Calvins

“Are you all right?”

Somehow managing a smile, despite remembering how the thought of his dick in my mouth had kept me up the other night, I say, “Sure, Ted, I’m fine.”

* * * * *

I crawl toward Ted, who's standing before me only wearing his Calvins. As I approach, he sits on the edge of a chair and spreads his well-toned hairy legs out before him. Entering his personal space, I move between his legs. He smiles down at me beautifully and nods his head. Licking my way up his thighs, I get closer and closer to the edge of his white cotton boxer-briefs. Saliva flooding my mouth, I begin licking the material beneath my lips, continuing upward until I reach the bulge of his scrotum. I lick his fabric-covered balls and take them between my lips, mouthing them. Looking up, I watch his penis uncurl and harden beneath the soft cloth. I trace my open mouth over its length and suck its protruding head into my mouth, making the thin cotton very wet and translucent.

Flooded with anxiety, I wake up gasping for air. Rising up on my elbows, I look around the room to reassure myself that I'm in my own apartment, in my own bed -- alone.

I get out of bed, cross to the window, and open it, so I can breathe in some fresh air. The cold air stings my sweaty torso, but it's soothing in my unfamiliar, upset state. My apartment faces the pool, but my bedroom window looks out on the hills beyond. Standing there, I try to rationalize the erotic dream as a subconscious response to the catastrophic blow my ego recently suffered when my girlfriend walked out on me, but even I don't buy it.

Much later, exhausted from thinking and staring into the distance, I go back to bed and drift off into a dreamless sleep.

* * * * *

The next day, while lounging by the pool, I'm witness to the big fight as it occurs above me on the third floor. Actually, it starts as a screaming match in Ted and Calvin’s apartment. The windows are open up there and everyone within earshot can hear the yelling and the sound of things breaking. The words they throw at each other are so foul I go into the sauna to get away from the scene, but I heard enough to know it's mostly Calvin causing the trouble and I can’t help empathizing with Ted.

After ten minutes or so, I come out of the steam to find the courtyard quiet once more. I assume they’ve made up. It was just another lover’s spat. They’ve reconciled and it’ll be all right. I'm glad for Ted, I think. I sit in a lounge chair near my front door, which is right beside the elevator.

A few minutes later, Ted and Calvin’s apartment door opens and Calvin comes out, wheeling his luggage behind him. Laden down with two rather large suitcases plus a soft garment bag over his shoulder, he struggles to haul the load to the elevator.

As he reaches the elevator, Ted comes out only wearing his Calvins again and calls to him. “Calvin, come on. Wait a minute and I’ll help you with all that.”

“Don’t bother,” Calvin states petulantly, pulling his suitcases into the elevator. When the elevator doors close behind the sweating man, Ted shrugs his shoulders and goes back into the apartment.

Shortly, I hear the elevator doors open near me on the ground floor, but I don’t look up. That doesn’t make any difference to the irate Calvin. “Well, you can have him,” he says.

I turn to see that he's definitely talking to me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The hell you don’t,” he growls and then stomps off toward the parking garage.

I look around and find everyone staring at me. I smile at them and shrug my shoulders, raising my hands up imploringly. Eventually, everyone at the pool goes back to what they were doing. After sitting there in total embarrassment for several minutes, I get up and go into my apartment.

I pace from the kitchen to the bedroom through the living room and down hall. Back in the kitchen, I stop and fix myself a cup of tea and drink it while standing in front of the living room window. I cross to the window facing the pool and watch the frolicking hoards.

A pretty young woman dives into the pool and I wonder if I should go out to take a better look, but I don’t. I don’t want to face the disappointment if she has black nail polish, or a shaved pussy, or a pierced tongue, or pierced nipples, or some other godforsaken trend young woman have these days.

Sipping my tea, my eyes slowly rise to the third floor and Ted's apartment. I turn away and sit on the couch. I put my cup on the coffee table, place my head in my hands, and pause mid-stride in life. I try to think -- to think clearly -- but my body is controlling me now. A vision of Ted in his Calvins lurks in my mind, driving me crazy. My needs are stronger than they've ever been, obviously stronger than I am.

I raise my head and stare at the room around me. Slowly, I leave the living room and go into the bedroom. From the closet, I pull out a pair of jeans and a shirt I purchased a few days ago and lay them on the bed. I remove my loafers and set them on the floor beside the bed. From my bureau, I select a fresh pair of Calvins and lay them on the bed too.

In the bathroom, I shower, shave, put on deodorant and after-shave, and spray my body with cologne. Then I go back to the bedroom and never taking my eyes off my reflection in the mirror, I don my Calvins, jeans, shirt, and loafers without socks. After combing my hair, I stare at my resolute expression in the mirror before leaving the room.

I leave my apartment and take the stairs to the third floor, the sun warming my bare arms and neck as I ascend one step at a time; giving myself plenty of time to cease this crazy move. As I tread upward, I look down at the pool and the people there -- the regular people. Suddenly, my feet move faster and I'm at the second floor. I look up and see the third floor. It's a straight shot up and I'm moving even faster now, the soles of my loafers slapping the concrete stairs in time with the beat of my heart.

On the third floor, I look down once more at the regular folks. Then I turn, walk to Ted's apartment, and stand there for a moment. Thinking about the way my life has changed, I adjust my Calvins and knock on his door.

THE END