Revised version copyright 2006 by the author.
PART FIVE: ROB AT MARSH'S HOUSE
Marsh had gone back to his house and to his little boy, promising to call when he had figured out a way we could be alone together. I stood at my front door for long minutes after he left. The best-looking, most desirable, least attainable man I had ever met not only was attainable, but seemed to return my feelings. Life was indeed good.
Or was it too good to be true? I remembered how those stories my friends had told me about married men had ended--badly, for the most part. I thought about Marsh's wife, and his son, whom I had befriended. I was about to get mixed up in their lives, whether they knew it or not, in a way that had plenty of potential to hurt them. It wasn't too late to pull back, to leave this family intact, to shut Pandora's box before too much mischief was made.
I walked to the living room, sat on the couch, and stared off into space for a long while. Finally, I picked up my cell phone lying on the endtable, in which I had carefully saved Marsh's number. I started to call him to say I had changed my mind. I finished dialing—and cut the connection before the call could connect.
At that moment, it rang. I jumped, startled, then looked at the caller ID display. It was Marsh. It seemed my body had already made up its mind. Without the slightest hesitation, my thumb pressed the "Talk" button, my arm brought the phone up to my ear, and my voice said, "Hello?"
"Hey guy," Marsh's deep, friendly baritone sounded in my ear. The effect was instantaneous. My breathing turned rapid and shallow, my heart thudded in my chest. A thrill coursed through my entire body and settled between my legs, hardening my cock in record time.
"Miss me?" he asked, his tone teasing, flirtatious.
"Yes, I do, terribly."
Unaware that I was telling the simple truth, he laughed softly. "Good. Listen, Rob, I'm awfully sorry, but it looks like it's a no go for tonight, anyway. I can't find anybody to take Jonah, or even to come over here and watch him on such short notice."
A lump rose in my throat. "Okay," I said. This was his way of letting me down gently, of telling me that he had changed his mind. I started to compose sane, sensible sentences in my mind, telling him that I understood and that it was all for the best, anyway.
"But--I got the mom at Jonah's preschool to take him for a few hours tomorrow. You know, the one who's going to be looking after him this week. Told her I had an emergency meeting at work. You could tell she thought I was crazy to be going in on a Sunday, but she bought it. So I'm free from eleven to two, if you want to come by. We'll have the house to ourselves, okay?"
This was my last chance to call it off. I opened my mouth not knowing what I was going to say.
"Okay."
Marsh sighed with what I realized was relief. "Thank God. I was so afraid you were going to change your mind. I wish it was tomorrow right now."
"I do too, Marsh."
"Sweet man. Gotta run and give the little guy some dinner. Sleep tight tonight, okay? I'll be dreaming of you--just hope it won't be a wet dream so I have to change the sheets."
I laughed. "You're crazy."
"Crazy for you, stud. Bye now."
Slowly I put the phone down and began pacing through the house, vibrating with excitement, wanting to run, shout, jump in the air, tear my clothes off, do something insane. How was I going to get through the long dreary hours until tomorrow morning?
I tossed and turned in my bed that night, unable to fall asleep, even after masturbating fiercely to images of Marsh naked in his armchair, his running shorts down around his ankles, groaning as he filled my mouth with his salty seed. Still, I finally must have slept a little, because the next thing I knew I was opening my eyes and seeing the dim gray light of dawn filtering into the bedroom.
I glanced at my bedside clock: seven-thirty--still more than three hours left before I could be with Marsh. Rubbing the soap over my body in the shower brought anticipation rising in me again, along with my cock. I thought about jacking off again but resisted the urge. After coffee and a quick breakfast, not knowing what else to do, I put on my running shoes and set off for a quick jog around my neighborhood, ending up at the cinder track at the high school nearby. The morning air was still and humid, and no one else was around. Despite everything I began to enjoy myself. By the time I felt exercised out and began to walk home, it was well after nine o'clock and beginning to get hot.
I got home sweaty and tired, and took another shower. When that was done I sat in the living room and tried to do some work on my laptop. My lack of sleep the previous night was beginning to catch up with me and I found my eyes falling shut. After a while I gave in to the urge, shut off the computer and stretched out on my couch. I woke with a start some time later, seized with fear that I had overslept. Hurrying into the kitchen, I saw to my relief that it was still ten minutes before eleven.
Marsh's Blazer was not in the driveway--he must have left to drive Jonah over to his baby-sitter's house. I sat on the front steps of his house for a while before I began to feel conspicuous. I made my way around to his back yard and sat in a folding chair on the wooden deck, in a patch of shade. It was very warm by now and I began to feel drowsy again. I didn't want to fall asleep in case he came back, but despite myself my eyelids grew heavy, and my head began to nod...
A hand was shaking me gently. "Rob?" someone said.
I struggled out of the fog of slumber to see Marsh's face filling my vision. I grunted in mild surprise, then yawned. "Sorry," I managed. "I must have fallen asleep."
"Boy, you were out," Marsh said, smiling. "I was just about to try a splash from the garden hose. I came back late--was worried that you had given up and gone home, but you weren't home. So then I come out back and here you are, sleeping like a baby. Kind of cute. Reminded me of Jonah."
His hand was still on my shoulder, rubbing it gently. "Want to come in, neighbor?" he asked softly.
