| DAY 4 |
| He was having an extremely difficult time in breathing with the cloth tied around his face, gagging him. He wasn�t used to breathing through his nose that often. And the fear of being killed made it even worse. They were cruel in their methods, in their taunts; dragging the tip of the knife across his face. His wrists were aching from the rope tautly tied around them. The passage of time ceased to flow. Who knows how long it�s been since......... And now the 3 of them sat at the table playing poker; having all the fun in the world, while he sat there tied to that chair, not able to see a thing with the blindfold on. All he could hear was their laughter now; their careless worries and day-to-day socializing; while he was tortured and left to die. Hunger, thirst.... such trivial needs when compared to the desire to live, yet nonetheless ever the necessity, and ever the enhanced in his current state. He could feel his stomach burning and his throat cracking. He let his head hang back down, dozing off once again; his hair falling over his face. The boredom that came from staying alert and trying to hear anything going on was increasingly getting worse. He just wanted to sleep it away, and he prayed that next time he awoke, he�d be home safe. And then came a loud crashing sound; followed immediately by shouting and another loud crashing sound. The shouting continued and gunshots followed. He was fully awake now; anxious and scared. He could hear the gunshots all around now, hitting the walls beside and behind him; shots were going right passed him, and could easily hit him. Every hair on his body seemed to be standing up, not quite sure what was going on. But he assumed someone was here to rescue him. The battle went on for what seemed like ages; yelling and cursing and deafening roars of justice and injustice being dealt. And then the noise ceased. Someone had won; and someone had lost. But who? And which? Footsteps approached. His throat grew tight with fear on who was the last man standing. He felt a hand touch the back of his head, and then slowly but surely, the blindfold came off. The light hurt his eyes at first, not at all accustomed to being drawn into his irises. The face before him was extremely blurry; not distinguishable. But as time passed, and as murmurs of voices cluttered around the room, his vision returned to normal. The face that was blurry was now clear; and he knew who it was. It was him; the man who he adored; the man who�s duty as an officer was upheld with this act of rescue; the man he was glad to see. The man reached for his face and touched his cheek; his hand warm on his face. The touch felt so good; a longing....... ~~~~~ Jeff groaned, and when he opened his eyes, he realized it was morning once again. The dream he just had, very lucid in his memory; such realism. He rolled over onto his back and put his hands to his face, �Oh, man...� Harry had heard the small commotion and entered the bedroom, �You all right, son?� Jeff let only a mumble escape through the cracks of his hands, �Yeah...just a strange dream is all.� �Okay,� and Harry turned to head out the door but then turned back, �I�m about to order breakfast. What you want?� Jeff sat up in his bed rubbing the back of his head, �Whatever you have, mate.� So Harry left and ordered breakfast. Jeff hopped into the shower for his morning routine. After he was finished washing up, he joined his father for breakfast; plate stacked high with pancakes. �Bloody Hell!� Jeff exclaimed as he sat down and saw the mass amount of pancakes on his plate. �Why�d you order so bloody much? I can�t eat all that.� �That�s the only choice and I wanted pancakes.� Jeff smiled at his father. Harry took a couple bites and then commented, �So that�s how you�re going to dress for your date this evening?� Jeff was wearing short black shorts and a blue-green muscle shirt. �What�s wrong with this?� Jeff defended himself. �I think it shows me off quite nicely.� Harry rolled his eyes in his son�s straight-forward sexual confidence. �Any how, I thought maybe we�d visit the art museum I saw on that bus tour.� �Sound nice.� �But going back to my clothes; to be honest, I wasn�t going to wear this. Figured I�d go out for a jog after we got back.� �Oh, well, that�s fine, Jeff.� Harry said with a little more approval, not that he felt his son needed permission, nor that he should dress any certain way. It was his life, his choice; and Jeff was a good enough looking lad that could get away with wearing most anything. ~~~~~ They finished breakfast and then grabbed a cab to take them to the museum. It was a grand building; the architecture well designed and magnificent. There were swarms of other visitors, most with cameras and backpacks; a lot of young folk, most likely on a school trip. Harry paid for the admission. There was a tour group just beginning so they hopped in line. The tour began and they walked all around, listening to the guide describe the various pieces. One in particular caught Jeff�s eye; a marble statue of a man, completely naked. Jeff whispered into his father�s ear, �I like this artist�s taste,� in a humorous tone. Harry blew a raspberry and then saw a statue down the way of a naked lady. He pointed and said to Jeff, �Son, now there is art.� Responding in a playfully sarcastic tone, Jeff said, �Well at least this artist didn�t under-exaggerate any features.� And then he laughed. �Oh, you don�t know good art when you see it.� Harry said, trying to defend �his� statue. �Maybe not, but I know what I like.� ~~~~~ After the guide�s tour ended, Harry and Jeff left the museum to grab some lunch. Jeff told his dad about the restaurant Bud had taken him to - Shirley�s Diner. They walked in and Jeff took them to the same booth in the back. There were a couple gentlemen eating here this time, dressed in officer uniforms. He didn�t recognize either officer from when he went down to the station. And Shirley didn�t seem to be working today. A younger lady approached their table and greeted them with a half-hearted salutation, definitely lackluster compared to Shirley. She offered the menus and told them she would return in a couple minutes. After a short period, the waitress came back over and took their orders. Moments later, she brought the food out and they dug in. Jeff was hoping that maybe Bud would stop in for his lunch, but no such luck. They ate; they talked; and made their way back to the hotel afterwards. It was just approaching 3 o clock. Harry was just about to enter the building, then Jeff spoke up. �I�m gonna go on my jog now, mate.� �Okay, Jeff. Be careful.� �I will, Dad.� And Jeff started to turn away, but then Harry added, �Oh, I probably won�t be home when you get back. I was thinking about taking a cab to the mall and just browsing more stores and seeing new things.� �Okay, Dad. Cya later.� �Have fun.� ~~~~~ Jeff jogged around L.A. for nearly 2 hours; one of the last places he visited on his jog was the park, which was fortunate for him, because they had a water fountain by the restrooms; and Jeff was dying of thirst. He wasn�t used to jogging this long; but he took it easy on himself, slowing down to a walk now and then. He just really wanted to keep himself busy until 5 and to clear his head beforehand. Jeff also didn�t have a watch on, so he couldn�t keep track of time that well. When he returned to the hotel, he figured he was gone for no more than an hour. He pushed through the glass doors, completely exhausted; his shirt absolutely drenched and his shorts clinging to his thighs. His breath was rapid and he could feel his heart rate racing. As Jeff limped across the lobby, he looked at the clock. It was a quarter after 5:00!!! �Oh no.....� Jeff was worried that either Bud might have already come, or he�d be in the shower when he came and would miss him. He rode the elevator up to his floor. Jeff leaned against the rail, trying to keep his weight up; his muscles beginning to feel sore, exasperated from the strenuous workout. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Jeff stumbled out, not looking ahead of him, and bumped into somebody that was coming into the elevator. �Oh, I�m sorry...� Jeff said and started to look up, and then noticing it was �him.� �Jeff.� �Oh, Bud!� Jeff smiled, delighted to see him. �Hope you weren�t waiting long, mate. I lost track of time completely.� �Nah, I wasn�t waiting long. But no one answered, so I figured I�d call you later. But well...here you are,� Bud replied, not agitated one bit; thrilled to see Jeff. Jeff started walking down the hall and Bud followed beside him. Jeff was limping pretty badly and Bud could tell, so he stuck his arm underneath Jeff�s and braced his back and Jeff wrapped his arm around Bud�s shoulder. Bud helped Jeff to the door and opened it for him, and then took him to the sofa where Jeff then plopped down. Bud stood in front of him; Jeff staring up into his eyes. He then noticed he got Bud�s dress shirt wet from perspiration. �Oh, I�m sorry, mate. I got your shirt wet,� Jeff said apologetically. Bud looked down to see what he was talking about. He noticed some wet stains on his white shirt and then looked back at Jeff. �Oh don�t worry about it. Wet enough under the arms from a long day at work anyway.� He chuckled. And Bud couldn�t help but to perv over Jeff�s attire; completely soaked on his body, pressing against his chest, his nipples clearly visible. And the spot of chest hair matted down in the exposed area where the muscle shirt didn�t do anything to cover him up. And of course his arms, fully exposed, no sleeve at all. Bud could feel himself getting aroused. To try and cool down, Jeff fluffed his shirt up and down to try to vent some air underneath; which bared his stomach and navel to Bud. Bud�s eyes got the chance to glance underneath and frantically tried to devour as much as he could before the shirt would go back down. And while doing so, Jeff also was moving his legs back and forth, just as a motion most anybody would do, trying to cool off while sitting down. Bud stared at his black footy shorts, he could tell Jeff wasn�t wearing anything underneath, for he could see the outline of his member through the fabric; and it appeared rather aroused itself. This was the first time that Bud could openly perv, yet he felt extremely embarrassed by his relentless gawking. He turned his head away to look out the window and tugged at his tie to loosen the tension from around his neck, as a gesture to let some of the arising heat to escape. �Well, mate, I have to take a shower before I can go anywhere,� Jeff said. Bud looked back at Jeff who was pressing with his remaining strength to stand up, and responded, �Oh...do you want me to go? I can come back later...� �You don�t have to go, mate. Shower�ll only take a minute. If you don�t mind waitin� that is.� �No, I don�t mind. I�ll just make myself comfy until you�re done,� Bud said, and flashed a reassuring smile. �Okay. I�ll be done soon, mate.� And Jeff walked away and disappeared through a door and closed it behind himself. Bud took a seat on the sofa and just gazed around the hotel room, trying to keep himself entertained for the time being. He heard the sound of water running, emanating through the walls. Jeff was in there for about 10 minutes. And then he shut the water off. Bud stood up from the sofa and began pacing back and forth over the carpet. A couple moments passed and Bud heard the rattle of the doorknob and then the bathroom door opened. On natural instincts, Bud looked across the room at the �disturbance.� Jeff stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel; his hair still mostly soaked, dangling over his face, and his torso slick and glistening, with his chest hairs matted down and his treasure trail darkened. And he hung the towel so low around his waist that Bud could see just the top of his pubic hair. Bud found himself in quite a position; his impending erection just beginning to come to life. He dared not put his hand to his crotch to readjust himself or else Jeff would know that he was extremely horny right now, and he�d be embarrassed, so Bud just tried to play it cool and turned his head slightly away, yet not able to go all the way out of view; he couldn�t help but to take in all he could. �I�ll be just another second, just gotta throw something on,� said Jeff, and then he walked down the hall to the bedroom. Bud looked back at Jeff, admiring him from behind; Jeff�s ass accentuated through the thin towel. And just as Jeff entered the room, he dropped his towel from around his waist, flashing his rear for a brief second, which Bud had caught and it drove him wild. The door then shut, blocking Bud�s view. With the excitement, Bud tugged at his tie again and loosened it even more. He collapsed back on the sofa and exhaled; and then readjusted himself. ~~~~~ Jeff came out wearing tight blue jeans once again, but this time with a simple, heavy-fabric plain white t-shirt, tucked into his jeans. It held his definition with grace; hugging his pectoral muscles; and the sleeves were very short, showing off much of his arms. He wore semi-dressy shoes - black, matching with a black leather belt with a grey buckle. He approached Bud, who was standing off the sofa facing the bedroom. Jeff could tell by Bud�s range of vision and the expression of his face, that he approved of his attire. And then Jeff made a rather presumptuous move; stepping directly in front of Bud and placing his hands on Bud�s waist. The audacity shocked Bud, still not used to showing affection; he didn�t return the gesture at all, but stood there waiting to see what Jeff would do next. His throat got tight and he gulped for air; yet he was not frightened nor angry; he enjoyed it, just wasn�t quite certain how to act. Jeff certainly was used to all signs of affection; he�s had a few previous boyfriends, all very intimate and close while it lasted. And it had been a while since his last boyfriend, so he was in dire need of requited love. So he didn�t want to let his emotions escape the tall windows; he wanted to seize the opportunity as quickly as possible. And as far as lust goes, that he certainly desired as well. So with another presumptuous move, seeking oral gratification, he moved his face and buried it into the side of Bud�s neck and began kissing him. Bud was shocked, to say the least; possibly even on the verge of being petrified at the notion. He jerked his body away from Jeff and turned his head to the side and looked at the wall. A plethora of thoughts developed in his mind all in one tiny moment; flashbacks of the kiss in the hallway the previous night. �Why was it okay then?� �What�s so different now?� �I know I want this, but...� �I�m so scared.� Jeff let go of his touch on Bud, feeling confused. �What�s the matter, mate? If I�m being too forward, I�m sorry.� Bud turned back towards Jeff, �It�s........� Emotions were overwhelming him. What he wanted to say was lost in the labyrinth of the mind. An uncomfortable silence descended upon the room. Bud turned away and rested his hands on the back of the sofa; and he gripped it softly, continually squeezing with his fingers over the fabric. Jeff put his hands on his hips and looked down at his feet and kicked the floor a bit, feeling uneasy about what he just placed on Bud. And then Bud broke the frosty barrier, �Look. Maybe we should go now. I�m sorry. It was just a bit fast for me is all. You�re the first...to..... well ya know.� �No worries. I won�t push any more. I�m fine with that, mate. I care for you too much to risk that,� Jeff said trying to ease the situation, yet still declare to Bud the love he felt for him. �Thanks.� Jeff walked to the door and opened it and turned back, �So where we going, mate?� �Well.... was thinking we�d go to dinner at this really nice restaurant I know of.� �Sounds great,� Jeff smiled and then entered the hallway. Bud followed and shut the door behind him. ~~~~~ Bud and Jeff entered the restaurant; it had some fashionable class in the atmosphere; the rest of the attendants wore obvious fancy attire for the occasion. Bud fit in well enough with his dress shoes, slacks, button-up shirt, and tie. Yet Jeff found himself isolated in the middle of a crowd. Of course image never mattered to him, and he could�ve done a lot worse. So Jeff shrugged it off and let the host sit them. Jeff looked around the restaurant at all the people eating and conversing. No one seemed to notice that he wasn�t dressed �to par.� And also no one seemed to put any regard to the fact that two men were sitting down to dinner together. Of course it happens all the time, business lunches and all. But also, Jeff was used to public dates and not caring about the scrupulous stares. When he was on a date with a guy he cared for, there was absolutely no one else in the room. �So how�s you find out about this place, mate? You seduce all your lovers here?� Jeff asked in a whimsical manner, impressed in Bud�s taste yet trying to play it off comically. Bud chuckled, �Nah. Had an officers� luncheon here before. It�s a very nice place, worthy of significant occasions.� And he smiled so warm-heartedly at Jeff that Jeff felt a sensation pass through his body that almost felt like his soul was passing through the Gates of Heaven, or so he reckoned it would feel like. They looked at their menus and commented back and forth on what sounded more delicious than anything else. Jeff assumed that Bud would want to pick up the tab again, but he was really hungry and the meals were lavish and enticing. If Bud had a doubt then he would be willing to pay. So he chose in his mind what his stomach desired the most. A waiter finally approached their table. �Good evening, gentlemen. How may I serve you today?� And the waiter held his notepad and pen awaiting. Bud exhaled while eyeing the menu still making last second choices. �Ummm... I�ll have... the uh... Porterhouse, baked potato with sour cream, a couple bread rolls, and uh... cup of coffee.� The waiter took his order on his notepad and turned towards Jeff. �And what can I get you, sir?� Jeff had already decided as Bud was ordering. �I�ll have spaghetti, couple bread rolls, and a side salad with croutons, sunflower seeds, and honey mustard dressing.� �Anything to drink?� �Just ice water, please.� �Okay. It�ll be a couple moments.� And the waiter walked off into the back to give the cooks the order. Jeff stretched his arms behind his head, bracing his neck, while leaning back into the chair. �Bud.� Jeff heard the voice from across the dining hall. He turned his head to see who it was, as did Bud. It was a clean-cut gentleman in a white suit, accompanied by a lady with dark hair wearing a red dress. They approached directly in front of their table. �Hey, Jack, Tondalaya,� Bud greeted them. �May we join you?� Jack asked. Bud really wanted this evening to be special, alone with Jeff, but he didn�t want to appear rude in front of his friends. The man was Sgt. Jack Vincennes, a well respected officer, also famous with his behind-the-scenes work on the hit L.A. television show, Badge of Honor. The lady was his wife of three years. �Yeah, sure. Have a seat,� responded Bud to his friend. He got out of his seat and moved over one spot to sit closer to Jeff, leaving two seats open so that Jack and Tondalaya could sit next to one another. Jack seated his wife next to Jeff and grabbed the other spot for himself, by Bud. Jack glanced at Jeff, wondering who he was. �I�d like you to meet Jeff Mitchell. He�s here from Australia. And he helped a lot as a witness in the Higgins case.� �Oh yeah. The Higgins case. Nice to meet you, Jeff,� Jack said, reaching his hand across the table for a handshake. Jeff met the handshake; a strong shake, Vincennes hands were very masculine. And Vincennes himself was a fairly good looking guy. �Hi,� replied Jeff. �Jeff, this is Sgt. Jack Vincennes of the LAPD.� And then Bud gestured to the lady, �And this is Tondalaya, his wife.� She reached her hand beside the table towards Jeff, �Hello, Jeff.� Jeff took her hand and raised it up to kiss the top of her hand like she was a royal princess. �G�day.� Bud smiled at his gesture, and Jack chuckled to himself, seeing another guy treat his wife in such a high manner. �So what�s the occasion?� Bud asked. �It�s the anniversary of when Jack and I first met. Every year he takes me out to dinner. Such the sweetheart,� Tondi answered, smiling lovingly into her husband�s eyes. Bud and Jack started talking about cop stuff; current happenings at the LAPD, leaving Jeff and Tondi silent a bit. But then Tondi decided to get acquainted with Jeff, since of all the people at the table, he was the only one she didn�t really know. �So, you�re from Australia, huh?� Tondi asked. �Yea, Sydney.� �Here to stay?� �Nah, just a week�s vacation,� Jeff responded. �Oh..when do you leave?� �Saturday..� And then it hit Jeff when he answered her questions; that his time here in L.A. was swiftly wrapping up. It was already Wednesday, and he had to leave for home Saturday afternoon. He never really thought about it before; too swept up in Bud�s essence to think any rational thought. Tondi had asked another question, but Jeff�s mind was elsewhere and he didn�t catch it. But then he did realize that she had said something and was looking at him in confusion, waiting for an answer. �You okay, Jeff?� Jeff shook his head, �Oh....uhhhh... I�m sorry.... my mind just completely got lost there for a second.� �That�s okay,� she said, half smiling, �..So umm, what brought you to L.A.� �My dad actually thought of it. I just turned 25, so he figured he�d take us on a vacation as a gift.� �That�s nice of him.� �Yeah. It was........But to be honest, I�ve no idea why he chose L.A. But I�m glad he did,� and with that said, Jeff turned his head and looked at Bud. Bud had heard his words and gave a quick wink at Jeff and smiled. ~~~~~ The waiter walked by and noticed that more guests arrived at the table he previously had taken orders for. So he went over to them again, �Good evening, Sir, Madam. How may I help you today?� Jack ordered for himself and his wife. The waiter left once again into the back. A couple moments passed and he brought out Jeff and Bud�s orders, placing them in front of the respective person. They thanked the man and he left again. Neither started touching their food. �Oh, you don�t have to wait for us. Go ahead, eat,� said Jack. Bud picked up his coffee and began sipping it slowly, finding a way to get around from eating before his friends got their food. Jeff however, took his fork and twirled a small amount of spaghetti around it and then began eating. Tondi went off into a story about a teacher�s strike that was happening in her school district; she was a junior high school English teacher. And shortly thereafter, the waiter brought out their food as well. The rest of the evening went like a casual dinner between friends, except that Jeff was on the side by himself, not having anything to talk about between people he didn�t know. Every now and then he�d be able to comment on something, but very rarely. Bud knew it must�ve been hard on Jeff, and he wished that dinner be over quickly so they could get out of there. Jeff reached his hand under the table and placed it on Bud�s lap; he didn�t do it for any certain purpose or to stir up any commotion, but it just felt natural to him. At the time, Bud had a bread roll in his hand, and when he felt Jeff�s hand on his thigh, he dropped the roll and it bounced across the table. �Oops..� Bud said, embarrassed by what happened. Jeff removed his hand from Bud�s lap, chuckled to himself quickly, but then felt bad for what he did. There were a couple more scattered chuckles by their guests, but nothing much came out of the situation; everything went back to normal. The four finished their meals and the evening drew to an end. They stood from the table and walked outside; said their goodbyes and went their separate ways in the parking lot. Bud unlocked the door for Jeff and then walked around to the driver side and got in himself. Jeff sat down and buckled up and then looked over at Bud with a gleam in his eye. He couldn�t remember the last time that he felt so happy. The car took off down the road, a complete different direction than the way �home.� �So where�re we goin� now, mate?� Jeff asked Bud grinning big. Bud looked over at Jeff and smiled an awkward smile, not saying a word, but gesturing with his face alone: Wouldn�t you like to know? And then he looked back straight out the front window. �Okay... I guess I�ll just have to wait and see,� Jeff said, and he got extremely aroused at the possibilities that could possibly be in store. Bud looked back over at Jeff and flashed the same gesturing smile. ~~~~~ It was a very reserved suburban neighborhood; tranquil and well-kept in appearance. The car turned into a driveway and came to a stop outside the garage. Jeff stepped out of the vehicle right after Bud. His eyes lit up in awe at the fancy white house. The lawn was lush and pruned to a fine degree; with an orderly row of hedges and a small garden of flowers. The steps leading up to the front door had columns to either side. Combined; it gave the abode a guise of importance. Jeff looked over at Bud. �Wow...� Bud smiled and walked ahead of Jeff and took his keys back out of his pants pocket and unlocked the front door. He pushed the door open and held his arm out, swinging it inwards, signaling for Jeff to go on in. Bud smiled very warmly at him, and Jeff hopped up the steps with a lively spring, grinning back. A small foyer greeted him into the house; a little cozy entranceway, a place to put your shoes and coat. It had a beautiful wooden floor and a soothing wallpaper; better than most foyers that most houses would have that give you the feeling of being in a garage. Bud took his shoes off and laid them on a rug off to the side. Jeff did the same, obviously Bud kept the inner part of his house clean. Then they proceeded inwards. The first things he noticed were how spacious and clean the interior was; it was unbelievable. It was almost as if the house had no inhabitants to disturb its belongings; yet at the same time was maintained with tenacious order. Jeff noticed a variety of statues looming on wooden pedestals around the edge of the walls, between bookcases. And on the wall were an assortment of paintings. A grand fireplace took up most of one of the walls, tall cactuses on both sides. The center of the room had a huge decorative throw rug; it�s design and colors highly royal in appearance. On top was a see-through rectangular table with two sofas surrounding it; one a soft white sofa, the other a black leather. The carpet was pure white; extremely clean. A couple books were resting on the table; one opened and one closed. Jeff was certainly impressed by this room. Jeff wandered through the house, gazing at the beauty of it. A doorway from the den led into a hallway. The first room on the left was the kitchen; it was pure black: tiled floor, cabinets and appliances; everything gleaming with intensity from being sparkly clean. It looked very modern and sleek. The first room on the right was a small dining room, with an antique wooden table, an ornate candle holder in the center; very conservative but lightly exquisite. Further down the hall were a couple more rooms. On the left, a bathroom; very spacious and decorative. The sink was all porcelain and with much curvature, giving it a lavish aura. There was a black porcelain hot tub against the wall with golden taps. And a shower on the far back wall with an opaque glass pull door. And finally, on the right at the far end was the bedroom. The entire room had a royal red theme going on, including the carpeting, wallpaper and the bedspread itself. The bed had an antique wood design, very ornate in architecture. Two giant pillows rested on the top of the bed, on top of a lush blanket with a velvet trim. Jeff returned back down the hallway into the den. He noticed there was not a single television set in the entire house. Bud was resting on the furry, white sofa. His arm stretched across the back side of the couch, he sat with one leg propped up on his knee, and he massaged his foot with his other free hand. Jeff approached and sat down across from Bud, on the other side of the glass table, on the leather sofa. �Wow. This is some place you have here. It�s bloody gorgeous,� Jeff remarked. �Thanks,� Bud smiled, and also blushed. �It�s so.........clean.... and neat,� Jeff chuckled, �You must clean it every day.� �Yea, I do. When I�m not working, and when I�m not busy, I�m usually here, keeping things in order.� �Well, you do a great job, mate. It�s...� Jeff gazed around the room once again, �It�s....fantastic.� Bud smiled again, but didn�t say anything more. �Heh, and I noticed you don�t even have a TV,� Jeff commented, with a slight chuckle. �Yeah.... I was never much for watching TV. I like reading.� And Bud motioned his arm towards the side wall, which had a few bookcases. �Well, that�s great. Man....� And Jeff looked around the room again. �I�d kill for a place like this. They sat there for a couple moments, not saying a word. Bud kept his eyes fixated over the glass table, onto the object in front of him; he grinned, his eyes very soft and open. Jeff could sense the continual stares, and didn�t mind one bit; his eyes were fixated across the way as well. And then Bud stood up. �Be right back.� �Okay,� Jeff replied. Bud disappeared into the hallway and was gone for a couple minutes. He could hear some noise coming from the direction of the kitchen. And a moment later, Bud walked back into the den with a couple glasses and a bottle of white wine. He placed both glasses in front of Jeff on the glass table and then took a seat next to Jeff. He filled both glasses and placed the bottle on the table. And then with one hand picked up a glass and handed it to Jeff, and then with his other picked up his glass. Jeff took the glass and held it between his palms. Bud held up his glass. Jeff met his glass with a toast. �Cheers, mate.� �Cheers.� And they tapped their glasses and took a slow sip. Bud reclined back on the sofa and put his arm up on the edge, behind Jeff. Jeff looked over at Bud�s face; he was gazing directly at him, grinning. ~~~~~ They talked late into the night; refilling their glasses along the way. And they learned nearly every detail about one another, to catch up for all the time they hadn�t known one another. It was nearly 11 o clock when they had shared as much as they could share off the edge of the mind. The bottle of wine was empty and the glasses slept on the table. Jeff was turned on the sofa, his back against the arm of the sofa, and his right arm over the edge. He sat crossed-legged on the leather cushion, facing Bud. He himself was facing Jeff, his body turned, one leg up on the sofa, the other lounging out on the floor; and his left arm on the edge of the sofa. Their hands had met a while back. They�d take turns holding the other�s fingers in their hands whilst they talked. When words of their pasts had run out, Jeff brought words from the present into play, �I really had a great time tonight, mate.� �Me too.� �I really like you, Bud,� Jeff said, just to say it. �I like you too, Jeff.� Bud looked up at the grandfather clock in between the bookcases. �Oh, wow. It�s past 11 already. We�ve been talking for quite a while.� �Oh yea... we have,� and Jeff smiled into Bud�s eyes. �Unfortunately I have to be at the station early tomorrow morning,� Bud commented. �Oh....,� Jeff sighed, not wanting the night to end. �Well, I wouldn�t want to be the one to keep you up. I guess we�d better call it a night.� �Yeah..I�m sorry. I�d like to spend more time with you, Jeff. But I can see you tomorrow, yea?� �Of course, mate. I�m looking forward to it already.� Bud smiled. And then he got off the sofa and stretched a bit. �Well, I�ll take ya home.� �Okay.� Jeff stood up himself, and they walked to the foyer and put on their shoes. And then headed outside to his car. ~~~~~ Barely a word was spoken on the drive back to the hotel. The only thing mentioned was when Bud would be off from work and that he�d pick Jeff up. Bud expected to get off around 5:00 again. The car came to a stop along the sidewalk in front of the hotel doors; left idling. Jeff undid his seatbelt. �Thanks for a great time, mate,� he said to Bud, who was turned in his seat, gazing back at Jeff. Both their eyes twinkled in the moonlight that baptized the interior of the vehicle through the windshield. �My pleasure.� Jeff scooted in his seat, lurching closer to Bud. And then he leaned in over the compartment that separated the two front seats. Bud sat still, not pulling away, wanting what was coming just as badly. Jeff placed his right hand on the side of Bud�s head and caressed his soft, short hair. And he placed his lips softly over Bud�s. They kissed very passionately, sucking on each other�s lips; and Jeff noticed that Bud was more relaxed this time, not rushing himself in. Then Jeff deepened the kiss by gently sticking his tongue into Bud�s mouth, playing with his. Jeff ended the kiss by sucking on Bud�s tongue as he pulled away. �Well, good night, mate.� Bud was struck dumb, his jaw gaping open and his eyes closed. His senses were numb from the mind-blowing kiss. And then he came to. �Oh yeah.... good night. I�ll see you tomorrow.� Jeff opened the door and climbed out. He turned around and stuck his head in. �G�bye.� �Bye, Jeff.� Jeff closed the door and Bud pulled away. Jeff stood on the sidewalk and watched the car until it disappeared from sight. He grinned to himself. ~~~~~ He was fully immersed in an adventure story about Christopher Columbus when the door flung open and his son gallantly strode in. �There you are, Jeff.� �Here I am!� Jeff responded back, grinning ever so widely. �I�m taking everything went as planned....� �Oh, it was just amazing. First, he took me out to dinner. We did get interrupted; couple people he knew joined our table, but oh well! And then he took me back to his place.� �Oh, he did, did he?� Harry said, raising an eyebrow. Jeff snickered, �Nothing happened.... like that. We talked. Drank some wine. It was very nice.� Harry smiled back at his son, so happy for him. �Oh! And you should�ve seen his house!� Jeff exclaimed. �It was simply amazing! Such taste!� Jeff walked over to the sofa and had a seat next to his father. �So, what did you do this evening?� �Well, I wandered the mall for a while and then caught a movie.� �Oh yeah? Any good?� Jeff asked. ��Eh, it was okay. A war movie. Predictable, yet fun.� Harry put the bookmark into the novel and placed it on the coffee table. �So, you seeing him again?� �Yup. Tomorrow. Same time,� Jeff proclaimed with enthusiasm. Harry stood up and stretched, �Well, mate, it�s time for me to hit the sack. G�night.� �I�m gonna turn in too. G�night, dad.� Jeff washed up and hopped into his bed. He pulled the covers up to his neck and snuggled warmly; his heart so content that he was able to drift off to sleep rather quickly. |