Disclaimer: Okay folks, you know the drill. This is a fictional story with fictional characters and completely fictional business entities. Any resemblance to anything in the real world is purely coincidental. This story does revolve around a gay relationship and portions of this story may be inappropriate for minors. Check your local laws for whether this has been censored in your jurisdiction.
This is not a stroke story, and the relationship will likely build slowly: you are forewarned.
This is my first attempt at a story, so any and all feedback is appreciated. Feel free to email me at: juris_stories@yahoo.com
Thanks and I hope you enjoy!
The Emerald Merger, Chapter 2
"The Party"
Nathan ended up being 10 minutes late to pick up Allie. Familiar with the routine, Nathan had handed Allie a Snickers bar before she even had a chance to complain about his tardiness. The ride to the party on the other side of town, however, seemed a little too quiet.
"You know I love you, right?" Allie asked trying to seem casual.
"Uh oh." Nathan chuckled to himself. "What did you do?"
"It isn't bad," Allie said.
"Just spit it out... whatever it is I will find out sooner or later."
"There may be a guy at the party that you might get a long with and he might have been led to believe that you would like to get to know him," Allie quickly blurted out.
"Damn it Allie!" Nathan said trying not to yell. "I told you I did not want to get fixed up tonight."
"Yeah, but this guy is so worth it, plus, it really isn't my fault."
"Then whose fault is it? Nathan asked.
"Rick's," Allie retorted.
"Ricky-Bobby?" Nathan blurted out in his best attempt at southern drawl. "Why the hell would he set me up with someone?"
"Why the hell do you call him that? You know he hates it. That was such a stupid fucking movie anyway. I dunno. I ran into him at the Wendy's down from my house, you know, the one on 3rd? So I was up at the counter arguing with the bitch cashier who was trying to tell me that they couldn't just give me barbecue sauce to go with my fries, but I had to pay extra for it..."
"Allie, sweetie. You're rambling." Nathan said still trying not to get too mad.
"Okay, so anyway. I was there arguing and Rick came up behind me and grabbed my ass. He is such a pig. I turned around about to hit him when I noticed he wasn't alone. Sarah was there. Did you know that they were back together? Anyway, Sarah wasn't alone either. Apparently, one of her best friends from high school is visiting her after graduating from Duke. His name is Kris with a "K"
and he is about 6 feet tall, has a nice ass, is college educated, and is willing to be the father of your adopted African children. It is all very Angelina Jolie, don't you think?"
"Huh?" Nathan asked completely in a daze.
"Nevermind. You will meet him at the party and exchange pleasantries. Okay?" It was less of a question and more of a demand.
"Sure, whatever." Nathan said defeated. He knew there was no point arguing the matter. He would do what he normally does... be polite, laugh at his jokes, flirt a bit, and then tell him he wasn't looking for a relationship.
"That's right, whatever." Allie added. "You haven't had sex in 17 months and frankly, I am sick of being friends with such a prude."
"15 months!" Nathan was quick to add. "You know I am just a bit choosey"
"No, in the real world, we call it unrealistic and a bit snobby." Allie retorted.
"Fine." Nathan said, hoping to end the conversation.
"Fine." Allie said, knowing it was time to redirect the conversation. In typical Allie-fashion she leaned over to Nathan and put on her best innocent girl face. "Did you know they now have Vanilla frosties?"
Nathan couldn't help but laugh.
It's not like the party was bad. In fact, under most circumstances Nathan wo uld have been having a great time. The alcohol was flowing, the D.J. had thus far avoided the ear-splitting stylings of Britney or Jessica, and there was a decent amount of people just hanging around without any drama. The problem was that Nathan just h ad a lot on his mind.
"Has it really been 15 months?" Nathan thought. "Christ, the Golden Girls got more play than me."
And it wasn't as if Nathan didn't get plenty of offers, but he seemed pretty distant from most of the guys that showed interest in him. Nathan considered himself a normal guy. He didn't drive an Audi, had no idea was designer label J-Lo was currently wearing, and hated techno music. Lately, he had had very little interest in empty sex. Knowing he wanted more out of a relationship meant that any time spent with a guy that wasn't up to snuff caused Nathan to feel pretty guilty. No, he didn't need Prince Charming, but he did want that one person that would challenge him on every level.
Nathan needed someone that could switch from why Detroit is the worst team in the NFL to who is the better presidential candidate. He wanted someone who willing to go to a gallery opening on Friday night, hiking on Saturday, and stay at home and watch classic movies on Sunday. That, of course, is a hard order to fill, which is probably why Nathan instead consumed himself pining after Hollywood types. Crushes on unrealistic individuals prevented him from dealing with his lack of a real love life.
"Who's my little lawyer?" Nathan heard whispered into his ear from behind. The unmistakable southern drawl meant in could only be one person.
"Your little lawyer is about to give you a fat lip." Nathan said as he spun around to face Rick.
"Don't be so butch, it really isn't your forte," Rick said as a smile appeared showing off his dimples. "Here, have this, it will make you feel better," he said handing Nathan a beer.
"Why Ricky-Bobby, are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?" Nathan asked in an over-the-top falsetto.
"Ass-polutely" Rick said as he made a few pelvic thrusts in Nathan's direction.
"Get a fucking room!" Sarah said as she came up behind Rick. "Why is it that my boyfriend flirts more with you than he does with me?" Sarah asked Nathan.
"Cause I have a better ass, I suppose," Nathan quipped.
"I ain't gonna touch that one," Rick said, chuckling to himself.
Sarah leaned in and gave Rick a peck on the cheek. "Aren't we the most dysfunctional couple you know?"
"Please. If you guys were any more perfect for each other I would puke!" Nathan said as he took a long swig from his beer.
In most ways, Sarah and Rick were a perfect couple. They had been on again-off again for 3 years, though even during the "off" times they were practically inseparable. Sarah came from a huge family with half living in Seattle and the other half back in Cambodia. She was almost done with her doctorate in Pharmacy. Sarah was the just a warm person who always made you feel right at home. In any room, her stout 5'1" frame was always the one passing out the most hugs. Sarah and Nathan had never been super close, but Nathan did consider her a good friend.
Rick, on the other hand, was a complete nut. Rick and Nathan had met in undergrad practically their first week there. Thanks to a rather strict Economics professor who required his students be punctual- or else, they had struck up a conversation after both being locked out of a lecture hall for running a bit late. The connection was apparent from the get-go, and since that time, their bond had only grown stronger. Rick was from Mississippi and had been bounced from foster home to foster home before he was legally emancipated at the age of 17. He had moved to Ohio and worked three jobs to put himself through school. He and Nathan had been roommates since their sophomore year, living in a rather dank, cheap apartment in the run-down warehouse district. Rick was a clown and the person most likely to lose his pants by the end of the night.
Rick did have two soft spots, however... one for Sarah and one for Nathan, and Rick was very protective of both of them. Nathan knew that no matter how ridiculous Rick could be, Nathan could trust him with anything.
"So, let's just get in out of the way. Where is this guy I am supposed to meet?" Nathan asked feeling a bit bold from the steady stream of alcohol he had been downing.
"He should be here by now. Why? You interested?" Sarah asked unable to conceal her excitement.
"Not really. But it has been a while. Hell, I haven't got a clue." Nathan managed to get out, obviously flustered.
"Look, unlike Allie, we aren't expecting you to be picking out curtains with him anytime soon, but I have to admit, we have been worried about you lately. You have g ot to get out there and start living life. Law school is over, and you no longer have that as an excuse." Rick said with a concerned look on his face.
"There he goes again," Nathan thought, "getting all serious and emotional on me."
"Okay," Nathan said. "Just meeting him won't kill me."
"Awesome!" squealed Sarah. "He should be here soon. You guys are going to have a lot in common."
"Great," Nathan thought. "He is going to be an insecure pseudo-intellectual with 100 thousand in student loan debt."
"Let me go find him." Sarah said as she immediately dialed a number on her cell phone and headed out the front door.
"You look a little pale," Rick said with a slight grin on his face. "You gonna be okay?"
"Ricky, if I ask you a serious question, will you give me a straight answer?" Nathan asked.
"You know I will," Rick responded.
"Do you think there is something wrong with me? With everything that has happened over the past three years, everything that I have accomplished. Am I just all fucked up for still being unhappy?"
"I guess in a way, yeah. I mean, most guys in your position would be pretty happy, would likely have one of those brokeback mountain cowboys for a boyfriend, and would realize that they are way too good to associate with the likes of me."
"You know that no matter what we will always be friends," Nathan quickly responded.
"Look, here's the thing. So yeah, you're a bit fucked up. Who the hell isn't? The key is knowing what your issues are and making a conscience decision to change yourself for the better. Know what I mean?"
"So what if I don't know exactly what my issues are right now? Nathan asked.
"Oh, that's simple. You have no self-esteem, you secretly have no desire to be an attorney, you are scared shitless of a real relationship and actually having someone close to you realize that you aren't superman, your parents are overbearing, and you are in the same financial situation as the crazy lady who lives on the steps of the public library." Rick said obviously pleased with himself.
"You are such an asshole," Nathan said with a smile on his face.
"Yep, and that is your other problem. You soooo want me." Rick said laughing.
"Nah, it would never work, I am a complete size queen." Nathan said blowing a kiss in Rick's direction.
"Hey! You are the asshole!" Rick screamed as he pulled Nathan into a bear hug.
"Enough already!" Sarah said walking in the front door with a tall, handsome guy in his early 20's.
Nathan n oticed the guy right away. Allie had been right, he was very attractive, but it was more than that. He was almost pretty. Well groomed, perfectly tanned, and obviously in great shape. He even knew how to dress... black pants that fit him perfectly, a crisp, white dress shirt left untucked and a metallic silver tie knotted loosely around his neck.
Yeah, this guy was the total package and Nathan wasn't the only one to notice. It was obvious that almost every single girl in the room was now not-too-subtlely making their way over to be introduced.
Unfortunately, Kris was mobbed by 6 women before Nathan could even introduce himself. Rick was now out drinking with some other guys on the back deck and Sarah, being the peacemaker that she was, was tryi ng to tactfully steer Kris towards Nathan while still making sure he was introduced to everyone. Nathan caught Kris's eyes several times and it was obvious that Kris had recognized Nathan as the guy he was supposed to meet.
Just as Nathan was gettin g worried that he would never actually get to speak with Kris before it was time for him to bolt, Allie sprung into action. Allie, always having a flare for the dramatic, slid up behind Nathan, grabbed his arm spinning him around, and slapped him hard on
the right cheek.
"You fucking prick. I am so sick of your shit!" she screamed winking at Nathan.
"I am so out of here. I don't even want to see you!" Allie said over her shoulder towards Nathan as she marched right through the gaggle of girls surrounding Kris.
"Kris, you are driving me home, let's go." Allie demanded to an astonished looking Kris.
"Uh... sure." Kris said as he turned and followed Allie out of the house.
"Thanks so much for cooperating, Kris. You are such a cutie." Allie said once she and Kris had reached the end of the driveway. "He will be out in a second."
"What?" Kris asked.
"Nathan," Allie said as if it was the most apparent thing on earth. "He will be out in a second and you guys can get some time to talk."
Kris was about to ask what the hell was going on when he saw Nathan burst out of the front door of the house laughing and holding his cheek.
"You bitch, that actually hurt." Nathan said as he trotted up to Allie and Kris. "Next time, warn me if you are going to smack me around."
"Nah, don't want to give you time to enjoy it." Allie said with a smirk. "Kris, Nathan. Nathan, Kris."
"Nice to meet you, Kris." Nathan said shaking Kris's hand.
"Good to meet you, Nathan." Kris said. "You guys do that routine often?" Kris asked looking back and forth between Allie and Nathan.
"Nah, not really. Allie just gets a bit carried away sometimes," Nathan said looking a bit embarrassed.
"Well, I will leave you guys alone. Hey Nathan, give me a call in the morning, okay?" Allie said.
"Sure," Nathan responded as Allie made her way back into the party.
Nathan turned to look at Kris. It was really the first time he got a good look at his facial features. Kris was definitely an attractive guy. He wasn't the type Nathan would normally be immediately attracted to, but the length of time since his last relationship was starting to wear on Nathan. Why can't he have fun with the pretty boy types? Besides, this guy is educated to boot.
Nathan's pulse quickened as he gave Kris an once-over. He was definitely someone Nathan would be happy to get to know, intellectually and otherwise. There was a mischievous look in Kris's blue eyes that intrigued Nathan. He couldn't tell if Kris's eyes signaled "free spirit" or "troublemaker," but Nathan was sure it would be fun finding out.
"So, wanna go get some coffee or something?" Kris asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah, I know a great place around the corner. Come on, I'll drive." Nathan said.
Nathan and Kris spent the drive to coffee shop by trading information about where they grew up and what their college experiences were like. Kris was a bit younger than Nathan at only 24. He had grown up a few houses down from Sarah and had just graduated from Duke with an MBA.
For the most part, Nathan felt very comfortable with Kris and told him about growing up in northern Virginia with a family that valued hard work over education. Nathan, however, was not one to give up too much information all at once, particularly when it came to the loss of his brother.
"Cafe Caffeine?" Kris asked as he stared at the sign hanging outside of the old brick warehouse.
"It gets right to the point, don't you think?" Nathan said with a grin on his face.
"Yep, I suppose it does," Kris said laughing.
The cafe was not much to look at on the inside. There were a few rickety tables, and most of the floor space was taken up by old couches and chairs that each looked as if they had tours of duty in the frat houses of the University of Cincinnati. Though a Saturday night, the place was vacant and Nathan and Kris had there choice of couches.
"So what do ya want?" Nathan asked.
"Umm, just a coffee," Kris said as he sunk into a lime green crushed velvet couch.
Nathan could tell that Kris was a bit uncomfortable. "Don't worry, no one has puked on that couch in at least 4 years." Nathan said with a grin on his face.
Nathan proceeded to head back behind the counter to begin making a new pot of coffee.
"You own this place or something?" Kris asked.
"Nope, I work a few hours here and there. My friend Ricky still works here part time." Nathan responded.
"It is okay for you to be back behind the counter like that?" Kris asked with a smile on his face.
"He can be wherever he wants to be, can't ya, sweet cheeks?" came a voice from a back room, startling Kris.
"That's right, I can go anywhere I want except your bedroom." Nathan said winking at Kris.
"Damn straight, ladies don't sleep with attractive twenty-somethings!" responded the voice.
"Who is that?" Kris whispered to Nathan.
"The owner."
"Oh, I didn't know anyone was here." Kris said.
"She is always here." Nathan said rolling his eyes. "Hey Coral, honey, could you put on a CD before you come out?"
Nathan smiled as Michael Buble's voice began filling the coffee shop. Coral always did have great taste in music.
When Coral finally appeared from a door at the back of the room, she, or he, was not exactly what Kris was expecting. Standing at about 6'3" and at about 300 lbs., Coral was perhaps the biggest drag queen Kris had ever seen.
"Kris, may I present Miss Coral Bells, the owner of this fine establishment." Nathan said to a wide-eyed Kris.
"Coral, this is my friend Kris with a `K'," Nathan said as he walked over and gave Coral a quick peck on the cheek.
"Nice to meet you Kris," Coral said shaking Kris's hand.
"Nice to meet you as well," Kris responded. "This is a nice place you got here."
"Oh baby, it is a hole, but it is my hole, and I am grateful for it." Coral said. "And Nathan, don't even go there!" she said slapping Nathan on his shoulder.
"I was not even going to discuss your hole with Kris in the room," Nathan said unable to control his laughter.
"I sometime ask myself why the hell I surround my self with all of these young perverts," Coral said winking at Kris, "But then I remember that I, too, used to be a young pervert, and I shouldn't judge."
"So you are a cute one," Coral said looking at Kris, "you a pervert too?"
"Yes maam, through and through." Nathan responded seriously.
"Good" Coral said. " I see you boys got some coffee. Do you need anything to eat? I might have some scones around here somewhere."
"No thanks, Coral, we didn't want to bug you. We will probably just hang around here and talk a bit." Nathan said.
"Okay, no problem. Nathan, make sure you lock up, okay?" Coral asked.
"Will do." said Nathan.
"Thanks sweet cheeks." Coral said. "Hope to see you around Kris."
"Oh, I am sure I will be around." Kris said smiling at Nathan.
Nathan blushed. He was pretty rusty at the whole dating thing and obviously was easily embarrassed.
"She's fun." Kris said as soon as Coral had made her way back through the back door.
"She is one of the nicest people I have ever met." Nathan said.
"No doubt." Kris responded. "She seemed really nice."
Nathan didn't respond, but instead felt content to enjoy the music and Kris company. They chatted about light topics for the next few hours. Nathan kept Kris laughing most of the night, and Kris kept Nathan entertained with stories of his troubling making days at Duke. Kris was clearly a smart guy , and was able to keep up with Nathan on practically any subject. Nathan was excited, if not a little nervous, that Kris was exceeding his expectations on an intellectual level.
Nathan looked down at his watch which was reading a very unpleasant 1:45 am. Unfortunately, the effects of the bar exam were starting to take their toll on Nathan.
"Well, Kris, this has been great, but I really need to get some sleep. It has been a rough day." Nathan said.
"Oh no, I understand completely."
"Want me to drop you off back at the party?" Nathan asked.
"Well, where do you live?" Kris asked. "You can probably just drop me off at my apartment on your way home."
Nathan smiled. "I live upstairs."
"Oh shit! Really?" Kris asked. "That is pretty cool. Look, I don't want to make you go out again. I will call Sarah and see if she can swing by and pick me up."
"Okay, that would be great." Nathan said as he felt his eyelids steadily get heavier.
Kris dialed his phone and had a quiet exchange with the person on the other end of the line. Nathan couldn't quite make out what was said, but he was sure Kris actually blushed at one point.
"Thanks" Kris said has he closed his cell phone. "Sarah will be here in about 5 minutes."
Nathan stood up to escort Kris to the door. He had really enjoyed his evening with Kris and hoped that this would be the first of many dates.
"Well, this has been a lot of fun. You are a pretty easy guy to get to know." Kris said shyly.
"That goes the same for me. I had a really good time." Nathan said has he leaned in towards Kris.
It had been quite some time since Nathan had last kissed a guy, and luckily, it was like riding a bike. Within seconds Kris had pressed Nathan up against the door as their kiss became more passionate. Nathan's tongue danced with Kris's, and the growing bulge in his pants made clear how much he wanted Kris. Nathan knew he didn't want things to progress too quickly, but as he was caught up in the moment, he was too worried about the little details. Nathan's hand began to explore the firmness of Kris's ass as Kris slowly moved his hand up under Nathan's shirt.
BANG! The sound of something hitting the door both Nathan and Kris were leaning on startled them. Nathan attempted to compose himself and turn around. There facing them was Sarah and Rick, both with huge smiles on their face.
"I see that you too have gotten along quite well," Rick said as he opened the door.
Nathan noticed that Kris was blushing and was pretty sure the same redness was visible in his own cheeks.
"Uh, yeah. We had a good time," Kris managed to get out. "Well, it is getting late. Sarah, you ready to take me home?"
Sensing the awkwardness of the situation, Sarah quickly nodded her head. "Sure, I'll be in the car. Rick, I will call you when I get home. Have a good night, Nathan."
"You too, Sarah." Nathan said as he led Kris into the parking lot out of earshot range. "I had a great time, and I hope we can see each other again soon." Nathan said.
"Of course we will," Kris responded, "I will see you at work on Monday."
"What?" Nathan said a little louder than he had intended.
"Sarah didn't tell you?" Kris asked
"Tell me what?"
"I start Monday at OMA Corp. too. We have new employee training together at 9:00am." Kris said.
"Wow. She didn't mention anything about it." Nathan said obviously surprised by the revelation.
"Yeah, I have a feeling we are going to see a lot of each other." said Kris shyly.
"Well, I am looking forward to it." Nathan responded as he gave Kris a light kiss.
As Kris climbed into Sarah car, Nathan couldn't stop smiling. For the first time in a long time he was happy. Maybe finding a good guy is all that he needed.
++++++
There is Chapter 2... I will try to get the next chapter out in the next 7 to 10 days.
Email me at juris_stories@yahoo.com