A Week in the Life

Four years of college were a mix of good times and bad times with a lot of stress thrown in for good measure. I signed up for graduate school since I did not have any real promising prospects on the employment front and school would keep me off the streets as my father never hesitated to remind me when I went home for holidays. I really would have enjoyed seeing the "good old days" that he spoke about and whether he actually walked a mile in knee-deep snow to school every day, but I digress.

What I relate here involves incidents that happened during my first year of grad school, a birthday party thrown for me by some of the other students, people whom I knew from senior year in college, and current friends. Some of the old school guys were not the most ideal companions, a rough, boisterous assemblage of characters that existed on the outer fringes of other students but were decent individually outside of the group. Almost everyone brought small gifts, many silly things, and some nice surprises from people that I had gotten close with over the years, particularly those who knew me more intimately than the others. I knew that certain gifts were not meant to be opened in the party atmosphere but when I tried to make a separate grouping of those types of gifts, the more boisterous guests focused on them simply to see what was being hidden. If there was no embarrassment, then it was not a college party.

I had moved four gifts over to the side for me to open later while I was alone. The people who brought them were special to me and they hinted that the contents of their boxes were personal and might better be opened privately. One young woman was a friend from several psychology classes and was an open and honest friend whom I confided in without hesitation. There were two fellows whom I had dated for a while and although we were no longer involved regularly, we did see each other on occasion to take the edge off when we wanted some comfortable sex. I knew that these people would not bring gag gifts and I looked forward to seeing what they had chosen but the best-laid plans do not always work out.

The night went along wonderfully without major incidents or spillage, and it appeared that everyone was having a good time. Inhibitions were being released and the mood was very light as midnight came and went. I was being pressed to open gifts and this proved to be more unique than I might have first imagined. Several nice bottles of wine were presented and some silly things as well, but the highlight of the evening came when one of the gifts that I had separated from the others wound up in the general group, placed there I believe by one of the fellows from senior year hoping that it would provide fuel for some ribbing later. Little did they know how right they would be.

As the gift in question was handed to me, the person who brought it, one of my close male friends and sometimes lover, named Barry, suddenly said: "That's not for this group!" and tried to take it back. Naturally, sensing that Barry was too eager in his protest, everyone insisted that I open it to reveal what he was trying to conceal.

I had no choice but to keep going so I sheepishly looked at Barry, smiled as best I could as an apology, and proceeded to undo the ribbon and beautiful wrapping paper as delicately as possible to reveal a sensuous-looking pink box to "Oh's" and "Ah's" from the crowd. I had a strange feeling in my stomach as I watched Barry mouth the words, "I'm sorry."

Opening the box revealed a beautiful green satin robe and matching satin nightgown, something that I loved at first sight since it was my favorite color and fabric. Barry knew me very well and must have spent a lot of time looking for this exact gift since it was perfect. I felt the blood rush to my face and knew that I must have been red as a beet with the sudden exposure of one of my secrets, something that I kept hidden from all but my closest friends. The sound in the room became quieter as the nature of the gift sunk in on everyone present except for a few of the more rowdy attendees who started chanting, "Try it on, try it on." I knew that that was not going to happen although the persistence of rowdy ones lasted longer than I expected or what was considered polite. Nevertheless, the gifts were nice and mostly in good taste.

The night ended around 3:00 am when the last stragglers departed and laughter could be heard from the street below as they made their way to their rides home. As I finished doing a rough cleanup to make it to the morning I received a call from Barry to apologize for any embarrassment he might have caused by the gift. He said that he hoped I would open it when I was alone or, worst case when he and I were together. I laughed and told him not to worry, it was a very thoughtful and wonderful gift, something that I will treasure for a long time, and said that I would model it for him one day if he promised to behave. He joined in laughing and said that he would hold me to it before hanging up.

Before going to bed, I tried on the nightgown, and it was a perfect fit. Loose fitting around the chest as the spaghetti straps draped over my shoulders and nicely clinging around my waist and hips. The robe was pure luxury and the feel of the satin fabric of the gown on my nipples made them hard and tingling. I felt like calling Barry back to tell him to come over to spend the night but thought better of it in the end, deciding to wait a little while before giving out a thank you card of sorts.

After I washed up and was getting into bed, the door buzzer sounded, and I could make out the sound of conversation in the hallway. I assumed that someone must have forgotten something and decided to come back for it rather than wait another day. I grabbed my old robe and went to the door and saw two of my boisterous friends, Steve and Ryan, through the peephole. Not wanting them to make any more noise, I opened the door a little and with a bit of a smile, softly asked what they had forgotten. "Nothing really," said Ryan, "but we got to talking about the nice nightgown you received and decided that it would be great to see you model it for us. After all, we were at the party and it seemed only fair, right?"

I forced a small laugh and replied, "Well, that's a personal gift and not something that I feel should be worn outside of a small circle. Plus, it's late and I was in bed and now I want to go to sleep so the party is over for tonight. Thanks for coming and thanks for your presents." I tried to close the door, but they wouldn't allow it and started pleading in very loud voices. After several seconds, I realized this was futile at best and decided to take the path of least resistance by opening the door, offering them a beer, and then hoping they would leave on their own.

Once inside, they again said that they wanted to see me in the nightgown and would stay all night if necessary, and then plopped down on the sofa. I tried promising them a beer if they left but that only made things worse because they wanted the beer and still insisted on seeing me in the nightgown. Clearly, we were past rational negotiation and there were fewer options available so I had a tough decision to make. As much as I hated the idea, giving them what they wanted seemed like the best way to get them out of my apartment, so, going against my better judgment, I excused myself and said I would return in a couple of minutes so that they could see me wear my new gift but after that, they had to go.

As I walked into the bedroom, I could hear the giggling and the whispers but I wanted the night to be over and I wanted to get some sleep so I quickly got out of my robe and put on the nightgown that I had carefully put away a short time before. Maybe it was the fatigue or the leftover buzz from the alcohol of the evening but slipping into the nightgown while two guys waited for me in the next room felt wonderful and my erect nipples were poking against the satin fabric giving me the beginning of an unwanted erection. Now, this would be embarrassing; walking out in a lovely nightgown with a stiff dick pushed against the satin material.

I flicked the tip of my penis as I put on the nightgown and managed to calm my hormones enough to not be too obvious in my arousal when I returned to the living room. Both guys whistled when I walked in and although I felt myself blushing I admit that I enjoyed the acknowledgment and even gave them a sexy twirl and curtsy for good measure. Ryan grabbed his crotch like a rapper and said, "Oh yeah! Looking good, baby."

Steve simply licked his lips and softly added, "Lovely bitch."

I thanked them for their compliments but added that they got what they wanted and now it was time to call it a night as I walked slowly to the door.

As I stood near the door they got up from the sofa and walked over, stopping in front of and close behind me. I could feel Ryan rub his erection against my ass as he held my hips and Steve took my hand and placed it where I could feel his stiff dick, pressing on it and moving it up and down as well. "We have to do this again when we have more time," said Steve leaning forward to kiss my lips which I avoided.

"I would like that, too," said Ryan a bit more civilly, then adding sarcastically, "We could have a threesome."

I forced a slight smile and simply said, "We'll see," as I opened the door.

They apparently had enough for tonight since they left quickly and quietly, and I could finally put my clothes away and get into bed. As I relaxed under the cool sheets, I knew that I had to do something with the erection that arose as I stood between Steve and Ryan feeling their stiff dicks against my body, so I stroked it while wondering what it would feel like to be spit-roasted between the two of them. I came quickly into my hand and then licked it up before drifting off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

In the afternoon following the party, I received a call from Ryan to apologize for being inconsiderate by returning to my apartment so late at night and for what followed. He said that he appreciated my hospitality and for putting up with him and Steve without complaining since they were being very rude. I thanked him for being a gentleman by calling since I do indeed appreciate a day-after call simply as a form of acknowledgment for a pleasant time, and for the apology that I believed was warranted.

Before hanging up, Ryan added, "Look, I'm new at this so please excuse me if I get tongue-tied. I had a great time at your party and enjoyed talking to you afterward when we came back to your apartment. You're very easy to be around and make me feel comfortable so I thought maybe we could go for dinner somewhere, just the two of us. If you don't want to, that's fine too, I understand, and I'll see you around some other time."

I found myself smiling and then said, "Ryan, it almost sounds like you're asking me on a date. Is that what you're doing?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say anything that sounded silly and now I'm embarrassed. I hesitated before calling today exactly for this reason and now I feel foolish," he said.

"Ryan, don't say that and please don't feel that way. You didn't say anything that sounded silly and as a matter of fact, I'm flattered. So, just to be clear I'll say it again; Ryan, are you asking me on a date? You and me, together, possibly holding hands, looking at the stars, deep passionate kisses at my door. Is that what you're asking me?" And with that, I could not hold it in anymore and started laughing hysterically. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. I'm not laughing at you, please believe me. I'm just happy. Yes, I would like very much to have dinner with you, just the two of us, and I promise not to be a jerk about it again."

I heard the laughter on the other end of the phone and knew that he appreciated my kidding and was relieved of the nervousness that he felt. Asking someone on a first date is nerve-racking for almost anyone but when it's a guy asking another guy, it's even more so. "Robert, thank you for breaking the tension. You make this easy and I appreciate it," he said. "Would you be up for next Saturday?"

"Oh, you don't want to try a Friday night first so you can say that we bumped into each other while we were out running errands and just decided to have dinner on the spur of the moment? You want to go directly to 'date night' Saturday night instead?" I replied. "You're brave. There's no going back from this life-altering journey you know, but if that is what you want, it would be my pleasure to go on a date with you next Saturday. Thank you for asking." The last part was a bit of silliness on my part, but many truths are contained in jest. If people that we knew saw us out together, conclusions could be drawn that may make Ryan uncomfortable, so I wanted to make sure that he understood the possible consequences.

Ryan got serious and then said, "It's time that I grew up. There are people that I like and if being with those people causes problems for others, it's not my concern, it's theirs. What you did last night took courage but you did it unashamedly and made it look easy. When I felt you in my arms, I realized that I would have liked to kiss you right there and take you to bed. But I was frightened and I don't want to be frightened anymore. I am looking forward to seeing you on Saturday and if being with you, holding hands, and looking at the stars makes you happy, I'm ready."

"You're a special person, Ryan, and very sweet," I replied. "See you Saturday. You do know where I live, right?"

"Fuck you," came the reply with a hearty laugh.

This weekend has been different and very emotional and included an unexpected turn of events. I had been going through a quiet time with very little activity which turned into 24 hours of seeing old friends and classmates, celebrating the passing of another year of my life, culminating with an unexpected phone call from someone with a proposition that lifted my spirits even more. I wanted to pinch myself to see if I was truly awake, but I didn't have time for that before the buzzing phone shattered the quiet Sunday afternoon.

"Hey, stranger," I said into the device, "It's been less than 24 hours so either you're desperate for someone to talk to or horny as hell, which is it?"

"No easing into the conversation with you, is there?" replied Barry with a laugh. "I wanted to say that the party was great last night and it was a pleasure to see you again. It's been a while and I had forgotten how much fun it was to hang out and laugh at silly shit."

"That goes double for me," I replied. "I lost track of some important people but luckily Father Time threw in a birthday to provide an excuse to reconnect. And before I forget, thank you for the beautiful and thoughtful gift. I love it and it looks marvelous. How did you ever come up with such a perfect present?"

"I'm glad that you like it," he said. "I remembered how you reacted when we saw something similar in a film and I confirmed the size by hugging it in the shop although it really could never be the same as you."

"That's sweet, thank you. You're a great friend and I loved seeing you last night," I said.

"Look, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you with this gift, it was not my intention. I thought we would have a little quiet time to open it or that you would be able to do it privately but obviously, the mob had a mind of its own. I hope it didn't hurt too much."

"Not at all, it was survivable, and you know the saying: Everything works out for the best even if you don't know what the best is when you're living through it," I responded.

"So, you'll tell me one day?" Barry said.

"One day," I replied with a laugh, "but not today."

"Okay, how about a drink this week for your birthday?" he replied.

"That sounds great. Wednesday evening at Casper's, 8:00 pm? My treat." I said.

"It's your birthday, bitch, your money is no good," he replied with a laugh.

"My feelings will be hurt if people keep calling me names," I said, "but I will always forgive you, my dear."

"See you Wednesday, Robert, love you."

After the phone clicked off, I thought about how lucky I was to have the friends that I do. Barry was such a nice guy, and I knew that he would make a wonderful partner for someone when the right person came along.

The next couple of days were uneventful, with a few phone calls from family and friends and classwork as usual, and then Wednesday evening rolled around. Casper's was a lively place for the older college crowd with reasonable food and great drinks, located close to my apartment to save on driving after an evening out. Plus, it was a very progressive establishment where everyone was welcomed but heated political debate was discouraged so things remained friendly. I knew quite a few people there and Barry was a regular so it was a very comfortable place.

As I entered, Jesse, the Jamaican bartender greeted me warmly. "Hey, it's the birthday boy. Welcome and Happy Birthday my friend."

"Thank you very much," I replied with a wide grin.

"And I was specifically told not to call you a bitch today because you're very sensitive," he responded laughing.

I leaned over the bar, grabbed his head, and gave him a kiss on the lips whispering "fuck you" while doing so. There was a lot of laughing and Barry walked in at the same time.

"Apparently, I'm late. What did I miss or is that an impolite question?" he said with a smile.

I quickly walked over to him and gave him a big kiss followed by a warm hug. "Hi," I said.

"I feel that I should walk out and come back in again to get a second round," he replied. "Happy Birthday."

We settled in and the rounds of drinks quickly backed up. After the second drink, I told Jesse to keep track since I could not drink all of them, but I would gladly take rain checks. Barry and I had a light dinner at the bar and then decided to call it an evening, said our good nights, and headed back to my place. It felt nice to walk with Barry, holding onto his arm, and feel the warmth of him close to me. How I missed this connection and I believe that he felt the same although neither of us said the obvious. We had our time together and we were not looking to try to reignite something that had cooled; we cherished what we had and loved what we have now.

The door closed behind us and once inside, I let him take me in his arms and kiss me as I knew that he wanted to do all evening. We had an unspoken language, a system of glances, small tells, and subtle touches that communicated our desires. Our language had been perfected over time and without a sound it was intimately understood better than spoken words. Within minutes I went into the bathroom to remove my clothes and slip into the beautiful nightgown that he bought for my birthday. I knew that he wanted to see me in this outfit since the box was opened and I wanted nothing more than to please him by wearing it. As I walked into the bedroom, I noted the change that took place on his face and in his eyes. I felt my breath become shallow and my pulse quicken as he looked at me, the flame of desire burning intensely in his eyes.

Barry reached for my hand and coaxed me to lie next to him as he lay naked on the bed, where he hugged me and began kissing my neck and mouth as I panted in response. I felt his grip on me tighten and breathing became more difficult as his strong arms held me. He buried his face in my neck, working up to nibble on my ear while pulling tightly on my hair. I gripped the sheets with my hands trying to regain control of my senses and my passion, but I was failing, I...was...failing.

"Straddle me. I want to feel you on top of me," he commanded softly, and I wordlessly did as I was told, hiking up the gown in the process. As I settled down on him, I took his erection and gently placed it against my anus, waiting for my next instruction. "Slowly," he said in a whisper.