Love Is Where You Find It Chapter Thirteen
If Russell thought he would feel uncomfortable at dinner, like a stranger perhaps, he was sadly mistaken. It was obvious that the people at the table had forged themselves into a close knit gay family. What was most wonderful, they seemed to be welcoming him to join them. He could almost hear the thoughts of the older couple, "Join us. We have more than enough love to go around."
Much to his surprise and delight, he felt like he did indeed belong to this group of terrific guys. The happiness he felt cannot be described. All evening long, he had to keep himself from crying with joy. The only thing missing for him was a partner. The others were all here with their life partners, and it was obvious how much they loved each other. Somehow, he was convinced that now, as his life was turning around, he would find someone and soon. Poor Russ, he was completely oblivious to the drooling waiters all over the restaurant. Anyone of them would gladly have gone home with him.
As they all stood up to go home, nobody was shy about kissing one another on the lips and hugging each other like bears. Russ was absolutely included in the farewell ritual. Brad gave Russ last minute instructions to our home. He went to his car and we all went to Larry's. Jamie and Jim elected to stay behind for an after dinner drink at the bar.
Sunday morning found Brad acting like a frisky kitten. "What's up with you?" I demanded to know.
"Nothing, nothing at all is up. I just know for a fact that Clint and Russ are going to hit it off big time."
"Well, I'd calm down, if I were you," I told Brad. "I don't want you to be disappointed if it doesn't happen."
"Oh, it will, I know it. You'll see!"
We showered separately. While Brad was in the bathroom performing his morning ritual, I was setting the breakfast table for three. I set up the coffee and took out some frozen bagels from the freezer. They would be defrosted by the time Russ got here.
"Your turn," I heard Brad yell at me. I went upstairs. Brad was still drying himself. Naked or fully dressed, every time I saw Brad, my cock would start to stiffen. Brad started to laugh.
"Not now, stud. We have a guest coming for breakfast." He kissed me and pointed toward the bathroom.
When we sat down to breakfast, Brad said to Russ, "All we're having is coffee and a bagel. You can fill that magnificent body of yours at brunch after church. This is just to hold us over."
"That's not a problem. It's enough just being here with you guys."
Just then there was a knock on the back door which led into the kitchen and there stood Betty and Jeanne, Ken and Fred."
"I just spoke to Larry," Ken said and he told us about your friend Russ here so we just stopped by to meet him before heading on to church, and to wish him good luck at the new job."
As Russ was introduced to our neighbors, he held out his hand, but each of them planted a kiss on his cheek. It was hard to read the emotions on his face. I could see he was surprised, pleased, touched, overwhelmed and about to cry. In twenty-four hours he had gone from knowing nobody in town to meeting a whole slew of new friends. And hadn't Brad promised him that he would meet many others in church that morning?
Chuck drove, and Brad, Russ and I squeezed into the back seat. "Is something special going on at the church today?" Chuck asked as he drove to the far end of the church parking lot without finding a single parking space. Finally he left the lot and we found street parking about two blocks away.
We found our neighbors waiting outside the church with dozens of others. "What's going on?" Fred asked. We were lucky enough to get the last parking spot."
"Didn't you know?" a stranger asked. "Reverend Haynes is performing a commitment ceremony today."
"Wow!" we all uttered.
We rushed into the church to find seats. Russ, Brad and I squeezed into a space which should have been for two. I lost sight of our dads and neighbors in the scramble to find a place. Brad and I watched Russ carefully as Clint came to the altar. He looked particularly handsome this morning. He was wearing white robes especially for the occasion.
"Isn't he hot?" Brad leaned over and asked Russ.
"Hot is an understatement," Russ answered. "In my book, he sizzles."
Brad was reading the church bulletin with today's service. When he got to the names of the two men who were committing, he gave a low whistle. "I know these guys," he said more to Russ than to me. "They're clients. I wonder if Jamie and Jim are here." He looked around, but the church was just too crowded to spot anyone.
After the service and after the commitment ceremony, the congregation was invited to the social hall. The celebrants had provided all the food, and when I saw the spread, I knew that brunch was out that day. Brad took us over to meet the clients who had committed and Jamie and Jim appeared out of nowhere.
"It's nice to see you two atheists here today," Brad said.
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Jim answered.
Brad hardly heard him. He was concentrating on looking for Clint so he could introduce him to Russ. It was not until the crowd began to thin that we spotted Clint talking to a group of young men who were gushing all over him.
"Let's go rescue him," I said to Brad. As the three of us approached Clint, and when he saw us, he excused himself from the group and walked toward us. He kissed us both and whispered, "Thanks. Those queens were making me sick with all their false praise. And who is this Adonis you have with you?"
"This handsome man, but not as handsome as you, is Russ Wilson. Starting tomorrow morning, he'll be working with me."
"Lucky you!" Clint said and he reached out to shake Russ's hand. When their hands met, I knew Brad had been absolutely correct. The sparks were flying. The air around us got ten degrees hotter. Something was definitely happening here. Cupid, AKA Brad, had shot his arrows into the right hearts.
"Clint," Brad said. "Russ is hanging out with us this afternoon. "Why don't you come on over. We'll whip up one of our dads' style quickie barbeques for dinner."
Without diverting his eyes from Russ, Clint said. "I'll be there with bells on. Can I bring something?"
"Maybe a couple of six packs of Bud Light."
On the way out of the church, we ran into the firm of Pickler and Underwood and invited them also. To complete the party, we saw our neighbors heading for their car, and so we invited them also. When we finally caught up to our dads, we told them what was happening that afternoon and asked them to stop at a supermarket. We bought hamburger meat, hot dogs, hamburger and hot dog rolls, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, pickles, relish, potato chips, and plenty of soda. Brad's little match making efforts were costing us a pretty penny, but we were so happy to do it.
As Brad was getting the fire going in the barbeque, our dads brought over the plastic plates, plastic flatware, and oversized napkins. We had one big picnic table in the back yard, and Ken and Fred carried theirs over with the benches. We had let every couple there know that we were hoping that Clint and Russ would hit it off, and told them to try not to butt in if they saw them together. We needn't have worried. Russ and Clint wanted nothing more than to be alone together. They were huddled together most of the afternoon. A few times I noticed Clint put his hand on Russ and vice versa. I said something to Brad, but he had seen it also.
They were the first to leave and as their cars drove off, I could tell that Russ was following Clint. Hallelujah and amen!
Russ needed no training on the job. He was an old warhorse, but Brad went with him each time he started at a new client, just to introduce him. Most of the client's were gay, and after one look at Mr. Gay America, Brad didn't have to hang around for long, but since they came in one car, he was forced to.
Russ confided to Brad that he and Clint were spending a lot of time together and had dinner out once, but they had not yet had sex. They wanted to make sure it was the right thing for them.
"Clint told me about John or Carl or whoever, and I don't think he's over him yet," Russ said. "That's why I don't want to push sex until he's sure of me."
"Very wise," Brad agreed. "Aaron had a difficult time getting Devil Carl out of his system, and it negatively impacted on our relationship. Sometimes I think Carl could still talk Aaron into trusting him and helping him out. You're doing the right thing to wait for Clint to exorcise the demon."
"We have a date Friday night," Russ said. "Dinner and a movie. I'm really hoping he makes a move on me. I am so ready."
Having dealt with the effect Carl has on people, all Brad could mutter was, "Good luck!"
Friday night rolled around and Clint was busy getting ready for his date with Russ. He knew that if he wanted to, they could have sex, no, make love, tonight. Still when he looked at Russ's beautiful face, he could sometimes see John smiling at him. "I'm still in love with that no good SOB, and so is Aaron," he thought. "What's wrong with us? He must have drugged us with a lifetime lasting love potion. I should hate him, not love him. Shit! Shit! Shit!"
In that moment, when he realized how John was ruining his life, he vowed to purge him from his life. He knew my history with Carl, and so he knew that it was easier said than done, but he vowed to be stronger than I was. He also knew that he had fallen in love with Russ and he wasn't going to let anything ruin the purity of that love.
Clint parked his car in front of Russ's apartment. They had agreed that when he got there, he would honk his horn, and Russ would come out. Instead he got out of the car and knocked on Russ's door. As soon as Russ opened the door, he rushed in and Russ closed the door behind him. Clint embraced Russ, and looking in his eyes, he said, "I love you Russ, I want you. I need you. Do you feel anything for me?"
"Oh God! How can you ask me that question? Of course I feel the same way, but I had to wait for you to get rid of your emotional baggage. Can you tell me that you have?"
"Yes, I have. I swear before God. I'm rid of John. Please, Russ, kiss me."
The two lovers skipped both dinner and the movie that night, settling for coffee after the love making. They stripped quickly and examined themselves. They were both hard and Russ had a bead of precum already shining on his cut cock head. Clint was pleased to see that Russ was a little bit on the large size but nowhere near the massive size of John's cock. John had often complained that he wished Clint's cock was bigger. Russ found nothing small about Clint. He was erect and at least six inches, maybe a bit more. He was uncircumcised. "He's just the right size for my ass or my mouth," Russ thought.
They both liked what they saw and embraced, rubbing their cocks together. Russ started to giggle. "I never slept with my pastor before."
"I hope your pastor won't disappoint you," Clint said.
"There's nothing you could do to disappoint me," Clint declared with certainty in his voice.
They coupled three times each that night, making up for lost time, and in Russ's case, making up for bad sex. After each orgasm, achieved by oral sex, they held each other in a vice, reluctant to let go, wanting to meld together. They agreed to wait for another time before having anal sex. Neither had protection or lubrication with them.
"I've never been happier in my life," Russ said.
"Nor I," Clint echoed. "Your cum is the sweetest I have ever tasted. I'll never get enough of it."
"Just keep making love to me like you just did, and you'll get plenty of it. I promise," Russ assured him.
Clint stayed the night and they fell asleep fondling each other's cocks and balls. The first thing Russ said to Clint when he woke up in the morning was, "I love you Clinton Haynes. You're stuck with me and I'm stuck with you, and I like it that way."
"So do I! I've got to say one thing though."
"Uh oh! Should I worry?"
"No it's nothing like that. It's just that when John became my partner, I announced it from the pulpit, and ended up making a complete ass of myself. This time, I won't make any announcements, but I'll be proud to tell everyone I know."
"That's good enough for me," Russ said. "I know who we should inform first."
"Brad and Aaron. Right? Let's call them, and then I have to leave. There is a lot to do before tomorrow's service. I want to make some changes to my sermon."
The phone rang while Brad and I were still half asleep, but I grabbed it and very sleepily said, "Hello."
"Hi Aaron. It's me. Russ. I've got something to tell you. I'm crazy in love with Clint and he loves me right back. We made love, lots of love, last night and we have decided that we want to be together forever. What do you think of that?"
"What took you guys so long?" I said jokingly. I didn't expect to hear the serious answer I got back.
"John, or in your case, Carl. He's what took us so long. I think you are familiar with the problem."
"Yes," I answered more soberly. "I kicked the habit and I take it Clint has also."
"I can only hope that it stays that way for both of you."
I was afraid to answer that last remark. All I could say to end the conversation was, "I'll see you in church."
I turned to look at Brad. He was snoring lightly and he looked so vulnerable and so cute. I wrapped myself around him and started kissing him until he woke up.
"I've got some heavy news for you," I said.
"Is it good or bad news?"
"Good news for now, but only time will tell. Russ and Clint finally made love last night and have committed to each other."
Brad sat up, made a fist, pumped his arm, and shouted, "Yes. I knew they were right for each other."
"What do you think will happen to their relationship when Carl gets out of prison in a couple of years?" I wondered out loud.
"Nothing, they'll weather it, just like we did, just like we will" Brad answered my rhetorical question.
"I hope we can both get by it," I pessimistically commented on the probability of Carl showing up yet again.
"If he ever tries to contact you or Clint again," Carl said with his teeth clenched, "I'll kill him."
To be continued.......