Let It Beatle

Love, Love Me Dude-9

I decided to do a bit of paperwork and check on the units while he took a shower. Before I left, I laid out jeans and a shirt for him to wear while he spent the day with me. We were about the same size.

The frigid air felt good on my body as I walked around the building toward my office. My mind was busy with thoughts of a future with my former employee. It made me smile to think he’d been right under my nose all along, and I had almost lost him because of my own blindness and hang ups.

When I got back, Maury was almost done making breakfast and coffee was ready. “You’ve been busy,” I said as I moved to stand next to him and pour two cups for both of us.

“Least I could do,” he replied, smiling shyly. “Have a seat.”

In a few more minutes we were eating, and the food was good. “What do you want to do today?” he asked before drinking some coffee.

“Whatever you want. I’ve caught up on everything I need to, and there won’t be any guests until tomorrow. I’ll have my cell in case someone rings the motel.”

“I’d love to walk along the beach with you. It’s cold, but still beautiful.” He paused to look at his plate for a minute, and I noticed he was blushing.

“What’s with the red face?” I asked, reaching out to tilt his chin so I could see his eyes.

“You don’t know this, but every once in a while I’d come early to the beach and watch you run. I was out of sight, and yes, I sound like a stalker, but you have no idea how sexy you look in those little shorts, what they do to me.” His blush deepened.

“That so?” I replied and stroked my chin. “So my little shorts get you hot and bothered, do they?” I flirted with him, just to see what he would do.

He swallowed. “You have no idea.”

I leaned forward. “Maybe I’ll model them for you later and we’ll see how much you really like them.”

“Oh God. Stop, please. I’m trying to control myself here.” Maury squirmed in his seat.

It seemed I might have discovered a fetish. “Guess I’m gonna have to buy more of these, huh.” I teased.

Maury shook his head and held up a hand. “Enough already. If you don’t want me to jump your bones right this minute, have mercy on me, I’m begging you.”

“All right, I’ll behave. For now.” I winked at him, then finished breakfast.

After cleaning up the kitchen, we headed for the beach, side by side and hand in hand. The day was sunny and cold, but not too windy. We spoke about ourselves a bit, and I shared where I grew up and all about high school.

“I backpacked all over the country after I left home, then found this place and loved it.”

Maury slipped an arm around my waist. “You talk to your parents at all?”

I hugged him closer to me. His heat felt good in the chill of the day. “I send them cards every year for birthdays and holidays, but that’s it. Once I reached high school, I became a pain in the ass and something they didn’t understand. They were relieved to see me go. I don’t blame them.”

“You don’t have anyone, do you?” Maury asked, and I could hear the sadness in his voice.

“Just the family I made when I came here,” I replied and kissed his forehead.

I knew Maury was curious about Wheeler, but wasn’t sure how to ask. “You want to know about Ridley, don’t you?”

“Am I that obvious?” he asked, sounding disgusted with himself.

“It’s okay.” We sat on a huge rock and watched the waves come and go. I played with Maury’s fingers while I spoke.

“I grew up with Wheeler, but what I’d thought was a serious friendship turned out to be superficial. I realized I was gay right before high school and that I loved him. But then, Wheeler was all of a sudden the popular kid in school, f*****g every girl in sight. I loved him, and I felt betrayed, you know? He stopped hanging out with me, and I took it personally. I thought I’d put that behind me, but when he turned up here at the motel, it all came rushing back. And then when he told me about…”

I stopped and shook my head. “Truth? I’d seen what I wanted to see back then. Things that hadn’t ever been there, at least for him. That hurt. A lot. We’re good now, but it took a while to get over my embarrassment and naiveté. But he’s not in the picture anymore. You are, or at least, I want you to be.” I kissed Maury’s fingertips and grinned at him.

All he said was “Hmph,” but a little smile curved the corners of his mouth.

We stood after a time and continued along the shoreline, occasionally chasing waves and each other.

Around noon, my stomach growled. “How about lunch at the diner in town?” Maury suggested.

“Sure.”

“You realize it’s Black Friday, right?” Maury reminded me as we changed direction to walk toward the town center.

“Yeah, but at least it doesn’t get too crazy here,” I replied. “The longest lines will be at the diner, I bet.”

Maury chuckled. “Yeah.”

* * * *

It seemed the entire town was out and about, and some of the shop owners had already put up Christmas decorations.

As we walked by storefronts, I saw Wheeler outside the gym putting up a sign that announced a winter discount. I waved at him and he did the same. Maury stiffened a little at my side, but I goosed his butt so he’d look at me.

“What was that for?” he groused.

“There’s nothing between Wheeler and me, remember?” I guided him to the diner and opened the door for him. “He’s in love with the guy at the daycare center.”

He snorted as we went inside. “Gregory Wang? Yeah, good luck with that.” We found a spot at a booth and a harassed-looking waitress brought us two menus and glasses of water before hurrying away to serve other customers. “He’s a total ice queen. Won’t give it up for shit.”

We looked over our menus and gave our orders when the waitress returned a few minutes later. “You know him?”

“Grew up with him,” he replied. “It’s like he has a chastity belt or something. Nothing gets near that ass, let me tell you.”

“I take it you’ve tried?” I asked, smiling.

“All the guys did, when we were in school. No one succeeded.”

“If anyone can get through, it’ll be Wheeler.”

Maury wasn’t convinced. “Time will tell.”

We ate our food when it arrived, and while we were having dessert, Sheila, Leonard and the kids came into the diner and stopped by to say hello.

Maury got up and hugged his sister and shook Leonard’s hand. The triplets scrambled into the booth, yelling for hugs and just being precocious five-year-olds.

I held Josie in my lap, while Janey and Jeremiah squeezed the life out of Maury when he sat again and they crawled onto him. “So you guys just walking around the town today?” Sheila asked, smiling indulgently at her little monsters.

“Yeah. Things are slow at the motel, as you know, and I wanted us to spend some time together.” I glanced at Maury, who’d turned bright red. But he was smiling. I wondered what else would make him blush. Would he be flushed all over, I wondered?

“Well, I’m glad,” Sheila said. “Maury’s been mooning over you long enough.”

Maury gasped. “Sheila!”

His sister stuck out her tongue and hooked her arm around Leonard’s. “Hey, when it’s right, it’s right.” She gave her new beau a loving look, which he returned.

“We need to find a table,” Leonard said, breaking eye contact and searching the place for a spot.

“Take ours,” I replied. “We’re done, and this place is full, anyway.”

“Thanks,” he said.

Maury and I moved out of the booth and let Sheila and Leonard get in and settle the kids. I grabbed the bill to take with me to pay at the register. “Nice seeing you guys,” I said. “And thanks for the pie, Sheila. It was to die for.”

“You’re welcome. Have fun, you two.” She winked at Maury, who, cheeks rosy, kissed his niece and nephews, and hugged his sister.

“Catch you later,” he said, and we made our way through the crowd.