If you are under age, or live in an area where reading stories that include sex between males is illegal, or if you're not into this type of story, please leave. This is a fictional story that takes place in a world where everything is safe. In the real world where many things are not, the characters would take precautions. Please respect yourself and others enough to always play safe.
If you have read any of my previous stories you will know that I tend to be a romantic with a bent toward happy endings. This story starts out as a potential romance but is one that takes a wrong turn, or so it seems. And as for the ending, you'll just have to read on. The author retains all rights. No reproductions or links to other sites are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at NJMcMick@yahoo.com.
Chapter 15
I came home to an empty house Monday evening. As her message had said, Anne had left to spend Christmas with her parents at their home in Raleigh. I had considered bringing Carlos home with me but even though he and I had spent so much time together at the house in August, it didn't seem right now. Not that it had seemed right that first time I brought him home. Sleeping with him in my bed, Anne's bed, was so wrong. But like nearly everything else with him, it soon felt right.
Now it didn't even feel like I belonged in the house. Anne and I had lived there over six years but in the space of one weekend it had become forever linked to my past. I was moving on to a new life and a new home would come with that. But where? Christmas was still a week away so that meant I had maybe ten days before Anne would be back. I had to have a new place to live by then. Finding an apartment in such a short time, especially over Christmas week, would be impossible. The best thing would be a residential hotel in New York, convenient to work, convenient to Carlos. The idea of sharing an apartment with him was a happy one, but it was probably too soon for that. We were trying to take it slow. Besides, it occurred to me that it would probably be a good idea for me to live on my own at least until the divorce went through. Anne had to know now that something was going on between Carlos and me but there was no point in giving her more ammunition when it came time to work out a financial settlement.
I spent some time at work the next couple of days calling small hotels all over Manhattan. Then after work Carlos accompanied me to check out two or three of them. Since my original plan had been to spend Christmas with Anne's parents, I had Thursday and Friday off from work. I came into the city Thursday and spent the day checking out hotels. By late afternoon I'd settled on one near Union Square that was as much as I could hope for. The building was old as were all of the hotels I'd looked at, but it was well maintained and clean. I would only have a bedroom but it had a sitting area and a microwave, coffeemaker and tiny refrigerator. All of the comforts of home. I took the room effective immediately, intending to move in the next day, but determined to christen the bed with Carlos once he got out of work.
I paid the first week's rent in advance, took the room key and headed down to Rick's. Carlos got there right after I did, before I even had my drink. I told him about the room as he ordered his beer. We decided to have only the one drink, go get something to eat and then go back to the hotel. We had something to celebrate.
Carlos shocked me when we got to the room. First he pulled me into his arms and kissed me, which wasn't shocking, but then me whispered in my ear.
"My ass is yours tonight, Ry. Fuck me, plow me or just make love to me, it's up to you."
We undressed and as soon as I saw him crawl into bed I knew what I wanted to do first. I stopped him while he was still on all fours, grabbing his hips and pulling that hot little dark brown ass toward me. I put a hand on either cheek and parted them, exposing his tiny pinkish brown pucker and then leaned forward and flicked the tip of my tongue at it. I teased it for a moment and then ran my tongue up and down his ass crack in broad strokes, licking him, trying to devour his ass. He moaned as I spread him more, piercing his hole with my pointed tongue, working it inside him. As he wiggled his ass I could feel his muscles relax and I went deeper inside. I sucked his entire loosened pucker into my mouth and then plunged my tongue further in. I wanted so badly to get inside him, to be inside him.
My dick was rock-hard and drooling precum. I ran my right hand over the head, spreading the slick goo around, added some lube and then stood, aiming my head at Carlos' loosened hole, wet with my saliva. I pressed into him and felt my dick sink in, sliding in that hot moist chute into his hot furnace. When I was all the way in I wanted to go even further. I took only a second to enjoy the warmth spreading from his body to mine and then began to fuck. I slid out until the edge of my head was gripped by his ring and then thrust back in. I repeated the motion over and over, pulling his hips back so as I thrust forward into him I was sliding his body back onto my rod. Carlos was so obviously into it as he rocked his whole body in rhythm with the pistoning and moaned each time I massaged his prostate. I wanted it to last forever but the physical sensations combined with the knowledge that I was inside the man I loved took me over the edge in less than ten minutes and I exploded deep inside him with one last penetrating thrust. I collapsed onto his back and he fell forward onto the bed as well.
After a minute Carlos moved under me and I rolled off him, feeling my softening dick pull out of him. He rolled onto his side and faced me.
"You've had the room less than six hours and you need a new bedspread already." I looked down and saw the wet spots where he'd shot his load. "So, old man, think you can go second time? I'd really like to do that again in a position where I can see you this time."
"I'm not as old as you think I am, punk. You can get me up and running any time."
So we did it a second time. This time it was more like making love, with his legs pressed back to his chest and me able to lean down and kiss him now and then as we slowly fucked. And being the old man that I was, it took me lots longer to come the second time. Afterwards we cuddled, Carlos in my arms for a change.
"Now just because I let you fuck me don't be getting any ideas about being a top, Ry."
"Are you still on that kick, Carlos? I thought that maybe now that we've admitted that we have feelings for each other and are going to see where that takes us, things would become more normal between us."
"What's normal anyway? For us, me being in charge and bossing you around has been pretty normal. I'm not saying that I want the kind of master-slave relationship some of those guys at the contest seemed to have, but sometimes I really get off on giving you orders and making you do stuff. And don't try to say you don't love it when I do. You may bitch and moan but then you go ahead and do what I say and end up loving it."
"Well, yeah, there's something exciting about not being in charge, not having to make the decisions. But that doesn't mean I always want to be a bottom in bed."
"I think it's pretty clear that we're both pretty versatile sexually." He grinned. "And your hole is becoming more versatile all the time. So I'm sure we'll be switching around lots in bed. But most of the time it'll be my call. If you have any requests you can make 'em and I'll take 'em into consideration, but that doesn't mean you'll always get your way. Usually, I'll get mine."
"Your way isn't always what I have in mind but it's usually pretty damn good, so I can go with that for now, but am I safe in assuming that your ultimatum is over now?"
"My ultimatum?"
"Yeah, you know, I have to do everything you say but if I really don't want to do something and say no, then it's over between us, totally."
"Well, I think you know that I'm not going to stop seeing you if you refuse to do something I say, but I don't think you're going to refuse me anyway. You like doing what I say."
I hated to admit it but he was right. For some reason I loved it when he made me do things.
"I really do like it, Carlos, but I don't like feeling like I'm a slave. Just like I'm not a total bottom in bed. I like lots of things."
"As you've learned I can be very spontaneous and sometimes I can be a very greedy bottom, so you'll get to do everything you like. And you're not my slave, not even my boy, most of the time, anyway. You're man and I love it that you are. I can't think of anything hotter than you, a real man, doing my bidding."
"Hmm, doing your bidding. Sounds pretty masterful to me, in spite of what you were saying."
"Nah, just a bit dominant. And you're just a bit submissive, so together we're perfect."
"So what are you doing for Christmas? Family?"
"Yeah, back to the Bronx Sunday night and Monday both. Maybe I'll ruin everyone's holiday and tell them all about my new boyfriend." I smiled as he used that term to refer to me for the first time. "What about you, babe? You gonna be all alone? I could cut out on the family early."
"I think I'll drive up to Syracuse. My parents think I went to Raleigh today so I have to call them and explain a little anyway. I might as well go up there and tell them everything."
"Shit! You're gonna come out? Are you sure you're ready for that?"
"No, but then I don't know if I'll ever be ready. Christmas isn't exactly the best time to drop a bombshell like this, but once I tell them I didn't go away with Anne I have to tell them what's going on."
"I could go with you if that would help. You know I don't look forward to my family gatherings."
"Thanks, but although I'm going to tell them about you I think it might be better to wait until after they've had time for my news to sink in before they meet you."
"Yeah, it'll be enough of a shock finding out their golden boy is queer without meeting his little Rican boyfriend at the same time."
"My parents don't have any more prejudices than the average person but I think you're right. It's probably best to break things to them slowly."
Carlos spent the night and when he left for work in the morning I left for the house to pack my things. I'd spent some time the past couple of nights organizing my things, trying to decide what I would take. Knowing any hotel room I'd get would have only a small closet, I'd gone to a local storage facility and rented a small storage bin. I set aside a few personal items to take with me to the hotel and a lot of my clothing, but there would be lots of stuff going into storage. Of course, once the house was sold even more would have to be divided up between Anne and me.
I made a few trips to the storage facility and then packed the car with things to take to the hotel. I made myself a sandwich and washed it down with a beer while getting up the nerve to make the call I'd been dreading. Anne had said she didn't want to talk to me until she got home but now that I'd made up my mind to move on with my life, I had to tell her. I had no idea what was going on in her head. I was sure she would still be furious but maybe she was thinking that after a suitable amount of groveling on my part she could forgive me and we would move on. Or maybe the idea of divorce was in her mind as well. Either way, it was only right that I tell her what I was thinking. I owed her that much, at least.
I finally picked up the phone and made the call. I half expected it to go to voice mail. I was surprised that she answered but not surprised by the tone of her voice. She sounded almost like an impersonal recording.
"Ryan, I told you I didn't want to talk until I got home. I'm still too shocked, appalled and humiliated to think straight. I have no interest in hearing your excuses or apologies."
"I'm not going to offer any excuses for my behavior but I do owe you an apology for my actions that have hurt you. I hurt you and I am sorry."
"Are you sorry for having been in those photographs or sorry that I saw them?"
I had to stop and think. I knew what I wanted to say but if we were going to divorce court I knew I would have to be careful what I told her.
"I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you."
"And I'm supposed to accept your apology and go on as if you hadn't done anything, as if you hadn't humiliated me in front of our friends?"
"No, I don't expect that. In fact, I have made many discoveries about myself in recent months that have affected how I see my life." I took a deep breath. "I think that this isn't something we can work out or get over. The best thing for both of us is a divorce."
There was a long silence on the other end of the line.
"You're really queer for that little nigger, aren't you?"
"Anne, your bigotry is not attractive. This has to do with me and no one else. I have realized I don't belong in this marriage. It's not right for me and I'm not right for you. That's all there is to it."
"You may be right. I don't think I will ever get those pictures out of my head. My parents have been talking divorce all week but I was going to give it some time before making a decision."
"I've moved to a hotel in the city and put some of my personal things into storage. We'll talk when you get back."
"I assume Matt will be representing you. Chaz has recommended the lawyer who handled his divorce. Why don't we let our attorneys do the talking? I really have nothing to say to you any more."
"If that's the way you want it, Anne."
"I do. You know you're going to pay through the nose for this, don't you?"
"I intend to be fair."
"There's probably a big difference between what I think is fair and what you think is fair. We'll let the court decide."
It hadn't gone well but it was over. I still felt guilty but I was relieved that I wouldn't have to talk to Anne again. I called Matt to tell him about the call and he suggested I drop by his office before going back to the city.
"Anne's right, you know," he said as I settled into the comfortable chair opposite his desk. "This divorce is really going to cost you."
"I understand that. She hasn't worked since we've been married and I've provided her with a very good lifestyle. I know she's entitled to half of everything, including decent alimony."
"She may end up with more than that. Those pictures are bad but they don't prove infidelity. If she can present conclusive evidence that you have been sleeping with Carlos she may get the house and half of everything else plus half your salary."
"I can't give her the house. It's doubled in value since we bought it and I was counting on using my half of the equity to get me started again."
"You may be able to, but as things stand she's the wronged party here. Worst case scenario is that she might get to keep the house and you may have to pay the mortgage for her. So we have to keep her from proving you've been screwing Carlos, or vice versa. Don't worry about Frank, Amy, Sara or I saying anything. No one would think to ask us anyway. But who else knows what you and Carlos have been doing?"
"Jose, Carlos' friend and roommate. We've had sex with him occasionally."
"I think I should talk to him about keeping quiet."
"No!" I said that a bit more vehemently than I intended. "He hates my guts and will do anything to screw things up for me. Better to just keep him out of the loop."
"If you say so. Has that photographer got any pictures of you and Carlos actually having sex? The ones in the show may be erotic but aren't really incriminating."
I thought for a minute. "There was one pose in the contest where Carlos had the head of his dick on my tongue. And after the contest I sucked Carlos off in the club and I think Spike may have taken pictures of that."
Matt shook his head and gave a little laugh. "Damn, Ryan, I just can't believe you. Who woulda thought? Well, I've got to talk to that photographer and get those pictures from him before Anne's lawyer subpoenas him. Since we could have an action against him for showing the pictures without a release he may be cooperative."
"Anything else?"
"No, but please try to be discreet with Carlos from here on." He looked pensive for a moment. "So what's the story with Anne and this guy Chaz? Any chance there's something going on there?"
"No way! I mean, they knew each other in high school and dated in college so I assume they slept together back then, but they've just been friends ever since. Chaz was married for a couple of years not long ago. He and Anne are so much alike that except for the fact that he is totally hetero I usually just think of him as another one of Anne's girlfriends."
"Well, as you said, he is straight and they have a history. From what I gather Anne spent the night at his place after the fiasco at the gallery and didn't you say he spent a week with her family last summer down in North Carolina?"
"Yeah, but I still don't think there's anything going on there."
"But if she brings Carlos into it we can send someone down there to ask around."
"I'm sure her parents would have a fit if there was any implication that she was having an affair."
"Good, that's the reaction we'd want. But for now, we'll try to be reasonable."
I decided to make my last call of the day from the hotel. I had to let my parents know I wasn't in Raleigh and would be up on Christmas Eve but really didn't want to get into it on the telephone. I cheated and waited until I knew Mom would be putting dinner on the table to call, making sure it would be a short conversation.
Carlos spent the night with me at the hotel both Friday and Saturday. I knew we'd decided against trying to live together so soon but it looked like we were going to be spending a lot of time together anyway, which was fine with me.
I left for Syracuse a little before eleven on Sunday. All the way up the Thruway I rehearsed what I was going to say, even though I didn't know how far I would go with my story. I could just tell them that Anne and I were splitting up without coming out, or I could come out without telling them about Carlos. Or I could go all the way and tell them everything. Well, almost everything. I wasn't about to tell anyone some of the details. Anyway, I practiced the entire story, figuring I would play it by ear and cut it off when I thought my parents had had all they could absorb.
I tensed up when I saw Todd's Jeep in the driveway when I got to the house. I loved Katie but I wasn't sure I wanted to go through all of this with a big audience. Todd opened the door as I stepped onto the front porch. He pulled me into a hug.
"How're ya doin', bro?"
"Getting by, I guess."
"Katie's over at her folks' helping her mom with dinner. We're eating there tonight and here tomorrow but I thought you might want to only have to tell your story once and you might need some moral support." He put his hands on my shoulders and held me at arm's length, a look of compassion in his eyes. "Anne found out about the babe, right?"
"More or less, but it's more complicated than that. Let me in and I'll tell you all everything."
I greeted Mom and Dad, put my bag in my old room and then we all settled in the living room with drinks. Dad cut right to the chase.
"From what little you told your mother the other day it's obvious there's trouble between you and Anne. We just want you to know we're here for you, son. We don't want to pry but you can talk to us if you need to."
"Thanks, Dad. I do need to talk things out and I want you guys to know what's going on." I took a deep breath. Four hours of rehearsals on the highway had completely evaporated from my head. "Anne and I are getting a divorce."
There it was. No background, no roundabout leading up to it, no gentle hints. I just blurted it out. Not at all how I'd planned to start. Todd didn't look as surprised as my parents but then he'd known I was having an affair. Mom was at a loss for words but quiet old Dad was more composed.
"This seems to be pretty sudden. Are you sure there isn't some way to work things out? I know Anne has always been a bit stiff and, er, opinionated, but you two have always seemed to be a pretty good team."
"That's just it, Dad. We've worked together as a team. While that may be part of what makes a good marriage it can't be everything. Especially when our goals aren't in sync."
"But you always seemed to be in agreement before. Your father and I thought you liked the life you had with Anne."
"Maybe I haven't been the most self-aware person, Mom. I think maybe I didn't have a clear idea of what I wanted so I let Anne lead the way. But I've learned a lot about myself in the past six months and I know that's not what I want now."
"And what do you want? Are you sure this isn't some early mid-life crisis?" Dad seemed skeptical.
"I've learned there's more to life than a career and social standing. There can be passion, a joy in just being alive."
"Well, that's certainly important. I'll have to admit we haven't seen much evidence of joy in either you or Anne. Your father and I have worried that you were taking life too seriously. But that doesn't mean you have to break up your marriage."
I could see from the look on Dad's face that he was beginning to suspect a bit of the truth.
"It sounds to me like maybe you've met someone, Ryan, someone who has shown you passion and joy. Is that what's happened?"
I glanced over at Todd. He raised his eyebrows and nodded.
"Well, actually Dad, yes. I wasn't looking for anyone and it took me completely by surprise, but the past several months have been the most exciting and rewarding of my life."
"Are you sure this is something real, not just some excitement after years of a staid marriage? A seven year itch kind of thing? Even good marriages can get stuck in a rut if you're not careful."
"This is definitely real, Dad. We both have strong feelings for each other but it's too early to say it will last. I hope it will."
There was a long silence during which Todd got up and refreshed our drinks. I'd given Mom and Dad quite a bit to think about and I wasn't sure I wanted to go any further. Dad stared at his drink, slowly rotating the glass in his hand.
"So you're sure it's over with Anne? No chance of finding this passion or joy with her?"
"Definitely. Now that I've experienced the real thing I realize what I had with Anne wasn't even close."
"Well, we certainly want you to be happy, dear, but we want you to be sure as well." Mom seemed to be trying to be tactful in putting her thoughts into words. "You know we've accepted Anne into the family but she can be, um, trying at times. Of course, we all have our difficult moments."
"I appreciate how you've accepted her. It's certainly more than her family ever did with me."
Again there was an awkward pause, this time broken by Todd.
"So bro, you gonna tell us about this 'other woman' who's stolen your heart?"
I hesitated before answering. I'd known this would be the hard part. They'd never been very fond of Anne so losing her from their lives wouldn't upset them much, especially if they knew it was what I wanted. But the rest^Å I took a deep breath.
"Oh, what the hell, you're gonna have to know anyway. There isn't another woman. There's another man."
The silence was deafening. Mom and Dad both had shocked looks on their faces. Todd's mouth was hanging open. I rushed to get in some damage control.
"I realize this is a shock to you all. I've known since forever that I was bisexual but I just suppressed that side of me, figuring it couldn't lead to anything productive anyway. And since I was also attracted to some women it wasn't hard to live a more socially acceptable life. But then I met him last spring and it's like I knew instantly that he was the one. The one I wanted, the one I just had to be with."
Mom and Dad were still speechless but Todd, though no less shocked, was at least able to speak.
"Jesus, you're serious! You're really que-, er, doin' it with a guy?"
"Todd, it's a lot more involved than just 'doin' it' with this guy. I'm in love with him. Believe me, I've probably been as shocked about this turn of events as you all are. It's taken a bit of time for me to understand and accept so I know what you're going through. Please just try to keep an open mind and remember I'm still the same guy, deep down."
"You're right, this is going to take some getting used to, son." Dad seemed to be slowly recovering. "You'd never given us any reason to think something like this might happen. I'm not very comfortable with this whole subject but then I've never had to think about it much either."
"Your father's right, Ryan. I just don't want to think about you being with another man."
"I know, Mom, but try not to think about the specifics of it. After all, I'm sure you never thought about me 'being with' Anne. You just took it for granted that we were a couple so something was happening between us but what it was wasn't your business. It's the same thing with Carlos."
"Carlos? He's Spanish?"
"Yes, Todd, Puerto Rican to be exact." I launched into a long monologue about Carlos, how we'd met, what he was like, and finally, what he looked like. It was a lot for them to absorb and they didn't have any questions, just listened as I talked. "Look, I know this is a lot for you to take in. Would it be better if I went home or at least stayed in a hotel so you can have some time to think and talk about it?"
"No Ryan, it's Christmas and we're still family, no matter what. You belong here with us. But like we said, it's going to take some time to adjust to this."
"Thanks, Mom. I think maybe I'll go lie down for a while and rest up from my trip. And that'll give you folks a chance to talk."
Todd walked me out to the front hall. "I'm sorry for what I started to say in there, bro. I'm not really homophobic. Katie's got a gay cousin I like a lot. You just shocked me, that's all. "
"Thanks for trying to understand. And please try to help Mom and Dad through this. I hate dumping all this on them, especially at this time of year."
"Don't worry about them, they're pretty resilient. And they love us both a lot so it would take something a whole lot worse than this to turn them against you. They'll come around."
"If it helps, keep in mind that Carlos does make me happy, happier than I've ever imagined being."
He nodded. "I could tell that back when you were up here over Thanksgiving. Of course I thought it was a babe then, but I could tell 'she' had made a tremendous, positive change in your life. I think when Mom and Dad see that they'll be okay with it."
I looked at my little brother. "How did you end up so wise and caring?"
"I had a good role model, big brother."
To be continued.