Dan and Ben at Sixty-two

Dan and Ben at Sixty-two--Chapter Fifteen By Ezra Randle

On September twenty-first, a Saturday, at three in the morning, Ray finally got out of the bed in the guest bedroom where he'd been spending his nights for the past two months. He hadn't slept all night. He quietly walked downstairs to the basement, took a shower, and dressed in clean clothes he had laundered the day before. He picked up the handbag he had packed a week ago, hidden behind the storage bins. He slipped out the door to the garage, opened the heavy garage door, and started the car, hoping Celeste would not hear him. He backed out of the driveway and stopped in the middle of the street, gazing at the home he had lived in since he and Celeste had moved into it when he was twenty-seven. He nodded his head and drove another block. He pulled over and called Jack who didn't answer until Ray called a second time. "What is it, Ray?"

Ray couldn't get the words out. "Ray, are you OK?"

Ray finally spoke, but very softly. "Jack, I'm on my way over. Please tell me you still want me."

"Of course, I do."

At eight-thirty that morning, Dan, Dolph, and Larry walked by the food stands at the west side farmer's market. Each of them carried a bag filled with most of the produce they wanted for the week. As they turned a corner leading to the coffee and pastry stalls, they met Alex holding hands with a man Dan had never seen before. The awkward pause and ten second silence spoke volumes about the shock of the meeting. Dan took the lead with a brief hug with Alex. "Alex, maybe you recall my dad from the memorial service."

"Certainly. Larry, right?"

Larry extended his hand. "Yes. Nice to see you again."

"And this is my friend, Dolph," Dan said.

Alex and Dolph shook hands, and the silence returned briefly before Alex remembered his part in this chance meeting. "And this is my friend, Jorge."

All of the parties shook hand, and Alex said, "Hope you're doing well on this beautiful equinox morning."

"Yes, it's gorgeous. We're headed for the coffee stall. Been a pleasure," Larry said,

Larry headed off with his arm through Dolph's. Alex chuckled. "I admire his social skills. Hope to see you soon."

Alex grabbed Jorge's hand again and led him off. Dan turned and watched them go, wanting to get a better glimpse of Jorge before they walked out of sight, even though it was a rear view. Like Alex he was a shorter man, about five-eight, with a dark and trimmed beard and thick mop of hair. About Alex's age, perhaps a few years younger. He had rounded belly, much like Alex's, though Alex had obviously been working hard at keeping his weight down. Jorge was handsome, by anyone's calculation. He was glad Alex had found someone who fit his desires, but surprisingly, he didn't feel any pain from missing Alex. Just as he hadn't a few weeks ago when Alex invited him to dinner. Maybe that would come later...or maybe his strong feelings for Alex had been chased away.

He caught up to his dad and Dolph who had just taken a seat at a table near the coffee vendors. "I got you a cup," Larry said.

"Thanks, Dad."

Dan took a sip and marveled at how well his father fixed the perfect mix for him, with a splash of cream and bit of sweetener. "Sorry about that, Dolph," Dan said pointing back to the place where they'd run into Alex and Jorge.

"No reason to apologize. Madison is really a small town so something like this was inevitable. But I need to take off. I'll see you at five. Looking forward to dinner. Will Jerrad be there?"

"I think so. He usually eats with us."

"Good."

Dan embraced him and he strolled off. "Nice work, Danny. You handled that awkward meeting pretty well."

"It was terrible, Dad. I admit it."

Larry laughed. "Your replacement is a handsome guy. I'm sure he doesn't have the mature outlook you do. Do you think you and Alex might see each other, kind of like you and Ben do on occasion?"

Dan smiled. "Ben and I are just old friends."

"And lovers. I'm sure when you get together sparks fly."

"Why would you say that?"

"Just my hunch. You two have something special. I'm not saying you are destined to be together because Ben and Gary are really delightful. I really like Gary and he's so good for Jerrad. But you and Ben have a history."

"We do. I'm hoping Dolph and I can build something, too."

"Yeah. He's a real sweet heart. Ready to go? I have one more stop. Jerrad wants me to get plenty of salad fixings for the week, and the stand up ahead has best varieties of cucumbers."

"I'm ready."

Jerrad had returned to the naturist beach along the river three times since his intimate date with Gary. He decided if he didn't run into Joel today, he would give up the search. It wasn't exactly like a needle in the haystack, but his chances of meeting him again were pretty remote. He carried his baggy gym shorts in his left hand and wore a towel around his neck as he walked the beach from one end to the other, then back again, before heading out to the big sandbar. He encountered two men, one of them sucking the other, but walked past without pausing. He headed to the smaller sandbar and looked at the shoreline where Joel had parked his kayak earlier in the summer. Then he headed to the hidden pool of river water. It was unoccupied as it always was when he came out here. The river water was chillier after two nights in the low forties, but the pool was still quite tolerable for a long sit. As he sat in the three feet of water, he wondered why he had come out looking for Joel. What if he found him? Would it matter? He rationalized it by saying he wanted one more experience with him to see if the second experience would resonate as deeply as the first had. It had become, in his mind's eye, one of the touchstone experiences in his life. Something that was pure and delightful. In some ways, the fact that it seemed like a one-off experience only added to its purity. He rested his naked ass on the sand next to the pool to warm up a bit, then sat back down in the pool. He glanced at his watch. Four-fifteen. Five more minutes and he'd call off the search. Joel had very likely forgotten all about him after all these weeks. He heard voices from the river, but they passed him on their way back to shore. Then he heard some noise in the bushes along the pathway that led to the pool. He looked up into the declining sun and there he was. He closed his eyes and opened them again, expecting that the mirage had vanished. "Jerrad? Is that you?"

"Yeah. I've been looking for you, Joel."

"I've been out here maybe ten times since our chance encounter. Hoping you'd be here."

"That's amazing. I haven't been out there that often, maybe four times. I wanted to meet again and see if what happened could be replicated. Or if it was just a one-time magical thing."

Joel laughed. "I feel the same way."

Gary stood up and stepped up from the pool so he was just a foot from Joel. "Want to kiss again?"

"Yes. Very much."

The kisses were deep and full of passion. When they took a break, their cocks were rigid and leaking. "I jack off regularly thinking of what happened."

"Me, too," Jerrad said. "I wanted more."

They sat in the pool holding each other, Jerrad on top of Joel, his lips kissing Joel's. Joel reached down and felt Jerrad. "Man, you have a nice cock. Want to suck each other?"

They spread their towels in the same hidden spot they used the first time. "Where's your kayak?"

"Most of the time I've come here looking for you, I've driven. I walked out from the beach."

They stretched out on the towels, rubbing their bodies together as they kissed. "I need to taste you, Jerrad."

Joel rolled over so he was between Jerrad's thighs. "You are bigger than I remember you. I hunger after your cock and balls."

Joel came back up after licking and sucking him. They kissed again. "Do you think we could meet sometime? Apart from here?"

"I'd like to. My phone's in my car."

"Mine, too. When we're done here, let's walk back and exchange numbers."

Jerrad slid down and licked Joel who lifted his legs to expose himself fully. Jerrad licked his balls and along his inner thighs. Then he returned to his shaft, licking it slowly up and down before rising again to kiss him. "Just sensational. You have such gentle lips and the movement of your tongue on me drives me wild. Where did you learn it?"

"I've had limited experience. You were my first with men."

"I've been limited, too. But you're the first I want to have more of."

They kissed, jacking their wet cocks as they did. "Touch my ass," Joel said.

Jerrad rubbed across his ass, then he spat on his finger and slid it inside Joel and began sucking. "Yes, that's what I want."

It didn't take long before Joel spurted into his mouth. Jerrad kept him in his mouth to capture all the seed. Joel lay back and said, "Wonderful. You have great oral skills. I'd like to experience more of them. My turn."

Joel was a little rougher than Gary had been with his sucking motion, and Gary was much more methodical. But Joel was earnest and devoted to the task. Much like Katrine had been when she gave him oral. He enjoyed the pleasure, then Joel pulled off. "You're big. I have to learn how to take someone your size. Sorry if I seem inept."

"I like what you're doing. I'll finish myself off. Just lick my balls."

Joel was gentle with his licking and as Jerrad jacked himself, the pleasure of having his balls licked was riveting. Then Joel ran his hands through his taint, an area he had discovered was very sensitive, eventually reaching his hole. Joel spat on his fingers and played with him. Suddenly he plunged his middle finger inside him and his cock felt a jolt. The masturbation was acutely pleasing now. Within a minute he was spurting over his belly and chest. "Wow, your finger really triggered it."

"You're like me then. Lots of pleasure spots there. Something to explore the next time."

They kissed and went back to the pool and rinsed off in the river water. They watched each other dry off, kissed one more time, then headed to shore. Jerrad observed other naked men, but wasn't attracted to any of them with Joel at his side. They found their sandals near the pathway and walked back to the parking lot. Jerrad grabbed his phone and walked to Joel's car. "Do you still want to do this or should we leave our second meeting as the end of this fling?" Jerrad asked.

"I need at least one more meeting to know for sure. The next time in bed."

Jerrad laughed and returned to his car. He sent a quick text to Joel that simply said, "Thanks for finding me."

At eight that night, Gary was reading to Benjy and Ellison in the guest room at the house. He'd told them this was the final story, then lights out. Ellison was listening from the bed. Her tired face was hanging over the edge of the bed leaning toward the pallet on the floor where Gary and Benjy were stretched out. Her eyes nearly fluttered shut. When Gary finished the book, Benjy snuggled down against him. Gary reached for the bedside lamp and let Benjy continue his snuggling for a few more minutes. "Are you ready for sleep, little boss man?"

"Why do you call me that?"

"Because your Grandpa is the boss. I've called him that for years."

"Uncle Gary, have you and Grandpa been friends for a long time?"

"Yup. Quite a few years."

"Mom says you love each other."

"We do. Now it's time to go to sleep. See you in the morning."

Gary kissed Benjy on the forehead and closed the door to the room. Ben was downstairs reading a magazine in the living room. Gary joined him on the sofa. "How'd you do?"

"Ellison is out. Benjy might need more attention. I'll give him thirty minutes and check on him."

"Want to read in bed?"

"Yes. I'll brush my teeth downstairs. I have to get something anyway. See you in bed."

Gary retrieved a new plug he'd gotten for Ben, then brushed his teeth. As he looked in the mirror, he told himself that by week's end he'd trim his beard again. He knew Ben tolerated his beard only if was just a few days in length, but sometimes he let it grow longer. He texted Jerrad and asked him if their date tomorrow at the gym was on. Jerrad responded: "Yes. Ten is great. Went to the river earlier. I found him. Crazy luck. See you."

Gary laughed. He had no idea what Jerrad was up to other than continuing his experiment. Even though Ben had told him it was OK to have another date with Jerrad, he was reluctant. He was still leery of Jerrad falling for him.

Ben took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, and slipped under the sheets. Then he remembered he and Gary decided they'd both wear sleeping shorts and t-shirts just in case they had to get up for the kids, so he got up and dug around in his dresser drawer for shorts. An old pair of Gary's was the only choice. A stretched-out t-shirt of Gary's was sitting on top of his, so he slipped into it. One of the most amusing and endearing aspects of their relationship was the evolution of wearing each other's clothes. They stuck to their own work clothes for the most part, though he sometimes wore one of Gary's dress shirts. Gary was much more diligent about ironing his. Ben hated ironing and felt guilty farming the task out to Gary. But undergarments and leisure wear like gym shorts were fair game. He felt his genitals tucked into Gary's shorts and smiled. He really did love the little shit...immensely. Just as much as he loved Danny.

He slipped back under the covers. Gary came in and said, "Roll over, boss. Time for your treatment."

Ben did as Gary suggested and moaned as Gary slipped a lubed up plug up his ass. "It's a little bigger than the other ones. Thought you might like it."

"Wow. It'll take me ten minutes to get used to it. You're not thinking of doing your Saturday night duty with the grands in the next room?"

"Maybe. This is just in case. Hey, sorry, about taking over the reading chores at bedtime."

"I've read enough bedtime stories to my own kids to last me a lifetime. Thank you for taking on the task. Besides, they love you more than they do me."

Gary pinched his ass lightly. "You really think so, boss?"

"I know so. It's the sweetest damn thing."

Gary spooned him as they talked. "Ellison is so quiet. Sometimes I don't think she's getting enough attention from us."

"I'll play cards with her in the morning, while you do some roughhouse thing with Benjy."

"He looks like you in the pictures you've shown me of your childhood."

"He's got the body frame. Maybe he'll slim down. I never did."

"Does Ellison remind you of Ellie."

"Just a little. More of Annie when she was small."

"It's nice having them here. I hope they go home with good reports."

"We've been behaving ourselves. When my kids visited my home, my dad was invisible. Mom did all the grandparenting. I'm trying to make up for them not having their grandmother. You're a big help."

Gary's cock was half hard in his shorts and Ben felt it. "I'd like that tool of yours very much. Maybe if we're quiet."

Gary pulled his cock free, pulled Ben's shorts halfway down, and pushed it between Ben's ass cheeks. "Yes, that's nice."

At that moment, Benjy popped his head in. "I can't sleep."

"OK, I'll be right in Benjy," Ben said.

"Grampa, could Uncle Gary come in instead of you?"

"OK. Go on back in. He'll be right there."

Ben turned toward Gary and felt his hard cock. "Uncle Gary, can you do this tastefully?"

Ben was laughing as Gary pulled up his shorts. "Take a towel to cover yourself."

Gary returned fifteen minutes later and slipped back into bed. Ben felt the wet spot on his shorts. "Uncle Gary, you ought to be ashamed."

"Fuck you, boss."

Ben kissed him. "Yes, please do, Uncle Gary."

The gathering at The Sylvie to hear the Duggins Jazz Quartet felt like old home week. Quite a few fans of the old songs from Terry's Horn were there. Ben greeted the two men, Edward and Walter, he'd met at Terry's who had hosted sing-a-long parties over the past few years. Gary knew people from Maurice's. Ray and Jack were there. If you didn't know the back story, you would have concluded they had been partnered for forty years. Dan was there of course, sitting with Larry and Chip. Chip arrived two days earlier, and they planned on the long drive back in a week or so. Dan reread the text from Chester. "We are green, green, green with envy hearing about Lorraine's concert tonight. We miss Larry tremendously and can't wait for Chip to bring him home. And, you, Danny, get your ass down here. Work is no longer an excuse for you. Robert and I miss you dearly. If you have time, maybe we can renew our friendship in a very special way."

Jerrad had planned on coming. He'd fallen for Lorraine's vocals listening to her at home. But two days ago, he cancelled. When Dan asked why, Jerrad got red-faced and said, "I have a date, Dad."

"Why don't you bring her?"

"Dad. It's a him and we need to be by ourselves. It's OK to host him while you're away?"

Dan smiled. "Of course."

"Do you think I'm foolish?"

"Not at all. Bold would be the word I'd select. Somebody I'd know?"

"We met at the river the first time I went there with Gramps and Chip. Then I met him a few weeks ago back there. Totally by luck. He's a married guy. A few years older than I am."

"You're sure about this?"

"Not sure at all. I'm just figuring it out. So have patience with me and my experiment. And keep it to yourself. I'd prefer if Larry and Chip don't know about it."

He thought about Jerrad back home. Perhaps he was kissing his man right now.

There were over five hundred people at The Sylvie, twice as many as the capacity of The Trinity in Minneapolis. The stage was larger than the group was used to, but the thrill of performing before a larger audience brought a certain joy to their presentation. Ben didn't have much chance to chat with Orvy during the group's set-up. But Roland had come down with Orvy and the two of them chatted for thirty minutes before the show. "We hope to talk to Orvy between sets," Ben said.

"Good luck with that. He never has more than a few minutes. Unfortunately, we are driving back after the show. But be sure to come up for the album release party in two weeks. I already have tickets for you guys."

"Great. Gary and I are coming."

"What about Dan?"

"I'll talk to him later. His dad and partner would come for sure if they haven't left for Arizona."

"Larry and Chip were talking with Lorraine and Jimmy earlier. A real lovefest. They knew each other when it was just Lorraine and Jimmy and they performed often in Chicago."

"I saw them talking. It's so very sweet that Larry has that connection," Ben said.

"You'll stay with us when you come up?"

"For sure. Looking forward to it."

"How are you and Gary doing?"

"It's always a work in progress, but we're really solid. I love him very much."

"I'm sure you make him feel good. I have wonderful memories of our little tryst from years back."

"Is Orvy still good with me?"

"Yeah. He's become an even better partner since your therapy with him."

Ben laughed. "You two set a pretty high bar for gay couples in my book."

"We might get married?"

"What the fuck, Roland."

"It's going on thirty years. I think we've made the commitment."

"Be sure to invite us if there's a party."

"You're always at the top of the list. Ben, how's Dan doing?"

"He's OK. His romance with Alex is over but he's been dating a new man. I like him. And he's taking care of his kid. Jerrad."

"He was with his fiancé at the memorial service, as I recall."

"That's been over for months. He moved back home, got a job at the same place Gary works. And he's done wonders for Dan, and Dan has done wonders for him. It's very sweet."

"Do you still see him?"

"Roland, I can't kiss and tell."

"Your love for each other was profound."

"It still is. We are still lovers when we have a chance. I can't explain it other than we are linked in such a deep way."

"You're not destined to be together?"

"We are, just in a different way."

The music started with Jimmy playing some Bach with some jazz riffs. The rest of the group took their places and Lorraine sat off to the side awaiting her turn. "Roland, to be continued, OK, buddy?"

They embraced and Ben kissed him on the cheek. Ben sat next to Gary. Dan was with Larry and Chip. Dolph was in Denver visiting his son. The first set was a mix of upbeat songs with lots of pitter-patter from Lorraine. She had the audience in the palm of her hand midway through her first song, "People Will Say We're in Love." Orvy joined her for a few verses, doing his Chet Baker impersonation. The second set was a straight run of ballads without any talking or breaks in between. Several of the songs were from the new album. Both Dan and Ben recognized them from the music Orvy had sent a month ago. Finally, Lorraine broke the spell. "We have just one more song in this set. But don't go away. We'll be back for a third with some kickass tunes. This last song is from our new album. Music by Victor Young. Lyrics by Ned Washington. A word of thanks to all of you who have come out tonight. You are a wonderful audience. A special thanks to our old friends. Larry and Chip from decades ago in Chicago. And Dan and Ben and Gary. Always great to have you with us. Enjoy "My Foolish Heart."

Jimmy and Orvy took the first swing with the melody. When Ben heard the two of them playing, he turned to Gary. "Could I have this dance?"

Gary stared at him. "Boss, holding hands when we walk in the neighborhood is one thing. But dancing in public? Are you ready for this?"

"If you'll do me the honor."

Ben led them to the dance floor just a few feet from the where the band was playing. Gary joined him in a very smooth style, like they'd been practicing for years before showing off to the public. A short time later, Chip and Larry joined in, as though they were dancing back in the clubs in Chicago. Ten other couples joined in, two that were women, two other men, and the rest men dancing with their wives or lady friends. As Lorraine sang the words, some kissed, others laughed at the joy of dancing in public to a beautiful ballad. Orvy took over for Lorraine and played his cornet as though he and Roland were making love. Dan smiled at his dad and Chip, regretting he had never seen his dad dance with his old flame, Les. Orvy was about to turn the song back over to Lorraine when she twirled her finger, directing him to take another run at it, softly applauding the couples who were swaying in love right in front of her. Ben and Gary came close to where Dan was sitting. Gary was leaning into Ben with his eyes closed. Ben looked down at Dan, smiling. He winked and nodded to Dan, acknowledging the dancing they had done in his bedroom just a month ago. Lorraine came to the closing lyrics,

"For this time, it isn't fascination

Or a dream that will fade and fall apart

It's love, this time it's love, my foolish heart."

Dan and Ben stared at each other. Their love would always be alive. Dan wished he were the one in Ben's arms. He had no regrets, but at this moment, with the beauty of the music running through his head, he wanted the love of his life close to his foolish heart.

Thanks for reading the latest adventures of Dan and Ben...and their lovers and families. More will be upcoming. If you want to be notified when I'm ready to post the chapters in the next book, When I'm Sixty-Four, drop me a line and I'll put you on the list. I am very grateful to you, my readers. Be well. And treat your lovers well.

Ezra Randle