Dylans Junior Year Summer

DYLAN'S SUMMER AFTER HIS COLLEGE JUNIOR YEAR

Chapter 2

by Donny Mumford

Chub parks the Jeep at the curb below our condos. The digital clock on the

dashboard reads 6:11 which technically is nighttime although the sun's still shining on this Friday in the middle of May. I always feel especially good about my life when doing something with Chubby and tonight there's even a further reason for being in good spirits: I'm finished with the drudgery of long college classes requiring boring memorization of things I don't really need to know and then the exams to prove I at least knew it for the exam. Yep, that's in my past. Well it's in my future too but not for four awesome months, so I'm not going to think about it until then.

Going up the steps to our condos, Chub pats my shoulder and says, "Really good idea you had there, bro! Lunch at the Beef and Ale House hit the spot." Nodding my head at my smiling, always happy, brother, I'm like, "Yeah, Chub, those roast beef sandwiches never disappoint but it was awfully late for a lunch." He's like, "Ha ha, you're right. Twenty-four hours ago, we had a meal with the Moms that we called dinner." Outside my condo we do a quick hug, "See ya, bro," and Chubby continues up another set of steps to his condo. Inside I look around at the familiar surroundings. First full day away from Merrimack and I'm still getting used to being home. The breakfast Rob brought with him from Dunkin' Donuts this morning is why I never thought about lunch until late this afternoon. This morning was a special morning too. After breakfast Rob and I had hot sex. Well, before that Rob did the haircut for me, which is always enjoyable for me, so yeah, this first full day of summer break has been pretty fuckin' good so far.

I check-out my reflection in the mirror over the sofa. Huh, using a finger I push the little pompadour in front to the side. Nodding to myself I'm quite pleased with how my hair looks even though it's basically just a generic preppy haircut you see on guys all over the place. So what though, Robby's getting to be a pretty good barber. Chubby commented favorably about this haircut and so did Tris... and of course my Mom. Yeah but Mom doesn't really count because any haircut I've ever had in my life, and that includes some extreme ones from Ryan, she said looked perfect on me. Indiscriminate approval from your Mom is always appreciated although I don't suppose all Moms are one-hundred-percent supportive. I'm just glad mine is.

Well, what's next? Oh yes, a date with Rob tonight. Hmmm, I don't recall him mentioning when he'll be picking me up for our movie date. We're seeing the new James Bond flick that's out just today. Going over to the kitchen bar I double-check the date and time on the advanced-seating tickets I printed-out yesterday. And it's a good thing I got the tickets yesterday too. During the ride from the Beef and Ale House I went online to see if Chub could get tickets for the nine o'clock show and it's sold out. Not that Chubby cares all that much. He said he'll catch the midnight show. He's going with some high school friends. Guy friends, not a girlfriend for once.

I text Rob to ask when he'll be over and he texts right back that he'll pick me up around seven-thirty; he just got home from work. Huh, seven-thirty is a bit early for a nine o'clock show, but we'll think of something to do... heh heh. With the 1975's first CD playing loudly from my cellphone I take a long hot shower. The CD is over just as I'm getting out of the shower stall. My body's bright pink from all that hot water. I think I'm water logged... I know I'm uber clean.

After drying I look in the mirror over the sink and comb my hair in the preppy-nerdy way again which is to say with a part on the side and a little pompadour in front. So, where's my pocket protector? Ha ha, that's what Pony said when I gave him a haircut like this. I already kinda miss my little buddy, Daryl, but why the hell do I call him my little buddy when he's the same size as me? Still looking in the mirror I'm like, wait a fucking second here... hmmm, Robby said he liked my hair combed in my old favorite style from a couple of years ago. Short hair combed down on top and flipped up in front. I can sort of replicate that with this haircut. I comb my hair like that and since my hair is still kinda wet it stays in place. Cute! Ha ha, Rob said it makes me look like a teenager which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Bartenders will think otherwise of course. Okay, I'll go with this hairdo tonight because Rob likes it. Hmmm, I'll probably need a dab of hair gel. Yeah, when my hair dries the gel will keep the front hairs sticking-up slightly. On the shelf over the toilet there's a number of different hair products I've tried over the years. Moving things around I come up with a bottle of AXE Styling Creme. This was kind of expensive if I'm remembering correctly. Getting some of it on my fingers I rub it through my hair and then re-comb it with the front flipped up; not straight up, just sort of up and... Ta da!

Hmmm, if I'm going with this so-called teenage 'look' I should probably shave. I'm rethinking this pathetic mustache of mine, not at all sure it's cool-looking as it's presently constituted. For that matter neither are my sparse chin whiskers. My beard needs to come in a lot better than this before I can rock the, 'I don't give a fuck three-day beard look'. Presently it looks comical more than cool. Spreading Gillette Foamy shaving cream on my face I shave my entire 'potential' beard area even although there's very little beard growth over ninety-five percent of it. Washing off shaving cream remnants leaves my face looking really, um, fresh. I pat on some light after shave balm; the kind that doesn't sting. Well okay then!

Still naked in from of the sink gawking at myself in the mirror I realize something doesn't look right with the hairdo. It's that fucking part on the left side of my head. Yeah but I'll need the part for when I comb my hair over to the side for the ultra-preppy, goody-two-shoes, nerdy look. What'd Tris say? Something about I'm always clean-cut looking. Well I'm certainly

that now except the part looks funny with my hair combed like this.

Fuck it. Leaving my hair drying on its own I look through my clothes and realize I don't have any clean casual clothes. Duh, I was gonna do a couple of wash loads today. We drove home yesterday and the only other thing I wanted to accomplish that entire day was doing my wash and I didn't do it. Damn, too late now, so I look in my closet. Oh yeah, I've got these dressy khakis I bought to wear when working for Rob last year. I wore the khakis with a blue blazer, which is obviously out of the question when going to the movies. The khakis aren't too overly dressy though, except for the pressed-in crease. I take the khakis off the hanger and then pull a white dress-shirt off another hanger. This is way too dressed-up for the movies but whaddaya gonna do? I put on the khakis and a black t-shirt and then the white dress-shirt over the t-shirt. If I wear my light-weight gray hoodie over the shirt, it'll dress-down this outfit. Sneakers will help do that too.

Shit, it's seven-twenty already! Hard to believe I fucked around in the bathroom for a friggin' hour. Looking out the kitchen window I see the Jeep parked down at the curb, but no pickup. Then I get the idea of pulling the shirttails out and unbuttoned the top three buttons of my shirt. That helps to make for a sloppier more casual look. Not bad, and when I get right down to it what difference does it make any-fuckin'-way? Well I do prefer to look good for Rob and, hell, I like looking good for strangers too. I'm kinda vain like that.

My cellphone pings. It's a text from Robby saying he's at the curb and to come on down. What? I go over and look out the window and yep, there he is. There's an hour-and-a-half before the movie though. I text back telling him to come up and we'll kill some time in the condo. Three-minutes later the front doorbell rings. I open the door and there's Rob with an exaggerated big-eyed-expression on his face, saying, "What the fuck, babe? You're all dressed-up!" I go, "I know. I don't have any clean casual/scruffy clothes," and then Robby points at my head, and goes, "Awww, you're wearing your hair the way I like it." I'm smirking, "Just for you, Rob." He takes his jacket off, frowning and saying, "There's something wrong though."

Rob's wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt and skinny jeans with a rip in the knee. I go, "What's wrong?" and he says, "With your hair I mean." I'm like, "Oh that. The part on the side screws-up this hairdo but I'll need the part when I comb my hair the other way." He says, "Well you look fucking adorable. Hey, did you shave too?" I go, "How can you tell?" he chuckles, "I smell the after shave balm you used. Personally, I prefer the way you smell naturally. Truth is I couldn't help but notice your silly little mustache is missing in action." I Go, "It is silly, isn't it?" He goes, "No, it's cute actually, but your hair. Um, it looked different somehow this morning when I combed it like that." I shrug, "I already told you, it's the part. I'll comb it over instead."

Rob shrugs and changes the subject, "Do you have the tickets? Remember what happened the last time you printed tickets in advance?" I nod, "Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I left them in the apartment and we had to pay twice to see the movie." We both walk over to the kitchen bar. Rob picks the tickets up and hands them to me. I put the print-outs in my pocket as Rob puts his arm across my shoulders for a hug, "Wasn't it fun this morning, Dylan?" I go, "Fuck yeah! Thanks again for breakfast." He slides his arm off my shoulder and steps in front of me putting both arms around me for another hug, chest to chest this time as he's murmuring, "I love you, and you know what?" I'm like, "No, what?" He says, "You were right about us not needing time-tables for our relationship. I feel we're more perfect together just letting things happen when they will." I hug him back, saying, "Oooh, you're so

nice to admit I'm right... for once." He laughs, "For once, my ass." I go,

"And you were right about me taking the job with Dickers & Son." He's smiling in my face, "Ooh, you're so nice to admit I'm finally right about something too." We both smirk with Rob mumbling, "We're getting sickeningly sweet again," and I go, "Yeah we are but we're in love and alone so it's okay to be sickeningly-sweet with one another."

We let go of each other with Rob saying, "We must make a pact not to act this way in a crowd because someone with diabetes could be overwhelmed by our dangerous sweetness level." I go, "Yes, we can only be like that when it's just the two of us." Rob snorts out a laugh, saying, "I feel faint. It must be my sugar level. Do you have a beer?" I nod, muttering, "Good idea," and he gets us two Buds from the refrigerator, saying, "Mom never had beer in the house before I turned twenty-one. She doesn't drink beer so when I wanted one I'd get them from Chub's refrigerator and leave an IOU. I still need to pay back the IOUs." Rob shakes his head slowly, mumbling, "You're one of a kind, babe." I tap his bottle with mine, "Yeah, I'm a wild one alright."

We drink our beers sitting at the kitchen bar with him looking at me again. I finally go, "What is it now?" He shrugs and chuckles, "Oh nothing," as he reaches over and rubs the hairs along the part, mumbling, "That part is freaking me out, that's all. You should decide that this will be your summer hair style and I'll permanently get rid of the part for you. It's, I don't know, goofily lopsided or something and, um, I also think the hair in front is too long to flip up. It droops." I'm trying to see my reflection off the side of the toaster without much luck. Rob gets off the stool, saying, "You know what? Maybe you should comb it to the side and go with the hairdo the way I cut it." I get off the stool and walk over to look at myself in the mirror over the sofa for the tenth time today, and then say, "No! You like this hairdo and so do I. I'll keep it this way." Frowning, I try patting down the hairs at the crown where Robby cut it too short.

He comes over and puts a hand on my shoulder, "Yeah, that's exactly what I

said ten seconds ago! Keep this hairdo for the summer." I nod and snort out a laugh, asking, "Do you think I spend too much time talking about and fucking around with my hair?" Rob goes, "Absolutely, definitely! You're hair obsessive." I go, "Well, what should we do about it? Which hairdo?" He mumbles, "Fuck, that's easy. It'll only take me less than a minute to cut the hair on the part-side the same length as the other side. Then, no more part." I mutter, "Yeah, eliminate the annoying fucking part." Rob nods and asks, "Do you have scissors up here?" I go, "Yeah, I think I do. But wait, I need to be positive this is the hairdo I want to go with all summer." Looking at myself in the mirror for the eleventh time today, I nod my head, "Oh hell yeah, I'll go with this," than, "Um, but what do you think, Rob?" He shrugs, "Jesus, I already told you two times what I think! Make up your mind. It's only a freaking haircut, not life or death." I mutter, "It's important that I have a good self-image. Ya know, confidence-wise."

Rob chugs some beer and then sits on the sofa, mumbling, "Let me know when you've made your momentous decision." I frown, "Don't be a prick, Rob, I already decided." He goes, "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to snap at you but I had sort of a hard time getting back into a working frame of mind at the office this afternoon. I mean after you and I had such a fun hot time this morning and then I had to go to work I was feeling jealous of you having the whole day off." I've got my comb out again re-combing my hair one more time in the preppy style, just to be sure. Huh, not bad. And then I comb it back to the flip-up-the-front style, mumbling, "I'm sorry work stressed you out, Robby. Your father's a major prick for making you go to work your first full day of summer break." He goes, "Mostly I'm pissed-off I need to share my office now. I had that office to myself until today. It was set-up the way I liked it. Then, without any prior notice in comes another desk. Two numb-nuts from supply pushing this big-ass desk in my office on a dolly and I'm like... get that fucking thing out of here. But no, this other guy, Max Renoldie, moved in. He's a real estate guy and he's always on the fucking phone." I ask, "Does this guy, Max-whoever, wear a tie and sport jacket?" Rob goes, "Of course. Everyone on the second floor does, um, except for the women." I nod, not really caring; just checking.

Rob goes on in kind of a whiny voice, "He's always talking on a fucking land-line phone. Talking on the phone constantly in this day and age! Jesus, everybody else in the world is texting or emailing everything and I've got to listen to this blow-hard bellowing into the phone or guffawing like a laughing hyena." I'm adjusting my hair in front, patting it down. Fuck, that doesn't work. Rob's right the bangs are too long to be sticking up. I mutter, "What was that about a hyena, Robby?" He makes a face, "You weren't even listening!" I go, "Sorry. Um, you don't like sharing your office, right?" He goes, "Oh, never mind."

One final run of the comb up my bangs getting the hairs to stay up and then patting them down again with my fingers, and I'm like, "Okay, fuck it, Rob. I'm trusting you that this flipped up the front hairdo isn't too youthful-looking for me at my advanced age of twenty-one-and-three-quarters." Rob blows out an exhale puffing his cheeks out, and then gets off the sofa to stand beside me looking at my reflection in the mirror. He shrugs, saying, "What's too youthful about it? Christ, both sportscasters on NESN's six o'clock show have variations of this hairdo, and they're in their middle-thirties! Gary-whats-his-name and that other guy. Do you know who I mean?" I nod, "Yeah the two nerdy guys, but if I keep this style the part needs to go and you're also right that the front's a little too long. It looks like I got an electric shock or something." Rob's like, "Omigod, don't tell me you've finally made a decision?" I mutter, "I already told you that, and like I also said before... there's no need for you to be a prick about it," and he's like, "Let's go in your bathroom and find a pair of scissors and a comb."

As we walk down the hall, I say, "I really am sorry you had a bad day at work, Robby." He shrugs, "Me too, but to be honest I'm kinda pissed at myself for whining to you about it. Anyway, I'm glad you've finally decided to go with my initial haircut suggestion." I say, "Well you mentioned it this morning but it was me who fucked around seeing what my hair looked like if I combed it this way." He goes, "Whatever," and I'm like, "Ya know, whether you believe it or not I'm actually starting to appreciate your barbering skills and your opinions about hair styles. Mostly though, the actual reason I was fucking around with it is because earlier today you said I looked like a teenager with this hairdo." We both chuckle about that, and then Rob says, "Oh God, the things you admit to! Okay, you'll be my Peter Pan boyfriend, my seventeen-year-old underage sex toy." I go, "Oh goody. You can be my sugar-daddy and buy me lots of stuff." He says, "Ha, that's a good one. I'm cheap, remember?" I mutter, "A cheap sugar-daddy? Dude, that really blows."

Actually, I do like this short style for the summer and obviously, it does

not make me look like a teenager. I find a pair of barber scissors in the bathroom. I use barber scissors for whatever I need scissors for. They're really sharp unlike the clunky scissors you usually see for sale at Stop & Shop, for example. I hand the scissors to Rob and he picks up a comb, saying, "Ya better take off your shirt, babe." I go, "Oh duh, yeah I better." I take my shirt off and wad it in a ball, saying, "If it's a little wrinkled it won't look so dressy," and Rob goes, "Hey, don't do that! You looked real nice all dressed-up. Damn." As I'm pulling the t-shirt over my head Rob puts down the scissors and comb to take the dress-shirt and try smoothing it out with his hands. I go, "I felt too dressed-up wearing a white button-up-the-front dress shirt with a buttoned-down collar." He goes, "You looked good! There's no law that says you can't look nice." I make a 'face', shrugging and tossing the t-shirt onto the closed toilet seat lid. I liked that he thought I looked nice though.

He hangs the dress-shirt on the hook at the back of the bathroom door and says, "Step over under the light, Dylan," and when I do he combs hair from below the part upwards and begins cutting as he moves the comb up to the part. Very professional way of haircutting that tapers the length of hairs from shorter to slightly longer. I'm impressed. He cuts off a quarter-inch of hair and the cut-hairs drift down to my shoulder and then Rob goes over the same area taking another quarter-of-an-inch of hair off. After combing down through the hair from the top, he then combs all the hair forward, mumbling, "I'm trying to blend the hairs to eliminate the part. Um, did you put something in your hair?" I go, "Well yeah, a little hair gel to keep it in place." He says, "Oh, so that's what's fucking-up the works here. Put your head over the sink and I'll wash the gunk out of your hair so the part blends in." I go, "I didn't fucking use that much gel, just a little to train the bangs to stick up." Rob goes, "Well now it needs to be washed out."

I lean over the sink, muttering, "Nothing in this world is ever simple." Rob holds the back of my neck keeping my head down near the sink's faucet and cups handfuls of water to put on my hair and then he sort of scrubs my wet hair, muttering, "Maybe I'll need to use a little gel on the bangs but only after we eliminate this part. It feels like it's glued in." After scrubbing the gel from my hair Rob gets me standing up with water running down my back and chest as I go, "Goddammit! I'm getting wet!" Rob's like, "Well where the fuck's a towel? There's no towel on the rack." I mutter, "Oh yeah, I put the towels in with my clothes to be washed," and, just like that, this doesn't seem like a great idea at all! Annoyed with the cold water running down my back and chest, I point to the linen closet, "Get a towel from the closet." Rob gets a clean hand towel and rub my hair which partially dries it. Then he wipes down my back and chest, chuckling and saying, "The hair clippings are sticking to you. Fuck, we didn't plan this out very well, did we?" What's with the... we? This is Rob's show.

I'm rolling my eyes, annoyed that this has turned into a dog and pony act. Rob's roughly wiping my shoulders, saying, "I don't suppose you have a hairdryer up here, do you?" I shake my head, "No, it's downstairs." He's like,

"Oh fuck, I can't get the hair clippings off you." Then he stops rubbing with the hand-towel, and goes, " Okay, let's calm down and regroup. We'll start over and do this right. C'mon, we'll go downstairs and get the barber stuff out." I go, "I never put it away." As we go downstairs, he's like, "No

offense, but what the hell did you do all day? You didn't do your laundry, you didn't clean up after your haircut and I'll bet the half-bath is still a mess." I grumpily snap back at him, "I did stuff!" He chuckles, "Yeah, like reading and dozing-off on the sofa." I go, "Yes, daddy, but I did take a shower all by myself and washed behind my ears." He ruffles my damp hair, saying, "Naughty boy, goofing-off all day while daddy was working." I go, "We're getting sickening again!"

In the basement Rob's like, "Is the hairdryer still in the bathroom?" I nod and we go in there. Rob turns on the hairdryer and quickly dries my hair. When my hair is dry as a desert he points the hairdryer at my back and shoulders, saying, "When I dry them the hair clippings fly off your awesome body." The hot air feels good, and he's right about the hair clippings flying off me. I see them landing here and there in the half-bath which means I'll need to spend half-an-hour cleaning in here tomorrow, or whenever. Rob rubs his hands over my shoulders, back, and chest helping to get the last of the short hair clippings that he spread around on me with the damp towel three minutes ago. The palm of his hands feels good and give me some nice shivers. Turning off the dryer, he mumbles, "I think we're back in control of the situation, babe." I mutter, "Good," and we go back to the basement.

Rob picks the barber's cape up off the stool where I left it this morning, and says, "As it turns out it's convenient you didn't clean-up down here. Have a seat, Dylan." I sit on the stool and as Rob starts to fasten the cape around me, I go, "Just even off the sides after eliminating the part, Rob. Don't make a fucking federal case out of this." He rubs my hair with both hands doing a sort of scalp massage, saying, "I cut your hair this morning for the preppy-nerdy style, babe. For this other style, I'll need to cut almost all the hairs on your head a little shorter. If I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it right." I go, "You know what. Just stop! Forget it! At least for now. It's too much fucking trouble and, like you said, it's just a fucking haircut. I'll go with the nerdy style for now. I like nerds."

Rob stops fitting the cape around my neck and doesn't say anything. After a couple of seconds, I turn my head to look at him and he stares back at me

looking disgusted. I go, "Sorry I had you go to all this bother, but I'm not feeling it now." He nods his head, saying quietly, "That's so like you, Dylan. Putting things off till later." I whine, "It's was stupid of me to start this in the first place." He rubs his chin, thinking, and then finishes clipping the cape around my neck, saying, " Nope, we've started something and we're gonna finish it. Anyway I already cut the part out and now the hairs on that side of your head are shorter than the other side." I go, "Balls! You just like cutting my hair. That the main reason for continuing with this, isn't it?" He ignores that as he rearranges the barber tools on top of the dryer.

After a few seconds, I go, "Am I right, Rob?" He snorts out a laughs and combs through my hair, then says, "I was hoping I could ignore that remark, but sure, I like cutting your hair. It's fun and about the only chance I have of being totally in charge of the situation." I go, "What a crock of doody that is!" He chuckles again and then goes, "Me having fun is not the main reason for you sitting there with the barber cape around you. You're the expert so you tell me if I'm right that for the flipped-up bangs haircut the hair behind the bangs needs to be shorter than the bangs." He's got me there so I mutter, "Yeah, you're right, but that doesn't necessarily mean the hair on the sides and back needs to be shorter." He puts his finger under my chin raising and turning my head a little so I'm looking right at him. Rob's eyebrows are raised so I smirk, mumbling, "Well maybe a tad shorter." He goes, "You know it's basically an entirely different haircut." I shrug and don't complain because he's right and anyway I like when Rob's fussing over me. It's partially a sexual thing but it also makes me feel good that he likes doing it too, and we have gone to some trouble getting this far. I say, "You're right as usual. Go ahead, I trust you."

Rob's putting a guide on the clippers looking at me smugly, so to break his balls a little, I go, "Wait! You're not going to use the clippers to even out the sides, are you? Not when you started with the scissors over comb method which as you know has a tampering effect." He frowns, not sure of himself now. I go, "Every barber knows that a fuller-look on the sides is what makes the different between a regular middle school haircut of this style and one for older guys. You know, like those nerds on TV." He makes a 'face', asking, "Who the fuck thinks that? And anyway, where'd you get the notion this style is for middle school boys?" Huh, actually, now that I think about it, I got that notion from Pony. I mutter, "Everybody knows that," and Rob laughs, "You're priceless, Dylan. For one thing, not one guy out of ten would even notice the difference... or give a shit if he did notice. You're a haircutting expert or a, um, hair style connoisseur while most guys don't spend ten minutes a month thinking about hair." I mutter, "That's just so wrong in so many ways, Rob." He goes, "Name one." Since I can't think of one, I say, "Just don't cut it too short. That's all I'm saying." He grins, "You're so full of it," and he ruffles my clean dry hair as I try not to grin, but I grin anyway. Fuck, it's only a haircut.

Rob says, "Leave it to me, Dylan. I'm your barber," and he turns the clippers on, adding, "This is awesome! I get to give you two haircuts the same day!" I grin again because I kinda like it too, then mumble, "Just don't cut it too fucking short." Rob goes, "How many fucking times are you going to tell me that? I'm doing it the way I saw the instructor do it on YouTube...

period. I think those experts know a little something about how it should be done... maybe better than you." I mutter, "I very much doubt that," and Robby pushes on the back of my head. I drop my head and he runs the clippers up the back and over the crown a little. Oh boy, I get to have my haircut fetish buzzing twice in the same day.

Rob happily spends ten minutes doing what he originally said would take less than one minute to do. To his credit the finished haircut looks okay. It's short but not as short as I did Pony's haircut, for example. Looking at the haircut in the hand-held mirror I estimate the length is halfway between what I wish it was, and the shortness I cut Pony's in this style. In other words, another real-life compromise.

Rob takes the cape off me, saying, "Whether you think so or not this is a perfect flip-up-the-bangs haircut." I'm rubbing my fingers up the back of my head feeling a little scalped. Mostly the hair is a quarter-inch length up the back and sides, then he tapered the hair to a half-inch. Then the very top hairs Rob left long enough to easily lie flat when combed forward with the inch-and-a-quarter length bangs combed up. He added a little AXE Styling Creme to keep the short bangs up. I did get another boner in my pants as Robby was cutting my hair, so that's a bonus. Looking in the mirror again, I say, "It's pretty good, Rob." He gives me an exasperated 'look' so I grin, adding, "I mean you did a really good job. It's very professionally cut, but just a little shorter than I wanted... that's my only criticism."

Still drinking our bottles of beer, we go upstairs where I walk over to the sofa for a longer view from the big mirror there. Rob stands behind me with a hand on my shoulder as I look at myself in the sofa mirror for the twelfth time today. After chugging some beer, he says, "A little too short, you say? That's easy to correct. Next time I'll go up one size on the clipper guards." I go, "Yep, then it'll be perfect." He smiles, asking, "Do you really think it looks professional, Dylan?" I shrug, "Yes! I couldn't do it much better myself, and most of the hack barbers in this town couldn't do as good." He kisses the side of my neck, and murmurs, "Thanks, Dylan." Everybody likes compliments and in this case Rob deserves a partial one. He's like me, and maybe most barbers in that given the choice between cutting hair a little shorter or leaving it longer, we go the shorter route.

Rob's brushes a few imaginary hair clippings off my shoulders, ones that could have snuck under the barber cape as he's asking me, "What time is it, babe? Maybe we have time for a little messing around before the movie." Looking at my watch, I go, "Nah, we'll have to wait until after the movie for that. It's almost eight-thirty." He hugs me from behind, the beer bottle feeling cold against my belly as Rob nestles the side of his face against mine, murmuring, "It's so much fun being with and doing things with you. And I love being your barber." I go, "Yeah, that's pretty fucking obvious, but I like you being my barber too." He goes, "There, that wasn't too hard to say, was it." I mutter, "I'm not sure about two haircuts a day though." He chuckles, "Why not? You always tell me you like me fussing over you." I turn around to face him, saying, "Actually I do," and we kiss and then make-out for a minute or so.

The ringing of Rob's cellphone interrupts us just in time or we'd be fucking each other in another ten seconds. That's just the way we are. We'd probably miss the first part of the movie. I can always tell when Rob's sexually aroused because he gets circles of rosy red, one on each cheekbone. He takes a deep breath as he steps back grinning at me while pulling his phone from his pocket. Looking at the caller ID, he mumbles, "Oh it's nobody," and he hits 'end'." I go, "Who was calling you?" He shakes his head, "A telephone solicitor, that's all." Huh, more likely one of his side-sex buddies.

Back in the bathroom I put on my t-shirt and then the dress-shirt leaving the three top buttons undone and the tails of the shirt hanging out. In the living room, I put my hoodie sweatshirt over everything as Rob puts his jacket on grinning and saying, "Thanks for going along with my idea for your haircut. It makes me feel good." Again I try being somber about it, wanting to be grumpy because it's shorter than I wanted, but I grin anyway, saying, "You're welcome." Outside, going down the steps to where he parked the pickup, he's like, "I know what's best for you. I see you all the time and you only see yourself about, oh about an hour a day looking at yourself in the mirror." I laugh out loud, "Not an hour! It's not more than forty-five-minutes a day that I admire myself." He goes, "Who could blame you?"

I'm goofily thinking I can't wait for Pony to see me with this haircut. He'll immediately want me to cut his hair like this again; that's how he rocks. I'll probably have him down for a weekend in a couple of weeks. It'd be this weekend if it was up to Daryl. Rob drives us to the Framingham movie complex managing not to talk about my haircut for two minutes of the ride. Basically, he wants me to convince him it's the best haircut I've ever gotten, which it isn't... although it's okay. Ya know, it reminds me of the way guys who 'top' during sex are always hinting around for compliments that they are the best top of my life. Because I love him, I finally say, "Okay, you win, Rob. I fucking really, really like this perfectly cut haircut!" He mutters, "Oh good! It's how I'll do it next time too then." Oh balls!

There's at least a million cars parked at the mall near the movie complex, which is located smack dab in the middle of this huge mall. Apparently, everybody in Framingham is here tonight. We need to park way at the top of the parking lot and while walking back to the theater Rob says, "Let's both remember the pickup is in 'X' row on the yellow side." I mutter, "X row, yellow side." He goes, "Heh heh, we both remember that now but the trick will be one of us remembering it after the movie." The closer we get I'm thinking there's a guy near the theater who looks a lot like Danny Monday. He's with some guy I've never seen before standing together looking in the window of Starbucks next to the movie entrance. I go, "Is that Danny?" and Rob's like, "Where?" I point him out, asking, "Did you know he was going to be here?" Rob shakes his head, muttering, "Not a clue. I haven't heard from Danny since the end of junior year."

I sort of believe that because it hasn't even been two full days since we left campus. Danny of course lives around here somewhere. I mutter, "That's Danny alright. Who's he with?" Rob goes, "Oh fuck! That's Hayden. I'll be damned. I knew Danny was still seeing him but I haven't seen them together for a long time." I go, "Who's Hayden?" Rob shrugs, "Nobody you'd like." I ask, "Um, is Danny getting along any better at home?" Rob nods, "Yeah, now that his father finally moved out of the house. As soon as the divorce settlement was signed his old man was gone; he's ancient history as far as Danny and his Mom are concerned." I ask, "Why did his father stay in the house all that time they were going through a divorce?" Rob shrugs, "I don't know. Something about the divorce attorney advising his father to stay in the house until the settlement. I think she gets some child support as long as Danny's a college student though." What an awkward situation that must have been for all three of them!

We walk up to Danny and his friend, as Rob goes, "Yo, Danny, long time no-see." Danny looks surprised but pleased to see us, or rather to see Robby. They do a normal one-arm-hug greeting and then Rob does it with the other guy, saying, "Jesus, look who it is. How'd you do at Duke this year, Hayden?" Hayden mumbles, "Same ole, same ole, Robert." Danny says to me, "Dylan, meet my main squeeze, Hayden Parks." Hayden and I nod at each other doing little hand flips. Danny's main squeeze?

Hayden is a couple of inches shorter than the rest of us and he's definitely gay. Even if Danny hadn't introduced the guy as his main squeeze I'd have been pretty sure Hayden was gay. I guess it's his body language and the way he has the stereotypical limp-wrists I've heard about, but rarely see. No lisping or anything like that though. He has a big bunch of long curly brown hair on his head and I think his eyebrows have been plucked a bit. Not that there's anything wrong with that, as they always say.

Rob asks me for the ticket printouts and then compares our seats with Danny's. They're on the other side of the movie theater. Neither Hayden nor I have anything to say as Rob and Danny relive last baseball season that just ended two weeks ago. They're agonizing over how close the Merrimack team came to making the playoffs. I'm on one side of Rob and Danny and the silent Hayden is on the other side. There are crowds of people standing or milling around us, but mostly I'm watching two biggish goof-balls who are jogging right towards us. I'm startled when the two goofs grab Danny and Rob from behind, yelling, "Let's get the band back together!" There's some hubbub as the four of them do hugs and talk all at once, with smiles all around. Hayden and I are sort of looking like... what the fuck? Then it becomes apparent these two goofs were on Framingham High School's baseball team the same years as Danny and Rob.

I get introduced by Rob as, "My good friend and college roommate, Dylan Newman," and Hayden doesn't get introduced at all because Danny's yucking it up with the overweight goof who's name I've already forgotten. After observing the four baseball players talking excitedly, mentioning things I have no clue about, Hayden walks around the group and taps my arm, saying, "C'mon, walk over there with me so I can have a smoke. There's no smoking within twenty-five feet of the stores." I look where he's pointing and see a rest area with a couple of benches about twenty feet from where we're standing, so I go, "Yeah, okay," and we walk over. Hayden sits on one of the benches and takes a pack of Salem Light 100's out of his jacket pocket. I'm still standing not feeling comfortable sitting next to him because the benches aren't very big and the other bench is like ten feet across from Hayden's.

Hayden holds up his pack of cigarettes offering me one and I hold up my red pack of Marlboro's and he nods his head taking a fancy-looking little lighter out of his jacket pocket to light his cigarette. As I light my cigarette I'm sort of frowning a little, glancing at Hayden. He smokes like a woman. His left arm is across his flat stomach with the elbow of his other arm resting on the hand of the stomach arm. Holding the long cigarette between the tips of the first two fingers of his limp-wrested hand, he drags deeply and then exhales turning his head away slightly.

He's very slim; skinny almost with narrow shoulders and hips. He's petite I guess you could say. Hayden's wearing very-tight and very white skinny jeans along with a black corduroy jacket over a pale- purple t-shirt, the hood of his jacket hanging behind his head. On his little feet are lavender low-cut retro Converse sneakers with pale-blue laces. He's also blatantly staring directly at me without blinking. I glance at him fleetingly a few times and then ask, "What? Do I have a booger on my nose or something?" He does a cute sounding little laugh as he reaches up to squeeze my arm, saying, "I'm so sorry for staring but I've heard your name spoken in glowing terms for so long it's like I'm meeting a celebrity or a rock star." Incredulously, I'm like, "Oh, jeezsus, really?" He pulls on my arm so, unless I want to get in an arm wrestle competition with him, I sit down next to him. The bench is so small our sides are touching.

To say something, I go, "Um, have you know Danny a long time?" He purses his lips like he needs to think about that, and then says, "Darling, Daniel and I have been going out without any stoppage since tenth grade." I'm shocked, mumbling, "You went to Framingham High?" I'm shocked because I positively have never seen this guy before in my life and I was at Framingham High for four years. Hayden makes some kind of dramatic facial expression, saying, "Framingham High?" He said that like I asked if he went to Alcatraz. Then he goes, "No, sweetheart, Daniel and I are the same age but I went to St. John's Prep. I know him because I grew-up two houses from his." I nod, "Oh, neighbors, huh?" He blinks his longish eyelashes at me a few times and says, "Yes, and we finally got to know one another when we were like fourteen." I nod and he goes, "Ha ha, I mean really got to know each other. It was at a neighborhood block party and my bum is still recovering." I mutter, "TMI, Hayden." He does a dramatic movement somehow, then mumbles, "Sorry! I thought it was just us girls, so gossip was allowed." I frown, muttering, "Girls? Whaddaya mean?" He motions with the limp hand that's holding the cigarette at the guys who are talking and laughing about old times. He goes, "Our men are over there and we know that our place is over here. They're our men and we're their honey-bun girls but we're not to interrupt them when they're being macho with their straight friends, who may or may not know they're gay." I blurt out a laugh, "I hope to fuck you're joking! Jesus, that's a good one!"

Hayden grins, and it's a cute grin. There are little spaces between his front small very white teeth, and he has cute dimples too. He says, "It's what Daniel says to me sometimes. You know when he's fucking the be-jesus outta me he'll stop and ask, "You my good girl, Hayden? Daniel's adorable, don't ya think?" I go, "Yeah, he's adorable. So, you think of yourself as a girl?" He moves his hand like he's waving that thought away, saying, "Don't be stupid you cute boy you. I'm a full-blooded, well- endowed guy. I'll bet my dick is longer than yours. It's longer than Daniels," and then he leans over to whisper in my ear, "And as you know better than anyone, it's a lot longer than Robert's." How the fuck does he know that?

You know what? I'm totally unprepared for Hayden. I go, "Um, I've never had a conversation quite like this before, so forgive me, but you know Robert, er, Rob, too?" He says, "Almost as long as I've known my man, Daniel." I ask, "Why do you insist on using their proper first names? Nobody does that." and he goes, "I like to call them that. It's my thing. I call you Dylan, don't I?" I shrug, but there really isn't a nickname for Dylan, or Hayden either for that matter, so...

Hey, but maybe this is my chance to find out some things about Rob and Danny. I go, "Well, between us girls, are our, um, men into each other, do ya think?" He bends over laughing so hard veins on his forehead stand out. He holds onto my arm straightening up, then hiccups before saying, "Um, I guess you could say that. Yes, they're into each other." I'm like, "How do you know?" He has the hiccups for real now. I guess from laughing so hard and then stopping abruptly. He's holding his hand up, like, 'Wait a second,' while he holds his breath until his face is bright red. He's fascinating and I can't stop staring at him now.

Hayden has nice facial features with an olive complexion to go with his dark curly hair. His skin is flawless with one of those moles that some people call beauty marks on his right cheekbone. A real one or artificial one, I

can't tell. Obviously, he's recently shaved but I can see that his beard is more fully developed than even Danny's, and certainly more so than Rob's or mine. Hayden is a sexy girly/guy; I gotta give him that. I think he has some subtle eyeliner on too. Looking at him this closely though I may have been wrong about the plucked eyebrows although his are narrow and perfectly shaped. If he does pluck his eyebrows it's so well done I can't really tell for sure.

With his hiccups under control Hayden places his hand, with all his fingers spread wide, on his chest near his throat saying, "Omigod, that was so funny, Dylan. You have a very dry sense of humor." He thought I was kidding? Dropping his cigarette and stepping on the butt. The so-called butt was almost half a cigarette. While lighting another one he asks me seriously, "Does Robert ever let you 'top'?" and before I can answer he goes on, "Daniel forbids me doing it but then I don't want to do it anyway. Not with Daniel, it just wouldn't be right." I'm getting mesmerized by this strange creature. He grins, "Well, does he let you top?" I go, "Um, yeah, of course. I 'top' whenever I feel like it." He smirks, muttering, "Liar," and then, "I hear you're a lot like me in some ways." I snort a chuckle, mumbling, "Oh yeah, how's that?" He shrugs his little shoulders and goes, "For one thing, when it really counts we both let our men be in charge." I sort of shrug, not feeling it's worth the trouble to debate that misconception. It'd be too confusing so I let the subject drop.

He says, "And for another thing we both know our guys screw around a lot. Whenever Daniel says he'll be busy I know he's fucking someone else, but like you, I know it's only play-sex. Our men love us best so we don't get overly jealous about their extra curricular screwing." Wow, just how much does Rob tell Danny about him and me, and then how much does Danny tell Hayden? Apparently a lot in both cases.

I'm very curious about something and ask, "How come you and I are just meeting now? I mean, you seem to know about me but I've never heard a thing about you in my life, um, before the last ten minutes." He puts his head way back and takes a drag off his cigarette. Exhaling smoke almost straight up in the air, he then looks at me from the corner of his eyes. I'm waiting as he sits up straight and then pats my shoulder, saying, "Why we haven't met

is a bit of a touchy subject and I really shouldn't talk about it. It's not my place. Ask Robert about that, okay, honey?" I must have an odd expression on my face because Hayden looks concerned and leans over to put his arm across my shoulders, and in a sympathetic manner, he goes, "It's absolutely nothing bad about you, Dylan. It's for reasons I don't agree with. I feel

I can tell you that much, sweetheart." I go, "Can you give me another hint?" and he grins, "Take me out to lunch and get me drunk. Maybe I'll tell you then." I'm aghast, so don't know what to say.

Rob calls over, "Ya wanna get our seats now, Dylan?" I go, "When I finish my smoke," and he nods. Looking back at Hayden, I ask, "Seriously, tell me something about why we haven't met after all this time?" He shakes his head, "Please, darling, I can't say." Doing an exasperated exhale I go, "Well, what do you do when, um, your man's busy fucking other guys?" He goes, "Have fun, that's what I do." I nod, "Doing what, if you don't mind me asking?" He says, "I don't mind. I hook-up with my girl-friends and we do something that usually includes alcohol beverages," and he laughs his good-natured laugh. I'm frowning again. "You have girlfriends?" He touches my arm, "Not like you mean, sweetie. I have friends who are girls. When I'm with them I almost feel like a girl myself. Have you ever felt like that?" I go, "Um, no, I can't say I ever have." He says, "Perhaps you have an identity problem," and I mumble, "One of us does, that's almost certain." Ignoring that, Hayden leans close to me again and says, his lips almost touching my ear, "You don't know what you're missing. Feeling girlie sometimes is so freeing. Just letting yourself go and be yourself completely." Moving my head away from his a little, I say, "Hayden, honest to God, my word of honor, I'm always completely myself at all times." He acts prissy, "Well aren't you the macho one though. As for me, sometimes I let my friend Elaine put make-up on me and I even try on her dresses... and it so much fun. Elaine and I are the same size... six." I mutter, "Jesus."

He holds onto my arm, saying, "Don't worry; I'm not mad at you. It's okay to be all big-time tough-guy with me, but I know you're different with Robert." I'm so sure I give a shit if he's mad at me. I go, "How am I different when I'm with Rob?" and he says, "You're like me, I already told you that. Robert accommodates you and spoils you but when push comes to shove you acquiesce to him like I do with Daniel. It's only right; they're the guys." I subtly pull my arm away from his grip, saying, "So are we, Hayden. We're guys too." He pats my shoulder, "Of course we are, but our men do the men's stuff and we the girlie parts. During sex I mean... so how do you explain that?" I smile, "I'm going to assume you're pulling my chain, and that's okay. What I'd be very interested in though, is what Danny's, er, Daniel's, told you about his and Rob's relationship." Hayden pats my shoulder again, saying, "I already told you, take me out to lunch and get me drunk. I'll tell

you everything. We'll have a girls' afternoon, just you and me. Or better yet, I'll invite my girl-friends because they know everything I do. We all tell each other everything." Hmmm, I go, "You don't wear a dress during these lunches, do you?" Hayden laughs like mad again. Then gasping, he says, "Don't make me get the fucking hiccups again! You and your dry sense of humor. You're adorable too, and almost as good looking as Daniel. Believe it or not you're the first person I've ever been able to tell that to." Huh?

So I still don't know if Hayden wears a dress to lunch or not. Danny calls over, "Let's go, Hayden," and Hayden waves daintily at him and, as he's standing up, he takes my cellphone out of my jacket pocket. His thumbs move so fast on the keys they're a blur. He says, "I entered my cellphone number and memorized yours." I go, "How the fuck did you get past my password?" He looks at me kinda cutely, saying, "I'm tricky. I saw the slight budge in your pocket and stole your cellphone." I'm like, "Yeah, but how'd you know my password?" He does the limp hand flip, "Don't be silly," and puts my phone back where he got it, then says, "We better get a move on. Daniel doesn't put up with me keeping him waiting."

As we walk over to the four guys, I ask "How often do you Rob and Danny do things together?" He shrugs, "We used to do things together back in high school but not so much since then." Huh, and then he goes, "Oh, darling, I just got a great idea. When our guys are, um, busy together maybe you and I could get naughtily together too. I don't get a chance to 'top' very often. I've still got it though and I could give your cute ass," and he gooses me, "a trip around the world and back." I go, "Uh huh," but that's all I get to say because I'm three steps from Rob now. As the two goof-balls leave, Rob smiles, "Ready to get our seats, babe?" I nod, "Yeah, sure, Robert." He chuckles, "Robert? You've obviously been influenced by Hayden!"

Rob and I go inside and buy popcorn and sodas. After the tickets are scann ed by an usher we walk to the proper theater. Hmmm, what would be the best way of approaching Rob about the conversation I just had with Hayden? Or maybe I shouldn't bring it up at all. I can probably find out a lot more from Hayden if I don't say anything to Rob. If I bring up some points of interest from what Hayden said maybe Rob would have Danny tell Hayden to keep his trap shut. Not that I've found out much anyway. Mostly innuendoes and ''take me to lunch' is what I've got from Hayden. Well no, there are definitely a couple of other things too. The thing I need to consider though is what an odd person Hayden is, so maybe he's mixed up about what he thinks Danny's told him. Rob goes, "This is our theater, Dylan." I was walking right by it and I'm like, "Oh yeah," and we walk up the ramp.

Yeah, things Danny's told Hayden could get twisted in Hayden's suspect-brain; twisted into the way Hayden sees the world. Or maybe Rob tells Danny every detail of his and my relationship, which I find almost impossible to believe. As we look for our seats, I ask, in an off-hand manner, "What do you tell Danny about you and me?" Rob shrugs, "Fuck, I don't know. Not a lot. He's not really interested all that much in the first place. Why? What did Hayden tell you?" I go, "Um, basically not much. He wants to go out to lunch with me." Rob shakes his head, "Oh fuck, really?" I shrug and Rob says, "Anyway what is there to tell Danny about us? He doesn't want to hear me telling him again how awesome you are and how you are the only one for me and nothing will ever change my mind about that." I mutter, "Awww, thanks, Robby. That was really sweet." He goes, "Well, it's all true." I need to think about this. Would I actually even have the balls to go to lunch with Hayden? You know what, I just might... dress or no dress.

At our seats, I take the end one and Rob takes the second from the end sitting next to a very fat older man who's nosily getting a cellophane wrapper off a piece of candy. Ha! That's why I want an end seat; an end seat with someone I know next to me separating me from strangers. Rob leans over and asks me, "Would you mind if we had a couple of beers with Danny and Hayden after the movie?" I go, "No. Whatever you wanna do, Rob." He says, "Thanks," and the previews begin. I have a hard time concentrating on them because mostly I'm trying to make sense of this Hayden character. First, I need to admit there is something refreshing about him. He seems to be happy being who he is and he doesn't appear to be self-conscious about things he says; things that most of us would be self-conscious about. Or maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way. It took me a while to appreciate John Smith's very gay-acting friends in Worcester, but once I got used to them I thought they were okay.

Also, Hayden is a sexy little thing. The way he moves is sexy for sure, but he also has a sexy look about him. Hot lips! Way too many long curly hairs on his head for me, but then I have a thing about short hair that the majority of guys do not have. I realized a long time ago most guys don't spend much time thinking about their hair, as Robby mentioned. Some guys do care of course, but most do not. And then some of the guys who do care about their hair like long woman-style hairdos, like Hayden's, so there's a wide gap of opinions about that and no accounting for some guy's sense of style. Jeez though, I can just imagine Hayden's little body naked with his tight butt cheeks spreading as my boner goes up his ass. Ha ha, except he envisions my butt cheeks spreading for his boner, which he claims is longer than Danny's. Huh, Danny's penis is almost identical to mine so... hmmm. Oh, I did learn something. Hayden knows Rob's got a four inch penis, or at least he inferred it wasn't as long as Danny's. I forget how he phrased it exactly.

Glancing up I see the movie has started and there are a number of guys with machine guns having a gun battle with Bond. The bad guys are dropping like flies but they don't seem to have very good aim when shooting at James. Nothing new there. Hmmm, mostly I need to determine what the truth is between Rob's position, which is he tells Danny almost nothing about us, and Hayden's claim that Danny tells him all about Rob and me. The truth lies somewhere in the middle as it usually does. Oh fuck, I can see Hayden in a sleeveless sun-dress, heh heh, with subtle make-up on his cute little face. With his curly long hair and slim body, he'd be quite the hot chick. Yeah, a hot chick without tits.

It's pointless to try deciphering exactly what Hayden's said, so I try getting into the movie. Movies are a place where the real world and any problems you might be having with it can be forgotten for two hours. That's what happens to me for the rest of the movie. As we're walking out Rob says, "Have you ever noticed that the bad guys routinely kill everyone they can, but they don't kill Bond when they have the chance. No, they tie him up and put him in some impossible situation where death is eminent that of course Bond miraculously escapes from." I go, "What was that you said, Rob?" He laughs, "Nothing, it was nothing." I grin at him as we bump together on purpose.

Outside we see Danny and Hayden sitting on the bench I was on before the movie. They're talking with another guy who leaves as we walk over. Danny says, "Bond wins again, huh?" Rob goes, "Shocker. Where do you wanna grab a couple of beers?" Hayden's smirking cutely at me and wiggling his forefinger like, come here. Stepping around Danny and Rob, I'm like, "Wassup, Hayden?" He leans close, whispering, "At the bar I'll need to sit next to Daniel so you ask Robert if he'll let you sit next to me so we can talk." I go, "You're a real piece of work, ya know that? I don't need to ask Rob if I can sit next to you. I can sit wherever the fuck I want." He goes, "Ooooh, you're hot-looking when you're angry." I snort a laugh, "Jesus! I'm not angry. Why would I be angry?" He nods his head, "Oh good. At the bar see if you can get permission to sit next to me." I go, "Um, I just fucking told you... oh, never mind. I'll sit next to you and help get you drunk so you'll tell me something... anything," and he does his hysterical laughing again, as he gasps, "You and your droll humor." Both Danny and Rob hear Hayden's insane laughter and look at us. I shrug and wave my hand like it's nothing and then hear Rob tell Danny, "Dylan's a funny fucker sometimes." Oh man!

We stop at a bar called simply, 'McFarlins Tap'. As Rob parks, he says, "This is where Danny says he's had some beers from time to time. Him and Hayden were here this afternoon. It's supposedly an okay place without unruly characters." We walk inside and it's obvious we'll have no problem getting four seats together at the bar. It a long curving bar with only about half the bar stools occupied. No pool table as far as I can see. I guess it's a sports bar because there are half a dozen flat screen TVs at different places on the walls showing various sporting events in progress. There's lots of tables too and they're also about half occupied. It's a bit noisy but that's good. I tell Rob, "I'm sitting with Hayden to try and find out secrets about you and Danny." He smiles, "Go ahead, good luck except we don't have any secrets." I feel so much better now that Rob openly admits, not in so many words, but acknowledges that I know he and Danny are side-sex-buddies. It's better this way. Why pretend? Sitting next to Hayden gets him all squirmy and, looking at me he conspiratorially whispers, "Wow, you pulled it off. I could never get away with doing something like that." I go, "Once again

I'll assume you're pulling my chain because the possibility of you being serious is disturbing." He laughs, "You say things in a funny way." I mutter, "Even when I'm not trying to apparently."

Danny, who's next to Hayden with Robby on his other side, says, "It's your round, Hayden. I got the last one." One of the bartenders is dumping cardboard coasters in front of each of us, saying, "I gotta ask you boys for ID." Danny says, "Me and him," pointing at Hayden with his thumb, "we were just in here a couple of hours ago and you personally carded us then." The bartender, a plump guy with a red face and a big nose is looking at Rob's license. Offhandedly he tells Danny, "A lot of people were in here a couple of hours ago, son." I have my driver's license out and he checks it as Danny and Hayden pull their wallets out with Danny's doing a noisy exasperated exhale in the process. The bartender appears unaffected by it.

Hayden puts a twenty-dollar bill on the bar and, to keep it simple, we all order drafts of Miller Lite. I look at Hayden and go, "Clear something up for me. You said something about having a bigger dick than Rob's. How do you know that?" He drinks three big swallows of beer and wipes his mouth before putting his hand on my wrist, saying, "I said my dick was longer, not bigger. Robert has a fat cock." I go, "Okay, how do you know that?" He smiles, "Dear boy, how do you think I know that?" I go, "Okay, you saw it, but when? Did you see it while he was taking a piss, or some other way?" He says, "Yeah, I saw it while he was pissing, and at his house when we'd go over for a swim and change in the pool house and other ways too. Why do you want to know?" See that right there... he tells me things, but not really. Nothing definitive. It's all gobbledygook in the end.

Danny leans towards us, asking, "Why the fuck are you two talking about Rob's dick?" Hayden says, "Because it's worth talking about, nosey." Danny chuckles and pats the back of Hayden's head and then tells Rob what Hayden said about his dick. Robby leans in front of Danny to say, "Thanks for noticing, Hayden. At least somebody appreciates quality." Hayden says, "It's the quantity that amazes." Fuck, it's hard to believe these three are so friggin' familiar with each other and yet I never knew Hayden existed. Lowering my voice, I ask Hayden again, "C'mon, how come I've never met you before this? I mean you three guys are thick as thieves?" He pats my shoulder, and yeah, he's a very touchy-feely guy, as he says, "Ask Rob. I already told you that it's not my place to say."

Okay, to change the subject, because I'm obviously not finding out what I want to know from him, I say something frivolous, "Hey, what's with all the

curly hair, Hayden?" He opens his eyes wide, saying, "Oh yeah! I wanted to tell you that you are gonna get me fucked-up, hair-wise." I'm frowning again, "What the fuck does that mean?" He rubs his hand up the back of my head, saying, "This is what I mean. Robert does your haircuts short like this," and he rubs the top of my head now as I'm moving my head away from him, asking, "What's that got to do with you?" He lowers his voice, although it's loud in here again so there's no need to whisper. There was a big lull in the volume of conversation when Danny overheard us talking about Rob's dick. Hayden goes, "Your man tells Daniel how much fun it is giving you haircuts so now my man is talking about him doing the same for me." He points at me grinning, "That's causing me problems, honey." I shrug, "Too bad for you. Best thing that could happen is you get rid of the middle-aged lady's hairdo." Hayden laughs repeating, "Middle-aged lady's hairdo. You're so funny, Dylan."

Either Danny or Rob bought another round because the bartender is setting new glasses of beer in front of Hayden and me. I gulp down the remainder of my first beer and say, "First of all it's not Rob who dictates how long or short my hair is, it's moi." He goes, "What's 'moi' mean?" I go, "It's me, myself, I'm the one who decides." He laughs again, but not hard enough to get the hiccups this time, then says, "You are so cutely naive, sweetheart." Shaking my head, I'm like, "And why would you say that?" He takes three large swallows of beer again, consuming half the twelve-ounce glass of beer, then burps, chuckles at his burp, and says, "Tell me, didn't you have very long hair some months back?" How does he know this shit?

Stalling to think, I drink some beer and then says, "Yeah I did, for the first time in my life, so what?" He shrugs, "Daniel said you were arguing with Robert about cutting it too short with thinning shears. The way Daniel described it reminded me a reality show on TV. That's the answer to your, 'so what?'." Shaking my head again, I say, "It was mostly mutual, or at worst a compromise. And why am I justifying anything to you anyhow?" He pats my back, "You're angry again. It's nothing to be ashamed about. You have beautiful hair by the way. Holy shit, it's almost identical to Robert's hair now that I see you both together." I calmly say, "All I'm saying is this: if I wanted a longer hair style, I'd have one." He nods, "Okay, if you think that, then good for you." I yell, "I don't think it, I know it!" Danny and Rob both look over at us and I go, "It's nothing," and Danny chuckles, saying, "If you two can't get along we'll have to separate you." I make a face like, 'Yeah, like that's something that'll happen'.

Calming myself down I'm giving-up trying to learn anything from Hayden. Actually I've already got a couple of things to have a heart to heart talk with Robby about. We'll see where that discussion takes us. Hayden's silent too so I hope me yelling at him didn't scare him. He's an okay, albeit strange little dude. I bump his arm with the back of my hand, saying, "Does Danny know you wear dresses with your girl friends?" His perfectly shaped eyebrows go up as he covers my mouth with his fingers, going, "Shhhhh." Talking his hand away he goes, "That's just between us girls, Dylan. Gossipy girl talk." I lean my head near his, saying between clenched teeth, "I'm... not... one... of... your... girls!" I didn't yell that, just said it emphatically. He nods, "I know that! It's just a future of speech, honey. The thing is Daniel would have a shit fit if he knew I wore a dress. He's a very straight gay boy, like Robert and apparently you too. You're all missing some fun by letting your gender-issues get in the way." I've got nothing more to say to that nonsense.

We drink some beer and then Hayden taps my hand and grins while asking, "Does Robert still like being tied up during sex?" I'm like, "What? Tying who up?" He goes, "It's just that I hear Daniel and Robert used to have this..." and Rob says, "Let's shoot some darts guys." I'm like, "Darts? Um, Hayden what about...?" and Danny there, saying to Hayden, "Let's go, babe. You and me are partners." Danny calls Hayden 'babe'? That's what Rob calls me all the time. Following the three of them, I'm carrying my half-finished beer. my head spinning a little bit.

This bar doesn't have a pool table but Danny gets us to go around to the side where there are three professional-looking dart boards on the wall about ten feet apart. The dart board on this end isn't being used. Good, a relief from being frustrated talking with Hayden. We play darks and drink beers for a while. It's Rob and me against Danny and Hayden with the losers buying the next round. We do that until almost one o'clock when we call it a night. Outside we're all doing half drunken one-arm hugs with pats on the back and quick kisses and I discover that Hayden smells good too.

Opening the driver's door of his car, Danny says to Rob, "Well Dylan and Hayden finally met." I see an opening, and ask, "Why haven't we met before?"

Danny shrugs, "I don't know. We all sort of have a lot in common though." He's got his arm around Hayden with Hayden beaming goofily. Robby looks at me and then Hayden, saying, "Well you've met now, and you got along okay with minimum screaming so maybe we can double date sometime." His heart wasn't in that as he adds, "I mean, if you all want to." We all say some version of, 'Yeah, sure', pretty much all at once. Then we get in separate cars and drive away.

Robby's driving of course. He says, "That was okay, wasn't it, babe?" I go, "Yeah, Rob. And we should do stuff with them." He's like, "Really? You sure?" I look at him, "Um, yeah, why not?" He shrugs, "Okay, if you really want to, but that fucking Hayden, um... didn't he get on your nerves? Obviously I'm fond of Danny, and you like him too, right?" I nod, "Yeah, I like Danny," and Rob adds, "But Hayden! Frankly I thought you'd hate him." Huh, this puts a whole different light on things. Maybe I haven't met Hayden before because Rob doesn't like him and apparently thought I'd hate him too. Yeah but they have a long history together that goes back six-fucking-years. They must have done lots of things together in the past. Oh man, I don't know what to think. I'm too messed-up to think any more about it tonight though. Anyway, I want to have some awesome sex with Rob so I'm not screwing that up by making a stink about some of the things Hayden said. I'll get Rob's

side of things eventually, but not tonight.

Robby murmurs, "Can I stay the night with you, Dylan?" I say, "Of course! I was hoping you'd want to but I'm actually a little surprised you aren't going in the office tomorrow." He glances over at me, "Not this Saturday but I suppose I'll need to do that occasionally. Anyway, I told Mom I might not be home tonight." I go, "Awesome," and he asks, "Um, how about your Mom?" I go, "I assume she'll be coming home tonight, I haven't heard to the contrary anyhow. She'll be late like usual and sleep late tomorrow morning." Rob asks, "Are you sure she won't mind me staying over?" I say, "Yes, I'm sure she won't mind! Jeez, Rob, she knows what's up with us. My Mom thinks you're awesome. She loves you." As we drive onto my street, Rob mumbles, "I'd be happy to settle for... she likes me." I go, "Yeah, that too."

He parks on the street below the condos because Mom parks the station wagon in the garage. Turning off the engine Rob reaches behind the seat and comes up with a small overnight bag. Grinning at me, he says, "I'm mister optimistic. I was pretty sure you'd let me stay with you tonight so I packed a few things." I go, "Oh! So, you figured the odds that I'd say 'yes' were better than fifty/fifty, huh?" He cups behind my head pulling it over and, with me stretching my seatbelt, we kiss on the lips and then Rob looks me in the eyes murmuring, "More like a hundred/hundred you'd say yes."

I really don't want to believe any of the odd stuff Hayden alluded to about Rob and Danny. There's some things though that I can't explain away like the fact he used the term 'in-charge'; a concept I repeatedly urged Rob to do more of until I changed my mind recently. Rob had to have discussed this with Danny who passed it on to Hayden. And then Hayden mentioned specific details about haircuts including the one when I had longish hair for a few months... and he used the term thinning shears. The 'in-charge' reference could have been from almost any time in our relationship, but not the references to my long hair. That had to be recent which would seem to indicate the flow of information from Rob to Danny to Hayden is ongoing. Other odd things too, like maybe Rob getting tied up during sex and, oh fuck... I'm already forgetting some of the other things Hayden talked about. For now though, tonight specifically, I'm kinda into Rob and intend enjoying sex with him. Everything else can wait.

I take his overnight bag from him, "I'll carry this for you, boyfriend." Rob smiles and puts his arm around my waist hugging me against his side as we walk up the steps to the condo. This has been one helluva day for me, and I mean starting with breakfast this morning, compliments of Robby. Oh, and of course my late-lunch/early-dinner with Chubby and then the movie plus meeting Hayden after all these years and now Rob sleeping with me tonight in my little twin bed. I've got half a stiffy in my pants just thinking about that. No matter what turns out to be true or bull-shit from what Hayden said, the fact is I'm too far into loving Rob for it to matter much.

Inside the front door there's no lights on so condo is black as night. I mumble, "Mom and I need to replace the bulb for the night-light." Rob's arm slides up my back and around the back of my neck. He pulls my face against his and we kiss with our lips only and then slide the side of our faces together and hug tightly. His body is very special to me and very familiar. For me it's like coming home when we hug. I murmur, "I love you, Robby." He moves his head and gives me a ten-second wet kiss on the side of my forehead. Getting tighter against him pushes Rob back against the front door. He murmurs, "I'm always thinking there's no way I could love you more, Dylan, and then I find I do love you more with each new day." I rub the side of my face against his, murmuring, "Don't ever stop." His hands squeeze my butt cheeks while pulling my crotch tightly against his. He quietly says, "And thanks for putting-up with that odd boy, Hayden, tonight." I'm basically lying

against him, saying, "Aw, Hayden's not so bad." Rob's fingers rub up my back and then up the back of my head in my short bristly hair as he quietly mumbles, "So you mentioned. For some strange reason, Danny's loved that little twerp for as long as I can remember."

I don't want to talk about those two now so I don't respond to that. Instead I rub my fingers in Rob's hair and grin in the dark, saying, "I still like my haircut." We both snicker at that obvious change of subject. I reach to the left of Rob shoulder feeling for the light switch. Finding it, I turn on the overhead light and we let go of each other. Blinking, as our eyes adjust to the light, I nod my head in the direction of my bedroom. Picking up Rob's satchel from where I dropped it when we hugged, we slowly walk down the hall with Rob's arm around the back of my waist again. I say, "I'm the 'top', tonight," and he says, "We'll arm wrestle to see who's topping who."

Stopping just outside my bedroom door I turn to face him and shock myself by asking, "Do I 'top' as good as Danny?" Without missing a beat, Rob goes,

"As far as I'm concerned, you're much, much better, Dylan. There's no fucking comparison actually. I swear to God, baby, casual recreational side-sex with anyone but you is merely a couple of minutes feeling good and then a half-ass orgasm and then... nothing. But sex with you is something I think about all the time. Then we do it together and I think about that all the time until the next time. The thrilling expectation of sex with you is always with me and then it happens and my world shines. Please believe me I've never said any words to you that are more truthful than the ones I just said. It would break my heart if you didn't believe me." Oh fuck! I never expected such a heartfelt response. A tear rolls down my cheek. That was so beautiful and sincere I get emotional, mumbling, "Thank you for telling me that," He quietly says, "I thought you already knew it, Dylan." I nod, "Yeah, I did, um, but it was good hearing it from you again." We hug and sway side to side a little. Then to get past this awkward moment, I ask, "Shall we have one last beer tonight, Rob?" He says, "If you'd like one, but I'd rather

make love."

I shrug, "I didn't really want another beer either." Rob's arm drops from my waist as we go into the bedroom. I flick the light switch and the lamp on the bed-side table turns on. Continuing into the bathroom I hit that light switch too and we take a piss side by side. Rob asks, "What nonsense was Hayden feeding you tonight?" I'm like, "Ah, let's not talk about him now. Tomorrow I'll tell you whatever I can remember. I kind of liked him okay though." Rob goes, "Man, that surprises the hell out of me! Jesus, I didn't think you'd like his girlie affectations and goofy laugh at all." Having had success with my dangerous question of 'who fucks better, me or Danny?' I try this: "Um, have you ever thought of being tied-up during sex?" He laughs, "Oh shit. Yeah, when I was a kid I thought it was uber hot." I go, "But not since you were a kid?" He shakes his head 'no' at the same time he's shaking the head of his fat dick getting that last drops of piss off. He goes, "No, not since my hot stupid youthful teen years. Why... do you want to tie me up?" I go, "Maybe some other time, but not tonight." He chuckles as we both put our dicks away for the moment. We'll be getting them out again real soon.

We wash up side by side at the sink and then brush our teeth. This time Rob has his own electric toothbrush but he forgot to bring toothpaste and uses mine. In the bedroom with only the weak forty-watt bedside lamp illuminating the room we get naked and fall into each other's arms. Hugging, kissing and grinding our bodies together causes quiet moans of desire from us both. Those sounds of arousal just happen on their own. We have almost identical bodies, size-wise, with Rob's being more athletic and muscular. Not that mine is the least bit wimpy. In fact, it's pretty hot even if I do say so myself. Our hands rub over each other's hot bodies grabbing ass cheeks as our mouths suck together and our lips kiss and our tongues lick until saliva is smeared around both our mouths and chins and we're inhaling each other exhales getting too much carbon dioxide in our systems and feeling a little dizzy. Gasping-in lungfuls of oxygen we just hug for a minute breathing deeply over each other's shoulder; our hearts pounding against each other's chest.

He smells so sexy and feels so sexy my cock is hard as a broom handle and throbbing. It's tightly up against my stomach and dripping clear pre-cum. I take a deep breath and then surprise Rob by flipping him around and then kneeing his ass getting him to fall forward onto the bed with me on his back. He goes, "Oooh!" We're both perspiring a little because Mom likes it warm and has the thermostat at seventy-four degrees when it's not even cold outside. Rob chuckles, "I would have fallen on the bed if you asked me to, babe." I squirm on top of him as his knees hit the floor and his stomach goes gets flat on the bed. I've got his arms pinned out on the mattress as I rustle around until I'm sitting on his ass with a leg on either side of him. I go, "I'm giving you a hard, rough fucking as a tutorial of how I want you to fuck me next time." He nods his head, "Should I take notes?" Lying on his back now, still pinning his arm out, I hump my wet cock head against his buttocks searching for his asshole. My boner is lengthwise in his ass crack but I can't get the head inside because it's flat against me. Rob says, "Mercy, I call for mercy lubricant?" I go, "Okay, but don't you dare move," and I lean over to the night stand and take the lube from the drawer, then sit on his lower back.

Rob says, "My ass is wet. Did you pee on me?" I go, "No, but I might do that later. The wetness is from my awesome pre-cum straight from my balls." Rob chuckles and says, "It doesn't come from your balls, babe, although you have an excellent set of balls. Pre-cum comes from the Cowper's glands in your dick." I move my leg over Rob's ass and get turned around sitting on the small of his back facing away from his head pushing lubricant up his ass. I'm like, "How in the hell did you know that?" He says, "I used this thing called Google to satisfy my curiosity about pre-cum. Google, as you know, is the word for a very large number. Anyway, my query about pre-cum was one of the 40,000 queries per second that Google processes." My finger is up to the second joint inside his rectum rubbing his prostate gland. I say, "Are you shitting me? 40,000 questions a second?" He starts squirming, "Yes, ooh, um, ya gotta stop rubbing that! Oh, uummmmm, I'm gonna cum, Dylan!" Snickering, I pull my finger our and then lift my leg over him again facing forward. Sliding up his back, I mumble, "Ain't this some hot sexy fun, Rob?" Sitting just behind his neck now, I lean my head way down to look into his eyes, and ask, "Would you be so kind as to suck my cock for me? It's already hard and drooling a substance from my dick's Cow-whatever-you-said gland." He laughs and goes, "Well get the fuck off me so I can flip over on my back."

I get off his back and when he flops over I sit on his chest with my crotch almost touching his chin. Reaching behind me I stroke his semi-hard cock until Rob's scrunching up his face and his cock's so hard it's sticking straight up. Letting go of Rob's boner I pull my boner away from my stomach and push the wet head between his lips. Robby lifts his head and sucks on two inches of my boner until I go up on my knees a little so more of my cock can slide into his mouth. He does a nice job of sucking and licking my boner and that gets me squirming and quietly grunting as sensations sizzle off my cock. Both my hands are on his forehead, my fingers in his hair as my hips hump gently sliding my boner on his tongue until I feel I might cum. When I sit back my cock pulls from his mouth and his pink tongue flicks across his lips and then he says, "I can't take your boner in my throat in this position, baby." I nod, "I know, but I almost cam anyway" and then I take a deep breath, before saying, "I've gotta feel my cock inside you right now!"

I get off him again, saying, "Slide up on the bed, Robby, but stay on your back. I want to look at your face while I'm fucking you. You're very good looking, you know." He murmurs, "Thank you," as he uses his heels to push himself to the middle of the small bed lengthwise. I rustle around getting between his legs. Robby pulls my pillow from under the bedspread and adjust it under his head so his head is up a little and he's looking at me. He murmurs, "You've got the best looking boner, Dylan." I go, "I know," and lift his right leg out to the side by the ankle and then shimmy in closer to his ass with my knees spread. With his left leg held up by me and his other leg leaning to the side some we're smirking at each other and then I ask, "Ready?" Using my free hand, I guide my hard cock to his asshole and then hump it in. Immediately my head goes back as I do a quiet moan at how good it feels. Even after all the goofing around we did I'm still extremely aroused. Robby telling me I'm the best top ever and, in doing so, admitting he's felt a lot of 'top's' cocks up his ass is strangely sexy to think about.

Still holding his leg up by the ankle, my hips move forward pushing my cock another three inches up his ass and I watch Robby's face scrunch up again as a quiet groan, "Ow," slips out from his mouth. His eyes are closed, his lips tightly closed so I assume he's waiting for the pain of entry to fade. I wait until I see his face relax before humping hard, thrusting the rest of my boner inside him. I'm tight against his ass fully impaling him. My cock's feeling delirious pleasure sensations being squeezed tightly by Rob's rectum from head to root. Now I close my eyes for a second and moan, "Ummmm, oooh, feels soooo good," as I hump against his ass a few times, each hump moving my boner a tiny bit in his ass. Rob groans at each hump, "Ooooh, oooh, ooooh." After another ten seconds wait my hips start moving at a steady speed and I watch my boner disappear up his ass and then reappear a half-second later and then disappearing again. Still holding Rob's leg up and to the side I watch my boner doing it's disappearing and reappearing act over and over with huge waves of pleasure soaring off my hard and sensitive penis. Ooooh the fucking pleasure is overwhelming and I pick up the speed of thrusting without consciously thinking to do so.

Rob's squirming on the bed doing heavy breathing with his eyes still closed. I force mine open to watch him experience the sexual pleasure of being fucked up the ass. This isn't the rough hard sex I promised him because I want the pleasure to last longer than it does for a fast hard fucking. Sexual pleasure pours off my hard cock in amounts that overload the pleasure center in my brain but I can't stop. I keep the faster thrusting as steady as I can. My grip on his ankle moves his leg slightly as my body moves along with my hips movements. Rob's squirming on the bedspread, his hands down against my buttocks as if he's pulling and pushing my cock in and out of his rectum; his hands though are merely along for the ride.

It's a nice long ride too and then my organs indicate a reluctance to hold off much longer as the urge to climax begins growing in strength, building and building until I whimper at its insistence to have its way with me. Orgasms move at their own chosen speed; sometime they roar up on me and almost catch me by surprise and then there are times like this where they accommodate me and hover on the verge of exploding for one or two delicious minutes keeping me in a state of incredible arousal and anticipation of an impending climax that'll be off the fucking charts.

Robby's body gets stiff now as his orgasm has taken control of his mind and body. Nothing stops a climax and Rob's like, "Ah, ahh, ahhhh, Dylan, aaahhhhh!" with him humping and cum flying from the open piss slit of his fat cock head. Creamy milk-colored cum shoots straight up in the air but when he

humped his hips forward it caused the flying string of cum to curve towards me and as it's coming down I watch it splats at the top of my boner and get driven inside Rob's ass as my hips move forward. Another shot of cum from Rob as I go, "Eeeetiiii," and hump hard against his buttock shooting a screaming line of cum into his bowels. His second load of cum hit my shoulder. I hump against him again and shoot more cum up his ass with my eyes now tightly closed and fireworks going off in my groin. Incredible sensations making me shake and shudder for a few seconds and then everything... s l o w s....d o w n... until I sigh at the memory of pure pleasure and then feel very weak for a few seconds. Opening my eyes, I see Robby looking at me and smiling slightly. I nod at him and smile back. Rob murmurs, "That was awesome, Dylan."

Pulling my cock from his ass, almost in a daze, I lie next to Rob and give his ruby red sexy lips a kiss and then snuggle tightly against him so I can share the pillow. Comfortable and sexually satisfied as I am right now produces an unexpected contented sigh from me. After savoring our sex for a couple of minutes and letting my fast beating hearts simmer down, I breathe deeply and then quietly ask, "So there's no deep dark secret why I haven't met this Hayden guy. No special reason except you don't especially care for him yourself and thought I wouldn't either?" Rob traces his finger down my nose, "No Dylan, what other reason could there be?" I go, "I don't know but you've known him for so long, I thought...." He puts his finger on my lips going, "Shhhh, baby, we can talk about it later if you want but I've only seen Hayden like maybe twice in the last two years." I shrug, "You almost never see him? I mean after all the years..." and the finger goes to my lips again, , "No, when I see Danny why the hell would either of us want Hayden hanging around?" I nod, "Yeah, that makes sense, I guess." Robby goes on his side and hugs me with one arm. "Dylan, I've no secrets from you. None that are relevant now anyway. You're who I care about a hundred more times than anyone else, including Danny, or anyone else I may have spent five minutes with. Okay?" I nod and then make an embarrassing gulping

sound while swallowing. Fuck! I don't really care anyway. Being with Rob naked in bed like this is what I care about. I move up a little to get even with Rob's head and in the process, smear some cum that drooled out of Robby's ass on my leg. I go, "We'll need to wash this bedspread in the morning." He chuckles quietly and then says, "We should take a shower ourselves, but I'm too fucking tired. How about you?" I say, "Let's get under the covers," and that's what we do. Before falling asleep my last thought is, 'Holy shit, what an incredible first day of summer break!'

to be continued... Donny Mumford thinat20@yahoo.com

donnymumford@outlook.com

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Hoping some readers may be interested, there are books of mine published and available on Amazon.com. Anyone who has Kindle can download them for next to nothing. The books are usually around ten dollars. They are about a 19 year old gay boy (Oliver) who has a far different life than Dylan's. And there is a new book, 'Mike, his Bike and Me'. Please at least check them out by typing my name on Amazon.com. Information about the story in the books can be found in some detail there. Thank you.

Donny Mumford

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