Friends and Family Series

Alex

By: Ron Robbins
(© 2011 by the author)
Editor: Frank Perry

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

Chapter 6

Alex's Town House

Alex mixed the Rob Roy’s and had them ready when Lois arrived for dinner.

"I appreciate your joining me on such short notice, Lois."

"It's my pleasure," Lois said. "This is the first time I've seen you since Terry died. Have you finally adjusted to Terry's death?"

"Not really; the pain grows a little less every day, but the hurt is still there. His death must be hard on you too. You two were close friends for a long time."

"Let's stop with this depressing conversation?" Lois said. "Of course I miss him; I loved Terry and always will, but he's gone and there's not a darn thing I can do about it. I always hoped he would be around to take care of me in my old age. Terry was that steady dependable guy that I thought would be around forever."

"Lois, I'm not Terry, but I'll be around if you need someone to lean on."

"Thanks, baby, you're a sweetheart. Too bad you're gay, I'd marry you in a heartbeat," Lois said. "Now, what's on your mind, baby?"

"I'm in the process of hiring three new engineers. It's my policy to invite my new hires and their spouses to a final interview dinner. The three new hires are all exceptional men, but I want to know how supportive the wives are going to be to their husband's career."

"You know how to read people. I want you to act as my co-host and analyze the wives for me. I'm planning a little dinner party next weekend for them. The couple to whom I want you to pay particular attention is Sandy and Maryann Lambert. Sandy is slated to by my executive assistant. His wife, Maryann, is a career wife and I want to know if she is really the goddess Sandy paints her out to be. The other wives are homemakers in the process of rearing their children. I feel they will be supportive of their husband's career as long as they don't have to travel too much."

"I also want you to stop by to check on my babies while I'm out of town," Alex said.

"What are you talking about?" Lois said. "Have you been dipping that beautiful tool of yours into some young lady again?"

Alex smiled, "No, my dear, I've always been faithful to Terry. Didn't Terry mention that we were starting a family? In any event, we each fathered a baby by a surrogate mother. Terry had a son and I had a daughter. I've turned the third floor into a nursery for my little ones and hired a staff to take care of them. The staff will be here next week to get everything organized. That is another reason I've hired an assistant."

"Terry had a boy? How wonderful," Lois said. "This sounds like one of your ideas."

"You're so right, my pet. It was my idea. I'm glad we did now. Terry will live on in his son. We both wanted a lot of kids. Now I have someone to take care of me in my old age."

"You're a good man, Alex Savage; I hope you take Terry's advice and marry again. I'm sure you'll find someone as nice as you."

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "You're a good friend, Lois."

♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦

The following week, Lois and Alex had dinner with the three candidates. Lois met with Alex for breakfast the following day to exchange notes. "They're all very nice and squeaky clean. No doubt in my mind that the wives are supportive of their husbands. In fact they are all looking forward to their move to Atlanta.

"I wouldn't kick any of those husbands out of bed either," Lois said. "They are all bright-eyed, eager beavers. I'll tell you something my pet; if Maryann wasn't around I definitely make a play for Sandy. He is some hunk. I can see why you hired him as your assistant.

"Are you sure you don't have the hots for him yourself, my pet?" Lois asked. "He reminds me a little of Terry. One thing for sure, he has it all together. I wouldn't mind spending some quality sack time with him. I'll bet that bulge in his pants is something to behold.

"I can understand why he wants out of Exxon. I know some men who are with Exxon. I could see that Sandy has too much drive for that structured organization. Yes, Sandy is the man to watch. He'll make his mark in your company. I've never been wrong in picking a winner."

"I picked you for Terry and look how you turned out. You and Sandy have the same driving ambition. You might end up at each other's throat. He's the type of guy headhunters love to steal."

Alex smiled, "Has anyone ever told you that you're man crazy?"

"You're wrong sweetheart, I like all men, but I adore handsome men like Sandy. But you know how that goes--we always want what we can't have."

"I wish for your sake it could be different between us," Alex said. "I think we would have made a good match."

"Thank you, handsome. That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me and meant it," Lois said.

Two Years Later

Alex was very pleased with his accomplishments and the strides the company had made since he took over. He exceeded his five-year plan. He was also pleased with the way Sandy was working out. He had proven himself as an outstanding project director and a competent executive assistant as well. Sandy was not only a competent engineer, but his management and people skills were above average. He had earned the respect of both his customers and the engineering staff alike. He was a tireless worker and kept on top of every project he managed. Alex could rely on him to see a project through without supervision. They worked well together as a team, and had developed a mutual respect for each other's abilities. Both were above average in their abilities as problem solvers and were masters at engineering management.

Their success was attributed to their ability to manage people. Alex was superior in advanced planning and management. He was a proven leader and had the drive to direct the company into areas that Terry would never have thought possible were he alive.

The new Stonewall & Savage Corporation was on the way to becoming one of the most successful companies that Alex had envisioned it would be. On a personal level, Alex had finally come to terms with Terry's death. His psychologist agreed that he was finally adjusted to it.

It had taken a long time, but people handle grief differently. With the children and his involvement in the business he was able to make the adjustment.

Alex realized that he had another serious problem. He was becoming attracted to Sandy. However, he kept it under control for the present. He concluded that he must not allow that to continue. It could complicate his well-ordered life. After all, Sandy was a happily married man and one of his handpicked executives.

Alex discussed this at length with Dr. Pope, his psychologist. The good doctor advised Alex to accept Sandy as a friend and to stop wasting his time fantasizing over any romantic involvement with Sandy. Dr. Pope felt that Sandy had served a useful role in keeping Alex's mind off Terry. Dr. Pope felt they spent too much time working together. Sandy was attractive and a personable young man. It was only natural that Alex would become attracted to Sandy. The doctor suggested that Alex restrict the time he spent with Sandy to the office only. If that didn't work, Alex should assign Sandy to projects where he was not involved with him on a daily basis. That would go a long way toward cooling down his feelings for Sandy. Alex should do this in easy stages so Sandy would not feel rejected in any way. A more drastic solution would be to transfer Sandy to one of the offshore projects.

That was working out for a while, until the new expansion program forced them back to working together once again. They were again spending evenings and weekends working together for months at a time. Alex invited Maryann as often as possible to keep everything on an even keel. Sandy was becoming a household fixture. Alex liked having him around and the children liked him even more so. The children adored him, and became attached to their 'Uncle Sandy'. Some weekends Alex would fly them all down to his villa on Jekyll Island for a change of scenery. On those occasions, Alex insisted that Maryann join them. At first, Maryann enjoyed the getaway weekends, but the newness wore off after awhile. In all fairness to Maryann, there wasn't enough to keep her occupied while Alex and Sandy slaved away. Maryann only joined them when Alex was entertaining at one of his lavish cocktail parties.

The months flew by for Alex. His traveling had been cut in half since Sandy arrived on the scene, allowing him more time to spend with the children. Alex still made the quarterly field trips while Sandy took over the monthly trips. Alex had decided that this upcoming trip would be the last one he would make with Sandy. In the future, Sandy would make the trips alone. Alex would only make the semi-annual trips.

Sandy and Alex were to tour the four major construction projects in South America. The trip would keep them on the road for three weeks. The first week was the killer. They would begin visiting the sites early each morning and would continue until late in the day. After which, they would have a round table discussion with the project managers. These meetings would extend late into the evening most of the time. This hectic schedule was non-stop. Sandy managed to juggle the schedule to allow them a much needed three-day weekend at the end of the second week.

Alex commented that he could not remember the last time they had had three days off in a row. They started Friday morning with a set of tennis, followed by a round of golf. By the time Friday evening rolled around, they were rested and relaxed. Once you're geared-up to a fast pace, it takes time to wind down. By dinnertime Friday evening, they were pleasantly tired and retired early. Alex felt great Saturday morning after sleeping twelve hours straight through.

They had made the trip together many times in the past, but never stayed long enough to enjoy the beautiful resort. After breakfast, they elected to rent a sailboat and spend a relaxing day of sailing. They found a deserted cove off a small island and dropped anchor. After spending a couple of hour's scuba diving they returned to the yacht for lunch.

Alex went below and prepared a chef salad. He cut up the fresh French bread and opened a bottle of good red wine. They had a leisurely lunch and went up on deck to finish their wine.

"This may not be the ideal time to discuss business," Alex said. "But there are a couple of things I wanted to talk with you about, Sandy. I wanted to commend you on your outstanding performance since you joined the firm. You've excelled in every project and never once complained at taking on projects that no one else wanted. I'm delighted that you showed up some of the senior project leaders. It's made them more willing to take on more challenging assignments. They are all good men and they needed that competitive rivalry. You have also become a friend in the process. As much as I regret this decision, I must promote you up the ladder."

"When I hired you, I told you I was grooming you to be my replacement as President of this company, if you could prove yourself. Well, Sandy, I feel you have. Now unless you screw up badly over the next five years, you will become the next president of Stonewall & Savage."

"Your next move must be into a division management slot, running your own group. That's the reason I'm placing you in charge of the International division. This will also give you more time to live a normal life."

"Thank you for the promotion," Sandy said. "It has been a demanding at times, but I've enjoyed every minute of it. I would never have made it if you were not there to guide me through the rough waters. It helped a lot knowing that you were in my corner. To be perfectly candid, Alex, I'm will miss the close working relationship we have. I know you are making the right decision for me, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I think we are a great team."

"We still are a great team," Alex said. "That will never change, but in all fairness to you and Maryann, I cannot expect you to give up your private life to the firm. I'm aware of the strain this can put on a marriage. What's wrong, Sandy? Why aren't you excited about this news? Don't tell me you're thinking of quitting?"

"Lord, no, it's nothing like that at all. I like working for your company. Moreover, you're the best boss I've ever had, believe me." Sandy shook his head and smiled, "You know it's ironic the way things work out. Maryann and I are in the final stages of a divorce. In fact, we signed the final papers the day before I took off on this trip. It's a civilized divorce, as divorces go. I'll be a free man again next month."

"You're kidding! I hope your breakup has nothing to do with this job?" Alex said.

Sandy laughed, "If anything, my heavy travel schedules kept our marriage together. It's a long story and there are several reasons why we are calling it quits." Actually, my marriage was over a year ago. We did the marriage-counseling bit just to make sure. My only concern was how my divorce would affect my future with the company.

"It a good thing we didn't go ahead and buy that house we were talking about last year. As things stand right now, Maryann keeps the apartment, the furniture, and the car. I get to keep everything from the library, the computer, and all of my electronic equipment, and the antique furniture that belongs to my family. Our bank accounts are split down the middle."

"When were you planning to move out?" Alex asked.

"I've already moved into a furnished studio apartment last weekend."

"Lois told me you had a similar problem with your ex-wife," Sandy said.

"That's true. But in my case it was uncivilized and came as a nasty shock to me. I was on active duty when I received a 'Dear John' letter from my wife letting me know that she had left me for my best friend."

"What else did Lois tell you about me?"

"That she loves you like a brother and thinks you are a super person."

"I'm sorry that your marriage didn't work out," Alex said. "You needn't have worried about the company divorce policy. That only applies to people joining the firm. A divorce can be an emotional drain on a person and we tend to shy away from hiring candidates who are still going through that process. I make it a policy not to become involved with an employee's personal life, unless they ask for our help."

Alex stood to turn his head away from the wind. "Damn!" He began rubbing his eye, "Be right back. Something flew into my eye." He was back on deck in a few minutes with the first aid kit.

"I can't rinse the darn thing out of my eye and it is driving me crazy. Would you bend the lid back and take a look?"

"No problem," Sandy said. He stood in front of Alex. "Put your hand on my shoulder and tilt your head back." He took the cue-tip and rolled back the eyelid over the cue tip and examined the surface of the eyeball. "It looks like a grain of sand stuck there," Sandy said. He took a fresh cue-tip and removed the offending grain of sand. He released the eyelid. "Now, roll and blink your eyes a few times to see if I got everything."

Alex look up as said, "It feels fine."

"Now tilt your head back and close both eyes," Sandy said. He embraced Alex and kissed him on the eyes, forehead, and then on the lips.

Alex wrapped his arms around Sandy and stayed that way for several seconds without moving. "You have been driving me crazy with desire for the past week," Alex said. "I've been fantasizing about this moment for a long time."

Sandy kissed him again and forced his tongue into his mouth. He felt Sandy's erection grinding into him and his own penis was hardening. Sandy was awaking his sexual desires that lay dormant for so long. Terry was the only man who could arouse him like this. Sandy kissed his face and neck, exciting him even further.

"I'm crazy about you, Alex. I couldn't restrain myself any longer. The minute I felt your arm on my shoulder and your naked body against mine, I had to kiss you."

"I'm surprised you weren't aware of my feelings for you," Alex said.

Sandy smiled, "Here I was trying so hard to hide any telltale signs of my feelings for you, that I missed your signals entirely. I melted every time you stared at me with those penetrating eyes. I've been carrying the torch for you for over a year. These past months of separation have been pure hell for me. I've missed you terribly."

"I want to make love with you," Alex said. "Let's go below."

Once into his stateroom, Alex put his arms around Sandy's neck and kissed him. He forced his tongue into his mouth. Sandy slid his hands down Alex's side as they removed each other’s trunks. They embraced rubbing and grinding their harness together. They remained locked in each other's arms as they enjoyed the tingling sensation surging through their bodies. "Will you let me have anal intercourse with you, Alex?"

Alex handed Sandy his overnight bag. "You'll find what you need in there," and took Sandy's hand and led him over to the bed where he lay down in the middle of the bed. Sandy prepared them both and joined Alex on the bed. They lay there locked in the throes of passion.

"Sandy, I'm almost there," Alex whimpered. "I want to climax with you, baby."

They were moaning with pleasure. Suddenly Alex's whole body stiffened as his orgasm sent waves of pleasure coursing through his body. He pulled Sandy to him and kissed him passionately. Sandy's orgasm seemed to last a long time. After their breathing returned to normal, Sandy cradled Alex in his arms.

"You are the first man I've made love with since Terry died," Alex said. "I've fantasized about you for some time now. Yet, no dream could ever be as fantastic as the reality of you. I could feel your love through every pore in my body. Your love engulfed me while you were deep inside, sending me into waves of pleasure. The sensations were beautiful. You're very gentle for such a big guy. I'm glad you took the initiative up on deck. You don't know what a relief it is to know that I won't have to transfer you, after all."

"Thank God for that!" Sandy said. "When I saw the love in your eyes, I knew my search for a mate had ended."

"How tall are you, Sandy?"

"I'm six foot-two and one hundred seventy five pounds."

"How did you develop your beautiful body?" Alex asked.

Sandy smiled and he kissed Alex, "I was a national swimming champion in high school and college. I thought you Annapolis graduates learned how to read."

"I'll make a mental note to reread your resume," Alex said. "Tell me, lover, how did you manage to get junior into those skimpy swim trunks you swimmers wear?"

Sandy laughed, and kissed Alex on the cheek. "It wasn't easy, baby. One thing for sure, I'd never be able to keep junior tucked away with you around. You have nothing to be ashamed of either, pecker wise. For a little guy you are well hung. I'm sure I'll find out what it feels like when you pop my cherry, baby."

Alex laughed, "O God! It's great to be having this conversation with you. You are one sexy dude."

Sandy kissed him tenderly. Alex nestled his head next to Sandy's and fell asleep.

Sandy thought to himself, `I can't believe this; at long last, I'm holding Alex in my arms. God knows how many sleepless nights I spent dreaming of this moment. Now it has happened and it is more wonderful than I ever imagined. Alex is unbelievable. Without a doubt, that was the best sex I've ever experienced.'

Alex awoke from his nap refreshed. He was still wrapped in Sandy's arms. Sandy awoke as Alex tried to get up and they kissed, "Can't we stay like this?"

"Sandy, baby, I think we better head back to the marina."

"It’s wonderful to feel alive again. It's great to be in your arms and in love again," Alex said.

His thoughts drifted back to that first dinner with Sandy. The first thing that struck him about Sandy was his handsome good looks. He was one of those unique men who appealed to both sexes. Lois was quick to react to his magnetism. That was one of his engaging qualities, which Alex found appealing. All three men had scored high on the company tests, but Sandy's overall score was the highest. He was amply qualified in both his educational background and in his previous training with Exxon. After today, he was going to be the man that Alex wanted to marry. Sandy had a sophisticated Southern accent. He was handsome, charming and masculine, and Alex loved him. He kissed Sandy on the cheek, "Come on, sleepy head, it's time to open those big brown eyes of yours." Alex kissed him all over his face and neck until Sandy opened his eyes and smiled.

He tightened his arms around Alex, "Hi, handsome, would you like to fool around a little before we leave?"

"I'd like nothing better, but it's getting late and we have to return this yacht before dark. Let's take a quick dip to clean off, before we head back." Alex chuckled, "I'm anxious to see how you are going to fold junior into those tiny swim trunks."

"I never realized that you had such a nasty streak," Sandy said. "Alex, honey, if you're going to stand there naked sporting that erection, I'll never get the damn suit on."

Alex laughed heartily, "Okay, baby, I'll leave while you secure junior. It's a pity I can't watch." Alex grabbed his trunks and left for the head.

Atlanta

The aircraft landed Saturday at two o'clock at Charley Brown Airport. The pilot taxied the company jet to the terminal building. The driver was standing next to Alex's new Mercedes limo parked next to the runway. The flight attendant unloaded their bags onto the dolly and wheeled them over to the car.

"Can you drop me off at my apartment?" Sandy asked. "I've got to check the mail and run a few errands. Would you mind if I stop by your place later, unless you have something planned?"

"As a matter of fact, I do, Sandy. Tell you what, you drop me off at the house first and keep the limo until you're finished running your errands. We have some things to discuss tonight, baby."

"Great, it shouldn't take me long."

Sandy dropped Alex off and headed for his apartment.

David Chung, the house manager was there to greet him. He took the bags and followed Alex to the elevator. David gave Alex a quick rundown on the doings in the house while he was away.

"I have some news I would like to share with you, David," Alex said. "Sandy and I will be living together from now on. We will be sleeping in the Adams Room."

"Congratulations, boss! Mister Lambert is a fine gentleman."

"Thanks David, I think he's kind of special. Oh, by the way, I will be preparing dinner for the two of us this evening. I'll need a pound of veal and a half-pound of mushrooms. You don't have to stick around this evening. Feel free to take the night off, if you want. I won't need you back until tomorrow afternoon. Ask Mrs. Morris to prepare dinner for her and the children. She can use the kitchenette in the nursery."

"I'll shove off as soon as I unpack your bags and make sure you have everything you need. I'll leave the number where I can be reached in case you need me."

Alex's next stop was the nursery. The children ran to him and were excited to see him again. "Daddy, you're home." He bent down and gave them each a hug and kissed them. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Morris, it's nice to be home again. Have Alexandra and Terry been good while Daddy was away?"

Mrs. Morris smiled, "We had our bad days, but I think that was because we missed our Daddy; isn't that right; children?"

Both children nodded their heads in the affirmative. "Did Chang tell you about the dinner arrangements?" Alex asked.

"Yes, sir, he did. I'll pop down to the kitchen and raid the refrigerator while you're visiting with the children."

"Fine, Mrs. Morris. The children will be spending the day with me tomorrow. If you like, you can take off in the morning and be back in time to put them to bed. We'll be in the library for a while.

"Come on, children; Daddy wants to look through his mail."

Sandy walked into the library sometime later. Alex was seated on an ottoman watching the children playing with their Lego's. He looked up and winked, "Look who's here, kids, its Uncle Sandy. Why don't you give him a big hug to show him how much you missed him?" The children jumped up and ran to Sandy as he bent down and picked up one in each arm and kissed them. He let them down again and sat himself on the floor in front the ottoman between Alex's legs. He leaned back against him and talked to the kids as they showed him what they were building.

"Finished with all your chores?" Alex asked.

"It goes much faster when you don't have to hunt for a parking space." Sandy chuckled. "Yes, sir, a chauffeur driven limo does have its advantages. I got a kick out of watching the faces of the women at the dry cleaners. They ran to the store window to see who was driving up in a limo to pick up their dry cleaning. It was fun to play king for a few hours."

"I'm playing chef tonight," Alex said. "Do you have any, favorites?"

"Anything you cook will be delicious. Should an innocent knave like me be concerned about my virtue?"

"Not if you're pure and true of heart, noble knight," Alex said.

"Then I have nothing to fear at your hands, my Lord."

Alex ran his fingers through Sandy's hair and patted him affectionately on the cheek. "You never have to fear me, my handsome knight. Come, children, let's find Mrs. Morris; it's time for your dinner. Tomorrow, Uncle Sandy is taking us all to Stone Mountain Park to have lunch at a nice restaurant. Would you like that?"

They both clapped and smiled as they were nodding their heads, yes. Alex took their hands and led them up the stairs to the nursery, then returned to the library. "Would you like to join me in the kitchen while I cook dinner?"

"Sure."

"Why don't you set the table and select a bottle of burgundy for dinner while I get organized?"

♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦

"That was an excellent dinner, Alex, much better than anything we've had in the last three weeks."

"It has been a delightful evening," Sandy said. "You're even sexier by candle light. The candlelight makes your eyes sparkle. Everything looks so nice, and the fresh roses add that touch of elegance. It's the fitting end to a perfect day."

They finished their wine and cleaned up the kitchen. "Let’s have our after dinner drinks in the den," Alex said.

Alex closed the doors behind them and lit the gas logs. He poured them each a brandy and sat on the sofa next to Sandy facing the fire.

"Let's get a little more comfortable," Alex said. He moved down to the end of the sofa, and took one of the throw pillows and lay it on his lap. "Now kick off your loafers and stretch out on your back and lay your head on my lap."

"That's better," Alex said. "Now I can run my fingers through that wonderful hair of yours and kiss those inviting lips." He leaned down and kissed Sandy tenderly on the eyes and lips.

"This past week with you has been wonderful for me, Sandy. You've made me very happy. What thrilled me the most was that you never once let our personal relationship intrude on your job. You have proven yourself as a talented manager and a professional. I'm going to reward you for your hard work."

"I must confess, I never thought I could fall in love again after Terry, but you've changed that. Every moment with you has been pure joy for me and I'm deeply in love with you. The children have grown up with you, and love you as much as I do. We've shared a lot of pleasant times together."

"Thanks, baby," Sandy said. "You don't know how delighted I am to hear that. It makes me feel good. Alex, will you marry me? I promise to take care of you and the children and work twice as hard. You don't have to give me your answer right away. God knows, I've waited this long and a little longer is not going to hurt. But, please baby, don't ask me to give up our evenings like this. You know there can never be anyone else for me now."

"Are you on good terms with your parents, Sandy?"

"We're on the best of terms. I'm the youngest in the family and can do no wrong in my family eyes. My dad is a successful surgeon in Washington and my older brother followed in my dad's footsteps and joined his practice. My two sisters are happily married. Annie, my oldest sister married a Virginia State Senator and my other sister, Mildred, happens to be married to a prominent lawyer. At last count there were a total of ten grandchildren." Sandy smiled, "Naturally they are all beautiful children and above average in intelligence. That's a family trait in the Lambert family, you know.

"My parents still live in the old homestead in Manassas. The farm has been in our family since the 18th Century. I would like to take you home with me to meet the family."

"Does your family know you're gay?"

"Yes, I told them when I discovered the truth about myself last year," Sandy said. "I had several sessions with my shrink before I shared my news with the family. I've never lied to them and I felt this is something they had to know.

"They took it better than I thought. Of course, Dad lectured me on safe sex and the danger associated with AIDS. Of course, I kept Maryann in the dark about my being gay since we were in the process of getting a divorce.

"My parents never really cared for Maryann. So they were not too terribly upset about the divorce."

Alex smiled, "Do you have any pressing reason to return to your apartment tonight?"

"No, I was hoping you would ask me to stay the night," Sandy replied.

Alex smiled and kissed Sandy tenderly on the lips. "Did you really think I was going to let the man I'm going to marry out of my sight?" Alex asked. "I want you to move in here and live with me from now on, my love."

Sandy stared at Alex and the tears ran down his cheeks. Then he turned away covering his face with his arm.

Alex waited for a minute than pulled his arm away and kissed away the tears. He opened the buttons on Sandy's shirt and slipped his hand in to rub Sandy's chest.

Sandy reached up and held Alex's face in his hands, and said, "I love you so much, Alex."

"I know, Sandy, that's why we're going to be married in Hawaii as soon as we can make the arrangements," Alex said. "I accept your proposal and will be happy to be your spouse."

"God, this is wonderful," Sandy said. "You have made my dream come true. Any date you set will be fine with me."

Alex smiled. "While you were daydreaming, I have been planning. I've decided to have a proper engagement party this time," Alex said. "Actually, I'm planning to have two parties for you, one to announce your promotion and the second will be our engagement party. I thought the parties could be on successive nights, so our close friends and your family would be able to attend both.

"If that arrangement is agreeable with you, Sandy, I want you to call your parents tonight with the good news and to invite them, as well as the rest your family, to be our guests for both occasions. The company will pay for everything and make all the arrangements. All we need is a list of the people your parents want to invite. We'll have our corporate jet pick them up one month from this Thursday at Dulles International."

"Whoa, back up a second," Sandy said. "What promotion are you talking about?"

"That was all decided last week, handsome. Our whirlwind trip had a twofold purpose," Alex said. "The first was to check on the progress of our projects and the second reason was to evaluate your job performance. You are being promoted to Vice President. The board is meeting on Monday morning to make it official."

"My God, this is fantastic, Alex. I am in shock! I never thought I would be promoted this soon. God, this is wonderful; thank you so much, Alex."

"You've earned it, Sandy. All my senior managers were unanimous in this promotion. We all feel that you have done an outstanding job in the short time you've been with us. Of course, our real concern was the thought of losing you to another company."

"They don't know what we know, do they, my love? It's comforting to know that I was right about you from day one. Marrying you will be the icing on the cake.

"Would you hand me the telephone?" Sandy asked. "It's a nice feeling to lie in your arms like this. I've never been pampered like this before."

Alex reached over and handed Sandy the telephone. "I don't want you to move either. I'm enjoying holding you like this."

Sandy talked to his folks for almost an hour while Alex held him and played with his chest. Every once in a while he kissed him. When Sandy finished, he pulled Alex's head down and kissed him.

"Wow! Baby; you are one hot dude."

Sandy laughed heartily, "I've been called a lot of things, but never a hot dude before."

"Thanks for saying all those nice things about me to your folks. Now tell me; how did they take the news?"

"They're happy for me. Naturally, they are anxious to meet you. They already know what a great guy you are from all my stories about you."

"They are thrilled about our marriage and my promotion. They're going to call the rest of the family tonight. My dad wants to know if he can invite a few of our out of state relatives to share in this event. Naturally, he insists on paying for the extra guests. They also wanted to know the dress code for the two nights."

"Call your dad and tell him I'll have a detailed itinerary faxed to him in a few days which will include the dress code. Your parents are welcome to invite as many people as they want, the more the merrier as far as I'm concerned. All I need is the guest list and their addresses.

"We'll be mailing out the invitations and itinerary to every guest by this Friday. Both parties will be formal and the company banquet will be quite large and will include our staff, selected clients, family, and the board of MacDonald-Stevens, our close friends. The engagement party is strictly for family and close friends.

"I want to have a word with your dad after you finish."

Sandy called his father again and repeated everything Alex had told him. Sandy discussed the guest list and made a few changes. After they were satisfied Sandy said, "Dad, I'm going to put Alex on; he wants to say hello." Sandy handed the telephone to Alex.

"Good evening, Dr. Lambert. I can't tell you how pleased I am that you and your family will be able to share these happy events with us. One thing, though, this is our party and we intend to pay for the entire weekend.

"Sandy is my partner and very important to me and this is my gift to him. I'm sure you would not want to deprive me of this little pleasure, would you, Doctor?

"Good. I'm glad you understand how I feel about this. I'm excited about this wonderful event and I'm looking forward to meeting you in a month. Let me put Sandy back on."

Sandy took the phone again. "Yes, Dad, I think so, too. Yes, Dad, I will. I love you too, good night.

"Dad thinks you're super.

"Let's go to bed now," Sandy said.

"Yes, my love, I don't believe I can hold out much longer either."

Alex led Sandy into the master bedroom and undressed him. Sandy helped Alex to undress, pulled down the covers and lay down in the middle of the bed. "I want to have anal intercourse with you. I want to feel you deep inside me," Sandy said.

They lay locked in their love-making for several blissful moments until Alex achieved a climax. He was so overcome with ecstasy and his love for Sandy, he could not speak. The tears ran down his cheeks as he tried to speak, but he couldn't.

Sandy understood what was happening and pulled Alex's lips to his, and kissed him. "I know how much you love me, Alex. You don't have to say a word; I know how you feel."

Alex lay next to Sandy and took him closer into his arms and kissed him tenderly. "I'm crazy about you, Sandy. If I ever lost you I couldn't survive."

They fell asleep in each other’s arms. Alex awoke at four thirty and kissed Sandy until he was awake, and then dragged him into the bathroom and into the shower. Sandy was still groggy and half-asleep. Afterwards, Alex dried him off and led him back to bed. He laid Sandy on his back and lay on top of him. He forced his tongue into Sandy's mouth and kissed him until Alex could feel him harden. They enjoyed a round of mutual oral sex, until finally tiring, they fell asleep once more.

They awoke again at seven and dressed. "I would like you to go through Terry's wardrobe to see if you can use anything," Alex said. "We'll have David get rid of anything you don't want. You'll need the space for your clothes. I'll have David make the arrangements to have the contents of your apartment moved over here tomorrow."

Sandy selected a pair of jeans and a Polo shirt, "The waist is a little big, but it should work out fine with a belt," Sandy said. "What do you think?"

"You look fine, Sandy. Of course anything would look good on you.

"Why don't you leave after lunch tomorrow and work with David? I can't have my new Vice President moving boxes around, can I? We'll have the legal department handle the lease for you.

"I'll tell Jim White that you are divorced and will be moving in with me until you find your own place. You drop the news confidentially to the receptionist, Linda Gray, and it will be throughout the company by midday," Alex said with a chuckle.

"Do you feel comfortable with these arrangements, Sandy?" Alex asked. "I don't want you to feel that I'm a domineering spouse already. If I'm overbearing, let me know and I'll cool it."

Sandy had a big grin on his face as he walked over to Alex and took him in his arms and kissed him. "Don't tell me that the tough minded, tough guy I married is really a pussy-cat," Sandy said. "You're doing just fine. I'm enjoying all the attention you're showering on me. It gives me the warm fuzzes knowing that you care that much for me."

"I'm a pussy-cat when it comes to you and the children. You are my world and my happiness. Nothing is going to get in the way of that, my love."

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To be continued...

Posted: 03/16/12