“Hey, guys, thanks for picking us up!”
The weekend of the group trip to Kansas City had finally arrived. Alex and Jesse had worked hard to put together a trip that everyone would find enjoyable. The entire group had sounded excited about what was planned, and the weather looked great for the middle of May. So, with fingers crossed, they’d manage to pull the whole thing off.
Alex had originally planned on driving, but Rhys suggested that everyone would be more comfortable in his CRV. Alex eventually acquiesced. Secretly, he was kind of excited to be a passenger for once. Ian and Rhys met Jesse and Alex at Jesse’s apartment. It didn’t take too long for Jesse and Alex to come down from the apartment, each pulling a suitcase. Alex was carrying his seemingly ever-present messenger bag as well. After stowing their luggage in the back, Jesse and Alex hopped into the back seat.
Ian turned to the pair to say hello. He’d just opened his mouth to speak when he caught a glimpse of Alex’s face. Alex was sporting a black eye.
“Holy crap, Alex! What happened to you?” he asked. The comment was enough to get Rhys to turn around as well.
Alex quickly responded as his face turned red, “It’s not what you think.”
Rhys let out a whistle before saying, “That’s quite a shiner you’ve got there, my friend. Please tell me that Jesse didn’t do that to you.”
Jesse and Alex glanced at one another before Alex spoke. “No, Jesse is not abusive!”
“That still doesn’t answer my question, Alex,” responded Ian. “What on earth happened?”
Alex gave a look to Jesse that he hoped telegraphed, “Please don’t tell them!” Jesse understood the look but chose to ignore it and responded.
“No, I didn’t do it. Alex did it to himself.”
“To himself?” asked Rhys. “How?”
“Sorry, Alex,” said Jesse. “I’m just going to have to tell them.”
Alex buried his face in his hands, shaking his head as he did so.
“So, you know how you’re usually pretty sensitive after you, uh, receive a blow job?”
Rhys nodded in understanding as Ian replied, “For sure. I’m just too sensitive for anything else. I need to take a break.”
“Well,” Jesse continued, “Alex really likes that. Mind you, he is almost at the cusp of being too sensitive, so he can barely stand it as well. So, he generally yells and swears a lot, and pounds on the bed, or whatever. Well, sometimes when he’s so overly sensitive, he hits himself. And that’s what happened. I gave him a blow job that was so good, he punched his own lights out.”
By the end of the story, both Ian and Rhys were laughing nearly hysterically. “You do have sunglasses with, right, Alex?” Rhys asked.
“Okay,” Alex interjected, ignoring Rhys’ question, “now that you’ve had your fun at my expense, you know where we’re all meeting, right?”
“Yes, Alex,” Rhys replied, still having difficulty stifling his laughter as Alex began to rifle through his messenger bag. “We’re meeting at Sean’s place. And yes, I know where it is, too.”
Alex pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his bag before responding, “Good. Now we will speak no more of my black eye, right?”
“Alex,” Jesse responded, “somehow I think the group’s going to find out about your eye over the course of the weekend.”
“I know so,” Ian added. “In fact, they’re all going to know long before then.” After a few seconds of silence, he continued, “I just sent a text to everyone on the trip.” He then turned to the back seat, a wicked grin on his face.
“What!” exclaimed Alex. “You didn’t, did you?”
“Don’t you believe me?” Ian shot back. “Check your phone, Alex. I think you’re included in the group text.”
Alex quickly grabbed his phone and opened his texts. “You bastard!” he cried. Alex looked up from his phone, only to see Ian, his smile turned into a gloat. Alex offered Ian a one-finger salute, as Ian laughed at Alex’s expense. Jesse also struggled to suppress a giggle. Alex then turned to Jesse. “Et tu, Jesse?” he asked.
“Alex,” replied Jesse, “you’re going to look back on this one day and laugh.”
Once the travelers had all assembled at Sean’s house, Alex, who was now sporting sunglasses, held a brief meeting in the driveway before their departure. He’d chosen to ignore the snickers and giggles, and the occasional wisecrack as his friends arrived.
“Okay, guys, I want to give a brief rundown of our weekend ahead. But before we do that, I just want to get this over with.” He removed his sunglasses. Looking around at the group of men, he continued, “Get a good look. Ooh, Alex has a black eye! Ooh, what do you think happened? Let me remind y’all what happened. Not a one of you can say that you’ve ever, ever gotten a blow job so good that,” he pointed at his eye, “this happened.”
The laughter and comments ceased, except for one more comment from Anthony. “Burn!” A hint of a smile crossed Alex’s face as he put his sunglasses back on.
“Okay, here’s the plan for the weekend,” said Alex, referring to his notes as he did so. “This evening, we will head to our hotel, the Aloft Country Club Plaza. Just so you’re aware, drivers, parking is $24.00 per day, in addition to the cost of the room. I understand there is some limited free street parking close to the hotel if you’re trying to be thrifty. We’ll check in and freshen up. We have reservations at 7:30 at Johnny’s Jazz Bar and Grille in the Power and Light District, which is a few miles from our hotel. If you want to drive there and back, go for it, but if you are planning on having some adult beverages, you may want to consider taking an Uber or Lyft.
“Tomorrow, everyone is on their own during the day. If you’re not familiar, we’re staying in the section of town known as Country Club Plaza. This area was built in the 1920s as a suburban shopping center designed to be reached by automobile, the very first such development in the world. It now is known for its high-end retailers and a wide variety of restaurants. So, obviously, if shopping is your thing, everything should be within walking distance.
“Some other things to do that are in walking distance of the Plaza. If you’re interested in art, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art are both located just a couple of blocks east of the Plaza. Just a little farther to the south is the campus of the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Here, you’ll find the Kansas City Gallery of Art and the Swinney Recreation Center. If you’re interested in swimming or working out, you can pay to use that facility. Keep in mind, though, that although the Aloft does not have a pool, their fitness center looks phenomenal. Just a little farther down the street from UM-KC you’ll find the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures.
“You may want to return to the Power & Light District, which is on the edge of downtown. The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and something called ‘The College Basketball Experience’ are located here. If sports are your thing, you might be interested in that. There are also several bars and restaurants in the Power & Light District.
“Another nearby area you may want to explore is the Crown Center. The Crown Center is the headquarters for Hallmark, the company known for overpriced greeting cards and really bad made-for-TV movies. Sea Life Kansas City, an interactive aquarium, is in the Crown Center, as well as a few shops and restaurants. And no, I do not know what makes the aquarium ‘interactive.’ Nearby is the National WWI Museum and Memorial.
“In the 18th & Vine neighborhood, you’ll find more restaurants and bars. The Blue Room, one of the most famous jazz clubs in the world, is located here. It’s connected to the American Jazz Museum, and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is in the same building. There are other jazz clubs in this area as well. And if you’re disappointed that we didn’t head to Vegas, Harrah’s Kansas City Casino and Bally’s Kansas City are just on the other side of downtown. Everyone will be on their own for the day to do as you wish.
“Everyone should return to Country Club Plaza and the hotel by early evening. If you weren’t aware, Kansas City is known for its barbeque, so we’ll walk the four blocks to Jack Stack Barbeque, where we have dinner reservations for 7 pm. There are plenty of bars and lounges throughout the Plaza for entertainment after dinner, including a lounge in our own hotel.
“And if gay nightlife is your thing, our hotel is only about a mile from Westport, Kansas City’s LGBTQ neighborhood. There are many restaurants and bars in this area. Gay clubs in the area include Missie B’s and Woody’s, two large clubs with multiple dance floors. There are a few smaller gay bars, as well as a Hamburger Mary’s, a bar and restaurant which also has drag shows. Two more music venues are also located in this area, The Levee and Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise.
“Some of you are taking off to return to Des Moines on Sunday. For those who are staying until Monday, you’ll again be on your own during the day. We’ve got reservations for 7 pm at Fogo de Chão, which is a Brazilian steakhouse located in the Country Club Plaza.
“I hope you all are as excited as I am. So, everyone, drive safely, and I’ll see you at the Aloft in Kansas City.”
-----
One-and-one-half hours later, the caravan of cars and SUVs had just passed Bethany, Missouri. They were halfway to their destination.
“So, has Josh started his internship yet?” asked Rhys.
“No,” replied Alex, “he’s starting right after the Memorial Day weekend.”
“Is he going to be living with you for the summer, then?”
“He’s going to at least start out at our house, but I don’t think that he’s going to be living with us full-time. He’s been at home for a week now, and according to Cameron, his reception was chilly but has very slowly and steadily improved. I don’t know any more details, though.”
“Is he excited about the job?” asked Ian.
“Yes, I guess so,” responded Alex. “I hope he enjoys it.”
“Well,” commented Rhys, “you like it.”
“I like my job a lot. Things in the office have really been off, though. We just got a new branch manager, and I don’t think most people care for her. The only one that seems to like her is Jenny.”
“Now, is she the one who you have trouble with?” asked Jesse.
“She’s the one. Jenny and Judy, the new branch manager, seem to be two peas in a pod.”
After a brief silence, Alex continued. “I just found out this week that Jenny tried to get her daughter the internship position that Josh got.”
“Was she more qualified than Josh?” Rhys inquired.
“Definitely not,” Alex responded. “Her daughter is, I think, a psychology major. I’m not sure they’d have given her the position even if she was the only applicant. It is an internship, after all, not just a summer job. They want someone in a related field, you know, business, environmental studies, engineering. One of the reasons they offer an internship is to have a jump on at least one potential new employee. If the intern works out, the brass will offer them a job at the end of summer, starting when they finish their degree. If the intern likes the job, they’ve got it made. They already have a job lined up for after graduation.”
“Makes sense,” Ian noted.
“And each of our offices generally has one internship position every summer.”
“How many offices does your firm have?” Rhys asked.
“Oh, jeez, let me see…there’s Des Moines, obviously, plus our corporate office in Minneapolis. Then there’s Boston, Hartford, New York City, Philly, Charlotte, Tampa, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City. Oh, and Houston. That’s what? Eleven? Then we also have offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Ottawa, Ontario. Wow, I guess I never thought about it. We’ve got sixteen offices in total.”
“If your corporate office is in the Cities, why do you have a bunch of offices back East?”
“Scribner bought out another firm based in New York many years ago. That’s also the reason we’ve expanded into Canada. We acquired a Canadian firm about ten years ago.”
“So,” continued Alex, “Jenny’s been colder than normal. I mean, she’s never friendly with me or pretty much anyone else, for that matter, but she’s only glared at me the past two weeks. I always make sure to say good morning to her on days I’m in the office, mostly because I think it annoys her. She will usually respond grudgingly, but the past few weeks I only get the coldest glare from her. Well, this week I found out about Josh beating out her daughter for the internship. Then our receptionist, Carrie, tells me the new branch manager, Judy, tried to un-award the internship to Josh. Corporate found out about it and put a stop to it. Internships, and hiring in general, are handled out of Minneapolis.”
“Okay,” said Jesse, “are we done talking about work? We’re currently on vacation, and that means we’re on vacation from work, too. So, I really don’t want to talk shop until we return to Des Moines.”
“Aww, you’re no fun,” replied Alex.
“Uh, no, you’re the one who’s not fun, Alex. I know you’re going to keep checking your work email over the weekend, so you do you. I just don’t want to hear about it.”
Ian turned towards the back seat. “You know, Alex,” he said, “Jesse’s right. You need to unplug from time to time. All work and no play makes Alex a stressed-out mess. Seriously, though, it really isn’t healthy to be plugged in to work continuously.”
“Yes, I know,” conceded Alex. “It’s just hard to do. Plus, the workload doesn’t ever seem to be complementary to your personal life, either. I’ve really got a bunch of work to crank out in the next week, so taking a half-day today and a full day off on Monday didn’t really come at an ideal time.”
“You don’t work for yourself, Alex,” commented Ian. “Your company does have other employees, you know.”
“Except the work I need to crank out is for one client. A long-term client. Several years ago, they nearly dumped us because we couldn't get reports to them in a timely fashion. I bent over backwards to get a couple projects done for them. Ever since, they only want me to work on their projects.”
“And what happened the last time you had a bunch of reports due with a short fuse and a hard deadline, Alex?” asked Jesse. “Would you like to tell them, or should I?”
Alex shot Jesse a dirty look before answering. “I did something I’ve never done before.”
Rhys glanced in the rearview mirror, catching Alex’s eyes as he asked, “Well, what was it?”
“I fell asleep standing up.”
Both Rhys and Ian laughed. Ian asked, “Were you standing on one foot, like a flamingo?”
“No. I was standing on two feet at my work desk. I think I was so tired that I forgot to sit down. Suddenly, I felt myself falling. I grabbed onto my desk to keep from falling on the floor.”
“Alex,” Rhys responded, “you really need to know when to stop.”
“Oh, the thing is, though, I’m much better than I used to be. There are things I did for years that I am no longer willing to do.”
“Such as?”
“Such as leave home at 4 am, drive for five hours straight, work five or six hours, then drive five hours back, all in the same day. Or fly to the east coast or the one of the Gulf coast states, do a job, then fly back in the same day.”
“Cripes, Alex, that’s crazy,” said Ian.
“More like dangerous,” added Rhys.
“Oh, most definitely. I’ve nearly fallen asleep driving many times. Just one more benefit of singing when driving. I’ve already slapped myself in the face to stay awake, too.”
“So, let me get this straight, Alex,” commented Rhys. “You slap yourself when you need stimulation, but you punch yourself when you’re over-stimulated.”
Jesse and Ian cracked up at Rhys’ comment, while Alex’s face reddened. “Something like that,” he conceded.
“Okay, enough! Talk of work stops now!” exclaimed Jesse.
-----
Upon arriving at the hotel, the men congregated in the lobby as Alex went to the front desk to check the group in. They watched Alex speak animatedly with the desk clerk, only to dejectedly turn from the desk and walk back towards his friends, shaking his head as he did so.
“What’s wrong?” asked Jesse.
“I’m sorry, I’ve already fucked everything up.”
The men glanced nervously at one another as Jesse again asked, “well, what is it?”
Alex, who’d had his eyes closed as he continued to shake his head, opened his eyes and responded, “Okay, I’ve managed to reserve one too few hotel rooms, and the hotel is full.” He glanced sorrowfully at Jesse. Sighing, he then added “As Jesse and I have a room with two queen beds, I’ve got to ask for two volunteers to give up a single room and bunk with us.”
Alex had expected Rhys and Ian to volunteer, and they may have, except that Robbie raised his hand as if in grade school and quickly exclaimed, “Andrew and I will do it.” He then turned to Andrew and said, “That’s okay, isn’t it?”
Andrew glanced at Robbie and said, “I guess it will have to be, now, won’t it?” Robbie looked crestfallen. Alex thought he even saw Robbie’s chin quiver. Only a few seconds later, Andrew said, “Of course it’s okay, I’m just giving you a hard time, Robbie.” Robbie’s smile returned as quickly as it had faded.
“Thanks, guys, I really appreciate it,” Alex told Robbie and Andrew. He then glanced at Jesse and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
Room keys were distributed, and everyone headed to their hotel rooms to unpack and to freshen up for dinner. When they met again in the hotel’s lobby, Alex only heard positive comments about the rooms. “I’m glad you’re happy with the rooms, but make sure you thank Jesse, too. He had just as much input on the hotel as I did. Well, except for the actual booking of rooms. That fuck-up was all me.”
Jesse quickly pulled Alex to the side. “Alex, you’ve been so good. Please don’t do this.”
“What are you talking about, Jesse?”
“What I mean is you need to stop being so negative about yourself.”
Halfheartedly, Alex nodded in agreement.
“Now, we’re going to dinner at a jazz club, Alex. This should be the highlight of the trip for you, or at least one of the highlights. We’re here to have a good time. So, let’s go out with our friends, have a great dinner, then enjoy some music.”
-----
As they finished breakfast on Saturday morning, everyone in the group thought they should enjoy the warm, sunny weather and take a few hours to explore Country Club Plaza and maybe do a little shopping. Alex commented, “It’s been years since I was last here, but I remember there being a couple of high-end department stores…like a Saks Fifth Avenue and a Bloomingdale’s or Lord & Taylor. I was shocked to discover that there are no department stores left here.”
“Well, people are shopping differently than they used to,” said Jesse. “Tell me, what’s the last time you were in a department store?”
“I don’t frequently shop for clothes, but when I do, I generally hit Dillard’s and Kohl’s, and I also like Saks Off Fifth. You know I’m not much for shopping online.”
“Just goes to show you’re over the hill, Alex,” said Rhys. “Us young’uns don’t shop at department stores anymore.”
Though he remained silent, Alex gave Rhys a withering glare. Rhys saw Alex’s response and quickly said, “it’s just a joke, Alex!” Alex nodded in reply. “Sorry, Alex, I shouldn’t tease you about your age.”
The men gradually began to wander from the hotel, mostly in couples or small groups, with Alex and Jesse the last to leave. After walking for a few minutes, Jesse suddenly stopped. Alex took a few additional steps before stopping and turning back towards Jesse. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Do you have your heart set on shopping this morning, Alex?” Jesse inquired.
“Not really on shopping per se, but wandering around the Plaza should be fun. Why? Is there something you want to do?”
“Well,” Jesse replied, “we were supposed to have a room to ourselves.”
“I know,” Alex responded, “I still feel bad about that.”
“And why did we want to have a room to ourselves?”
“So, we could have a little additional fun of our own, so to speak.”
“And we can’t do that in the evening…but there’s no one in the room now.”
Alex’s eyes widened and a smile crept across his face. “I like the way you think, Jesse.” They turned and walked back in the direction of the hotel, much more briskly than they had been walking before.
By the time they reached the room, both were more than ready to enjoy their own private entertainment. Once the room’s door closed, they began to kiss aggressively, though the kissing was interrupted several times as they yanked off one another’s clothing.
Once they’d fully disrobed, Jesse smiled as he took Alex by the hand and led him to the bed. After they were next to one another on the bed, they again began to kiss, though the kissing now was much slower and gentle, not frenzied as it had been when they first entered their room.
The two kissed passionately for several minutes while rolling around on the bed, first with Jesse atop Alex, then Alex on top. Alex then broke away from Jesse’s lips to begin a slow and steady descent, with frequent, brief stops along the way, to kiss, lick, and gently bite various parts of Jesse’s body. Bypassing the ultimate prize, Alex began to playfully nibble at Jesse’s left thigh, then right, before beginning to work slowly upward.
While Alex was fully engaged in giving Jesse sensual pleasure, Jesse was completely lost inside a cocoon of sensory ecstasy. Both were so lost in their coupling that they never heard the key card disengage the lock. They never heard the door handle turn, or the door swing inward. The first time that they realized they were no longer alone was when they heard Robbie say, “I guess they had the same idea that we did.”
Immediately, Alex let out a muffled cry of horror, then leaped upwards from his position on the lower portion of the bed towards the headboard, quickly sat up, and spun around, attempting to cover himself with a pillow as he did so. A look of shock spread rapidly across Jesse’s face, who then sat up, but made no effort to cover himself.
Andrew spoke next. “You know, guys, you’re supposed to take this little sign that says, ‘do not disturb,’ and hang it on the doorknob.”
A smile spread across Robbie’s face as he added, “Or you could’ve just put a sock on the doorknob.”
Robbie began to giggle, then laugh. The laugh was contagious, spreading first to Andrew, then to Jesse. Finally, a smile crossed Alex’s face, which was now the shade of a MacIntosh apple.
After the laughter died down, Andrew said, “Guys, we’re really, really sorry to interrupt.”
“And Alex,” added Robbie, “you might as well put that pillow down, because I got a good view of everything.”
“Uh, would you like us to come back?” Andrew asked.
“No need, guys,” said Jesse. “I don’t think we’re quite in the mood at the moment.”
“I am really sorry,” Andrew repeated.
“No, there’s nothing to be sorry for,” Alex said, still holding the pillow over his midsection. “Maybe we should work out a schedule for the rest of the weekend.”
Robbie giggled, then turned to Andrew and asked, “Do you know what I’m thinking?”
Andrew nodded and said, “I think so.”
“Well,” Robbie replied, “should we ask?”
Andrew hesitated, then replied simply, “sure.”
Alex glanced at Jesse before turning back to Andrew and Robbie. “Ask us what?”
Andrew suddenly felt slightly bashful. He walked from in front of the door to the unoccupied bed, which he sat down on, facing Alex and Jesse. Robbie then walked over and sat next to his boyfriend.
“Robbie and I were talking a couple weeks ago, and, well, Robbie doesn’t have much experience. He’s only been with me. So, we were talking about his lack of experiences, and Robbie suggested that we, umm, maybe should, you know, uh…”
“No, Andrew, I don’t know,” replied Alex, confusion evident on his face.
“What Andrew is trying to say,” Robbie interjected, “is we were thinking of ways to give me a bit more experience. And we thought it might be interesting to either have sex with each other while another couple does the same thing next to us, or maybe even switch partners.”
Alex’s mouth fell open, unable to speak.
Andrew again found his voice. “When we were talking about couples that we might potentially do this with, well, your names came up.”
“Us?” asked Jesse. “Why?”
“We figured that Alex might be in the same boat as me,” said Robbie.
“And I didn’t think that you’d been with too many men, either, Jessie,” added Andrew. “So, we thought you might be interested, too.”
“I told Andrew I thought of it as an exercise in bonding,” commented Robbie.
“Now, I hope we haven’t offended you,” Andrew continued. “So please, if the answer is ‘no,’ please just say so and we will never mention it again.”
Alex was stunned when Jesse simply answered, “I’m game.” He then turned towards Alex to gauge his response.
After a few seconds of silence, Alex swallowed, then quietly asked, “You are?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“I…I just never thought, uh, well, that you’d be interested in something like that,” Alex sputtered.
Jesse gave Alex a quizzical look, surprised that he was unsure. “Alex, if you’re uncomfortable, I will understand, and I’m sure Andrew and Robbie will as well.”
“Totally, Alex,” added Andrew. Robbie, however, remained silent, simply looking at Alex with what could only be described as puppy dog eyes.
The three waited patiently, yet anxiously, as Alex processed what had been suggested, and which Jesse was totally open to. Several seconds passed before Alex finally spoke. “Okay, if we’re going to do this, I think we need to lay down some serious ground rules.”
“Okay,” Andrew responded, “what rules do you propose?”
“If we’re going to be with one another, firstly, I don’t think that sex should be involved.”
“Define sex,” Robbie quickly replied. “That can mean different things to different people,” he added.
Alex’s face, which had returned to a normal color, again began to redden. “You know, sex. Anal sex. Sex.”
“Not oral sex, then?” asked Robbie.
“No.”
“See,” said Robbie, “I, and I think a lot of people, consider oral sex to be sex as well. Sex is one of the words that makes up the term, you know. You seem to classify it differently.”
“Robbie, I can’t believe how matter-of-factly you’re talking about sex,” said Alex. “It makes me uncomfortable discussing it.”
“Why should it? It’s not something dirty. It’s completely natural. Everyone has certain sexual urges, Alex. If sex didn’t exist, our species would fail to reproduce.” He then added, giggling, “Granted, a certain percentage of the population have sexual needs that don’t really have anything to do with reproduction, like you and me.”
Alex still felt stunned. He glanced again at Jesse, who seemed to encourage him to get on with his proposed rules.
“Okay, umm, is this, like, a one-time thing? Is this going to happen again? And if so, how frequently?”
“I don’t think we should answer that question right now,” Andrew commented. “If we enjoy it, maybe we’ll do it again. I kind of doubt it but maybe even on a regular basis. But that’s only if we all enjoy it, and if we all agree that we want to do it again. So, maybe this will be the only time, too.”
“And to be clear,” added Robbie, “I am only suggesting we do this with all four of us present. Like I said, I think of this as a bonding exercise, but if I were to sneak off with one of you, and leave Andrew out of the picture, that would be totally wrong. It might strengthen the bond between two of us, but it would destroy the bonds we have with our current partners.”
“God, you’ve thought a lot about this, haven’t you?” asked Alex.
“Not really, other than when we talked about it a few weeks ago,” replied Robbie. “So, what other guidelines?”
“Well, what else is off limits? Is kissing off limits?”
“No, I don’t think so,” said Andrew, “unless, of course, you or Jesse want it to be.”
“Are you sure this will be a bonding exercise?” Alex inquired. “This isn’t going to drive a wedge in our friendship, is it?”
“I don’t intend it to,” Robbie replied, “but if you think it might, we’ll scrap the whole thing.”
Alex again turned toward Jesse. “You’re sure you’re okay with this? This isn’t going to become a problem between us, is it?” Turning back towards his friends sitting on the other bed, he added, “Or for Andrew and Robbie?”
“Alex, I really don’t think so,” replied Jesse. “If this is a one-time thing, we’ll be on equal terms with one another. We’ll have done the same thing, so it’s not like one of us really will have any justification for being upset with the other. And if we do it again, it will only be because we found it to be a healthy exercise. If it ends up bothering either of us one bit, we won’t do it again. But really, Alex, I think our relationship is solid enough that, even if one of us regrets what we’ve done, it’s not going to spell the death knell for you and me as a couple.”
Again, Alex thought for several seconds before responding. “Okay, if you all are good with it, I’m good with it, too.” He then asked, “Well, how are we going to determine who pairs up with whom?”
“So,” asked Jesse, “you’ve decided you don’t want to just watch Andrew and Robbie get it on?”
“I guess not.”
“I think Alex should partner with Robbie,” said Andrew.
Alex looked at Andrew quizzically. “You came up with that response quickly. It’s certainly fine with me, but may I ask, why?”
“Because Robbie’s got the kind of, you know, equipment that you like.”
Alex looked to Robbie, then back to Andrew, then back to Robbie again, when he suddenly realized what Andrew was cryptically referring to. A smile crept across his face as he replied, “He means you’re uncut, right?”
Robbie simply nodded and smiled.
“Wait,” exclaimed Alex, the smile suddenly gone from his face, “how do you know about that, Andrew?”
“Alex,” said Andrew, “don’t worry about it. After all, me knowing that worked out to your benefit, didn’t it?”
Alex nodded in agreement, then said, “Robbie, before we begin, I just want to make sure you’re okay being intimate with someone so much older than you. There’d have been teenage pregnancies involved, but I am technically old enough to be your grandfather. I mean, my son is older than you.”
Robbie giggled, then replied, “Age is just a number, Alex. Right now, when I look at you, I see someone who isn’t any older than my boyfriend.”
Alex smiled. Robbie clearly knew how to push Alex’s buttons. “Shit, how do I argue with that?” Alex muttered under his breath, before saying, “Okay, then, let’s get to it.”
Alex rose, suddenly completely at ease being seen naked, and went to Robbie. He took Robbie’s hand and pulled him up off the bed. “Here I am, naked, and you’re fully clothed. The first thing we need to do is take care of that.” He kissed Robbie on the lips gently as his hands found the top button on Robbie’s shirt. He slowly unbuttoned one, then two, buttons, kissing the newly exposed skin as it became visible, then returned his lips to Robbie’s. After a moment, however, he realized that, though Jesse had moved to the bed Andrew was on, both Andrew and Jesse were watching. “Guys, aren’t you going to do your thing? You’re making me feel like, I don’t know, like I’m cheating on Jesse.”
Jesse giggled and said, “You are not cheating at all. I’m right here, remember? And to be honest, I am really enjoying watching you. I guess I kind of find it a bit of a turn-on.” He then turned to Andrew and gave him a brief kiss before turning back towards Robbie and Alex.
“Who’d have thought that would’ve been Jesse’s kink?” Alex asked rhetorically, then once again placed his mouth over Robbie’s.
Once their libidos had been sated, the four lounged around for more than an hour, Alex and Robbie on one bed and Jesse and Andrew on the other, occasionally talking amongst themselves and occasionally gently caressing one another. The four remained naked, completely unconcerned about being exposed to one another. Jesse felt it was almost a breakthrough for Alex, becoming more comfortable with allowing his body to be seen by others. For that reason alone, Jesse thought their bonding exercise had been completely worthwhile. Alex was surprised that he did feel closer to both Andrew and Robbie and couldn’t believe how concerned he’d been about how his relationship with Jesse might fare after their tryst. More than once, he glanced at Jesse, lying on the other bed, and saw him smile in return. He knew their relationship was as solid as ever.
Alex suddenly sat up and glanced at the door. “Whew,” he said, then laid back down.
“What was that all about?” asked Jesse.
“I just wanted to make sure that Andrew had hung the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the outside of the door. I would definitely have been embarrassed if the housekeeping staff walked in on us like this.”
“To make doubly sure, I put a dirty sock on the door handle as well,” Robbie said. All four burst out laughing.
Posted 19 February 2025