“What’s going on?” I asked as I walked into the living room. My father was pacing angrily around the room. He walked over to the bar and began pouring himself a drink.
“Chris is going to stay with us for a few days,” my mother said quietly, still holding Chris in her arms. I walked over and sat down beside him. He reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly. My mother looked down, but she didn’t say anything. When she looked up, our eyes met, and she gave me a knowing smile.
“I’ve known John since college,” my father ranted from the other side of the room. “I didn’t realize he was such a jackass!”
“What happened?” I asked. Chris squeezed my hand tighter.
“Not here.” Dad left the room and I got up and followed him into the kitchen. We sat at the table, and he explained what had happened when he took Chris home.
My father confronted Mr. Brewster about hitting Chris. They got into a big argument after that. Mr. Brewster didn’t want Chris to be gay, and he was very adamant about his feelings. He said he was just trying to make him straight.
When my father mentioned that he had a gay son who he loved very much, Mr. Brewster became even more upset. He told my father he couldn’t understand how he could accept me being gay. My father became enraged as he explained what happened next.
Mr. Brewster told him if he liked gay boys so much, then he could take Chris with him. He told Chris to go upstairs and pack his bags because he was leaving. Chris’s mother tried to intervene several times, but he wouldn’t change his mind. Fearing that his father might harm him if he did stay, my dad agreed to bring Chris home with him.
“What about Chris’s mother?” I asked. “Surely she had something to say about it.”
“I don’t think she knew what had been going on,” said my father. “She seemed completely stunned by everything. Besides, she seemed scared of John. I don’t think she has the courage to say anything, anyways.”
“How long will he stay here?” I asked.
“I honestly don’t know,” he replied. “We’ll just have to play this by ear right now. I’ll call Bernie in the morning and see if he has any suggestions.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I walked over and hugged him. “I’m so glad you’re my father.” He held me tightly for a minute.
We returned to the living room. I grabbed Chris’s luggage off the floor and carried them up to my room. A few minutes later he came walking in.
“Sorry,” he said. “I don’t mean to be so much trouble.” I walked over and hugged him.
“You’re no trouble,” I whispered in his ear. I held him a minute and then said, “We’d better get to bed. It’s late and we have school in the morning.”
He opened his luggage and pulled out a pair of pajamas. I started laughing when I noticed they had big smiley faces printed all over them. When he realized why I was laughing, he started blushing.
“No you don’t!” I teased him. “You sleep in smiley faces?”
“Shut up,” he mumbled and then walked across the hall to the bathroom. A minute later, I heard the shower start. I pulled down the covers on the twin bed where he would be sleeping. I smelled to make sure they were clean. I couldn’t remember if my mother had changed the linen the last time Jason had spent the night.
“Taylor!” Chris opened the bathroom door and shouted out, “I forgot to get a towel.”
I walked down the hall and took out two large bath towels. He was waiting behind the door, trying to keep his body hidden from me. I handed it to him. When he reached out, I pulled it back. When I did, he almost lost his balance. He took a step back and I got a good look at his naked body.
He was hot! His body was tanned and well sculptured, probably from many hours of swimming and working out. When he had given me a tour of his house at the party, I remembered seeing an exercise room in the basement. It was obvious he had spent many hours down there.
“Wow.” I said appreciatively as my eyes quickly wandered over his body. He grabbed the towel and threw it around him.
“Do you mind?” He quickly slammed the door shut. I went back over to my room and sat at my computer desk. When he walked back in a few minutes later wearing the smiley pajamas, I started giggling again.
“Shut up,” he said. He got into the bed I had pulled back for him. He lifted himself up on one elbow and smiled at me.
“Now, it’s your turn,” he grinned.
“What?”
“You saw me naked. Now I get to see you.” My face began to blush brightly. I knew he was teasing me, but it still felt awkward. After seeing his body, there was no way I wanted to reveal mine to him. I wasn’t at all athletic, and I never worked out. Big Macs had taken away the toned look I had a few years ago.
“No way!” I exclaimed. He pouted and then started laughing.
“Chicken!” He began squawking.
“I’m not a chicken,” I insisted. I knew as soon as I said it, he would challenge me.
“Then prove it,” he grinned. He had backed me into a corner. I had seen him naked, so it was only fair that he should see me. Besides, if we were going to be living together for a while, we might as well get the modesty out of the way early.
“Fine,” I replied, pretending to be angry. “Have it your way.” I took off my shirt and threw it on the bed. I then toed off my shoes and removed my socks. I looked over, turned my back and pulled down my pants. I was left standing in just my boxers.
From across the room, he began to whistle seductively. “Take it all off!" He continued to whistle and shout for me to get naked.
I took a deep breath and pulled down my boxers. I heard him let out a small gasp. I leaned down, grabbed the towel on the bed and then turned towards him.
“Happy?” I pretended to be upset.
“Hell, yeah,” he said huskily.
“Well good,” I huffed. I then walked across the room and left the room. I giggled when I heard him again mumble, “Hell, yeah.” After showering, I toweled off and returned to the room with my boxers on. Chris appeared to be asleep when I crawled into bed.
I was lying on my side with my back to Chris when I heard his bed rustle. Seconds later my sheet was pulled back. I scooted over as he lay down beside me, threw his arm over and pulled me into him. He let out a deep sigh. Within minutes, we were both sound asleep.
“Wake up.” I groggily opened my eyes when I heard my father’s voice. The sun was beginning to shine through the window. “You boys need to get up and get ready for school.” My eyes flew open when I realized that Chris was spooned against me as my father stood over my bed.
“Okay, Dad,” I mumbled. If he had looked closely, I’m sure I was as red as a beet. It was the second time my father had caught us in a very compromising situation. When the door closed, I nudged Chris gently with my elbow.
“Chris,” I whispered. “We have to get up.” He muttered something, and then he pulled me in closer. I began to curse the fact that we had school. I could lie in bed all morning cuddled in Chris’s arms.
“Chris.” I gently rolled over and faced him. His green eyes slowly opened, and I watched them focus on me. A smile began to emerge on his face.
“Hey, you,” I whispered. He leaned in and we began to kiss. I reached down and began rubbing the front of his boxer. I jumped when he snaked hands under the sheet and felt me.
Fifteen minutes later, we jumped from the bed laughing all the way to the bathroom to take a shower and clean our bodies. We had to move quickly because we didn't want to be caught naked together in the bathroom. We hurried back to my bedroom.
Suddenly, there was a banging on the door. “You boys up yet?” My father hollered out.
“Yes, Dad!” I shouted. “We’re coming!” Chris grabbed my mouth and started giggling.
“What?” I asked.
“Do you realize what you said?” he laughed. When I realized what he meant, I started laughing too.
I can’t begin to describe how I was feeling. I had just had sex with the most wonderful boy in the world. My body was still tingling with excitement. I had dreamt for years of how my first experience with a boy would be. After what had happened with Jason, I felt that I had cheated myself from feeling the happiness of being with someone else for the first time.
But being with Chris was a wonderful feeling. I was always afraid that I would feel embarrassed; but with Chris it was... I don’t know how to explain it. I guess it was just perfect. Being with him seemed so natural.
"I have to brush my teeth," I told Chris. I hurried across the hall naked because we still hadn't dressed. When I returned to my room, Chris was sitting on the bed. He had put on his clothes, and Jason was sitting beside him.
My face reddened as I quickly wrapped the towel around me. Jason started laughing. “Oh, you can walk naked into the room with Chris here, but not me?”
“What have you guys been up to?” I looked over at Chris and I thought he was going to die from embarrassment. I don’t think his face could have gotten any redder.
“Come on, Jason,” I pleaded. “Don’t.” He watched as I looked worriedly over at Chris.
He walked over and sat down beside him.
“It’s all right, Chris,” he assured him. “I’m happy for you two. Really.” Chris relaxed when Jason threw his arm around his shoulder. He looked over at me and smiled.
“Let’s go,” he said. “I’m hungry. Your mom was making pancakes when I came in.”
We raced downstairs. We almost tripped over each other on the stairs, pushing and pulling to get ahead. We were breathless when we reached the kitchen. I almost fell over Chris when he stopped suddenly. He reached around and grabbed my hand. I looked over my shoulder and saw a woman I had never seen before sitting at the table.
“Mother,” said Chris as gripped my hand tighter. She looked down and saw our hands.
“Christopher,” she said softly. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, Mother.” He let go of my hand, walked over and kissed her on her cheek.
“And you must be Taylor?” She looked up at me and smiled. I stepped forward and shook her thin hand. She was a very small woman, but extremely attractive. The first thing I noticed were her green eyes. They were the same color as Chris’s.
“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied politely.
She was immaculately dressed in a cream-colored business suit. She seemed rather shy, but friendly. I immediately liked her. She didn’t seem anything like Chris’s father.
She asked my mother, “Is there some place that Chris and I can go and talk? Alone.”
“You can use my office.” My father got up and directed them down the hall. He reappeared a minute later. We sat down and quietly began to eat breakfast. Usually, breakfast is a bowl of cold cereal and a Pop Tart with a glass of milk. This morning my mother had prepared pancakes, bacon and eggs and toast. I guess she was trying to make a good impression on Chris.
“This is really good,” mumbled Jason with a mouthful of food. My parents started laughing.
My mother asked, “Doesn’t your mother feed you breakfast, Jason?”
“Not like this,” he replied.
“Me neither,” I muttered, which got me a disapproving look from my mother.
We were putting our dishes in the dishwasher, when Chris and his mother returned to the kitchen. They were holding hands; and by the looks of their red eyes, they had been crying.
“Is everything all right, Mrs. Brewster?” asked my mother as she took Chris’s mother by the arm, led her over to the table and poured her a cup of coffee.
“Yes,” she looked over at Chris and smiled. “Everything is fine now.”
My mother took plates out of the oven that she was keeping warm and placed them on the table. We sat and listened to her explain what she and Chris had discussed.
She told us that until last evening, when my father confronted Mr. Brewster, she had no idea what was going on. She knew there was tension between them, but she just figured it was a normal growing up process a boy goes through with his father.
After my father left with Chris, she said they got into a horrible fight. When he said he never wanted to see Chris again, then she told him that she was going to leave and take Chris with her. Realizing that he was going to lose his wife and son, he relented and said that he would do anything to keep the family together. She insisted that he get counseling, and he agreed. She told him that if he ever mistreated Chris again, then she would take him away and file for divorce.
She had come over this morning to see if Chris would agree to come home and give his father another chance. After discussing it, Chris did agree; but only if he would accept the fact that he was gay- and had a boyfriend.
Chris looked over at me for my approval when he said boyfriend. I broke out in a wide grin and nodded. Jason stepped over and patted me on the back.
Chris’s mother decided that it was best that he stay home from school and return home to have a family discussion. There were a lot of deep wounds, and she felt that they should start trying to heal them immediately. After stealing away for a few minutes to my room for a goodbye kiss, Chris left for home. Afterwards, Jason and I headed to school in his car.
“Man, I didn’t know all that was going on,” he said on the way to school. “Did you know about it?”
“Yeah,” I informed him. “We talked about it yesterday before you came over.”
We drove in silence for several minutes. Jason kept looking over at me. I was looking out the window, worrying about Chris. I was hoping that he could patch things up with his family.
“You got it bad, don’t you?” Jason asked.
“What?”
“You’re in love, aren’t you?” he grinned. “My boy Taylor has it bad. Just look at you.”
“Shut up,” I said, shoving his shoulder.
He looked over knowingly and grinned. Yeah, I guess I did have it bad. I was in love. It seemed weird for the guy who I had been in love with for years, telling me I was in love with someone else.