Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 17:44:06 EST
From: Wyzman34@aol.com
Subject: Brothers Like Us Chapter 5

Brothers like Us
by Lawrence Michael Martell

Chapter 5

       Shane awoke with a smile on his face as he remembered his night with
Victor. It was the most wonderful and romantic night that he could remember
having and there was no sex on the first date, though technically it wasn't
a first date for them, but it showed Shane that Victor had changed
indeed. It showed him that Victor wasn't thinking about just himself and
his own needs and desires and that he respected Shane. The fact that he was
now trying to do something legal with getting into music was great as
well. Yes, this time things would be different between them and this time
they would be together forever.

       Shane got out of bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower as
he passed Sean's room he felt guilty that he hadn't told Sean about Victor
and he wanted to but he didn't want to hear Sean go on and on about how bad
Victor was for him and how much trouble he was and all that other shit. He
knew he would have to tell him but right now there was no rush to do
that. Shane stepped into the shower and let the warm water caress his body
and he smiled as he thought of Victor.

       The sound of running water awoke Sean. He stretched and
yawned. Shane must be in the shower, he thought as he got out of bed and
padded into the computer room and logged online. He was greeted by the
familiar, "You've Got Mail" and when he checked his email he had 10 unread
emails half of which were just junk and spam and a couple of emails from
online friends and there was one from Bigsexybro AKA Silk. Sean's dick
twitched. He opened the email and read it.

             Sup man?
                   Just wanted to hit ya up and say that everything was off
the hook and a bruh can't wait to get another piece of your tasty cakes. So
hit a bruh up cause I got something for yo hot ass...

                                Peace, Silk

       Sean deleted the email. Yeah Silk had the skills and a return visit
was not a bad idea. Silk could work an ass out and work it out well. Sean
checked another email from an online friend of his who had the screen name
"Playa_no_mo." Sean read the email.

             WHATUP MISS THING!!!

                   So Miss Sean whatcha been up to girlfriend? I been
fine..trying to find me a man. Oh I got some news for you. Chile, remember
when I went out of town with Miss Stevie and Miss Joseph so Miss Stevie
could meet here new Internet love?  I think his name is Hill..anyway..Miss
Stevie did the bedroom bop with Mr. Hill and guess what? She just tested
HIV positive. Yes, chile...she is poz as hell. OOOH baby I was just
weakened and Stevie is devastated but we are going to get our sistah
through this time of her life.

             Well, chile you should drop me a line and fill me in on what's
going on with you. Take care precious.

                                     Luv, Tremayne

       Sean deleted the email. That was some heavy news about Stevie being
HIV positive. That's what happens when the kids be kicking it with those
white boys. Stevie was a notorious snow queen.  Sean turned off the
computer and went back to his room and pulled out his clothes. When Shane
got out of the shower he would go in and get ready to start his day.

       Mohammed had woke up at 4 am to begun his morning work out routine
which began with warm up stretches, a morning jog for a mile and a half
followed by his weight work out, pushups, situps, crunches, jump rope and
then another jog for half a mile. He looked at his reflection in the
mirror. His body was tight but he had to get it tighter by the upcoming pay
per view. He then went into his office and turned on the computer and
checked his mail. He had mail from his agent at Valencia Management, Elaine
Cross. The email just confirmed some information concerning his flight,
departure and arrival and about some autograph signings and his new
contract which would net him a pretty hefty yearly salary.
       Brett woke up about thirty minutes after Mohammed. He went down to
the kitchen and fixed Mohammed's orange juice, wheat toast and one
scrambled egg and when Mohammed was finished with his work out he took it
into Mohammed in the computer room. He kissed Mo on the top of his
dreadlocked head and he went back to bed.

       It was hard to get to sleep for me with Jermaine on my mind but I
managed to drift off but when the alarm clock went off I felt like I had
not slept at all. I jumped in the shower, dressed in something comfortable,
made a bowl of cereal and checked out the news. The local morning news was
on and the pretty African American weather girl was giving her weather
report.
       "Mornin' E," Andre said as he padded into the living room wearing
nothing but a part of black boxers and a FUBU basketball jersey.
       "Morning Dre," Dre was kind of sexy first thing in the morning. I
wish I was that lucky.
       "Whatup on the news?" Dre asked as he flopped down on the sofa and
stretched out.
       "Just turned it on myself," I said. I couldn't help but notice that
Dre was sporting a big morning erection. I smiled...big dick mofo making
the girls whimper and scream slamming all that in them. My thoughts were
ended when the gray haired white anchorman spoke about a fatal shooting in
Ashley homes.
       "Police responded to a fatal shooting at Ashley homes early this
morning. Jeff Jackson is there at the Ashley reporting." The Anchorman
said.
    Dre moaned. "Man! They always shootin' over there."
    I agreed. "I rode past there when the police and ambulances arrived."
       "Really E? Dang!"
    The reporter, Jeff Jackson, a good looking brother with a beige skin
complexion, was standing right across from one of the homes in Ashley homes
which was covered and surrounded by police tape and guarded by several
officers.
       "As you can see, Kenneth, the police have this house at Ashley homes
taped and guarded. They say that sometime in the early morning hours a
gangland style shooting and execution took place here. There were no
witnesses to the shooting and the police are canvassing the area. The
identities of the victims are being withheld until family notifications and
positive identification can be made. This is the sixth shooting of this
type in the area and it has prompted police chief, Colonel Norman
Darlington, III to issue a curfew for the Ashley Homes area and has posted
three squad cars in the area. The residence of the Ashley Homes area have
been complaining about drugs and violence for a year and a half and so far
many have said that nothing has been done. This is Jeff Jackson WYTL News
29."
      "Damn," Dre said, "can you believe that shit. That racist cracker
gonna put the Ashley under a curfew instead of goin in there and doing
something about that shit."
      "Hell, that jackass isn't going to do a damn thing and while Mayor
Walker is still in office he ain't gonna do nothing."
      "I know. Man that's what you should do a story on." Dre said as he
shoved his hands down the front of his boxers and scratched his balls.
      "I know. I actually thought about that when I drove past there. It's
a damn shame."
    Dre looked at me and it made me nervous cause he was looking at me and
smiling like he just realized something. He still had his hands in the
front of his boxers.
      "Whatup with you? Why you looking at me like that?"
      "I just realized something. If you rode past there when the police
arrived that means you were out very early or you were coming back from
somewhere."
    Damn, I started to sweat. I felt like my father was interrogating me or
something. "Man, who you supposed to be?"
    Dre laughed. "Yeah! My brotha got lucky last night."
    I got up to take my bowl back in the kitchen and to get away from Dre
but he followed me.
       "Who you got lucky with?" Dre asked.
       "Man, why you up in my business?" I asked.
    Dre laughed. "A brotha's got to know. Did ya get you some?"
    Damn. I had to tell someone and since he suspected I might as well tell
him though he had never inquired about my sex life before "Yeah. I got me
last night."
    Dre laughed again. "Cool man, cool."
    Damn, he said exactly what I thought he would say.
       "It's bout time you got you some." Dre added.
       "Whatcha mean it's about time?" I asked.
       "Just that. Man you ain't been hittin nothing lately. I was
beginning to wonder if I was gonna have to do something about it."
       "How would you know what I have and have not been hitting?" I asked.
       "Man, we room dawgs since college. The same way you know when I got
a piece of pussy up in my room I know bout whatup in your room. You a noisy
mothafucker when you get some."
       "Damn son! How you sound telling that out like that?"
       "It's the truth," Dre said smiling. "When you was dating that dude,
Juantonio, bout six months ago...."
       "It was five," I corrected.
       "Whatever...you would moan and howl so loud I would have to put on
my headphones and pump up the music and I could still hear you."
    My face burned red. I never knew he could hear me. But Juantonio packed
a big tool and it made a brotha holler like a bitch.
       "Don't be shamed, E. I know my girls be makin all the noise too."
    I smiled. Actually him too. There were a couple of times when I heard
Dre shout out too. I opened the refrigerator to cool off my burning face
when I remembered I had company coming over tonight and nothing to eat nor
drink in the house.
       "Damn! I gotta do some major grocery store shopping." I said.
       "What for?" Dre asked.
       "Man, I got the brothers coming over and we ain't got nothing to eat
or drink."
       "Dang that is right that is tonight." Dre said.
       "You still coming?" I asked, momentarily panicked that Dre had
changed his mind.
       "Wouldn't miss it. As a matter of fact I better get showered and
dressed for work so I can get away early. You want me to get anything on
the way home?"
       "Naw man. I got it handled but thanks."
    Dre smiled. "Aight bruh. It's off to wash off the funk." And Dre went
off to shower and get ready for work. I sat down and wrote up a list of
things I needed to buy for the get together tonight. It was going to be off
the chain.

       The one thing about having a get together at your house is getting
everything ready to your specifications, which means it will never be as
perfect as you want it. I had went out and bought chicken, crab legs,
sausage (spicy and mild) and corn on the cob, as well as soda, beer, wine
and liquor. I took everything home and before I could start cooking I had
to clean the house especially the bathrooms, it is not true that all gay
men are not slobs I can be a bit of a slob and Dre, is the epitome of the
straight slob. We are more like Oscar and Oscar as opposed to Felix and
Oscar but I do clean up more than Dre ever does. Once the house was cleaned
to my satisfaction I did some work on the computer on both my article and
on my novel. I took a break to call a friend of mine at the police
department trying to get some information on the shootings at Ashley
Homes. She was able to tell me that the victims were known drug dealers
with some gang affiliations. Two of the victims were shot in their knees,
groin and heads and it is believed that they alive after getting shot in
the knees and possibly the groin but the head shots killed them. They were
identified as Carlos Lewis Felder and Jamar Strong. The police believed it
was a drug deal gone bad. My friend made me promise to keep this
information to myself which I agreed to do for the time being.
       At lunch I got a surprise phone call from Jermaine. We had exchanged
numbers but I had not expected an immediate call from him.
             "What you doing for lunch?" He asked me after we chatted for
about five minutes.
             "Nothing." I answered.
             "Would you like to have lunch together?"
             "Sure." I replied.

       We had lunch at a fancy Italian restaurant called
Giorgio's. Jermaine looked GQ fabulous wearing a navy blue suit with a
light blue silk shirt. We sat in a cozy booth and as we waited on our lunch
order we talked and held hands under the table. I did learn that Jermaine
was an advertising executive for a prominent African American owned Ad
company, Whitney-Kendall-Ross and that he was on the fast track to a
partnership in the company. He was single and had been for five years. He
had been married at one time to a spoiled Alabama beauty queen named
Savannah for five years after college and he had a son who was now seven
named Jermaine Anton Williams, Jr. His full male relationship which ended
five years ago was with an old college frat brother, Jermaine was an Alpha
by the way. They lasted until his frat brother/lover decided that he wanted
to enter the ministry and he wanted to leave 'the sin' behind. Ofcourse now
the good Reverend was currently married and living the Down-low life with
several members of his own church.
             "So what is the Eric Williams story?" He asked me over coffee.
             "Well, there ain't much to tell." I said.
             "Ah come on there has to be something." Jermaine said flashing
that killer smile and rubbing my leg under the table which got my dick
hard.
       I took a deep breath to steady myself. "Well, I'm the oldest of
three children born to Arthur and Elizabeth Williams, who are now
divorced. I'm a freelance writer, I have a straight housemate, I've been
single for way too long and I'm looking for love." I told him.
       Jermaine smiled at me and squeezed my hand. "Can we have dinner
tonight?"
       I sighed cause I wanted to have dinner and breakfast with him. "I
can't. I'm having company over tonight."
             "Damn. I was hoping to see you tonight." Jermaine said with a
pout.
             "I'm sorry. Hey why don't you come over too?"
       Jermaine smiled and squeezed my hand again. "Thank you for inviting
me but I would be a foreigner in the mix. No, you enjoy your friends but
promise that you will at least call me no matter how late."
             "But what if it's 1 am?" I asked knowing that we could
possibly be that late.
             "Then leave me a voice mail so I can wake up and hear your
voice first thing in the morning." Jermaine said.
       After lunch with Jermaine I was flying on cloud nine and if it
wasn't for the gathering tonight I would be having dinner with Jermaine and
having Jermaine for dessert. I decided to take a nap when I got home and I
left Dre a note to wake me up when he got home, which was usually 5
o'clock. At 5:15 Dre woke me up and I began cooking food while Dre set up
the bar. Everyone would be over soon and I wanted everything ready to roll.
             "Can I ask you a question, E?" Dre asked as he walked in the
kitchen where I was preparing the chicken and crab legs.
             "Sure." I answered.
             "Who is Jermaine?"
       I gulped and I know I turned several shades of red. "Who?"
             "Oh you an owl now? You heard me. Who is Jermaine?"
             "Where did you hear that name?" I asked wondering what was
going on.
             "When I woke you up, which took me fifteen minutes, you
started moaning that name. Jermaine...Jermaine...Jermaine. Is that the
brother who turned you out?"
             "Andre Levester Robinson you are nasty." I said surprised and
shocked.
             "Oh so you gonna call out a brotha's whole name? Arthur Eric
Williams?"
       We fell out laughing. For the record no one calls me Arthur except
for the bill collecters.
             "So who is Jermaine?" Andre asked again.
       I told Andre about Jermaine, I left out the gym situation and I
didn't describe our first sexual experience but I did tell him about having
lunch with him today and how he wanted to have dinner tonight. Before long
I was telling Andre how much I really liked Jermaine and that maybe he
might be the one. When I was done Andre had a deep almost contemplative
look on his face something I had never seen before.
             "You aight, Dre?" I asked.
             "Yeah, I was just thinking that maybe it's time for me to
settle down." Dre said.
        Now I was shocked again. "What? You? Settle down?"
             "Well, it ain't like I can't fool." Andre shot back. "I can."
             "I know. It's just that I never figured you for the settle
down type at least not now." I explained.
             "Well, when I find the right one you will see me settled. Now,
I'm goin to get ready for tonight."
       Dre left the kitchen and went back to getting things ready.

       Everyone arrived pretty much on time. Shane and Sean were first and
immediately Sean was all up in Andre's world flirting and acting silly but
Dre took it all in stride while Shane went to the bar and fixed himself and
drink and began quizzing me on where I was today. I had forgotten about the
work out. Just as I was trying to think of what to tell him Mo-Mo and Brett
arrived. I introduced Brett around to everyone and he shook hands and
nodded but it was clear he wasn't feeling apart of this. Shane fixed Mo-Mo
a drink and then Brett and before long the party was going. Andre turned
the radio on to the urban station WWJM-101...Jammin' 101 and the mood was
set as JLo and Ja-Rule tried to convince us about how real Puffy's ex was,
which sparked a debate about if JLo, who is latina should have been allowed
to get away with saying "My nigga" when she wasn't a sistah. I went into
the kitchen to finish things up when Mo-Mo walked in.
             "Hey Eric, I want to thank you." He said
             "What for?"
             "For allowing me to bring Brett."
             "Man, Mo you ain't gotta thank me." I said. He damn sure did
have to thank me.
             "I do. You are a great friend." Mo-Mo said and he grabbed me
in a tight hug. Yeah, I'm a great friend. Such a great friend that I know
that his man was out at the club getting his freak on and I haven't said a
word. I heard Sean shout out "You niggas are crazy!" I suggested that Mo-Mo
go see what's going on and I would bring the food out. No sooner did Mo-Mo
leave did Brett come in.
             "Can I get some soda?" He asked.
             "Sure it's in the frig help yourself." I said.
       Brett opened the frig and poured himself some Pepsi. "Can I help you
with anything?"
             "No, I got it."
             "Okay...ummm...Eric...I just wanted to say...I wanted to say
Thanks."
       What in the hell was going on around here. Mo-Mo and now this mofo?
             "No problem. Mo-Mo already thanked me for inviting you." I
said
       Brett sipped his Pepsi. "Well, I was thanking you for not telling
Mohammed about what you saw at the club."
             "Look Brett, my not telling Mo had nothing to do with you. I
should have told him but it's none of my business."
             "I know and just so that you'll know I told Mohammed what
happened." Brett revealed. I looked at him. Why is he telling me this and
why do I even care?
             "Really? Well, I'm glad you told him." I replied.
             "Well, considering that...well...I figured it was for the
best." Brett answered. "By the way I didn't tell him that we saw each other
at the club."
       That got my attention. "Why didn't you?"
             "It didn't seem necessary. Once I told him what had happened
it just seemed that well it might make things worse."
             "How do you figure that?" I asked.
             "I don't know maybe it wouldn't...I just thought that maybe he
would have thought you knew all along or something and I didn't want a
situation between you two."
       I smiled, which was far from sincere. "How white of you."
       Brett looked at me wondering what I meant.
              "Look you told Mo and that is probably what you needed to do
but it's not any of my business." I said.
              "I just wanted you to know that I love Mohammed and what
happened was a stupid indiscretion and I wanted to thank you for having me
here in your home when I know it was probably the last thing you wanted to
do."
              "Mohammed is my friend and I love him too. He asked me to
invite you, how could I tell him no?" I asked.
             "I know. Well, I'll leave you alone but can I ask you one
thing...a favor if you will?"
             "What?"
             "Don't mention anything about my indiscretion or even our
conversation to Mohammed. He's working to put it behind him...us and I
don't want to bring it up ever again."
             "Hey like I said, it isn't my business." I answered. Brett
nodded and walked away. I went back to preparing the food and putting it
out for everyone, who all were hungry and ready to eat and as I sat and
watched my friends devour the food I had a feeling that right then things
were going to change for everyone around the table and not a lot of very
good.
       After everyone ate it was time to play spades the teams were
Mohammed and Brett, Shane and I and Dre and much to his delight,
Sean. Since Shane and I were the defending champions we deemed that Mo-Mo
and Brett would play Dre and Sean and the winners meet the champs. As it
turned out Dre and Sean soundly beat Mo-Mo and Brett. It became clear that
Brett had no idea of the concept of spades and we could see defeat for the
team of Mohammed and Brett all night long. Dre and Sean faced off against
me and Shane and after a grueling battle of cards and wits Shane and I went
down in fiery defeat to Dre and Sean who celebrated and danced around the
room with no shame. You see Sean, until Brett played, was the bad player
who hardly ever won and now he had tasted victory.
             "I told ya E, you are a bad spades player." Dre said with a
self-satisfying smile.
             "Man fuck you!" I snapped.
             "You wish." Dre replied.
             "You can fuck me!" Sean jumped in and Mo, Shane, myself and
even Brett paused and held our breath waiting for Dre to explode. I could
tell that Shane wanted to belt his twin brother for saying something like
that. What we got made us breath a sigh of relief. Dre laughed. He laughed
and patted Sean on the back and we all laughed, nervously. That was when I
learned something about "us" you know, gays. We have stereotypes of
straights ourselves. We all looked at Dre as the straight brother who was
cool with a few gay brothers but who would drop anyone for making an
unwanted advance or statement. He didn't react the way we figured he would
and we all learned a lesson.
             "Well, brothers," Mo-Mo said getting up, "Brett and I have
gotta jet up out of here. This was great."
             "Damn Mo-Mo you ain't gotta rush off." I said looking at
Brett, who looked away from me.
             "I do. I have to get ready for Louisville and then the PPV."
             "Speaking of that," I said taking Mo-Mo off to the side. "You
think you can get another ticket like we got?"
       Mo-Mo raised an eyebrow in question. "For who?"
             "Dre. He's a wrestling fan and I figured he'd be cool to hang
with...I mean unless you don't like him?"
             "No man. I think he's cool. It's done." Mohammed said.
             "Cool." I said. We all said good-bye to Mohammed and Brett and
then fifteen minutes after they left Shane and Sean also said
good-bye. Before he left Sean apologized to Dre if what he said made him
nervous or insulted him. Dre said it was all good and they left. Dre and I
stood in the mess that was left behind.
             "That was a great get together. Thanks for inviting me." Dre
said
             "Anytime my brother but it's really gonna be off the hook when
we all go to Vegas for the PPV."
             "Whatcha mean?"
             "Mo-Mo said he is gonna get you a ticket so you going with
us."
       Dre smiled and seemed speechless and then he embraced me in a tight
brother hug. "Thanks man. You are my best friend."
             "You're mine too." And we embraced again. Dre turned away
quickly said good night and was gone. I watched him go. I had never seen
Dre get that emotional about anything. We were friends, brothers for life
and that would never change. I am blessed to have him in my life.



       He was laying in his bed, on top on his sheets, wearing a pair of
dark blue Hanes boxer briefs watching BET's Midnight Love. He should have
been completely exhausted but he wasn't and he couldn't sleep. He was
engrossed in an old video by R. Kelly called "Bump-N-Grind." As R. Kelly's
sexy, soulful and sensual voice filled the room and filled his head with
wonderful sexy images. He closed his eyes and let the words of the singer
and the sing sweep him away.
       When he opened his eyes he was no longer alone in his room. He had
company. He stood in the room at the foot of the bed partically obstructing
his view of the TV screen but he didn't mind. The man standing at the foot
of his bed smiled down at him and he smiled back. He knelt down at the foot
of the bed and began kissing and caressing his barefeet. He closed his eyes
and let out a sigh and moan as he enjoyed the sexy touch of lips and
fingers on his feet but soon the fingers and lips were slowly moving up his
legs kissing and licking his lower legs, his upper leg, his inner
thigh. His dick grew hard like steel as he responded to the tantalizing
touch of the visitor....the welcomed visitor.
       He felt a hand snake into his boxer briefs and release his throbbing
dick and then engulfed it within his hot mouth.
             "OH GOD!" He hissed as he arched his back to allow all of his
dick to enter the hot mouth that was servicing him. "SHIT! Don't
stop...p...please don't stop." He begged.
       He continued to suck his dick while letting his fingers play with
and tickle his balls. It felt too damn good and he didn't want it to end
and he couldn't wait to cum. He could feel it forming in his balls and he
wanted to give it all to him and for him to swallow it all. To take it
all. He could feel teeth barely touching his shaft and the tongue wrapping
around it and tight lips pulling on it trying to force out all the cum that
was inside. His toes curled and his feet and legs twitched and wiggled as
he felt the point of no return coming.
       It didn't take long.
       He let out a small cry as the first spurt of his cum entered the hot
mouth working on him and the first spurt was followed by a second then a
third and a fourth until it was all out of his system and he lay there
trembling and twitching.
             "Damn!"
       He opened his eyes, the TV was on and he was in the room alone. He
looked down and realized that he had had another wet dream.
             "Shit!" He cussed as he swung out of the bed. He had had that
damn dream again. He padded into the bathroom careful not to wake anyone
up. He took a brisk cold shower and then towel dried himself and then as he
looked at his reflection in the mirror he remembered the dream and the man
who had inspired it and once again his dick grew hard and much to his
annoyance he reached into the medicine cabinet and pulled out a jar of
petroleum jelly. He locked the bathroom door and then sat on the closed
toilet lid and applied some jelly to his hand and began jacking off...it
was the only way he could get him out of his system. But even as he thought
that he knew that it was wrong and there was only one way he could stop
this. But could he?