The Professor and Sean I
By: Scotty
(Copyright 2006 by the author)
 

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

Chapter 33

I

After making love and taking a long sensuous shower, we dressed in casual clothes and left to go to dinner. Sean locked most of his cash in the safety box that held other important papers and the pistol I had bought. Sean made it clear that we would have a safe installed immediately. I agreed with him.

The drive to the restaurant was pleasant. We kept chatting about the last few days with all the wonderful and some of the strange things that had happened to us. It was obvious that we were both happy. Sean radiated happiness; his smile was electric and beautiful. He was more talkative than I was so I let him go on about many of the things that had happened. Remarkably, he chose to talk a great deal about his Aunt Emily. She was the last of his living relatives, related only because she had married his Uncle Jesse. As he talked, it became obvious to me that he was concerned about being the last Kelly in his family tree. As he went on, I became aware that I, too, would be the last Taylor in our family line. Thinking about this fortified my resolution to begin working on a family. I decided to tell him just how I felt. There was a pause in Sean's chat, so I asked him,

"Sean, are you concerned about being the last member of your family line?"

"Why do you ask that? Well, as a matter of fact, I am. There's no one else, Ry. No one! I hate to see the family name die out. Oh, I know there will be lots of Kelly's, but they won't be my family. Is it strange to feel that way, Hon?" he asked.

"No, it isn't strange at all. You know, Baby, I am in the same situation. I am the last Taylor in our family line. I don't want to see the name die out with me either. So, let's get busy on adopting or whatever, and get some kids."

"Ryan Taylor, you must have read my mind. I want Dan to get some heavyweights to start an investigation and research on this. I want some answers and I don't want to wait for years. Let's keep this to ourselves for the time being, Hon. It's our secret."

"Agreed!" I said as we turned into the parking lot of Casa Ranaldi. The lot was full, so we knew it was good that we had made a reservation. Sean told me that Tony Ranaldi would have found room for us, even if it had been in the kitchen. We didn't see any of our friends, and so assumed they had not yet arrived.

"I am really excited about seeing our friends again. This will be a special dinner, the first I have been able to pay for with my own money. Let's not make it too late, Hon, as I want to get home at a reasonable hour so we can talk and cuddle, and maybe, if you are in the mood, make love," he told me with his famous giggle.

"I want the same thing, Baby. Let's enjoy ourselves, but get home reasonably early. I am sure I will be in the mood to make love to you. Also, we need to be awake when Mom and Dad call tomorrow morning. You ready?"

"Yes, I am. Let's go into the restaurant. We can wait there until everyone is here," he said.

"But, I can't do this inside in the restaurant," I told Sean as I took him in my arms and gave him a tongue filled kiss while my hand was rubbing his back.

"Hon, your rubbing my back feels so good. I wish we were skin to skin; it would feel even better. One more kiss, Hon, and we have to get into the restaurant. Come here," he ordered me.

I moved closer to him and he kissed me hotly and with passion. It wouldn't have taken much more before my penis was at attention. Sean knew this, and let me go.

"That's just a down payment for later tonight," he said with a giggle.

"Hmmm, that sounds promising. I had best eat a hearty meal. Your down payment makes me think that the final payment will be something extra special, " I told him.

We got out of the Rover and went into the restaurant. We had barely walked through the door when Rog, Greg, Cathy, and Janet rushed to us. There was much hugging and kissing; everyone was in a wonderful mood. Tony Ranaldi came to our group and shook Sean and my hands until we thought he might break them off. He led us to the best table in the house. The restaurant was full, but he somehow managed to give us the best.

I said nothing to Sean, but we had a nice young waiter; someone who had not been here before. He smiled a great deal, was pleasant, but my gaydar told me that he was straight as an arrow. That was okay by me. Sean just smiled knowingly at me indicating that he had figured out the cute waiter, too.

The meal, as is usual at Casa Ranaldi, was outstanding. The conversation was fun-filled and happy. Cathy and Janet told us that they were off to the Bahamas and Paradise Island for the winter break. We guys chatted a little about our trip to Florida, and, of course, there was a multitude of questions about our honeymoon stay. Everyone seemed to understand why we stayed at the cabin. Neither Sean nor I related any of the supernatural happenings. It was private and personal; it was for him and me only.

Time flew by rapidly and soon we were enjoying our coffee. There was something bittersweet about saying goodbye to all these close friends. We would see them all again many times, but this night had been so special. As Rog was telling everyone about the concert at which Sean had been invited to play, I excused myself, saying I needed to use the bathroom.

Rog was going full force as I left. When I got to the vestibule, I asked the Hostess to get Mr. Ranaldi for me. She left, and in short order Tony Ranaldi was there, a worried look on his face.

"Something was not good about dinner? I am sorry," he said.

"Tony, dinner was outstanding as usual. It's not that. Look, Sean so wants to pay for everyone's dinner tonight. Would you be so kind as to give him the bill, as you would to anyone else? He is just so excited about being able to pay the bill. I would really appreciate it," I told him.

"Of course. But, you shouldn't have to pay for it at all. I had every intention to give it to you as a honeymoon gift. But if your Sean wants to pay the bill, and it will make him happy, then I will present the bill to him."

"Thanks, Tony. That will mean so much to him."

I left Tony standing there looking a little puzzled, but with a happy smile on his face. I returned to the table and joined in the conversation lauding Sean's talent as a pianist. He was smiling and happy. It was just then that Tony appeared with the bill.

"That's mine, please," said Sean.

"Of course, sir," said Tony as he handed him the bill.

"No way, no way. Rog and I want to pay for this little get-together," said a frustrated Greg.

"We thought this was a shared dinner," added Cathy.

"Look everyone. Sean wants to pay for this. He has the means now, and he wants to know how it feels to be able to pay the bill, so be quiet. You all set, Sean?" I asked.

"Kind of, Ryan. It's just that I don't know about tipping. I will need your help with that," he said as he handed me the bill.

After checking it out, I leaned to Sean and told him how much to leave as a tip. He smiled broadly. He took a wad of bills out of his pocket and counted out the amount, and left it in the folder with the bill. Everyone started to thank Sean for the wonderful evening. He was smiling from ear to ear.

"No need for all that 'thank you' stuff. After what you guys have done for Ryan and me, it's just a little token of our affection for all of you." he told them.

We made our way to the parking lot where there was a great deal more hugging and kissing. Then the three couples got into their respective automobiles and drove off into the night. I had decided to drive home. Sean sat quietly in the passenger seat.

"You were wonderful tonight, Baby. I was proud of the way you handled the bill. We'll have to chat about tipping; it's a skill you learn, if you ever do learn it. You'll find little agreement about amount. You left a terrific tip. I bet that cute young waiter it jumping for joy. You left him a fifty-dollar tip. That was super."

We reached an intersection where the light was red. I placed my hand on his thigh and patted him. He smiled at me, took my hand and kissed it. Just then the light turned green. I took my hand back, putting both hands on the steering wheel. I looked and saw no cars; I eased out into the intersection. I was barely into it when out of the corner of my eye I saw a large white van flying into the intersection. I could see it approaching the passenger side of the Rover and my Sean. I floored the Rover, which shot across the intersection. I struggled to keep control, and finally after doing a couple of three sixties, we came to an abrupt stop. The van flew through the intersection, across the oncoming lane, and into a large maple tree. There was a terrible crash and then silence.

I looked at Sean. He was pale. I was shaking, holding onto the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles were white. I found I couldn't speak for a moment.

"Sean, are you okay, Baby?"

"I guess so. Hon, that scared the shit out of me. I thought we were going to be killed," he told me as two police cars, lights flashing and sirens screaming, arrived on the scene.

They first rushed to the van to determine the condition of the driver. It was obvious that things didn't look good. One officer came quickly to our Rover.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked.

"Fine, officer. We are a little shaken. That was close." I replied.

"We were alerted to the van. Someone called in on a cell phone to say the van was driving out of control. The driver was an older man. He didn't make it. We think he may have been dead for a bit with his foot on the accelerator. Accident reconstruction officers will be here momentarily to do a preliminary investigation. I have to ask you guys to stay for a little while. And sir, could you please pull your vehicle into the driveway over at the yellow house?"

"Sure, officer."

I started the Rover and slowly drove to the driveway. I turned off the engine and lights. It was then that I realized the shaking. Sean had noticed it, too.

"Come here, Hon. You need some serious hugging."

We removed our seat belts and I fell into Sean's arms. It was then that I realized that he, too, was shaking. Neither of us spoke. We just enjoyed the closeness of the person we most loved in the world.

"Sean, all I could think of was that I would never be able to hold you in my arms again, to kiss you, to make love to you. That's all I could think of. Oh, Baby, I love you so much," I told him in a whisper, my voice cracking.

"That's all I could think of too; a world, a life without you. I couldn't imagine it. I wanted to die with you. That's what I wanted; I didn't want either of us to survive the other. That's a cold, mean thing, isn't it Ry?

"No, I understand exactly what you mean. I feel the same way."

There was a knock on the Rover window. I pushed the button and it rolled down. An officer stood there.

"Could we interview you two for a few minutes. If you would follow me over to the cruiser, we can take care of this in short order."

"Yes, sir," I told the officer.

We got out of the Rover without any conversation and moved to the cruiser. Once inside the warm vehicle, we relaxed. The questions and answers followed quickly. Our names, our address, were either of us injured, was the Rover damaged. Finally it was over and we were told we could leave and go home. We got out of the cruiser and started walking toward the Rover. The officer called to us,

"Drive carefully!"

The drive to the townhouse was silent. We got out of the Rover and entered the townhouse. Sean put on some lights in the living room. I armed the alarm, walked into the room and took him into my arms.

"I was so afraid I was going to lose you, Sean. I can't tell you the feeling, the fear, the horror of that thought. Thank God you are okay and with me. Baby, I love you."

"Ry, let's go to bed. I want to feel safe in your arms. I want you to love me with passion. I want to be reassured that I am your lover, your partner, your one and only. Please?"

Shutting off lights as we moved toward the bedroom, I led him to our bed where we soon were naked and in each other's arms, just holding each other. Feeling the one you so completely love snuggle in your arms lets you feel wanted and fulfilled. I dimmed the lights as we lay there wrapped in a warm embrace. Our lover's body and arms calmed our hearts and minds. We had nearly reached the final moment of our lives, and that fearsome moment gave new meaning to the admonition to 'live life to the fullest'. That would be our guiding light in the future. Without our wishing it, we both slowly fell asleep, amazingly without sex.

We would enjoy tomorrow; it would be another day.

II

The white van came careening down the highway toward the intersection. By the time I saw it, I knew it was too late.

Sean screamed, "RYAN!"

The crash was deafening, glass bits were flying around the interior of the Rover, air bags inflated instantly. I saw the passenger side of the Rover move toward me, pushing Sean against the steering wheel. Blood was everywhere. It was silent now. Sean wasn't breathing.

"My God, he's dead. He's dead. SEAN! SEAN! Please Sean, don't die, please, please," I was screaming, sobbing, pounding Sean's back.

"Ryan, wake up, Hon. Wake up! It's okay, I'm right here with you. Please, Ryan, stop crying. Come here, Hon, into my arms. I love you, Hon," he told me.

Suddenly I sat upright in the bed. I was a wreck. I grabbed Sean and hugged him to me, kissing him wildly, crying, hoping that this was reality and not a dream.

"Sean, my partner, my lover. I was so afraid. I dreamed the van hit us tonight and you were injured very badly. I couldn't get you to respond to me, Baby. You were quiet and white and you didn't move. My God, it was awful. It was awful."

"Lover, it was just a bad dream; a very bad dream. Rest your head on my shoulder, snuggle into my arms, and relax. Let me love you," he told me with a gentleness that tempered the horror of my terrible dream.

"Am I a wimp, or something? Why should I have such a terrible dream? What's the matter with me?" I demanded of Sean.

"Ryan Taylor, you are not a wimp. You are a strong, caring, independent, intelligent man. You are a real man. You had that terrible dream because you love me. You just relived what almost happened, thinking it took me from you, and it was destroying you. What a wonderful feeling it is to know that you love me that much, Hon. Please, now, relax. Let's lie back down and try to get some sleep," he told me.

"Make love to me, Sean. Please. I need you now so much; I want you so much. Do this for me, Lover. Make me yours," I begged.

There in the low light of the bedroom, without any further urging or begging from me, my lover, took control and made passionate love to me. He brought me to heights of sexual pleasure, let me down gently and brought me back again. Finally in a moment almost suspended in time, he carried me up to reach those heights and plunge into the river of pleasure that flowed down the other side. I was at peace once again, filled with his essence, under his control, loved without reservation, and made whole by his complete love.

Undisturbed sleep followed our intense lovemaking.

********

Saturday dawned gray, rainy, and cold. Neither of us stirred until after nine in the morning. I awoke first, nature was calling. I slipped out of bed, took care of my pressing need to urinate, and returned to the bedroom and quietly slipped back into bed. Sean was lying with his back to me. I moved over close to him and pressed against his back, putting my arm around his chest and hugging him. He moved and murmured in pleasure. I kissed his neck and whispered into his ear.

"Sweetie, it's after nine. Think we should get up and get going?"

"Not yet, I want to feel you close to me," he said as he turned and faced me.

His eyes were half closed, and in a real sense, it made them sexy and inviting. His beautiful lips invited a kiss, and when he ran his tongue lightly over my lips, I felt my cock jump. He stretched, his muscular frame extended the entire length of the bed, his skin shining in the gray light of a rainy day. His curly hair was tousled, and his nipples were gorgeous with deep brown areolas. I hugged him kissing his lips lightly. He smiled at me.

"Is that the best you can do, Lover. It's not even early in the morning. Come on, I want our special kiss," he said smiling broadly at me.

"I can do better. Try this." I pulled him to me and kissed him firmly pushing my tongue deeply into his mouth He was quick to return the kiss. Our hard cocks were rubbing against each other. We rolled over putting Sean on the bottom.

"Ry, it's my turn. Make love to me."

So I did.

********

After our lovemaking, we showered, dressed in sweats, and moved to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

"Let's have eggs, toast, OJ, and milk or coffee," I said.

"Sounds super to me. You know, Hon, you were great this morning. When you make love to me, it is always awesome. This morning was no exception. What's on the schedule for today?" he asked.

"Mom and Dad are supposed to call, so we'll have to wait until then. I still have work to do before Monday. You must have some studying to do, too. We can continue with that until they call. After we speak to them, we can do whatever you want. I don't have any plans. What about you?"

"Need to practice the piano. Got reading to do for Dr. Milne. I want to cuddle some, too. We could go out for lunch. I don't have anything in mind. I'm happy just being here with you, Ry."

The eggs were finished as the toast popped in the toaster. As I brought the food to the counter, the coffee finished brewing. Pouring OJ for both of us, I then got some milk for Sean and a cup of coffee for myself. We sat across from each other and helped ourselves to eggs and toast.

"Sorry, Baby, this isn't much of a breakfast. That reminds me, one thing we have to do is go grocery shopping."

He smiled at me, blew me a kiss, and put the remainder of the eggs on his plate. He reached for my hand, took it to his lips and kissed it.

"I'll go anywhere with you, Hon," he told me with his famous giggle.

I broke into a full-bodied laugh causing Sean to start laughing and choking on his breakfast. He recovered quickly and smiled that devilish smile at me. As usual, I melted.

"Let's just spend the day with each other, doing whatever feels good. With you, Baby, I know all our time will be pleasant. Now let me clean up the kitchen and you start practicing the piano. Go on, that's important. In a couple of minutes, I'll join you in the living room where I need to do some more planning."

"Ok, but I clean up the kitchen after lunch or after dinner. I won't have it any other way. Understand, Lover?"

"Yeah, yeah. I understand. Now get that beautiful ass of yours in there and make that piano sing," I told him with a laugh.

"Yes, sir."

It was pleasant to hear Sean at the piano. Even his finger exercises were pleasant. He had a natural affinity with the piano and the music that I truly did not understand. Nevertheless, I was able to appreciate his talent and his ability to interpret the music, more accurately, to make the music his own. His playing made the cleanup of the kitchen pass quickly. I joined him in the living room and got out my paperwork and began to work on the lessons for the coming week. It struck me suddenly that this rather mundane use of time was wonderful. Here we were together doing things we loved with the person we loved most. My eyes misted a little and I swallowed hard trying not to tear up. I was happy. I was in love. I was content.

The morning passed quickly. At about 11:30 the phone rang, bringing both Sean and me back to the reality of the day.

"That's probably Mom and Dad. Get the portable and bring it in here so that we can both talk with them," I said.

As Sean ran to get the portable, I answered the phone, "Hello, Taylor-Kelly residence, Ryan speaking."

"Hi, Ryan, it's your mother. How are you? We miss you both terribly."

"Hi Mom," interrupted Sean.

"Oh, Sean, hi. We have missed you and Ryan so much. I hope we will see you at Christmas," she said.

"Mom, we may not be there for Christmas Day, but we will be coming down during the break for 10 days or so. Rog and Greg are coming with us, if that's okay with you," I told her.

"Ryan, son, that will be fine. How come you won't be here for Christmas?" asked our father.

"Well, we're not sure yet. But, well..," I stammered.

"I know why, Ryan. You two want to be together and alone for Christmas, right?" said our Mom.

"Don't blame Ryan, Mom and Dad. I guess he may be doing this just for me. It will be our first Christmas as a couple; I sort of want Ryan just to myself. I'm sorry. We can come for Christmas," Sean said.

"No, no! You two deserve to be together and alone on Christmas. Enough said. You can come down shortly after and have a second Christmas here with us. That's final!" barked our Dad. Mom quickly agreed.

"Thanks for understanding, Mom and Dad. I hope you don't think I am being selfish. I've never really had a Christmas worth anything since I was a child, a very young child," Sean said in a soft, shy voice.

"Baby, you are not selfish. And anyway, I want to have Christmas with you and alone, too. You are my partner and we are deeply in love. That's all there is to it." I said forcefully.

"Look you two, there is no problem. We don't think you are selfish. We know how much you love each other. So enjoy Christmas. We'll celebrate when you get here," Mom said in her sweetest voice.

In unison we replied, "Thanks."

"So you stayed your entire time at the cabin?" asked Dad.

"Yeah, we did. There's la lot to tell about it, but not on the phone. When we see you we'll fill you in on the details." I said.

"Now, Ryan, I don't think..." Mom started to say.

"Mom, for heaven's sake, not THOSE details, I told them with a stifled laugh.

Sean burst out laughing and suddenly everyone was laughing boisterously. When we quieted down a little and caught our breath, the conversation went on. We agreed to let Mom and Dad know within a couple of days when we would arrive in Florida. We would rent a car so that they had no need to pick us up at the airport. What could we bring? Absolutely nothing we were told.

"We promise we will call you mid-week. We love you two a lot. Stay safe and healthy. Oh, yes, and have us tell you about our near awful automobile experience," I told them.

"Just a minute, Ryan. You tell us that now, right now. This is your Dad speaking," he told us.

Slowly Sean and I related the near accident to them. We didn't leave out any of the details. Sean even told them about my nightmare, but he didn't tell them the cure. Finally they were satisfied that we were unhurt, they hesitantly let us say goodbye. Sean walked over to me and hugged me tightly.

"It was great to hear from them. Tomorrow I think I will call Auntie Em and tell her about Christmas and vacation. Yeah, that's what I am going to do," he said.

"You are so cute, so handsome, so sexy. I am so lucky, so happy. Thank you for loving me, Baby," I told him and kissed him softly on the lips, my tongue flicking his lips. He pulled me tighter to himself and opened his lips. My tongue pushed into his mouth and explored. He was moaning. I could feel our cocks growing harder.

"Ry, Hon, please let's wait until later. I want to take you to lunch. Then I am bringing you home and having you for dessert."

I just smiled.

********

III

We enjoyed the rest of Saturday as well as Sunday. It was leisurely, secure, and filled with happiness. It was becoming quite clear to both of us, that just being together, joking around, getting meals, just living, brought joy into our lives. As the sun went down on Sunday night, we realized that this idyllic time of our lives was coming to an end. There was the matter of continuing with our day-to-day lives. We didn't regret that, but we knew that it meant less time to enjoy our togetherness in simple honest ways.

We made gentle, fulfilling love that night. Being together as one, was a pleasure without definition. I think we both had some concern about the next day at State. After some small talk and some gentle kissing and caressing, we slowly drifted off into a refreshing sleep. Tomorrow would be tomorrow and we would deal with it then.

********

Monday morning was a series of laughable collisions, misplaced materials, lost keys, a lousy breakfast, and a very late start to State. Luckily we were able to laugh at most of the chaos of the morning, both swearing that things had to improve of we would both be insane by Friday.

The usual drive to State gave us a few moments to discuss our day. I assured Sean that I wanted him to come to my office whenever he wished. He just smiled at me. I, of course, melted a little. A quick kiss after we arrived, a promise to meet for lunch, and we were off; Sean to Anne Milne's class and me to Cathy's office. Lunchtime seemed days away as I hurried across the quad to Cathy's office. In my mind's eye I could see my beautiful Sean striding toward his class, turning, smiling and waving good-bye to me. I was happy.

When I reached Cathy's office, I stopped outside and sort of pulled myself together. I wanted to look normal and not too happy or silly, like the newlywed that I was. I opened the door and walked into the outer office.

"Professor Taylor, welcome back. It's so good to see you. Dr. Sorenson and I have discussed your wedding many times. It was just a wonderful day for everyone. And now, sir, you have made it clear to everyone that you have one, and only one, person you will love until death. That's pretty impressive to me, sir. I think the world of you." Cindy told me.

"Thanks, Cindy. I do love Sean to the exclusion of anyone else. Dr. Sorenson wanted to see me this morning. Is she free and able to see me now, or should I come back later?" I asked.

"She's waiting for you. She cleared her calendar for you this morning. Go right in; she's expecting you."

With that reassurance, I knocked on the door to Cathy's office. For some reason I was very apprehensive.

"Come on in, Ryan."

I entered the room to find that Cathy had moved from behind the desk and was walking in my direction. She gave me a strong hug and a kiss on the cheek. It surprised me a little, but I returned the affection.

"Have a seat, Ryan. There are a couple of matters that I need to discuss with you. I'll start with the pleasant one and then move on to the next."

"That sounds a little disconcerting, Cathy. Have I done something I shouldn't have done? If I screwed up, please handle that one first, then the good news."

"Oh, goodness, I really flubbed that up. The unpleasant thing I wanted to discuss with you, has nothing to do with you or Sean. Guess I will start there. There have been some deeply disturbing complaints coming from other people who are living in the same building as Kevin and Jerrod."

"What kind of complaints?"

"Well, there has been some loud arguing, things being thrown, very offensive language. His department chair called Kevin in to discuss it with him. He told her, and I am quoting now, 'Look bitch, it's none of your fucking business. It's personal business and I don't have the time or the inclination to discuss it with you.'"

"He just left her there. She was a wreck. She called me and was very close to firing Kevin. I talked to her for a long time and asked her to wait until you returned and had a moment to talk with him. Do you want to do that, Ryan, or would you rather stay out of it? You do have a choice you know," Cathy said quietly.

I sat without speaking for a long time. Cathy busied herself by signing a number of papers on the desk. I wondered, 'What the hell am I supposed to do? If Kevin and Jerrod are fighting, then they have to figure a way to come to some sort of agreement. What could I do to help that along?' I was very uncertain about doing anything. Finally I spoke to Cathy,

"Frankly, Cathy, I am not sure what I can do. I definitely won't do anything until I talk with Sean. The whole thing overwhelms me. Why would they be fighting; they are so much in love? It sounds serious. Let me think about it until after lunch. I will see Sean then and we can discuss it. Is that okay with you, Cathy?" I asked.

"That's fine, Ryan. It's the answer I expected from you. Let me know so that I can let his department chair know. Now the next matter. Ryan, the National Association of Professors of English has requested your attendance in mid May at their National Conference. They want you to deliver your paper on Shakespeare's Women. State will pick up the tab. You should really attend, Ryan. I know that it will be almost impossible for Sean to go with you. He will be having final exams and there is no way that even I can get an exception for him to take his exams at any other time. I tell you that now, as I do not wish it to be a problem later. Please think carefully about this, Ryan. It is a wonderful opportunity for you, and frankly it will do a great deal for State's reputation, too."

"Wow! Sure I want to go. But, Cathy, I can't give you an answer until I talk it over with Sean. I imagine that he will support it, but I want him to know all the details. Where is it, anyway?"

"This year it is in Denver. That should be a pleasant three days, I would think."

"Yeah, Denver will be lovely in May. So now I have two things to discuss with Sean. It should be an interesting lunch. You know, Cathy, that I am honored by this invitation, and even more so by your support, which I know had much to do with State picking up the tab. You do realize, don't you, that Sean will probably want me to fly first class with him footing the bill. I will keep him in check, Cathy. Thanks so much."

"Look, Ryan, if this should present a problem for you and Sean, just say no. Your life together is much more important than this meeting. Don't jeopardize it. That's your friend speaking, Ryan."

"How can I not think the world of you, Cathy. I will be careful and I assure you that Sean comes first. I will see you later today, or early tomorrow morning."

We said our good-byes and I left the office. Since I did not have a class for over an hour, I went to my office to do some additional reading and to gather materials for my first class of the day . The first thing I noticed was the amount of mail that I had to read and separate. I didn't even look at my e-mail messages, as I knew there would be many of them. I pulled the book of commentaries about Shakespeare's women from the shelf and settled into my chair. I began reading, but had not finished the first sentence when Sean came bounding through the door, flushed and excited.

"Oh, my God, Ry, it's terrible. It's just awful. I don't know what to do. Ry, I need your help," he said as he gasped for air.

"Baby, what's the matter. You look a fright. Are you okay?

"It's Jerrod and Kevin. It's just terrible. They are splitting up. Jerrod can't deal with Kevin's jealousy anymore. They have been fighting a great deal, and on Sunday, Kevin hit Jerrod. Ry, Jerrod is so scared that he doesn't want to go back to the apartment. He slept in their living room. Kev stopped talking to him. It's terrible, Ry. What do we do?"

"Where's Jerrod right now, Sean?"

"He's in the cafe. He's really scared, Hon. He told me he was afraid that Kevin would kill him. I can't imagine that. What has happened?"

"I don't know what happened, but I guess I am going to have to deal with this now. I had hoped I could wait until after lunch, but I can see I can't."

"You already know about it? Who told you?"

"Cathy told me this morning. She didn't tell me that Kevin had hit Jerrod. She said there had been complaints about the noise and arguing. This sounds much more serious. Look Sean, go and tell Rog what's happening and ask him if you can miss his class as I want you to stay with Jerrod."

"Okay, Hon. What are you going to do? Be careful, Hon, I don't want you to get hurt."

"Well, I am going to call Kevin and see if he will speak with me, first on the phone and then in person. If he is too angry, I will stay out of it. In any case, we will take Jerrod home with us. We have to keep him safe. Now get going, Baby. Give me a quick kiss first."

Sean came to me and kissed me long and gently. As he pulled away from me, he said softly, but with fear in his voice,

"Please, Ry, please be careful. If anything happened to you, I don't know what I would do. Please, I love you so much."

"I'll be careful, and I love you, too, Baby."

With another quick kiss, he was out the door. I stood there for a moment in something equivalent to a trance. Finally, I sat down again, reached for the phone, and dialed Kevin's extension. The phone rang three times and I was about to hang up when Kev answered the phone.

"This is Kevin Reading, may I help you?"

"Kev, this is Ryan. Can you talk; or do you have a client?"

"I can talk."

"Do you want to tell me what's happening between you and Jerrod? Kev, he's scared to death of you and of going home."

There was a long silence, but I could hear the muffled sounds of an anguished sobbing. I didn't interrupt. I waited. Finally, Kev began talking, most of the time working to keep his composure, stifling sobs, gasping for breath.

"Ry, I...I don't know what came over me. I am so ashamed. I love him so much, and now he hates me. I don't blame him. He can't hate me as much as I hate myself."

"What happened, Kev? What did he do? Why did you lose control of yourself and hit him. That's not the Kevin I knew, or know now."

"It started out as a simple little thing. I saw Jerrod talking with Jose Torres in the cafe. They were having a very animated chat, so I left them alone. When they finished lunch and left, I followed them, meaning only to get a moment with Jerrod before I had to get back to the office. Well, anyway, as I was coming out of the cafe, I saw Torres grab Jerrod and give him a very strong kiss. Jerrod didn't protest or move away. I was upset, but hurried to the office without confronting Jerrod."

"You should have said something right then, Kev. I know you too well. You just let that incident fester all afternoon until you got home. Right?"

"Of course you're right, Ryan. I was getting angrier and angrier waiting for Jerrod to show up. He came dashing into the apartment in his usual happy-go-lucky way, came to me and tried to kiss me. I pushed him away. At first he thought I was being playful, but the second time he tried to kiss me, I shoved him pretty hard and he fell over the hassock and onto his back on the floor. He looked stunned, but I didn't give a shit. That's when I started shouting at him."

"For God's sake, Kevin, what did you say."

"I don't know if I can tell you, Ryan. I said some terrible things. I called him a cheap whore. I told him he was indiscriminate, that he was out trolling for a Hispanic cock. I told him nothing would satisfy his fucking asshole. I asked him how many guys had fucked him. I told him I thought he was getting it regularly at the gym. I wanted to know how many guys he took on at the same time. I said a lot more, too. No, I didn't SAY it, I screamed and shouted it. I threw books and a couple of dishes. I was in a horrible rage."

"What about Jerrod? Did you check to see if he had been hurt? Did he try to tell you anything?"

"Oh, yes, he tried. But I wouldn't let him talk. Finally I pulled him up from the floor. I told him to get his well-plowed ass out of the apartment and not to come back until late so that I would be in bed and wouldn't have to deal with him. He was sobbing, trying so desperately to talk to me, but I wouldn't have anything to do with him. He left, and I was filled with despair and I broke down and cried like I have never cried before. Ryan, I wanted to die. But instead, I stumbled to the bedroom, took two sleeping pills, fell on the bed and went to sleep."

"Weren't you worried about Jerrod?"

"No, at that particular moment, I didn't care what happened to him. I felt betrayed. I hated him, but I hated myself even more."

"Did he come home that night?"

"Yeah, I found him asleep on the sofa when I got up the next morning. When I saw him I wanted to kiss him, to ask him to forgive me, but my pride got in the way. Then the betrayal thing came back, and I found myself wanting to hurt him. Instead, I went to the kitchen and brewed a pot of coffee. While I was in the kitchen, Jerrod apparently got up, changed his clothes, and left. I didn't know where he had gone, and I was half-crazy with fear as the day went on.

Finally, it must have been about two o'clock in the morning when he came in. I confronted him, demanding to know where he had been, who he had been with, what they had done. His eyes were wide with fear and he moved away from me as I tried to get closer to him. It was awful Ryan. He tried so desperately to tell me.

He had been in the movie theatre until it had closed. Then he went to the all-night Wendy's and stayed there until he thought I was asleep. Then he came home. I told him he was a fucking faggot liar. He begged me to listen, to hear what he had to say, but the more he begged me the angrier I got. Finally, I told him to shut his fucking lying mouth, or I would. He pleaded with me to listen. That's when I hit him. I knocked him to the floor and I saw the blood running out of his mouth. I went to him, but he pulled away from me in fear. I cursed myself, the world, and God, then ran into the bedroom slamming the door behind me."

"You mean you didn't see how much you had hurt Jerrod? Kevin, what the fuck's the matter with you?"

"He didn't want me near him. He is afraid of me. I can't blame him. I acted terribly. I didn't realize that jealousy could be so all encompassing. If I didn't love Jerrod with my whole being, I wouldn't care. But Ry, I love him so much. And now, he...he..," then came the uncontollable sobs that shook Kev's body.

"Look, buddy, you have to make amends with him. He's so scared of you, Kevin, that he doesn't want to come back to you. He left you, Kevin, and with good reason. You were a stupid son-of-a-bitch. You ought to have your ass kicked from here to China. Now, you stupid bastard, what are you going to do about this? Tell me, and shut off the damn tears. If anyone has a right to cry, it's Jerrod. You realize he really doesn't know what the hell you were talking about. From what you told me just now, you never mentioned Jose Torres. How did you expect him to know? You never gave him an opportunity to explain. It's too fucking much to believe."

"I know. Maybe I should just let it go. Maybe this is my punishment for all the stupid things I have done. Maybe this terrible pain of losing the one person I love is my reward for having dumped you all those years ago."

"Listen, turd brain, you have to do one thing. It's very important, probably the most important thing you have ever done in your entire life. You have to let Jerrod know how much you love him. He needs to know that. Then he has to decide what to do. He is going to need time, Kevin. It won't be the same for a while. He has to learn to trust you again, to love you again. Man, Kev, you really fucked this up something fierce."

"I know. How can I tell him how I feel? He won't come here; he won't come home. I can't do it in a public place. I'm screwed."

"Kev, if I hurry over to your office can you talk with me for ten minutes. I have an idea, but I want to think some more about it and then I'll be ready to share it with you. I'll need about ten minutes before I can get there."

"Please, Ryan. Anything you can do that will help. Thanks. I'll be waiting for you."

As I hung up the phone, I thought, 'Kev, my old friend, my idea isn't worth shit unless someone else agrees.' That's why I had to stop at the cafe on my way to Kev's office.

********

When I got to the cafe and saw Sean and Jerrod sitting at the back in a private sort of corner, I was disconcerted by how bad Jer looked. He was pale, his eyes were red and swollen from crying, he had a blackened eye, and he was bent over like an old man, not the vigorous young man I knew and had seen only days before. I took a deep breath and tried to steel myself so that I wouldn't appear surprised by Jer's looks.

"Hey guys, had any snacks?" I asked as I walked to the table.

"Ry, thanks for coming by to check on us. Jer seems okay. You are okay, aren't you?" asked a very concerned Sean.

"Yeah, I'm okay, I guess. Hi, Professor."

"Hey, Jer, is there anything I can do to help?" I asked.

"No, I just want to go home. I want to leave this place. I don't ever want to see Kev again. He hurt me, Professor. He always said he loved me, but he hurt me. I thought he was going to kill me." Jerrod said with tears streaming down his face. How would I ever be able to handle this mess?

"Jerrod, I talked with Kev just a few moments ago. He's a mess. He hates himself. He is so afraid that you will hate him forever. He wants a chance to talk with you."

"No, no, I can't do it. No, I won't do it," said Jer first softly and then very loudly.

Sean looked first at me and then at Jer. He looked flustered. I wondered what he would say or do.

"Jer, we will never make you do anything you don't want to do. Relax, we are your friends; we love you." whispered Sean.

"I know, but damn it, I am so afraid. I have been hurt more psychologically than physically. Kev has destroyed the trust I had in him. He has shaken my love, almost destroyed it. I don't think I dare speak to him alone. I won't go back to his apartment, ever. I can't. Please, Professor, don't make me."

"Jer, I would never make you do anything. You would have to decide if it's important enough that you want to do it. Look, Jer, I have an idea. Will you listen to it?"

"Jer, please listen to Ry. I know he wants to help," said Sean.

"Okay, I'll listen, but I'm not promising anything."

"I want you to come home with Sean and me. I want you to get a good night's sleep, some good food, and some time to think about what you want to do. I thought that maybe, if you feel okay about it, that when you are ready, we could invite Kev over and you two could talk out what happened. We'll be there to protect you, Jer. We won't leave you alone with Kev, not until you feel comfortable with him. What do you think?"

"Professor, I don't know. I want to come home with you guys, but I don't know about seeing Kevin again. I have to think about that."

"Okay, then this is how we will do it. You will come and stay with us. If you decide you want to speak with Kevin, even if it is to tell him how much he hurt you, than we'll arrange it, but we won't leave you alone. If after some thought, you still want to go home, we'll help get your stuff together and call your parents. We'll even be sure that you have transportation home."

Sean asked, "What do you think, Jer?"

"Okay. But, please, give me some space, some time. Please?"

"You have it," I assured him.

"Thanks, Professor Taylor. You are as wonderful as Sean is always telling me. He's so lucky."

"I'm not as wonderful as Sean probably makes me out to be, but I don't welsh on a promise. I'm off to see Kev, now. I am sure that he will accept the plan. He misses you a great deal, Jer. He is very depressed, despondent really. Sean, I think you should take Jer home and get him into bed. Set the alarm and come back to your classes. He will sleep the rest of the day."

Sean grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "Okay, Ry. Be careful. I love you."

"That feeling, my life partner, is mutual," I said as I left the two guys at the table and hurried away to Kev's office.

As I walked toward Kevin's office, an amazing thought crossed my mind. 'Returning to State had not been boring.'

It wasn't ten o'clock in the morning yet, and already it had been quite a day.

To be continued...

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