Long Time Companion

 by: Hankster

© 2010 by the Author

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

Prologue

Evan Morrissey’s obituary read as follows:

Morrisey, Evan, 88, passed quietly in his sleep, Sunday, May 8.  He is survived by his long time companion, Adam Langston of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and a brother, Edward, of Long Island, NY.  He will be laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery.  A memorial service will be held at Moore Funeral Home at 10 AM on Wednesday, May 11.

 “That’s it?” Adam thought.  “After a lifetime of love, service to his community, and uncountable good deeds, his life is summed up in 50 short words.”  Adam turned his head into his pillow and wept silently.  His only consolation lay in the sure certainty, that at 83, he would probably be reunited with Evan very shortly.  Involuntarily his hand reached out to touch Evan, only to be met by an empty, rather cold pillow.

Adam didn’t know how he would survive the funeral or even get to the funeral home.  He didn’t feel capable of driving himself at the moment.  His only family, two younger brothers and Evan’s brother, lived thousands of miles away and had already informed him that they could not possibly make the funeral.  He had thought of asking the executive director of the assisted living facility for some help, but Steve Baron knew that Adam and Evan were a gay couple and he detested them.  He did not hide his feelings, and Adam was loathe to ask him for further assistance.

There was a gentle knock on the door.  Adam got out of bed and went to open the door.  “Just a minute,” he said when he realized that he was totally naked.  He and Evan never wore anything in their cozy little apartment.  He put on a bath robe and opened the door.  It was Jamie Gordon, his next door neighbor.

Jamie was a mere boy as far as Adam and Evan were concerned.  He was only 67 when he took up residence at The Sunnydale House just a year ago.  His wife had passed away two years before that.  They never had any children, and Jamie had grown tired of living alone.  He was straight, and it didn’t bother him one iota that his next door neighbors were gay.  He took the older men under his wing, and drove them to shopping and doctor appointments so that they didn’t have to wait for, and be slaves to, the bus provided by the facility.  When they grew tired of eating every meal at Sunnydale the three of them went to restaurants together. 

“I just wanted to tell you that I’ll drive Wednesday to the Funeral Home.  Just don’t worry about a thing,” Jamie said.  “I don’t wish to get personal, but if you need money or anything, I’d be glad to lend you some.”

“Oh, Jamie.  You are so kind,” Adam sobbed.  “We both pre arranged our funerals so most of the costs are covered.  Thank you so much for offering.”

“You look so tired man.  I think you should really get some rest.  I’ll come and get you when it’s time for dinner.  You get into bed,” Jamie advised, “and I’ll see you later.”  He left and closed the door softly behind him.

Adam removed his robe, and climbed back into bed.  The sheets suddenly felt cold and he pulled up the blanket that was at the foot of the bed.  He covered himself and tried to rid his mind of his terrible grief, hoping perhaps that he might be lucky and get a few hours of much needed sleep.  Try as he might, he could not erase his memories of the past and sleep was a long time in coming.

  Chapter 1

The year was 1946.  The war had recently ended, and Adam Langston was looking forward to his high school graduation.  He lived in New Brunswick, NJ, about forty-five minutes to Newark and an hour to Manhattan by train, slightly longer by bus.  He had just narrowly missed being conscripted for the war, and now enjoyed a further student deferment. 

All of his kin had attended Rutgers University, but Adam told his parents that he wanted to go to New York University and get out of their home town for a while.  They were totally opposed, but Adam was so adamant that they finally consented.  With the help of a small scholarship, Adam was admitted to NYU.  The University was giving priority to returning veterans and he was one of the few non-veterans admitted that year.  Adam was unable to tell his parents the real reason he so wanted to get out of his provincial surroundings.

Adam was homosexual.  The word gay was not yet in his vocabulary.  Indeed, it might not have been invented yet.  He felt that Manhattan’s urban setting and famed Greenwich Village might be more to his liking than Rutgers sleepy campus.  NYU’s downtown campus was located adjacent to Greenwich Village.

He had first acted on his passions when he was a sixteen year old junior in high school.  Actually he was seduced.  Early one Saturday morning his parents had permitted him to visit his favorite uncle in Manhattan.  Uncle Stan was only eight years older than Adam and Adam idolized him.    He had been wounded in the war, and had received an early discharge from the army.  He had secured a good job in Manhattan just before he married.  Now he and his bride lived on the upper west side, a short bus ride to his office. 

After getting off the train at Pennsylvania Station, Adam had to take a subway train uptown, and then back again to catch the return ride.  He had lunch with his uncle and new aunt and left them about two o’clock.  He entered the subway car, and sat down in an empty seat.  Even before the train came to the first stop, a handsome young man in his early twenties smiled at Adam and sat down next to him.  No sooner did he sit down (very close to the young boy) he put his hand on Adam’s knee.

Adam was shocked and thought he should run, but he was afraid to.  The handsome young man’s hand crept up Adam’s thigh and reached its target.  He squeezed gently on Adam’s growing cock.  Adam did not know what to do and simply stared into space.  This was as close to his fantasies as reality had ever taken him.  Adam allowed the man to fondle him, more out of fear than desire.

Conquering his fears, Adam placed his hand on the young man’s knee, but went no further.  The man leaned over and whispered in Adam’s ear, “I live in The Village.  Why don’t you come for a visit and I’ll see to it that we both have a good time?”

The Village:  Greenwich Village.  Adam knew that area of Manhattan was a Mecca for homosexuals.  He was now torn between desire and fear.  He feared that desire was going to win. 

“Do you have a phone?” he asked.  That was a legitimate question.  The war had not yet ended.  Telephones were a top priority and difficult to obtain.  There were long waiting lists.  Pregnant women and households with babies had first priority.  A healthy young, single man might not yet have gotten a phone.

“Yes,” the man answered.  “Why do you ask?

“I’ll have to call my folks, and let them know that I’ll be late.  I don’t want them to worry.”

“Sure.  That’ll be fine,” he answered.

“It’s a long distance call,” Adam informed him.

“Still not a problem.  What’s your name kid?”

“Adam.  What’s yours?”

“Just call me Eve!”

That afternoon Eve introduced Adam to the joys of gay sex.  Adam could not get enough.  Eve went down on him immediately after they undressed.  The moment Adam felt Eve’s tongue caressing his cock, he nearly swooned and frightened his host.  He came quickly and told Eve he wanted to reciprocate.  Eve came almost as quickly as Adam. Adam never lost his erection and Eve instructed him in how to fuck.  Adam entered Eve easily, and Eve informed him that he was a bottom.  That was the first time Adam had heard that expression.  Notwithstanding his preference, Eve fucked Adam to give him the experience.  He was delighted to have snared a virgin.  That afternoon Adam came three times to Eve’s twice.  No matter, both men knew that they would never see each other again.  It was Adam’s only homosexual encounter until the day he met Evan.

Evan Morrissey was a hardened foot soldier, a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge.  He had not had good grades in high school, but his military status helped him gain admission to NYU.  At orientation, he sat right behind Adam, and his dorm room was five doors down from Adam’s.  They were actually in the same English Lit class.  The professor assigned his students alphabetically to help him learn their names quickly.  He seated Adam Langston at the end of one row, then Lindstrom, Logan, Mancuso, Markowitz, and finally Morrissey.  They were in the third row at opposite ends of the room and never spoke to each other.  They were hardly aware of each other’s existence.  After two weeks, they happened to pass each other in the hallway and nodded to each other in slight recognition. 

Four weeks into the semester, Adam finally worked up the courage to make the long anticipated voyage to Greenwich Village.  He was actually walking distance from what he perceived would be Nirvana.  He hoped that he could stop jacking off and have real sex.  He thought back to Eve and desired what he could now barely remember.  He had been too scared at the time to note where the man lived or to get his real name or he would most certainly have tried to contact him.

It was a late September Friday evening.  The temperature was hovering in the high sixties.  It was a good evening for a walk.  Adam put on a light cardigan sweater over his shirt, took a deep breath and started out to The Village.  Upon entering the heart of The Village, he was at a loss where to go.  He wandered up and down the streets with their quaint stores, sex shops and restaurants.  He passed several bars, but they were all occupied by men and women.  In many of them he found mixed couples being somewhat intimate and he passed those by.  Finally he came upon a likely looking bar.  It was called The Male Room, and that removed all doubt.  Adam walked right by it.  He was afraid to go in.  His knees were literally shaking.

As had happened to him once before, his desire overcame his fear.  He returned to the bar and went in.  The place was dimly lit.  Soft music was playing and he could see men dancing together, holding tight, and rubbing their bodies together.  This was a sight he had never seen before except at Greek and Jewish weddings, but those were always circle dances.  There was no real contact like he was witnessing right now.

Looking around he spotted the bar.  There was an empty seat at one end and he quickly occupied it.  New York State required that one be 21 years old to drink.  In order to accommodate its patrons, many of whom were under the age limit, the bar stocked non-alcoholic beverages.  However if someone ordered a hard drink, the bartender never asked for ID.

“A coke please,” Adam nervously ordered as he looked around.  Everyone seemed to be with someone, and he was disappointed.  He reasoned that he couldn’t be expected to make out the very first time.  If he became a regular and a familiar face, he might meet some like minded men.  That thought helped relieve some of his stress, and he relaxed somewhat.  He even got into a conversation with the bartender when the man had a short break.

Adam was faced away from the bar, observing the gyrating, dancing bodies.  He could clearly see that some of the men were sporting erections and he got one himself so he turned back to the bar when he heard a voice behind him.

“Hi,” the voice said.  “I think I know you from school.”  Adam’s heart skipped a beat.  He turned around to see who had spoken.  Yes, the guy did look familiar, but Adam could not quite place where he knew him from in the over crowded University.

“Yeah,” he said to the good looking older man facing him.  “I know you from somewhere.”  Adam faced the man and tried to place him as he studied him.  The guy was about 5’11” inches tall.  He was dark and swarthy and drop dead gorgeous (Adam thought).  His dark brown eyes were almost black and were quietly seducing Adam.  It was clear that the man’s body was muscular and mature. Adam was now feeling very inferior.  He was 5’9” and very thin.  He had blue eyes, sandy blonde hair and his ears protruded from his face, not helped by his buzz cut which was fashionable at the time. 

“I know,” the man said.  “English Lit.  You’re in my English Lit class.”  He extended his hand and said.  My name’s Evan.  There’s an empty table over there.  Why don’t you bring your drink over there and we’ll get better acquainted.”

“Great,” Adam said.  “My name’s Adam.”  He could hardly contain his excitement.  He actually had made a possible friend in his first hour in a queer bar.

The table sat four and Adam expected Evan to sit across from him, but he sat down on Adam’s right so that they both faced the dance floor.  Adam continued to sip his coke, but Evan was drinking something much stronger.

“You’re under twenty-one,” Evan observed.  “Would you like me to get you something stronger?”

“I tasted a whiskey sour once, at a graduation party.  I kinda liked it, and it was pretty mild.”

“I’ll be right back,” Evan said.  He went to the bar and came back with a whiskey sour.

“What do I owe you?” Adam asked. 

“It’s on me,” Evan said, “but if you insist on payment, I’ll charge you a smile.  I saw you when I came in and I haven’t seen you smile yet.  You look scared silly.  First time, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Adam nodded shyly.

“Relax, babe,” Evan said.  “I won’t bite, but I will admit that I am cruising you.  I figure that you don’t recognize the signs.  Frankly, I think you’re hot.  Do you live on campus?  I’m living there now, but when I find the right room mate, I want to get a place off campus next year, but I don’t want a houseful of slobs.  I’d like to be able to swing it with one room mate.  Hey do you wanna dance?”

Adam couldn’t believe how fast Evan talked and how many questions he asked without waiting for an answer.  Adam had never danced with a man before, but he didn’t mind the thought of being held in Evan’s muscular arms.

“Yeah,” he muttered grinning, “but I don’t know how to follow.”

“No need to follow or lead.  Just put both your arms around my waist and I’ll do the same.”

On the dance floor, Evan pulled Adam tightly into him and made sure that their crotches were touching.  Adam almost swooned when he felt Evan’s hardness against him.  He pushed even harder so that Evan could feel his erection also.  He rested his head on Evan’s shoulder and closed his eyes, letting Evan steer him smoothly across the dance floor.  It felt so good, so right.  He wished it could last all night, however the music stopped, and the two men stopped dancing.  They continued to hold tightly to each other.  They gazed longingly into each other’s eyes and let their lips touch.  Neither had taken the initiative.  It just happened mutually between them.

“Are we going to make love tonight,” Evan asked, “or are you against making love on the first date?”

“I didn’t think we were on a date.”

“Really?  Well I did buy you a drink so that makes it an official date,” Evan laughed.

“I’m a technical virgin,” Adam informed Evan as they headed back to their table.

“What does that mean?” Evan wanted to know, so Adam told him about his seduction by a gentleman called Eve.

“It was my only time so I consider myself a technical virgin.  I was too scared to really participate.  I just went through the motions.” Adam explained.  “Tell me about your first time.”

“It was during basic training.  I got an overnight pass and my buddy and I went into the nearest town.  I wasn’t looking for any action and it didn’t strike me at the time, but my buddy wasn’t looking either.  We ended up in a cheap hotel and he took my cherry.  It was the greatest day of my life until then, and that’s when I realized that sex with a man was what I really wanted.  Now that the war is over, I want much more.  I want someone to really love me and I want to love him back.”  Evan leaned over the table and kissed Adam on the lips.  It was a mother/son kiss, but Adam kissed back harder.

“Are we starting something?” Evan asked in all innocence.

“I sure hope so,” Adam replied.

“My room mate went home for the weekend.  Let’s dump this place and go back to my room,” Evan pleaded.

“But I never answered if I would do it on a first date,” Adam said and burst out laughing. 

They left in a big hurry, and when they reached Evan’s room, Adam said in alarm, “My room is a few doors down the hall.  We’ll have to be careful that nobody sees us.”  The hall was deserted and they rushed into Evan’s room and locked the door.

To be continued... 

Posted: 05/07/10