Scott and I said our goodbyes and drove off back to Manhattan. I reached over and took Scott's hand. "I was totally unprepared when Dad congratulated me on our marriage. I'm glad you told him, but it was a shock. We both were busy bearing our souls to our parents, me with Mom and you with Dad. She had suspected I was gay for some time. It sure made it a lot easier, believe me. I can't begin to tell you how elated I am that Mom and Dad know about us. I feel so relieved that it is in the open and we don't have to pretend with them any longer."
"It has been a wonderful Christmas," Scott said. "The only problem was I wanted to be alone with you Christmas Eve. If we both weren't so beat, I would have taken you to a motel and made love to you. I see everything in a different way now since I've fallen in love with you, Jarv. I wanted to hold you, or touch you and do all the things that lovers do. I'm only sorry for the heartache you were going through all those years. We could have become lovers back then. Of course, my shrink thinks the timing would have been bad. He is of the opinion that we weren't ready to become a couple three years ago. We needed those years to mature."
"Do you mind telling me," I asked, "when you knew you were in love with me?"
"The last time we were together. It's kind of all jumbled together in my mind, baby."
"You tell it any way you want. I'd like to hear it, sweetheart, I'm all ears," I said.
"My shrink told me that you had the classic profile of a homosexual from the very beginning. He went on to tell me that it was not unusual for two boys to form a strong bond, under similar circumstances. Fortunately, our age difference was ideal. You were looking for a male influence to substitute for the relationship you had with your father. In your mind, I was the one you turned to without hesitation. I became your big brother, your protector, your best friend and your hero all wrapped up into one person.
"Emotionally, I was a basket case after my mother died," Scott continued. "Going through puberty at the time compounded my problems. The added burden of being uprooted from my home and thrust into a completely new family environment was not easy for me. According to the doctor, I was lucky. Our parents did the right thing in allowing us enough time to become acquainted before they announced their marriage plans. Their second perceptive move was to pair us together. Of course, Joy was too young to be seriously affected by the move; in fact she was better because of it."
"The affection you showered on me was infectious and something I needed. Your constant praise opened the door to a true and lasting friendship between us. The breakthrough came that night when you woke me from that horrendous nightmare. That was the worst night of my life and I felt completely alone. Yet, you knew instinctively what to do and what to say. I will never forget you for that. I don't remember crying that hard when my mother died. When I awoke the next morning, the heavy cloud of grief had lifted and I felt better. There you were still cuddled up in my arms sound asleep. We bonded as brothers from that day on."
"Kind of reminds me of the last time we sleep together in your apartment," I said.
"As our friendship grew, the bond between us became stronger. I knew you were not interested in sports, yet I felt that you should become more involved with guys your own age. You were too laid back and I felt that playing competitive sports would make you more aggressive. You must remember the hours we spent together at the athletic field while I taught you how pass and catch a football. Not to mention the hours we spent running around that track."
"I knew you weren't a happy a camper, but by the same token, I knew you would do it to please me. You're tenacious, Jarv, once you make up your mind to anything. Sports became another challenge to you. Naturally, you became the star quarterback and led your team to victory in your senior year. You excelled in every sport you played, even surpassing my all time record."
"You can still beat the pants off me at tennis. But, I was proud of you, Jarv, and I always wanted you to succeed, because you were special to me and I loved you. We always had great times together. I found that I missed your companionship and wished you were my roommate at Cornell. You spoiled me for any other roommate, no one could compare with you. All my roommates in college were super guys, but none of them could hold a candle to you."
"Knocking around with you was great and I never found the same companionship with anyone else, male or female. We never needed other people around to enjoy ourselves. My feelings for you have never changed. That trip to Florida made me realize that my little brother had turned into a handsome young man. I never told you this, but I could not take my eyes off you that last night in Richmond. You were absolutely beautiful. I know, you're not supposed to say that of a man, but, baby, you are."
I nodded as he went on, "I was delighted that you wanted to continue our close relationship after that. Which brings us up to four months ago. Your confession really caught me off guard that weekend. It had to be the most emotionally charged weekend I've ever spent with you. It was heart breaking to see you suffering like that. I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing you again and I was completely devastated when you left. I loved you, Jarv, and I could not bear the thought of losing you. You made the right decision in telling me that you loved me. That's when I began to examine my own sexual orientation. I wasn't completely honest with you that Sunday morning. You turned me on that morning and I wanted to make love to you, but I was afraid. I didn't want to push it, knowing the way you felt about me. You see, baby, I was falling in love with you, but again, I had to be sure."
"Are you bisexual?" I asked.
"I don't think so," Scott said. "Right now I'm Jarvsexual. I was never in love with Margot, or with any other girl I ever dated. I dated because it was the thing to do. I enjoy the company of women. Margot and I agreed on a marriage of convince. Her father was to buy a practice for me when I became board certified in my specialty. Of course, we were going to have an open marriage but act like any other married couple. That is why I wasn't concerned about Margot cutting me off from the family. The reason I didn't go ahead with the marriage was because of you. When I saw what a bitch Margot could be, I wasn't about to let her turn on you. She would have made our lives a living hell."
"According to my shrink, I've always been in love with you, Jarv. But, I wouldn't face the reality of being gay. When you developed into this gorgeous creature my feelings toward you changed and I began to understand my lack of interest in the opposite sex. Subconsciously, I was courting you and that's why I wanted to spend more and more free weekends with you. I'll tell you one thing, Jarv, these four months have been purgatory for me. I tried so hard to see you. Thank God, they keep me so busy every day, or I don't think I could have survived. You don't know how many times I was tempted to walk out and drive over to Princeton to tell you how I felt. Then, there you were last night, and all the anxiety melted away. I felt happy for the first time in months. I felt the magic again the moment I kissed you."
"Thank God, you told me last night," Jarv said. "Because, there was no way I was going to sleep with you last night. Not after the last time."
I turned onto the JFK exit ramp. "Why don't I drop you off at the Delta gate with the bags and you can check us in while I park the car. No sense lugging the bags from the long-term parking area."
"Sounds like a plan."
Our flight to Atlanta was smooth and we landed at Hartsfield International ahead of schedule. We took the Ritz Carlton limo to the hotel, checked in, and went to our suite.
"This is a delightful hotel, everything is first class," I said.
There was a bouquet of red roses in a cut glass vase. A bottle of champagne was chilling in the ice bucket and next to it, two glasses sat on a silver tray on the coffee table. An envelope was resting against the glass addressed, 'To Jarv and Scott'.
Scott opened the envelope and read the card, 'We wish you a long and happy life together, with all our love and best wishes, Mom & Dad.' He handed the card to me.
"Wasn't that sweet of them?" I embraced Scott and kissed him tenderly. "Let's unpack first, have a glass of wine and then make out."
We unpacked the clothes and hung the suits in the closet. Scott closed the draperies and sat on the bed, watching as I finished up sorting out my clothes. I walked over and took his head in my hands and kissed him tenderly. Scott stood and began undressing me between kisses. I reciprocated until we were naked. He pulled the covers back on the king-size bed and had me lay down. Then he turned me on my back and straddled me just below the hips. He stared passionately into my loving eyes for several seconds, then leaned forward and kissed me tenderly.
"I've been waiting for this moment for months. I've rehearsed over-and-over in my mind how I would make love to you. I want to taste and kiss ever inch of your beautiful body. You are ten times more radiant than I dreamed. You're beyond belief, my love."
He kissed me tenderly from my head down my body. He did not rush, he savored every inch. I moaned softly as he moved down the length of my body. I was lightly running my fingertips over his body and tried to reach up to his groin, but he stopped me. He spread my legs and kissed the inside of my thighs and began to concentrate on the groin area. Scott kissed and tongued the area until he had me moaning with pleasure.
"Scott, I can't wait any longer. I need you inside me, now."
He prepared us both and positioned himself over me, pulled my legs over his shoulders and inserted himself. Slowly he moved into me until he was deep inside and waited as I adjusted to his entry. I began to rotate my hips and moan with pleasure. Scott began to thrust slowly as he leaned forward and kissed me passionately on the lips. He began to make love; it was a long, gentle and sustained journey to a wonderful place of joy and pleasure. We became as one in the most sustained orgasm we ever experienced as a couple. Scott was so spent from the experience that he collapsed on me, completely satisfied. We fell asleep in each others arms with Scott still inside me.
"Good morning, Carnabee, Carter and Darlington ", the operator said.
"Mr. Darlington, please," I said.
A moment later, "Mister Darlington's office."
"This is Jarv Purdey, may I speak to Todd, please?"
"Mr. Darlington is in a meeting. Would you like to leave a message, Mr. Purdey?"
I gave her my telephone and room number at the Ritz Carlton. "Tell Todd this is his old buddy from Y&R."
"I'll make sure he gets your message, Mr. Purdey."
Todd returned my call twenty minutes later and arranged to meet me in the lobby at the Peachtree Plaza Hotel at eleven thirty.
I took the MARTA train to the Peachtree Plaza. I was early and took a seat to wait for Todd, scanning the newspaper ads to pass the time. I looked up when I heard a familiar voice say my name.
"Jarv?" Todd said.
I smiled, and shook Todd's extended hand. "Hello,Todd, it's good to see you again."
"You haven't changed a bit, I would have recognized you anywhere," Todd said. "Still as handsome as ever. God, it's good to see you again, what brings you to Atlanta?"
"I'm looking for a job. I'll be graduating from Princeton in six months and I'm down here checking out the Atlanta market."
"Let's find a quiet spot and have lunch," Todd said.
After we were seated and had ordered our lunch, Todd asked, "Who have you contacted so far, Jarv?"
"Several agencies. I have two offers at hand, one from Y&R, and the other with Tucker Wayne. I'm scheduled to interview with BBD&O and J.Walter Thompson tomorrow."
"That's not bad at all; you must be good if the big boys are interested in you."
Jarv smiled, "I should have brought a copy of my résumé along, but, that's not why I wanted to see you, Todd. I wanted your opinion on the most creative agency in town."
"Sure, but first, tell me what you've been up to since we last met."
I told him what I had been working on in the last two years, and about my agency and the expected gross for the next six months.
Todd smile and shook his head, "Same old Jarv, I knew you would be a tiger. That's quite an impressive record for a twenty year old. Level with me, Jarv, why are you looking at the Atlanta market? Why not the stay in the big Apple where all the big boys play on Madison Avenue? You obviously have the talent."
"I'm moving to Atlanta with my brother, Scott. He plans to become a specialist and will be attending Emory University Medical School. I though that I'd like to explore this market and make my move to the big Apple after I've made my name in this market."
"Before you accept any offer, I want you to come and talk to me first. I need a creative young tiger like you to work for me, Jarv. I'm looking for a man I can train to take over my job, would you be interested?"
"Yes, I would, Todd, I'll send you my résumé when I return to Princeton. If you like what you see, we'll talk again in June. If you plan to be back in New York within the next six months, I'd like to get together again.
"That's even better; I'm in New York quite often. Send that résumé and we'll talk again. God, it good to see you, this was a pleasant surprise."
They finished lunch and headed for the lobby. "Our offices are across the street. I'd give you the Cook's tour, but I have a meeting in a half hour."
"You can impress me the next time I'm in town. I really appreciate your seeing me on such short notice, Todd. It was like old times having lunch with you again, it was great."
Scott awoke first as the sun was rising. He turned me on my back and kissed me on the forehead neck and cheek until he had my attention. "Good morning, my love," Scott said. He laid on top of me and kissed me passionately. We stayed locked in that embrace a while and then Scott rose up. He ran his hands over my muscular chest and kissed his way down my neck and beyond, stopping to suck each nipple. I softly moaned as I ran my fingers through Scott's hair, encouraging him in his efforts.
"God, this is hot," Scott said. "I don't think I will ever get enough of you. I can't believe we're leaving this afternoon for New York. Where did the time go? I never knew making love with you could be so satisfying. This has been a wonderful honeymoon. I've never felt this deeply about anyone in my life before, you're absolutely the greatest!"
"But, I'm starving, are you ready for breakfast?" he asked, kissing me. "Your doctor suggests that you shower and dress, Mr. Purdey."
Scott rolled off me and headed for the shower himself. He was blow-drying his hair as I took my shower. We dressed and then walked across to Lennox Square for breakfast. "What's on the agenda for today?" I asked.
"If you're happy with that high-rise apartment we looked at on Lennox Road yesterday, we should stop by the rental office and sign the lease," Scott said. "Then we can swing by Macy's furniture gallery and pick out a new bedroom suite. They can make arrangements to have it delivered before we return in June."
"I'm not completely satisfied with the apartment, but it's the ideal location for both of us right now," I said. "We can look around for another place to live after we learn more about Atlanta.
"I'm glad you were able to talk to that gay real estate agent," Scott said. "I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that Atlanta is gay friendly. I was really impressed with the new homes he showed us in the burgs. You sure get a lot of house for the dollar here compared to Long Island. I would like the idea of having our own tennis court and swimming pool. All it takes is money, baby, and you know our joint income will be high in a few years."
"I know we'll be earning plenty, baby. It's going to be fun planning our future together. We're really starting off better than a lot of married couples. We don't have to contend with that period of adjustment, we know each other like a book." I smiled and looked into Scott's eyes, "At least I thought I knew everything about you, but this past week has taught me otherwise."
"God, I love you so much, Jarv. Stop looking at me that way; you're giving me an erection. I won't be able to stand now. When we get back to New York I'll still have two day's left from my vacation. After we make a stop at my apartment to pick up my car, we'll head for your apartment in Princeton."
"Should we open up a joint bank account today before we leave?" Scott asked.
"Good thinking," I replied. "If junior is behaving himself, let's do it right now."
"Jarv, you've always been good at managing money and taking care of the bills. Would you mind handling the money part from now on?
"That's fine with me; I'll have my accountant set up a joint account for us. He can set it up on my computer and I can enter everything in the account every week. "
"Since we're a married couple, I think we should think in terms of what's ours," Scott said. "From now on every major decision must be a joint one, whether it is about money, moving, homes or cars. We can work out a budget and stick to it. Our marriage should be no different than any other couple starting out. So many factors enter into the equation now that we're married. You should open the joint account in Princeton for now. I'll have my trust fund deposits and my payroll checks deposited directly into the new account. We should have our own credit card account as well."
"I think that's a good idea," I agreed, "we may want to look into forming a personal corporation. I didn't know you had a trust fund."
"Mom set it up for Joy and me before she died. My grand parents invested their money wisely and left a substantial estate to my mother, which was passed on to us. It's set up in such a way that my dad receives a monthly income for life, in addition to the money needed for our support. The income from my half of the trust reverted directly to me when I graduated from college. When I reach my 30th birthday, half of the principle will be turned over to me."
"You're right about being ahead of most married couples our age," I said. "Your mother was a wise woman. Do you have any idea how much your half of the trust is worth?"
"No clue at all, I'll find that out when I'm thirty. All the trustee would say was it was substantial. If I need anything over and above my monthly allowance it is usually forthcoming."
"And here I thought I was going to work my ass off to support us in the manner in which I want to live in the future, my handsome prince," I said. "It's comforting to know that all the heartache and disappointment are behind us now. Gone are the days of wondering how I would exist without you. Today, for the first time in three years, I can honestly say I'm truly blessed. I couldn't be more confident about our future together. My mind is free to concentrate on my career. I know we will have a long and wholesome life together."
"How could I've been so blind about you for so long?" Scott said. "My shrink was right; he said it would have been just a matter of time before I realized how much I loved you."
"Well, here we are again," I said, as we pulled into the underground parking garage at Scott's apartment building. We unloaded his bags and took the elevator up to his apartment. I helped him to unpack his suits and hung them the closet. While I was doing that, Scott in turn packed several changes of clothes he would be leaving at my apartment.
"Okay, I'm ready," Scott said.
"I'm taking your dirty laundry with us," I said, "I have a washer and dryer in the apartment. Do you have any more laundry that needs to be washed?"
"Funny you should ask, I have about two weeks of dirty clothes in my closet," he said, as he pulled out two large pillow cases of laundry.
"Lord, are you telling me you've acuminated this much soiled laundry in only two weeks?"
"I'm a very clean person, baby. I sometimes have to change three times a day, if I'm covering two shifts. I'll need to follow you in my car over to Princeton, you lead the way and I'll be right behind you. It's okay if we get separated on the Turnpike, we'll hook up at the Princeton exit at the other side of the toll booth. You can lead the way from there."
"That sounds like a plan," I said. "Let's do it."
Sure enough, Scott was ten minutes behind me when I reached the toll booth. The traffic was light on the local roads and we made it to the apartment without any problems. We pulled into the parking garage under the building.
"That was painless," Scott said. "Here, let me take those bags, you'll hurt yourself trying to carry all that stuff."
We took the service elevator to the 14th floor and carried the bags into the apartment and unpacked.
"You were right about this apartment, Jarv, it's really nice. It must be costing you a bundle."
"At twelve hundred a month, it's actually very reasonable for this location. Since I'm using this place for the business, I'm able to charge part of it off. I had considered renting office space downtown, but I couldn't find any decent space for a short term lease."
"Tell you what, baby," Scott said, "You don't have to guess where I'll be spending my spare time from now on. Speaking of which, I should call the hospital and see what my schedule is for the next two weeks."
"While you're doing that, I'll check with my answering service."
Scott was watching the sports network when I returned and sat next to him, and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled, and put his arm around me and pulled me close. "I love you, baby, and this apartment is definitely you. It is decorated with taste and understated elegance. I understand what you meant about never going back to the way you used to live. I promise you that I will never allow you to live that way again. I'm going to make sure we live like this in the future. I want the best for you, Jarv, and I'm willing to work hard to see that we have it. It might take me a little time to get established, but we're are going to do just fine.
"I know we are, sweetheart. I have no doubt that you will become a successful doctor. Mom told me that your professors at Cornell felt that if you had continued with your present course, you would end up at the top in your field. Mom feels that you can be one of the best. Why do you think I married you?" I asked, taking his head in my hands and kissing him tenderly.
"We both want the same things out of life and there's no reason why we shouldn't have the best of everything," Scott said. "We're intelligent and hard working, and know what we want. The money will come, believe me. Now, according to my schedule, I'm off next Friday and Saturday, so you pick the night you want to have dinner with Bobbie and Dan. I'm due back at the hospital seven o'clock Sunday morning."
"I'll set it up for Friday night," I said. "Saturday will be our day, maybe we'll spend the whole day in bed. By the way, would you like to meet Justin and Glen?"
"That's fine with me," Scott said. "I've always wanted to meet Justin."
"Good, I'll invite them over for dinner tomorrow night if they're available."
Scott turned off the TV and pulled me into his arms and kissed me. He unbuttoned my shirt and kissed my neck and chest. He ran his hand down my stomach to my groin. There he felt my erection under the layers of clothing. "I love the scent of your body and the taste of your skin, my beautiful lover."
"I love you so much," I said, "let's turn off the lights and go to bed." Arm-in-arm, we walked into the bedroom and undressed each other and embraced. I lifted his head and kissed him, probing his mouth with my tongue.
As we slid into bed, I asked Scott to lie on his back, "Just relax, baby, and let me make love to you," I told him. I spread his legs and applied some lotion to his body, starting with his long muscled legs, and then working up his body. I kissed and nibbled on his chest and nipples and back down his abs to his groin. I returned to the erogenous area between his thighs and licked and kissed him until Scott began softly moaning and rotating his hips. I could see that he was close, so I backed off. I placed a pillow under his buttocks, pushed his legs up and apart. This gave me full access to his most erotic area where I licked and nibbled until he begged me to enter him.
I got us both ready and slowly penetrated until I was deep inside Scott. I paused until he nodded for me to proceed. As I started to thrust, I took Scott's erection in my hand and stroked him in time with my thrusts. Scott was really excited and he locked his legs behind my back, pulling me deeper into him. We locked in a passionate kiss, tongues probing each other. Scott had locked into me completely, and reached a level of sexual pleasure he never thought possible. I took him to a higher plateau.
He gave me full control of his body. He could feel the orgasm begin from deep within his groin and overtake his entire body as he felt my thrusts increase, until the most marvelous feeling took control of him and he let out continuous low groan, "Jarv! ... I love you." As I felt his orgasmic contractions, I was pushed over the edge and exploded deep within him.
I lay on top of Scott and kissed away the tears that were running down his cheeks. He wrapped his arms around me and we didn't move or say another word.
It was 6AM when Scott opened his eyes. I was sound asleep lying next to him. He smothered me with kisses until I awoke. "Good morning, Jarv. I wanted to thank you for last night. It was just the best sexual experience ever; I couldn't speak after that, you completely overwhelmed me. You are one hot dude; I never thought sex could be this gratifying. Every time we make love, I think it can't get better than this, but it does."
"You don't realize how sexy you are, Jarv. The effect you have on me is wonderful, you're the best. Don't ever leave me, Jarv. It would kill me if another man ever touched you. My life would be nothing without you. I want to fly to Hawaii and marry you, what do you say?"
"As far as I'm concerned we are married. If you want a wedding ceremony I know of a gay church in New York where we can have a commitment ceremony performed, if that is what you want. You're the only man for me, Scott. I've been in love with you since childhood; there can never be anyone else. The guys I've sleep with were only for sexual release. You are the only man I've ever loved and that will never change. Yet, as much as I love you, Scott, I would leave you in a heart beat if you were ever unfaithful to me. That is the only thing I could not bear."
"Jarv, I love you and that will never change. I will never be unfaithful to you."
"We have a full day ahead of us," I said, "let's hit the shower and start acting like a married couple. This is the best time to go to the super market, they should be empty now. I'll run to the market while you take care of the laundry." I kissed Scott and headed for the bathroom.
A while later, I returned loaded down with groceries. After storing them away, I prepared breakfast. "Looks like you made a dent in the laundry. I'll make a run to the dry cleaners later. My cleaning lady will be in after lunch. We should call Mom and Dad after breakfast. They'll be anxious to hear about our trip."
"Yes, I did promise Dad to let him know how everything turned out," Scott said. "You'd better call Bobbie and set something up for Friday night. You know what social animals they are."
"Yes, dear, I'll call her while you're cleaning up the kitchen, now sit down and eat."
Scott smiled, "Yes, sir! Funny, I don't remember you being quite so bossy."
I laughed, "You bring out the beast in me."
"You're not into whips and leather are you?"
"No, I have other ways of keeping you in line that are just as effective."
After breakfast I called Bobbie and chatted about our trip, and confirmed dinner for Friday night. I returned to the kitchen and helped Scott tidy up. "Let's sit in the living room and call the folks."
Dad was the only one home when Scott called, Mom was at the office. "Atlanta is great, Dad. We fell in love with the place. It's very clean and the natives are friendly. It's a refreshing change from the rough and tumble life of Manhattan. We signed a lease on a great two bedroom apartment in an upscale neighborhood near Lennox Square."
"It sounds like you did well," his father said. "I assume everything went well at Emory?"
"Quite well, Dad. I didn't even bother to visit the University of Alabama after talking to the people at Emory Medical. I was impressed with their program and with the tremendous support they receive from their alumni and the community. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of Cornell Med-school grads attending Emory, it felt like old home week. They really know how to make you feel welcome. We had a great time and meet some charming people at the dinner and the New Year's Eve party. It was really a refreshing change from what I'm used to. Mom would go crazy over their Children's Hospital, it's really super."
"I'm glad that everything worked out for you both," his father said.
"Jarv and I thought your gift was very thoughtful, again, thank you so much. Well, I've got to run, give our love to Mom. Love you."
"I'll try to reach Mom at the office," I said. "She will be disappointed if I don't call her." I placed the call to her office, but she was with a patient.
Mom returned the call a half hour later. "Hi, Mom, thanks for getting back to me. I know how busy you are. Scott and I wanted to thank you for the gift you and Dad sent us. I'm sorry I didn't have the chance to break the news to you myself on Christmas Day. I had no idea Scott had mentioned this to Dad until we were ready to leave for the airport."
"I understand, Jarv. I'm not going to ask you if you're happy, from the way you sound, you seem very happy. Naturally, your news came as a big surprise. Your father still can't believe Scott is gay. It's going to take time for him to make the adjustment. Quite frankly, I'm relieved. At least I don't have to worry about you two getting AIDS. This is not to say, that you're going to have an easy time of it, I mean being gay, but you're both strong and can face any problems together. The fact that you're brothers, will help a lot."
"Thanks for your blessing, Mom. You and Dad are super and we both love you."
"I've been a lucky mother to have two wonderful sons. How did you like Atlanta?"
"It's a great city. We have decided to settle there, at least until Scott receives his board certification. I had some very promising interviews. If fact, Y&R offered me a job on the spot and would like me to start on June 15th. Look, Mom, you must have an office full of patients. I'll call you at home later when you have more time to talk. Love you, Mom."