A Bend in the Road Ch. 02

The album side finished. Jenny didn't get right up. I took a deep breath, and she did too. "That was some great music," I said. "I haven't heard that album in years."

She leaned up and looked at me. My side was suddenly cold. "Are you ready to eat?" she said. "I've got the munchies something fierce."

I realized that my stomach was grumbling. "Let's eat!" I said.

We got up from the couch. Jenny got a couple more beers and I sat at the table while she bustled about with plates and utensils. Watching her young body move about was stimulating, to say the least. It became apparent that she wasn't wearing a bra. Under the shirt, her tits were medium-sized but seemed firm. I could see her nipples. I guessed that she was a little excited as well.

We ate while an old Bryan Adams record played. The food had never tasted so good. Unlike most of the Chinese places in our town, this one still aimed for quality, and it showed in the food. The eggs rolls were hot and flaky. The soup was rich and full of noodles. The gai ding was smooth and crunchy with lots of white-meat chicken. I was suddenly reminded of why I'd gained so much weight in the twenties. I used to get high and scarf Chinese food by the bushel, then follow it with something sweet. I made a mental note to go to the gym again soon.

After eating, we went back into the living room with a couple more beers and sat down on the couch again. "What would you like to hear?" Jenny asked.

"Got any Genesis?" I asked.

"I've got Three Sides Live. How about that?" she replied.

"Put it on, girl," I said, picking up the joint and lighting it. She grinned widely, cued the record, and got back on the couch beside me. We passed the joint a couple of times. "Abacab" came on, and pretty soon we were both bobbing our heads to the rhythm. "I saw these guys in concert," I said over the music.

She looked at me, awestruck. "Wow, you must be really old," she said, then broke out giggling. I realized that she was joking and started laughing too. We were giggling so hard we ended up holding each other. That went on for a little while. We just kept looking at each other and giggling.

That was when it happened. We were both very high, and laughing, and holding each other and punching each other lightly. You know, just playing around. Once again, in a rush, I became aware of her body, her good looks, her physical attractiveness. I had her by the arms. Her muscles were smooth and warm and strong beneath my fingers. We looked at each other. We stopped laughing. I leaned down. I saw her eyes close and her mouth come slightly open. Our lips touched and we kissed. And though it felt like it was another person kissing that young woman, I felt every nuance of the kiss. I tasted the slight remnants of beer and pot and felt our tongues come together. I gathered her into my arms and deepened the kiss. It went on and on, and I felt myself falling into her. It had been so long since I'd held a woman, any woman, let alone a young and attractive one.

We broke the kiss just as the side was ending. In the silence, all we could hear was each other's breathing. "I'll be right back," she whispered, and got up.

Alone in the living room while she did whatever it was she was doing, I had a chance to consider my situation. I was a middle-aged man about to (I hoped) get laid by a young good-looking woman. I was also pleasantly stoned on good pot, with a beer buzz to boot. I was listening to some of my favorite music in the world on a good stereo. Hell, I was living the dream!

On the other hand, I was a middle-aged man who was secretly living a gay lifestyle with a young, attractive man. I had told this young man I loved him, and I really meant it. That this young man had seemed a little preoccupied lately could be chalked up to the fact that his mother was critically ill in a hospital several hours away. I had no reason to be hurt that he wasn't paying attention to me.

It dawned on me that what I was doing was wrong. Although I dearly wanted to make love to Jenny, I could not break faith with Tad, especially since he was away tending to his mom.

I caught a whiff of perfume. I looked up and there was Jenny, standing at the doorway. She was still wearing the pink t-shirt, but had removed the shorts. She had refreshed her perfume and combed her hair. The t-shirt was just short enough to reveal a pair of lacy panties. Her smile was tentative. Before I could say anything, she was moved over to the couch and joined me. Her scent washed over me. She snuggled in close, pulled my head back down and kissed me gently. Once again, my cock rose in my pants.

I let myself enjoy the moment, knowing it was probably the last time it would ever happen to me. I wanted this badly! But it had come at the wrong time. Damn! Why did I have to have a conscience? I pushed her away gently, my heart sinking at the questioning look on her face. "Jenny, I can't do this," I said quietly.

"Why?" she asked. "Nobody needs to know."

I sighed deeply, with regret. "I suppose I'll know," I said. "Believe me, Jenny, I would love to be with you. You are a middle-aged man's dream. This has been wonderful tonight. The music, the pot, the beer, you. I haven't had so much fun in decades. And I do mean decades. But I don't think I'd really enjoy you knowing that I had betrayed this other person."

She was crying now. Oh shit. I hate it when women cry. "I should have known that this would happen. I should have known! And now you've seen me half-naked and you probably think I'm a slut!" she said.

"That's not it at all. I'm just too hung up right now to really do you justice. Believe me, under different circumstances..." I stammered.

She wiped her eyes. "You should go, Cliff. I'm sorry it ended up like this."

"Jenny..."

"No," she said. "Just go."

I sighed again, got up and left. I knew as I was leaving that I had just passed up the best opportunity I would have for a long time, maybe ever. And it was then that I became angry at Tad, and wanted him more than ever. He had damn well better get his ass back home soon!

When I got back into my car, there was a text message on my phone. (I had left the phone in the car so I wouldn't be disturbed while I was cheating on Tad.) The text message said, "Where are U?" It was from Tad, of course. I decided to let him wait a little longer while I drove home.

When I got home, I used my land line to call Tad. "Where have you been?" he asked. "I've been trying to reach you for an hour."

Once again, I could lie outright, or tell a partial truth, which is practically the same as a lie anyway. I said, "I went out for Chinese food and a couple of beers, and left my phone in the car while I was eating."

"Oh," he said. "Well, how are things going?"

"Well, I'm still missing you, if that's what you mean. Quiet and a little lonely, actually," I replied truthfully. "How is your mom doing?"

"Much better," he said, and I could hear the relief in his voice. "They've moved her out of ICU and back into her regular hospital room." He paused. "I'm coming back tomorrow."

This time, there was relief in my voice. "I'm glad. It'll be good to see you again."

"Same here," Tad said. "Listen, I know I've been preoccupied and all. I hope that I didn't hurt your feelings. It's just that she's the only mom I've got."

"I understand. Believe me I do. I'm just glad she's all right, and that you are coming home. Do you know what time you'll get here?" As long as he was returning, I might as well plan a nice meal for him.

"I'm going to make sure that she's all set. I'll be meeting with her doctor in the morning and saying goodbye to my brother and sister. Let's shoot for four or five o'clock."

"Okay," I said. "Do me a favor, please. Call when you start out. That way I'll know when to meet you at your apartment. I'll cook you a nice dinner."

"You don't have to do that, Cliff. I'll just pick up something on the way," he said.

"No arguments," I replied. "I'll meet you there with the groceries. You can just relax and clean up while I cook." Tad had never given me a key to his apartment. This was okay, since I'd never given him a key to my house.

"You take such good care of me. I'll see you soon, honey." His voice was full of promise.

I was elated when I hung up the phone. The anger I had felt before was all gone. Plus, the relief and excitement that I felt because he was returning to me completely outweighed the regret I felt over Jenny. I had disappointed her, it was true. But I had tried to handle it as sensitively as possible. And, she could rely upon my total discretion. A plus was that I did not have to return to the courthouse in the morning. I actually had to go to another county and conduct a title search there. It was Wednesday night. It might be Monday before I had to see her again. That would let her embarrassment and hurt subside a little.

For just a moment, I reflected on my actions and feelings since Saturday. Let's see, I had lied, or partially lied, to two people. I had nearly cheated on my male lover with a young woman half my age. I had totally humiliated her when I rejected her, and I had placed both my relationship with Tad, and my reputation, in jeopardy. Quite a string of accomplishments for only five days.

On the other hand, Tad was coming home! I immediately started planning the meal I would prepare for him. I was also eagerly anticipating the sex we would have when he got home as well. I hadn't even masturbated since he'd left, and I was damned horny.

The next day, I could hardly keep my mind on my work. The day seemed to crawl by. Luckily, the title search went well. There were no real problems, even though I was in a different county than where I usually worked. At one-thirty my cell phone rang. It was Tad. He said he had just started out and would be home in about three hours. That gave me time to shop carefully.

On the way back to town, I stopped at a vegetable stand. The owner was about to close up, but I caught him just in time. I picked out some nice fresh tomatoes. They were big and red and fragrant and obviously not hothouse tomatoes. Then I went to the nicest grocery store in town and bought some Yukon Gold potatoes, boneless chicken breasts, a bundle of fresh shallots, and some fresh herbs and spices. I bought two bottles of wine: a nice Porto and an oak-aged chardonnay to go with the chicken. I also bought a box of wheat crackers and some real Stilton cheese to go with the Porto. The price of my groceries made me gasp a little when I saw it, but I figured Tad was worth it.

I went home quickly, showered, and dressed carefully, putting on Tad's favorite cologne (at least on me). Then I drove over to Tad's place to wait for him. He had texted me a little while earlier telling me that he was about twenty minutes out. When I got to his apartment complex, I only had to wait about ten minutes before he drove up.

I met him as he was climbing out with a big grin on my face. "Welcome home," I said happily. I certainly was glad to see him.

He gave me one of his "Tad smiles" which immediately lit up my world. He looked good, but a little tired. "Hello," he said. "Don't you look," he leaned in closer, "and smell nice. Just what I needed after my drive." I helped him get his bags inside then went out to my car and brought in the groceries.

"So, how was everything while I was gone?" he asked.

"It was fine, just a little lonely," I replied. "How's your mom?"

"Well, it could have been a little of Chris, my brother's overreacting. She was sick with what you call an 'exacerbation' of her COPD, but not as bad as he made out. She did spend a day and a night in the ICU, though. Chris has always been a bit of a drama queen anyway." All this time, Tad was standing at the kitchen counter with me. I had been arranging things in preparation for cooking. I stopped what I was doing, came over to him, took him into my arms and kissed him hungrily. After a second or so, he responded. His mouth got soft and receptive and our tongues slid against each other. We broke the kiss and Tad smiled at me and patted me on the chest. "My my," he said, "you must have missed me."

I cupped his hard little buttock and said, "You have no idea."

"I think I do," he replied, smiling a little uncertainly.

"I want you to try something for me," I said as I uncorked the Porto and unwrapped the Stilton and crackers. I got out a plate and put several of the crackers on it. Then I cut several chunks of the cheese and put them on the plate also. I poured some of the wine into glasses and said, "Eat some of the cheese and crackers and follow it with the wine."

I put some cheese and a cracker into my mouth and chewed. The Stilton had a strong, pungent flavor moderated a little by the cracker. I swallowed but left a little of the residue in my mouth. I took a swallow of the Porto. When the wine hit the residue, it created a delicious, creamy new flavor. I saw the look on Tad's face when he did it. "Wow!" he said. "That's really fabulous! Where did you find out about this?"

I took another bite and began peeling potatoes. "A friend of mine at work told me about it. Pretty good, isn't it?"

"It is." Tad took more cheese, cracker and wine. "Yum!" he said. "Can I help you with anything in here?"

"No, I'm good. Dinner will be ready in about forty-five minutes." I was cutting the potatoes into chunks. "Take your shower."

Tad left for the shower and I put the potatoes on to boil. I took another bite of cheese and cracker and followed it with more wine. The Porto had a bit of a kick to it. I could taste the alcohol. I could also feel it. I decided to go easy. I didn't want anything to slow me down or make me sluggish this evening.

While the potatoes boiled, I got the chicken breasts out. I washed them and patted them dry, then seasoned them carefully with a little adobo seasoning and lemon pepper. I got out Tad's heavy stainless steel frying pan and poured in olive oil, a little more than once around the pot. While the oil got hot, I got out the fresh herbs, some chicken broth, and the bottle of chardonnay. I poured about half a cup of the wine into a measuring cup and put the bottle back into the fridge. (I like my white wine a little cold.) The oil was hot, so I put in the chicken breasts to cook. I checked the potatoes—they were almost ready. I got out the tomatoes and washed them and set them on the counter. I was planning on having them sliced with a little vinaigrette dressing, salt and pepper, and maybe a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. I turned the chicken breasts over and checked the potatoes. They were done. I drained them in the sink and let them cool a few minutes while I got the garlic, cream cheese, salt and pepper, and a little fresh parsley.

Tad came out wearing a towel wrapped around his waist. I stopped for moment to admire the view. He smelled clean and looked wonderful. I must have been staring, because he looked at me and asked, "What?"

"Nothing," I said. "Just admiring the view."

The chicken breasts were done, so I took them out of the pan and put them on a plate. The plate went into the oven to stay warm. Tad took a little more of the cheese and Porto. "I'm kind of starting to feel that wine," he said.

"I know. Me too. You know Porto is fortified, right? It's sweet red wine fortified with brandy." I was starting to mash potatoes now.

"I read it somewhere," Tad replied. "It's really good, but I couldn't eat like this all the time."

"Me neither, but this is a special occasion. Now, go get some clothes or something on. I'm nearly finished in here." I was mixing cream cheese and roasted garlic into the potatoes. Tad went into his bedroom. Parsley, and a little salt and pepper went into the potatoes next. I tasted, and added a pinch more salt. I put aluminum foil over the potatoes to keep them warm and turned back to the frying pan with the drippings from the chicken breasts. I put the pan back on the heat and let the oil get warm again. I quickly minced shallots and put them into the pan to sauté. After about a minute, I poured in the half-cup of chardonnay, and stirred the mixture well. (I sometimes use a shot of bourbon, but this time I wanted to complement the flavor of the wine.) After about a minute, I poured in about a cup of chicken broth and let that cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes. I turned down the flame and put in three pats of butter. I stirred to melt and mix them, then added a little salt and pepper and some fresh parsley and a little rosemary. I turned down the heat and moved the chicken breasts to a large serving plate. Then I returned to the tomatoes. I sliced them moderately thick and put them on two dinner plates. I turned off the heat under the sauce and called out, "Dinner's ready!"

"Good, I'm starving," Tad called out from the bedroom. He came out wearing a loose white t-shirt and baggy shorts. I poured the sauce over the chicken breasts and carried them and the potatoes to the table. I grabbed a bottle of vinaigrette from the fridge, a container of parmesan cheese, and the bottle of chardonnay. Tad helped by getting plates and utensils and the wine glasses. He also lit a couple of candles.

"Nice touch," I said.

"That smells wonderful, Cliff," Tad said when he saw the food.

"I hope it's all right," I replied.

We sat down and I poured us each a glass of wine. "To your mom," I said, "and your safe return home."

Tad tasted the wine. "This is really good, Cliff. I can even taste the oak."

"Wait until you see how it tastes with the chicken," I said proudly.

I served him a breast, poured a little more sauce over it, and added a dollop of potatoes. Tab cut into the meat and ate, then followed with a little wine. "Mmm, delicious!" he said.

"Thank you," I said. I loved feeding Tad good food and watching him enjoy it. I served myself and we ate companionably and hungrily. The conversation flowed easily. We discussed his family situation. His mom was going to need more care in the future and Tad wasn't sure how to handle it.

"It may require my relocating," he said. I felt a little chill when he said that.

"You could bring her down here," I said.

"Possibly," he replied, though my brother would have a fit. He can't really take care of her, but he doesn't want to let her go, either."

After dinner—we finished the wine, by the way—we went into the living room.

"Do you want dessert?" I asked. "There's cheesecake left in the fridge.

"Not right now," Tad said. "Let's just sit on the couch for a while."

I put on a little quiet music and turned off all the lights except for one. We got on the couch and Tad put his head on my shoulder. I was the happiest and most content I'd been in days. I turned to him, lifted up his chin and kissed him gently. He returned the kiss. I inhaled his scent deeply and gratefully, playing my lips along his neck. We kissed again, and I pulled him to me. I caressed his arms and shoulders as we embraced, marveling at the feel of his smooth strong muscles. My passion rose, but Tad seemed to be holding back a little. "Is there anything wrong?" I asked.

"No. Nothing. I guess I'm a little more tired than I thought," Tad said.

"Listen, Tad. I need you tonight." I placed his hand on my now-raging erection. He obliged me with a firm squeeze. The rush of pleasure galvanized me. I kissed him again and pulled up his shirt. I sucked first his right, then his left nipple hard, and moved quickly down to his stomach.

"Cliff, please," he said.

I didn't listen. Within seconds, I had undid the drawstring on his shorts and pulled them down over his cock and balls. Tad might have been tired, but his cock was hard. Before he could do anything, I had my mouth on his cock, sucking hard. He tasted wonderful: warm and alive. I played my fingers along the shaft and took his balls gently into my hand. I groaned involuntarily with the sheer sexiness of the act and took him out of my mouth to flick my eager tongue all over the head. He moaned as well, and I knew I was getting through to him. It went through my head that I was silly to even want Jenny. What did I need with a pussy when I had Tad's nice cock to suck? My Tad was a better lover to me than any woman I'd ever known. He was more responsive, more understanding, and more passionate. I swallowed him again, sucking deeply and long, and was rewarded with a taste of his pre-cum.