she
couldn't help but read what was displayed on the screen. It seemed
urgent. Then there was a call, from Henry. "Joe," she called the man who
was in the bedroom with her fiancé. "I think you want to take this."

"Just a second," he replied. He was reviewing some old clothes his brother
wanted to give away to him. It was how he used to get his attire when he
was younger, Justin's hand-me-downs.

"It's really, really, important."

It did sound important if Norah got so insistent. Getting out of a pile of
cardigans and sweaters took too much of his time that when he got to his
phone, he missed the call. He went straight to his messaging app and felt
like he was being screamed at.

"THAT WAS OUT OF LINE!" said a text by Sam.

Then he received a stream of apologetic messages from Tom and Henry.

___
A grossly late Christmas episode. Sorry about that.

Anyway, I'm in the hunt for an editor, an Australian one. I'm writing a
story that is set in Australia, and I'm in dire need for help to nip and
tuck the writing so I can make it believably Australian. There are many
aspects, really, like lingos, places, culture, etc. If any of you kind
readers can help me with this, I'll be forever thankful.

Cheers!

Btw,
Email: robxglass@gmail.com)
Blog: http://xglass.tumblr.com
Other story: http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/relationships/marc-and-luke/