Bobby and the Cop

"Here ya go," he said. "Okay. So, you got my number. Call me if you need anything else, and I'll try to check up on you later, okay?"

I thought he was going to stay and eat with me. I wanted him to stay. I really didn't want to be alone right now.

"Oh... You, um... Don't you want any? I mean, you can stay here and eat, I mean, if you want to, you know... Or you can, um, just leave me a couple of slices and take the rest with you."

"I didn't want to presume that you'd want me to stick around."

I shrugged. "If you want, you can."

"Do you want me to stay?" he asked.

I nodded and he smiled. I went to the cupboard and got two plates. "Um, I don't have a table, so we can eat at the breakfast bar or on the couch. I usually eat on the couch."

"Cool. That's what we'll do then."

I offered him several drink choices and we both chose a Coke. We sat on the couch and ate our pizza. It was really good and I told him so. We didn't talk while we ate, but he caught me looking at him several times and I caught him looking at me as well.

He was so handsome, and sitting on my couch with me, he actually seemed shy. I was used to guys who initiated and took charge. I thought it was cute and my crush on him deepened, even though I knew that he was only here because he felt sorry for me.

After Tony finished off most of the pizza, we stayed sitting on the couch. He turned and put his elbow on the back of the couch and rested his head on his fist and looked at me.

"So... tell me about yourself," he asked. "Where'd you grow up? What's your family like?"

I turned and mimicked his position and told him all about my family and growing up shy and alone. He told me that he was a shy kid as well, but he mostly got over it when he joined the Marines, and then he became a cop. He came from a big Italian family of six siblings, he was the fourth oldest, and his given name was Antonio. Unlike me, he also had lots of aunts, uncles and cousins. Most of them lived in New York and New Jersey, but one of his sisters lived up in Royal Oak with her family, so he saw her from time to time. I also discovered that Tony was older than I was, 28 as opposed to my 22.

We talked for a couple of hours until I started to get sleepy.

"I'm gonna let you get some rest," Tony said. "I'll call you and check on you in a day or so, okay?"

I nodded and walked him to the door. He stopped for a second and then gave me a quick hug. We said goodbye and I watched him get into his silver pickup truck and I waved as he drove off.

***

I was pleasantly surprised when Tony called me the next afternoon to check on me. In fact, he called me every day that week. Sometimes we'd just talk for a few minutes, sometimes it would go on for an hour or so. He was so easy to talk to and our conversations flowed without awkward pauses.

I was crushing on him big time and I could tell he liked me, probably for more than a friend. As much as I liked him, I was scared of having a relationship. No, I wasn't scared of a relationship, I was scared of having sex. Whenever I dreamed or even thought of sex, it turned into the attack in the alley.

So when Tony suggested that we hang out on Sunday, I was a little bit apprehensive. I didn't want to lead him on, but I really wanted a friend.

The bruises and swelling in my face had started to heal, but even after a week, they were still pretty bad. Sensing I was uncomfortable, Tony suggested that we go to a movie where it'd be dark and then he'd cook dinner at his house.

When he picked me up, I told him I wanted to talk to him before we left.

"Tony... I like you. I think you're a really nice guy..."

"But...?"

"But I don't know if I'm ready to date someone right now... I mean, if that's what this is... Is it?"

"I thought it was. So... Do you want to cancel our plans then?"

"Can we go out as just friends?"

"Sure, Bobby. We can be buds. Get your coat. We're running late."

I could tell he was really disappointed and I wasn't prepared for that. I wondered if I was doing the right thing.

Tony had a really nice silver Ford F150 truck with the crew cab. It had plenty of room for him, unlike my Escort. It felt really cool riding so high up off the ground, compared to my car. I told him I loved his truck and commented on how he seemed a tad more comfortable than when he was driving my car and he laughed loudly.

We saw a comedy at the movies and we both laughed and had a really good time. We shared a large sized popcorn and we both got a pop. After the movie, we headed to his house. He had a small two-bedroom ranch home in an older neighborhood. It was a cute house. He gave me the grand tour, which didn't take very long, but I was impressed with how nice everything was decorated and styled. It was very manly and comfortable, and everything was clean and organized.

He showed me the master bedroom. He had a huge king sized bed. The bedroom also had its own bathroom and a walk-in closet.

He had me sit on a stool at the breakfast bar and we talked while he started dinner. He made chicken picatta, pasta, and steamed broccoli. We ate in the dining room and it was great. He served white wine with the meal and I rarely have wine, and I quite enjoyed it. After dinner, we went into the family room and I sat on the comfy leather sofa and he sat in the leather chair. We talked about football, his life as a cop, my job as a computer tech, and a whole assortment of other topics for what seemed like hours.

I opened my eyes and realized I was laying down on the couch in a near fetal position. I was bundled up in a warm blanket. I was absolutely mortified to not only have fallen asleep, but he wrapped me up in a blanket. I looked over and Tony was sitting in the chair, his chin resting against his chest, sound asleep. When I started to sit up, his eyes opened and he smiled warmly at me.

"You fell asleep," he said. "You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you."

"I'm so sorry. I'm not a very good guest, huh?"

"Don't worry about. I'm happy to know that you're comfortable enough with me to fall asleep on my couch."

Tony took me home a bit later and he gave me a long hug at the door and I hugged him back. As I held onto him, I inhaled his scent and let my hands touch his big hard body, and I knew that it was going to be impossible to be just friends with him.

***

When I arrived at work the next morning, Sharon, the woman who manages the business accounts, was all over me making sure I was okay and carrying on about my black eye. My boss, Rob, put his arm around me and patted my back and welcomed me back.

I went back to the repair room and grabbed the next work order. Memory upgrades on four new machines for one of our clients. A nice and easy way to get back to work. I grabbed the first machine off the shelf and unboxed it and set it up on my workbench when Ronnie, the senior tech and my supervisor, came in and dropped his bag on his workbench.

Ronnie was an older guy in his fifties, tall and lanky with dark blond hair that he kept in a collar-length, parted in the middle and feathered style from the 70s. He was gruff and outspoken and bordered on obnoxious.

"How ya feelin', kid?" Ronnie asked.

I looked up and said, "I'm okay, Ronnie."

"Fuck, kid, you got a real shiner there, huh?"

"You should see the other guy," I joked.

"Hmph. I heard you were in really bad shape. They catch the guy?"

"Not yet."

"So where were you when this happened?"

"I don't really want to talk about it, Ronnie."

"How much did he get?"

"Huh?"

"The mugger. How much did he get?"

"Oh, like... 52 bucks."

"Shit. You should have just given him the 50 bucks and saved yourself a beating."

"I guess."

***

Over the next week, I talked to Tony every day and he came over again on Tuesday evening with pizza. So when the phone rang Thursday evening, I naturally expected it to be Tony.

"Hey, little buddy," his deep voice drawled in a southern accent.

"Bo!" I exclaimed.

I took a deep breath to try to keep from getting too emotional. It had been a long time since I heard from Bo. He was my first boyfriend in college and we remained friends even after we broke up. Now that he plays in the NFL, we don't get to talk as often as we used to.

"I'm sorry it's been so long since we talked, Bobbo. I've been busy."

"I know. I've been watching you whenever I can."

"Aw, you always were my biggest fan. Hey, I'm gonna be in Detroit on Sunday as you know and I got a couple of tickets for ya if you're interested."

"Oh, well, you don't have to do that."

"Of course I do. After the game, we can get together. I haven't seen you in over a year, Bobby. We need to catch up."

"Okay, that sounds really great, Bo."

"Are you seeing anyone these days?"

"No, not really."

"I'm sure a cute little guy like you is beating 'em off with a stick, so get one of your guys to come with you. Listen, I gotta go. I'll FedEx the tickets to your house. After the game, someone will come get you and bring you to me, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Bo. Thanks for calling me."

"See ya soon, Bobby."

That night when Tony called, I told him my friend from college got me tickets to the Lions game on Sunday and I asked if he wanted to go. He was really excited about the game, and we ended up talking about football for a little bit, then we moved on to other topics and I forgot to explain about Bo to him.

***

When Tony picked me up on Sunday, I almost fainted when I saw him. He was wearing a leather jacket over a black USMC t-shirt, worn and faded snug-fitting blue jeans that bulged in the crotch, and black cowboy boots. He pulled off his sunglasses and moved in and gave me a hug. He smelled really good and as I wrapped my arms around his broad back to return his hug, I started to get a hard-on.

I quickly pulled away and cleared my throat and grabbed my jacket and covered up my crotch. He was looking at me with a crooked smile on his face and it made me blush. He stepped closer and reached up and brushed the hair off my forehead, then ran his hand down the back of my head and squeezed the back of my neck.

"Your bruises are looking much better and the swelling's gone down," he said quietly.

I swallowed nervously. "I still have a pretty bad black eye."

Tony's other hand came up to my face. He cupped my left cheek in his hand and ran his thumb under my left eye.

"It's not so bad. Everyone can see how adorable you are."

I looked into his eyes and smiled at him. He leaned down and moved closer, his lips closing in on mine. I closed my eyes as he made contact with my lips. My knees buckled as he kissed me sensually, open mouthed but no tongue. When he pulled back, I shuddered. We smiled at each other and he ran his hands down my arms and clasped my hands in his, intertwining our fingers.

"I really like you, Bobby. I wanna be more than just your buddy."

"I like you too, Tony."

"As more than a buddy?"

"A lot more than a buddy."

Tony's hands squeezed mine and he bent down and kissed me again, then pulled me in and hugged me tight.

"Tony? Before we go, I should tell you something."

"Yeah?"

"My college friend who got me the tickets is Bo Matthews. He wants to meet with us afterward, to grab a bite to eat."

"Sure. That's fine with me," he said as he kissed the side of my head.

"And, um... Bo was my first boyfriend."

Tony moved back and looked me in the eye. "So, do I have to worry about him trying to win you back, or you wanting him back?"

"Nah. We're just friends now. He told me to bring a date."

"Ah, so this is a date then?" he asked playfully.

"Yup. Our first date," I grinned.

***

The football game was great and the tickets were freaking amazing. Tony bought the both of us a beer and we shared some popcorn. Even though we were sitting in the middle of the opposing team's fans, Tony still rooted for the Lions and got plenty of dirty looks from the people around us. His cheering didn't help because the Lions ended up losing. No surprise there. But he was smiling and having a great time, and that really made me happy. And I realized what a great time I was having just being with him.

As the game was finishing, a young guy found us and escorted us down to the locker room. We weren't allowed to go in, but we waited outside.

"Wait a minute," Tony whispering. "I just figured out what you were saying. Matthews, your college boyfriend. He plays for--"

The door opened and some of the players exited. When the team's quarterback came out, Tony cleared his throat and introduced himself and shook his hand and congratulated him. After he left, Tony looked at me and mouthed "he's hot" and we both laughed.

"Hey, little buddy!"

I looked up to see Bo walk out. He was wearing a blue Polo dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and tight fitting jeans, his hair still damp from the shower. He walked over to me and hugged me tight and picked me up off the floor.

I laughed and squirmed out of his embrace. "Hi, Bo."

Bo's smile disappeared and his face clouded over. "What happened to your face, Bobby?"

Bo looked over at Tony and pushed me behind him and stepped up to Tony with his fists clenched.

"Hey, man," Tony said as he raised his hands in front of his chest. "I didn't do it."

I grabbed Bo's arm. "Bo, it wasn't him. Tony's a cop."

Tony held out his hand to Bo. "Tony Paolucci."

"Bo Matthews," Bo replied as he shook Tony's hand. "Can you hang out here a second while I talk to Bobby?"

"Sure, man," Tony replied and tried to smile.

Bo put his arm around me and led me around the corner into an empty room. He hugged me again.

"So, is this Tony guy your boyfriend?"

"Kind of. I mean, this is our first real date. I met him two weeks ago... in the hospital. He and his partner were the ones that responded when the doctor called the police."

"What happened, Bobby?"

"I, um... I went out, um, to this bar... and this guy... he, um, assaulted me in an alley."

Bo furrowed his brow. "He beat you up?"

I nodded. My eyes welled with tears.

"Did he...," Bo took a deep breath. "Did he rape you?"

I nodded again and Bo grabbed me and hugged me tight.

"Oh, god, Bobby."

I held onto him and cried.

"Baby, why didn't you call me?" Bo asked, his voice cracking.

"I didn't want anyone to know."

Bo moved back and looked at me. His eyes were filled with tears. "You should have called me. You went through this all by yourself?"

"No. Tony has been really nice to me. He waited for me in the ER when I got there and has been checking on me."

"He's a cop, huh? Well, I'm glad you met someone nice, someone who'll keep you safe."

When we returned to Tony, he was talking with a couple of Bo's teammates. When he saw us approaching he looked at me nervously and I flashed him a big smile and he seemed to relax.

A handsome young guy walked out of the locker room and said "I'm all set" to Bo.

"This is Phillip, one of our trainers," Bo said to Tony and me. "Phil, this is my old college buddy Bobby and his boyfriend Tony."

We all shook hands and and exchanged pleasantries. I felt a tinge of jealousy and then I felt guilty. I didn't have any reason to be jealous of Phillip. Bo and I were just friends now. We followed Phillip to a white Cadillac Escalade SUV rental and Tony and I climbed into the back seat. Tony smiled at me and took my hand in his and we rode to the restaurant with our fingers intertwined.

We had a great time at the restaurant and Tony seemed to get along well with Bo and I was happy about that. I could tell that Phillip was not so comfortable with us. I knew Bo really well and it was pretty apparent that Phillip had strong feelings for Bo. I could tell that Bo was fond of Phillip, but Phillip was just one of his 'harem boys'.

After dinner, we drove back to the stadium to our truck and I shook Phillip's hand and exchanged a long hug with Bo. Bo and Tony shook hands and Bo put his arm around Tony and walked him away from us. I looked at Phillip nervously and he just shrugged. I wanted to say something to break the uncomfortable silence between Phillip and myself, but he had turned away from me to text on his phone and didn't seem to be too willing to engage in conversation.

When Bo and Tony returned, they were smiling and laughing.

Bo gave me one last hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Keep in touch, Bobby. You can always call me. Don't ever be afraid to call me, especially if you're in trouble, you got that? If I don't answer, leave me a message and I will call you back."

I nodded and waved goodbye. Tony opened the passenger side door to his truck and I climbed in. Tony climbed in and started the truck and then leaned over and kissed me before he put it in gear and took off for home.

"Tony? What did Bo say to you before we left?"

"He told me to take good care of you and he said if I hurt you, he'd kill me."

"Sorry about that."

"Nah, it's okay. I understand. I'd do the same thing for someone I cared about."

***

When Tony pulled into my driveway, he parked the truck behind my car and shut it off. He walked me to my door and I held it open for him to come inside. I shut the door behind us.

"Goodnight, Bobby," Tony said. "I had a great time tonight. Even though it turned out to be a double-date with an ex-boyfriend who's a pro NFL player."

We both laughed.

"I promise I'll make it up to you, Tony."

"Oh, yeah?"

I nodded and stood up on my tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Better?"

"Hmm... That's a start."

He bent down and kissed me. Our arms wrapped around each other and our kisses turned more passionate. When his tongue slowly moved into my mouth, I licked at it and he gripped me tighter and we French kissed madly and deeply. When Tony finally broke the kiss, I stood there with my eyes closed and my head titled back. I heard him chuckle and I opened my eyes and looked up at him.

"All right, as much as I want to keep kissing you, I gotta go. It's late and someone's gotta be at work in the morning."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

"I'll call you tomorrow to check on how you're doing, okay?"

"Okay."

I pulled out one of my business cards from my wallet so that he had my work information. He gave me a quick kiss goodnight and left.

***

Tony had weird work hours. Sometimes he worked nights and sometimes during the days. He usually had Sunday and a day during the week off, but those days sometimes changed too. He called me every night and we had our pizza night again on Wednesday.

After we ate, we sat on the couch and he had his arm around me as we watched TV. It wasn't long before we were making out. Our hands were all over each others chests and stomachs and arms. I ran my hands over his short flat top and the back of his head. I gently touched his beard and kissed his whiskered chin and all along his jaw.

I could see how excited he was by the bulge in his pants. I wanted to touch it and rub it, but I was still a little hesitant and I think he sensed it.

So that was as far as we went that night. And since it was getting late, we made plans for Sunday and he left for the night.

***

I was sitting on the couch half asleep while watching TV on Saturday night when the phone rang and scared the crap out of me. I looked at the clock to see it was 11:30. I answered the phone and it was Tony, of course.

"Hey, Bobby. Whatcha doin'?"

"I was trying to stay awake in front of the TV."

"Oh, I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Nah, it's okay."

"Listen, I was thinking... About tomorrow... We were gonna head to lunch tomorrow and a movie, then I was going to make you dinner at my place, right?"

"Yeah. Did you want to do something else?"

"No, I'm great with that. I was just thinking since I'll be passing by your place on the way home... maybe I could just pick you up now and you could stay over tonight... then we could just get up and go tomorrow. Look, I'm not gonna push you into anything you're not ready for. I'll even sleep on the couch."