The following story is fiction. Although some of the events depicted are based on actual happenings they are only incidental to the story and do not constitute a basis in reality.
The story is copyright, the reader may download a copy for his/her own use, but republishing or archiving on other websites or newsgroups without the author's permission is strictly prohibited. All rights are reserved.
The following story contains references to two men having strong emotional and physical feelings for each other. You shouldn't read it if you're below the age of consent in your community or if said community doesn't allow you to access such material.
The author would like to once again thank Drew Hunt for his encouragement in the writing of this story. Without his love and friendship the author would never have had the courage to even try to write a story such as this. His contributions to the writing of this story have been invaluable. I would also like to thank all of the readers of my first story, One Night in December, who were kind enough to write and encourage me to write some more.
To them, as well, as Drew, this work is dedicated. T. O'Reilly 1/26/06. terryo76@hotmail.com
Frank's Place
Danny came out of the wind and snow into the warmth of Frank's Place. This was his favorite hang out. He liked it because, to the ordinary passer by, the building didn't look anything other than a cross between a cocktail lounge and a nice bar.
Danny felt at home with the large comfortable booths and tables, the easy, taped music that was always playing. He appreciated the soft lighting that wasn't too dark. The carpeted floor also added to Danny's sense of intimate cosiness.
Looking around, Danny saw the usual clientele that was almost exclusively, if not exclusively male. He smiled at how the men felt comfortable enough to be more physically demonstrative with one another than if they were in a regular bar.
Danny watched as occasionally pairs of men walked to the bar, got a key from Frank the bartender, and disappeared through the door to the right of the bar. He knew they wouldn't be returning for a good amount of time.
Danny had been coming to Frank's for a number of years. First when he was still married to seek out contacts to meet his need for male companionship. Now that he was divorced he continued to come. He was comfortable here. The patrons were his kind of people: professional, well dressed, attractive, a variety of ages and personalities. He liked the fact that there were none of the flamboyances of other establishments. This was definitely the kind of place Danny expected to meet someone, they could even turn out to be someone special.
Making his way to the bar, Danny acknowledged the greetings of acquaintances, some of whom he had known on an intimate level.
"Hey, Frankie. The boss doing the tending tonight?"
"Hey yourself, Danny. Yeah, I gave Ken the week off to be with Earl for the holidays"
"Not too much going on here," Danny said, giving a look around the room.
"Nope, the weather and the fact that this is the week before Christmas is probably keeping 'em away, least ways the married guys and the couples. Speaking of couples, Danny boy, when's that gonna happen for you?"
"Probably not tonight," replied Danny with a sigh, giving the sparsely populated room one more scan.
"The usual, then," the bartender asked?
"What? Uh, yeah sure." Something had caught Danny's eye. "Hey, Frankie whose the guy over in the corner? I don't think I've seen him before."
Danny had spotted a man at one of the tables to the right of the door to the rooms in back. He was stretched out on his chair to the side of the table, with his legs crossed at the ankle. He wore construction boots. His hands were folded in his lap just above the prominent bulge in his jeans. He wore a baseball cap and a plaid, flannel, work shirt.
Frank looked over at him. " Yeah, well, he started comin' in about a week ago. Stays about an hour and splits."
"Any action," Danny wanted to know?
"Naw. Couple guys tried to hit on 'im but he says no I guess. Never been to the back rooms, never left with nobody."
He definitely didn't look like Danny's type, but 'What the hell,' he thought. 'There's not much else goin' on in here tonight. Why not?'
"What's he drinkin'?"
The bartender pointed to an expensive bottle of scotch. "On the rocks."
'Hmm blue collar with exec tastes.'
"Pour me a double," Danny said.
Danny picked up the drinks and headed for the table.
"Can I buy you a drink," he said with a wide smile on his handsome face.
"Looks to me like you already did," the man replied, sitting up and looking at Danny.
"Guess I did," said Danny with a chuckle. He put the drinks down on the table, placed his hand on the man's shoulder, 'might as well lay my cards on the table.' He added, "My name's Danny."
In the instant before the man stretched out his hand to shake Danny's by removing it from his shoulder and giving his name, Danny took in some of the man's characteristics, and thought 'definitely not my type.'
The guy had a full beard, well trimmed. There was a tuft of thick dark hair curling out from under the crew neck of the t-shirt he wore under the flannel. He had a diamond stud in each ear. All things that were on Danny Marshall's 'Not a plus list.'
"I'm Al."
"Nice to meet you, Al. I'm Danny. Can I sit down?"
"Sure, if you want."
'Not going well.' Danny mused. 'Oh well, let's see where this goes.'
"Never saw you in here before."
"Nope."
"Come here often?"
"A couple times."
'Okay, this is going nowhere fast.'
While Danny tried to engage Al in conversation, he continued to check him out. He had stretched out again and crossed his legs. The bulge was even more impressive close up. Danny's appendage appreciated the sight. His legs were muscular and it showed even through the jeans. He held his drink in his left hand. Danny checked it for a wedding band and found none. His right was in the pocket of his pants. His biceps and chest stretched the fabric of the shirt.
Al saw Danny looking at his crotch. Danny realized he'd been caught, and looked up at his face with a slight blush. Al didn't react one way or the other.
Danny looked into Al's eyes. They were deep dark pools of liquid. They held his. What was going on in them? They were sad, yet there was longing.
Desire was in them as well as fear. Danny's heartbeat increased. Suddenly the things not on his plus list didn't seem to matter so much.
He realized he was staring at Al and said, " Nice earrings."
'Holy shit! Real smooth, Marshall!'
"Uh, yeah, er... they were a gift from a friend," Al stammered.
'Better not go there,' thought Danny.
Danny continued to try different approaches to get Al to open up but nothing seemed to work. He reluctantly decided it was a lost cause but couldn't quite bring himself to break off the attempted connection. He was just going to excuse himself when:
"I owe you a drink, what are you drinking?"
Danny's heart leapt. "Vodka, water with lime, thanks." Why had he reacted that way?
As Al walked away, Danny was given another reason to lust after the man. His buns more than made up for the other shortcomings.
Returning to the table, Al asked, "I guess you're a regular here?"
Danny decided to break one of his own come on rules, 'Never talk about yourself, show an interest in the target,' and for the next few minutes talked about his work, Frank's place, his interests.
"Well, that's enough about me. Tell me about you?"
"Nothin' much to tell. Work for New City Construction." He touched the brim of his hat indicating the insignia. "Site foreman. That's about it."
"You married?" Danny had to ask. It was pretty standard procedure here. "Got a boyfriend?"
Al's eyes flashed before returning to normal, only more guarded than before.
"Uh... no." Al looked really uncomfortable. "Well, I better get going. Nice to meet.."
Before Danny could think what he was doing he reached out and covered Al's hand with his.
"Hey, look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be nosey. Please don't go."
Al relaxed back against the chair. "S'okay." The eyes pleaded with Danny as if something inside of the man was saying 'help me, set me free.'
Danny removed his hand from Al's. Al was looking down at the table. He looked uncomfortable. "Really, I didn't mean to go where I had no business going..."
"Forget it, not your fault."
Something seemed to be stirring inside Danny that had little to do with the strong physical attraction he was now feeling for this man, overcoming all the aspects that he had hitherto considered not appealing, something that he didn't quite understand.
They sat for a long time in silence, neither one seemed to know what to do next. Frank came over with refills for their drinks. "On the house," he said, and winked at Danny.
The addition of a third drink to their systems relaxed them both and gave Danny the courage to suggest, "How about spending some time together in the back?"
Al took so long to respond, that Danny regretted making the suggestion. It was clear that the invitation had set off a turmoil within the man sitting before him. He shifted several times in his seat. Finished off his drink in a swallow. Moved his gaze from Danny's face to his own hands. He took a deep cleansing breath, "Sure, I'd like that."
"Great," said Danny not wanting to sound too enthusiastic in light of Al's hesitant reaction.
They walked to the bar. Without comment Frank handed Danny a key. They went through the door, passed the johns, climbed the stairs and stopped outside of room 12.
Danny turned to Al. Without saying anything he asked with his eyes if Al was ready to do this. Al inhaled slowly as he nodded. Danny turned the key in the door.
The room on the other side was clean. The bed was a regular sized double and stood in the corner. A throw rug lay on the floor beside it. There was a small dresser and a closet without a door. The john had a throne, a sink and a shower stall. Fresh towels were on the rack.
"Well, here we are," Danny put his arms around Al.
Al bit his lower lip, then ran his tongue over it. He shuddered as Danny pulled him against his body.
Danny was expecting a kiss, but instead Al put his head to the side and Danny wound up with his head on the shoulder of the taller man. They stood there for several minutes. Danny could feel himself responding to the muscular male form in his arms. He didn't detect a reciprocal response in his would be partner. Al swallowed several times, breathing deeply as if trying to control his emotions.
"Look," Danny said, staring up into Al's face. "If you don't feel like..."
"Shhh."
Al looked at Danny. His eyes were moist. He bent his head and kissed Danny tenderly. No tongue, no passion, just a kiss that was as pure and simple as a spring breeze. Danny grasped and felt a surge of emotion more powerful than any kiss of passion could ever have engendered. The kiss was repeated several times, punctuated with moments of eye contact between the two. Danny fought the urge to force his tongue between Al's lips.
At some point Al stepped back. Danny sat down on the bed and watched as Al slowly disrobed before him, revealing a body that would make a Greek god jealous. As Al began to respond to the situation, Danny longed to pull him close and swallow the beautiful manhood that was now raising itself inches from his face. Pulling Danny to his feet, Al took his place on the bed. Danny responded to the expectant look on Al's face by undressing himself, until he too stood naked. Once again he had the urge to sink to his knees and engulf Al. Before he could, he was pulled gently onto the bed and into Al's waiting arms.
They lay facing each other. It was as if Al were trying to see into Danny's very soul. He stroked his hair, traced his eyebrow, pressed his body against him. Then kissed him with a kiss that began to show the passion that was building. This time he parted his lips and let Danny enter his mouth with his tongue.
They explored each other's bodies with gentle firmness, no light tracings with finger tips but with firm grips and massages that communicated the appreciation each felt for the other's masculinity. All the while Danny was finding himself feeling he had never truly made love before, but merely had had sex.
Al rolled Danny on top of him. They pressed their trapped penises together.
Pre cum and light sweat making for an easy friction. Danny reached down with his mouth and grazed on the thick hair of Al's chest, found the well-formed erect nipples and fondled them with his tongue. Al moaned in response. Then in one easy motion Danny found their positions reversed. Al placed himself in such a way that he looked directly into Danny's eyes. Once more Danny saw in his partner's eyes a confusion of emotions. Danny longed to tell Al that whatever it was that he was trying to communicate to him, it was all right, that they, together, could handle it.
Al's motion on top of Danny was bringing them both to near climax. At the moment when Danny thought he could hold it no longer, Al raised his head and said, "I'm sorry, I wasn't prepared for this. I don't have a..."
"In the drawer," Danny whispered.
Al got up and walked to the dresser. There, Frank had put all the necessary items needed for this moment. Al returned with a condom and lube. As he walked to the bed, Danny watched Al's tumescence swaying in rhythm to his stride, and shuddered with anticipation.
Danny watched as Al rolled the latex down his shaft. Then he turned to Danny and placed a pillow under his hips. He proceeded to prepare Danny for their union. Their eyes again locked together.
"It's okay," Danny said. He knew he was ready. Al slowly, steadily and with great care positioned himself and applied pressure to Danny's entry.
"Oh," came from Al's lips, soft and low, as he passed the ring and entered the confines of Danny's body.
Danny exhaled deeply, relaxed and took the full length of Al's erection into himself. Once inside Al remained motionless. Danny, realizing that Al was wanting to make sure he was ready, began the dance by initiating the rhythm.
Danny had never experienced sex on this level before. He was no novice to anal intercourse, but this was something he didn't know existed. Al seemed to know instinctively how to bring them both to the edge and then back off so that they could prolong the pleasure. All the while increasing the emotional bond that seemed, to Danny at least, to be forming and being expressed by his lover's actions.
Al took a deep breath, held it, and then uttered, "Oh God."
His thrusts became powerful as he sent his seed into the barrier that kept their bodies separated. Danny in turn arched against Al's hard abdomen and filled the space with his own discharge, coating the rug of Al's hair.
They lay very still for a long while. Then Al raised himself as if doing a push-up. His kiss was again tender and soft, full of unspoken meaning. Danny sighed and was about to let his feelings be known when Al gently slipped out and got out of bed. Danny was confused. He watched Al walk to the bathroom and take care of the condom. Emerging, Al walked to the dresser. He took out another condom and returned to the bed.
Both he and Danny were still hard. Al, with great care, unrolled the latex on Danny's swollen penis. Al lay down on the bed on his side. A surprised but pleased Danny spooned against him. He guided himself into Al's waiting orifice and was at once lost in the dance of love again. Al took Danny's hand and placed it on his own protuberant member. Together they continued the dance to its conclusion.
After a time, Al turned to face Danny. He caressed the side of Danny's head, pushing the slightly damp hair back away from his face, and looked deeply into Danny's eyes.
"I think I'm falling in love with you," Danny whispered.
Al smiled, cupped Danny's chin with his hand and kissed him.
With his head on Al's broad chest Danny fell asleep.
Danny was startled awake. He sat up trying to shake off the deep sleep that the alcohol and sex had induced. He was immediately aware that he was alone in the bed. A knock on the door made him realize what had awakened him.
"Hey, Danny boy, it's Frank! Y'okay? Danny?"
Danny struggled out of bed and headed for the door. He realized he was still naked and half hard. "Yeah, fine, just a minute." He hopped on one foot struggling to get his boxers on. As he reached for the door he looked into the bathroom. Al was not there.
He opened the door.
"Y'okay? Your boyfriend split about twenty minutes ago. When ya didn't come down I got worried, so I come up to see."
"Uh, yeah, thanks, Frank. Um... I'm okay."
"Have a good time?" said Frank with a wicked chuckle.
"Yeah, it was really good," muttered Danny, still trying to get his bearings.
"Great, like a satisfied customer. See ya downstairs."
"Right," Danny mumbled, closing the door. He turned and looked at the bed. 'What had gone wrong? Man, it had been so good, so perfect,' he thought. 'I thought I'd hit the jackpot.'
After a period of just staring at the bed, as if trying to see the moment when the tide had turned, he went into the bathroom and showered.
"I sure didn't picture doing this solo," he said to his reflection, as he dried himself after the shower. Getting dressed, Danny took one final look around the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Something gleamed at him from the dresser. He walked over. There with a short note was one of Al's diamond studs. He picked it and the note up.
"Danny,
I'm sorry. I thought I could do this. But, I ... Well, I'm just sorry.
Al"
Danny walked up to the bar. Before he could even ask the question he had been asking him every night for over a week, Frank said, "No, he ain't been in."
"Thanks."
Frank poured Danny his usual vodka, water with lime. "You got it bad, kid."
"Yeah, I guess I do. I just don't understand his leaving without explaining what I did wrong."
"Maybe you didn't do nothin'. Maybe there's more to his story than ya know. Here, I got ya somethin'." Frank handed Danny a bottle of Scotch: the kind that Al drank. It had a ribbon on it. Tied to the ribbon was a slip of paper with an address scrawled on it.
"That's where he lives. Go wish him a Happy New Year, ask him to tell ya about it." Frank said with a wink.
"God, thanks, Frank. But how did you find out?"
"Ahhh, I got a friend whose a friend of a friend of a guy that works for the same outfit your guy does. He owed me so he looked it up. No big deal."
"Like Hell!" Danny shouted and leaned over the counter and gave Frank a big, sloppy kiss.
"Shit," laughed the older man. "I been waitin' fer that fer four years."
Danny turned to leave, turned back, slugged his vodka. "For courage," he said.
Standing outside Al's apartment door, Danny held the Scotch in one hand, while the other drummed nervously on his thigh. He was about to ring the bell a second time when the door opened.
"Hi," he said, "Happy New Year." He thrust the bottle into Al's hand.
Al stood for a moment, blinking stupidly with his mouth open.
"Well, can I come in?"
"Oh, yeah, sure, sorry, I'm just surprised to see you." Al turned and led Danny down the hall. Danny watched Al's bottom rise and fall against the fabric of his sweats, while his upper body was outlined in the tank he wore.
'First things first,' thought Danny.
Al led Danny through the living room and into the kitchen before Danny had any chance to survey the place.
"Have a seat," Al nodded toward the two-man kitchen table. He proceeded to take out two glasses and fill them with ice. He poured from the New Year's Scotch, set the glasses on the table and sat down.
"To a New Year," toasted Danny.
"Yeah, to the New Year." Al sipped his drink and let out a long sigh that had a shudder in it.
"What's wrong, Al. You can tell me. Please tell me." Danny reached out and covered both Al's hands, which were still around the glass of scotch, with his own.
Al looked up. There were tears running down his cheeks. He pressed his lips together and took a deep breath, as if willing himself not to cry. Then he got up and left the room.
Danny followed. Al was standing in the living room near a bookcase. As Danny walked up behind him, Al turned and handed him a framed photograph.
There were two men in it. They were both dressed in flannel shirts and jeans. They had their hard hats on their heads. Their arms were around each other and they were giving the photographer a salute with a Coors. One, of course, was Al.
"That's Rick."
Danny waited while Al composed himself.
"He was my partner."
"Was?" Danny asked feeling the emotion of the moment.
"He died."
"I'm so sorry, Al." Danny moved toward Al but he moved back.
"Yeah, well, we were together for four years. We worked together. We lived in a different place. I moved here after he... well after he was gone. I couldn't take the memories floating around there."
"How long ago did he die?"
"Almost two years now."
Danny was taken by the depth of emotion that still remained after two years. "You must have loved him very much."
"I did, and that's why this is so hard. I was responsible for his death."
Danny's eyes shot up to Al's. 'Man how much pain this man must be in.'
Al turned and approached the sliding glass door to the balcony that looked out on the city. He was crying openly now.
Danny came forward laying the picture on an end table as he did. He walked up behind Al, put his arms around his waist and laid his head on the broad shoulders. "Can you talk about it? I bet it'd help if you did."
Al took a deep breath and turned to Danny. " Yeah, I want to." He bit his lower lip: a gesture that Danny had seen before. "It's time."
Al sat on the couch, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. Danny went to the kitchen and refreshed the drinks. When he came back, Al had stretched out, leaning his head on the back of the couch with his legs in front of him. Even the gravity of the conversation that was to come, didn't keep Danny from appreciating the way Al filled out his tank top and sweats.
"Thanks," Al said taking the drink and downing half of it in one swallow.
Danny sat facing him with one leg tucked under and one arm on the back of the sofa.
"We were too much alike," Al began, "I knew that was a problem from the beginning. We had worked together for about a year before we fell in love. And I knew from our work relationship that there would be things that would cause friction."
Al paused and took another drink of his Scotch.
"I was used to being in charge. I was the boss. He liked being in charge. He wanted to be the boss. At first it wasn't much of a problem: we laughed it off. But, as time went on, we had some pretty serious fights over 'my giving him orders."
He was silent for a minute. He seemed to be collecting his thoughts. "The night before he died, we had another rowe. I don't even remember what started it. I probably said something about how he folded his socks or something stupid like that. These things usually started over some trivial thing. Pretty soon we were shouting at each other about how each of us wanted to run the other's life. We went to bed angry."
Al finished his drink and indicated he wanted a refill. Danny obliged.
When Danny returned Al continued. "Rick was up and out before I was the next morning. We were working construction at a new high rise. Wouldn't you know, I was his foreman.
Al paused again and leaned back closing his eyes. Danny wanted to reach out and let him know it was okay, but he refrained from doing it, not sure how Al would react.
"I got to the site. We went over the work details for the day. The wind was really strong. I decided not to send anyone up on the girders that framed the building. Rick was the head of a rail walker crew. He must have still been smartin' from the night before. He told me he'd been pushed around at home enough and wasn't gonna be pushed around at work."
Al covered his eyes. "Oh God," he sobbed. He took several shuddering breaths. "The stubborn asshole took his crew up anyway. I yelled and screamed but that only made it worse. He went up, was walking a rail and...
Again Al let out a sob that tore at Danny's heart.
"... and a gust of wind came. He fell."
He turned to Danny. "It was my fault. I pushed him into it. Now, he's gone."
Danny took the grieving man into his arms and together they cried for Rick and the loss of love.
After a time Al pulled from the embrace. He took Danny's hands in his and pressed his forehead against Danny's. "Danny, I want to love you. But, I can't. I would be dishonoring Rick's memory if I did. I caused his death, I don't want to cause him more pain now."
Danny wasn't sure what to say. He knew that what Al was feeling was irrational: that it was motivated by his guilt. He wanted to say something that would break the hold the guilt had on him.
"Al," Danny began, "I'm not big on religion. So, I don't know what we feel after we die. But, if Rick is aware of anything, it is that he wants you to be happy. I don't believe your giving up your life would make him anything but sad. If you guys loved each other the way you said you did, well, then I think he would want you to find love again."
Danny took a deep breath and continued. "You gotta give up your guilt. You didn't kill him. He made a decision. It was the wrong one."
"But," Al argued, "If I hadn't ordered him to stay down..."
"You can go on and on with if this and if that. The truth is Rick made his own decision. Grieve for him. Honor the memory of the love you shared, but don't stop living. I'm sure he wouldn't want that."
Danny and Al sat in silence for awhile longer. Not knowing what else he could or should do, Danny merely said, "I'll be goin' now. I hope you find some peace." He stood up, got his coat, and returned to Al. He knelt in front of him. "I love you."
Al raised his head, smiled a weak smile and embraced Danny. "Thank you. I lo...thank you."
As Danny started to rise to go Al reached out and took hold of the earring in Danny's left ear.
"Looks good on you," Al said.
"Thanks, it was a gift from a friend."
Danny sat at the table where he and Al had met. Frank's was back to normal after the holidays. Well, almost. If it would've been fully back to normal Danny would have been cruising the bar or talking animatedly with friends. Instead when he did come in, he ordered his vodka and headed for the table in the corner to the right of the bar. Several times he had been invited to the back rooms, but he politely declined saying, "Maybe another time."
Danny sat leaning on the table with his head in one hand, staring at the floor.
"Can I buy you a drink," said a voice behind him. A vodka, water with lime was set before him.
A pair of work boots had come into view. As Danny's gaze swept upward, he scanned past blue jeans, a flannel work shirt to a bearded face, a single diamond stud earring, a beautiful smile and clear eyes brimming with love.
"Looks to me like you already did," Danny replied, sitting up and looking at Al. Tears stung his eyes.
"Guess I did," said Al with a chuckle.
Setting his own drink on the table, Al pulled Danny to his feet. They embraced, held each other tight. They both breathed in the presence of the other.
"Can we try this again?" Al's voice was full of love and desire.
"Oh you bet we can, Mr. Foreman," said Danny hardly believing this was happening.
Al held up the key to room 12. Danny smiled and they headed for the door to the back rooms hand in hand. As they passed the bar Frank gave them the thumbs up.
"Wait a minute." Danny went back to the table and picked up their drinks. "Don't need to let these go to waste."
They disappeared beyond the archway.
Frank smiled. " 'Bout time. Yep, 'bout time."
The End.