Something Else

I tossed my keys on the countertop in the kitchen and made my way to the fridge. I snatched one of the sports drinks from the shelf and guzzled it, welcoming its sweet flavor but mostly relishing in the hydration it provided. My skin still felt clammy, and my tank top clung to my body. It felt good to be back in my house with the air conditioning cooling my skin.

I could still remember times when a run made me feel weak and miserable. Now, I just felt recharged, ready to take on anything. I admired myself briefly, happy that I'd fallen into the routine of running after work. I took several more generous gulps of the sports drink before tossing the bottle into the plastic bin under my sink.

A shower sounded divine. I made my way for the bathroom, stripping down as I went, removing my sticky shirt and wiggling free of the little shorts I'd worn on my run through the neighborhood. I hooked a towel onto the hanger by my shower door and stepped through the glass into the refreshing water.

The shower was always my favorite part. I always bathed in cool or lukewarm water, and feeling it slide down my sleek skin was sublime. I could feel my muscles relaxing. The soreness in my legs slid down the drain. For a while, I didn't even wash. I just stared down at myself, basking in the sensations of my smooth naked body under the shower water. The decision to shave and remain so seemed better each day. I ran my hands across my hairless skin, infatuated with the way my fingers glided so effortlessly across my stomach, my thighs, and my arms.

I thought of what to make of my night afterward. Maybe I'd just lounge around and be lazy. I'd earned it. Between my busy work day, the awesome weather, and the successful run at the park, I was feeling great. I grinned, thinking of other, less healthy ways I could relax. The thought of my bag alone was enough to invoke a certain smell in my nostrils, even in the shower water.

When I was mostly dry, I combed my hair across to one side and felt the bristles of the shaven sides of my scalp on the sides of my head. That would need to be trimmed again soon. Still, my hair was neat and perfect. It seemed like the day couldn't get better. I made my way into my bedroom, still naked and using the towel to dry what droplets remained on my smooth body.

I noticed the little light on my phone on the bed where I'd tossed it. I checked the screen and realized that I'd missed a call. When I swiped open the screen, I couldn't keep the little smile from forming on my face. I'd have to return the call when I got dressed. It seemed as though my day would only get better.

For a time, I didn't bother putting clothes on. It felt too good to be in the privacy of my own home, alone and free. I brushed my teeth and went the extra mile to groom myself, knowing I was getting ready to leave the house again. I put lotion on my smooth skin, nothing fruity, but something that would make things feel better. I dashed a bit of sweet smelling cologne around my neck and other places, grinning to myself at the absurdity of it all.

A devious thought occurred to me, and I grabbed my phone without bothering to dress. I found the name in my contact list and dialed, listening to the dull ringing on the other end of the line. I paced around my bedroom, staring down at my smooth crotch, hoping that I hadn't truly missed the opportunity. Finally, I heard the sound of someone picking up.

"Bryce," the deep voice said flatly.

"Hey, Luke," I said. "Sorry I missed your call, man. I was out for a run."

"Eh, no big deal," Luke told me. "Wasn't sure you were off work yet."

I smiled at the lie and the way the gruff voice said it to me.

"Listen," Luke said, his deep voice growing even lower, "my god damn back is bothering me a bit more than usual this week. The shit I got isn't really doing the trick. You have anything for me?"

I glanced at my backpack in the corner near my bed.

"Um, I think I have something you may like," I said, trying to suppress my grin. "How much are we talking?"

Luke sounded annoyed and impatient, but I knew that was just his way.

"Nothing fancy or expensive, man," He said. "Just trying to take the edge off here. It's been a hell of a week."

I tried to keep the tone of my voice neutral and masculine to a certain extent. I knew how skittish Luke could be if things weren't just so. He was a hard read sometimes, and I knew I'd have to treat my next question with a bit of finesse.

"Sure, I think I can help," I told him. "Is Brenda okay with me dropping by for a bit?"

"She's leaving to pick up her sister from the airport," Luke told me.

I felt a flutter through my chest. I watched my bare smooth cock nod with life when he said the words.

"Even more reason I need your help," Luke went on. "Her damn sister will be here all weekend. That woman's voice is like a weed-wacker."

I played along. "I've never met her sister."

"Yeah, you'll wanna keep it that way," Luke said. "Trust me."

I snickered. "Um, what time is good?"

"By the time you get here, Brenda will be on her way," Luke said, his voice becoming slightly hushed.

I felt another nod from below but eyed the bag beside my bed. I walked over to it and squatted in the floor, aware of my nudity as I did so, rummaging through the contents hidden away in the inner pockets. I had to be sure I was ready. The small clear bag would be more than enough for Luke, I knew.

"Well, I'll tell you what," I said. I dared to tease just a bit. "I don't have plans anyway. Let me put some clothes on, and I'll see you in a few."

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line, but Luke responded in his usual flat tone.

"Sounds good, bud," He said. "I'll watch for you. See you in a few."

"Alright, Luke."

I tossed the phone aside, steadying myself to contain any building excitement. There was no need to get my hopes too high. Luke sounded even more exhausted and annoyed than usual. He didn't even throw me any zingers or dad jokes on the phone. Still, I couldn't help but feel as though the day had gotten better. It had been weeks since I'd hung out with Luke. It was just the thing I needed to end the day with.

I knew better than to think I'd need the entire bag, but it wasn't as though I were going to some shady part of town. Luke was just around the corner. I could leave the bag in the car if I wanted, without a worry. It just made me nervous to carry the whole thing with me. Luke would only want single baggie anyway.

My eyes were drawn as by some force to my bedside table. I chewed the side of my tongue gently, wondering if I should even try. He didn't sound so willing, and I could ruin things. Maybe it was exactly what he needed. Squatting there on the floor, I could feel the excitement travel down with gravity to what dangled between my legs.

I'd never know until I had the courage to try.

I quickly opened the drawer and took out the clear bottle, stuffing it into my bag without another thought. I made sure the decoy gym clothing obscured the other contents in the bag and zipped the thing up.

Now, there was only the matter of what to wear. I felt another nod below.

****

I drove about five miles under the speed limit, even though Luke's house was only two red-lights and a couple turns away. I didn't need any unnecessary attention. What a difference a short drive made. The big brick houses on his street seemed like mansions compared to my meager little home. All of them had perfectly manicured lawns and landscaping, and more than a few sprinkler systems had switched on for the evening. Several people were out walking along the sidewalk, with dogs on leashes, or pushing strollers.

Cruising at a minimal speed, I was able to spot a familiar vehicle heading toward me on the opposite side of the road. I tensed a bit when I saw the Armada, and even slid down in my seat when I recognized the driver. I was hoping we would pass one another without so much as a traded glance. I'd have no such luck. The Armada slowed as it came around the gentle curve in the road.

I met eyes with Brenda. I saw the recognition on her face.

"Great," I muttered to myself.

We'd only exchanged looks through our windshields for mere seconds, but those seconds lasted for the duration of my drive. The older woman had seen me, and she knew it was me. I couldn't get her expression out of my head. I saw the way her lips parted, the way her eyes had actually turned toward my car as I passed. I could only imagine what she was thinking.

I tapped my thumb on the steering wheel along with the music and tried to put the instance out of my head. It didn't work. Stopping by to see Luke wasn't a big deal. Brenda didn't hate me. That look told me so much, though. Why would I be passing her on her own road right as she departed? How coincidental could that really be? I wondered if she would turn around, just to see why I was stopping by, or if she was currently driving down the road as anxious as I was in that moment, wondering what the other person was truly thinking. She was on the way to the airport. Would she turn around?

No. Brenda wasn't that petty. She was actually a sweet woman. But I knew how strange it must have looked to pass me on her road. There was only one place I could be going. I knew she knew that.

I swung my car into the concrete driveway and put the thoughts out of my mind. For all Brenda knew, I was just stopping by to borrow a tool or something like that. I put the car in park right behind Luke's giant black truck. I climbed from the car, fetched my backpack from the backseat, and headed toward the large brick house.

Luke opened the front door and came out to stand between the towering white columns on the porch. The man was quite the towering figure himself. He was dressed casually in a pair of plaid shorts and a plain t-shirt, and I wondered silently how he even found shorts big enough to fit him. Luke was tall, a full head taller than I, and as he looked out across his huge yard while I approached, I felt so small and irrelevant.

He offered me one of his typical smiles, which was a forced, thin line that spread across his tired face.

"How's the traffic?" Luke asked, his voice booming across the yard.

I smiled and gave him a shrug.

"Not so bad." I measured my next words carefully as I came to stand below him at his steps. "I, uh... passed Brenda on the way in."

Luke waved a hand at me, dismissing the notion.

"Yeah, she's running late," He told me. "As usual. Tried to tell her the airport's gonna be horrible here in about an hour. Downtown traffic and all. Hey. She's a woman. What're you gonna do?"

I nodded, but kept my thoughts to myself. It was enough to know she was gone and wasn't likely to return.

Luke was already turning.

"C'mon in," he told me.

I slung my backpack a bit higher and followed the tall guy into his house. Luke and Brenda's home was immaculate as always. Just being inside of a place this nice made me want to stay here indefinitely. The furnishings were so big and lavish and inviting. I eyed the massive sectional sofa and tried to quell the memories that rose to the surface in my mind. At first I thought we might chill out there, but Luke kept walking toward the back of the house. I knew why. He was getting right to the point, it seemed.

"You want something to drink, Bryce?" He asked me, motioning toward the kitchen. "You're welcome to help yourself. I got beer out here if you want one."

The big man didn't turn as he spoke, making his way for the sliding glass doors that led to the back patio.

"I'm fine, man," I said, trying to sound casual. "Might have a beer with you in a bit."

When Luke pulled open the sliding door, I thought he might have to stoop to step outside. He was nearly as tall as the doors themselves, a fact that never ceased to amaze me. Just walking behind him made me feel small, and I wasn't even a short guy. I eyed the mountain of shoulder blades in front of me as we stepped out back onto the patio.

Well. Patio was putting it simply. The area sprawled out before us under a rooftop that hung over the seating area, which comprised of several patio chairs and an outdoor sofa. I shook my head, marveling at Luke's possessions the way I always did. The fire pit to the side was barren, though I could tell that the massive grill had been cleaned and prepared as though it would soon see use. Several cooking utensils and clean plates sat on the small countertop to the side of the grill.

I nodded toward the grill, though Luke still had his back to me.

"You don't have to cook for me, Luke," I told him jokingly.

He shook his head as he rummaged through a cooler beside the couch.

"That's for her sister," Luke told me. "At least we're not taking her out somewhere. That woman orders the most expensive dish on the menu just to piss me off, I think."

I grinned and took a seat at one of the patio chairs near the sofa, letting my backpack fall from my shoulder to the rug on the concrete at my feet. I watched the big man sink onto the couch, letting his huge legs sprawl out before him. Every part of him seemed so magnified, from his bare feet to his hands that came to rest on his long, meaty thighs. I kept my eyes averted for the moment, trying to stay focused. I heard him crack the can open and take a sip, before setting the can on the table in front of him.

"Well, I guess you got something for me?" Luke started.

I grinned and reached down, unzipping my bag and digging past the clothes.

"Yeah, I'm not sure how well it works as a painkiller," I told him. "But it's good stuff."

Luke rubbed his thick neck with a single hand, watching me as I produced the little clear plastic baggie. His weathered face seemed a bit weary, but his beady eyes lit up when he saw the baggie in my hand. I tossed it to him, and he caught it, turning it over in his hand to examine the contents.

"What is this called?" Luke asked me, not looking up. "Does it have some crazy name like the last stuff?"

I shook my head. "I think they call that

King Kush

or something. But no, it's not wild or anything. It's homegrown, no synthetics or anything like that. Just a mellow high."

Luke lifted his beady eyes to study me. For a second I felt as though I were in trouble.

"Homegrown, huh?" He said.

I rolled my eyes and offered him a smile. "Well, not like from around here. Don't go calling in any of your fed friends on me."

It was enough to make Luke grin. It was such a rarity to see that I took the time to admire him. His red hair was neatly combed back and gelled to remain so, and I could see that he was cleanly shaven. His narrow eyes only shone when he smiled that way. Luke was turning over one of the buds in his gigantic hand, putting it to his nose and inhaling.

Luke finally shrugged and reached over the arm of the couch to retrieve a flat tray from a basket on the ground. It looked like a dining tray of some kind. I shook my head when I saw him reach into his pocket to produce a pack of rolling papers and a lighter. He was an old school kind of guy, which was fine. It meant that I never had to worry about stuffing any additional paraphernalia into my backpack when I visited.

"What's it run?" Luke asked as he went about rolling the joint on the tray on his lap.

"Two hundred," I replied.

Luke raised an eyebrow, but kept arranging the weed in the tiny paper.

"For that little bag?" He asked.

"Inflation," I told him. "Don't worry there's enough to get you through the weekend, man."

Luke scoffed. "I don't know about that. You don't know Brenda's family."

Luke sealed the paper in his fingers with a quick lick of his tongue. Watching him do so made me shift in the chair. I glanced around the big back yard instinctively, making sure there was no one that could see us. The shape of the house and the overhanging roof hid us from any neighboring view.

"You in?" Luke asked me as he stuck the joint into his mouth and leaned into the flame of his lighter.

It was all the invitation I needed. I stuffed my backpack under the chair and stood. I rubbed my hands down the soft pair of shorts I wore and stepped by Luke's big bent knees to drop onto the couch beside him. I made sure not to sit too close, and I acted as casually as I knew how. The end of the joint blazed to life, and the rich aroma engulfed us both. Luke inhaled deeply and held his breath, easing his tall form back onto the cushions of the outdoor sofa. His arm came to rest atop the cushion just behind me, but I was careful to remain leaning forward with my forearms on my knees. Still, it was hard to ignore my building excitement.

I watched Luke blow out a long plume of smoke from his pursed lips. Immediately, his entire body seemed to melt deeper into the sofa. Sitting this close, I could see the weariness on his face. I saw the lines that pulled at the corners of his eyes and the gentle sag of the bags just beneath his eyelids. I distantly wondered how many decades would pass before I looked similar. I knew Luke hadn't been a slouch his entire life. At one time, he'd have been as fit as I was.

Luke took another deep draw from the joint and held it in. I waited, but he never coughed. Most people I knew would have been wrecked from a drag like that. I had to remind myself that Luke wasn't just some suburban rich guy. He was a man who had seen things all over the world. I couldn't help letting my eyes fall down his broad chest, and along his shorts. There certainly was quite a bit of man beside me. I could feel his very presence, contrasted against my slimmer form.

I blinked away the trance when Luke's hand offered me the joint. I took a few short drags, not trying to overdo it.

"How's work, Bryce?" Luke asked.

I shrugged. "It's work. I don't really have any thrilling stories of life as a phone salesman."

Luke chuckled. "I guess not. Ten years ago, I'd have told you that you got a sissy job or something like that, but man. You'll be way less sore later in life."

I glanced at him, noticing he was still reclined into the couch with his head lying back on the cushion. For courage, I took another drag off of the joint. When I blew out the smoke, I eased myself back, acting as naturally as I could. I allowed my body to relax into the cushions next to Luke, but my heartbeat was far from calm. I knew that his arm was still there. It was always so nerve-racking seeing how far I could go.

I was settled just beside Luke, not terribly close, but the proximity of his big forearm just behind my head was enough. Luke didn't seem to mind or notice. I extended the joint toward him, and he glanced down just long enough to pluck it from my fingers. As he put it to his lips, I dared to move again. My body shifted a bit closer to the tall man, and I rested my head back against his arm.

I waited for Luke to withdraw or challenge me. He didn't. I heard him taking another long breath of smoke. I relaxed a little, gazing up at the wash of colors in the sky. Burnt orange waves had begun to blaze along the bottoms of what clouds remained in the air. I spotted a few twinkling stars here and there. I let myself enjoy the moment, though my pulse was still thrumming in my ears.

"Ugh, fuck," I heard Luke say.

I tensed, waiting for him to slide away from me or tell me to do the same.

"What's up?" I asked.

Luke shook his head. "Just saw that plane and remembered we'll be doing some flying of our own soon. Got a gig up in Boston. I was really hoping to be done with traveling this year."

I spied the tiny blinking light moving across the sky. Luke went on about the event he was working, but I wasn't paying much attention. I relaxed and stared up at the sky for quite a while, then my eyes started to sink. I saw the joint pinched between Luke's fingers in his lap. My gaze kept moving, scanning over the man's big legs. Luke kept talking, and I kept picturing him without his plaid shorts. There was so much of him. I could never get over the sheer size and length of this guy.