Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2016 04:37:35 +0200
From: Nick Brady <y2kslacker@mail.com>
Subject: Brian and Lanny go to Europe - Chapter 7

Brian and Lanny go to Europe – Chapter 7

This is the fourth part of a story about Marco, Marty, their adopted sons
Samuel, Benjamin and foster son Brian in Tulsa Oklahoma.

Part 1 is  Marco in the Park
Part 2 is  Marco, Marty and the Twins
Part 3 is  Brian Goes to College

Please send feedback to y2kslacker@mail.com and support the Nifty archive
with contributions at http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

Copyright 2015-2016 by Nick Brady, all rights reserved.

-------------------------------------------------------

Brian woke up at six o'clock in the morning to an empty bed. Sitting up, he
looked around the room to see Lanny sitting by the window staring intently
at his cell phone. "You're up early. What's our plan for today?"

"Good morning sleepyhead. I'm looking some things up on the internet. We
need to make a plan," Lanny replied.

"You're the tour guide. Give me a minute and I'll be right with you."

Brian went to the bathroom and returned a few minutes later with an empty
bladder and damp hair. "OK then. What have you come up with for today?"

Lanny frowned at the screen of his smart phone. "We can stay here another
day if you like. Certainly there are other things to see in Paris. We
should go see the Cathedral of Notre Dame while we are here, and there are
other museums as well."

Brian nodded thoughtfully. "We could do that. So is that what you want, or
is there a plan B?"

Lanny glanced up with a smile. "Plan B would be to move on to something
else. There is something I have always wanted to see."

"What's that?"

"Have you ever heard of Neuschwanstein Castle?"

"I can't say that I have. Where is that?"

It's in the Bavarian part of Germany, near Fussen. You know what the
Disneyland castle looks like?"

"Sure. I have never been to a Disney park but I know what it looks like
from TV."

"Well, that is fashioned after a real castle in Bavaria. I always wanted to
see that. We want to go to Germany next anyway, and I thought we might
start there," Lanny looked up hopefully. "How does that sound?"

Brian shrugged. "That sounds fine to me. Our time together is turning out
to be the best part of the trip. I don't really care where we go."

Lanny flashed Brian a smile. "Actually, I feel the same way. If we want to
do this we need to hustle. The connections are sort of complicated."

Brian pulled up a chair and looked at Lanny's phone. "So how does this
work?"

Lanny started to scribble notes on a scrap of paper. "We need to hurry and
get out of here to catch a shuttle bus to Charles de Gaulle airport at
6:50. There is an Air Europa flight that leaves at 7:55 and will get us to
Munich about 10:00 a.m. From there we can take a 12:00 bus to Fussen and
arrive about five o'clock. That's kind of late to do much, but if I book a
room in advance we should be OK."

"You have this all worked out. I'm with you partner."

"We have already paid for this room. All we have to do is drop the key off
at the desk and we are out of here. Let's pack up and go."

They hustled over to the shuttle terminal and caught the bus. As they rode
to the airport, Lanny fleshed out his plan. "I booked a room for us at the
Pension Albrecht. It has a king sized bed if that sounds OK. It is close
enough to the castle so that we can hike up there from the hotel."

"That sounds great. A king size bed sounds interesting," Brian grinned.

"I thought you might like that." Lanny smiled. I put the plane tickets on
my card. You can pay for the room and we will be about even."

"So where is Fussen? My knowledge of European geography is pretty thin."

"Fussen is in southern Germany not far from Switzerland. We will be near
the Alps. It should be beautiful there."

Brian grinned. "That sounds great. I like it that we are sort of playing
this by ear. Every day is a new surprise."

They held hands and looked out the window as they passed across France and
into Germany. The terrain grew rugged as they flew east. When they landed
they went to the baggage claim area to fetch their big backpacks then sat
to wait for a shuttle to take them to the bus terminal.

As they waited the both noticed a very blond young man who seemed to be
looking at them. When they met his eyes, he smiled, nodded and stepped
closer to them.

"Hello. Are you American?" the young man asked with a friendly smile.

"Yes we are," Lanny replied. "Does it show?"

"I meant no offense, but your clothing is not European. I am Fredrick. Are
you traveling together?"

"Right. We are trying to see as much of Europe as we can before out money
runs out. We are waiting to catch a bus to Fussen so we can see the
Neuschwanstein Castle," Brian told him. "Where are you going today?"

Fredrick broke out in a broad smile. "That is very interesting. I am here
only to drop off my grandmother for a flight to Berlin. My plans for today
are the same as yours."

"You plan to see the castle?" Lanny asked.

"Yes. I have lived in Munich all of my life but have never been there. I am
on a break from school and want to see it," Fredrick explained. "I have put
it off for long enough I think."

"You are a college student? Where do you go to school?"

I am will be in my second year at the Technische Universität München,
that is the Technical University of Munchen or TUM for short. It is a good
school. It is too big I think - almost 40,000 students, but I like it. I am
studying Computer Engineering." Fredrick smiled, "And you?"

"I have started pre-med classes at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa,"
Brian told him. "My plan is to be a Pediatrician. At least that is my
current plan. That is a long road."

"Oh how interesting. I wish you luck with that. And you?" he turned to
Lanny.

Lanny shrugged, "Really, I don't know. I think I want to do something in
the arts – paint, sculpt. But I have not decided for sure. That is why I
wanted to take a gap semester and come to Europe. I am hoping that
something will gel in my mind about what I want for my future. I sort of
talked my friend Brian into coming with me."

"So where have you been?" Fredrick looked genuinely interested.

Lanny tried to explain, "We started out in Edinburgh then went down to
London then to the Normandy region to see the beach where the invasion took
place. That was very moving. From there we went to Paris and now to
Germany. As Brian said, we will travel until our money runs out."

"How fortunate you are to be able to travel like this as friends."

"So will you take the same bus to Fussen?" Brian asked.

"No. I have a car so I will drive there. It is not so far."

"Where will you stay in Fussen? Or do you plan to come back later in the
day?"

"I don't know," Fredrick laughed. "I might drive back tonight but that will
be late. Maybe I will find somewhere to say. What will you do?"

"We have booked a room at a Pension that is close to the castle."

"You are more organized that me," he laughed. "But I can find something I
think. Um, if we are going the same way, would you like to ride with me in
my car? It will save you both money and time, and it is nicer than driving
myself alone."

Brian and Lanny looked at each other. Fredrick looked like a good
fellow. Nothing about him raised any alarms for either of them. Brian
shrugged, "That would be an offer we can't refuse. Do you have room for our
packs?"

"Yes of course. It is a pretty big car. It belongs to my grandmother. I can
drive it while she is away" Fredrick explained. "I will be happy to have
some company."

Lanny took a moment to cancel their bus to Fussen then they followed him to
the parking garage.

"This is very nice of you," Lanny said. "We were lucky to meet you."

"Yes, lucky for me too I think."

"Your English is wonderful," Brian told him. "We are a little embarrassed
to speak only English. We have to look everything up in a phrase book to
get by at all."

"Don't feel bad. When you are surrounded by only one language it is not
necessary to learn another. I learned English in my school, and speak a
little French because we are not far from a French speaking area. It was
convenient for me to learn these things. It is not so important for you. As
long as we can talk to each other, the language is not important."

When they got into the parking garage, Fredrick led them to a very large
black Mercedes and popped open the trunk. "Here is plenty of room for your
packs. Is that all you have?"

"Yes, that is everything except these little shoulder bags," Lanny told
him.  They stowed their packs in the trunk then got in the big Mercedes.

Brian sat in the back and insisted that Lanny sit up front. "It is better
for you to sit up front. You have more of an idea where we are going than I
do."

"I have the address of the hotel is all. We will have to use the GPS on our
phone to find it. We keep our cell phones and passports in these little
rucksacks everywhere we go. They have our important things – a little
money and our passports. We are never parted from them," Lanny explained to
Fredrick.

Lanny and Brian looked with appreciation at the beautiful Mercedes with its
nice instrumentation and leather seats. "This is really a fantastic car. I
didn't know that Mercedes made cars like this," Lanny observed.

"This is a Mercedes S Class. I think they sell these in America but they
are rather expensive. It is very nice to drive – very smooth and
powerful," Fredrick smiled. "My grandparents are rather well off. It has
many safety features, it will even park itself. My grandmother likes that."

Fredrick pulled out of the garage and found the right autobahn to take them
to Fussen. "That's a good idea to keep your papers securely. I have my
passport in my pocket. Here it is important to keep that safe. It is not
like that in America I think. Do you need papers to go from one state to
another?

"Not a passport. It is important to have some sort of a photo ID, but
almost everyone has a driver's license or something like that," Brian
explained. "Have you ever been to the US?"

"No, but I want to go so much! I would like to travel all over
America. There is so much to see there."

"There are hostels in America, or cheap hotels, especially in the tourist
areas that you probably would like to see," Lanny told him. "We don't have
nice passenger trains like you do, but there are cheap airline and bus
tickets. You could do it."

"So, you are on holiday from your college studies?"

"We are skipping a semester of school to travel," Brian said. "We will
start back to school after the fall semester. I will be in Tulsa and Lanny
will be.... I don't know. Where will you be, Lanny?"

"I said that I haven't decided yet, but I think it will be in
Tulsa. Probably at the University of Tulsa, or maybe just Tulsa Community
College for some required courses that will transfer to other schools."

"So you have decided to stay in Tulsa?" Brian asked with a smile.

"Yes, I think so. I have a friend in Tulsa that I would like to keep in
touch with," Lanny grinned.

Brian returned his smile without comment.

"How did you meet? Have you been friends for a long time?" Fredrick
wondered.

"We went to high school together but really have only become good friends
since this summer. We have a lot mutual friends," Lanny explained.

Fredrick glanced at Lanny with a smile. "I think you must be very good
friends to travel together like this."

"I hope you will not be offended if I ask this," Fredrick glanced at Lanny,
"But are you just friends or also boyfriends?"

Brian was surprised at the abruptness of his question. "Why would you think
that?"

"I'm sorry if I offended you. But two friends traveling together – it is
something that I wonder about. And when I first saw you in the baggage area
you were holding hands. I thought maybe you were more than just friends."

Brian laughed, "I forgot about that. If you must know, we are a bit more
than just casual friends. I hope that doesn't bother you."

"Not at all," Fredrick assured him. To be gay is not so much a big thing
than perhaps in America. Certainly not in a big city like Munich. Since I
have been so bold to ask about that, I should admit to you that I am gay
also. I have many straight and gay friends. It is not so important here. If
I am a good person then the rest doesn't matter so much to most people. At
least not to people my age."

"Is that why you offered to give us a ride?" Brian asked.

Fredrick laughed. "Not really. I might have done that even if I did not see
you holding hands. I think mostly it was because I could see that you were
American and I wanted to talk to you. I don't have that opportunity so
often. I can practice my English and find out more about the United
States. Can you tell me, where is Tulsa? I think I have heard of it but I
don't know where it is."

"Tulsa is in the northeast part of the state of Oklahoma. It is the second
largest city in Oklahoma with about half a million people. Do you know
where Oklahoma is?" Lanny asked.

"Yes, I think so. You are on top of Texas, right? The state looks like a
cooking pot."

Lanny laughed, "That's right. The narrow part of the state on the west is
called the pan handle."

"Is it nice there? What is it like in Oklahoma?"

"The eastern part where we live is pretty nice. It gets hot in the summer,
but the rest of the year it is nice enough. Our winters are pretty mild. We
will get a little snow, but it isn't bad. There are a lot of nice places to
fish, hunt and camp," Brian told him.

"I see. Hiking and camping are very popular here in Germany. I like to do
those things with my friends. It costs less money to camp than even to stay
in a hostel. Maybe you should try that."

"We brought a tent," Brian told him, "But we seem to visit big places where
there is no place to camp."

"Yes I see. Edinburgh, London, Paris - maybe have no place to camp. I don't
know. What about Germany? Where do you want to go here?  And where do you
go next?"

"Yeah, tour guide. I am OK with the castle, but what's next?" Bran asked
Lanny.

Lanny laughed. "I'm not really sure what I want to do after the
Neuschwanstein Castle. It might be nice to get out of the cities and do
some hiking and camping. Maybe Fredrick can advise us."

"Yes I can," Fredrick volunteered. "I know many places that are very
nice. When we return to Munich I can talk with my friends and I think we
can help you if you like."

Lanny looked at Brian, "I don't know what we want to do after today. We had
not planned to go back to Munich. On the other hand, we had not planned to
not go to Munich. Really, we haven't looked that far ahead. We are sort of
winging this."

"Well, you can think about it and tell me what you want to do. If I can
help you I will be happy to do that."

"Actually, that sounds good to me," Brian replied. "We just might take you
up on that."

They drove quickly to the town of Fussen, arriving much sooner than the
bus. "Where is your hotel?" Fredrick asked. "I can take you there so you
can leave those big backpacks."

"I have the address in my phone. It will give us directions," Lanny told
him and brought up the GPS to guide them to it. The hotel was just west of
the town and they could see the castle from the hotel.

"This is perfect," Brian said. "I think we can hike up to the hotel from
here."

They checked in and paid for their first night's lodging and went up to see
the room. It was very nice with a balcony that looked out with a view of
the castle. After admiring the view for a moment they stowed their packs
and went back to rejoin their new friend Fredrick.

"How is your room?" he asked.

"It's really nice. I think we'll enjoy it," Lanny said. "Are you ready to
go up to the castle?"

"Sure, but it is a steep climb. I can drive us up there if you like,"
Fredrick told him.

Brian shrugged, "Why not? I'm lazy and it will give us more time."

Fredrick drove up to the castle and parked in the lot. Lanny went to the
ticket booth and bought three tickets for the next tour. "I've got this,"
he said. "It's the least we can do to thank you for the ride."

"Thank you very much," Fredrick said. "You see, this is a good thing for us
all."

There was a long wait until it was time for their tour so they went over to
a refreshment kiosk and got something cold to drink. "They have some nice
beer," Fredrick told them. "Would you like to try it?"

"No, sorry. We almost never drink alcohol," Lanny told him. "Just some
Coca-Cola for us."

"Really? You should try some German beer. It is really wonderful," Fredrick
insisted.

"No thank you. Please have some but we will just have soft drinks."

Fredrick shook his head at their foolishness and ordered a local beer to go
with the sodas for his American friends.

Lanny had picked up some brochures for the castle and began to read. "This
was the brain child of mad King Ludwig II. He was enamored with the music
of Richard Wagner. The castle is really intended to be a huge setting for
his operas. In fact, much of it was designed by a theatrical set designer
rather than a real architect. He bankrupted himself building it in the late
1800's."

He read some more than chuckled. "This says that he was so focused on
building this that he ignored the responsibilities of his office and the
powers that be had him arrested and locked up. Shortly afterwards he
drowned under mysterious circumstances."

"It sounds like they did him in," Brian laughed.

"Yes, that is the story," Fredrick agreed. "The funny thing is that the
money earned from this place as a tourist attraction has turned out to be
very profitable for the state of Bavaria. Maybe he died too soon."

When it was time for their tour to begin, they went into the main
entrance. Everything was very beautiful. The main gate was framed in yellow
limestone and the facade around it was in red brick. Within was a large
courtyard which led to that part of the complex which was complete at
Ludwig's death. The part that remained was never completed. There were
elaborate rooms within the palace section that were intended for Ludwig's
residence, but in fact, he only lived here for a few months. What was
complete was very ornate. Many of the rooms were intended to showcase
Wagner's opera, complete with a cave-like grotto and various settings for
the scenes from his works. The guide said with a smile that in fact, Wagner
never visited the place. There were many towers and spires with steep
winding stairs leading up to magnificent views of the Bavarian Alps. It was
a fairytale place.

They chattered among themselves and tried to catch what the tour guide said
but learned more from Fredrick than from the tour guide. "Although I have
never visited this place, it has always fascinated me and I have read much
about it," he told them, then added as an aside, "Ludwig never married. It
is rumored that he was a homosexual. Isn't that interesting?"

"You never can tell about those guys," Brian laughed.

They were a little disappointed that the castle tour itself only lasted
about 35 minutes although they saw a lot in that short time. The views from
around the castle were amazing so they did their own walking tour around
the grounds. By mid-afternoon they were ready to leave and rode down the
hill in the big Mercedes.

"I think I am hungry," Fredrick said. "Would you like to have some lunch
now? I would like for this to be my treat."

"Sure, that sounds great. I'm starved," Lanny admitted. Brian nodded his
head enthusiastically.

Let's have a late lunch or maybe an early dinner," Fredrick suggested. "I
think you would like the Waldwirtschaft am Mittersee. My grandmother told
me to go there so I think it is OK."

"Sure, whatever. If it's good enough for your grandmother, I'm sure it's
good enough for us," Lanny laughed.

"I think I can find it. It is only a little outside of the town on a small
lake. I went there with grandmother one time."

A short drive out of Fussen brought them to a traditional looking German
building with a red roof and wooden façade. There was a balcony on top
with red geraniums on the railing and a large terrace in front looking over
a small lake. They went inside to a large dining room with wood paneling on
the walls and ceiling. Fredrick asked to be seated on the terrace and they
went outside to a table that looked out on the lake. They were greeted by a
very pretty young girl who spoke to them in German. No doubt she wanted to
take their order.

Fredrick asked her, "Können Sie bitte Englisch sprechen? Meine Freunde
sind Amerikaner."

"Yes, I can speak a little English. So you are from America?" she addressed
Brian and Lanny.

"Yes. We have been rescued by our new friend Fredrick. I am Lanny and this
is my friend Brian."

"Oh, how nice to meet you. I am Anna. We see American tourists here but
most are much older." Her smile was very pretty.

"We are college students from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I don't think you have ever
heard of it.

"Yes, I think so, 'Living on Tulsa Time...' She sang a bar from Eric
Clapton's old song, generating great laughter.

"Yes, that's right," Brian laughed. "We are from there."

"How exciting to meet you. It is like you are famous," she sparkled.

"Thank you very much. I have never been famous before," Brian almost
blushed.

"Well, can I show you the menu?" Anna asked, producing three from under her
arm. "And can I bring you something to drink?"

Fredrick interrupted, "Please. You cannot come to Bavaria and not sample
some of the excellent beer from this place. Surely I can tempt you to try
just one glass."

Brian and Lanny exchanged glances then nodded. "Just one as a courtesy to
our host," Lanny agreed. Fredrick said something to Anna in German and she
smiled, nodded and disappeared, leaving them to look at the menus.

"You will have to help us with this, Brian admitted. "We don't know what
any of this is."

"I think that you would enjoy almost anything here, but let me see what
they have. Ah, these are very traditional dishes from this region. Hmm. I
have an idea. Let me order three dishes and we can share them if you
like. What do you think of that?"

Brian and Lanny nodded enthusiastically. "We have been living on bread and
cheese for most of our trip. I think we could eat a horse."

"I see. I don't think they serve any horse meat. Can you enjoy pork or
beef? Of course you are joking. Let me choose some things for us."

Anna returned with three large glasses of beer with her note pad in
hand. "Have you decided on something?"

"Yes, I think so," Fredrick pointed at the menu. We would like to have the
Jagerschnitzle, the Saibling, and Zwiebelrostbraten. And while we wait for
that, perhaps three mixed salads. Good?"

"Yes of course. I think you will like that," she smiled and made notes on
her little pad.

Very quickly they were served three plates of a nice crisp salad of mixed
greens, sliced tomatoes, black olives and a tangy cheese dressed with
something delicious. It began to disappear rapidly.

"Oh, this is delicious," They agreed.

Brian and Lanny sipped cautiously at their glasses of beer and found them
to be very pleasant. "This is very nice," Lanny admitted.

"Of course. Bavarian beer is the best in the world I think," Fredrick
insisted. "Of course I am not impartial."

Soon the entrées arrived. The Jagerschnitzel was roast pork with a
creamy fresh mushroom sauce and buttered spätzle, the Saibling was a
nice fish fried with almonds and roasted potatoes, and the
Zwiebelrostbraten was a thick slice of roast beef also with the homemade
spätzle.

"Oh my God. Real food, and it smells heavenly," Brian sighed. "What is the
side dish? It looks like some kind of noodle."

"Ah, that is the spätzle. It is a freshly made noodle cooked in
butter. I think you will like that," Fredrick told them. "Shall we begin? I
think it is not impolite to sample from each plate."

Lanny laughed, "This is what we call 'family style'. Or maybe 'every man
for himself'."

Everything was sampled and everything was enjoyed. Brian and Lanny giggled
like school boys and Fredrick smiled at their enthusiasm. "We should feed
you more often," he laughed.

"Everything is delicious. This is just wonderful," Brian said, "Thank you
for the treat."

"It is truly my pleasure," Fredrick assured them. "I would not have had
your good company if I had come here alone. I should thank you."

In a surprisingly short time all three plates were empty. "Now it is time
for some dessert. A little something sweet to finish the meal."

"I think we are full, but it would be hard to refuse," Lanny agreed.

When Anna returned to clear away their plates, Fredrick asked her for
Apfelstrudel mit Eis, Dampfnudel and Kuchen mit Erdbeeren und Sahne, with
three coffees.

She smiled and hurried away, returning with the desert plates. They looked
and saw a lovely apple dumpling with vanilla ice cream, another dumpling
with cherries and a vanilla sauce, and a slice of pound cake with fresh
strawberries and heavy cream. For each of them was a small cup of very
strong coffee, a bowl of sugar and a small pitcher of cream.

Brian gazed on these with moist eyes. "That is the most beautiful thing I
ever saw.  I think I am in heaven."

"You should hurry with your spoon or it will all be gone," Fredrick
laughed.

All three dishes were place at the center of the table and were gone in a
flash. First a bite from one and then another until the plates were clean
and the cups empty. They sat back with glazed eyes and looked out over the
lake. The sun was low in the sky now and it lit on the forest beyond,
highlighting a few trees that were already beginning to turn yellow.

"You are satisfied, yes?" Fredrick asked.

Brian and Lanny closed their eyes and moaned softly.

"Now I need to excuse myself for a moment to find a place to sleep
tonight. I can use my phone for that." he began to peck away at his
cellphone and shook his head several times. "Hmm, maybe this is not so
easy. I might have waited too late."

"What's the problem?" Lanny asked.

"Ah, it seems that a room is difficult to find at this time. Maybe if I try
a more expensive hotel." He made several phone calls and spoke in
German. The conversations were brief. He pocket his phone and shrugged his
shoulders. "It is no matter. I can easily drive back to Munich tonight. I
think I will have to say goodbye."

I would hate to see you do that," Lanny glanced at Brian. "That is no way
to end such a wonderful day. We have a nice room already. Maybe you could
stay with us."

Fredrick laughed loudly. "That is very kind of you, but where can I
sleep. I think the room has only one bed, and you should have your
privacy."

"Well," Brian said, "It is a big bed. I think we could manage. Do you
snore?"

"No, no. That would be too much of an imposition. I can drive back with no
problem."

"That is not right. Here, you have been so kind to drive us to Fussen and
treat us to the best meal of our lives, and we cannot turn you away. Please
accept our hospitality. Surely we can make this work."

Fredrick looked at them and shook his head. "I should say no, but I am
enjoying our time together so much. Are you sure about this? I feel I am
truly imposing on you. Three in a bed is not customary."

"Maybe not, but what are your choices? It will be late before you get back
home, and we are enjoying you too. I think we can all be gentlemen about
this."

Fredrick smiled. "You are tempting me. But we have already determined that
we are three gay men. Do we suppose we can survive for a night without
shame?"

"I think so," Brian told him. I was in the Boy Scouts for a long time and
have slept four in a small tent many times. The worst that happened was
that I got a knee in my side. I think we can do this. Besides," he said
with a smile, "Lanny and I have enjoyed our time together very much since
we started our trip. It might be nice to just get a good night's sleep."

"Well if you are sure. I will promise to behave myself."

"We're sure. Consider it decided. You will stay with us tonight and
tomorrow we will treat you to a nice breakfast," Lanny insisted.

"Very well, I accept with gratitude. I don't know what your plans are after
this place, but if you are serious about doing some camping and hiking, you
might like to come back to Munich with me and I can call some friends and
perhaps make some plans for a trip into nature. Do you think so?"

"That sounds great. So now the question is, what will we do with the rest
of our evening?" Brian said.

"There are many places to go here I think, but most of them involve
sampling some of the local beer. Is that something that sounds
interesting?"

Now both boys hesitated. "I don't really think so. The glass of beer we had
with our meal was very nice, but neither of us drink," Lanny said. "If we
have any more of that good beer, we might forget how to be gentlemen."

Fredrick laughed. "I understand. I like a good beer but it will not injure
me to go without. Perhaps we can go back to your hotel and just chat about
whatever comes to mind. I have a lot of questions about America, and
perhaps I can tell you something interesting about this part of the
world. I have been to some nice places in Europe. Perhaps we can find
something to talk about."

"That sounds like a fine idea. Are you ready to go?" Lanny asked.

"Yes, let me take care of our meal and I will be ready."

"This was a wonderful treat. Are you sure we can't pay for our part?"

"Not unless you will let me pay for my part of the room tonight."

"OK, then please accept our thanks for a wonderful day." They clapped him
on the shoulder and went outside to wait for him at the car.

"Do you think this is going to work?" Brian asked.

"I think so. Unless he has fooled us big time, I think he's OK. Just
because he's gay doesn't mean he's a sex maniac."

"I wasn't worried about him," Brian chuckled.

"Not me. You're the horn dog."

Fredrick joined them and they slid into the luxurious Mercedes.

They drove back to the hotel and went up to their room. "Yes, this is very
nice.  The bed is very large," Fredrick noticed. "Maybe there is room for
three."

They found a little table in the lounge on the ground floor and ordered
tea. "Tell me about America," Fredrick asked. "Is it so difficult to be a
gay person there?"

"I am learning that it is different in Europe," Lanny admitted. "I think it
depends on where you live. Oklahoma is very conservative and other places
are not. Back home we are not very open about such things."

"Well, some people are, but it can be a problem, especially when you are
young," Brian told him. "A lot depends on how you present yourself."

"How do you mean?" Fredrick asked.

"We went to a big high school. No doubt there were a fair number of
homosexuals, but I only knew a few. It is the guys who are effeminate who
have a problem. They can get bullied. The usual thing is to keep it to
yourself and blend in."

Fredrick smiled, "So in your school you would not hold hands like in the
airport?"

"Not if you didn't want to attract the wrong sort of attention. Some do
things like that but they put themselves at risk of being harassed," Lanny
explained. "I think it is better now than it used to be, but the easiest
thing to do is just to pass for straight."

"Right. Lanny and I kind of knew each other in high school, but it was not
until we starting hanging out last summer and talking about this trip that
we came out to each other," Brian explained. "Before that we were just part
of the same group of friends."

Fredrick nodded. "So it is a big secret for you two? May I ask, who knows
about you at home? Do your parents know you are gay?"

"I think so," Lanny said, "although we haven't had a big discussion about
my sexuality. I never really had a girlfriend in high school. I had friends
who were girls, but not a serious girlfriend, if you understand. Now that
Brian and I are friends I think they probably have a good idea that I like
guys. I think they will be OK with it. Brian and I have gotten a lot closer
on this trip, so we may have to have that talk."

Brian smiled. "I suppose my situation is not very ordinary. I live with a
gay couple. They have become my real family since I was about
fourteen. They are legally married and everything. I was in a really bad
situation and they took me in. They had already adopted twin boys and they
are like my younger brothers. They know all about my history and are really
great people. So yes, I am out at home, but not really anywhere else."

"That is very interesting," Fredrick nodded. "It is somewhat different in
most parts of Europe. It is more accepted I think. Of course there are
always people who do not approve, but we have more legal protection and
most people are accepting. It is not such a big thing here."

"That is more true now in some parts of America, although Oklahoma is more
conservative than most places. I think we are getting there," Lanny
predicted, "but it will take some time before we would be comfortable
holding hands in public."

"So it is difficult for you there?"

"More so than here, I suppose. But it is more a matter of being discreet
than living in fear." Lanny looked at Brian, "I think we will continue to
be boyfriends when we get back home, but yes, it is different from here."

Brian took Lanny's hand and said, "I think so. I hope our relationship will
continue to grow after this trip. I believe we have discovered that we love
each other. I think we have just come to realize that. I do love you
Lanny."

Lanny smiled, "And I love you too. I think this will last, at least I hope
so."

Fredrick looked almost embarrassed. "And you are willing to share your bed
with me? It is almost like you are on your honeymoon. I really should not
intrude on your privacy."

"It will be fine for one night. Don't worry about it. Tomorrow I think we
would like to accept your offer to go hiking and it will be nice to meet
your friends. This will turn out to be a good thing," Lanny assured him.

"If you are certain. I do want to get to know you better," Fredrick
smiled. "I want to know more about Oklahoma. All I know is something about
cowboys and Indians."

Brian laughed, "Then you will be interested to know that one of the guys I
live with is Seminole Indian, as are the adopted twins. They dance in
Powwows and are very interested in tribal things."

"Oh! That is very interesting. Can you tell me about that?"

The conversation shifted to the twins, powwow regalia and dancing, and some
anecdotes about Samuel and Benjamin. The conversation went on for some time
until it was time to retire for the night. They eventually went up to the
room and settled in for sleep. They shared the king size bed and slept as
friends, but not lovers.

Tomorrow was another day.

---------------------------------------

To be continued.

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