Alex -
The first sunlight was entering the room through the open window. I opened my eyes and looked around me. For a fraction of second, I was a bit lost and then the last night's event came into my mind. Talking last night was not really easy for me; I had revived the most horrifying moments of my life yet after talking to Rick about it, I kind of accepted the facts. Rick was still hugging me and I could feel his erection not far from my ass. I giggled silently. I closed my eyes and listened to the peaceful silence.
After a few minutes, I turned without breaking the embrace and looked at Rick. I had never seen something more beautiful. I gazed at his brown locks, little nose and red lips. I yearned to touch those cheeks, kiss those lips... Rick stirred and opened his eyes. As he caught me looking at me, I rolled on my back smiling and staring at the white roof.
"How are you feeling now?" Rick whispered.
"Fine. Much better than last night," I said in the same low tone. It was weird how we were whispering when we were alone in the whole apartment. Perhaps, we were just afraid of breaking the silence.
"You definitely did not deserve what happened to you. But remember that now any trouble will have to pass through me before getting to you. I'll always be at your side," he murmured as he grasped my left hand.
"Thanks."
I suddenly recalled the time when he had said that he wanted to be my boyfriend. Then I had refused since I needed time to know him well. But how long should I wait?
-*-
"So how did you find the restaurant?" Rick asked as we exited. He had removed the plaster in the morning. He complained about the stiffness in his fingers but seemed rather glad to have gotten rid of the plaster. To thank me, he had invited me for dinner. How could I refuse? It was a newly opened `gay' restaurant; it provided a free space for gays who could be completely relaxed without any worry. It was a really nice choice after our last disastrous date.
"It was really chic. The food was delicious too. You should break your arm more often," I laughed as he walked to the parking.
My neurons worked furiously as a war waged in my head. I was planning to ask this since a long time but never got enough courage. It was time to jump into water. I stepped closer to him, a bit too close... I could smell his aftershave.
"Alex, what happened? Are you feeling all right?"
"Rick, would you like to be my boyfriend?" I asked after a few seconds of silence. That's it; I had done it.
For a little second, he seemed surprised but then all I could see on his face was joy.
"Yes." And he blessed my lips with his soft ones.
-*-
"Alex, what are your plans for the holidays?" Rick asked from my bed. Since we became boyfriends, we spent most of our free time in each other's company- sometimes I went to his apartment and sometimes he came to my dorm. If this continued, I would surely be addicted to him.
"Nothing special," I said as I stepped from the bathroom. Only one week was left before the holidays. As usual, I had not planned anything. Last year, I spent Christmas working.
"Would you like to go to Paris?"
"What?" He sounded as if Paris was next street!
"Each year, there is a grand function over there. Albert, our editor asked me to go there for an article. The function is only one night but we can be there for a week and visit a bit."
"But I got no money!" Going to Paris was not a joke and needed lots of money. The money I gained while working was just enough for my food and clothes. I would certainly not ask for money; I was too self-respecting for my own good.
"Did I ask you for money? The function organizers themselves are covering all the expenses, from the travel fee to the accommodation fee. All we need is an invitation and I got one. Heather has gone to Florida with her boyfriend so you can be my assistant. Anyway, I need a partner to go with," he said as he came closer to me.
"So I'm your assistant or partner?" I whispered as he nibbled my neck.
"Assistant and partner during the function and slave during the rest of the holiday," he said. I drowned my hand in his brown locks.
"Kinky?" I uttered whilst he sucked my Adam's apple.
"You'll see!" This ended in another perfect and sleepless night.
-*-
I looked around the room in amazement. It was twice the size of my dorm room. I had never been in such a place. I sat down on the bed, which turned out to be as soft as a bundle of feathers. Everything screamed `high class'- from the delicately carved table to the stunning oil painting. I had just come to Paris with Rick and we were staying in a five-star hotel. I closed my eyes as I sighed heavily. It was just not my world and I made me uneasy. I was not made for traveling with a first-class ticket and staying in such a luxurious room.
"What happened? You don't seem fine," Rick asked as he entered the room.
"Oh, it's nothing. I think that I'm just a bit tired from the travel," I lied.
"You want to go down for dinner or have it ordered here?"
"I don't know. Both are fine with me."
"I'll have it ordered up then. I'm not in a mood to meet any new people. And tomorrow, we are going to pick our Tuxedo for the function."
"But I got no money to buy one!"
"I know, Alex and I'm paying for you," he said as he sat next to me. "I know that you don't like it but you remember we promised to share everything and it included our money too. There is no mine or yours between us. It's just ours, isn't it?"
"Yes," as I smiled genuinely.
"If ever I know someone on this earth, who deserves all this money, is you. You are not like others. You're unique. That's why I want you to be the most handsome some man in the function. It's not that I'm trying to change you but..."
"It's the rules of your society. Right?"
"Yeah!"
-*-
I let a little `Whoa' as I entered the hall. It was simply mesmerizing. The glass pieces in the giant chandeliers were shining like little diamonds. It was exactly like the halls one sees in movies with celebrities present all over. Pillars with skilful carvings rose to the roof to support the dome. As I lifted my head to see the dome, I was greeted with a painting of the sky at night with the zodiac signs visible. But I did not have much time to admire them as I jerked my head downwards to see those around me.
"Richard Grey! Finally, you arrived. I thought that like last year, you weren't going to come," said the host, Mr. Leblanc as he shook our hands. He had a well-built body and looked quite friendly with little black eyes and graying hair. However, I had enough experience to not trust someone by his appearance.
"Last year, I was busy with my book but I'm glad that you gave me a second chance. Let me introduce you to my handsome friend here, Alex Dupuis."
The usual niceties followed before Mr. Leblanc went to greet other guests. We then met several other persons. It seemed that many of them knew Rick on an informal level.
I could not have been prouder of my boyfriend; he spoke with elegance, said the right things at the right time and was respected by everyone. He was a perfect gentleman. I thought myself fortunate to be close to such a fine man.
"Well, isn't this Rick?" a young man said as he approached us. He was quite willowy with pale blue eyes and a pale skin. It appeared that he preferred a mauve smoking to a black one. And most importantly, he was the only person I met who addressed Rick as Rick' instead of Richard Grey'.
"Gino! What a surprise! But then, you never miss a party, don't you?" Rick smiled.
"Parties are the life of a fine man, Rick. You have become so rare. I really miss you," he said with a touch of pride before glancing in my direction. "And you won't present me your friend?"
"Gino, he is Alex, my boyfriend and Alex, he is Gino, my friend."
"So I happen to be a friend now? And here I thought, that our relation was much more that friendship."
"That was years ago, Gino. Last time we met, you were not missing me so much. I remember that Italian friend of yours really clearly."
The situation was getting a bit uncomfortable. One moment they were nice as if friends and the next they were looking at each other as if rivals. And I was in the middle, trying to comprehend.
"Come Alex, we'll meet Mr. Sanders," Rick said impatiently before we walked away from Gino.
I did not meet Gino till later. Rick had gone to fetch some drinks and I was standing alone when the willowy guy came next to me.
"Since when have you two been together?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Well, nearly two months!"
"I wonder what he looked in you. You are so plain but then perhaps you're good in bed," he said smugly. Being the `fag' of the school and having been humiliated several times, I had become kind of immune to these types of comments. So I smiled and wiped the smug smirk from Gino's face.
"Rick has always had a strange taste, whether it is in his boyfriend or his friends. Am I not right?" I replied.
"Rick has had several boyfriends like you. They all went but I remained by his side. Soon, he's going to drop you like a piece of rag. All I'm doing is preventing you from having a broken heart."
"Thanks for caring for me but I can look after myself."
Gino went away as soon as Rick came back with the drinks.
"What was he saying?" he asked mistrustfully.
"Just praising your tastes."
-*-
"We got four more days in front of us. What do you want to do?" I asked the next morning during the breakfast.
"Well, today I'll have to write the article about the function and send it back to Albert for the next edition. I'll be quite busy during the day but at night, I'll be completely free. I saw a nice discotheque `Chaud!' nearby. It's a gay one with proper security. There is a restaurant nearby. What do you say of a French dinner then a hot dance with lots of French kisses?"
"You have already prepared all this, haven't you? I mean all this trip and all?"
"Yup! What happened? Why are you looking at me like that? If you want, we can still change the plan."
"No, I like the idea. It's just that I'm waiting when you're going to tell me that you're a God and that you can't live with a simple human like me," I said as Rick sighed, "You're so perfect, Rick!"
"Alex, don't raise me so much that when I fall, I can't even get up! I'm not perfect. I'm just hiding my flaws. I fear that when you see my imperfections, you'll leave me," Rick said looking at his feet.
"I'll never leave you," I said as I got up from my seat and gave his a reassuring kiss.
-*-
Writer's Corner-
Yeah, I know that I have updated after a very long time but I have been busy with school and a story for Winter Anthology of Gay Authors. This is a pretty sweet chapter. Rick and Alex are finally together!
As I have already said before, you can e-mail me your comments to sexhavoc_66@yahoo.com. You can tell me what you like or don't like about the story and characters. You can even discuss the plot. Or just say hi!
I got a news- I joined Gay Authors (GA). It's a really warm website. All of you are welcome there!
I have already posted the first three chapters of Rick and Alex' there. Plus, they are edited! Yes! You can leave a review or give a rating (it's really easy and you don't need to be a member). Here is the link for Rick and Alex' chapters there: http://www.gayauthors.org/eficiton/viewstory.php?sid=195
If you are a member, you can even discuss the story in its discussion forum. You can tell me what you think of the story, the characters and much more. Here is the link for the discussion forum of `Rick and Alex': http://www.gayauthors.org/forums/index.php?s=9cbd44b25c478be4eee5953889c7e238&s owtopic=6306