So, thank you for all the comments so far. This is turning into a real story. sorry about that! Characterisation is more important that forcing characters into sex. There are 'real' lives here and I need to bring them to you.
Heavy, but Sainsburys has a special on my favourite wine tonight, so I'm in a mellow, serious sort of mood!
If you enjoy my ramblings in the key of life, so to speak, let me know. And, if you don't, let me know too. I can write a hand-job story, I'm sure I can. It just won't be this one!
Let me know your thoughts, people and go out and buy some Sangiovesse di Romagna, the best wine this side of Puglia!
Enjoy.
Mandijerri
June 7th Party-time
One of the good things about living in Milton Keynes, Pir supposed, was that you could shop. One of the downsides about that, he realised, was that the whole country also wanted to shop here at the same time as you!
Could make getting a packet of fags and some milk from your corner shop a pain in the arse. But heh, it also made for an interesting bunch of people and he did like watching people. If nothing else it gave you comfort that you were more normal than you realised after all!
It was Friday evening, and yes, he was battling through the shops in Central MK, trying to find a present for his dad's birthday next week. Anything! But every shop was either too full or too 'wrong'. He didn't want to get him something silly so all the gadget shops were out. His dad's taste in clothes was too embarrassing to allow him to buy any clothes for him! He didn't read. He didn't play any games, didn't own a computer...
He wandered down past Marks & Spencers - some slippers maybe?
He laughed to himself, then looked over and saw the Storm shop. A watch, that could work. He wandered into the small shop. And it was small, not much more than a kiosk. Two guys sat behind the desk, one bored, the other looking at a computer behind the desk. Pir wandered over and looked into a cabinet.
Quirky watches - even better. His dad only had one watch, a dress watch would be good for him.
"Can I help you?" A voice asked.
Pir turned, young guy, about his age, tall and fit to boot.
He was still gay then.
He smiled as he remembered Bay and in his jeans his dick lurched at the memory. Definitely still gay!
"I'm looking for something for my dad." Pir smiled. "He's going to be fifty."
"Not much here I think." The guy said.
He was wearing an oversized t-shirt and jeans that also looked too big. As if he didn't want to be dressed at all. Interesting. Since coming back from London last week he hadn't looked at a man or woman in a sexual way. Now he was imagining this poor sap naked!
It was a pleasant image though, he had to concede that.
"There might be something over here." The Guy said, and he put his arm around Pir's shoulder, leading him across the shop to another display cabinet. "Is he a young or old fifty?"
"Definitely old." Pir smiled. "He would use a pipe if someone bought him one!"
"Then not this cabinet either." The Guy said. "Mick, pass us that catalogue."
The guy from behind the counter passed over a catalogue and the man opened it for Pir, one arm still around his shoulder.
"We've got some new stock coming in tomorrow." He told Pir, turning to a page. "I've got three of these coming in." He added indicating a watch with the hand of the arm that was on his shoulder. The other held the catalogue. "Do you think your dad would like one of them?"
"It's perfect." Pir smiled, and he leant against this man.
Was he flirting?
And with a man!
Inside he was laughing.
"Give me your mobile number." The Guy said. "I'll call you tomorrow when the stock comes in? You local?"
"Walnut Tree." Pir smiled.
If this guy was chatting him up he was good!
"Perfect." The guy said handing Pir a pad from the desk. "Stick your number on here, and your name."
"OK." Pir smiled.
"Pir?" The guy read.
"Yes." Pir smiled.
"I'll call you tomorrow." They guy smiled.
"Thanks." Pir said.
He turned and left the shop. That had been interesting. He didn't ever remember a shop assistant touching him that much in the past, male or female and he certainly hadn't ever returned the compliment...
What had Bay done to him?
Did he have 'Gay' written on his forehead in invisible ink or something? So that maybe only gay men wearing a certain cologne could see it? He laughed and wandered through the shops, scratching his forehead as he went! Oh well. He'd buy a watch for dad tomorrow. Today it was still reasonably early, so now he would buy something for himself.
He wandered off through to Debenhams, not the best place to buy clothes, but the shops would close in half an hour and at least here he could get through five or six designers in that time!
In the end he found two shirts, one of them oversized for some reason...
His phone rang, he didn't recognise the number.
"Hello it's Pir." He said.
"Hi." A voice said, and he recognised it instantly, the man from the watch shop. "Erm... my name's Dom. We met earlier at Storm?"
"Hi." Pir smiled.
"Erm... listen right, I don't normally do this, but you... you... I don't know. Do you want to go out for a drink tonight?"
"Sure." Pir smiled. "OK."
"Really?"
"Really." Pir laughed. "Where?"
"You know the Black Prince?"
"Up in Wolverton?"
"Yeah."
"I know it."
"OK. See you there at eight."
"Eight."
"There's a party after. You want to come?"
"OK." Pir laughed. "I'll see you there."
"Thanks." Dom replied. "Bye."
"Bye."
Wow. Where had that come from? He's just been asked out by a guy! A sexy guy at that. Well, a man in every port, so to speak. One in London and one at home. Not a bad life! He laughed as he called up a taxi and met it outside the cinema. He had some serious preening to do for his date tonight!
The Black Prince wasn't strictly a gay pub, but it was pretty damned close. The owners were gay, the staff were definitely gay and the majority of the clientele were gay as well. Divided into two bars, the Front and, unsurprisingly, the Rear Bars, the Gay community, when the urge was upon it, gathered in the Rear Bar. This was a large space with a stage at one end and two bars to service the crowd.
Tonight it was Friday, and the crowd was beginning to arrive. Pir went to the Front Bar first. He had only ever been in this bar, the 'straight' bar for want of a better name, although the barman called it the 'locals' bar. Whatever its name and its demographic, it was virtually empty and Pir soon found himself wandering through to the louder Rear Bar.
It was almost eight, he had a pint and his date was nowhere to be seen. Oh well. There was still time. He found a table in a corner that gave him a view of the whole bar and settled in for the wait. He liked watching crowds, liked to pick out the sparks of individuality around which the others turned. Liked to imagine he was like that.
Not that he was sparking much tonight. If the truth be known, he was nervous. Being gay in London was one thing. Being gay on your home turf was something else entirely. And he had already seen three people he knew wandering around the bar. Two of them from work. Were they gay?
They weren't 'out' if that actually meant anything anymore. Your sexuality now-a-days was your own business, he assumed, as long as it didn't involve kiddies or animals you were pretty much left to your own. Yeah, there were still bigots out there, but they would always be there. Religious nuts that forgot the raison d'être of their religion. Or heterosexuals who believed it was fine for them to sleep their way through the population but seriously not OK for someone to want to do it differently - or even at all.
Pir smiled. He prided, if that was the right word, himself on being open-minded. There was nothing wrong with a bit of kink every now and then. And in a society where 'gay' had come to mean something rubbish, sexual tolerance needed all the help it could get!
Dom came into the bar.
Pir smiled and just watched the man.
He was tall and cool in a way that was beyond definition. He looked unkempt but was very clearly as posed as any of the other guys in the bar. He carried himself as if he were regal. And there was an air of feline grace about him. He wore jeans, loosely, and a tee. Patterned to the plain white he had worn earlier. The tee was still too big and seemed to hang off him in all the right places. As he moved there was a flash of chest, midriff, back.
And he was still fit. Broad of shoulder. He worked out, that was clear. Not really knowing what he liked, Pir was surprised he was fascinated by Dom. He was not a gym bunny himself. Hadn't been to one in years. Was too embarrassed now to go into one. He wasn't out of shape, you understand, but his body was seriously not defined!
Dom clearly knew some of the people in the room and, yes, he was a spark. They circled around him as he crossed the room to the bar. There were hugs, shouts of recognition, slaps on the back and squeezes of arms and hands. As he approached the bar he dragged at least four people in his wake. He ordered a drink and Pir smiled again as he watched those around him.
Dom was an alpha, that much was clear. He hadn't really understood that term up until now, but there were only maybe two other guys in the room that could stand up to him, and both of them were already circling on the outside of the group that was around Dom. Seeing what this third threat to their control of this territory would mean.
Surprisingly, one of the other alphas was a new guy at work that Pir recognised, from sales. He had joined the company only recently and Pir had only ever seen him, never spoken. Sean, he thought his name was. Australian, or Canadian.
Pir pulled out his phone and called up Dom's number.
Bored in corner. he texted. Mine's a bud, pint.
A few seconds later Dom reached for his phone and Pir saw him smile. He ordered the second pint, paid and turned, heading straight to Pir.
"Hi." He smiled, putting the drinks down on the table. "Yours, I assume?"
"Of course." Pir smiled as he slid the pint over to him.
"Been here long?" Dom asked, pulling up a stool and sitting opposite Pir.
One of the other two alphas dropped back into the crowd. Happy that Dom was with someone and not a threat. Sean, though, he watched Pir, clearly recognised him, and now watched them both from the bar, a small circle of admirers gathering around him.
"Five minutes?" Pir smiled. "Been crowd watching."
"Always interesting in here." Dom laughed. "Seen anything interesting?"
"Two guys were tracking you as you came in. One's settled back into his posse now, the other is eyeing us up from the bar."
Dom looked over and waved.
"Sean." Dom smiled. "New stud in town. Always sees the incumbents as a threat!"
"I work with him."
"Really. You been with him?"
"Never even knew he was gay!" Pir laughed. "Not really the main topic of conversation. In fact I don't think we've ever had a conversation!"
"Good." Dom said, then laughed. "Sorry," He smiled. "I don't need the competition tonight."
"Don't worry." Pir smiled. "You asked me out. And I'm here with you."
"Even better. Thanks for that. Not the best invitation in the world."
"Or the most subtle chat up technique." Pir smiled.
"Got your name and number though!" Dom laughed. "You have to give me that!"
"Here's to you." Pir smiled. "So this party. Who and where?"
"Kelvin Samson." Dom replied. "Sugah Rae? Big black guy, performer, loudest man you will ever hear?"
"Don't know him."
"Be prepared to! You don't get out much, do you?"
"Hey!" Pir laughed. "Up until last weekend I was a nice little straight boy."
"What, you mean I'm not turning you?"
"Sorry."
"Oh well. Here's to the weekend that did!" Dom raised his glass and downed half of it.
"Thirsty?"
"Long day and by long I mean boring as well as too much time!" Dom smiled. "Mick, the other guy in the shop? He's a nice guy but not a conversationalist and no-one interesting, apart from you, came into the shop today."
"Good?" Bay said.
"Yeah." Dom smiled. "Means I got to work my magic on you for a while. You really looking for a watch for your dad?"
"Yep. You really getting in some stock tomorrow?"
"I have no idea!" Dom laughed. "You weren't meant to work that one out! I'll order one for you though. Be in Thursday next week. I'll give you my discount, OK?"
"Fine." Pir smiled as he finished his first beer and started on the second. "So," He added. "Come here often?"
"Too much!" Dom laughed. "One of my stamping grounds. Meet the crowd on a Friday, plan the weekend, that sort of thing."
"You need to mingle?"
"And leave you to Sean? You must be joking! No, I'll mingle at the party. Until then I'm all yours."
"Wow!" Pir smiled. "Is that good?"
"Yeah!" Dom laughed.
"So, who are you?"
"Oh yeah! Dom Whitehead. Twenty-five, retail consultant specialism jewellery but more specifically watches. You?" He put his hand out and they shook.
"Pir Jameson." Pir smiled as they shook hands. "Also twenty-five, sales order clerk currently working for NatCom."
"I know them." Dom said. "Why?"
"Sean works there?" Pir suggested.
"No, but yes!" He smiled. "Where are they based?"
"Brinklow, out by Kent's Hill."
"Near you." Dom said.
"Yeah. You remembered."
"It's important." Dom smiled finishing his beer. "I always remember all the details of my dates! You live in Walnut Tree. You want another?"
"Go on then." Pir said.
"No-one else sits here." Dom laughed. "OK?"
"OK." Pir smiled.
Possessive. That was refreshing. Chatting up women had always put Pir in the position Dom was in now. To be on the other side - it was fun! He hadn't realised how much fun there was to be had playing with a horny man. And Dom was seriously horny! And he felt good being the one Dom was into tonight. Well, it boosted his ego and that had to be a good thing.
If Dom hadn't asked him out tonight he had been seriously considering a trip into Buckingham to catch up with his old school mates. And that was serious desperation! He glanced over at the Bar. Pir was chatting to Sean, both of them with their backs to him. Sean - now there was interesting. He looked, Pir realised, like a surfer. And if he was gay, and he probably was judging by his present company, then that would make work a much more interesting place!
Bay didn't want a relationship.
He would have given it a go, personally, but Pir honoured the man's intent. Perhaps the distance would have killed it in the end? So, no relationship with him, just fun. Could he have fun with Dom and Sean in MK?
No.
Too much shit on the home doorstep.
Dom came over with two more drinks and Pir finished his current one to keep up. He would have to slow down soon! If they had a party tonight as well, he would have to pace himself. Mind you, he was drinking Bud, alcohol content of a mildly strong soft drink! He would spend more time pissing it up against the wall than he would processing the alcohol! "What's wrong?" Dom asked as he settled onto the chair, dragging it closer to Pir.
"Just realising we are going to have to pace ourselves." Pir told him. "We've got a party yet as well!"
"I have a cunning plan." Dom smiled.
"Which is?"
"Food." Dom smiled. "You eaten yet?"
"Actually no."
"Then let's do it here. They don't do much, steak or burgers, but it's always good."
"Burger and fries then." Pir laughed. "You want some money?"
"Nope." Dom told him. "I asked you out. I'm paying."
"Fair enough."
"Sugah!" Dom laughed as the door opened.
"Dom!" The tall man laughed, loudly.
He pulled Dom into hug, then spied Pir behind him.
"And who is this delicious man?" He added, pushing Dom to one side, holding him against the wall and grabbing Pir's arms in his hands.
Pir just laughed. It wasn't every day a six foot five black guy dressed in a silver sequined mini-skirt and nine-inch heeled stacks, topped with a blonde wig, even noticed you, let alone pulled you into a ruby-red lipstick kiss.
"Honey, you are so welcome!" The man laughed.
"Back off, baby." Dom laughed, slipping out of Sugah's grip and putting his arm around Pir's waist. "I found him, he's mine!"
"Damn!" Sugah laughed. "Listen." He told Pir as he led them into the house. "When this guy gets too pissed to keep you happy. You come looking for Sugah Rae. Ok?"
"Ok." Pir laughed.
"Off, fuck!" Dom said. "Mine." He added to Sugah. "Here's some beer." He said, pushing a bag into Sugah's hands.
"Ooh!" Sugah laughed. "Possessiveness. You just turn this into a challenge, darling!" He added. "I'm gonna win!"
"Not tonight."
"But in the end."
"He'll be seconds then."
"Thanks!" Pir smiled. "I have my own mind!"
"'Course you do, darling!" Sugah laughed. "Just not when you are with Dom, I bet. Now, if you were mine..."
"Off!" Dom laughed. "I found him, I get to play!"
"Stupid rules." Sugah smiled. "So, baby." Sugah added, slipping his arm around Pir's shoulder and pulling him into the house. "Your oaf knows the place, but let me show you around."
"Mine." Dom said.
He put his arms around Pir's waist and stopped him moving forward.
"Oh, spoil sport!" Sugah smiled. "Share him?"
"Not tonight." Dom laughed.
"Ooh. A chance then!" Sugah roared. "Welcome to chez moi." He added. "Small, elegant and very much the perfect place to party tonight!" He added. "We are celebrating my forthcoming album release. So expect some hi-energy shenanigans later!"
"You sing?" Pir ventured as they made their way past a room pumping out deep and heavy rhythms.
"Like a fucking angel!" Sugah laughed as they came into the kitchen.
"On acid." Pir added, "Sweetie!"
"Better." Sugah smiled. "Guys, listen, grab a drink and then schmooze yeah? Dark and moody downstairs, fast and sexy upstairs. The garden is for mingling, talking and eating. Toilets back under the stairs and on the first floor. Second floor is off limits. Be good!" He added kissing Dom full on the mouth. "And stay sexy." He smiled pulling Pir into an 'Officer and a Gentlemen' clinch and planting a deep kiss on his lips. "Lovely." He added, scurrying out of the room.
"Wow." Pir smiled, grabbing a beer and taking a swig.
"Yeah. Wow." Dom smiled. "Your first experience of Sugah Rae is always an overwhelming one!"
"And he's in a band?"
"Sugah Rae and the Lollipop Boys!" Dom laughed. "They're big on the gay and festival scenes. Sell enough albums to keep touring and earning a decent wage."
"OK. Didn't know Milton Keynes was home to such celebrity!"
"And a damn site more interesting than Cleo Laine!"
"Who?"
"Exactly!" Dom smiled, grabbing Pir's hand and pulling him through the back door into the garden. "My mum loves her, me... let's say I prefer my music to be sung by people on this side of thirty, not the other side of sixty!"
"Right." Pir smiled.
The garden was one of those long Victorian things. The kitchen stretched out into the garden and a small alley ran along the kitchen wall up against the neighbour's fence. It opened into a narrow garden that currently had four or five gazebos dotted along it. Chairs and tables had been set up in each and caterers were still piling food out on long tables down one side of the garden.
Light came from a row of torches behind the food tables and smaller lights strung along and through the gazebos.
"Better than some clubs I've been to." Pir smiled.
"Sugah knows how to party." Dom said. "And you will enjoy yourself!"
"I plan to." Pir smiled. "What about you?" He asked slipping his arm around Dom's waist.
"Definitely!" Dom smiled. "We are going to have some fun."
He scanned the people in the garden then, recognising no-one, or not seeing anyone he was interested in, turned and pulled Pir back into the house.
"Who are we looking for?" Pir asked.
"Don't know yet." Dom smiled.
They went down the hall into the dark living room. The room was devoid of furniture and the DJ had set up in an alcove next to a fireplace sporting a large sphere light. Some large cushions were scattered around the room and some of these were occupied by people. A few others were standing and swaying to the music.
"Jake!" Dom called, walking up to a small group of three guys.
"Dom." A tall blonde guy said. "Thought you weren't coming?"
"Found a reason to." Dom smiled. "This is Pir." He added, pulling Pir closer. "Jake, Mikey and Smalls." He added, introducing the three men.
"Hi." Pir smiled.
He shook hands with the guys, then zoned into the music while they talked. He had recognised a couple of people in the garden. A woman from work, her partner, and an older guy he saw in one of the coffee shops in town occasionally, he was always wearing brightly coloured trilbies so was instantly recognisable.
"Getting a beer." Pir told Dom. "You want one?"
"In a moment." He smiled, then turned back to the group.
Pir wandered back into the kitchen, grabbed a beer and made his way across to Sandra, the girl from work and her partner Jen.
"I thought it was you." Sandra said as she pulled over a chair.
"Hi." Pir said falling into the seat.. "It's me. You know Sugah?"
"I do some backing tracks for him now and then." Jen said. "What about you. What are you doing here?"
"Starting some gossip?" Pir smiled.
"Oh, good!" Sandra laughed. "We need gossip. Do you know Sugah?"
"I met him on the door. I came here with Dom, you know him?"
"That guy you came in with first?" Jen asked.
"Yeah."
"Seen him in the Prince." Jen said. "Never spoken to him. But then he's not interested in the ladies, I hear."
"And I thought you were!" Sandra smiled. "Or at least that's what Marcy in accounts said. Didn't you go out with her for a while?"
"Yeah, ouch!" Pir laughed. "She's hard work!"
"Tell me about it!" Sandra replied. "You should try working with her!"
"So, tell us then. You batting for both teams now?" Jen asked.
"I don't know." Pir laughed. "I've tried the girls, and that's fun. So now I'm looking at trying some guys."
"And then what, settle down?" Sandra laughed.
"With one or the other." Pir said. "Nothing wrong with that is there?"
"Not at all." Sandra agreed. "Can I start the rumours now?"
"Feel free." Pir laughed. "The place needs some livening up!"
"Tell me about it!" She agreed. "There's been nothing since Steve and Martha had that thang."
"Yeah!" Pir laughed. "Across every desk in Marketing apparently!"
"They laughed and Jen scowled.
"Ok, if you two are doing work, I'm getting another drink. Hun?"
"Whatever you have." Sandra said handing her glass over.
"Pir?"
"Just got this, thanks." He smiled.
"See you in a while then." Jen said. "And work talk stops when I get back, alright?"
"OK." Sandra smiled. "She gets bored with all the gossip I bring home." Sandra laughed. "She works in an accountants, there's never more than three people in the office and they are all married and happy!"
"Sad." Pir said. "What are you going to tell people about me?"
"What would you like?"
"It has to be dramatic. I have a fan-base, you know."
"So, what's he called, your man?"
"Dom." Pir smiled.
"Right, so something along the lines of you two not keeping your hands off each other, having sex at the bottom of the garden, that sort of thing?"
"Might actually happen." Pir smiled. "He's shaping up rather nicely!"
"Quite handsome, really." Sandra agreed. "Where'd you meet him?"
"He works in a watch shop in town. Proper chatted me up!"
"The first time?"
"No, I've been chatted up before!" Pir laughed sipping his beer.
"By a guy?"
"No, that's happened as well."
"Wow, you are a real dark horse." Sarah smiled. "I had you locked away in the cute and straight pigeon-hole and here you are turning up at one of Sugah Rae's do's a proper paid up member of the out and proud society!"
"Well." Pir smiled. "The grass might be greener over here!"
"It is for me." Sandra laughed as Jen came back down the path with two glasses of wine.
"Well, I had better go find my green man!" Pir smiled. "You two staying out here all night?"
"Nah." Jen said as she fell into a chair and handed Sandra her wine. "Just need a few to relax us before we hit the dancing."
"I'll see you in there." Pir said as he stood.
"Or at the bottom of the garden." Sandra laughed.
"There is that!" Pir agreed as he made his way back into the house.
He grabbed another beer and wandered into the living room. There were more people here and the room was full of the heady smell of skunk. He smiled and looked around, but Dom wasn't here. Maybe upstairs.
Half way up the stairs the music changed. Low deep beats giving way to higher and faster dance sounds. The music up here was very hi-energy, very gay, and clearly Sugah's preferred music. Pir saw him standing in a corner surrounded by a group of admirers, holding court. This floor was one large (and now empty) room and a bathroom. A DJ had set up in one corner and chairs, mostly from the kitchen and dining room, lined the walls of the room. Pir saw Dom with another group of guys in one corner.
Dom was deep in conversation with them and they seemed to be passing money and a small package between them, with Dom taking the package.
Pir frowned and wrapped his arms around Dom's waist.
"Drugs?" He whispered.
"What?" Dom asked, smiling as he realised it was Pir.
"In your hand. Drugs?"
"What? Oh, no!" Dom laughed and opened his hand.
Three condoms lay there.
"I, erm, don't have any at home. And since that's where I'm taking you after this I need to be prepared! Shaz here," He added indicating the guy behind him, "Has just sold me half his supply!"
"Hah!" Pir laughed. "But that's a little presumptuous of you." He added. "We've only just met. I might not do sex on the first date."
"You do now." Dom smiled. pulling him into a kiss and slipping his hand down the back of his jeans. "You do now."
"I might at that." Pir smiled. "But only three times by the look."
"Hey!" Dom smiled. "These things are like gold dust! I'm working on it, OK?"