Taking It All In

"I guess he'll be coming down for some breakfast soon, so feel free to say 'Hi'."

Jake grinned.

"Why is that so amusing?" I asked.

"It's not amusing," he smiled. "It's just... well... kind of cool, I guess. Meeting my dad's male lover. The three of us hanging out together."

I smiled back. "He'll be having a slice of toast, Jake. Maybe a glass of orange juice. That hardly constitutes 'hanging out together'."

He shrugged. "Maybe in time... you know... the three of us..."

I suddenly wondered how far Jake's thoughts had strayed when he'd been watching Bradley and me on the bed. Had he been imagining himself in my place? Imagining himself on the bed with us both?

I took the kettle over to the sink to refill it.

Of course he hadn't been -- what was I thinking? He was just intrigued that I was now bringing men home to stay over; wondering how it would work with the three of us around each other in the house. That's what he was thinking of. It was just his innocent curiosity.

Of course it was.

When Bradley did eventually come down, he was eager to get going and didn't want to eat. He seemed quite anxious that Jake had seen the two of us having sex and made it clear that he wanted to be gone.

Jake poked his head out of the living room door and offered the "Hi" that I'd suggested, but Bradley just grunted distractedly back while he was pulling on his coat.

I felt sorry for him: he was clearly totally freaked out by having my son as an unwanted witness to what he was doing behind his girlfriend's back.

In the car on the way to reunite Bradley with his bike, I told him that Jake was trustworthy and about him saying it was "kind of cool" to have a dad who brought other men home with him. I left out what Jake had said about finding the sight, or rather the smell, of us attractive and about his rather odd admission that he'd like the three of us to "hang out together".

But Bradley didn't seem impressed. "I've never had anyone's kid walk in on us before."

"Jake's hardly a kid," I said. "He'll be going to university next year."

"Even so," he replied, unconvinced. "Lads his age have big mouths. And other lads his age know how to exploit guys who have secrets."

I could see where he was coming from -- and it was a very prudent concern to have -- but I was sure that Jake would keep what he'd seen to himself, especially if I reaffirmed with him the importance of such discretion to both me and Bradley.

After we'd driven a good half mile in silence, I told Bradley I'd like to meet him again, if he still wanted to, and hinted that a joint venture between the pair of us and his brother would be very welcome.

He shook his head. "I dunno, Rob. I'm still really wound up about what just happened. I can't believe your son would just walk into your bedroom like that."

I didn't like the suggestion that I was too lenient with Jake and decided that, since he wanted to play the blame game, I would pitch the ball firmly back towards his side of the court.

"He said he called out and knocked but we didn't hear him. As I remember it, it was you who turned the radio up pretty loud."

Bradley muttered that I should have made him turn it off if I'd had such a problem with it, and then sat and stewed, staring out of the passenger window.

As I dropped him off, I tried again to reassure him. "I'll have a talk with Jake," I said. "Spell out to him how important it is that he keeps quiet about what he saw. It's not like he knows you... there's not that much he could tell anyone about you."

Bradley nodded. "It's just the shock of it, Rob. Give me a bit of time... I'll snap out of it."

He made an effort to smile at me and I smiled encouragingly back.

He got out of the car and leaned in. "We'll do it again... yeah... of course we will. I'm just freaked out. It'll pass."

I wasn't sure whether it was normal practice to kiss a male lover goodbye but, before I embarrassed myself by clumsily lunging at him, he seemed to read my thoughts.

"No kissing in public, mate," he said quietly. "We don't want to be seen being naughty twice in one day!"

"Okay," I smiled. "Well, at least you know the sentiment is there. Until next time, Bradley."

He nodded. "Yeah... see you soon, mate."

He walked over to his bike and threw me a wave as I pulled off.

I liked the fact he'd said he'd see me "soon" and hoped he didn't mean at work. I hoped also that, for him, "soon" meant days rather than weeks.

===

Next and final story: Jake's Christmas Present

===