Jim Wagner Pt. 03

This story picks up where Chapter 2 stops, so it's better if you read Chapters 1 and 2 first - it will make a lot more sense. The stories take place in a world where STD's don't exist, so keep that in mind. Everyone is 18 or older. There is a bit of my reality in these stories.

Please let me know what you think by giving the story a rating or leaving a comment...or both! If you email me, I will do my very best to respond. And, thank you for taking the time to read my little story.

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After leaving Nat and Annie, I went to Ken's to see what he had that I could fix for dinner for him. Something simple-my culinary skills were about zero. He didn't have a lot; he'd been working so much recently that he didn't have time to do the simple things like get groceries. That's tomorrow's problem. Today it was what can I do for him.

I knew Ken loved roasted vegetable pizza. Problem solved. I ordered a pizza from his favorite place, stopped and got simple salad fixings, and something for his breakfast the next morning. As I got back to Ken's I texted him to let me know when he was getting home. He was leaving, so I fixed him a setting with pizza, salad and a glass of wine on the kitchen table. Just as I finished, he pulled in the driveway.

When Ken walked in, I saw a person I barely recognized. His eyes were bloodshot, skin seemed to just hang and there were bags under his eyes. He looked not just beat, but beaten. I thought I knew what he was feeling; I had been there myself so many times over the last six or seven years. The thing Ken had that I didn't was me. That must sound so egotistical, but I did think I knew how to help him even if only a little.

As he walked in the kitchen door, he smiled when he saw me and walked directly into my arms. Holding him I could feel the stress melting away. This wasn't a time for questions; this was a time for basic aid and to just let him breathe. The hug broke with both of us smiling, and then he looked over my shoulder.

"My favorite," he exclaimed when he saw the pizza and salad.

"I thought I remembered it correctly," I told him. "You need to eat. Sit down, Ken."

I sat and watched him eat as I sipped on my water. He was so hungry and tired.

"I picked up some bagels, cream cheese and fruit for your breakfast tomorrow morning," I told him.

"Thank you, Jim," he said quietly. "I thought I would be the one taking care of you, and instead you are caring for me," he said as she gently shook his head.

"Isn't that what I should do," I asked him with a slight shrug.

"I don't know," Ken said between bites of pizza, "but I do know I like it."

"Tell you what," I started, "When I need it, you take care of me, okay?"

"Deal." he agreed with a smile.

As I watched Ken finish eating, I saw his body relax more and his eyelids grew heavy. He'd been working so much that he had not had any time to rest.

"Are you working tomorrow." I asked.

"No," he said with a soft smile. "I have the next three days off. My bosses, the owners, told me I needed to get some rest and return ready to look at the project a last time before I present it to them."

"That's great. I'd love to do something with you. And," I added with a smile, "spend time with Tracy."

"I'd love that so much," Ken said.

"Well, the first step is for you to get some sleep, so, off to bed," I told him.

Ken just nodded tiredly. He got up, hugged me, whispered thank you, and walked off to bed. Well, maybe he shuffled - too tired to raise his feet to walk.

I cleaned and straightened the kitchen and prepared it for the morning. After that was finished, I went to the 'apartment' behind the garage and arranged the old couch cushions on the floor to sleep on. After that was done, I got my sleeping bag from the truck. I made a decision that I would never return to the house my uncle and aunt were selling because it held too many painful memories for me.

As I was getting my sleeping bag, I saw the boxes I found that were from my mom and dad. Taking two with me, I started to go through them in the apartment. Those boxes held so many memories. Pictures of us as a family. Pictures of just my Mom and Dad. It had been seven years since they died and I had forgotten what they looked like. Nobody ever showed me any pictures; nobody kept their memory alive except for the memories I had as an 11 year old boy, which I learned to keep to myself.

Going through that box I felt angry, happy, loved and cheated. I felt cheated out of my life with them. Felt cheated because my uncle and aunt couldn't care less about me. On some level I understood what my parents were trying to do - to give me the family I wouldn't have if they were gone. Or, if that didn't work out, I'd mature and be strong. Mom and Dad gave me the values and strength to be successful, even if I was ignored by my uncle and aunt.

As I went through the two boxes I missed my Mom and Dad so much my entire body hurt. In some ways it was like losing them all over again and I was grieving. I took a few deep breaths and just missed them. It was in those moments I realized two things. One, no matter how much money I had, I could never bring them back. Money, while nice, isn't as powerful as most people think. And, two, I would do something to honor them; I would make a difference in the world.

As I was going through things in the bottom of the boxes, I found myself laughing grimly. I was by myself during one of the most important moments of my life, much like life had been with my uncle and aunt. Then I smiled genuinely in gratitude whispering a thank you to my Mom and Dad. I knew that if I needed someone, I could call Nat and Annie or go wake up Ken. There were others I could call, as well, if I needed to. I wasn't alone any longer, but part of a much larger family, which made me stronger.

I pulled out the last box and opened it. Inside I found my Dad's watch. I knew it had been a gift from his Dad to him and he wore it all of the time. I held it in my hands and could almost feel my Dad through the watch. Yeah, I know it might sound a bit silly, but it was true. Turning the watch over to look at it, I saw the scratches of wear and tear. Then I looked at the watch face and saw the brand: Rolex. I was holding a 25 year old Rolex in my hands that belonged to my Dad! I decided that I would take it into a Rolex repair shop, get it cleaned and working perfectly, and begin wearing it. I knew it wasn't going to be cheap, but it would keep my Dad near me, which I wanted.

I put a picture of my Mom and Dad out so I could see it and then went to bed. I slept better than I had in years.

Getting up in the morning, I showered, shaved, dressed and had a light breakfast. Checking on Ken, I saw he was still sleeping soundly, so I went out and brushed the pool. Yeah, I was still doing that. Then, I got another box and went into the kitchen to go through it. An hour passed as I looked at more pictures, report cards, my 'art' from elementary school - I think my Mom kept everything!

When I heard shuffling I looked up and saw Ken enter the kitchen. I almost started laughing. His hair was messy from the bed. His eyes weren't quite open. I think it was dried drool on his chin. He looked like a well used mop.

"Good morning," I said with a smile. "Sit and I will get you coffee."

I prepared his coffee. Handing it to him, I watched as he inhaled the scent and smiled. Yes, chances were that he was going to live.

"What do you have there, Jim," he asked after taking a sip.

"Memories," I told him, "which we will talk about later. Now, it's breakfast for you."

In five minutes I had breakfast in front of him which he began to eat. Each bite brought him closer to the person I knew. Soon, I even saw a smile!

I got him a second cup of coffee and as he sipped it, he became more interested in the items on the floor and table.

"What...," he started.

"Later," I told him. Right now, go get showered and cleaned up. We have a few things to do this morning and all will be explained," I assured him.

"Getting kind of bossy," he said with a smile.

I nodded and smiled. Then he looked more closely at me.

"You've changed," he observed and I shrugged slightly wondering if what happened to me last night as I went through the boxes was showing.

"Go shower," I said again.

"Again being bossy."

"Go before I spank you," I said in jest.

"I might like that from you," he said quietly.

He walked off with a refilled coffee cup while I cleaned up the kitchen and put things back in the box. Putting the box back in the garage, I came back to the kitchen with my Dad's watch and box it was in to wait for Ken. While I waited I looked on my phone for a Rolex authorized dealer and found one in town.

Ken came into the kitchen 20 minutes later looking better and smiling.

"How are you feeling." I asked with real concern.

"Better than I was," he admitted, "but not 100%."

"You need to spend today resting and sleeping, maybe a bit of exercise," I told him.

"When did you get so smart," he asked.

"When I started caring for you," I told him simply.

I stood up to get ready to start our errands, and Ken came up and hugged me. My arms went around him and as we stood there, he whispered thank you for taking care of him. We separated slowly.

"We need to get going so we can get a few things done," I told him.

"I just want to do you," he said in a soft voice that was both innocent and erotic at the same time. Of course it made me hard.

"Later," I told him with a smile, "if you're up to it."

"You're the one who has to be up," he said with a smile.

"Oh, please," I groaned and smiled at the same time. "Come on, if you want to go."

"Truck of Honda," I asked as we neared the garage.

"Honda and you drive," he told me.

As we got to the car, I opened the passenger door for him.

"Such service," he said in a soft feminine voice. "I could get used to this," he added.

"Get in, Princess," I told him, smiling. My voice was light and sincere.

"Yes, my King," he said softly as he got in. I could only shake my head. Was it going to be like this the whole day, I wondered.

Our first stop was the bank where he waited in the car while I went in. I came out less than five minutes later with two envelopes and handed him one.

"What's this," he asked.

"$500," I told him. "You put me on your car insurance and that's not cheap, plus a bit extra."

"I told you that I didn't want anything," he reminded me. "Besides, you can't afford this."

"I can and you will get it every month from me. If you don't want it, give it away," I told him.

"You still can't afford it," he said again.

"Things changed," I told him.

"We'll see Nat after lunch and he can tell you," I told him. Then, before he could start again on it, I handed him the Rolex box.

"What's this," he asked.

"Open it." I waited as he did, "That's my Dad's watch given to him by his Dad. I found it last night in some boxes which is a story for lunch. We are going to Mill's Jewelers so they can thoroughly clean it. They are an authorized Rolex place," I told him.

Ken nodded, smiled as his fingers touched the watch.

"I saw this on your Dad," he told me. "Are you going to wear it?"

"That's my plan."

Our next stop was Mill's Jewelry where they took the watch in and told me it would be ready in about two weeks. The technician looked at the watch and then looked at the sales receipt smiling. The watch had been originally purchased at Mills. He told me this was the first Rolex he ever sold years ago and it looked like it had been enjoyed. He told me quietly that while it would be cleaned, serviced, and made like new on the inside, and they would do their best to make it look good on the outside.

"But," he warned me, "it's a 25 year old watch that has seen a lot of wear. It will look better, but not new,"

"I don't want it to look new," I told him. "I'm going to wear it just like my Dad did." He smiled and assured me that it would look good and keep excellent time for years when he returned it to me.

As we left the store, I saw a cursive "T" on a necklace. It was so feminine looking. It didn't cost much and I got it for Tracy while Ken stood next to me. I know that might be confusing for you since Tracy is Ken's feminine persona. Anyway, I got it for her and had it wrapped as a kind of joke.

While we were leaving the jewelry store, Ken reminded me that he needed to get some new appliances for the apartment. So, we went to an appliance store and Ken bought a stove, microwave, and refrigerator. He wanted to get a dishwasher for the apartment, but I told him there wasn't enough room for one. He insisted that I needed a garbage disposal, and I didn't fight him too much. Delivery of everything would be in just over two weeks, which would give me time to get a few things done and the place cleaned and painted - I hoped.

As we talked during lunch, I could see Ken was so very tired. I told him we would see Nat another day and we returned home where he went in to take a nap. I went to the apartment and began removing everything. One way or another I got everything out and next to the garage where it was going to be picked up. I then started cleaning the place. Walls, ceilings, floors, cabinets - everything had a thick layer of dust. As I did I found a breaker box and saw it had all of the right circuits for the small kitchen and more than enough power available so there was one less thing to worry about.

I slept well that night, too.

The next morning I showered, dressed and went in to check on Ken. He was still sleeping from the previous afternoon. Once I saw he was okay, I had a quick breakfast and then worked on the apartment which included mopping the cement floor four times; not stopping until the water was clear.

Afterwards, I went into the house and found Ken up and eating. He looked rested and human! I knew it would happen sooner or later. When he saw me, he smiled, got up and hugged me.

"Thank you," he whispered in my ear.

"It will always be my pleasure," I said softly as I rubbed his back.

Once the hug was broken, he went back to his breakfast.

"So, what's the plan for the day," he asked.

"Once you are finished eating, I want to show you some of the things I've found in the boxes," I told him. "After that I think you need some exercise. Maybe a good swim? Then, to finish the day, I'd like to have dinner with you and time with Tracy, if you feel up to it," I said with a smile. "And, there will be time for a nap if you need one," I added.

He agreed to it all and had an almost wicked smile when he said Tracy would love time with me. Then I went and brought two boxes into the kitchen and I began showing him pictures of him with Mom and Dad and just having fun together. There were also pictures of him with Mom, Dad, Nat and Annie - again just out having fun together.

Some of the pictures showed Mom and Annie focused on one another as if there was something between them, but I didn't have a clue what it was. I noticed that when Ken saw those pictures he could see it, too, but didn't say anything. It was like he wanted to tell me something, but then decided not to. I told Ken the pictures were his to keep.

Then we went to the apartment. He was surprised at the progress I had made. I told him my plans for the small kitchen; my hopes for the bathroom; and, the general color schemes to give it an ocean feel. He approved them all and assured me that he would pay for everything. Outside of the plumbing and any electrical required, I told him that I would do most of the work. Ken told me he had a good friend who was a general contractor, that he was actually one of his special friends, who would be over that afternoon to talk about what I wanted and needed. Ken said to let him do what he needed to do.

Thanking Ken, I sent him on his way to do his swim and within a few minutes I heard the rhythmic sound of his swimming from the pool. I stopped and looked out the window to just watch him for a few moments to make sure he was okay, and then went back to work cleaning and sanding the lower kitchen cabinets.

After Ken went down for a nap, Alex the general contractor came by and introduced himself.

"Finally," he started with a smile, "I really get to meet you, Jim. Ken talks about you so much. Whatever you are doing, keep doing it because he's more alive than I have seen him in a long time."

"I'm not sure what to say," being slightly embarrassed. "I only try to care for him and I like doing it."

"From what I know, you should be the one cared for, Jim," he said sincerely. I just shrugged a little in response.

"So," I started needing to change the subject, "let's take a look at the apartment and see what needs to be done."

We spent the next half hour going through the place. I told him what I was thinking and he made suggestions. When we were finished he was going to have two people by to inspect electrical and plumbing, take out and install a new bathroom, remove wall cabinets in the kitchen, install a new mini ac and heating unit, and put down a new laminate floor. He assured me of two things: one, that it would all be done in four days and,two, that the only cost Ken would see would be for materials. Ken had helped him with marketing his business for years.

I thanked Alex and told him that I'd coordinate painting with his people. He responded by laughing and said that his guys would take care of it, but I could supply the paint if I wanted. I thanked him and assured him I would do anything I could to help.

After he left, I cleaned up my mess from the cabinets and then went in to check on Ken. He was sleeping soundly, and I took the opportunity to shower and get out my computer to check on classes. I needed to get started on my coursework.

About 6:00 Ken came out looking completely refreshed and ready to go to dinner.

"You look great," I told him. And he did in his khakis that were a bit tight over his hips, a polo shirt, and sweater over his shoulders. He beamed as he pulled out the "T" necklace from his polo shirt to show me he was wearing it. "Thank you for wearing it," I told him with a smile.

"I love it," he said softly, "because you gave it to me," he added with a gentle smile.

"I need to change," I told him. "Ten minutes and I will be ready."

Nine minutes later I came to find Ken sitting back on a couch looking at a magazine as he waited for me. As I walked up I could see he was looking at a magazine with pictures of transgendered women in it. Bending over I whispered into his ear.

"Tracy is far more beautiful than any of them."

"You don't have to say that," he told me.

"I tell you the truth."

He smiled his response. God, I loved his smile.

"Where are we going for dinner," he asked as he got up. Then he saw the stricken look on my face. "You forgot. It's a good thing I'm around. I made reservations for us. We'll take the Honda and you drive. I'll give you directions," he told me as we walked out to the car.

I opened the door for him and he smiled.

"I do like this," he purred as he slipped in the car.

I don't remember much about dinner except I loved the time with Ken. The restaurant was dark and his hand was on my thigh the entire meal which kept me on edge and hard. We laughed, flirted and enjoyed ourselves. I paid the bill and when we left, his arm was locked in mine.

As I drove us 'home' Ken's hand was lightly on my thigh. His fingers were just grazing my inner thigh and barely touching my balls. Ken knew exactly what he was doing as he whispered to me.

"Tracy needs you so badly, Jim," he whispered. "Jim, I need you to fuck me so hard tonight," in a whisper that was full of both innocence and desire. I don't know how he did that. "Do you think you can do that for me," he asked. All I could do was nod - I didn't trust my voice.