A gay story: When Irish Eyes Are Smiling By Tom Collins and Jushorny
*Joel *
Coffee. I adore it. The rich fragrance that fills the air as it brews. The intense, bitter nuttiness of a fresh cup, and the way sweeteners only mellowed it. The cool creaminess as it flows over my tongue, making it tingle ever so slightly. The false, energetic boost as it hits the blood stream, making you feel like it might not be such a bad day after all. There really wasn’t anything like it and nothing to dislike about it. I could drink it to the exclusion of all else but I become twitchy if I drink too much, so I’m forced to limit myself to two grande a day. I can’t keep it in the house because if it were readily available I’d drink it, so I have to settle for buying a cup every morning on the way to work and a second one on the way home in the afternoon.
I’m not by any stretch of the imagination a connoisseur, but it can be very difficult to find a place that’ll let you have your coffee exactly the way you like it if you’re an anal son of a bitch like me. I had lucked out when I moved to this neighborhood a couple of months ago, and found a little mom and pop operation right down the block from my apartment building. The first morning I stepped up and asked if I could tell them exactly how I wanted my coffee, or if I had to order from the menu. The owner smiled and pointed to the store’s name.Espresso Yourself is now my double stop of the day. After a couple of weeks of ordering the same thing they even began to anticipate my arrival and would begin mixing it up as soon as I stepped through the door.
The coffee isn’t the only attraction. Many of the people in my building stop in for a cup of Joe on their way to work, but there was one man who caught my eye from day one. Every time I saw him, my stomach fluttered and my palms got damp. There doesn’t seem to be any one thing in particular that I can pin down that attracts me to him. He’s easy on the eyes, and looks wonderful in his suits, but it’s not that. Perhaps it’s the way he moves; it says to me that he’s comfortable with himself, and I like that.
He always came in after me, while I ‘m getting my coffee and some sort of pastry. Once I have my morning caffeine and sugar fix, I keep my head down and leave the store; but I linger outside, watching. When I would see him coming to the door, I’d hurry the half block to the subway entrance, so he wouldn’t become suspicious. All the while, I’d berate myself for not staying and trying to talk to him. I’ve never been able to strike up a conversation with someone I’m attracted to, and wind up spending most of my time alone. I should be used to it, but I’m not, and don’t think I ever will be. I hate being alone, but I can’t bring myself to take the first step.
*Devlin*
I stood in my closet deciding which suit, shirt and tie to wear for the day. I was feeling more flirtatious than usual, and wanted to choose clothes that would catch a few eyes. It’d been a few months since Cathy and I ended our relationship, and since that time, my real estate career had received my full attention, to the detriment of my social life. Truthfully, I was feeling extremely randy and I already had my target selected. He’d be in for some nice eye candy today, I thought as I made my selections. I didn’t normally pursue men; but this particular guy caught my attention. Or, maybe, it was the fact that it appeared that I had caught his attention. I knew he was attracted to me, so the pursuit would be quick and easy, perfect for what I was after.
Zipping up the pants to my recently purchased, solid black suit, I admired the fine tailoring job. The pants showed off both the front and back as well as accentuating my solid thighs, shaped through years of high school and college wrestling. I buttoned the thin white shirt over my sleeveless tee. The fit of well tailored clothing always boosts my self-confidence, making me feel as if I can accomplish anything. After adjusting my tie and sliding on some shoes, I grabbed the suit coat, slung it over my shoulder and headed to the elevator.
The walk to the coffee shop was disappointing at first; disappointing in that I had yet to see my intended target. The glances I was receiving as I made my way cheered me up quite nicely, though. I was pleased to see that my morning’s wardrobe choices were meeting with such approval and I was all smiles by the time I hit the door ofEspresso Yourselffor my morning ‘coffee of the day’.
And there he was. True to form, he was already in line for his morning caffeine fix. I spotted his tall frame and the distinctive fedora amidst the other early morning coffee junkies. It was the fedora that had first caught my attention…the style, not many men have the balls to wear one, and not many men can look as good as this guy in one.
When my turn came, I tried to hold back my devilish smirk as I ordered; receiving admiring glances from the lady behind the counter as well as feelinghis eyes running over my body. I slung my suit coat over the other shoulder to offer him a nice clear shot of my profile. Giving the lady behind the counter a wink with my thank-you, I turned to see him avert his eyes. He always did that, never making eye contact. Maybe he was afraid I would think he was gay, maybe he was shy or maybe he was too much of a prude to admit he liked to look at me.
I wondered why he had never even said so much as a good morning. Enough time passed and glances traded, it was only natural for one to say something to the other. Not only did we see each other every morning here, but we see each other at the gym on occasion. Of course, I had to admit, I was equally at fault, as I hadn’t said a word to him after all this time either. But, I wasn’t the one lingering in a coffee shop just to stare at someone.
I headed over to the condiment counter to add cream to my coffee. Knowing his eyes would be taking in my backside, I deliberately slowed myself to give him a longer view than normal. I half shook my head realizing I was going to have to do something about my sad state of affairs – or lack of affairs. This little morning show for my mystery man was arousing me more than it should.
I turned and made my way towards the door, making sure that today I would pass by him before he made his quick escape. Once again, his eyes turned elsewhere as I approached, but I made sure I got close enough that he could smell the hint of cologne I wear. As I brushed by, I heard myself say, “Good morning.” I wondered where that came from, as I opened the door to exit, but shrugged it off and headed down the street to the office.
*Joel *
I spent most of the morning at work too distracted to accomplish anything. Every time I would start something, I would suddenly hear his voice speaking to me, saying, “Good morning.” I’d smell his musky cologne, and my head would start to swim again, the way it did in the coffee shop when he passed so close. An image of him would flash in my mind and my concentration would go right out the window. As I tried to read my emails, all I could think was that had to be a new suit because I’d never seen it before, and I couldn’t believe that he would leave a suit that made him look that good hanging in the closet for two months.
An hour before lunch, my mind began doing more than replaying every move he’d made this morning. I imagined him taking my hand, pulling me along with him, outside and around the side of the building. My mind’s eye lingered over the image of him turning me to face the wall of the alley, pushing my slacks over my hips, caressing my cheeks for a moment. I could hear his zipper go down, and the sound of rustling cloth as he exposed himself enough to press his hot, hard cock against my ass.
I actually shuddered in excitement when I imagined him pulling my hips away from the wall so that I had to lean over a little to brace myself against the bricks. He pulled my cheeks apart, his cock slipping into my crack, and my back arched as I pushed back against him, my fingers trying to dig into the mortar in the wall. The head of his dick rubbed in circles over my pucker, making me slick with his pre cum, and I actually felt it quiver and throb at the mere thought of this sexy stranger invading me.
When my secretary came in to ask what she should order for my lunch, I was hard as a rock under my desk, flushed, sweating mildly and nearly panting. She expressed concern, saying that I didn’t look at all well. I lied through my teeth, and asked her to tell Howard, my boss, that I was ill and taking the rest of the day off.
I simply couldn’t stay at work in this condition. It had been too long since I’d last had a lover and I couldn’t stop the train of my thoughts. Not without masturbating, and there was no way I was going to dothat at work. I quickly packed my briefcase and used it for a shield to collect my suit jacket and hat from my coat tree. I put on my fedora but draped my jacket over my arm because it was an even more effective shield than the briefcase.
The subway journey home seemed interminable, every stop along the way eating at my nerves and patience a little more than the one before, I was up and standing in front of the door as the train approached my stop. I walked slowly up the block toward my apartment building. Now that I’d actually gotten to my destination, I felt embarrassed and ashamed of my behavior. I’d never taken off work with a feigned illness before and had always done my job to the best of my ability before today. I didn’t even bother to stop for a coffee; I went straight home and changed out of my suit and into a comfortable set of sweats and a well-worn t-shirt.
I sat on the couch, trying to watch a movie on HBO, but I kept losing the thread of the story to thoughts of the stocky blond in his perfectly tailored suit, or worse; in his short shorts and muscle shirt, working out in the building’s gym. My hands wandered to my reawakened cock, rubbing slowly through the soft material of my sweats. I jacked off while thoughts of rimming the blond tumbled through my head and came fast, barely managing to catch it in a couple of tissues; the second time took longer but wasn’t any more satisfying. What I desperately needed was contact with another person and there was only one way I knew that I could get it. I didn’t really want to, though; I hated the anonymous sex of the gay clubs. A fast, hard fuck with a stranger wasn’t what I needed and wouldn’t be much better than my hand.
It was only four o’clock and I knew the gym would be practically, if not totally, deserted at this hour. Standing and adjusting my clothes, I put on my cross trainers and grabbed a towel and my keys then headed downstairs to have a good, hard workout. I was relieved to find the place empty and went right to work, hoping to exhaust myself so I’d be able to sleep tonight.
*Devlin*
After such an interesting beginning, the morning progressed uneventfully. My head was more on the coffee shop hunk than on my work, but luckily, my workload was light. Around noon, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, imagining him there, kneeling between my legs, rubbing his hand over my bulge. His eyes looking up, begging me for the opportunity to unzip my pants, I nodded my approval and watched his fingers slowly slide the zipper, undoing the belt and snap with his other hand. Stifling a moan, I could feel his hand folding back the flaps of my pants to reach inside my boxers and pull my erection out. I whispered to him to go for it, feeling his tongue quickly lap across the head and down along the length. My fingers would run through his hair, encouraging him to continue, watching as he teasingly sucked me into his warm wet mouth. I nearly fell over in my chair when a colleague, stopping to ask if I wanted to join him for lunch, interrupted my thoughts. I told him it was too nice a day to stay inside, I was going to grab a sandwich and head to the park.
Lunch was a bit more eventful. After picking up a sandwich and ice tea, I sat down on a bench in the local park to eat and relax in the warm sun. I had left my suit jacket back at the office and now took off my tie. Noticing two beautiful women across from me, I loosened a few buttons on my shirt and rolled up the sleeves while my eyes lingered on the shapely legs and full breasts. Knowing I had their attention I stood up to deposit the wrapper and bag in the trash, and felt their eyes trailing me, sending a familiar feeling through my body. On my way back to the bench, I nodded a greeting. The ladies smiled and let their eyes wander along my physique. Enjoying their appreciative looks, I decided to lie down on the bench and soak up a few rays before my lunch hour was over.
The afternoon was busier and I hardly had time to think about my admirers from the park or the black haired coffee man. Once I had caught up on my work, my thoughts returned to my own needs. I was desperate for the touch of another, to feel someone’s hands and mouth touching my body. I was hard as a rock by the time five o’clock rolled around. At one moment, I was visualizing myself lying naked in bed with the two lovely ladies from the park pleasuring me simultaneously. The next moment, I was kneeling in the sauna, providing expert oral service to my coffee shop stud. As I sat there rubbing my bulge I decided to head to the gym and take a nice long sweaty run, hoping that would relieve my tension. If that didn’t work, I planned on heading to a neighborhood bar and catch some eye candy.
Once at the gym I stripped off my suit and pulled on a pair of loose running shorts, opting to leave the shirt in my locker. Performing my stretching exercises effortlessly in front of a few people who had already arrived, I placed my hands together, stretched out over my head, and twisted my body back and forth. Next, I lifted one leg onto the bench and leaned forward, stretching the back of my legs. I could feel eyes on me and was thankful I’d worn the loose shorts instead of the spandex ones. I’m sure they still had a nice view of my ass but my arousal was better concealed this way.
After completing a few miles around the track, I stopped to wipe the sweat off my forehead and noticed that my body glistened like the ones in advertisements for sports drinks. I took a few laps around the track at a walking pace, letting my heart slow and my body cool down before hitting the shower. I hadn’t come across my unknown friend and began to think he wouldn’t be here this evening.
Standing in the shower, the hot water ran over my body, rinsing away the sweat, and I shampooed my hair and lathered my body with soap. I realized that I was alone and turned to face the wall, placing my hands against the tile while letting the water rinse the soap away. My thoughts turned to the man at the coffee shop again, mulling over why I’m so interested in him. True, he’s a cutie, in a very masculine way, but I couldn’t say specifically what intrigued me so much. I closed my eyes and envisioned him. He had a well-toned body and I considered what he would look like naked. I bet he has a hairy body, and wondered if he shaved his balls, whether he was cut or uncut, how long and thick his cock would be when hard.
The vision of him naked, kneeling in front of me, his sexy green eyes looking up as he licked my cock was too much for me. I reached down with one hand and began stroking my already stiff dick, letting the water provide lubrication. I no longer cared if anyone entered the shower; I needed to get off. As I fisted myself, I imagined him teasing me with his tongue, licking along the length of my cock before sucking in my balls. I know I moaned when I imagined him biting gently on my smooth orbs. My hips were thrusting as I fucked my hand, pretending it was his mouth; his lips wrapped tightly around my thickness. I could almost feel his hands grab hold of my ass for balance as I pushed my cock head deeper down his throat. In a matter of minutes, I was grunting and spilling my seed onto the shower floor.
I suddenly felt embarrassed as I turned the water off. True, I love to show my body off, but I had never done anything like that before. I glanced around; making sure no one had been watching me before heading back to my locker.
*Joel*
I was toweling my hair and wiping my face as I walked to the locker room, my clothes and hair were almost completely soaked in sweat and it just kept pouring off my face. I’d managed to do what I wanted, in part. I’d worked out hard for two hours and was exhausted, but my mind had lingered on Java Joe, as I’d taken to thinking of the blonde, but being physically tired seemed to make it harder to keep my thoughts on other things.
I was wiping my face as I came around the wall of lockers set in the middle of the room, and stopped dead in my tracks. The object of my lust stood at an open locker, naked as Adam in the Garden, drying himself with a large, fluffy towel. My sneakers made a harsh squeak on the perpetually damp floor and it echoed comically off the tiled walls, alerting him to my presence. His head turned quickly, catching me staring at his ass. Averting my gaze, I went to my locker and dug out a fresh towel along with my shower kit.
His locker and mine were almost directly across from each other so he was right behind me when he said, “Hey, I was going to head for a couple of drinks, want to join me?” I turned, in surprise, to look at him. He was just pulling up his boxer briefs and I had to keep myself from staring directly at his cock as it caught on the waistband and lifted with it before slipping under. I had an even harder time not looking when he reached into his shorts to adjust himself. Instead, I focused on his face, trying to seem as casual as he was while feeling my own cock swelling. I draped my clean towel over my forearm as he stuck his hand out for a shake, “Name’s Devlin, by the way. Devlin Christianson.”
I took his hand by pure instinct and tried to make my voice work. I had to clear my throat a couple of times, but I finally managed to introduce myself to him, “Joel O’Shaughnessy.”
“Nice to meet you, Joel. So…drinks?” he said, raising a brow in inquiry.
“Drinks? Oh, yeah…ummm…sure, that would be nice. Did you have a place in mind? I don’t really know the neighborhood, and don’t go out very often in any case.”
“Sure, there’s a little place around the corner. It’s calledThe Lounge Lizard.” He saw the face I made and laughed, “Yeah, I know. It’s a terrible name, but it’s a nice place and they have a great bartender. He mixes the drinks right instead of making them weak to save money.”
“Alright, but I’ll need to head back to my place first to change clothes. The only thing I have here is stuff for working out in.” I said apologetically, he was putting that terrific suit back on while we talked and would be ready to go right away while I hadn’t even showered yet.
“Hey, no problem, I’m going to change my clothes before we go anyway. This suit looks great, but it wouldn’t be comfortable for a night out. So, I’ll pick you up at your apartment?” He said, grinning and slapping me lightly on the shoulder before pulling his suit coat from his locker.
“Ahh…ok. That’ll be fine. I’m in 1921.” I replied, slightly stunned by the progression of events. I was trying to figure out how I was going to spend the evening with a man that I was this attracted to without making a complete ass out of myself.
“Ok, see you in a bit then, Joel.” I saw him smile again out of the corner of my eye as he patted my bare forearm in a friendly way, giving it a squeeze. The squeeze went straight to my straining cock, making it twitch a little. While I showered and put on clean workout clothes, I tried to decide if Devlin being a touchy guy was a good thing. While in the elevator I concluded that it was good if he was into guys, me in particular, and very bad if he wasn’t. Sighing heavily as the doors opened onto my floor, I decided that it was probably going to turn out to be a very bad thing indeed.
I went right to my walk-in closet, and desperately began trying to find something appropriate to wear for a casual evening out with a perfect stranger who was, almost certainly, straight. Considering several options took a little time. I decided that a t-shirt and jeans would make me look like I was trying too hard to be casual. Yet the sport coat felt as if I were trying too hard to look nice for something that should be nothing more than a couple of guys going out for drinks.Jesus, I thought to myself,where in hell did this Rugby shirt come from. Shaking my head as I stuffed it back into the cubbyhole I’d pulled it out of, I told myself not to get distracted; I was running out of time.
I finally decided on an outfit, and laid it out on the bed then went into the master bath to get ready. I began to worry that I was taking too long to get ready while I blow-dried my hair, but I knew that it would look odd to go without a fresh shave considering what I would be wearing. Putting on the barest touch of cologne was a last minute decision. I like Hugo Boss, the smell of which I can only describe as making you want more; I certainly hoped it would, in any case. Every step of preparation kicked my anticipation of the evening up a notch.
The soft, linen slacks, in a deep charcoal, would nicely compliment the short sleeved, smoke grey, brushed silk shirt. The buttons were giving me a lot of trouble because my fingers were trembling from a nasty case of nerves. I felt as if I was taking forever trying to pick out accessories. A silver, marine link chain, which rested just below the hollow at the base of my throat, would show nicely if I left the top two buttons on the shirt undone. A black, crocodile belt with a silver buckle would pull the whole ensemble together perfectly. I felt like I was getting ready for a date and the problem was that, no matter how much I might wish it were one, it simply wasn’t. I took my black Birkenstocks into the kitchen, to wipe them down with a damp cloth, when there was a knock at the door. Supposing it must be Devlin, I breathed a sigh of relief that I was ready on time and went to answer it. I opened the door with my Birks still in hand and a small smile, hoping I looked acceptable.
*Devlin*
I heard the squeak of shoes on the tile floor heading my way. I turned saw my coffee shop hunk staring at my bare ass. I tried to suppress my smirk as he quickly swept his eyes upwards. It didn’t completely confirm my suspicion that he was into men but certainly did support my theory. As I finished drying off, I thought about asking him to join me for drinks. Hell, it would at least assure me of conversation for a few hours.
I turned sideways to pull up my boxer briefs while asking him to join me for a drink at the same time. I kept my eyes from looking at him, wanting instead to use my peripheral vision to see where his eyes headed. Sure enough, he followed my hands as I first covered myself and then made the necessary adjustments.
As we introduced ourselves and spoke about where and when we would meet, he pulled his shirt up over his head, revealing his lean torso. The sight, in addition to his husky Irish accent, was even better than I had envisioned in my head just a short time ago. He had a nicely formed chest, but what I found to be very irresistible was the hair on it. It was just the right amount, enough to run your fingers over and enough to direct your eyes to the center and downwards. Unfortunately, his workout clothes prevented me from seeing where the treasure trail ended.
I was in a much better mood as I arrived home to strip off my suit and change my clothes for the night. It would be fun to flirt with Joel, watching his eyes ogle my body. I made myself a bet that I’d have confirmation as to his sexual preference before our second drink was empty. I pulled on a pair of black jeans and yellow polo shirt. I left the buttons on the shirt undone and after sliding flip-flops on my feet, checked myself in the mirror. I liked the way the jeans followed the form of my body and the way the shirt clung to my chest, with the sleeves stopping at the middle of my biceps. I wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but I was hoping I was the kind of guy Joel would be into.
The first thing I noticed as Joel opened the door was his green eyes, even deeper and attractive than I remembered. They had that twinkle in them that I could get lost in very easily. Eyes that told me he was a softie at heart but could raise a little hell as well. I’d have to remember not to stare into them all night. My eyes lowered to catch the chain around his neck resting above, and inviting me to, the hair on his chest. I extended my hand for a shake and realized he was holding his Birkenstocks.
“Hope I’m not too early, Joel.”
Smiling, he invited me inside which gave me a chance to take in his body. His linen pants clung to his ass making my cock stir, wanting to move in close and rub myself against him. The silk shirt only added to his sexiness as I felt my hands twitching to run over the smooth material.
“Hey, Joel, you don’t mind walking toThe Lizard, do you? It’s right around the corner and I make it a practice not to get behind the wheel after I’ve been drinking.”
“Walking is fine with me; it’s a nice evening out. You’re not one of those guys who stumbles all over the place walking home drunk are you?”
I chuckled at Joel’s comment and was surprised at it as well. I noticed his face flush slightly and felt awkward for him. He obviously didn’t know me and didn’t realize that I enjoyed that kind of humor.
As we walked down the street we began talking, well, I was talking; Joel was listening. I was all right with that though, anything to get this stud to feel more comfortable worked for me. I decided to tell him about Cathy, an ex-girlfriend, to see if he would reciprocate with a story about an ex of his own. I’d be able to confirm his gender preference if he’d tell me about one of his past relationships. I also wanted to let him know I wasn’t any sort of relationship with anyone now.
“So, I haven’t been seeing anyone for the past few months. I was dating this one girl, Cathy, but it just wasn’t working out. For a while, I thought she would be the one for me. She, not only was gorgeous, but she was a talented artist as well. I should take you to her gallery sometime. We’re still friends, albeit, somewhat distant friends. I think I became too engrossed in my career to be honest. That in my mind is why it didn’t work out. I still feel as if I blew the relationship. Anyway, the saying about artists being great passionate lovers, oh that is so true.” I gave Joel a nudge in the ribs and a grin.
By now, we’d reachedThe Lounge Lizard. I opened the door for Joel as I apologized for doing all the talking and insisted that as soon as we had a drink in hand I wanted to hear about him.
*Joel*
Much to my chagrin, Devlin talked about his last girlfriend all the way to the bar, confirming my belief that he was heterosexual. I’d been quiet on the way over, still embarrassed by what I’d said about stumbling home, and now he made it clear that he expected me to tell him about myself. I didn’t know how to tell him about my personal life without lying or making it obvious that I’m gay and could feel my nerves fraying again.
We found a table and settled in. He sat beside, rather than across from me, making my jitters worse. He offered to get the first round, ordering a Guinness, while I had a single malt Scotch on the rocks. I was surprised, when the drinks came, to see a full three fingers in my glass. Most places would only give you two unless you specified. I killed half in one go, wanting to get as much in as quickly as possible. I desperately hoped the liquor would calm me and let me feel comfortable so I’d be capable of holding up my half of the conversation.
He watched the second half of my drink go down a few seconds later with an arched brow as I raised my hand to call the waitress back over for a second round, which I paid for. I didn’t know what he was thinking and after I got a little more Scotch into my empty stomach, I really wouldn’t care. I felt the alcohol working its magic almost immediately. My tension eased as I sipped at my second Scotch and I started telling him about myself without mentioning anything terribly personal. I gave him my life history, pretty much, but was very sketchy and generic when it came to relationships.
I caught myself looking him over more and more often as the booze loosened me up. I felt some of my inhibitions relax while I told him about my parents being from Ireland and that they’d been in the process of becoming citizens when I was born and told him a little about my siblings. I couldn’t help but admire the way his shirt sleeves strained across his biceps as I talked a little about college and how thrilled my parents had been when I passed the Bar exam. I boldly stared at his chest through his tight shirt while he peeled the label from his bottle. I explained that I’d lived with a couple of people, because he asked, but really only said that neither relationship had worked. I kept seeing him in the locker room, gloriously naked, while I laid my life out in bare terms and didn’t really give a shit that I had a hard on under the table.
“So, do you have a girlfriend right now?” he asked, just as I was polishing off the last bit of my drink and Patsy Cline came on the jukebox. Distracted by the song and feeling a touch tipsy, I snorted and answered without screening what I was going to say, then had to cover my slip.
“What thehell would I do with agirlfriend? I mean, I’ve just made junior partner in my firm. I don’t have time for that kind of thing.” I watched his brow arch at me again and decided it was a good time to lose myself in the music. Someone had pickedI Fall to Pieces. It happened to be one of my favorites and I let myself fall into it, thinking that afterward I’d be able to change the subject and it would seem natural.
Of course, I’ve never been able to listen to Patsy without joining her and this time was no exception. I quietly sang along in my light bass, blending with her sweet alto voice with an ease only acquired from years of practice, while signaling for a third drink. WhenShe’s Got You came on, I was surprised and delighted. I wondered if who ever picked them had recently been through a bad break up, or if they were just a lover of the Queen of Country Music like me. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes to immerse myself fully in the sound. This was my favorite of Patsy’s songs, and I forgot the world around me for the duration.
When the song ended, I opened my eyes to a peculiar expression on Devlin’s face and flushed, realizing that he must think me very strange for singing along with a country star that died long before I was even born. Chuckling self-deprecatingly, I shrugged and said, “Sorry, I grew up listening to Patsy. She’s my dad’s favorite singer and he transferred that love to me. I’ve never been able to listen to her without singing along.” I took a quick drink from my glass, trying to cover my renewed nervousness.
*Devlin*
I could sense some nervousness on Joel’s part when I sat next to him, as opposed to across the table. I know I tend to come across self-confident and it bothers me when others are uncomfortable around me. I made a nod towards the large screen TV, telling Joel I like to keep an eye on the game. It wasn’t really true; it was my feeble attempt at making this easier for him.
When our drinks arrived, I saw how quickly Joel drank half of his in a single gulp. Again, maybe it was nerves I told myself, but, shit, if this is how he always drank then Iwould be the idiot stumbling on the walk home, providing he picked me up off the bar floor first. I could handle my share, don’t get me wrong, I had the college experiences with alcohol like everyone else, but the rate at which Joel started out was beyond my capabilities.
I had three-quarters of my Guinness left when Joel was ordering us another round. I was about to put my hand on the back of Joel’s chair and tell him I was sorry if he was feeling nervous, it wasn’t intentional on my part to make him feel that way. But before I could do that, he set his scotch down and began telling me about himself. I opted to keep both hands on the table and listen, while glancing between Joel and the TV, hoping it would help calm him.
I could feel Joel’s eyes on me as he began telling me about his family. Avoiding his scrutiny, I purposely averted my attentions to the label on my Guinness, draught in a bottle, fiddling with it as he spoke. I glanced over, smiled and gave an approving nod when he spoke of his Irish ancestry, then turned back to my beer. Joel seemed to be calming down and I was becoming more interested in him the more he talked. Occasionally I would sneak a glance his way, eyeing his body and imagining him naked.
I knew as soon as I opened my mouth that I was a fucking idiot. All the ease that Joel had finally achieved was gone in a flash with just one, stupid question from me. Why the hell I would ask him about a girlfriend, when I suspected his preference towards men was beyond me. I felt like a total asshole. I guess I anticipated Joel would look over at me and simply tell me, “No, fuckwad, I’m into guys”.Of course, given how nervous he had been, if I’d bothered to think I’d have known he’d never say that.
I wasn’t ashamed of liking both genders and if someone didn’t like me because of it, then they really weren’t a good friend. I assumed everyone would live this way. It’s difficult for me to understand why Joel would be ashamed or reluctant to admit his preference for men. Still, it didn’t excuse my ignorance for asking the question. It was obvious, however, that Joel had danced around this question before and he handled it very smoothly.
My mind was reeling and I was thankful when Patsy Cline came on the jukebox. She was my favorite country artist, even though only a few friends knew. She was like musical comfort food for me. Patsy Cline was always playing at home when I grew up. When I was in college, I discovered how seductive and loving her music really was during a few hot relationships. Now, I connected Patsy Cline with comfort and love. What a coincidence that Joel seemed to be so into her music as well.
I ordered another round of drinks and sat back in my chair just listening to Joel sing along with Patsy’s voice. Subtly I would glance over at Joel, admiring his appreciation of her music. His voice was perfect accompaniment to hers. I thought to myself that he must be a good dancer as I watched his body move in his chair. Damn, he didn’t even realize how much he was turning me on.
Before the jukebox even got toShe’s Got You, and I heard Joel’s version, I had decided what to do. I knew I had to let him know I was into men as well as women; and make it clear I was very interested in getting to know him better. His version, exchanging every ‘she’ in the vocal with ‘he’, only served to convince me of what I should do.
When the song finished, I looked over at Joel. I probably had a weird expression on my face, knowing what I was about to say. I placed an arm on the back of his chair, turning my body towards him. My knee rubbed against his thigh and I felt Joel jerk slightly. I could tell he was very aroused which, in turn, aroused me. He looked straight forward, as he tried to explain the reason for getting lost in the music, as if there had to be a reason. I could feel his nervousness; I could see his body tense up and knew I had to do this right. I couldn’t be the usual, blunt Devlin. No this required finesse. I gathered up everything I had learned in every relationship I ever had, in an attempt to form the words properly. He turned his face, looking, searching into my eyes. His sweet, shy expression threw me for a loop.
“Joel, if…uh…we are going to continue…drinking like this… I need to eat.”
My lips smiled, but my armpits were perspiring profusely, I couldn’t do it yet. I had never had something like this happen to me before.
“Italian, steaks, or Mexican are my favorite. Any of those suit your fancy?”
*Joel*
Devlin leaned in toward me, his leg brushing mine, sending a bolt of heat lightning directly to my cock. My arousal had diminished while I lost myself in the music, but it returned full force with this slight contact. I found myself drowning in the deep wells of his blue-green eyes, and stopped breathing when he leaned in closer. I would have sworn that he was on the verge of kissing me, but knew that I was projecting my own longing onto him.
All I really caught of what he was saying was something about needing food and him asking what I’d rather eat. Wrenching my gaze from his almost pained me, but I knew it had to be done; if I’d kept looking, he would have seen my desires reflected in my own and I couldn’t have that. Not if I wanted his friendship.
“I could really go for some Steak Pizziola.” I said huskily and had to clear my throat to continue. “I know this really great Italian place that’s only a couple of blocks away.” I looked back at him but avoided staring into his eyes. “This place,Buon Mangia, is the best. They have the greatest Veal Parmigiana and their Lasagna is to die for.” I could feel a smile spreading across my face as enthusiasm for introducing Devlin to my favorite restaurant took hold of me.
I stood too quickly, making the room seesaw for a few seconds, and I had to lean over and grab the table to keep my balance. “Whew…head rush,” I said looking at Devlin and laughing lightly. I straightened up slowly, wary of making the same mistake twice. “Ok, all is right with the world once more. Let’s go,” I grinned and headed for the door, and was pleased when he followed me onto the street.
As we walked down the block Devlin asked, “Are you sure we’ll be able to get a table if this place is as good as you say?”
“Don’t worry about it, Dev. The owners are good friends of mine. I helped them out with some legal troubles they were having while I was in law school. Pro bono, of course, since I hadn’t taken the Bar yet. The only time I have to wait for a table is when they’re swamped.”
I held the door for him this time and followed behind, using the opportunity to admire the way his jeans clung to his ass. The seam sank slightly between his cheeks, defining them and making my fingers itch with a desire to follow it. I stepped up beside him as we came to the hostess’ podium and saw Lucia heading our way with a big smile.
“Joel, how are you tonight?” she inquired, hugging me warmly and kissing my cheek. “Hmmm…someone smells very good tonight,” She teased, with a wink. “Is it a table fortwothis evening?” her brow arched as she glanced at Devlin and I knew what she was asking. She wanted to know if Devlin was my date.
“Yes, please, Lucia. We’re famished,” I replied, giving her a nearly indiscernible shake of the head, while quirking my mouth subtly in a negative way. I knew that she understood the message because I could see a trace of sadness enter her deep brown eyes, but her smile never faltered. She was like a sister to me and constantly nagged me to date more, to be more aggressive and stop being shy.
“Well, I’ll take you to your favorite table. It happens to be free at the moment.” She showed us to a table in the back corner, where it was secluded by placement of a large, potted tree which acted like a partition. She lit the candle in the middle of the table while we got comfortable. “I know you’ll be having the Steak Pizziola with a Scotch, Joel, but what would you like, sir?” she asked Devlin, holding out a menu for him.
“How do you know that’s what I want, Lucia?” I asked incredulously.
“Because, that’s what you always order when you’ve been drinking. I know you’re not going to want any wine this evening because you’ve already been drinking Scotch and you never mix distilled and fermented alcohol,” She replied matter-of-factly then looked back at Devlin with a grin.
He had chosen, again, to take the seat next to me rather than the one across from me, but I’d had enough to drink that I was incapable of being nervous about his proximity. Leaning over so that I could stage whisper to him I said, “Get the steak, Dev. You won’t regret it.” When he looked up at me from the menu, I realized how much I was invading his space because we were nearly nose-to-nose. I leaned back in my seat, trying to make the move look natural.
*Devlin*
The Guinness was affecting me as much as Joel’s scotch seemed to be affecting him, but I managed to maintain myself, standing up tall and walking straight to the restaurant. I was able to glance subtly at Joel along the way and my body was yearning to touch and taste him. I’d never been toBuon Mangia, even though it was in our neighborhood. I’d passed it many times and wondered if the food was any good. It was clear when we walked in and were seated that this was one of Joel’s favorite restaurants.
The waitress knew exactly what Joel would be having and looked over to me, grinning while handing me a menu. I opened it and began perusing the offerings, trying to decide. Joel leaned into me, his thigh pressing tighter against mine as he suggested I order the steak. At least, I think that’s what he said; I was lost in his eyes and in his scent. It’d been a long time since I’d yearned for the smell of another man and it was going straight to my cock. Joel had gotten so close I thought that maybe he’d lost his shyness. Our lips were within inches and I involuntarily licked over my lower before swallowing hard. I forced my eyes away from Joel and towards the waitress, “I’ll have the steak and a glass of red wine, please.” I turned back to Joel, winking at him with a smile.
Dinner was fantastic and the conversation even better. I found myself falling more and more for Joel and hoped the feeling was mutual. We both got to know each other a little better, although, it still seemed too awkward for me to let on how much I wanted him naked, in my bed. There was something so sexual about him that I remained aroused throughout dinner. I would rub myself when I thought he wouldn’t see, trying to readjust myself to be more comfortable.
As dinner came closer to an end and I had downed plenty of wine, I became a bit more playful, wanting to be a little more obvious in what I was doing. I made more of an effort to rub my thigh along his and I’d let my hand stay on my crotch until I was sure Joel had noticed. If I was reading Joel correctly, he was aroused too. The waitress stopped by, suggesting the dessert for two. I saw Joel’s mouth open, but I quickly agreed she should bring us an order. I ordered a glass of brandy along with dessert while Joel opted for coffee.
When the dessert arrived, I took a spoonful and lifted it to Joel’s lips, while my other hand brushed against his upper back, my arm resting on his chair. “The…uh…first bite should be yours, since you were so nice to introduce this place to me.” My cock jerked as I watched his lips open and slowly take the spoon into his mouth. I let my fingers lightly graze across his back hoping I was not coming on too strong. I imagined the dessert being my cock, his soft lips pressing against the head, his mouth slowly taking me in. I could feel my body begin to perspire and knew my scent was getting stronger. I set the spoon down and took a hefty swallow of my brandy before ordering another.
While the waitress went for a fresh brandy, Joel turned to me, his thigh making firm contact with my knee. He leaned in close, his forearm braced on the table in front of me. With his lips only a couple of inches from my ear he spoke, his voice husky and his warm breath washing over my ear and neck, sending shivers down my back.
“You realize that this isn’t a dessert intended for two people, don’t you? It’s meant for a couple.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to Joel’s comment, except to smile and take another spoonful of dessert, this time bringing it to my own lips. I let my tongue snake out and lick the creamy delight before opening my lips, just as slowly as Joel had done moments earlier. I held my mouth more open, tilted my head back and the spoon up, letting Joel watch it slide into my mouth. I swear I heard a soft moan escape his lips. Closing my mouth around the spoon, I moaned in appreciation of the taste. Slowly, I pulled the spoon out while sucking on it; then I licked both sides until it was completely clean of any creaminess.
We slowly and seductively shared the rest of the dessert, my brandy glass was empty and the waitress had brought the check over. I reached for my back pocket and retrieved a credit card before Joel could reach for his. Placing the wallet back, I turned to Joel, one arm still on the back of his chair as I placed my other hand on his thigh giving it a slight squeeze. I leaned in close enough to gather another sniff of his body before looking into his eyes. “How about we move this back to my place?” I stood up making a mental note of how I had to use my hand on the table to balance myself and suddenly wished I had not downed all the alcohol. I waited as Joel looked up at me as if he was deciding what to do next.
*Joel*
What had begun as a physical attraction was becoming more the longer I spent with Devlin. The more we talked, the more I liked him. He was funny, charming, witty and so very pleasant to look at. He kept touching me all through the meal, keeping me in a constant state of arousal, and I began to suspect that he might be doing it deliberately when I noticed that he kept adjusting himself under the table.
When Lucia came around and asked if we wanted the Dessert for Two, I gave her a look, but Devlin spoke before I could and she went off with a smirk on her face. I was surprised when he fed me the first bite, and even more surprised by how flustered he looked, setting the spoon down and reaching for his brandy. Suddenly feeling wicked and playful, I leaned in close to tell him about the dessert he’d ordered for us.
I thought I saw a flash of surprise in his eyes, but then he smiled and deliberately taunted me with the way he ate his bite. It had to have been deliberate because no one could have accidentally eaten like that after what I’d said. The sight went straight to my groin and my lips, still parted when he held up the next spoonful for me to take, opened further to let him slip the spoon into my mouth a second time. Was he really going to feed me through the whole dessert? He was and he did.
Nothing stunned me more than when he paid for the meal, until he put his hand on my leg and invited me back to his place. It seemed that his intentions were unmistakable, but we’d both drank so much that I still worried that I was reading him wrong. I was trying to read his expression as he stood there, waiting for me to stand, and couldn’t. However, I couldn’t mistake the hard on that rested behind his zipper. Everything that I thought of to say sounded lame so I opted to simply nod.
I stood, pulled my wallet, put a generous tip on the table for Lucia, and then led the way to the door. As we stepped back onto the street, Devlin stumbled into me and I caught him. The full torso contact felt like an electric jolt and it took several seconds before it occurred to me that I should let go of him. When I did, he continued clinging to me, as if he thought he would fall if he let go. His arms circled my chest, his palms flat against my back. I could feel goose bumps raise over my entire body and my cock throbbed painfully.
“Come on, Devlin, let’s go home,” I said quietly, pulling one of his arms from around me and draping an arm across his shoulders to help support him as we walked. As it turned out, he supported me as much as I supported him as we staggered, slightly, down the two blocks to our apartment building.
The joyful flush I felt when I suddenly realized that our bodies fit perfectly together told me that I’d gone beyond infatuation at some point during the dessert. I was falling hard and fast, without a safety net and nothing in sight to grab a hold of to check my descent. I couldn’t bring myself to do the only thing that would protect my heart from the ravages of a straight man playing at being gay. I couldn’t make myself push him away, and I simply wasn’t capable of walking away. I knew it would be nothing more than the illusion of what I was craving, but even so, a mirage could be powerful. He’d probably hate me come morning, but I’d have tonight to help me through the next few months of loneliness.
I brought us to a sudden stop when I realized that we’d almost walked right past our building and turned us toward the door. It took me a couple tries to get the key in the lock, but I managed and got us inside and over to the elevator. I leaned against the wall, with Devlin leaning against me, and jabbed the call button three or four times.
*Devlin*
Just as Joel had predicted, I was the idiot who stumbled his way home. Of course, by now I was inebriated enough to not care. Not only did I stumble, but it happened almost immediately. When Joel grabbed hold of me, our bodies came into full contact and I was finally able to know what he felt like, finally able to get my arms around him.
He was first to let go while my grasp lingered. His chest rubbing mine and his face breathing on my neck felt so good. I could tell he was as aroused and had to give a little rub, crotch to crotch. If this was any indication, I knew we would be enjoying ourselves soon. I wanted to kiss him right there, but before I had the chance, he pushed me back and placed his arm around my shoulder to support my body as we walked.
“I guess I am the drunk who stumbles home,” I said with a grin. “Sorry about that.”
As we staggered our way to my apartment, I began to wonder what was happening between the two of us. We had been eyeing each other for a couple of months, neither one of us speaking to the other. Now, in just one day, I had found a terrific guy and found myself wanting him in my bed. I did realize, of course, that this attraction might not be mutual. Sure, he was aroused, but maybe he was just horny, maybe he wanted nothing more than sex. Maybe he wouldn’t be spending the night.
Joel directed us into our building and over to the elevators. I couldn’t help but lean into him as we waited for it to arrive. Damn, he smelled and felt so good. This was my chance to let him know just where I stood.
I saw him staring into my eyes with a look that told me he was about to say something. I pressed my finger against his lips and leaned in closer. My cock jerked as it rubbed his, feeling what he had to offer. I licked along his neck slowly until I got to his ear.
“Joel, I’m bi, and to be honest, I am very into you tonight.”
I sucked on his neck as I heard the doors open. Taking Joel’s hand in mine I pulled us into the elevator just before the doors closed. I fell into the back wall pulling him up tight against me.