Trials and Triumphs II
By: Morris Henderson
(Copyright 2012 by the author)

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

 Chapter 2
ORDINARY IS SPECIAL

It had been almost six months since Eric moved back to Grant’s house with no regrets about leaving Ted’s plush estate.  His life was good and promised to remain so.  There was, however, one thing missing in his life.  Although he and Grant were very good friends and each provided the other with the companionship he needed, Eric continued to hope that he would one day find a partner with whom to form a loving bond expressed in intimate ways.

Grant alluded to the problem one evening when he said, “It’s none of my business, Eric, but I’ve got to give you a piece of advice.  You’re young.  Living with an old man is not good.  Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate your help and appreciate even more your friendship but it seems to me that you ought to have somebody your own age to ... well ....  If you were straight, I’d say find a pretty young thing to marry.  But you’re not.  So I guess I’m saying find another fella.  Trust me.  You don’t want to grow old all alone like I did.”

Eric’s immediate thought was one he had pondered often: How can he meet Mr. Right if most of his time after work was dedicated to helping Grant?  Even weekends involve periodic tasks: housekeeping, laundry, shopping, and more.  But he didn’t voice those concerns.  Instead, he replied, “Don’t worry about me, Grant.  I’m quite happy living here with you.  There’s lots of time left for me to find a life partner.  When and if I do, you’ll be the first to know.”

The man frowned and said, “But I DO worry about you.  You’re busy with your job and helping me twenty-four-seven.  You’ve got no time to do what YOU want to do.  It’s just not right!”

Eric was disturbed by the intensity of Grant’s complaint so he said, “Listen.  There have been only a few people in my life who were as kind to me as you have been.  My Dad ... before he started drinking.  The Winstons ... before Brian threw me out of the house.  And Ted ... before it dawned on me that he was selfish and deceitful.  You’re different, Grant.  You’re kind without any selfish motives.  If I choose to help you now and again, it’s because I WANT to.  Do I do it because it gives me a place to live?  NO!  I could easily afford to live in an apartment somewhere.  Do I do it because of some sense of obligation?  NO!  Believe it or not, doing it makes me feels good.  Helping a friend is my way of honoring that friendship.  And you ARE a friend.  Your friendship means a great deal to me.”  Eric’s expression changed from earnest to one of playfulness when he added, “So stop your whining and pining over me.  Okay?”

“God bless you,” Grant said with conviction.  “I love you, Eric.  Ah ... not THAT way.  What I mean is that I love you like you were the son I never had.”  To hide the tears of joy that threatened to emerge from his eyes, the man abruptly changed the subject and said, “Gotta go to the bathroom.  We’ll talk more later.”  Awkwardly, he struggled up from his chair and hobbled down the hall with his walker.  Eric watched attentively.  He was always afraid that Grant would fall.  While he watched, he felt an odd mixture of pity and love for the aging man.

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Several days later, Eric and Grant had just finished dinner when the man said, “You told me not to worry about you but, damn it, I can’t help it.  So I made a decision.  This coming Saturday and Sunday you’re going to have two days off to do anything you want to do.”

Eric interrupted, “But I...”

“No buts about it!” Grant exclaimed assertively.  “It’s all arranged.  Stan from next door will check up on me, fix my meals, and help me with my bath.  You can come and go as you please but you’re to do no work around here.  Nothing!  Got it?  I really want you to get out and have a good time.  And don’t worry about me, either.  I’ll be fine.  So here’s a question.  Will you do it?  FOR ME?  And I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer!”

Eric was taken completely by surprise not only by Grant’s offer but more so by his firm insistence.  The idea of a couple of days off by himself with no responsibilities was appealing.  That Stan would take over made the idea more palatable.  “In all the time I’ve known you, Grant, I’ve never seen such stubbornness.  It’s obvious that if I said ‘no’ and stuck around here, you would be unhappy and we would end up arguing about it.  So my answer is yes.”

“GREAT!” the man almost shouted.  “You’ve got a couple of days before the weekend to decide what you want to do or where you want to go.”

Eric’s made his decision easily.  He would spend the time in Ray Roberts Lake State Park hiking, horseback riding, swimming, and relaxing.  He had visited there as a very young boy with his parents and always wanted to return but never had the time.  Very soon after his visit there his mother ran off, he had work to do around the house and, later, a part-time job and homework that consumed his time.  The excitement of two days alone grew.

The Lantana Resort lodge, located on a high ridge overlooking the lake, was normally full, especially on weekends, but luck was with him and he was able to reserve a room.  It was expensive but he had spent very little of his pay from the food processing plant and the automotive parts store.  The cost would hardly make a dent in his savings.

After supper on Friday night, Eric drove the ten or so miles to his weekend retreat with a mixture of concern (Would Grant be properly taken care of?) and anticipation (Would the state park be as magical as he remembered it?).  After checking in to the Lantana Resort lodge, there were still a few hours of daylight left so he wandered outside to enjoy the enchanting beauty of the lake and the woods that surrounded it.  It wasn’t like the rugged majesty of the Andes and Machu Picchu that he had visited with Ted but it offered its own brand of tranquil splendor.  That he was alone, independent, and free from obligations to a generous but demanding master intensified his contentment with the life he now lived.

Sunset and dusk turned the sky from brilliant blue to fire red.  When darkness fell, Eric reluctantly returned to his room for the night to eagerly await morning and roaming along the trails of the park.  Before enjoying the king sized bed, he showered.  The very large mirror in the bathroom captured his attention.  More specifically, it was the reflection of his nude body that triggered thoughts of pride.  He had maintained a very fit physique with clear definition of his chest without being exaggerated.  Firm muscles in his arms and legs were a testament to his maturity.  But it was his genitals that were convincing evidence of his manhood.  He had a right to be proud and no reason to be ashamed of that pride.  The sexy body that looked back at him from the mirror sparked thoughts of physical pleasure.  As he lathered under the hot stream of water, he watched himself in the mirror.  It was a new experience for him because he previously had only small mirrors over the wash basin.  He allowed himself to imagine it was not his hands running up and down his torso but those of a partner lovingly caressing him.  In his flight of admittedly self-delusional fantasy, his cock responded with vigor.  The sight of it only heightened the teen’s arousal, which, in turn, further inflated the erect shaft to a hardness it had achieved only rarely.  The orgasm was so forceful and deep that Eric’s legs almost gave way.

He crawled into bed naked — the first time he had been able to do that since leaving Ted — and once again relished his freedom.  Before falling asleep, he was briefly amused over his pretense of being washed by a lover in the shower.  But he felt no shame nor harbored any guilt about it.  Rather, he was grateful for the extraordinarily erotic experience.

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Breakfast in the dining room of the lodge was fit for a gourmet and quite unlike the cereal, toast, and juice that had been his customary morning menu for a long time.  He ate alone but gave only passing attention to his solitary life.  Although he had several acquaintances, he had only one friend: a very old man who was straight but tolerant of homosexuality.  One day....  Yes, one day he would find a like-minded man to love and to be loved by.  But who?  When?  How?  Consciously dismissing those imponderable questions, Eric turned his attention to how to spend the day.  The first activity would be walking the trails and enjoying the scenery.  It wasn’t the Rockies or Glacier National Park that he had visited with Ted.  But it was better because it would be without the obligation to be available and to ‘service’ his benefactor’s insatiable sexual appetite.  Now, once more, as he had done countless times before, he felt liberated and very happy.

At noon, having decided to skip lunch since the ample breakfast would see him through until dinner, he wandered off the dirt trail into the woods and toward the lake.  Soon, he found himself sitting on a small boulder on the lake’s shoreline.  The vista from the small cove out across the lake and to the wooded hills beyond was spectacularly beautiful and a peaceful calm filled his mind.  But it had grown quite hot since the cool early morning hours and he eyed the enticingly calm, cool water of the cove.  He removed his shoes and socks, rolled his pants legs up, and soaked his feet in the refreshing water.  It felt good.  But he wanted to swim in order to more thoroughly enjoy the cool water.  Unfortunately, he had left his swim suit in his room.  He looked around.  Behind him was a hillside with a hundred yards of pristine forest.  In front of him was a small, secluded cove.  He heard no sounds beyond the rustle of a breeze in the trees and the lapping of waves on the rocky shore.  He was quite alone.  No one would see him.  Impetuously he quickly removed his clothes and waded into the lake.

Floating on his back, he watched the clouds overhead and saw animals and monsters slowly appear and fade away.  He had done that often as a little boy, oblivious to the world around him.  That was long ago, a happy time, before his mother ran off, before his father succumbed to alcohol and grew mean, before Brian’s inexcusable treatment after their first sexual encounter, before two periods of homelessness, and before being used as a whore boy by a man who turned out to be his biological father.  The memories of his happy childhood and the reality of his current life buoyed his spirits and imbued a sense of triumph over the difficulties he had endured.

His reverie was abruptly shattered when he heard something odd.  He glanced back at the shore.  His heart raced when he saw someone emerge from the underbrush.  Eric was naked and silently cursed himself for foolishly convincing himself that he was alone.  The intruder into his solitude stopped to stand at the water’s edge and was looking directly at the lone, nervous swimmer just ten yards from shore.

There was no escape from the embarrassment.  Eric mentally prepared his explanation — or, more accurately, his excuse — for public indecency.  With luck, the new arrival would simply respect his privacy and retreat back into the woods.  But no.  He was taking off his clothes!  Eric watched in amazement as more of the stranger’s body was bared.  The visitor’s tanned, muscular body would have been enough to rouse Eric’s lust except for the awkward circumstances.

Now as naked as Eric, the new arrival waded into the water.  As he approached, he said, “Well, it seems somebody else has stumbled on my private swimming hole.  My name’s Mike.  Mike Hanson.”  He extended his right hand to the still worried Eric.

Eric shook the newcomer’s hand and said, “I’m Eric Mathews.  I must say you had me worried for a minute.  I was afraid you would report me for skinny dipping in the lake.”

Mike laughed and replied, “No way, pal.  I come here all the time and enjoy the chance to ... as they say ... get back to nature.  But I haven’t seen you here before.  Is this your first time?”

“Yes.  I left my swim suit back in my room at the lodge.  When I found this place I couldn’t resist getting in the water.  Sorry for trespassing on your territory.”

Mike laughed again, a spontaneously infectious laugh that Eric duplicated.  “Trespassing is not the right word,” Mike said.  “It’s public property and I’m glad to have the company.”

They chatted for a long time, exchanging superficial information that is typical when two strangers first meet.  Eric was less forthcoming and never mentioned the turbulent periods of his life.  He didn’t want sympathy!  Mike was similarly reserved — and, it seemed, evasive — about his job.  He said only that he worked odd hours and then quickly changed the subject.

It wasn’t long before an indefinable magnetism seemed to develop between the two young men.  Eric couldn’t help but wonder whether his new acquaintance had the same desires and needs.  But he knew the chances of that were slim to none.  His hopes were dashed when Mike made a passing reference to his girlfriend, Laura.  He resigned himself to thinking of Mike as a potential friend and not as a lover.  He liked Mike.  If he couldn’t have him as a lover then having him as a friend would be nice.  With that in mind, he resolved to be especially vigilant in concealing his homosexuality.  If Mike learned or even suspected the truth and was homophobic it would destroy the potential friendship.

“So you’re staying at the lodge,” Mike said.  “I’m what they call a day-tripper.  Come here in the morning and go home in the afternoon.  I try to make it here as often as I can.  It’s a beautiful area.”

“That it is,” Eric agreed.  “I was here once as a little boy for just an afternoon.  I decided to come back again because of my fond memories of the place.  This time, I’ll be here two full days.”

“Does that mean you’ll be here tomorrow?”

“Yes.  I’ll go home late tomorrow and then go back to work on Monday.”

“Hmmm,” Mike murmured.  “I don’t have any commitments until Sunday evening.  If you like, we can spend this afternoon exploring some of the out-of-the-way spots in the park.  Then we can have supper.  But if you’d rather be alone, I’ll understand.”

“Not at all,” Eric gushed perhaps too enthusiastically.  “I’d love to have company and — since you’re familiar with the park — to have you show me what most visitors don’t get to see.”

“Splendid,” Mike gushed.  “Shall we be on our way, then?  We can sit on the shore in the sun to dry off before we get dressed.”

Mike’s suggestion to sit and dry off induced panic in Eric.  He feared the proximity to a very attractive male body would lead to an embarrassing erection that would expose his secret desires.  But there was no logical way to avoid the danger.

Eric sat gazing out at the rippling waters of the lake to avoid looking at the nude form lying on his back next to him.  After a short time, the young men fell silent.  It wasn’t the awkward silence of two people who have nothing in common.  Rather, it was more an indication of closeness in which neither felt the compulsion to fill the air with words.

Mike was thinking of his appointments in the coming week and the preparations he would have to make for each. 

Eric was reflecting on the surprising meeting with a stranger.  When the unexpected intruder first emerged from the woods, Eric’s first impression was that of a very handsome guy.  Although the impression was overshadowed by his panic over being discovered naked in the water, it nevertheless registered in his mind.  Eric was astonished when the stranger stripped off his clothes and was awestruck by the very masculine and very sexy body.  Were it not for his panic, lust would have been awakened and taken control of his mind.

Eric was undeniably attracted to Mike.  The attraction soon became more powerful after a few moments of conversation.  He recognized and admired the visitor’s gregarious personality, keen wit, and the ease with which he engaged in conversation — all of which wiped away his embarrassment and even took precedence over thoughts of sexual engagement.  But with the naked Mike beside him on the shore, Eric’s interest in his new friend evolved into wondering (He didn’t dare hope.) whether Mike might be interested in having sex.  Regrettably, that idea had been demolished when they were in the lake chatting and he heard the mention of a girlfriend.

Still, if they could not be lovers, Eric wanted very much to be friends with Mike.  The prospect of a friendship would be in serious jeopardy if he sprouted a boner when they got out of the water and sat on the shore to dry off in the sunshine.

Mike broke the silence by describing a few of the little know areas of the park they would visit.  It took all the self-control Eric could muster to concentrate on the conversation and not on the desirable naked man lying next to him.  But his best efforts were not completely successful ... or Mike was exceptionally perceptive ... or both.

“You seem distracted, Eric.  Is something bothering you?  Have I said something that upsets or offends you?”

“No.  Nothing like that,” Eric replied but with detectable nervousness not unlike a child who claims, “I didn’t do it.  Honest.”

Mike was unconvinced by Eric’s response but chose to let the matter drop.  Eric, however, felt compelled to justify his lack of attention to the conversation and said, “It’s just that somebody might see us here.  We’re naked.  They may get the wrong idea.  Or report us for public indecency.”

“The wrong idea?” Mike asked.

“You know.  Two guys.  Alone together.  Naked.  What would you think?”

“I would think they were just swimming in the lake and forgot their swim suits.  But I get your meaning.  There are people who tend to see problems and would conclude that we’re gay sinners.”

Eric wanted to say that being gay is not sinful but chose to be cautious and said, “Sorry.  Maybe I’m just a little too sensitive about what somebody would think if they saw us here like this.”

“Not to worry, my friend.  I’ve been coming here for almost three years.  I’ve lost track of how many times.  And I’ve never seen a single soul.  That is, until now when I saw you in the water.  But if it would make you feel better, we can get dressed.  The warm breeze and sunshine has pretty well dried us off.  Then I can show you some of the other interesting parts of the park that most people don’t see and don’t even know about.”

To be continued...

My thanks to Iatia for his consistently meticulous editing and for his continuing encouragement.

Posted:09/07/12