Hermit
 

 by: Hankster

© 2018 by the author

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

hankster@tickiestories.us

There was a cabin in the Catskill Mountains which was off the beaten path, but it had electricity, land line service, and a septic tank.  Cooper Reynolds lived in the cabin which was barely more than a shack.  He never left his property except when he went into the nearest town for supplies.  He was the true definition of a hermit.

He wasn’t always this way. Once upon a time, he was a charming, handsome, affable, New York stock broker, who made mega bucks.  He had it all; the large house in the suburbs, a beautiful wife, a luxury automobile, and the respect of his clients and friends.  The only negative in his life was that he and his wife were unable to conceive a child, but they kept on trying.

Maybe it’s not specifically mentioned in the Bible, but complacency can also be a deadly sin.  Cooper’s perfect world was jarred when disaster struck him one beautiful, crisp, autumn morning.  He was called into the CEO’s office.  There were a lot of strangers in the office, and Cooper grew frightened.

“What’s up?” he asked.

One of the strangers flashed a badge.  “My name is Hawkins.  I’m a federal agent,” he said coldly.  “Your auditors have uncovered an unexplained million and a half dollar loss.”

“What’s that got to do with me?” Cooper asked belligerently.

“All roads point to you as the one who embezzled the funds,” the T-Man smirked.

Cooper vehemently denied the accusation, but he was fired on the spot.  His wife was having an affair, and she used this as an excuse to leave him. 

Cooper was never indicted.  No matter how certain the firm and the agents were that he was the guilty party, they could not produce enough evidence to go to trial, and furthermore, the funds were never found.  Innocent or guilty, his life was in shambles.  Nobody would hire him, and he was a pariah among all his former loyal friends and clients.

He had always had a soft spot in his heart for the beauty and solitude of The Catskill Mountains in upstate New York.  When he was a college student, he worked there as a waiter every summer in one of the resort hotels.  He went on line, and located an isolated cabin for sale.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  Cooper was certain that he would find isolation there; the isolation he so craved.  He purchased it sight unseen, with a terse telephone call.

There was a quaint little town about three miles down the road from the cabin.  All that was there was a general store, a coffee shop and a gas station.  Half the homes in the town belonged to summer residents.  Fortunately, the businesses were open all year.

Every Saturday afternoon Cooper went into town to purchase food and supplies at the general store.  The proprietor, Isaiah (Izzy) Childes, was young and very handsome, and Cooper could only wonder why he would want to bury himself like this in a near wilderness.  Well, he was young and handsome as well, and he had buried himself.  Maybe this guy had a story also.   

It would be more accurate to say that Cooper used to be young and handsome.  Nowadays, his hair hung midway down his back, and his beard reached down his chest almost to his navel.  He sorely needed shampooing and grooming.  There was no way that a casual observer could tell that this hermit was young and handsome.         

The residents of the town were very friendly and they enjoyed socializing and making chit chat in the general store.  Not so, Cooper.  As hard as Izzy tried to engage him in conversation, Cooper completed his purchase, and hurried back to his private sanctuary.

About two months after he started to patronize Izzy’s store, Izzy asked him if he knew how to play gin rummy.  Without thinking, Cooper foolishly answered, “Yes.”

“That’s great,” Izzy smiled at Cooper.  I close at 2 PM on Saturdays.  That’s less than an hour from now.  Please hang around and we’ll play a few games.”

Cooper had no desire to play gin rummy.  He wanted desperately to return to his self-imposed exile, but he didn’t know how to get out of it.  When he told Izzy that he could play the game, surely Izzy already took that to be a yes.

They played for about two hours, and then Cooper announced that he had to get home.

“How about giving us a repeat performance next Saturday?” Izzy asked.

Secure in the knowledge that nobody in town, including Izzy, was aware of his past, Cooper reluctantly agreed to play again the following week.  He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he had enjoyed the game, and he particularly enjoyed socializing with Izzy.  He genuinely liked the man.

Izzy was so friendly and persuasive that one Saturday afternoon Cooper allowed him to cut his hair and trim his beard.  “You’re a stunning hunk,” Izzy announced as he examined his handiwork.  When Cooper jokingly told Izzy to see an optometrist, Cooper’s banter encouraged Izzy to have the courage to ask him a question.

“How come you don’t have to work for a living?” he asked.

Izzy was afraid that Cooper would be angry at him for asking such a personal question, but Cooper smiled at his friend, and said, “My parents left me a sizeable trust fund.  I’m set for life.”

One day, as their game was winding down, Izzy told Cooper that his apartment was in the rear of the store, and he asked him to stay for dinner.  This was much more socializing than Cooper cared to indulge in, even with Izzy.  He put some sort of scowl on his face, and Izzy had to beg him to stay.  Cooper relented, and not only did they have a marvelous afternoon playing cards together, they had a marvelous evening sharing a meal together.

In fact, the two men enjoyed each other’s company so much, that Cooper had an epiphany.  He finally realized that he would rather spend time with Izzy than spend alone time in his cabin.  His desire to be a hermit was swiftly waning.  He and Izzy spent more and more time playing gin rummy and having dinner together.  When they said goodbye to each other, they had begun to hug.  Cooper became convinced that when they hugged, Izzy pressed his package hard against him.  He wasn’t certain, but he was surprised to think that if it was so, he didn’t mind at all.

During the winter months, the store had very little traffic, and Cooper started to hang around during business hours.  He and Izzy would play cards, and of course, they had dinner together.  On Cooper’s birthday, Izzy drove him to a town that had real restaurants.  The town was about thirteen miles away.  He treated Cooper to a lovely dinner to celebrate his birthday.  Of course, when the time came, Cooper reciprocated.

In spite of the fact that Cooper identified himself as straight, he had fallen in love with Izzy.  Unfortunately, he didn’t have a clue.  He couldn’t conceive of himself falling in love with a dude.  The only thing that he was aware of was that he wanted to spend more and more time with Izzy.  One night fate intervened in his favor.

They had eaten dinner together, and Cooper spent more time than usual chatting away with Izzy.  Finally, he bundled up, and Izzy walked him to the door.  Izzy opened the door, and they were both shocked.  It was snowing so hard Cooper couldn’t even see his car parked out in front of the store.

“You can’t drive home in this blizzard,” Izzy said.  “I insist that you stay here tonight.”

Cooper thought that he would be upset at Izzy’s invitation, but he was surprised that he was actually looking forward to spending more time with Izzy than usual. His epiphany was growing stronger.  He didn’t mind … no … he desired to spend more time with Izzy.

“Take off your coat and get comfortable.  I’ll make us some hot chocolate.”

Izzy’s apartment was nice and warm, so Cooper removed his outer garments and his boots.  Then he rolled up the sleeves of his flannel shirt.  When they were both comfortable and sipping hot chocolate, Izzy dropped a bombshell.

“Coop,” he said, shortening Cooper’s name, and becoming more familiar, “I think we’re good enough buddies that I feel I must ask you something personal.  You don’t have to answer, but it would be a testament to our friendship, if you did answer my question.” 

Izzy stopped talking and Cooper thought for a long time before he answered.  “Yes,” he said, “ask me anything.  I do trust you.”

Izzy smiled, took a deep breath, and asked, “Coop, what the hell are you doing out here burying yourself in the middle of nowhere?  You are obviously well educated, and very good looking.  Why are you hiding from the world?”

Izzy didn’t know what to expect, but certainly not this.  Cooper buried his face in his hands and started to sob.  Izzy tried to comfort him by putting his arms around his crying buddy.  Finally Cooper opened up.  “I had it all,” he started out.  “I was a very successful stock broker.  Someone embezzled a million and a half bucks from my firm, and the suspicion fell on me.  Maybe I was set up; I don’t know.  What I do know is that my denial fell on deaf ears.  The only reason I wasn’t indicted was for lack of tangible evidence.  It was all circumstantial.  It didn’t matter.  My life was ruined.  I couldn’t get a job, my wife left me, and I didn’t have the strength to bear the shame, so I moved out here to escape.” 

As he finished his story, Cooper sobbed even louder.  Izzy held him tighter in a vain attempt to comfort him.  When he finally calmed down, Cooper asked, “Okay buddy, what’s your story?  What are you doing out here in this God-forsaken place?  Why are you hiding, or from what are you hiding?”

Izzy laughed sardonically.  “My story isn’t as interesting as yours,” he said.  “First of all, my name wasn’t always Childes.  I changed it so as not to bring shame to my family.  My father is a world famous Evangelist.  He’s always raving and ranting against someone or something, but homosexuality is his major field of hatred.  I’m gay, Coop, and when I realized it, I was afraid I’d give into my urges, and disgrace the hell out of my father.  I ran away so as not to do that to him and my family.  I needed to find a place where all temptations would be eliminated.  This place was perfect, and Coop, for your information, I’m still a virgin.”

Izzy stopped his narrative for a moment, but Cooper could see in his face that he had more to say.  “Go on,” he said.

“I was accomplishing my goal until you came along.  I have fallen head over heels in love with you.  I want to make love with you so badly that I ache.  And here we are; snowbound and alone.  Let me bring you to paradise, Coop.  I’ll do all the work.  You don’t have to reciprocate in any way.”  Izzy started to cry.

Cooper was very silent.  Izzy could not gauge his reaction.  Now it was Cooper’s turn to hold Izzy as tight as possible in an attempt to comfort him.  This time there was no doubt that Izzy was erect, and he was pushing against him as hard as he could.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Izzy asked.

“Oh yes, Izzy, every time you hugged me, I felt you pushing your hardened cock against me, just like now.  I didn’t mind.  I don’t mind now.  In fact, I welcomed it.  I think I knew this would happen between us one day.  Yes, let’s make love, but I’m also a virgin to male sex.  We’ll have to experiment together, and let’s cut ourselves some slack.  I know we’ll improve with time and repetition.”

“Of course we will.  Let’s start with blow jobs, and when we feel we’ve mastered it, no matter how long it takes, let’s move on to fucking.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Cooper said.  “I always wanted to fuck my wife in the ass, but I was afraid to ask her.  So Izzy, shall we have some fun?”

Izzy went down on Cooper first.  He needed no instruction.  Not once did his teeth scrape Cooper’s precious rod.  He used his tongue and lips to perfection, and Cooper came rapidly.  Izzy swallowed all that Cooper had to offer.

“Oh, Coop,” Izzy said, “that was better than I ever fantasized it would be.”

“My turn,” Cooper said, and he dove down on Izzy’s cock.  They would learn to use foreplay in a very short time, but for now, they were too lustful to take the time.

After Izzy came, they wrapped up in each other’s arms and fell fast asleep.

In the morning Izzy made breakfast, and while Cooper was cleaning up the kitchen, Izzy went into the store and returned with a jar of Vaseline.  He smiled evilly at Cooper and the two men jumped into bed.

“It’s still snowing,” Izzy said.  “I think we’ll have all day today and tomorrow to make love.

“Do you know what to do?” Cooper asked.

“Well, I know you don’t, straight guy, but I’ve read a lot of gay literature and seen several gay pornos.”

“Then start your instructions, Ace.”

Izzy greased his fingers generously with the Vaseline.  He inserted one finger at a time into Cooper’s virgin ass.  Cooper was all right with two, but he winced at the third finger.  Izzy reamed him in a circular pattern until Cooper was relaxed and comfortable.

“Look,” Izzy said, “all the literature says that it will hurt like hell, but for a very short time, and then we’ll be begging for more.  Shall we move ahead?”

Both men were uncut, and very average in size, so after Cooper became comfortable with three fingers, Izzy greased his cock, and began his entry at a snail’s pace.  When he was all the way in, Cooper reported that it had indeed hurt him at first.  He informed Izzy that his ass had been on fire, but it passed rapidly, and now he felt pure pleasure.  Izzy began to stroke, and he came after just a half dozen thrusts.  Cooper felt Izzy’s essence shooting inside of him, and the crying began again.

They repeated the process with Izzy, who reported no pain at all.  He was experiencing pure pleasure.  After Cooper came they lay side by side, kissing and fondling each other.  Finally Cooper said, “No wonder my wife ran off with another man.  I never gave her the passion that we just gave each other.  I love you, Izzy.  Next time, will you let me rim you?”

“I love you, too, and next time let’s both of us rim each other.”

Before another week passed, Cooper began to sleep over at Izzy’s three or four nights a week.  They considered themselves to be a couple, and trusted each other implicitly. 

Business during the winter months was practically non-existent.  Izzy was having serious negative cash-flow problems.  One day he admitted to Cooper that he might have to close the store.  It was not making enough for him to live on, and it was certainly unsaleable.  Cooper saved the day, not once but twice, by giving Izzy the money to keep going.

Finally, Izzy said, “I can’t take any more money from you.  You’ll wipe out your trust fund.”

“The money didn’t come from my trust fund, my love.  My folks never left me a penny.”

“Where did it come from then?”

“From the money I embezzled.  Yes, it was me.  The money is in a dozen banks under different names.  We’ll never have to worry about finances for the rest of our lives.”

“You know how much I love you,” Izzy said, “but I have to arrest you.  I’m an undercover federal agent.  I was tracking you in the beginning, but eventually I became convinced of your innocence.  I never thought I’d fall in love with you, and now you’ve shattered my dreams.”

The two men started to cry, and held tightly to each other.

“How much money do you have left?” Izzy asked.

“More than I stole.  The funds are earning more interest than I can spend.”

‘If you surrender voluntarily, and make full restitution plus interest, I’m sure they’ll go easy on you.  Maybe you’ll get two or three years, and then with time off for good behavior you’ll be out in no time.”

“But how will I live when I get out?  I can’t get a job.”

“We’ll worry about that when you’re released.  I’ll take care of you until you get on your feet.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“I’m not asking you for permission. I’m telling you.”

Cooper served eighteen months of a three year sentence.  While he was in prison, Izzy closed the store for good.  They kept Cooper’s cabin as a get-away vacation home. 

Izzy quit the agency, and got a job on the assembly line of a tool and dye manufacturer in Queens, NY.  He had a friend who owned a ladies’ boutique on Queen’s Boulevard.  He got Cooper a sales job there, no questions asked.

It might be said that Izzy redeemed Cooper.  If he did, he was a far better man than Cooper’s uber-religious father.