Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2016 18:25:49 -0500
From: rw6789@aol.com
Subject: "A Trial Of Strength" - Part 340  by Rob Williams

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH - PART 340
By Rob Williams

IN THIS CHAPTER:

It was a bitter separation of the once devoted lovers – Grady the
heart-throb movie Tarzan and his handsome Italian lover Mario. Mario
departs for his home in Italy – only to find Grady on the plane. The
long flight is tense, their anger still hot, even though they secretly jerk
off thinking of each other. After the ensuing clamor of celebrity in Rome,
then the serenity of a Tuscan farm, the time comes for their final goodbye.


CHAPTER 340 – "TI AMO, AMICO"


************ In the previous chapter ***********

The rift between the two men seemed beyond repair.  Grady, the heart-throb
new movie Tarzan, and his Italian lover Mario, once inseparable lovers, had
a bitter falling out.

In circumstances that Grady would later describe to Doctor Steve, they had
each had repeated sex with other guys, an unpardonable act for both of
them.  Mario had left the house, seeking refuge with his best friend Jamie,
as a raging Grady yelled after him, "And don't come back!"

The news rocked the tribe and left the two boys who worked for them, Danny
and Brian, distraught.  Bob gave a tongue lashing to Grady and restored
peace between him and the boys.  But when Grady said he was going to stop
working on the movie – "Fuck the movie ... fuck them all" – Randy
whipped him back into shape with a brutal workout and a savage fuck."

Jamie and Mark comforted Mario and for a few days an uneasy peace reigned.
But the hurt and anger gnawed at both men, the ache grew worse, and
separately they came to a decision on how to handle their anger and grief.

Mario's solution was the most drastic and it devastated Jamie.  "I cannot
stay here, amico.  Too many memories, too much hurt.  I have to shake it
all off, make a clean break.  I am going home to my family in Italy.  I
don't know how long I will stay there, maybe for good.  I will leave
quietly as I don't want to stir up any more trouble, so I am telling only
you."

Meanwhile, Grady went to consult with Doctor Steve, the tribe's therapist
(and Randy's brother).  Steve gazed with sympathy at the tormented man
sitting restlessly on the couch facing him and listened while Grady poured
out his troubles.

"No one knows what it's like, doc, when I travel on those publicity trips
– the back-to-back interviews, smiling, turning on the charm all day,
trying not to make a mistake and say the wrong thing.  Everyone wants a
piece of you – the studio execs, the press, the foreign PR guys who talk
to you like they own you.  They've all got their angle, but there's no one
really looking out for me.  It's exhausting and often reduces me to tears
when I finally get back to the hotel room.

"That's why they let me have a personal assistant whose only job is to
support me.  I chose this guy Connor from the PR department, a guy I
already knew.  We got along well, had the same sense of humor.  He's real
bright and did a great job, always pulling me away from the crowd when he
could see I was exhausted.

"We had separate hotel rooms but he spent a lot of time with me after the
day's work.  I needed someone to care for me, to hold me, to help me relax
before the whole circus started up the next day.  It was great when he
slept with me, holding me and ... well the inevitable happened and we
started having sex regularly.  I guess I wasn't thinking straight.  Mario
was thousands of miles away ... this was like a whole other world,
separate, nothing to do with life in L.A.

"Well one night Mario found out in the worst way.  He phoned me at the
hotel at three in the morning, but Connor was in bed with me and he
answered.  The shit hit the fan and I confessed the whole thing.  I thought
he would understand."

His voice rose in anger.  "But instead, Steve, he went right out and
punished me by having sex with our garage mechanic Rick.  I mean, the guy
is real hot and I guess Mario fell in love with him, or some shit like
that, and saw him again and I guess he still is.  Dammit, Steve, it makes
me crazy thinking of him fucking that guy.  It's over, doc, I can't see him
again – ever."

Grady was fighting back tears, but Steve said, "Grady, I understand your
need for a personal assistant on these trips but ..." he fixed him with his
intense blue eyes ... "but why didn't you choose Mario?  Seems like a
natural choice from what you've just said.  You need someone who'll look
out for you, someone bright, compatible, a shoulder to cry on at the end of
the day ... even someone you want to share your bed with and make love to.
Mario's the obvious choice."

"But ... but Steve I could never ask Mario to be my `personal assistant.'
He would have found it demeaning.  I mean he already felt overlooked,
living in the shadow of my damned celebrity.  I couldn't have asked him
that even when we still loved each other.  He'd have been insulted."

"Hmm, are you sure about that, Grady?  I've always found that if love
between two people is strong enough, like yours used to be, you can ask
each other anything."  Steve shrugged. "Well, I guess it's a moot point
now.  Too late for that, especially now you've broken up.  Anyway, you've
already got Connor.  You're right – probably wouldn't have worked."

Just then Steve interrupted the session to take a call on his private line.
It was a tearful Jamie, telling Steve of Mario's plan to go back to Italy.
"He's going day after tomorrow – he's booked and everything, afternoon
flight to Rome on Alitalia."

After Steve consoled him he put down the phone and sighed.  "Well, Grady,
that's it, I guess this whole session is moot now.  Problem solved.  Seems
Mario is leaving town, going back to Italy."

"What?!  Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah, it's not just talk, it's definite, all set.  Alitalia to Rome,
day after tomorrow."

Grady's mind was racing.  "Doc, could I use your phone?  Make a couple of
calls?"

********************************

And so the day came.  Only Jamie and Mario were at the house, two close
friends locked in a tearful farewell and promises from Jamie that he would
go visit Mario in Italy.  "Oh, sounds like my cab," Mario smiled through
his tears.  "No more stretch limos ... those days are passed."

On the drive to the airport Mario kept his eyes mostly closed, not wanting
to be reminded of places in the city that reminded him of his former life
with Grady.  At the airport he lined up to check in and looked over at the
almost empty line at the First-Class check-in desk, which he and Grady
always used in the old days.

He sat in the departure lounge trying to make his mind go blank.  For a
moment he flashed on those corny final airport scenes in romantic movies
where at the last minute the lover comes charging through the airport
yelling, "No, wait, it was all a mistake.  I love you.  Don't leave."

Not this time, though.  And he didn't expect it ... didn't want it.  This
was the clean break he needed.  They boarded, he made his way to the back
of coach class and took his seat.  After the usual pre-departure stuff they
closed the doors and the plane pushed back from the gate.  As it taxied
Mario let himself look through the window to get his last fleeting look at
L.A.

The pilot announced they were next for take-off, the engines roared and
they sped along the runway.  As they lifted off Mario felt he was leaving a
whole chunk of his life behind, a life where he had found friendship, joy,
laughter and love.  Yes, he had been loved.  He inhaled sharply so he
wouldn't cry, leaned his head back and closed his eyes, hoping sleep would
come.

It did, of sorts, though the dreams of half-sleep kept haunting him.  He
had finally dozed off when he felt a nudge at his elbow.  He opened his
eyes to see the Italian flight attendant smiling down at him.  "Scusi,
signore, but could I please see your ticket?"

Confused he fumbled for the ticket and gave it to her.  She looked at it
and smiled again.  "Bene, I have the right passenger.  Would you kindly
follow me, signore?  You have been upgraded to first class."

Mario struggled to his feet in a daze, thinking there must be some mistake.
He grabbed his backpack and followed the flight attendant up the whole
length of the plane and through the curtain into the opulent hush of the
first class cabin.

She stopped, looked back with a smile and pointed to the front row.  "Here
you are, signore.  This is your new seat."

Mario looked down ... and saw Grady staring nervously up at him, with an
empty seat beside him.

********************* Chapter 340 *********************

For a moment Mario's mind went blank ... he must be hallucinating.  Then he
panicked and said to the flight attendant, "No ... no ... I must go back to
my old seat."

"Really, signore?" she said in surprise, then smiled, "Free drinks up here,
sir."

"No, assolutamente no!  I cannot stay here."

"Great food too," Grady said, managing a nervous smile.  "More legroom."

"Much more legroom, signore," the attendant said.  "These are lie-flat
seats so you will sleep well.  It's a 12-hour flight, sir, overnight."

That last argument was persuasive as Mario looked back through the curtain
at the crowded coach cabin.  He had been dreading twelve hours sitting in
that cramped middle seat, and the prospect of lying in a bed, asleep ...
He hesitated.

Then, clenching his jaw, he sat in the spacious seat next to Grady.  But he
didn't look at him, and instead looked up at the flight attendant as if it
were she alone who had arranged the upgrade.  "Grazie signora.  I'm sorry
if I sounded ungrateful just then ... I was taken by surprise
... confused."

She smiled, "Naturalmente, signore ... capito.  Er, would you gentlemen
care for champagne?"

His mind still reeling Mario illogically flashed on something Adam had once
told them.  After all his years of experience working on flights from
Sydney Adam said that flight attendants were good at picking up vibes from
passengers, sensing their needs ... and their stories.  Did this champagne
offer mean she had guessed that ...?"

His scrambled thoughts were interrupted by Grady's voice.  "Thank you,
ma'am, that would be great."

Mario was jolted back to the unreal reality that Grady was sitting beside
him.  But he still didn't look at him.  Instead he leaned his head back,
closed his eyes and asked, "What am I doing here?  And more importantly,
what are you doing here?"

"It's not what you think, Mario," Grady said in a rush.  "I'm not trying to
get back with you – I know you don't want that and" (less forcefully)
"neither do I.  Well not in that way, anyway."

The champagne arrived.  "Grady grabbed his glass and drank it in one gulp
and the attendant re-filled it.  Thus fortified Grady continued, the words
pouring out as if he were afraid he would forget his lines.  "What you're
doing here is going home to your folks.  What I'm doing is going to another
of those quick publicity appearances – in Rome this time."  He frowned,
grasping for the next sentence.  It struck Mario that Grady was very
nervous.

"See, I was talking to Steve – about us – and he wondered why, when I
go to all these events that are so exhausting, I didn't take you as my
assistant ... no, not assistant, that's the wrong word ..."

"What word would you use, Grady?"

"Um ... friend, that's it ... friend."

"Instead of Connor," Mario said coldly.

Grady blushed sheepishly.  "Er, Connor's gone back to his boyfriend.  But
this wouldn't be anything like Connor.  No, I mean you and me we are
... were ... friends and ..."  He felt he was entering a minefield and let
that thought drop.  "Anyway, I heard from Jamie – via Steve – that
you were leaving for Rome and I knew a PR trip to Rome was on my schedule
in a week or so.  So I called the studio and asked if I could bring it
forward to today."

Mario looked at him for the first time and saw the muted panic in his eyes.
"See, the studio does everything they can to please me these days `cos
they're nervous after I took a day off.  I called in sick because I was
feeling ..."  Another minefield.  "Anyway, they fixed it up for me to
travel on this flight and I told them I was bringing a friend as my assis
... as my friend ... who speaks Italian, so they bought two first-class
seats."

Mario frowned, "But why all this ... I mean ... why didn't you ask me
before ...?"

"Well, we weren't speaking ...  And, anyway, if I told you in advance I
knew you wouldn't come.  The only way was to wait until we were both on the
plane and in the air when there would be no escape. Then I had that lady go
back and get you and ..." another nervous smile ... "and here we are."

"Stuck with each other for the next twelve hours."

"Unless you have a parachute," Grady grinned, less nervous now.

Mario looked at him and saw that old playful sparkle in his eyes that he
had always loved.  His heart melted a little ... until he caught himself.
No, that mustn't happen.  This shouldn't be happening.  He was going home,
to his family, leaving Grady and all his anger and sadness.  And here they
were, side by side, for the next twelve hours.  He was furious with Grady
for tricking him ... and yet ... no, don't go there, he told himself.

"Apperitivo, signori?"  The flight attendant was there with trays of hors
d'oeuvres, silverware and crystal glasses.  Meal service had begun.  They
both picked up their champagne glasses to let her set the table and Mario
took a long drink.  As he was lowering his glass Grady clinked his against
it with an impish grin.

Mario looked at him sternly.  "Fuck you, man."

The flight attendant's smile widened.  Yeah, Adam had been right.  She
understood everything.

*********************************

Grady and Mario were given dinner menus and they made their choices.  The
meal was a long drawn-out affair with appetizers, several courses, coffee,
brandy – the works.  Fortunately the service was very attentive so they
didn't have many stretches of time where they had to make conversation.

Grady spoke most, talking about similar publicity trips he had already
done, what was involved, how dense the schedule was.  Over dessert he
pulled out the schedule for this trip and showed it to Mario.  "See, we
land tomorrow about 1pm.  We'll be met by Warner Studios Rome office PR
people and taken to the hotel.  We have an hour or so to freshen up, then
there's a photo signing for ninety minutes at the, er, Galleria something
or other."

"Galleria Porta Di Roma," Mario said.  "It's a very upscale mall."

"Yeah, whatever.  Well then we go back to our hotel, change, and there's a
cocktail party at the Warners offices.  After that there's a big posh
dinner for the executives and their wives.  Those dinners are the worst
`cos the execs think they own me – which they do in a way, I guess –
and they all get drunk and ask tons of questions and I have to be careful
not to make a mistake.

"That's where my assistant – er, my friend – comes in real handy.  I
can't say I need to leave so I rely on you to signal in a subtle way that
I've had it and need to sleep to look good for the next day."  He smiled.
"See what I mean?  All that – and don't even think about jet-lag."

"Grady, you keep saying `we' and `our' as if I've agreed to do this with
you."

Grady looked at him pleadingly.  "I really need you, man.  It's so rough
and I get so tired, I can't do it on my own.  We don't have to do anything
else ... I mean be anything else ... you know, like we used to be.  I know
you don't want that.  We'll have separate hotel rooms and all.  But I need
you to help me, Mario.  And you'll be well-paid, of course."

Mario bristled, "I don't want your money, Grady."  Grady realized that was
a mistake.  "Grady, I feel like I've been kidnapped and pressed into
service against my will, like I have no say in the matter."  He looked into
Grady's pleading eyes and saw that little boy look of his that always
melted his heart.

"Look, since you're on your own I guess I have no choice.  And I do speak
the language, god knows.  My plan when we land was to take a train up to
Tuscany and a bus to my village.  But I guess I could put that off for
twenty-four hours.  OK, I'll stay with you and be your dutiful assistant
for the day, but that's it ... that's all."

"That's all I want," Grady lied.  He wasn't sure what he wanted but now
that he had been with Mario again for a few hours he couldn't imagine
leaving him again.

So there was something like an uneasy truce between them as the meal came
to an end.  It had been served by the original flight attendant assisted by
another, a fresh-faced young man.  After he cleared the meal he offered to
help them adjust the seats into lie-flat beds for the night.

"But before I do that signore," he sad to Grady, blushing nervously.  "We
are not supposed to do this but ..." he pulled out a copy of Ciak, a
popular Italian movie magazine, this one with Grady on the cover.  "Would
you be kind enough to autograph this for me, sir?  I'm sorry to ask, but
..."

"Sure I will," Grady said, rewarding the man with a dazzling smile.
"What's your name?"  He wrote "With best wishes to Giorgio and thanks for
the great service.  From Grady – aka Tarzan."

Giorgio thanked him profusely and took the magazine away, a prized memento.
"See?" Grady said with a shrug.  "It's started already."

*******************************

Not much more was said before they lay down for the night.  The lights of
the first-class cabin had been dimmed and, as he stretched out luxuriously
in his lie-flat bed, Mario felt sorry for his former seat mates trying to
sleep in the more cramped confines of the back of the plane.

There was a low partition between their seats and it felt strange to both
of them to be sleeping so close but separated, after all the many nights
they had slept in each other's arms.  But those days were gone and they
turned their backs to each other and fell asleep to the sound of the
other's deep breathing.

In this limbo of frozen time and space Mario was not sure how long he had
slept when he stirred, his eyes opened ... and he slowly realized why he
had woken.  He had a major hard-on.  He couldn't remember if he had been
dreaming, or what of, but he instinctively looked across at Grady, who was
now on his side facing him, his eyes tight shut.

Many times in the past Mario had woken at night and gazed lovingly at that
handsome face as Grady slept.  He had always loved watching Grady sleeping
like that with a slight smile on his lips and the innocent expression of a
young boy.  Sometimes Mario had got quietly out of bed and stood stroking
his cock, staring down at his beautiful lover, then grabbing a towel at the
last minute to catch his semen as it spurted from him.

Even now his hand went instinctively to his cock that was rock hard at the
sight of Grady ... but he caught himself and pulled his hand away, turned
his back to him and muttered softly, "Fuck ... fuck ..."  He tossed and
turned, but he could hear Grady's heavy breathing.  Sleep wouldn't come
... and his hard-on would not go down.  There was only one solution.

Quietly, carefully, he eased himself off the bed and padded softly to the
lavatory, unseen by anyone, even the crew who were largely out of sight as
the passengers slept.  He closed the door quietly and looked at himself in
the mirror in T-shirt and jeans.

He was angry with himself – he had run away from Grady and his life with
him, but now, unbelievably, by some trick of Grady's, he was trapped with
him, sleeping beside him, hearing his breathing, staring at his face,
nursing a huge boner.  No!  He had to get him out of his mind once and for
all.  He pulled his cock out and stroked it, still looking at the mirror.
He needed to cum ... spill his load and, with it, empty his mind of any
last shreds of sexual feeling for Grady.

He concentrated on himself.  He did not often jerk off admiring himself, as
Jason did, for example.  It was fun when the gorgeous fireman did it, but
that was not Mario's thing.  But he had to admit the man in the mirror
looking back at him was sexy, with his dark Mediterranean looks.  He half
closed his eyes to pretend he was looking at a handsome stranger, he
pounded his cock fast ... but, stiff as it was, and hard as he tried to
concentrate, he couldn't cum.  Instead he flashed on himself with Grady
lying beneath him waiting to get fucked.

"Damn," he said softly.  "Merda!"  He searched for another masturbatory
image ... Rick!  Fucking Rick had been an impulsive reaction to what he saw
as Grady's treachery, and Rick certainly was a hot number – black, curly
hair, strong Irish features, dark eyes and a fat-free muscular body.  He
was the pornographic image of the garage mechanic, working shirtless,
dungarees tied round his waist, his face and torso streaked with grease.

Yeah, that would do it.  Rick!  Mario felt his cock stiffen even more as he
imagined Rick in the back room of the garage, bent over the hood of a car
he was working on.  Mario had pulled his dungarees down from behind and
plunged his cock in his ass.  Rick had been hot for Mario since they met
and he responded passionately until they were rolling over the oil
spattered floor of the garage, Mario staring down at Rick's handsome face
and fucking his ass.

Man, that was hot, hot enough to make him cum.  Mario's heart was pounding,
his body was shuddering ... and then suddenly the image changed ... to
Grady, lying naked on the bed looking impossibly beautiful, his playful
face smiling up at him whispering, "Fuck me, amico ... I love you so much
... I love you ..."

But it was Mario's voice now mouthing the words, it was Mario making love
to Grady ... and it was Mario who blasted a stream of cum onto the mirror,
then another and another.  He stared at himself realizing what he had just
done.  In his imagination he had made love to Grady, the man who had
betrayed him, the man he no longer loved, the man he was leaving.  "Fuck,"
he said disgusted with himself.  "Vaffanculo!" he snarled to the image of
Grady still in his mind.

Then he panicked.  Had he shouted out loud?  Had any of the crew heard him?
He grabbed a handful of paper towels and tried to wipe off the seamen that
was running down the mirror.  He had to calm himself, get back to his seat.
At least Grady would be fast asleep.

But he was wrong there.  Grady had not been asleep since before Mario had
left his seat.  He too had woken with a raging hard on ... he too had
stolen a glance at Mario's face, beautiful in repose ... he too had tossed
and turned, cursing his erection, then pretending to sleep when he heard
Mario stir.  The heavy breathing Mario had heard had not been deep sleep
... it was Grady's attempt to slow his heartbeats and banish his erection.

And then Mario had got up to go to the lavatory.  Grady had to get release
... he had to cum.  So he stroked his cock under the blanket covering him,
trying to do it as inconspicuously as possible, though there was nobody
around to notice in the dim lights.  He recalled him and Connor having fun
on a long flight they had taken, jerking off side by side, gazing into each
other's eyes, trying to stifle their laughter as they both shot their loads
under their blankets.

He tried to conjure that image again, then the vision of Connor fucking him
in the hotel room.  For a while it worked – Connor was quite the stud
– but Grady couldn't completely shake Mario's face from his thoughts,
his naked body fucking him in their bed as they used to do every night and
morning.  And it was that erotic vision that made him cum now.  He stifled
a gasp, caught his juice in his hand and reached for a napkin to avoid
staining the blanket.

He now tried to erase Mario from his mind, just as Mario at that moment was
trying to dismiss Grady as he cleaned up the restroom.  Grady heard the
soft click of the door latch, controlled his breathing and shut his eyes
tight in feigned sleep.  Mario came back, held his breath and climbed
noiselessly back into his flat bed.

Now that they had both achieved sexual release they were able to relax and
were soon asleep.  But not before each of them had stolen a last look at
the beautiful man beside him – though, fortunately, not at the same
time.

**********************************

In the morning when the cabin lights came up brighter and they woke, both
men tried to erase the event of last night from their minds.  They told
themselves it was an aberration, just a hangover memory of the past before
their mutual lust shut down forever.  They sat up, breakfast was served and
they exchanged hesitant small-talk – "sleep well?"... "great
breakfast"... "better than coach, eh?"

But as the time came closer to their arrival Mario sensed a change in
Grady.  Usually easy-going he was tensing up, with the same kind of focus
Mario used to see in him before he went to work at the studio.  Grady
pulled out the schedule again and said, "Can we go over this in more
detail?  See, I'll need your help every step of the way."

"Well first of all," Mario said, "what am I to be called?  `Friend' is a
bit lame, and you don't like `personal assistant.'  How about `personal
manager'?"

Grady flashed a smile.  "That's perfect.  Amico, I'm so glad you're here
with ..."  He checked himself ... must keep this professional ... and went
back to the schedule.  "Now you'll find the arrival a bit dazzling at
first.  But the most important thing is to keep up with me.  If we get
separated you'll find a door will be slammed in your face and everyone will
think you're just another fan trying to get in.  Here's my passport.  You
should deal with all that but it'll be a breeze – they always just waive
us through."

An hour before they landed Grady went to the lavatory to change out of his
loose casual clothes.  When he came back he was wearing the same clothes he
wears in the movie when Tarzan goes back to England as Viscount John –
tight brown goatskin leather pants with a loose white linen dress shirt
tucked into the pants at his slim waist.  The shirt was open enough to give
a glimpse of his tanned pecs bulging underneath."

"What d'ya think?" Grady grinned sheepishly.  "Corny eh?  The studio said I
had to wear what fans could associate with the publicity photos, and I
could hardly get off the plane in a loincloth."

"I'm sure the fans would have preferred the loincloth," Mario said with a
slight smile, "but this outfit looks very ... sexy."  He muffled the last
word not wanting to suggest any personal lust, even though his cock had got
stiff the minute Grady had appeared in the outfit.  But when he saw Grady
frown and tense up again he said, "Grady, you look gorgeous ... when the
fans see you you won't have to do a thing except stand there and smile."

"Yeah, and keep smiling for the rest of the day.  Not as easy as it looks."

Mario was beginning to understand the nervousness Grady felt at being in
the spotlight, the center of attention, turning on the charm and the
glamor, pleasing the studio and the fans.  And he realized what his own job
entailed – giving support to Grady that was logistical and emotional,
and boosting his ego along the way.

So as they finally began their approach to Fiumicino airport Mario squeezed
Grady's hand and said, "Don't worry, Grady, you look perfect ... you'll
knock `em dead."  Grady looked at him and said, "Thanks, man, I needed to
hear that so bad."

When they landed and the doors opened they were asked to stay seated while
the other passengers disembarked.  Then Warner Studios' local PR manager
came on board with a big smile and introduced herself as Lucia.  "I am such
a fan of yours, signore," she said to Grady.

"Grady," he grinned, "call me Grady. And this," he said proudly, "is my
personal manager Mario."

"Ciao," Mario said informally, "Piacere di conoscerti."

"Ah, sei Italiano!" she smiled.  "What a relief.  My English is not bad but
it's so good to have an Italian speaker with us.  You must find Mario very
helpful, Grady."

"In so many ways," Grady grinned at them both.  "OK, Lucia let's go.  Time
to meet the press."

When Grady had told Mario he might be dazzled by their reception he did not
expect it to be literally.  But that is exactly what happened.  When they
walked down the jet-way into the terminal they were met with a blizzard of
flashbulbs, so many and so bright that Mario was blinded for a moment.  He
had the presence of mind to keep to the side, out of the shot, knowing
instinctively that there should be few, if any, pictures of them both.

He watched Grady and marveled at how graciously and cheerfully he greeted
the crowd that had gathered, his fun-loving personality shining through.
He looked so totally glamorous in the camera flashes, with his wide smile
and sexy stride that Mario had a hard-on and wondered how many of the other
men there did too.

Passport and customs were a breeze as they were waived through as VIP's but
it took a long time to get through the crowd to the waiting limo.  Once
inside Grady sank back and sighed deeply.  "Well, that bit's done.  How
d'you like it so far, Mario?  I'm afraid it'll be like this all the time
from now on."

"I think I can handle it," Mario smiled, knowing that even if he couldn't
he should never let Grady know.  This was all about the star and Mario was
there to support him, even though they were ... had been ... devoted
lovers.  Mario winced at the thought and banished it.

Their reception in the lobby of their luxury hotel was the same circus as
before as Mario was immediately surrounded by fans, with security hovering
around them.  And Mario got to learn the first of the tricks.  He asked one
of the security guys to hold an elevator open, then stood at a discreet
distance but directly in Grady's eye-line.  When Grady glanced up at him
with a desperate look Mario went to him and said loudly, "Excuse me sir, we
have to go."

It was a good-cop bad-cop routine as Grady laughed, "Sorry, folks, my
jailers tell me I gotta leave.  Thanks for coming to see me."  Mario pulled
him quickly across the lobby to the waiting elevator, the doors closed just
in time and they breathed another sigh of relief.  Grady grinned at Mario.
"You're a natural at this, you know?  You sure you've never shepherded any
other celebrities around?"

"Oh, I've known a few," Mario smiled.  "Though it was never in the role of
shepherd."

*****************************

The security guy took them to their room – a two-bedroom suite.  Their
luggage had already been delivered and they found themselves alone at last
in the suite's foyer.  Grady looked at Mario and said, "I'm so nervous
about all this, buddy.  I know I make it look easy but inside I'm all
coiled up, careful not to make a mistake."  He paused uncomfortably.
"Mario, I'm sorry to ask you this but ... like ... could I have a hug?"

Mario opened his arms and Grady fell into them.  As they hugged tight Mario
felt Grady's body shivering against him, and he knew it was more panic than
passion, a desperate need to be held, to be supported in the task ahead.

When at last they separated Mario said, "Grady, you don't have to apologize
for needing support.  That's what I'm here for."  He pulled out the
schedule and said, "OK, we have two hours before they come and get us for
the signing.  What about wardrobe?"

"I'll still wear these pants and shirt for the mall appearance, then change
into something a bit more formal for the cocktail party and dinner.  And,
buddy, I know you didn't bring many clothes ... didn't expect all this
... but I've got a ton so take your pick."

"Right," said Mario. "OK, room service.  Let's order, then take a shower.
Each bedroom has its own shower.  We'll have lunch on the terrace –
great view of Rome – and relax before it all starts again."

"Aye-aye, sir," Grady grinned.  "You're in charge."

It seemed odd to them both to be in the same place but to shower
separately.  They went to their separate rooms and took off their clothes,
but the bathrooms were not far apart and they almost collided in the small
corridor, each of them naked.  Embarrassed they went quickly to their own
shower but the damage was done ... two huge boners.

In the past they always had sex together in the shower but now it was two
solo performances.  Mario had given up finding other masturbatory images.
He had just seen Grady naked and it didn't get sexier than that.  Oh well,
just once for old times' sake, he thought, and had no trouble shooting his
load.

Grady made no pretense and no excuses about it.  In his mind's eye he saw
his former lover in all his Italian glory – those chiseled features,
full lips and perfect physique, and he even breathed his name as he blasted
a stream of cum on the wall, to be quickly washed away like a sad memory.

Later, as they ate lunch on the terrace, facing each other, not saying
much, their minds went back to all the times they had eaten meals like
this, knowing that sex would follow.  Not this time though – a thing of
the past.  But Grady, as always, could read Mario's mind and smiled at him.
"Those were the days, eh, buddy?"

**********************************

The rest of this crowded, exhausting day, Mario really proved his worth.
At the photo signing, scheduled for 90 minutes, there were long lines of
fans in the mall but Grady's good humor never flagged and he had the knack
of making every fan feel he or she was the only person in the room when he
spoke to them.  Mario kept checking the line with security and when the 90
minutes were up whispered in Grady's ear, "Have you had enough?"

"We can't send people away when they've been waiting a long time," Grady
murmured.  "I'm good for a while longer."

When they eventually left, security hustled them out and they went back to
the hotel to change.  As Grady had predicted, the cocktail party and dinner
were a trial as the executives and their wives did not have the deference
that the public did.  But at the dinner Mario was exceptional, charming the
ladies as he conversed with them in Italian, and keeping an eye on Grady,
rescuing him several times when one of the guests tried to monopolize him.

Mario watched in admiration as Grady turned on the charm, his beauty and
kind-heartedness combining with his sense of humor to win everyone's heart.
As one of the security guards whispered in Mario's ear later, "That guy
could charm the birds out of the trees."  As Grady had said, he made it
look easy, but Mario now knew how much it took out of him to be gracious
for hour after hour, with hundreds of eyes on him, the center of attention.

More significantly, Mario now realized how Grady had struck up such a tight
bond with Connor, depending on him so much and working in such close
harmony.  Mario understood how that affinity could, under all the stress,
become ever more personal and, yes, even sexual.  This was a world apart,
in a different universe from their lives in Los Angeles.  Yes, he
understood now ... but still could not forgive.

The dinner seemed interminable, and it fell to Mario to bring the evening
to a close.  He had already made friends with the nominal hostess of the
evening and when he saw the exhaustion in Grady's eyes he said quietly to
her in Italian that he was worried about Grady being fresh enough to carry
out tomorrow's program.

Seduced by Mario's gentle voice and smiling eyes she agreed and made a
short speech of thanks that ended the meal.  Grady and Mario were whisked
away to the hotel and in the elevator Mario watched Grady visibly crumple
before him, his eyes glazing over.  Once inside the suite the tension
overflowed and his relief found expression in tears.  He turned away and
tried to stifle his sobs.

Mario's heart melted and he came up behind Grady, folded his arms round him
and said, "Would you like me to order a drink?  Brandy, whatever?"

Grady turned his tear stained face to him, frowned and said, "No thank you.
All this right on top of the jet lag.  I'm so tired.  I gotta go to bed."
He stumbled in the direction of his bedroom but Mario impulsively called
after him.  "Grady ... would you like me to sleep with you?"

Grady turned and said desperately, "Oh, buddy, I didn't dare to ask you but
... would you?  It would help so much.

"Just sleep, mind you," Mario said with a gentle smile.

"Oh sure, sure," Grady said earnestly.  "I mean no, er ... well, I know
what you mean, and I agree ... I feel the same.  I'm so tired, amico ..."

So there was no drink, no shower, just the two ex-lovers getting naked and
falling into bed ... the same bed.  Grady closed his eyes immediately and
Mario gazed at him, watching the stress fade from his handsome face.  He
kissed him lightly on the cheek and said, "You were amazing today Grady.  I
watched them all fall in love with you."

Grady's eyes opened and he said eagerly, "Do you think so, Mario, do you
really think I did OK?  Near the end I didn't know what I was even saying,
but I don't think I let anyone down, do you?"

"You were dazzling, amico, a real star, and you'll be great tomorrow.  But
now you must sleep."

Mario's instinct was to fold his arms round him, but he was deterred by the
thought of Connor sleeping with Grady in exactly this way, in similar
circumstances ... and fucking him.  No, he would give Grady the security of
a bed-mate and that was all.

They turned on their sides, facing away from each other, their backs
touching, but that was all.  Except for their erections.  But even they
eventually went limp as jet-lag finally overwhelmed them and they fell into
a deep exhausted sleep.

***************************

The next day was easier, although the schedule was packed with on-screen
interviews and appearances.  But they were well rested and had now
perfected their teamwork, so they worked smoothly through all the events
scheduled for the morning and afternoon.  They finished in mid-afternoon
when the schedule gave Grady the rest of the day and the following day off.

"Day after tomorrow they're taking me to meet the people at Cinecittΰ,
the massive studio just outside Rome.  We might be shooting some of the
next movie there.  In the meantime I guess I'll just poke around Rome like
a regular tourist – the one hiding behind big dark glasses."

"And I will catch my train and then a bus to my village."

"Oh, about that," Grady said.  "I can't have my personal manager taking a
train and bus.  I've ordered a car and driver to take you there."

"Grady, you didn't have to do that," Mario protested.  "I've taken trains
and buses all my life ..."

"What's your village called?" asked Grady, ignoring his protests.

"Piansano.  My family has a small farm just outside the village.  Very
rustic, quite remote."

"Sounds idyllic," Grady said softly, letting the words hang in the air as
silence descended, as if both were on the point of saying something.
Eventually Mario took the plunge."

"Would you, er ... would you like to come ... meet my family?"

"I would like that, amico," Grady said simply, sensing that they had
crossed some kind of bridge.

And so that's what happened.  An hour later they were both sitting in the
back seat of a black town car being driven north through the unfolding
landscape of Tuscany, with its olive orchards, vineyards and precarious
hilltop villages.  They both felt the modern-day stresses of flashbulbs and
crowds draining away in the bucolic surroundings of this magical place.  It
was as if they were leaving one clamorous world for another far more
peaceful one.

They didn't speak much, but Mario was pleased to see Grady gazing out of
the window looking like a young boy discovering a whole new and exciting
playground.  As they drove past fields of lavender he lowered the window
and took in great lungsful of the heady perfume.

It was a drive of only an hour and a half and near the end Grady became
nervous about meeting Mario's family.  It was a culture of which he knew
nothing and, above all, he did not want his celebrity to dominate the
occasion and make the country people tongue tied, as so often happened
these days.

But he needn't have worried, for one simple and surprising reason.

After a drive through narrow winding roads and a final dusty track lined
with cypresses the car pulled up at the farmyard.  They sat in the car for
a moment and watched the hive of activity.  A long table had been set up in
a dusty courtyard under the shade of a sprawling carob tree and farmworkers
were trickling in from a day in the fields for the family dinner.

But suddenly ... Mario!  The car had been spotted and people started
running toward it.  Mario leapt out of the car, ran joyfully to meet the
crowd and was soon enveloped in the embraces of family members in a clamor
of laughter and greetings.

In the car the driver turned his head and smiled at Grady.  "That,
signore," he said in a heavy accent, "is a family of Tuscany ... always
loud, always emotional and always hospitable.  Your friend is obviously a
favorite son, and something exotic, coming from Hollywood.  It is a faraway
concept for them."

Grady let the din die down before he too exited the car and walked
nervously toward the throng.  Mario pulled himself away, came and took
Grady's arm and announced, "Questo θ il mio amico. Grady."

"Ah, che bello!"  Suddenly Grady found himself in a dizzying press of
enthusiastic handshakes, hugs, and kisses on the cheek from the older
ladies.  It was far from the tongue-tied reception he had feared – and
suddenly he knew why.  The truth dawned on him that they had no idea who he
was.  The driver had said that Hollywood was a distant concept for them and
apparently they didn't keep up with movie magazines and social media.

The relief was enormous.  They were welcoming him not as a movie star but
simply as Mario's friend.  And their embrace of him was far more gratifying
than the welcome of a thousand fans.

Mario gave Grady his most winning smile and shrugged, "Mia famiglia,
amico."

******************************

Mario was once again wrapped in the embrace of family and friends, and as
Grady watched he felt a stab of acute pain.  He had known this moment would
come, the moment for him to finally part with Mario ... for the last time.

He had postponed it as long as possible with his devious airplane stunt and
their time in Rome, but now this was it.  He had delivered Mario home to
his family ... it was over ... the car was waiting ... there was nothing
left to do.  He would leave unobtrusively ... couldn't face any tearful
farewells.  So as Mario talked to his excited friends Grady turned and
walked quietly toward the car.

Except ...  He hadn't reckoned with Mario's hospitable family.  "No, Grady
– dove vai?" they shouted.  They absolutely would not hear of Grady
leaving right away.  He was Mario's friend ... he had to stay for dinner.
His protests were drowned in their effusive and noisy insistence.

Eventually it was the driver who came up with a solution.  "I have cousins
living only 20 kilometers away who I would love to visit.  You call my cell
phone when you're ready to go back to Roma, signore, and I can be here in
twenty minutes."

The persuasive forces were irresistible, not least Grady's reluctance to
leave Mario.  And so he found himself sitting opposite Mario in a place of
honor at the table, dazzled by the noise and laughter of rural Italian
voices talking over each other.  The evening meal was a rowdy tradition
enjoyed by family, friends, farmworkers, everyone at the farm, a colorful
group gathered round the groaning table in the evening warmth, bathed in
the golden light of the setting sun.

And the food!  It gave a new meaning to the term homegrown – everything
produced, grown, picked on the farm, even to the wine that came from the
vineyards visible from the table.  Ancient culinary skills created tastes
and flavors not to be found in even the priciest restaurants.

Of course Grady couldn't follow the many conversations but seated beside
him was Mario's pert youngest sister whose English was good so she
translated for him.  In any case, Grady was happy to let the outpouring of
love and laughter simply wash over him.

He gazed at Mario, more animated than he had ever seen him, his handsome
face alive, tousled black hair falling over his brow, eyes sparkling as he
smiled from one family member to the next, all bombarding him with
questions that he answered in his sexy, lilting Italian.  He had never
looked more beautiful to Grady who choked up for a moment, feeling a knot
in his stomach as he was seized by a love for Mario stronger than ever
before.

Dinner went on forever until finally they were drinking grappa, the classic
Italian liqueur that was distilled here on the farm.  The meal started to
wind down, the farmworkers being the first to drift away to their beds.
Grady was engrossed in a slightly drunken Italian lesson with the young
sister when suddenly he realized that Mario was not there.  He looked up
sharply and in his shaky Italian asked, "Dove θ Mario?"

The little sister answered.  "He always had a favorite place here – out
in the meadow under a tree facing out over the valley.  I am sure he is
there.  He always went there when he wanted ... how you say? ... solitudine
per pensare ... to think."  She smiled mischievously.  "If you need him,
you just follow that path past the barn and down the hill."

If he needed him!  Suddenly Grady needed Mario more than anything else on
earth.  He gave the sister a kiss on the cheek, making her blush, and
quietly left the table.  He hurried along the path and when he rounded the
barn he saw that it sloped gently down through a meadow of long grass.  In
the light of a full moon it was a picture of breathless serenity.

At first all he could see was the grass waving in the warm evening breeze,
and the hills on the far side of the valley.  Then he saw the tree ... and
there was Mario sitting in the grass, his knees drawn up close, arms
wrapped round them.  As he came close Grady saw that Mario's shoulders were
shaking and, closer still, heard his sobs.  "No," Grady said softly and ran
toward him.  He came up behind him and sat down next to him.

Startled and embarrassed, Mario wiped his eyes with his shirtsleeve and
sniffed like a little boy hiding his tears.  Grady put his arm gently round
Mario's neck.  "Don't cry, amico.  I'm here."

Mario turned his tear-stained eyes on him, eyes that a short time ago had
sparkled with laughter.  "Are you, Grady?  Are you here?  Are we?"

Grady kissed his eyes, licked his tears and gazed at him, their faces
shining in the soft silver light of the full moon.  It was as if the world
were holding its breath.  The breeze had dropped and the only sound was the
insistent dry buzz of cicadas.

"Mario," Grady said simply, "please come home with me."

Mario stared at him.  "You mean ...?"

"I mean home to California when I go back.  Oh, buddy, I know I have no
right to ask you that after ... after ... everything.  I know you love your
family but you've got a family in L.A. too – me, Danny, Brian, all the
guys.  And we can always come back here and visit whenever you want."  He
grinned, gaining confidence.  "Long flight, but it wasn't so bad in first
class was it?  And maybe we can even hitch a ride on one of the studio's
corporate jets.  And there'll be limos both ends and I'll make sure ..."

Mario cut him off by pressing his finger against Grady's lips ... and began
to laugh.  "Grady, Grady, you always say too much.  I don't need the first
class, the private jets, the limos at both ends.  I just need you, amico.
I always have, always will.  So I ask you again.  Are we here?  Are we
here, you and I ... together?"

"For ever and ever, Mario.  If that's what you want."

And suddenly they were in each other's arms.  The floodgates of their love,
suppressed for so long, now burst open and it was like the first time they
had made love.  Feverishly they pulled off each other's clothes – shirts
over their heads, shorts down their legs and they rolled over and over
naked in the long grass, clawing at each other, kissing, licking, biting in
a frenzy of lust that they had tried, and failed, to deny.

Finally, their breath heaving, Mario had Grady on his back, kneeling over
him, pinning his wrists to the ground.  Grady willingly surrendered and
Mario stared down at his captive's beautiful, sculpted features, his hair
disheveled, eyes dancing, the muscles of his perfect body rippling as he
took deep breaths beneath him.

Grady stared up in disbelief at the smiling Italian, his dark face almost
surreally handsome backlit by the moon.  "Oh," Grady moaned, "I have missed
you so bad ... I love you so much ... always did."  Then his eyes crinkled
with the playful, mischievous look Mario loved so much.  "You know what I
want, amico ... what I always want from you.  You know something? ... I
jerked off in the plane thinking about it when you went to the restroom."

"Me too," Mario laughed ... "all over the restroom mirror."  They laughed
together, and then Mario's expression became tender, regretful.  "Amico, we
have been so foolish ... angry and obstinate ... so foolish.  Let us
forgive each other, amore.  We know how to do that, don't we?"  He dribbled
saliva into the palm of his hand and stroked it up and down his long, hard
shaft.  He pushed Grady legs back, pressed the head of his cock between his
ass cheeks and said softly, "Ti amo, amico."

Grady's heart pounded and once again the world held its breath.  He opened
his eyes wide as he felt his lover enter him, felt his long cock slide
gently slowly inside him, pause teasingly, then continue into the warm
depths of his ass.  His head flew back and he heaved a deep sigh of utter
bliss.

"Oh ... oh ... Mario, it feels so ... I love you ... I love you.  Fuck me,
amico.  I thought I would never be able to say that to you again.  Please,
fuck me ... show me you forgive me, Mario.  Please forgive me ..."

"Ssshh... Mario smiled.  "All that is over.  All that remains is this ..."
He pulled his cock all the way back, then eased it in again, savoring the
warm sensuality of his lover's ass.  He took his hands off Grady's wrists
and rested his palms flat on his chest.  Grady reached his freed hands up
and ran his fingers through his lover's shock of black, curly hair, then
traced the contours of his face, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye,
then stroked his neck and down over the mounds of his pecs, gently teasing
his nipples.

And that's how they made love – touching, stroking, caressing, sighing
– losing all sense of time.  The longer they made love the more they
erased the pain of separation from their memory. The old clichι `love
conquers all' had never been truer than now as their lovemaking triumphed
over all their recent anger and despair, banishing them to an ugly,
forgotten past.

Grady sighed, "Oh, it feels so good.  Don't stop, Mario ... don't ever stop
... please ..."

As Mario's body rose and fell over him he smiled, "I will never stop loving
you, amico ... I never did.  Never again will I leave you."

"Never again," echoed Grady.  By now tears were rolling down their faces,
the only possible reaction to the overwhelming surge of love carrying them
to their climax.  Grady said, "Buddy, I'm real close ... can we cum, and
later make love again, and again, and forever?"

"You read my mind, amico.  You could always do that."

There were no shouts, no writhing, just two men under a tree in a meadow,
pouring out their passion now reignited after being extinguished by a
rupture that would never, ever be repeated.

*******************************

Emotionally and physically exhausted they lay in each other's arms, licking
each other's tears from their faces, coming to terms with what had just
happened, hoping it was real and not just a trick of the moonlight.  The
warm breeze wafted over them rustling the long grass around them, and the
cicadas seemed to be buzzing more excitedly than ever.

"This was always my magical place," Mario said dreamily.

"Well it worked its magic again amico," Grady said. "Now it's our magical
place."

"Grady," Mario asked eagerly, "can we stay here at the farm tomorrow and
I'll show you all the places I loved as a boy?"

"Amico, we can do whatever you want ... and I would love that."  He fished
in his discarded shorts for his cell phone.  "I'll tell the driver.  The
Cinecittΰ thing isn't `til the afternoon of the following day so I'll
ask him if he can wait with his cousins `til then and ..."

"No, Grady, let him go back to Rome when he wants, and we'll take the bus
and train like ordinary folks do.  Would you like that?"  He grinned slyly.
"Can you do without a limo?"

Grady's eyes sparkled.  "Idiota!  To quote something I heard recently, `I
don't need first-class, I don't need a limo ... I just need you'.  Taking
the bus and train with you would be fun.  Listen, before we sleep can I
call Danny and give him the news?  Those kids are feeling real unhappy."

"Of course you must.  Put the phone on speaker."

It was lunchtime in Los Angeles and Danny and Brian were having a
melancholy meal in the kitchen when the phone rang.  "Danny, it's Grady.
I'll be back on Saturday afternoon ... and I'll have someone with me
... someone you know ... someone you love."

"Sir ... do you mean ... Mario, sir?"  They too had the phone on speaker
and the men could hear their cheers ringing round the kitchen.

"Buongiorno, ragazzo," Mario said.  "Yes we are coming home together,
forever."

"Sir," came Brian's excited voice, "can we tell the other guys?  And can we
have a party?"

"Of course we can," Mario laughed.  "Though the day after we arrive,
please.  Can you handle a big party for all the guys?"

"Of course we can," Danny said, and Brian added, "We'll ask Tommy to come
and help us.  We think he's having problems with Lloyd and Steve ... he's
having a lot of sex with Lloyd and Steve's real upset.  You'd think that
him being a shrink and all he'd be able to ..."

Brian stopped suddenly as Danny dug him in the ribs.  "Oops, sorry, sir.
Talking too much, I sound just like Eddie.  It's just that I'm so excited
..."

"We are too," Mario said.  "I've missed your voice so much and when we get
home you can talk for as long as you want."

"But we have to sleep now – it's late here," said Grady.  "Ciao
bambini," Mario laughed.

Grady shut off the phone and smiled at Mario.  "You said `when we get
home'.  That sounds so good.  Hey, it's warm tonight.  Do you want to sleep
out here?  We don't have a blanket, but ..."

"But we have each other, amore."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that," Grady teased.  "Yeah, we do have each other
... we sure do."

And so they slept in the long grass all night, wrapped in each other's
arms.

***************************

TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Chapter 341


Hey guys, this is Rob Williams.  I hope that chapter got you off, and I
welcome your comments and suggestions, which can be very helpful in
planning future chapters.  E-mail me in confidence at rw6789@aol.com.

ALSO, I invite you to visit my Web-site www.atrialofstrength.com. You can
read the whole story, all the many chapters, with extras, including
pictures and biographies of all the characters.  Click on the `Our Story'
tab to read the current chapter, or click on the green button to browse all
the chapter synopses.  Enjoy