This is a story that involves sex between males. If such a story is offensive, or illegal for you to read where you live, then do not continue,
go and surf elsewhere.
This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any specific person or persons. If there is any similarity to any real persons or events it is entirely coincidental.
The work is copyrighted (c) by the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the author. It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the written permission of the author.
My thanks to John and Nels who have read this through and made a number of corrections and suggestions. Any remaining errors, grammatical, spelling or historical or whatever are entirely my fault.
If you want to comment on the story then do contact me on Jeffyrks@hotmail.com. I aim to reply to all messages.
Malcolm's Boys Part 3. Friday 17th June 2005
Of the six people closely involved at this stage of the crisis in the Pridham family, Kevin was the first one awake. He shaved and showered shortly after 7.00am. He had a quick, though substantial breakfast. He decided to risk a quick reconnoitre of Beechlands Way. All the curtains were still drawn shut, and the Gledhill car stood in the short driveway. Katie's car would be in the garage. It was all as he had expected. His parents would be staying somewhere else, probably at a B & B. He was thankful he and his parents had not ended up staying at the same motel. He drove to where he worked.
He had a couple of hours work to do. He tidied his office and went to find Stan Thomas.
"We're very sorry to be losing you, Kev. You have done some excellent work in the five years you've been with us. We'll all miss you round the place. Any chance of you changing your mind at this late hour."
Kevin shook his head. "No. I am sorry to be leaving. I've enjoyed working here."
"You can still change your mind. I haven't told anybody except Nancy." Nancy was Stan's secretary. "Your salary for the next month will be paid into your bank account, as usual. Here are the papers that you'll be needing. I have also written a testimonial for you, though you don't deserve it, leaving us like this. But if you want to give my name for a reference I am more than willing to do so. I'll give you the good one you deserve, in spite of leaving us."
"Thanks Stan. If I find a boss half as good as you I shall be very fortunate."
"All the best. If there's anything I can do, don't hesitate to ask. And let me know how you get on."
They shook hands, and Kevin left. He picked up his lap-top from his office and made his way out of the building. He bade goodbye to Mandy, the receptionist at the main door of the building. He walked out to his car and drove off.
He drove back to the motel where he was staying. He parked his car as much out of sight as he could manage. Next he caught a bus into town, and went to the railway station. He caught a train to the nearest large town, Leeds. There he went and rented a car. He drove back to York to Beechlands Way. He did another drive past, and noted that his parents' car was now parked outside the house. He drove back and found a place at the end of the road where he could observe the comings and goings into Beechlands Way, without incurring too much suspicion. He was prepared for a long wait.
In the early afternoon he saw his father drive out in his car. He returned three quarters of an hour later. As he sat in the car he continued to think. But his plans were made. He decided that there would be someone in the house, probably for the next two days. Sitting in the car was profoundly boring. While he was parked within sight of his home he felt compelled to watch. So in the mid afternoon he decided to call it a day, but he did not return to the motel.
Janice and Malcolm were slow getting started that Friday morning. They enjoyed their large English breakfast, fruit juice, cereals, then fried bacon, sausage, egg, tomato, mushrooms, sausage, and being in the north - black pudding. They wondered why they enjoyed the full breakfast when away,
and never had it at home.
"How long do you think we should stay up here," asked Malcolm.
"I would like to be in contact with Kevin, or at least know where he is. But I don't see that we can really do anything. Do you?"
"I think the longer we stay the greater the danger of something being said that may be regretted."
"Let's go back home tomorrow, then."
"Where do you think he can be?"
"I don't know. We might know something when Katie rings his work."
"I do hope he hasn't done anything rash."
"I doubt it. He has always seemed pretty level headed to me. I bet he's got some plan. But he'll have to make contact with Katie at some stage."
"I suppose they've got a joint back account and so on."
"Yes, I know they have. But they have also got separate accounts. I remember Kev saying a couple of years ago that his salary was still paid into his account, and Katie's into hers. A proportion of both was automatically transferred into their joint account."
"We've always had just a joint account.
"Yes, dear, but we are not of the same generation. The younger generation do things differently."
It was half past ten when they left their B & B, and nearly eleven when they arrived at Beechlands Way.
Ralph and Anne Gledhill, and Katie had had an equally slow start to the morning. No one in the house was awake when Kevin did his first drive past.
Over breakfast the decision was made that Katie would ring Kevin's work when Malcolm and Janice were there.
It was therefore just before half past eleven when Katie rang.
Mandy the receptionist, interrupted the polishing of her nails, and answered.
"Hello, Mandy. This is Kevin's wife, Katie."
"Oh, good morning Mrs Pridham."
"Is Kevin there?"
"He was. In fact he's just gone out. I can see his car driving out of the car park."
"Do you know when he will be back."
"No Mrs Pridham. Shall I get him to ring you when he gets back."
"If you would. Thank you."
The conversation had been largely over heard by Katie's parents and her in-laws. A further conference developed.
"You could try his mobile," suggested Malcolm.
"I had thought of that," said Katie. "But I wouldn't know what to say. I don't even know that I want to speak to him at the moment."
"Shall I try then?"
Katie nodded. Malcolm got out his own mobile and rang Kevin's number. He was immediately put through to the answering service. "Just the answering service, and I don't want to leave a message, certainly not at this stage."
The conference continued, getting nowhere.
Janice set it off on a new tack. "Mal and I have been discussing what we should do. Much as I'd like to know where Kevin is, and want to see him, I don't think there is any purpose in remaining up here. We both have a lot to do at home. If we're needed up here we can get up here in four or five hours."
"We'll stay another night, and then call in on our way to the bypass tomorrow, to see if anything has happened, and to say good bye," added Malcolm.
"How long do you want us to stay, love?" asked Anne Gledhill.
"There is just one thing that I'm afraid of. That is that Kev will come back here when I'm alone. I just don't know how I'd handle that."
"Do you think he'll come back?"
"Oh yes. He'll want to get hold of his clothes. He's only taken enough for a short while."
"He could buy some more," suggested Malcolm.
"Yes. He could buy some more shirts and pants and so on. He would probably consider buying another pair of trousers. But I think he'd want to get hold of his suits and jackets. Then there are papers and so on here."
"He might ring up, and ask if he could collect." said Janice.
"He might. But he might be afraid of a reception committee."
"I know I would," muttered Malcolm. All the others looked at him in surprise, but a moment's consideration brought them into agreement.
"Do you want us to stay on until he makes contact?" asked Ralph.
"We can't leave Mrs Grey, to look after our cats indefinitely," said Anne. "Mrs Grey is our neighbour," she explained.
"Katie comes first. Blow the bloody cats," said Ralph.
"I know dear, but we don't know if Mrs Grey may be going away."
"I think I'm really afraid of him coming in on me while I am in bed, or in the bath, or even just washing up."
"You could change the locks," suggested Ralph.
"I'd feel much safer and more prepared knowing he couldn't just barge in."
"I'll go and buy another lock, and change them for you," said Malcolm. "As I'm an ironmonger, it's almost my job. I presume you want one for both the front and back doors."
"I don't think it's necessary for the back door. Kevin hasn't a key for that, as I know what's on his key ring. The keys for the back door are on a hook in the kitchen."
So Malcolm went out in his car to Barnitt's, an ironmongers that he knew, and bought a good lock. As he drove out and back he did not notice the car parked up a nearby side-turning, from which Kevin was keeping a watch on the front of the house.
When he got back it did not take Malcolm long to change the lock on the front door. It was a job he had done many times, especially in his younger days.
The five at Beechlands Way did not go out for a meal. In the evening they even watched some television.
Kevin decided that he needed a complete break, and to go somewhere where he could relax. He thought over a number of possibilities. He decided eventually to go to the Greenhouse at Barnsley. It involved an hour's drive. He parked his car in a side street and made his way to the converted shop. He opened the door, and the distinctive smell of a sauna welcomed him. He paid his admission fee, and went through to the locker room. He quickly changed , and wrapping the white towel round himself he made his way through.
The Greenhouse sauna at Barnsley has three levels. It is built on a hillside, and you enter at the middle level. On that level there is the reception, a lounge with television, and a sauna room. On the level below there is the Jacuzzi, showers, and steam room. On the top floor there is a video room, and various so-called `rest rooms'.
There were signs that it had been busy earlier in the day, but when he went
through there was no one watching television in the lounge. Kevin made his way through to the sauna. In the gloom Kevin saw that there was one man in there lying naked on his towel on one of the top benches. He looked across as Kevin entered but said nothing. Kevin sat on one of the benches. He felt the heat begin to make him sweat. After a couple of minutes the man got up, put his towel round his waist and left. Kevin sat for a few minutes longer, before going out.
He made his way downstairs and into the steam room. Kevin left his towel on one of the hooks outside the door, joining one other towel hanging there. He went in and saw a couple of men, sitting opposite each other, both playing with their cocks, which were in a semi- erect state. Kevin sat on a bench on the third side of the small room. He was conscious of being assessed by the other two men. The man who had brought his towel into the steam room got up and left.
Kevin looked at the remaining man. He was tall and well built with hairy chest and legs, probably slightly older than Kevin. His cock looked a good size.
"Not very busy now," said the man.
"No. I've only just arrived. Was it busy?"
"It was earlier. You can never tell here, whether it is going to be busy or not."
"I've only been a few times, and never at the same time. I've found it busy some times, and almost empty at others."
"I often come here on a Tuesday afternoon, when I have a half day. Sometimes it's busy, and the next week almost empty. Sometimes you have more fun when there are fewer here, you can never tell."
At that moment there was a hissing sound and steam began to pour out into the room and the temperature began to rise.
"It's getting too hot for me now." The man got up. "See you." He left the room.
It got hotter and the sweat began to pour off Kevin's body. He sat back in the semi-darkness, and relaxed. He decided that if anything happened while he was there, then he'd respond. But he did not feel like making the first move. In any case he was relatively new to this situation. On previous visits he had always come with Bill, as it was a place where there could be together, have fun, and be warm in the winter. On those occasions they had used all the amenities, but had spent most of their time together in one of the rest rooms.
The door opened and the man who had been in the sauna room came in. He had hung his towel outside, and Kevin got a good view of a semi- hard cock, swinging from side to side. The man sat down well away from Kevin. They looked at each other.
When the steam heat came on again for the third time, Kevin felt it was getting too hot, and decided to leave. He made his way to the showers.
He decided to look at the Jacuzzi. There were three men sitting in the swirling water. Two were sitting close together. The man with whom he had spoken with in the steam room was sitting by himself. Kevin hung his towel on a hook, and stepped down into the Jacuzzi. He was conscious of three pairs of eyes examining his genitals. He went and sat a couple of feet away from his steam room acquaintance. He watched the two men sitting close together; though their faces were expressionless, there was obviously activity under the water. Then one of them leant across and whispered something in the ear of his partner, who looked at the man, smiled and nodded. The two of them stood up, and two very hard cocks were revealed just above the swirling water, and then two rather pink posteriors as they made their way up the steps out of the Jacuzzi.
Almost immediately Kevin felt the foot of the man who had spoken to him touch his foot. He resisted that natural and immediate impulse to move his foot away. For half a minute or so the two feet remained side by side with no movement. Then Kevin felt the slightest movement of the other foot rubbing slightly against his own. He responded, by doing the same. The movements became more pronounced. The other man moved a couple of inches closer to Kevin. A hand came across and was placed on Kevin's knee. Kevin responded by moving a couple of inches closer, and placing his hand on the other man's thigh. They stole a glance at each other and grinned. The other man's hand moved up Kevin's thigh, and felt for his now rigid cock. Kevin's hand did the same, and was soon holding a similar rampant prick. Again they moved closer, to give each other greater access. For several minutes they felt each other.
Kevin's thoughts wandered briefly. Why was it that the hand of this man, this complete stranger, aroused him, was so much more satisfying than anything Katie had ever done to him?
They moved closer so that they were touching each other's side.
"That's nice. You can do that all day, " said the man.
Kevin turned , and smiled at the man. "You've got a good handful there."
"Glad you approve." The man leant even closer and kissed Kevin's cheek.
Kevin turned, and the exchanged a gentle mouth to mouth kiss. Then they did it again, this time harder. The tips of both tongues came out and made contact.
"Would you like to go where we can be private?" asked the man.
Kevin nodded.
They both stood up, and glanced down at each other's hard cock. Kevin led the way up the steps out of the Jacuzzi. They grabbed their towels, put them round their waists. The man led the way up two flights of stairs to one of the rest rooms. Kevin followed closely, and once he was in the small room, shut the door and pushed the bolt across.
"I'm Tony," said the man. removing his towel, and spreading it on the wide bench, which was the size of a double bed, with the wall on three sides.
"I'm Kevin." He removed his towel and placed it alongside Tony's.
They clambered onto the bench, and lay side by side, and moved together. Lips met lips, and cock met cock. They pushed together.
"What are you into, Kev?"
"More or less everything except fucking."
"Good; that's not my scene, as well."
They lay close together, side by side, and hands stroked feeling necks, backs and buttocks.
"I like your hand down there," said Tony. "I don't mind a finger exploring.
As much as you like."
Kevin's finger lightly felt Tony's puckered entry.
Tony groaned. "That's good, Kev. I like that. My wife'll never do anything like that. Says it's dirty."
"You married then?"
"Yea. Is that a problem?"
"Not at all. I am too."
"I thought you might be. I noticed the ring on your third finger left hand.
Though there are gay men in partnerships who wear rings there."
They kissed, both enjoying the close physical contact.
"Any kids?" asked Kevin.
"Yea, two. You?"
"No. My marriage is breaking up. My wife found out I like this sort of thing."
"Bad luck! But at least you'll be free."
"I suppose so. She found out only recently. I don't know what to do about my parents. They'll know too by now."
"I guess that may be difficult. Have you any idea what they may think?"
"They're both church-goers. Mum more than Dad. The vicar is one of these hard line guys. But whether Mum goes along with him I don't know. We've never talked about it. Dad's not such a regular church-goer. In many things he is a tolerant, liberal sort of guy. But again, never talked with him."
"You can never really tell until you talk about it. Sometimes a bad experience in earlier days can make a guy hard line. Or if he is afraid that there is an element of it in his own make up, and he is trying to suppress it. Or the exact opposite can be true."
"Anyway, I came in here to try and put all that on one side for a while."
"Fine. If you want to talk it over some more, feel free." Tony resumed his physical attentions to Kevin. Their lovemaking was prolonged, non penetrative and gentle.
Eventually it was Tony who passed the point of no return. He thrust at Kevin once too often. His cum gushed out in great spurts against the two of them. That did it for Kevin, he rolled Tony over on to his back and rolled on top of him, and it only needed a couple of thrusts and his hot cum was mixing with Tony's.
They lay panting, clasping each other.
"Thanks for that," said Kevin. "I needed that."
"Good. Hope it helped."
They were silent for a while.
"Shower?" asked Tony.
"Yes."
They kissed briefly, wrapped their towels round their waists, and made their way down to the showers.
As they soaped themselves, they talked.
"When did you realise you liked this sort of thing?" asked Kevin.
"From early on I think I preferred sex with boys, more than sex with girls.
But the whole gang of us sort of drifted into girls. You know how it is. I got married thinking I'd settle down preferring girls, being able to have it every night with my wife, if I wanted it. And that would be a sort of cure. But it didn't work out like that. First year or so was fine. Then pregnancies, night time feeds, teething at nights, meant it was not sex whenever I wanted. I discovered this place, and a couple of cruising areas. I reckon to have it off with a guy once or twice a week. What about you?"
"Let's have a drink, and I'll tell you over that."
They went upstairs and both got a cup of coffee. They took it through into the lounge. They sat there alone.
"Well? What's your story, Kev?"
"I was minimally interested in boys at school. But nothing happened. My first sexual encounter with a guy was on a beach just outside Wellington, in New Zealand. I knew then that there was something about doing it with a man that no woman could ever give, at least for me."
"Were you married when that happened?"
"Yea. Been married nearly three years."
"There's an old saying `marry in haste and repent at leisure'."
Kevin laughed. "Except I don't think we married in haste. We were engaged for just over two years. Do you regret being married, Tony?"
"Yes, and no. Not for the kids, they're great. I love my wife in a way. But I know that sex with a man is what's really natural for me."
Kevin nodded. "That it's natural for us is something those opposed to us just cannot understand."
They finished their drinks. There were only three or four other men in the place, so Kevin and Tony spent the rest of their time there together. Most of the time they talked, but they ended up with another visit to a rest room.
When they parted they exchanged telephone numbers, but neither ever rang the other.
It was nearly nine o'clock when Kevin arrived back in York. He drove along Beechlands Way and saw that his parents' and the Gledhills' cars were still outside. He wondered how long they would remain in York,
Kevin's car passed unnoticed by Katie, her parents, and Malcolm and Janice Pridham as they were sitting talking in the front room.
"I have been thinking a lot over the last few days," said Katie. "I don't think Kevin was doing anything like it when we got married. I'm sure he wasn't."
"Have you any idea when it may have started then?" asked her mother, Anne Gledhill.
"I'm wondering if it started when he went out to New Zealand. It was about three years ago. You may remember that he went out there for work on some project for three months."
Both couples nodded and looked expectantly at Katie.
"When he came back he was different. He seemed more distant. Our love making was not so spontaneous, as it had been. I put it down to his being away, and having new experiences the other side of the world. Perhaps that was the new experience! If it was his first time, it might well make a difference. It wasn't a big change, but I know it was sometime afterwards that I realised we weren't as close as we had been. It was then that I decided to try for a baby. I gave up taking the pill. I hoped a baby would bring us back together again." The realisation that she and Kevin were now irrevocably apart struck her afresh, and she began to weep.
Her mother came across and sat beside her, putting her arm round her.
Malcolm and Janice looked at each other. This revelation was significant.
Both wanted to ask the obvious question, but both were sensible enough to realise that the question, if asked by them, would be seen as an attempt in some part, to exonerate their son.
There was a significant silence. It was Katie's father Ralph, who asked the question. "Did you tell Kevin you wanted to come off the pill?"
"No! I just did it."
"Didn't he wonder how you came to be pregnant?" asked her mother.
"We both knew the pill was not a hundred per cent safe, we thought we were just one of the one in a hundred thousand, or whatever the percentage is."
Katie broke down afresh into uncontrollable weeping.
"I am sure he will do the right thing for you and the baby," said Malcolm. "I cannot see Kevin running away from his responsibilities."
Ralph's response was a significant sniff.
Kevin went back to the motel. He turned on the television, and flicked through the various channels. There was nothing that he wanted to watch. He sat down in the easy chair, and the thoughts of his predicament came pressing in on him anew.
Even if it were possible, he knew that there could be no going back. His time with Tony during the afternoon had underlined for him afresh that his real sexual orientation was convincingly and decisively gay. He had felt as satisfied and fulfilled as it was possible to be having sex with a stranger. He wished it had been Bill who had been with him; or even more, Owen, the man in New Zealand. He had been in a relationship, a friendship with those two. There was a depth to the love making, that had not been there with Tony earlier in the day. He wondered if he would find someone special, a male lover, a male partner, perhaps someone he could live with, as he had lived with Owen for those wonderful fleeting two months in New Zealand.
Then his thoughts turned to Katie. It was then the guilt came crowding in on him. She was his wife. He had broken his marriage vows by having sex with someone other than his wife. The burden was extra heavy because he had not only been unfaithful, but it was with a man - an offensive scandal in the eyes of so many of his relations and friends. Then there was the baby.
His son or daughter who would be born in the autumn. His child born without a father. His child probably brought up knowing the minimum about him. He doubted whether he would ever be able to have any meaningful access. He wondered if it would be best for the growing child to know little about him. There was one thing certain in his mind: he would do the right thing financially by Katie and his child.
Then there were his parents and the rest of the Pridham family. His parents were probably sitting in judgement on him. They did not go to that church in Whitgest, listening to that homophobic vicar, Bruce Perkins, without something of the vicar's views rubbing off on them. There was no way that he could see his brothers, especially Michael the older one, giving him any support whatsoever. He could not see any sympathy or understanding coming from either of them.
He pondered on what the future might hold for him.
When Janice and Malcolm left for their B and B. shortly after half past nine, they were soon into conversation about Katie's revelation.
"It seems that Kevin may well be thinking that the baby is a pure accident, a failure of the pill," said Janice.
"It may exonerate him from some of the responsibility for fathering the child, when he may have been uncertain about whether he preferred men or women. But the child is obviously his. However it came about, he must bear some responsibility."
"Do you think Kevin will support Katie and the child?"
"I should hope so. I think the whole of his family background will point him towards facing up to his responsibilities."
"I would like to know where he is, and what is happening to him. He must be in an emotional turmoil. I do hope he doesn't do something silly. He was always rather impetuous as a youngster."
"True, but he has settled down now."
"Yes, and how much of that was due to Katie's influence? Now he is away from her?"
Malcolm shrugged his shoulders.
"Do you think we should offer to help Katie if Kevin doesn't?
"Maybe. But let's see what happens. It is all early days at the moment. And the baby is still months away."
They were soon back at the B and B in Bootham Crescent.
"I think I want a bit of exercise before going to bed," said Malcolm, but really wanting to have his usual conversation with Simon back in Whitgest.
"I just want to get to bed. Just don't disturb me if I'm asleep when you come in."
"Yes, dear!"
Malcolm walked down the road towards Bootham and pulled out his mobile.
Mal:- Hi, Si, it's me.
Si:- Thought it might be. How's it going?
Mal:- We're coming home tomorrow afternoon. I shall be glad to get back. Katie told us something significant just an hour or two ago.
Si:- What's that?
Mal:- She'd been conscious that things were not a hundred per cent between her and Kevin since he came back from New Zealand three years ago. She decided that having a baby would get them together again, so she stopped taking the pill.
Si:- Unilaterally?
Mal:- We gather that Kevin just thinks the baby is one of those statistical rarities when a woman gets pregnant in spite of taking the pill.
Si:- What a mess!
Mal:- You can say that again. Any news from your end?
Si:- Yes, I'm afraid so. Tricia was in the village shop this morning and Kevin's activities were being discussed by a couple of the more gossipy members of our community.
Mal:- That didn't take long to get around.
Si:- Will you tell Janice?
Mal:- No, not unless she asks. I don't think the difficulties of coming home to a village which knows our family gossip, and to a church were the vicar is a homophobe, have fully dawned on her.
Si:- Shall I put arsenic in the vicar's coffee?
Malcolm laughed:- Now that is a good idea!
Si:- When shall I se you?
Mal:- I think that Janice may well want to go to church in the morning. Come round for coffee on Monday morning. Both of you.
Si:- See you Monday then?
Mal:- Yes. While the women chat we can have a few moments alone together.
Si:- Wish it could be longer than a few moments.
Mal:- Same here. Sleep well.
Si:- You too.
To be continued.
Jeff at jeffyrks@hotmail.com