CHAPTER FOUR

A couple of miles later, Gerry and Ted passed out of Rancho Mirage and into “Cat” City (as it's referred to by the local populace). Then they turned left and began their climb up the steep, curvy drive to the top of the mesa, and home. After pulling into the driveway, Gerry started grabbing some of the boxes of Olga’s yummy-smelling dinner, and Ted went to aid him in carrying the remainder into the house. “God! This is beautiful,” Ted exclaimed as he noticed a view of the entire Coachella Valley and its several towns and villages.

“Here, we’re about two thousand feet above the valley floor and on a clear day, you can just begin to make out the Salton Sea to the south over there,” Gerry nodded his head toward their right, “and the windmills up at Windy Point to the north.” He nodded his head to the opposite direction. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

They approached the classically curved wrought iron twin gates seated in the center of what looked like two solid, stucco-covered adobe privacy walls luxuriantly draped in red Bougainvillea, white Jasmine and bluish-purple Wisteria.

Gerry fidgeted with the key to unlock the gates, and they entered a small covered entryway which led to the totally private rectangular courtyard -- longer than it was wide.

“Oh … my … God!” Ted exclaimed again as his eyes took in and feasted on the sight in front of him. First there was a relatively small square water-lily pond with a number of exotic aquatic plants blooming profusely, pinks, yellows, and whites, with their shiny green leaves floating atop the water. Then there was a statue/fountain of a boy peeing into the lily pond. Just beyond that was a sunken circular Jacuzzi/hot tub which could accommodate twelve rather intimately, and as the soaking guests would discover, the first thing they would notice while looking toward the main entrance is the little marbleized bubble-butt of the peeing boy. Cute.

Then beyond the hot-tub was a twenty-six-foot long lap-pool which served as a reflection pool when not being used. On either side was a patio with a round wooden Mexican table and six matching chairs, each painted in a different bright color.

And the piece de resistance stood just beyond the pool -- a ten-foot tall marble replica of Michelangelo’s ‘David,’ in all his magnificent glory, sans fig leaf, overlooking the entire garden courtyard.

Surrounding all of this were plantings of short exotic Palms, Tree Ferns, Birds of Paradise (both the smaller blue-and-yellows, and the giant black-and-whites); ground-covers and blossoming annuals filled every square inch available, except for the polished Mexican paver paths and porticos which had an abundance of potted and hanging plants and flowers. The courtyard resembled a sub-tropical jungle setting.

Ted had slowly been moving to the left, then to the right, then back and forth, again and again, trying visually to absorb every delicious morsel. “Un-fuckin’-believable,” he proclaimed.

He's mine … Jerry thought at that moment, and just stood there, lovingly smiling at Ted … at least for tonight!

“Come on. Let’s get this stuff inside. I need a beer.”

Like a puppy-dog, Ted followed again as his host led along the portico to their right. Gerry stopped at a set of sliding glass doors, and with his elbow, slid one open and entered the Kitchen / Morning / Dining / Family Room combination.

Ted was right behind him. “Great house, man. How’d ya ever find a place like this?” He sat the food cartons on the chopping-block island in the center of the room.

They decided they weren’t hungry yet, as it was only a quarter 'till four. Gerry got them both a cold one, Coronas, as he answered Ted's question.  “Picked it up for a song from a tax/lien sale about five years ago. It was a total wreck. I’ve done most of the decorative restoration myself, after having all the major stuff hired out.”

Gerry then took him on the twenty-five cent tour, showing the four Guest Bedrooms (each with its own Bath); the Music / Entertainment Room; and the Master Suite which included a Cedar-lined Sauna, a mirrored Work-out Room, the Master Bath with double-basin vanity (and even a Bidet), and the Bedroom, itself, with Hollywood King-sized bed covered with a Mink bedspread, the walls and ceiling covered in padded, muted gray suede, and the black-out curtains in dark brown leather. The floors throughout all the rooms were more of the polished Mexican pavers; brightly colored and patterned Mexican area rugs and paintings were in each room.

Ted remarked that all the rooms, including the bath off the pool, had sliding glass doors opening onto the portico completely surrounding the courtyard. “Yes,” Gerry remarked, “none of the rooms, except for the Utility Room, have any openings to the outside of the house, but they all open to the garden/courtyard. If anyone wants privacy from any other guests, their room has either the brown leather drapery or Plantation Shutters which can be closed across the glass doors. Total privacy here. The only actual opening is through the gated entrance we came in.”

"Wow!" responded Ted; "… that's all I can say … WOW!"

“I must sound like a real estate agent trying for a sale,” Gerry added, “but I’m a little proud of the way it’s turned out.”

“You should be,” Ted shot back enviously. “It’s beautiful. Oh, God, I’d love to live in a place like this.”

They had completed the walk-about and had returned to the kitchen. Gerry retrieved more Coronas for them both, and taking a swig, leaned with his back against a counter and studied Ted for a moment.

“What?” he asked as he saw Gerry's expression.

“Just wondering about something.  Let’s go sit out on the patio for a bit,” he answered, as he motioned for Ted to follow him.

They stepped outside, and in a slightly stronger voice, Gerry called, “Lurch?”

From out of somewhere, nowhere, everywhere, a slow, deep masculine voice (almost identical to that of “Lurch” on The Addams Family) answered, “Yesss, Master?”

“SHIT!” responded the shocked Ted. “Who said that? Where is he?” He stopped dead in his tracks!

“Enable overhead mist … medium,” Gerry answered the ‘voice,’ trying to keep from laughing and trying to keep a straight face at the same time.

“Yesss, Master, right away, Sir.”

“Who? …  What? …  Where?” Ted continued, stammering, jerkily turning here and there looking for ‘someone!”

Slowly, a light mist of cool water began spraying out from the edges of the portico’s overhangs all around the garden/patio. Gerry doubled over, laughing, holding his belly. Then he motioned for Ted to follow him over to one of the patio tables.

“What? … What? … What just happened? … Who were you talking to?”

He roared hilariously. “That always happens the first time. I love it.” He took another swig from the phallic Corona bottle.

“V.A.E.C. -- Voice Activated Electronic Controls,” Gerry tried to answer with as matter-of-fact and unpretentious an expression as he could possibly conjure up.

“Huh?” Ted asked in a calmer voice as they sat at one of the tables.

“I’ve only got the patio controlled for right now. Eventually the entire house will be under voice activation.”

“Oh … Really?” Gerry nodded affirmatively to his curiosity, then Ted continued, “This has gotta be right out of a science fiction story!”

Gerry laughed again. “You familiar with Creative Electronics, on El Paseo, in Palm Desert,” he asked. Ted shook his head. “Kyle Taylor, the owner, is a good friend of mine. I tell him what I want, and he works out the electrical details and then he does the actual installation.  He’s getting in on the ground-floor of these new-fangled computers people are talkin’ about.”

“Whew!” Ted quietly whistled, and then, sorta under his breath, added, “That must set you back a pretty penny!”

“No, not really,” he said. “I work it out in trade with him … as with most of the guys who’ve worked around here for me.”

“Everybody want wallpaper?” he asked, interestedly.

“Ohhhhh … Some of them, but not many. There are other ways to trade off … ‘services’,” Gerry answered.  Ted looked at him with a huge question mark on his face.  Wondering.

“Another cold one?” Gerry continued, not reacting to Ted's silent inquisition.

“Yeah, thanks.  I gotta take a leak.  I forgot … Where’s the …?”

Gerry pointed to a door behind the statue of ‘David’ as he carried their empties to the kitchen.  “Lurch?” he spoke aloud again.

“Yesss, Master?”

“Damn!  That’s scary,” Ted shot back.  “I can’t get used to that.”

Gerry laughed as he began again;  “Lurch … ‘Yanni, Live At The Acropolis’ … soft … entire patio … continue with Light Classics.”

“Yes, Master. Right away, Sir,” ‘he’ replied, and almost instantly, the ‘Acropolis’ CD began playing in complete stereophonic surround-sound.

“Wow!” Ted responded as he disappeared behind a door and as Gerry entered the kitchen.  He grabbed four bottles, uncapped two of them, and as they both returned to the table, Ted was just taking his seat again.

“Ready to eat, yet?”

“Not right now, but soon, if you don’t mind, Gerry.”

“No problems.  That’s fine with me.”  Then continuing, he ordered, “Lurch?”

“Yesss, Master?”

“T and T.”  Ted frowned and looked around quizzically. 

“Yes, Master.  Right away, Sir … The time is now 5:37 P.M., Pacific Daylight Savings Time;  and outside, the temperature is one hundred eighteen degrees Fahrenheit, forty-eight degrees Celsius; temperature in the garden is now ninety-eight degrees Fahrenheit, thirty-seven degrees Celsius, and … going down … SIR!”

Ted quickly sat up straight, looked pleasingly shocked at ‘his’ emphatic expression, and said, “… Going down? You have a pornographic, talking electrical machine?”

Gerry chuckled at his reaction, and added, “ ‘He’ still has several little tricks of the trade up ‘his’ sleeve. I find ‘him’ rather adorable, don’t you?”  Ted smiled and nodded in the affirmative.  Then in a more somber tone, Gerry remarked, “Sometimes I think ‘he’s’ even starting to think for ‘himself’.”

“God forbid!”  Ted feigned fear, though humorously.  It was obvious he was finally starting to relax.

Frequently sipping the beers, both finished at about the same time, and Gerry asked, “Another one?”

“Sure, why not?”

Gerry realized he hadn’t brought a bottle opener, so he took the bottle, encircled the cap with his right index finger, held the bottle with his left hand, and opposingly twisted both wrists; the cap easily came off.

“Ummm, strong!” proclaimed Ted, as he reached over and felt Gerry's left biceps.

“No.  Well … maybe a little,” Gerry grinned and winked at him once again. “But it’s really all in the leverage.”

“Whatever you say … Massster!” joked Ted, as he tried to mimic Lurch’s slow, deep voice.

Their eyes met and gazed, seemingly for the first time in the short four-and-a-half hours they had known each other.  The moment lingered.

Gerry cleared his throat.  “What say I go nuke Olga’s goodies in the microwaves before we get too wiped-out?”  Ted nodded in agreement, and Gerry continued;  “Come on, buddy, keep me company.”

They got up, grabbed the bottles and proceeded back to the kitchen. Ted sat on a stool at the breakfast bar between the kitchen and the Morning Room, while Gerry futzed about with the food.

“How about some coffee, now?  We’re both getting pretty relaxed, I’d say, and I want to talk to you about something.”

“O.K. to both,” answered Ted.  “O.K. to the coffee, and O.K. to the … uhhh … talk about something.”

Gerry put the food in the two microwaves, and began fixing the coffee.  “Tell me about your wife … uhhh … Beckie … is that right? I’m sorry. I may have forgotten her name.”

“Yeah, that’s right … Beckie.” He removed his wallet from his tight left hip pocket, and flipped immediately to the first picture, then pushed the wallet across the counter. “That’s her.”

“God!  She’s HOT, Ted.”  Gerry shook his hand in front of his chest, as if he had just burned his fingers on something HOT.

“Yeah.  Good piece of ass, too, if I could ever get it … anymore,” Ted complained.

“Uh oh!  Problems in paradise, buddy?”

“Well, like I said -- she’s in L.A. for two nights; then when she gets back, she’ll only be here for one night, then off to San Francisco for three nights. Then back here for …”

“I see. I see. I get whatcha mean, buddy,” Gerry interrupted.

<Ding!>  One microwave broke into the conversation. And as soon as Gerry took everything out and put the goodies in serving plates … <Ding!> … The second one was ready to be emptied.

“You OK with eatin’ here at the counter, or you want to go back out on the patio.”

“Here’s fine,” Ted replied.  “Need any help?”

“Nah …”

He then continued, “Beckie’s a damn good designer, ya know? Very respected in A.S.I.D.  She’s got clients in Honolulu, Beverly Hills, Seattle, Lake Tahoe, La Jolla, Scottsdale, Denver, Dallas … all over.”

“Sooooo …” Gerry laid his battle plan carefully as he also laid out the plates, silverware, bowls of steaming, piping hot, mouth-watering goodies, and poured the freshly brewed java.  “Let’s see if I have this straight … You’ve been here for six weeks. Y’all’re livin’ in a small place that YOU don’t care too much for.  I take it, she’s gone more than she’s with you.  And you feel stuck between a rock and a hard place?  That about say it, my friend?”

“Yeah, you got the picture, Ger,” Ted disgustedly answered, loosening up a little more, then added, “Umm!  This smells good!”

“Tastes even better.  Be careful -- it’s HOT!”  Gerry went around the counter and sat on the bar stool next to Ted; so close that the soft hairs of their legs rubbed together -- almost tickling the other person. Ted didn’t bother to pull his leg away.  Gerry's ass twitched tightly, and the mound started rising in his crotch once again.

Forking it up, they each blew several quick breaths over their own portions, trying to cool the savory food to a comfortable temperature.

Enjoying every morsel of Olga’s delectables, Gerry watched Ted out of the corner of his eye, and on occasion looked directly at him.

“Is everything OK, Gerry? You have something to do? Or some place to go, and you don’t know how to ask me to leave?”

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no, Ted;  it’s not that at all.”

“Then what is it, man?  I’m starting to feel a little weird with your glances, not knowing.”

Finishing the last bite of the fantastic Flan, Gerry put his fork down, and swiveled the bar stool seat so that he was facing Ted straight on.  He placed each foot on a different rung, spread his own knees apart, subliminally opening himself to Ted, and said, “So … you like my little hacienda, here, do you?”

“Little, my ass!”  Ted shot back, and as he turned to face Gerry straight on, his own knees went between and so close to Gerry's that they both felt the warmth of the other’s flesh.  “This place is huge.  How many square feet do you have here?”

“Well, the area within the outside perimeter gives me right about 7,000 square feet of living space, but if you deduct the garden/courtyard, I’ve got about 3,200 square feet under roof.”

“All for one person?  That’s not fair.”

Gerry chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right, Ted.  It does seem a little obnoxious at times.”  Gently he put his hands on Ted’s bare knees, leaned in very close to his face and said, “Come’ere.  I wanna show you something.”

Then he moved his hands off Ted’s knees, and with his left hand on Ted’s right arm, pulled him off the bar stool and led him back out into the darkening courtyard through the open sliding doors.

They turned left and headed toward the wrought iron gated main entry and Gerry spoke, “Lurch?”

“Yesss, Master?”

“Open sun screen.”

“Yes, Master.  Right away, Sir.”  The soft whirring of a motor, somewhere, could be heard.

“Look up at the sky, Ted.”  His arm went around Ted's shoulders and turned him toward the center of the courtyard.

Ted looked up.  “Oh, wow!” he said as a billowy screen slowly moved from over the front of the courtyard to the rear. He hadn’t even noticed it earlier when the sun was bright. As it rolled back, he could see the brightest stars that had just appeared after the sun had descended into the watery bowels of the Earth.  “Beautiful,” he exclaimed.

“Now!”  Gerry almost whispered into Ted's right ear as he slowly moved behind his guest, never letting his arm or hand leave the touch of one or both of Ted’s shoulders.  Gerry pressed against Ted, and knew that he could feel the closeness because of the little delicious moan that escaped Ted's throat.  “Now! Take a look at THIS!” he whispered into Ted's left ear, leading him out through the opened gates.

For more than twenty-five miles, they could see the string of brilliant tiny house lights, street lights, parking-lot lights, air port lights -- all the way from Desert Hot Springs in the north to Indio and beyond in the south.

“Wow!  I didn’t know the desert could be so beautiful at night,” Ted remarked.  He put his left arm around Gerry's shoulders, too.  “God, I’d love to stay up here and look at this all night.”

“Then … why … not … do it,” Gerry asked, seductively drawing out each word.  “It’s cooler up here than it is down there, and not nearly as noisy, I bet.  You said earlier that you’d love to live up here.  Right?”

“Right.”

“I’ve been thinking all evening … all this enjoyable evening for me … about making a … uh … a proposition to you … to you and to Beckie.”

“Ohhhh? … About what?”

“First, how about another drink?”  Ted nodded approval.  “Want another beer?  Or Brandy?  Liqueur?  Champagne?”

“You start me on any of that shit, and there’s no way in hell I’m drivin’ down this fuckin’ hill.”

“Then … don’t.  Spend … the night.”  After a pause, Gerry continued, “Let me seduce you … with liquor.”  Ted smiled as Gerry jokingly enticed him, while at the same time revealing his ulterior motives;  he can never say I didn’t warn him.  “I’ve got plenty of room -- four empty bedrooms over there …"

Ted stared straight ahead, out over the bejeweled sparkling nighttime desert, slowly … very slowly … ever so slightly … nodding his head up and down … smiling.

OK, it’s settled.  You’re staying.  Now, what do ya want do drink?”

“Got any Kahlua?”

“Sure.  Two Kahlua’s comin’ right up, my new bosom buddy,” Gerry slapped him on the back.  “Stay here if you like and look at the nighttime sights.  Most gorgeous lights in the world.”

“What about Vegas?” he asked as Gerry headed back toward the kitchen.

“Too bright.  Too crowded.  Too vulgar,” was the brief, concise answer, followed by, “Lurch?”

“Yesss, Master?”

“Soft courtyard lights.”

“Yes, Master.  Right away, Sir.”  Lights in the lily pond, the Jacuzzi/hot tub, the lap pool, and little unobtrusive lights along the clay paver paths came up, softly illuminating the garden/courtyard, now filled with the fragrance of night-blooming Jasmine and honeysuckle.

Gerry soon returned to the entrance where Ted was still observing the blanket of multi-colored diamonds spread at his feet, trying to identify familiar landmarks.

“Here we go, Ted,” he said, handing him a Cordial glass and poured the Kahlua for them both.  “Ever see anything like this?”  Gerry gestured across the Valley.

“Yeah, I have,” he answered.  “Up on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills, looking down over Los Angeles.  The lights go from horizon to horizon and as far as you can see.  But this is clearer -- no smog to diffuse the beauty.  Here, the darkness of the surrounding hills seems to be caressing the life of the valley.”

“You must really be a poetic lover, ’cause you really do like it up here, don’t you?”

“Oh, God, yes! I’d give my left nut to have this every night.”

“Well, I don’t think you’ll have to do anything that drastic,” Gerry chuckled.  “Listen … I usually take a long, relaxing dip in the Jacuzzi every night before retiring.  Care to join me?  Then I’ve got one more little surprise for you.”

“Sure, that would be nice, Gerry, but I don’t have a swim suit with me.”

They turned away from the Valley panorama and re-entered the courtyard.  Gerry closed and locked the wrought iron gates for the evening and said, “No need.  Just us guys here.  And besides, I have a standing rule -- no clothes allowed in either of the pools -- EVER!  Just don’t pee in’em.”  They both laughed at the old joke.  “Okay.  Strip, get in, and I’ll be right back with some towels for us for later.  And, here!  Take these over and just set them on the decking.”  Gerry handed him his Cordial and the bottle of Kahlua.  “Feel free to help yourself, whenever.  Make yourself to home.”

They smiled and -- coincidentally -- winked at each other… once again.

“Lurch?”

“Yesss, Master?”

“Discontinue music.”

“Yes, Master.  Right away, Sir.”

Silence overtook the garden -- silence, that is, except for the sounds of the crickets and the cicadas, and the occasional chirps of a couple of neighboring bats, swooping down, gathering little mouthfuls of water from the stillness of the lighted reflection pool.

Ummmmm, yeah, Gerry thought, licking his lips and once again rearranging the bulge as he entered the Master Suite to get the towels.

By the time he returned, Ted was already in the Jacuzzi, laying back with his arms stretched out on the edge of the decking, and looking at the starry reflection of the Valley lights in the velvety blackness of the sky above.

He looks so peaceful and innocent, Gerry thought to himself as he began humming, “Be my love, for no one else can end this yearning …”

He took off his boots and socks and wife-beater in the bedroom, returned to the pool area, and after putting the towels near the Kahlua, Gerry began lowering his tight cut-offs;  slowly, as if performing a strip-tease for Ted.

Ted noticed Gerry's slowly enlarging man-tool, and smiled slightly, but said nothing.

Then, stepping into the Jacuzzi, Gerry spoke, “Lurch?”

“Yesss, Master?”

“Bubbles.”

“Yes, Master.  Right away, Sir.”  Bubbling jets of water began flowing, erotically massaging whatever parts of the body that was near them.

Gerry sat on the underwater ledge opposite Ted.

“Lurch sure has a limited vocabulary, doesn’t he?  You ever get tired of the same expressions, over and over and over?” Ted asked.

“Yes,” Gerry chuckled.  “We’re working on that -- Kyle and I. It’s gonna take some time, though … Hey! That one more little surprise I told you I’ve got for you?  You ready?”

“Well … uhhh … alright.  Go ahead. I’m game.  Sock it to me.”

“Watch.”  With that, he spoke again. “Lurch?”

“Yesss, Master?”

“David.”

“Yes, Master.  Right away, Sir.”  Ted’s eyes went immediately to the marble likeness of ‘David,’ reflected upside-down in the long, narrow pool between the Jacuzzi and the statue.

A dozen little strobe lights each spot-lighted different areas of the white statue through the “Passionate Pink” gels covering them. ("Passionate Pink gels are used in theater productions to bring out the very best skin tones under the bright lights," the installer had told Gerry.)  With the shadows they created, and with none of the pulsing lights being in synchronization with any other light, it appeared as if ‘David’s’ “skin” was moving, rippling, and also pulsating … inherently causing “other things” to pulsate as well.

“Oh, fuckin’ shit!” exclaimed Ted as he stood up in the water, not realizing that a good-sized portion of him had also begun rising, itself, at the surface. “This is too fuckin’ unbelievable!  He looks like he just came to life!”  As his hand began to caress his stiffening member, he said, “Oops,” and he quickly sat back down.

“No problem.  Don’t worry about it.  Everybody has basically the same first reaction,” Gerry consoled.

“Once you calm down from that,” he continued, as he stretched his leg out and gently rubbed the inside of Ted’s leg, “I’d like to talk to you about the … uhhh … proposition.”

“What kind of proposition?” Ted asked, extending his other leg to gently rub the inside of Gerry's leg, as he finished off his own Cordial, and refilled both their glasses.

The feet and legs stopped … “caressing,” … and Gerry sat up, leaned forward a bit, and answered, “What would you say … my friend … if I offered to rent part of this …” he swept his arms around, indicating the entirety of the house and garden, “… to you and Beckie? I’ve got rooms I don’t use.  You’d have complete access to the kitchen and laundry facilities.  You could use one of the bedrooms as yours and Beckie’s, and use another as an office for either or both of you.  Use the game / family / entertainment room;  even the work-out room, if you like.”

Ted started to say something, but Gerry held up his hand and said, “Shhhh. Wait just a minute, let me finish.” Then he continued with, “Of course the pools, AND you wouldn’t be bothered with screaming little kids, either.  The only drawback, that I can see, is that you’d be stuck with me, probably most of the time when Beckie’s on one of her business trips.  So … Whataya say, huh?  Whataya say?”

“Are you fuckin’ serious with that offer?”

Gerry slowly kinda walked on his knees across the bottom of the Jacuzzi to between Ted’s wide-spread legs, placed his hands tenderly on Ted’s knees, pushed, and slowly raised himself up, sporting a very firm erection with its singular eye praying to the heavens; then spreading his own legs, Gerry moved further forward, placed his hands on Ted’s shoulders, and slowly sat down on his thighs, pressing his own cock between their bodies. Slowly he began rocking his hips forward and backward, causing Omar to throb with each renewed pressure, and he felt Ted’s rising interest sliding back and forth, back and forth, along his ass-crack.

Please Ted. Please say “Yes.”

Gerry put his Cordial on the decking, firmly squeezed Ted’s shoulders, pressed in closer, and whispered the answer to his question into his ear, “yesssssssss.” Then Gerry smiled, straightened up, leaned back a little, and in a strong voice said, “Lurch?”

“Yesss, Master.”

“Fireworks!”

“That … does … not … compute … SIR!”

They both roared with laughter, enjoying the closeness and the moment.  “He is beginning to think for himself,” Gerry declared.

“But I’ll have to talk to Beckie when she gets back, bring her up to meet you and to see everything.”

“And if for any reason she might say, ‘No’, … ?”

“Then I’m filing for divorce, and if you want me … I’m all yours, lover boy.”

Gerry didn't know if Ted was joking or if he was serious, but hoped for the latter.

He moved off Ted's thighs and stood up, pulling Ted with him.  “Then let’s seal the proposed deal with a kiss.”

They embraced strongly, tightly pressing their cocks together, their faces drew closer and soon, lips were touching, tongues were exploring, all four hands were roaming, rubbing backs, caressing muscles, grabbing butt cheeks.

With a huge sigh, catching his hot labored breath, Gerry softly said to Ted, “Let’s go to bed.”

Ted hesitated for a moment, expressionless, and looked Gerry straight in the eyes; then with a smile and a grin growing across his face, Ted said, “I thought you’d never ask.”

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