Warning: The following story is a fictional. If you are offended by sexual relations between two or more men, if this sort of stuff is not allowed in you locale, and/or you are under 21 years of age please leave right away. Please let me know what you think. This is completely my work. Please do not copy or repost it or any part of it without my permission.
Chapter 5: Bearing left
I didn't hear from Mack for several weeks. He had told me that he wouldn't be able to call much since he was usually busy. But the memory of our weekend kept me happy most of the time. However I began to miss him a lot. I tried calling the ranch a few times but each time I was told that he was out. I understood but it did begin to hurt that I wasn't able to talk to him. I hadn't even heard from Jed and none of my calls took me out that way.
One Monday morning I called the office and told them that I had picked something up over the weekend and I might be out for a few days. They asked if it was anything serious. "I don't think so." They said that they'd see if they could arrange someone to take my calls. I thanked them and fell back asleep.
The only thing I'd picked up a bad case of lust bordering on love. Mack... hell, if I didn't know his full name! I knew every inch of his body but I didn't know his full name! I tried looking up the B&B Ranch but there wasn't much information about it except that it was very large.
I'd been around Mack for all of four days but I sensed a very strong connection between us. And from what he had said, he was feeling the same.
I had to admit that I was afraid too. Other than a sharing of my body, I didn't have anything to give to Mack. And I was not stupid enough to think that that would be lasting. Perhaps I had missed something and he didn't want to be in contact with me.
Maybe it had something to do with his brother, Ben? I had never met the man. Maybe Ben didn't like me and Mack felt caught in the middle. I didn't think I could live on the ranch. I had no skills for it and I didn't think there'd be a need for a full-time electrician.
From what I had heard, long-distance relationships weren't easy. I didn't think Mack would enjoy living in Buckhaven. Of course, I was only here because I had a job that kept the bills paid. If I could find a job nearer the ranch, things would be a lot easier. But I couldn't imagine any significant jobs out in the country.
Later that day I realized that calling in sick was a bad idea. It was giving me all the time to dwell on all the problems we'd have. I did allow me some time to relive (again) that weekend's sweetness. I decided that I had to get out of the house so I got dressed and headed for Anthony's, a bar I sometimes visited. There weren't any gay bars in Buckhaven and even if there were I wasn't that interested.
Anthony's was just about empty at 3 p.m. I sat at the bar and ordered a cold beer. The bartender recognized me and had asked why I was in so early. I told him that I had decided to take the day off and made it clear that I wasn't really wanting to talk. I nursed the beer and acted as if I was watching the afternoon talk shows. I had sat through two hour-long shows and realized that coming here had been a mistake. I was thinking about the same problems here. I got up to leave and was getting ready to say "I'm out of here" to the bartender when the words caught in my throat.
Sitting at a table just inside the door was the dark-haired, bearded man who had stripped for me on the road! I stumbled, recovered and headed to the johns. My head was spinning and I had to try to stabilize myself.
I went to take a piss and noted that I had sprung a raging erection. My mind was reliving the events of over a month ago. I remembered how much I lusted after this guy. I moved into a stall and locked the door closed. What should I do? "I loved the way you stripped for me" didn't seem like a good conversation opener, especially in public. I tried to think of other ways to find out more about this gorgeous man. But I had never been very good at talking to strangers.
Suddenly I remembered Mack. Oh shit! I didn't want to destroy what we might be developing by picking up a stranger for whom I was also lusting. But I wasn't sure where Mack and I were going either. I thought about jerking off in the john and rushing out but I really wanted to meet this other guy. Even if Mack and I were a couple, I would still meet other people. I didn't admit to myself that I hadn't met many new people in the last few years on my own so this was a poor rationalization.
I heard another guy come into the john so that halted the idea of jerking off. I stuffed my cock back in my jeans, flushed the empty toilet, washed my hands and went back into the bar. The after-work drinkers had been arriving and the place was now getting full. The seat I had had at the bar was taken. I noticed that the dark-haired guy was still sitting at the table alone. Even though he was inside, he had those dark sunglasses on. Perhaps that was because he was staring out the open door. (Anthony's has never been air conditioned and it was another hot day.)
I got another beer from the bartender who just shrugged when he looked at the bar seat. I waved it off and paid him for the beer. Gathering my courage, I walked over the man's table and sat down. "Haven't I see you somewhere before?"
Yes, I know it was a lame line. But it was the only thing that came to mind. He had his shirt open to the navel and there was all of that dark hair sticking out. My libido went into overdrive.
He turned to look at me, unsmiling. After a moment, the corners of his mouth went up and he said, "Ah yes." His voice was a deep, rolling bass. "The interstate road about ten weeks ago, I think."
"I'm surprised you remembered after all that time," I gamely replied. I stuck my hand out. "Ted."
"Samuels." He took my hand and gave it a firm shake. His hands were very calloused. He went back to studying the open door.
"Do you live here in Buckhaven? I don't remember seeing your car around before and it's not that big a city."
"I'm only here for the day," he replied, not quite answering my question. I felt that he was either very disinterested in me, which I thought was likely, or he was being extremely discreet in public, or he was purposefully making it difficult for me to carry on a conversation with him.
I made one more attempt. "I just wanted you to know that bears are my favorite ... things."
Again the corners of his mouth went up just a bit. "On that we both most definitely agree." His bass voice was sending tingles down my spine and right to my cock. I could feel a spot of precum forming on my jeans.
He was still making it difficult. I felt certain that we were talking on the same wavelength but the sunglasses hid his eyes completely and his terse responses didn't give me much to work with. I tried to discreetly study what I could see of his body. There didn't seem to be one place on his chest where there wasn't a fully dark pelt. It extended up to his neck and I could see that there were hairs sticking out the back of his shirt so his back was just as hairy. He wore a full beard and had his hair pulled into a pony-tail. Other than his forehead, a little part of his cheeks and some of his neck this guy showed nothing but fur.
He had become aware that I was looking him over. He looked at me with slight grin on his lips. "Sure can see interesting things on the road." And he turned to look out the door.
Well, he knew I was interested. He couldn't have mistaken my looking him over. He didn't seem to mind but he was also acting like he didn't care. I decided that I wasn't going to get anywhere so I threw back my beer but choked on most of it. When I stopped coughing, I said "Sorry about that. I hope you enjoy your stay in Buckhaven. There aren't many interesting sights here. Drive safely." I got up and headed out.
"Care to be a tour guide? I have nothing to do tonight and I might as well see what there is to do around here." I stopped and returned to the table. I looked down at him and he'd have to be blind not to notice the hardon in my jeans. I was actually surprised to see the outline of his hard cock in his lap.
"What kinds of things are you interested in? As I said, there's not a lot to do here but I suppose you'd rather know about things that interest you." Since we were in public I tried not to make it too brazen a statement.
"The best restaurant in town first. And then I'll let you pick what to show me." There was no smile on his face. I would have loved to have seen his eyes.
"The best restaurant in town is Ben's Steak House." That grin appeared briefly. "If you want to go there, I'm going to have to change and we should call for reservations. It's the most upscale restaurant around here. At least jacket and tie."
He pulled out a cell phone. "Give `em a call. Make it for 7 p.m."
"Let me see if I can get the number." The bartender gave me the white pages when I asked. I called the restaurant and they said they had open tables for 7 p.m. I asked for one near the back corner. It was quieter there and any conversation we had would be private. "Ok. We're set for 7 p.m. Where are you staying? I can drive us there if you want although you'd have to settle for riding in the truck."
"I'm staying at the Sheraton, suite 350. I'll drive and you can lead me on." Damn if I couldn't be sure what he was trying to say. Was that a come on or was he just using an unusual phrase?
"I'll be there around 6:15? We can have a drink or two before being seated for dinner."
"Make it 6:30. See you then."
I drove the few miles back to my apartment. If I get more things on my mind, I'm going to be major hazard on the road.
When I got in the apartment, I turned the AC down a little and threw my clothes off. I decided that I should clean it up just in case this bear wanted to see what I could show him. I wouldn't be able to do much beyond tidying the place up. It would have to do. I jumped into the shower and cleaned every inch of my body. I left my raging cock alone, just in case. I dried off and tried to decide what to wear. I finally selected to wear a suit and my best dress shirt and tie combination. After getting dressed, I combed my hair which had been cut a couple of months ago and was a little ragged. I trimmed my beard a little. I decided to use a little cologne and put just a bit on my cheeks. I always hated men and women who were fucking perfume factories. I preferred a natural scent most of the time but I thought that a tiny bit of another spicy scent would be good. I got my hat and my boots.
The chaps that Mack had given me were setting next to the boots. I came to a sudden stop as I realized what I might be doing. What would Mack say? I sat down hard. My libido had been hoping that this bear and I would enjoy an evening together, perhaps more. But should I even try? Would I be able to face Mack? What had I gotten myself into?
Time spun forward and I realized that it was already 6:15. I'd have to leave in the next couple of minutes if I was to meet Samuels on time. I made a decision. I would give Samuels his tour (which would not amount to anything) and see if he expressed any interest in me. If he did, I'd see how I felt at that time. It was dodging the issue, I knew. But I might be making mountains out of anthills.
When I got to the Sheraton, I had the front desk call Samuels' room to let him know I was here. The clerk acted like that was a little odd but called. "He said that you should come up. He's not quite ready."
The Sheraton was the nicest hotel in Buckhaven and suite 350 was at the end of the top floor. I knocked and heard him cry, in that deep bass voice, "Come on in!" His room must have been one of the nicest rooms in the hotel! I was standing in a very nice living room. There was a wet bar on the left wall some expensive looking chairs and sofas in the middle and a huge wide-screen TV on the opposite wall. There was a hallway off to the right with a couple of closed doors. From behind one of the doors, he yelled, "I'll just be two minutes. Make yourself a drink. I'll have a whiskey straight up if you'll pour." I went to the bar and poured some whiskey into a short glass. I didn't know what the right kind of glass I was supposed to use. If Samuels cared about things like that we weren't going to get along very well. I poured a smaller whiskey for me. As I put the bottle back, I noted that it was the same brand that Mack and I had shared. My heart slipped a little.
This might be a difficult evening even if nothing happened. And I still was not sure I wanted something to happen. I paused in my thinking: that's not true. My libido certainly wanted something to happen. It was my heart that was unsure.
Just as I was sitting down, I heard a door in the hallway open followed by footsteps. Samuels walked into the room wearing a black suit, a blue pin-stripe shirt and tie. There was fur sticking up around almost the entire neck of the buttoned shirt. I held out the drink and he took it. I noted that his tie's pattern was the same one that I had seen on his underwear: the silhouette of one bear standing on top of another bear. I also noted that his belt buckle had the same symbol. He didn't have his sunglasses on and I could finally see that his eyes were a steel blue. He gave me a slightly bigger smile, toasted me with his glass, and emptied it. He took it over to the bar and put it in the sink.
"Thanks for agreeing to show me the sights. I don't get here very often and it's usually a boring evening. How far away is this restaurant you mentioned?"
"Maybe 5-10 minutes."
"So you work on soft drink machines?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
He just raised his eyebrows and said "Remember where we first met?"
"Oh right. I was fixing Jed's machine and getting ready to leave." I remembered seeing him filling up his car. "It sure was hot that day."
"And it didn't get any cooler. Shall we head out?" He got up, went back into a room and returned with a black western cut hat. I saw that it had a decorative strip of walking bear following walking bear. This guy certainly knew how to advertise. We left the room and he quickly walked to the elevators. As I hurried to catch up, I could see that the suit fit his body perfectly and provided a perfect frame for his ass. He had put on his sunglasses again.
We got into his car. I had already noted that the license plate was BRLFT and that it was a Mercedes. Probably one of the newest models. The car started easily and Samuels sped down the road following my directions. The top of the convertible was down and the wind blew through our hair. I looked over at Samuels and remembered how he had looked the last time I had seen him. My cock jerked a little. He said nothing during the drive.
When we arrived, he pulled a comb through his hair which seemed to fall right back into place. I struggled to get my raggedy locks in some semblance of order. The restaurant was packed which was typical for most nights. We checked in with the greeter (there was no maitre d' for hundreds of miles in this part of the country) and told her that we were going to have drinks in the bar. I followed him to the bar and Samuels ordered "two top shelf whiskies. Doubles, straight up." He looked at me through his sunglasses which he had not bothered to remove. I nodded that that would be fine.
We sat at one of the tables and the bartender brought us our drinks along with a small bowl of peanuts. Samuels paid for the drinks with a $100 bill and left the change on the table. He took his drink, saluted me, downed about half of it and then turned to sit with his back to the wall. He had not removed his sunglasses and couldn't be seeing much in here since it was pretty dark.
"What do you do, Samuels? And why are you out here in Buckhaven? This seems to be an unusual place for someone who is so obviously loaded."
He took a deep breath, as if he was gathering his courage. It made no sense but that was what I thought at the time. "I used to trade stocks in New York. But I hated the place and headed out west when I had made a fortune. I had a couple of friends who lived out here who I've been staying with. I've been driving around looking to see what I'll do next."
"So you've only been here for a little while?"
"About 12 years. I take my time."
"I'll say." Then I asked, "why the sunglasses in here? You can't see much, can you?"
"My eyes have always been very sensitive to light. I just keep them covered out of habit." He took off the glasses. "Is that better?"
"Yes. I like to see people's eyes."
He said, "Amongst other things."
I smiled. "Yeah. That's true. Do you do stuff like that often?" Since we were in public, I wasn't more explicit. I didn't think I needed to be.
"Only when inspired. And when I told my friend about you, he thought he should see for himself."
"So you know `Bear Right'?"
"Yes." He was studying the floor.
"Was that him with you a couple of weeks ago?"
That faint smile appeared. "Yes. He likes to show off."
I grinned. "Well, you can tell him that I like the shows."
"Sure thing." He was looking away from me.
"Your table is ready, sirs," the greeter announced. "If you'll follow me, please." Samuels took the change from the table and as we passed the bar, handed it to the bartender. "Bring us both another at the table and we're even." After a quick look at the bills, the bartender said "No problem!"
The greeter led us to the nicest table in the restaurant, near the fireplace (which was not being used, of course) and fairly private even if it was near the middle of one side of the room.
"I'd rather have that table," Samuels said, pointing at the one in the very back corner and at the end of one of the restaurant's aisles. We'd probably not get quite as good of service but it would be the most private table.
The greeter led us back to the reservation desk, checked to see if it that table had been specifically reserved and found that it had not. She cleared all but two of the settings and stepped aside to let us sit. I slipped in the left side behind the table. Samuels slipped in next to me and slid close. The greeter just raised her eyebrows, handed us the menus, told us the specials and walked away. I think she was amused.
As we looked over the menus, our second drinks were brought to the table. I hadn't finished my first so I downed it. Samuels asked what I would recommend. I had only been to Ben's once before and could make none. I knew that their steaks were good. I felt the shot of alcohol spread its warmth into my body.
I ordered one of the special steaks from the menu and asked for the basic sides: baked potato, steamed broccoli and a garden salad with vinaigrette dressing. Samuels told the waitress that he wanted their top filet, cooked medium rare, not medium, not rare or he would send it back, steamed vegetables, fresh and crisp, a Caesar salad and a bottle of some kind of wine. I didn't recognize the variety: if it isn't "white or red" I'm lost. "And don't rush the service. We have a lot to discuss."
I felt Samuels' leg rubbing up against mine and I felt a different heat rising. He was looking over at me but was definitely avoiding my eyes.
"I like the bear motifs. Do you have bears on everything you own?"
"Just about. I know what I am and I know what I like. Bears." For some reason, he was now staring at the table.
"I know what you mean. There's nothing like a bear."
His head dipped a little more. But seconds later he took another deep, deep breath and lifted his head. He looked into directly into my eyes and held them. We looked into each other's eyes for a couple of minutes, not speaking. I got the impression that he was looking deep into my heart but wasn't looking at me. I know that makes no sense. There was a hardness about his face and eyes at first which got replaced with a much softer look.
After a couple of minutes, he looked away and back down at the table. I could feel my heart pounding. I blinked my eyes, realizing that I hadn't blinked the whole time. "What was that about? Are you sorry I'm here?"
"Nothing. Everything. Forget it. I'm glad you're here. Very glad." He downed the rest of his drink. I felt his hand squeeze my thigh but it was quickly returned to the table.
I downed my entire second drink. I would be feeling no pain in only a few minutes. "Did you find what you were you looking for?"
"Yes. No. I don't know. You wouldn't understand. Or I don't think you would."
The waitress brought the bottle of wine, poured two glasses and put them in front of us. "Uh, I had better stop here, Samuels. As it is I'm going to be feeling no pain for most of the night."
"There's no problem, Ted. Pace yourself as you need to. Or not. I'll make sure you don't get hurt if you get too drunk."
Our salads were delivered. Samuels had fallen into a deep inner silence. I realized that I was hungry and devoured mine. Samuels had eaten only a little of his. He asked me a few questions about Buckhaven and the surrounding areas. I told him what I knew about the communities, businesses and people. Our steaks were brought to the table. Samuels checked to see that his was done to his request. Between mouthfuls, I continued my monologue. Samuels was saying little. He would sometimes look up into my eyes and if he saw that I was looking at him he would drop them back to the dinner on his table.
I was surprised when he refilled both of our wine glasses. I had intended not to drink the wine but had, in my eating and talking, managed to drink a full glass. When the waitress asked if we wanted dessert, Samuels said no and gave her several bills from his money clip. There was a very surprised expression on her face but she took the money and left.
For all of the alcohol we had consumed, Samuels was surprisingly steady and I had to lean on him as we crossed the dining room. As we crossed the lobby, the greeter asked, "Will he be ok?"
"I'll make certain that he comes to no harm."
He maneuvered me into the car and got in. It was still warm and he removed his jacket, tie and undid most of the buttons on his shirt. I unsteadily followed suit. Samuels drove back to the hotel. I didn't give him directions so he must have remembered how we had come.
When we got to there, he grabbed our jackets, moved up under my arm and walked me to the elevator, ignoring the looks from the front desk and a woman watching TV in the lobby. Once we got to his suite, he took me into his bedroom and lay me down on the spacious bed. I couldn't object because the room was spinning slightly. I watched him get undressed and put on a robe. He left the room. I just lay there trying to keep the world still.
Some minutes later, I heard a knock at the door and heard Samuels talking to someone. A waiter rolled a cart with a coffee urn into the bedroom and looked at me with a frown. Samuels signed the check and ushered the waiter back out. He drew some coffee, brought a cup over and helped me to sit up. "Drink this. It will help." It was too hot but the shock of its heat helped me to feel less woozy. I managed to take several sips before he took set it on the table. Even though the room was spinning less, I managed to stay sitting upright.
He came and sat down in front of me. I could see the forest of fur running down his body and smelled a muskiness. In spite of my drunkenness I felt some stirring from my body and cock. I doubted I would be able to do much of anything about it in the state I was in.
"Look, Ted. You're welcome to stay here tonight. I promise that nothing will happen unless you want it to. I might be able to drive you home but I'm also feeling the whiskies and the wine and would rather not be driving. If you want me to call you a cab, I'll do that." He took a deep breath. "I hope you'd like to stay."
There was something about his behavior this whole evening that said he both wanted to be with me and also was scared about something. Perhaps he was afraid of rejection. He had kept himself at a great distance most of the evening although there had been a couple of very close moments too. "I'll stay," I heard myself reply.
He gently removed my shirt and helped me get my boots, socks and pants off. I was wearing no underwear. "Just lay here in bed with me until we're both feeling better." He pulled the sheets over me and I felt his nude body snuggle up behind me. He threw a hairy arm over me and pulled me close. My body tingled from the feeling and I felt my mind clearing up.
I would normally have fallen right asleep due to the liquor. But the stimulation of his body and fur were enough to keep me awake.
His hair was a bit rougher than Mack's but it made for interesting sensations when we moved. I had been too woozy to watch him closely when he took his clothes or robe off but I felt a nice semi-hard cock snuggled in my crack. His pubic hair felt especially exciting as I moved back into him. He had fallen asleep quickly. His arms weren't as muscular as Mack's but he was definitely fit.
That was my libido speaking. My heart was asking why I was here. What had happened to my feelings for Mack? I didn't feel any deep connection to Samuels, just a strong physical attraction. So was I here for a one-night stand? I didn't get the opportunity very often.
So what would I do? I had made no promises to Mack. And I don't think Mack had expected them. Mack had told me that he and Ben were lovers and that they both had accepted Bret into their relationship. So Mack might not be bothered by a one-night stand. And I hadn't heard from him in several weeks.
But would I? I had thought that a consensual sharing between two people would not bother me. But I had never given any thought to the events of the last few weeks.
I rolled over and looked at Samuels. He was soundly asleep. I just lay there and studied him while I sorted out my feelings. And then I decided. I pulled myself close to him so that we were chest to chest and I wrapped a leg around his waist. And then I fell asleep.
At some point in the night, I felt him stirring and I woke. He was pulling away and getting up. "Gotta take a piss, Ted. Be right back." I got up when I heard him finishing.
"My turn now." I took care of business and walked back into the room. Samuels had crawled back under the covers and was laying on his side so that I could snuggle up to his back. I moved up behind him and put my arm over him.
"Samuels, I need to tell you something so that we understand each other." I felt his body tense and his breathing became more rapid. "This is just a one-night stand for me. I met a guy a few weeks ago and think that something might be developing there. And I don't want to lead you on, thinking that I'll always be available. I like you a lot. If nothing further happens between me and this guy, I'd love to see you again. But I can't promise anything. If that bothers you then I should go before I hurt you further."
He took a deep breath and tension seemed to leave his body. He didn't say anything immediately. After some time, he pulled my hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it softly. "Thanks, Ted. Please stay and hold me until morning. I don't expect anything more." And he snuggled back into me again and I pulled him tightly.
I have to admit I was relieved. "Are you sure?" I whispered into his ear.
"Absolutely." I felt his breathing slow. And shortly I fell asleep.
There was a little sunlight coming in the window when I awoke. Samuels was laying on his back and my head was on his chest. He was stroking my hair softly. "Good morning. Breakfast will be here soon." The sheet had been pulled down so that I could see his thickly covered belly. I ran my hands through the fur and thought about moving down further. But I had a throbbing headache and moving around would only aggravate it.
I heard a knock on the suite door. He yelled, "Come on in and bring it back, please!" I heard the door open and started to move. "Just stay there, Ted. It's none of his business." So I lay my head back down. I saw the cart enter the room followed by the waiter. He gasped and his jaw about hit the floor when he looked over but he rapidly composed himself.
"Where would you like the cart, sir?" he asked. It was obvious that he was both trying not to look at us and wanting to stare at us.
"You can just leave it there. Could you bring us a couple of cups of coffee before you go?"
"Yes, sir." He filled a couple of cups and put them on saucers. His back was to us and I could tell he was very nervous. They were rattling against each other.
He walked them to the bed. Samuels took them from his very nervous hands and thanked him. His breath was rapid as he looked down at me playing with Samuels' belly hair. He handed Samuels the check mechanically, waited until he had signed it, and then sped out of the room. I heard the front door slam.
"Poor kid," Samuels said. "I hope he comes to grips with his sexuality soon. It's ripping him apart."
I pulled up, took one of the cups, and said, "You know him then?"
"Not really. I've been here a couple of times before and he's served me breakfast both times. I can tell that he's gay. And troubled about it."
"I don't know how you could be so sure about his sexuality but it was rather cruel to have him see us here."
"I don't know the young man beyond the times he's delivered breakfast. And it's not always cruel, Ted. It might help him to know that there are guys who are comfortable with their sexuality. He might be thinking that he's the only one who's attracted to men. Even in this day and age, there are still people who hate us and it's hard to face that hate. At least he now knows he's not alone." He sipped his coffee. "If I had wanted to be cruel, I would have asked him to join us. While it would help him in some ways and I think he would really enjoy it, he's not ready for it."
He got out of bed and stretched. I got a look at his body in the light for the first time. I was right about the blanket of dark fur covering his body. There were very few places which weren't covered. And he had a nice sized cock, fully erect, standing out from that forest. "Like what you see?" he chuckled.
"Absolutely." I had awakened with a hardon and felt some precum leak out the tip.
But Samuels walked away, saying, "Let's have some breakfast. I want to be on the road soon."
My libido was arguing against it but I accepted that we weren't going to share anything further. I ate only a couple of pieces of toast and had another cup of coffee while we sat, naked, on the end of the bed.
I had a bit more but most of the breakfast he had ordered went uneaten. He got up and dressed in the suit quickly. He left the shirt unbuttoned down to his waist. I threw my suit on and left my shirt equally unbuttoned. "Wait for me in the lobby, will you, Ted?"
I went down and sat in a chair for a couple of minutes. A young woman was sitting in a nearby chair and I caught her looking at my open shirt a couple of times. But I didn't look back. I was remembering Samuels' rough fur beneath my hand. I kept my hat over my crotch and smiled to myself.
I heard Samuels' voice at the front desk and walked over. It took him only a moment to complete his checkout. He turned around, saw me standing there and picked up the small gym bag at his feet. He was smiling now, the biggest smile I had seen on his face since that day on the road weeks ago. He walked over to me, took my chin in his free hand and gave me a long, deep kiss. I think I heard some people gasping but didn't care. I threw my arms around him and hugged him close.
As we walked out toward his car and my truck, he said, "Drive safely. Maybe I'll see you on the road soon."
(Yes, I know there was not much going on in this chapter. Things will pick up in the next chapter.)