The Feint Smell of Rain

This is the true story of a chance meeting, and the events that followed it, that had a profound impact on my life.

I have changed the names of the people involved, but all places are the actual places where the events took place. It is set in South Africa during the 1970's, a very conservative and turbulent place at the time.

The story contains scenes with drug use by, and sex between, underage boys. These scenes are there merely to tell what actually happened, and are only included where it is deemed to be necessary, to know the circumstances under which it took place and to advance the story line. If it is illegal in your territory to read this, or if you object to any of the above on any other grounds, do not continue.

It is a poignant tale of love, discovery, triumph and tragedy experienced by two teenage boys.

The Feint Smell of Rain

Chapter 7

The next morning we were rudely awakened with a loud knock on the flat's front door.

"What the... What time is it?" Ben asked as he got out of bed to see who it was.

I pressed the button on my watch. "Quarter to six." I said, still not fully awake.

"Who the fuck wakes a person up at this time of the morning?" Ben wondered agitated as he opened the bedroom door.

He bumped into Bernie outside the room. The person outside knocked again, this time much harder.

"OK, OK," Bernie shouted "don't break the door down!"

I heard the door open. "Oh, my God! What happened to you guys?" someone said loudly. "You look like train wrecks!"

"What do you expect?" Ben asked. "It's not even fucking six yet..."

"Wayne!" Bernie called out. "What a surprise!"

"What happened here?" the person asked. "Looks like a hurricane went through here. Did I miss a party?"

"You did." Ben said bluntly. "Serves you right... waking a person up at this ungodly hour."

"What brings you here?" Bernie asked.

"I missed my friends" The guy said.

"Sit, I'll make coffee." Ben said and I heard him fill up the kettle. He came into the bedroom. "It's Wayne." he said as he put on some shorts. "Get up, let me introduce you to my best friend."

I got out of bed and put on a pair of shorts as well. I was desperate for a pee and went to the bathroom to relieve myself before I went to the lounge. Ben was in the kitchen busy getting the mugs ready for the coffee. When he saw me he came to the lounge, just as the kettle started to whistle.

"Wayne, meet my boyfriend, Fred." Ben introduced us.

Wayne got up and shook my hand with a huge smile. "Oh, my God, Benny, a boyfriend? I suppose a fuck is out of the question then?" he said mischievously and winked at me. "Hi Fred. What did you put in Ben's drink? Muti?" (traditional medicine) he laughed and then continued. "I turn my back and everything here unravels!"

"As if..." Ben said sarcastically and went to the kitchen to finish the coffee. I followed to help and left Bernie and Wayne in conversation.

"Ben, would you make me some too?!" Jason shouted from his bed while we were busy.

"No!" Ben shouted back. "Come make your own."

We both took two mugs and gave Bernie and Wayne their coffee and sat down.

"Why so fucking early, Wayne?" Ben asked.

"OK. OK I apologize... thought you'd be glad to see me." Wayne said and put his hands up in surrender. "I had to be at the market at five. I brought a load of pumpkins. The driver disappeared and I had to come through myself."

Bernie laughed. "I never thought I'd hear you say something like that. You still enjoy playing farmer farmer? We haven't seen you in months."

"Bloody hard work, let me tell you." Wayne said. "Definitely no play."

"Wayne's Granny died late last year and left him a farm." Ben informed me. "He dropped out of uni to become a farmer." he said, and emphasized the "a farmer" by putting it in inverted commas with his fingers in the air. "We were all... still are, very skeptical about the move."

"You'll still all eat your words. I just love the bush. Look at my tan." Wayne said and took off his shirt.

Wayne had a dark tan. He was just over six feet tall and his lean muscular body was rippled. He had a nice tummy with a six pack and big biceps and pecks. He had khaki shorts on and his well formed legs were as tanned as the rest of his body. He had tousled mid length blond hair, blue eyes and a reddish two or three day old growth on his face.

"Show off." Ben said as Wayne put his shirt back on.

"Jealous?" Wayne asked.

"Fuck you!" Ben retorted.

"You must excuse me." Bernie said and went towards the kitchen. "I must go bath and get ready for work."

"I must go for a piss, Bernie! Before you bath." Jason called and got out of bed.

"Turn on the water for me when you are finished." Bernie said.

"Oh, my God!" Wayne said as he peered through the open room divider. "What's that in your jockey, Jason, a python?"

Jason tried to cover up his morning glory and looked around for some pants to put on.

"No man, you should not try and hide a schlong like that." Wayne said and sat up in his chair to have a better look. "Rather come show off."

"You'll pass out when you see that thing." Ben joked.

"I'm surprised that you are still standing, Jason." Wayne said. "Aren't you light headed? he asked. "There must be no blood elsewhere in your body."

Jason laughed proudly. He still tried half heartedly to cover is crotch, but his efforts did not help much. He had the biggest dick I had ever seen. More than half of it poked out at the top of his briefs. It was at least nine inches long and a good inch and a half in diameter.

"Show him, Jason," Ben urged "or he'll hound you the whole day."

Jason came around the room divider onto the lounge and brazenly stepped out of his briefs in front of us.

"He's proud of that thing." Ben said.

"You should be." Wayne said as he stared at Jason's dick. "How are you going to piss with that?"

"I'll maneuver it." Jason laughed and pushed his dick down and let it shoot up and slam against his stomach.

"God, I want that in my arse." Wayne said, still fixated on Jason's member.

"Size queen." Ben laughed.

"We can talk." Jason said and winked at Wayne.

"Go piss you perv." Ben said and Jason walked to the bathroom and swung his dick from side to side.

"Oh, my God." Wayne said "You told me about that, Benny, but I could not imagine... Fuck its beautiful!"

"I think you just fell in love." Ben laughed. "With a dick!"

"Fuck yeah. Talking about love. How did you get it right to trap my buddy, Fred."

"It's the other way around." I said. "He trapped me."

We told Wayne how we met and about everything that happened subsequently, Ben giving up hustling, planning on going back to school and his job. He asked me about myself and I told him where I was from and about school, my interests, and how I got to be with Ben for the holidays.

"All this in a week?" Wayne said. "Well, I wish you two well. Benny, I am glad you decided to go to art school. Talent like yours..."

"Thanks, Wayne, but what about your talent?" Ben asked.

"I still paint as much as I can, Benny. The bush inspires me. I do not regret dropping out for one moment. I love every minute on the farm. You know that I've always had a passion for the place. That's where I want to be... where I should be." Wayne said while he stared at the ceiling.

"Then I am happy for you my friend." Ben said. "I suppose we were all wrong about you."

"I really do not miss the city, Benny. I miss you... my friends, and sometimes I miss a good fuck, but not much else." Wayne laughed.

"Where do you farm?" I asked Wayne.

"In the Waterberg, Between Ellisras and Thabazimbi. Five thousand hectares, mostly game. I have a small area next to the river where I plant crops under irrigation." he answered.

"You farm alone, or..."

"I have a foreman. The old man worked for Gran and I kept him on. I have big plans for the farm. I want to stock it with game and focus on that. Build accommodation and cater for overseas hunters. Good money in that." Wayne explained to me.

While we discussed Wayne's plans for the farm, Bernie announced that he was ready to go to work.

"When are you going back." he asked Wayne.

"I want to leave as soon as the truck has been off loaded. Should be round ten." Wayne let him know.

"Oh, now how did you get here... from the market?" Ben asked Wayne.

"Took a taxi. The agent sees to the offloading." Wayne answered. "I thought I'll come and have some of Mama's fried liver and pap (stiff cornmeal porridge)."

"Well, good luck with Mama." Bernie said and glanced at the state the lounge was in before he greeted Wayne and left.

The boys were all up by then, and Ben commandeered everyone to help straighten out the lounge before Alinah arrived for work. We emptied the ashtrays, threw away the empty bottles and put all the dirty glasses and plates in the kitchen. When she entered the flat a few minutes after we were finished, things were a bit tidier.

Wayne got up and hugged Alinah as she entered. "Molo (Morning) Mama." he said. "I missed you!"

"Auh, you lie!" Alinah said with a smile. "What do you want."

"How must I feel Mama? Wayne teased with a mock sad expression on his face. "Being called a liar by my favourite mosadi (woman)."

Alinah laughed. "You know you want something." she said. "Kuluma (Talk)!"

"How 'bout some of that nice fried liver and onions you make, Mama?" Wayne asked. "Nobody makes it better than you."

"Tsk. I knew it." Alinah said and shook her head. "Then you must go to the butcher. It is wet outside and I am not going out in the rain again."

"But of course, Mama." Wayne said. "I'll go immediately." He looked at us with a smile and left with Jason and Andrew in tow.

Ben and I decided to go and have a bath while Wayne was gone. Both of us felt a bit under the weather from the party the night before and felt that a bath was just what we needed to perk us up a bit.

While we were soaking in the hot water, I asked Ben. "How long have you and Wayne been friends? He seems like a nice guy."

"He is..." Ben said. "We met in the park... at the beginning of last year. We were both selling our art there. He had just arrived here to attend university. He came from the platteland to study art. He was new in the city and we became friends and I showed him the ropes. He took to the place like a duck to water." Ben laughed. "He quickly became one of the prime pieces of ass around and he relished in it. He fucked more guys than me. Sometimes he worked with me... threesomes, but he did it just for the kicks, and I kept all the money."

"So the two of you had sex?" I asked.

"Yes..." Ben answered truthfully "many times, but it was jut platonic... getting our rocks off when we were horny. And Wayne is always horny!" he added.

I silently thought about what Ben said. I felt a bit jealous. Wayne was good looking. I was no match for him.

"You don't have to worry about Wayne." Ben said as if he sensed what I thought. "There was never more than friendship between us. Apart from Bernie, he is the only real friend I have. We have a lot in common and just hit it off from the first day."

"I think I'll like him." I said. "

"And he likes you..." Ben said "I can see."

After our conversation we quickly finished with our bath and got dressed. We were just finished when Wayne and the two boys came back. He put the meat, much more than just the liver, in the kitchen. "Mama, I bought some other meat as well. You can freeze it." Wayne said.

I saw the boys in serious conversation at their bunk beds, and they all seemed very exited at something. "What mischief are you guys planning there." I asked.

"Wayne said we can go and visit on his farm." Jason said. "He'll bring us back next weekend."

"He just wants to get into your pants." Ben said and winked at Wayne.

"I won't dispute that," Wayne said to Ben "but I think it would be good for the boys to get out of the city a bit. Just to be normal boys for a change. What do you think?"

"If you can handle it. Just let Bernie know as well." Ben answered.

"OK, boys," Wayne said "pack your things, you are going with! Don't forget anything, the town is far from the farm, you can't just quickly run to the shops."

The boys excitedly started running around and wondered where they would find a suitcase or bag for their stuff.

"Gashle (Slow)!" Alinah called from the kitchen. "I'll pack your things. You are just going to make a mess. Let me just finish with the food."

When Alinah had finished cooking breakfast, she first dished up for the boys as usual. They went and sat at the coffee table to eat. Then she gave myself, Ben and Wayne our food and we went to Ben's room to eat.

"I need to talk to you." Wayne said to Be while we ate.

"Sounds serious..." Be said and looked at Wayne with a frown on his forehead.

"No, it is about you going back to school and not tricking anymore." Wayne said.

"Yes, what about it?" Ben asked, visibly relaxed when he realized that Wayne did not have bad news.

"You won't handle school and a job that will pay enough to survive." Wayne said. "Art school is not like normal school. You are going to have to spend a lot of time in the studio after school to work on projects."

"I'll cope." Ben said.

"You most probably will, Benny, but I am willing to help you financially. It will just make it easier for you."

"I can't do that... take your money." Ben protested.

"You can... and you are going to, Benny." Wayne insisted. "I have more than enough to afford to help you... and you are my friend... I want to help."

"No..." Ben said again "I can ever expect that from you."

"I know you are not expecting it. I am offering." Wayne said and looked at me. "Come on, help me out here, Fred!"

"If I had the means, that is what I would have done." I told Ben.

"I don't know..." Ben said in deep thought.

"You will never know just how proud I am of you for making the decisions you did, Benny. Going back to school and deciding to stop hustling... Those are major things. The least that I can do is to help you. And trust me, helping you is not going to make me poor. I'd be proud to have a small part in your eventual success. Please accept my offer?" Wayne pleaded.

Ben thought about it for a while. "I have never been one to accept anyone's charity. We can work something out... I'll pay you back when I can."

"It is not charity, Benny, it is a friend helping out a friend. I love you, man!" Wayne said and looked in my direction. "I do... but not like you, Fred." and then he looked back at Ben. "If it makes you feel more comfortable to accept my offer, we can consider it a loan."

"I... I..." Ben stumbled.

"Just thank Wayne and get on with it, Ben." I said impatiently. "He is right, it is going to make things so much easier for you."

Ben looked at me and wanted to say something before he checked himself.

"Listen to your boyfriend, Benny." Wayne urged Ben and the gave a wink in my direction. "He's getting impatient with you."

"I see that..." Ben said "and I appreciate it... your offer. Thanks, Wayne, I accept... reluctantly."

Wayne put his plate down and went over to Ben and gave him a hug. "I am so proud of you, my Friend." he whispered.

"Thanks," Ben whispered back "I will make sure not to disappoint you."

Wayne gave Ben a kiss on the cheek and picked up his plate. "Let me go see if there are any left-overs." he said. "Mama's liver is excellent, as usual."

When Wayne left the room I said to Ben. "You see... everyone you know just want you to succeed. Wayne is very generous... with his offer, and you should be very grateful for the people you have in your life. They care about you a lot."

"I realize that." Ben said softly.

The next hour was a madhouse of packing, joking and exited boys. They peppered Wayne with questions about the farm and the animals he had there. He smiled patiently and answered all their questions. Ben and I sat and enjoyed their antics.

The two smaller ones were hyper from excitement and anticipation and ran around, jumped up and down and wrestled one another. It was the first time that I saw them like that, just being the boys they were supposed to be. The bigger boys smiled non stop and fidgeted around compulsively, obviously itching to leave.

When Alinah had finished packing she started to get impatient for them to leave. "I am finished now," she said to Wayne. "get these pikanins (small ones) out from under my feet, I have work to do." She turned around and went to the kitchen.

"You crying, Mama?" Wayne teased. "The taxi will be here at quarter to ten."

"Tsk, suga wena (away with you)." Alinah said from the kitchen.

A few minutes later a car hooted in the street below.

"That's the taxi." Wayne said and went to greet Alinah in the kitchen.

The boys rushed down the stairs and Ben called them back. "Hey, you arseholes, you can at least say goodbye!"

They came back in and Jamie jumped into Ben's arms. "I am so happy, Benny." he said excitedly. "I have never been to a farm, or rode in a big truck."

Ben hugged him and put him down. "Neither have I, little man. You enjoy yourself." he said.

The boys said their goodbyes to us and Alinah. "Auh," she said. "it is going to be quiet here."

"Enjoy it, Mama." Wayne said as he picked up the suitcase. "Don't worry, I will look after your boys." Then he said to Ben. "I'll be here next Friday and spend the weekend. And next time you go with, I know you have never been out of the city."

We stood outside on the first floor walkway and watched as they entered the taxi in the street below. When the car turned the corner we went back inside. Ben put his arm around Alinah once we were inside.

"Tsk. I am a stupid old woman." she said and wiped tears from her eyes with her apron.

"They are going to have a blast, Mama." Ben said to her and pulled her closer to him. "Now you can rest a bit. No need to cook tonight, I will get something."

Ben and I smoked a joint in the bathroom. I still felt groggy from the alcohol the night before. We decided to take a nap before we planned go to and see Uncle Gio in order Ben to let him know that he would not go and see his cousin about the job after all. We cuddled and kissed naked on the bed and thought we'd have sex, but Ben drifted off to sleep without getting to the deed. We were both still too hung over from the night before.

While I lay on the bed and enjoyed the feeling of Ben in my arms and the mellowing effect of the weed, I thought about the week since the previous Thursday when I met Ben. It felt much longer than that. I could never in my wildest dreams have imagined that my boring school holidays would turn out the way it did. I found a boyfriend that I loved with my whole heart, and that I knew loved me just the same.

I thought about the way I reacted when Ben told me about the hustling. Initially I was shocked, and had my reservations about him and the type of person he must be to do something like that, despite the fact that what I saw in him showed me otherwise. Then, after I got to know him better, and saw how the people that knew him well treated him, I realized that it made no difference to who he was. It was just something he did because he had to, to survive.

His decision to stop showed me just how much he really cared for me. I felt that his decision, and that he did it because of me, and said it to everyone, made the people in his life accept me easier than they might have otherwise. Even though it has only been a week, and I have seen most of them only once or twice, I knew that I was already a part of his life as far as they were concerned. It made me feel good to be accepted, because I liked them as well. I was by nature reserved and did not speak much when there was a lot of people around, but I felt completely at ease in their company.

I thought about Uncle Gio. His big body and gruff loudness hid a caring heart and compassion for others, which he expressed in the way most important to him. Food.

Brenda, in whom I detected a certain vulnerability, hidden in his flamboyant ways. He also had a heart of gold, and I had the idea that he tried very hard to not show it, but was not always successful in doing it.

There was Edward, with an air of authority around him. Strong, stable, dependable and ambitious. And Marcus, the geeky academic quintessential good boy, hiding from the bad influences of the city in his rooftop penthouse.

The boys. Jason and his smile, as if life did not affect him at all. Andrew, who despite his small stature and only thirteen years, was a born leader. The quiet and angry Peter and the loving little Jamie with his sad eyes. I wondered what life still had installed for them.

Wayne, whom I had met only that morning. I immediately felt at ease in his company and I knew that we would be able to be good friends. I liked him and I could see that he liked me, and not only because I was his friend's boyfriend. There was a real connection.

And Bernie. We got off on a bad footing, and despite his apparent friendliness, I felt a silent resentment towards me. I had decided to ignore it, for Ben's sake, and I could just hope that we could eventually have a good relationship. I doubted that we would ever be real friends

I drifted off to sleep, feeling happy and content next to the person I loved most in the world.

I woke up with a raging hard-on. My dick felt warm and for a moment I wondered what was wrong. Then I realized that Ben was giving me a blow job. I lay with my eyes closed and enjoyed the sensations of his lips and tongue on my dick. I ran my fingers through his hair to let him know that I was awake.

He lovingly sucked me. He pulled up my foreskin and played with his tongue underneath it around my cockhead. Then he pulled it down and sucked just the head while he would wank me slowly at the same time. Next he deepthroated me and I could feel as my dick slid down his tight throat. He alternated the actions constantly and took care to stop when he felt my dick go rock hard and twitch. Then he would let up for a while and suck my balls or kiss my stomach, until he thought the oncoming orgasm had subsided, before he would start on my dick again.

After a few times of getting close, I could not hold out anymore. "Suck me hard!" I urged him "I want to come now."

He sucked me faster and faster, and I involuntary started to moan loudly. I felt the orgasm start in my toes and made its way to my groin and at the same time go down from my stomach to my dick. I was surprised when I started to shoot my load and Ben took his mouth off my dick and wanked me off until I shot my load all over my chest and stomach.

I felt him scoop up my cum. Then he lifted my legs to my chest and lubricated my arse and his dick with it and slowly pushed himself into me. When I felt his pubes against my balls, he started to go in and out slowly. He opened my legs and I wrapped it around his body and he brought his head to mine and kissed me passionately while he increased his speed in my arse. He fucked me hard for a few minutes and I could feel his dick starting to swell in my hole.

To my surprise, as he was about to come, he quickly pulled out of me and straddled my chest and put his dick on my lips. I opened my mouth and he thrust himself into it and immediately shot his load deep down my throat, with his head thrown backwards in ecstasy. I sucked him until his dick stopped it's pulsing in my mouth.

When he was finished he pulled out of my mouth and we kissed again for a long time. We were both soft when he rolled of me and said "I still cannot believe that I can love anyone as much as I love you, Fred."

I turned onto my side and looked at him where he was lying on his back next to me, staring at the ceiling. I traced the dark round circles around his nipples with my finger. He was absolutely the most beautiful human being in the whole world to me. At that moment I loved him so much that I ached inside.

I put my head on his chest and I could hear his heartbeat and his soft and rhythmic breathing in my ear. "I love you so much I could cry." I said softly.

Ben put his arms around me and pressed me against his body. We lay like that for a long time in silence, each one of us with our own thoughts.

As the sun set, Ben, Bernie and myself walked to Uncle Gio's restaurant for Ben to tell him about not needing the job anymore. Uncle Gio was happy for Ben, but before he could ply us with something delectable from his kitchen, we protested and felt guilty when left for a pizza parlor close by. Ben had mentioned the place to me before and was convinced that it was the best pizza I would ever have. On the way there, Bernie expressed the same sentiment.

When we arrived at the small pizza restaurant next to Milky Lane, the place was packed with people.

"I think we chose the wrong time to come here." Bernie observed as we scanned the place for an empty table.

"Don't worry," Ben said "I see Elias is on duty. He will seat us if there is a place open somewhere." He walked past several people awaiting service and greeted a tall well built black waiter at the till. They shook hands in a way completely alien to me. Elias smiled broadly and looked in our direction during their short conversation, after which Ben waved us over to them.

"Luck... Elias says that there would be a table open just now. He is taking the people their change now." he said as we followed Elias through the tables. He gave the patrons their change and they immediately got up to leave and we slid onto the narrow benches.

Elias cleared the table. "The food is going to take a while as you can see." he said and walked off with the dirty dishes to the kitchen.

"That man is the best bassist in the whole of Joburg." Ben said to me. "In any other country he would have been famous."

"When have you last been to the Blues Room?" Bernie asked Ben.

"Too long ago." Ben answered. "The last time was when Wayne and I went there."

"I remember." Bernie said with a chuckle. "He was not impressed."

"Yeah, he could not get a grip on the music." Ben said. "I felt let down."

"If it was in a better part of town, I would not mind to go there myself more often." Bernie said.

"If it was in a better part of town, it would have been closed down long ago. As things are, they have to struggle to keep the place open." Ben said. "Especially now that the white students have started to frequent it more."

Elias came to the table with the menus. As he put it on the table, Bernie said to him. "You know what we like morena (sir). No need for these."

"And the new guy?" Elias asked looking at me.

"Fred." Ben introduced me. "He'll have a Napolitana like me. Large..." Ben told him and looked at me. "Right?" he asked.

"Seem like you have already decided." I said.

"You'll like it." he said and finalized our order.

We sat and made small talk while we waited for the pizza. Bernie expressed his delight that the boys had the chance to get away from the city and their daily lives for a while. Ben and Bernie speculated on how much money Wayne's granny left him when she died.

"I still feel like a charity case." Ben said pensively.

"Benny, he is your friend. I am sure the last thing he had in mind when he offered to help, was to make you feel like a basket case." Bernie said.

"He did not know about it before this morning" I observed. "and as far as I could see, he was happy for you, Ben. I am sure that he feels that it is the least he can do to support you... not being close and all."

Elias arrived with the pizzas and put it down on the table in front of us.

"When are you playing again, Eli?" Ben asked.

"After my shift, it ends just now, and this weekend I work mornings, so I'll be there every night." Elias informed him.

"Maybe we must go tonight." Ben said to me. "You like the blues?"

Before I could answer Elias interrupted. "They won't let you in, Benny. The police raided the place about a month ago. They threatened to close us down if we continue to allow multiracial audiences. Everyone is a bit nervous now."

"But I've been going there for two years..!" Ben protested.

"Give it some time. Let this all die down before you visit the club again." Elias advised and then added "I have tables to wait on." before he went on with his work.

"This is fucked up!" Ben vented his anger. "I can't see..."

"Think, Benny." Bernie interrupted. "You are just going to make it difficult for those guys if you insist on going there now. Just back off for now."

"I know..." Ben said "it's just people and music... Fuck! I'll never understand... the fucking injustice of it all."

His words stirred something in me. I grew up as a white person in a white town, went to a white school, worshiped in a white church, watched movies with white people and even the visitors to the show the week before were all white. The only black people you ever saw were the workers; the maid who cleaned the house, the gardener, the black person sweeping the streets or collecting the garbage. The shop had two counters, one for the white shoppers and one for the black ones. So did the banks, the post office, even the liquor store.

I accepted it as normal and never really gave it much of a thought. As I witnessed Ben's outrage at the fact that he could not visit one of his favourite music venues, because as a white person he was not allowed to mix socially with black people, it made me think about the situation for the first time in my life. I was confused and found it difficult to comprehend his outrage. It bothered me that I did not really share it.

We ate our pizza. I was no fan of olives, and was apprehensive when I saw the olives on the pizza at first. I decided to just close my eyes and not look as I took my first bite. In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the slightly too salty pizza with it's olive and anchovy topping. Ben paid for the food and gave Elias a generous tip before we left for the flat.

Ben and I decided that we would go to Europa for the night, because his job over the weekend at Cafè Pigalle made it impossible to go out then. We smoked a joint and had a bath before we got dressed. We each took a pill that he called a Purple Heart, and walked the short distance to the club in the soft rain.

We danced the night away while we held on to one another like we did that first night at Europa nearly a week before. We hardly spoke and just enjoyed the atmosphere and music, our closeness, and the occasional rush from the drug.

Author's Note

When I started to write this story, I wanted to upload a new chapter every weekend. Unfortunately I got busy with a new project in the meantime, and it occupies most of my time at the moment, and will for the next few weeks. I apologize to all the faithful readers who follow my story. I will still try to upload a chapter once a week.

Thank you for the emails and all the positive comments.

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