The Old Fag

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Chapter ELEVEN

Mason awakened Monday in the early morning in a cold sweat; he had been dreaming about the prior evening and the long talk with Carlos and how confused and nervous and jealous Carlos was, but Mason's dream was also confusing and colorful and starred Ross and Mason and Mario and Joaquin, and ended in a shouting match between all of them and a huge drama and full of misunderstandings. Mason could not recall the specific details of his dream, but knew he had to get it figured out soon or it would continue to bother him through the next few days.

He remembered to call his therapist, Sue Cox, and was glad to get re-acquainted with her for a few minutes on the phone. He told her about his marriage, and how happy he and Mario had been together. He also told her he was spreading her name around; he wanted her to know she might be getting a call from Joaquin and Ross for couple's counseling.

"Ross? Your Ross?"

"Yep, that's the one."

"Wow."

"Sue, what do you mean, `wow', is something wrong?"

"Well you and I need to be on the same page about this but didn't we spend some serious time together about that very issue?"

"Yes, and as you recall, at the time I was also in the middle of grieving about Bob, and so I had a lot of confusion over the various issues in my life. My mother; Bob and his infidelity; Ross and his ups and downs; quitting my work mid-career and starting a new life on the opposite coast; and a lot of stuff all thrown into the blender together."

"Yes, you were a mess at the time and I am glad I rescued you."

"You sure as Hell did, and I am grateful also."

"Mason, I am kidding, no therapist ever rescues anyone, unless it is a kitten crossing a road. You rescued yourself. I was just holding the lamp to show you a possible pathway."

"And it worked. God bless you for it."

"I am deeply honored that you can say that. Many do not make it."

"Well, from my vantage point, Mario and I have a great life together and a great future together, and I have you to thank in part."

"Mason, I'm glad for you; now what about this thing with Ross?"

Mason explained the long history of how after he and Ross had broken up they had remained best friends. He went on to explain the years afterwards of his own listless hanging out and having no real purpose, and then he explained how he and Mario had met and fallen into a relationship and then got serious about making a life together. Sue was very proud and intrigued.

Mason then explained how Ross and Joaquin had come together, and how Joaquin had inherited some of Mason's previous worries about his partner. Joaquin wanted to get some help, and Mason suggested Sue. He provided her Joaquin's number at the gallery, and Sue said she in fact was familiar with him.

"Not as a friend or client of course but I have dropped into the gallery once or twice. Very handsome man."

"Yeah he's a great guy, I think they are a good couple, and I think they will have a lot of things to look forward to as a couple if they can get over the little tiny bumps in the road they are facing right now."

"Well I won't ask you for the details, I will let them explain that, but thanks for the heads-up. So, how does all of that affect you?"

"I think that I am over Ross, in the sense that there is no residual feeling or anxiety or anger or guilt over a failed relationship, and we have adjusted to being just friends, so I am confident that will last into the future. I also think that as Mario and I adjust and accommodate each other as a couple, we can learn to accommodate friends into our relationship, because that is certainly a necessary and reasonable expectation."

"Additionally, I think that we can serve as a sounding board for Joaquin and Ross; we can be a safety net for them when it is necessary, without taking sides of course. I want them both to be happy, just like I want Mario and me to be happy."

Sue agreed, and promised to be open and accommodating when Joaquin called for a meeting with her.

Mason realized he had not heard from Stuart since he returned from Tahoe, so placed a call to his cell phone. He was greeted by Stuart's voice mail message and left a note for Stuart to call him when he had a chance; he wanted to just be up to speed with his nephew. Driving back home, he stopped at the grocery and thought of a few evening meals to stir up for his husband. He almost felt guilty enjoying the time leisurely wandering through the store.

By the time he returned home, he was feeling much better about the dream, his conversations with Sue and Joaquin, and in general thought that things were heading in the right direction. His work was keeping him occupied; his husband was feeling much healthier, the weather was improving, and his own moods seemed to be leveling off and lightening.

As Mason was stirring up some Chinese chicken salad, Carlos wandered in with two of the neighbor boys, Vince and Jeremy. Mason offered them snacks which they readily accepted, and then Mason asked Carlos about college and grades. Carlos was proud to report he had a 3.5 GPA; he explained to Mason that he and Jeremy and Vince had begun a study group together.

"In fact, we are just headed upstairs to do some studying right now" he said, which was greeted by smirks from his two friends. Mason smiled at that, wondering what it meant.

Two hours later, Carlos came out to the pool deck where Mason was reading the latest issue of The Economist; Carlos sat down and looked a little chagrined.

"What's up? Finished studying already?" Mason asked.

"Yeah, well, not much studying today except for anatomy." Carlos smirked.

"Ah." Mason's suspicions were confirmed. "Look, I don't care who you fuck, I just want to be sure you are safe and not putting yourself or the family at risk; if you want to use the apartment as your lair, go ahead, just keep me informed as to who is going to be with you. "

"Sorry, I should have said something earlier. Are you angry?"

"No not at all, just want to be sure you are OK."

"I am, and thanks again for everything. I owe you so much."

"You don't owe me anything; you and I and Mario and Stuart are family, and we need to treat each other that way, and respect each other, so we all need to work to communicate properly and each do our share. My job is to make sure you are taken care of and are safe. Your job is to keep us informed and to keep yourself safe, and to keep up your grades at Santa Monica."

Carlos kissed Mason on the forehead; they smiled and laughed at each other, and Mason noticed a tear in the corner of Carlos' eye.

He wondered when Carlos and Stuart were going to reconcile, if ever, but tried to not be overly inquisitive; this was going to be tricky with two family members involved in the situation. He decided to wait until Stuart returned his call.

When the Mayor's office called, it startled Mason; he was used to getting all kinds of calls from all kinds of celebrities world-wide during his years in the New York office, but now that he had withdrawn from the media business he was accustomed to his anonymity. The Mayor's assistant, Raj Acharya, called to ask if Mason would chair a panel to consider the city's economic future. There was a regional panel created by the state Assembly, and the city of Los Angeles was of course a huge economic power and wanted to be represented by the best available talent. This city-based panel was a precursor to the regional panel.

Mason agreed to consider it and asked for 24 hours in order to chat with his husband before making a decision; he also asked how the Mayor had taken notice of him, and was told `Mason Taylor is a household name' at least among financial and economics people in the media, and that he had been recommended to the Mayor during a recent international conference by the Deputy Minister of the Interior from Argentina.

"Oh great" Mason thought to himself; he was deeply flattered and grateful that his father-in-law thought highly enough of him that he would make such a gesture. He was not sure he wanted another project, but it was also an opportunity to get his feet wet again in the media arena and make a contribution. He wanted to make sure Mario was agreeable to this before committing himself.

As it turned out, Mario was hugely in favor of it, and was happy for Mason to have a new project. "I do not want you to think that I am shoving you out the door, but this sounds fun, depending on how involved it becomes."

Mason decided to use Mario's support and the next day called the Mayor's assistant back and agreed to the project; he was told that the Mayor wanted to meet Mason, if there was a day he could possibly come into the city to visit the mayor at City Hall. On Friday at noon, Mason was seated in the Mayor's conference room having coffee, discussing the ideas the Mayor had for this project.

"You will be the chair of the panel and will direct the energy of the panel and be responsible for the final edit of the report." Mason held his breath, because that seemed to be a lot more than he had envisioned, but at the end he agreed to do it. "You will also have the research department of the city at your disposal, so whatever you need, just let my assistant know and we will get it for you."

"Do you want me to choose the panel members?"

"No need, that has already been done. The former governor, a couple of retired university professors from UCLA, yourself, and a retired state supreme court justice are on your panel."

"OK thanks. When and where do we meet?"

"The first meeting has been scheduled for the end of the month, so you have two weeks to get ready, and it will be here in this conference room, but at that time you and your panel can set out your meeting schedule. Best wishes to you and thanks so much for taking this on; it means a lot to me."

They shook hands and Mason left City Hall and found himself in downtown traffic and decided to re-route through Beverly Hills. Once on Rodeo Drive, he realized he and Mario had never exchanged wedding rings. He decided to stop in to see Alan Friedman. He chose a brushed platinum band with two diamonds, and had it boxed to take home to Mario for his approval.

He also realized, in driving back out to the coast, that he needed to begin doing some preliminary research on the city and its economic framework. Many people assume that Los Angeles is the movie and television capital of the world and that most of its fame and fortune revolve around that base. In fact, the region and the city are filled with numerous economic activities which contribute to the wealth of the city. Mason was aware of that but wanted to get some hard numbers under his belt before he came face to face with his expert panel, most of whom were more focused on such matters than was he. Chairing an expert panel with diverse egos was going to be a tight-rope trick, he thought.

Supper with Mario and Carlos was fun; they decided to have a pizza night, something Mason had not done in ages. Carlos and Mario, both being from South America, had notions of what pizza was all about that were far different than the North American retail delivery pizza style, and so Mason roped them into making the toppings after he had stirred together the dough. Anchovies, chopped fresh tomatoes, minced fresh basil and oregano all went on the topping.

Stuart arrived halfway through supper; the second pizza was just coming out of the oven, and the aroma of fresh hot pizza permeated the entrance hall. Stuart did not need to be urged to come and join them, and the pizza and beer were enough to keep everyone happy for a couple of hours. After dinner, Stuart and Carlos spent some time alone together on the beach walking and talking; when they returned to the house, they were both smiling. They excused themselves and went upstairs to Carlos' apartment, and Mason assumed he would be fixing breakfast for four.

Mario was delighted with the wedding ring, and Mason agreed to call Alan Friedman on Monday to have them sized for both of them. Mario also expressed to Mason how proud he was of his husband's new assignment as the chair of the economics research panel; he promised to be as supportive as possible. Mario told Mason how things were progressing at the law firm; Mario's work load had increased since the beginning of the new year, but he was feeling better now on his prescription for his arrhythmia and was enjoying work and the gym and home life again, and felt his life was getting balanced.

Then he asked Mason: "What plans do you have for our anniversary?"

Mason was chagrinned that he had forgotten the date: March 31. They had been together nearly four years, but the first anniversary of their engagement was soon coming up. Mason replied "I think we should have something small and quiet and private. What do you think?"

Mario laughed because to Mason, `small and private and quiet' meant a night out on the town at one of the largest hotels with at least a hundred guests and live music, the Los Angeles Symphony if he could swing it. Mason chuckled at Mario's inference, and they agreed to give it some thought.

Mason then changed the subject to Ross and Joaquin; he mentioned his conversation with Sue Cox, his therapist, and asked Mario what they should be doing right now to help support their friends. Mario's response startled Mason: "What do you want to do about your former lover?"

"Mario, even though Ross and I have a history, it was a very bumpy one and we beat up on each other pretty badly a few times, emotionally at least, so please do not get confused about my current feelings for him. That part of my life is over, and now he and I are only friends."

"You can swear to me that you and Ross are not fucking?"

"I swear, and I am surprised that you have to ask me that, you have not been out of my sight for a year. You know where I have been every minute and what I have been doing. Is this a jealousy problem?"

"I am not jealous of Ross, for the record `I win' because here we are, just you and me, but if there is something you have not yet worked out in your heart about him then please allow me to be a part of the solution. So what I am saying is do not keep those feelings closeted away from me and allow them to become a problem later on."

"Mario darling, I have told you a million times that I love you and how much I want to be together with you for the rest of our lives, and if that is not enough..."

"Mason, are we fighting? Because if we are, then this is the first time, and we need to remember this."

Mason laughed. "You crack me up, love. No, we are not fighting, and yes I understand your feelings about Ross. Please believe me, I promise you, he and I are just friends and we are not fucking and we have no secrets from you or Joaquin. Sue Cox was right, maybe if the four of us got together with her as a referee, we can work this out in a positive way for all of us."

"Good idea." Mario continued "We have all gotten along very well; it seemed we never needed to clear the air about anything, but this might be a good step for all of us, for them as well as for us, and we can progress in our friendship."

The next month flew by: Mason was busy with his projects for the Mayor, his NPR show, his Sunday magazine column, and the occasional interview from national journalists. Mario was busy with his law practice, often spending a Saturday morning at the office to get caught up. By the time their anniversary came along at the end of March, both husbands had forgotten about it until Ross called to ask what they had planned.

By happenstance, since they had made no advance preparations, their friends threw an impromptu party: Yoshio and Jerry had combined forces to bring food, Dr. Fritz Cooper and his boy-toy brought booze, Tad and Mike brought more food, and Vince and Jeremy brought the surfers and waiters and neighbors and beer. Ross and Joaquin brought wedding cake, and the house was crowded with laughter, music, friends and hugs and kisses. Carlos wondered if this was going to evolve into one of the famous sex events, but somehow it did not, and by midnight everyone had dispersed, with Carlos and Stuart upstairs in the apartment.

In bed, Stuart turned to Carlos and asked "Would you like to do something?"

"Sure, I want you to fuck me."

"Really, are you sure? This is the first time, right?"

"Yes, and I want you to show me how it can be, if you are up to it. Do you want to fuck me?"

"Hell yes, I have been wanting to do that since the first time I saw you. I just wanted to wait until you wanted it."

"OK let's do it."

Stuart kissed Carlos; the kiss extended into a long and passionate one, with Stuart kissing Carlos' lips, his eyes, his ears, and his neck, and it was only moments before Carlos was hot and hard and panting. Carlos was stripping off his underwear, and Stuart caught his hand and stopped him whispering "Let me do that".

Stuart kissed down Carlos' bare chest, paying attention to each hard nipple, and making Carlos' moans louder and deeper. When he reached Carlos' navel, the moaning had been accompanied by writhing, as Carlos was getting deeper into the act. Stuart pulled Carlos' underwear down with his teeth, and soon the helmet of a beautiful Venezuelan cock was peeking over the waistband and leaking pre-cum which Stuart scooped up with his tongue.

"Oh god" Carlos was whispering over and over, as Stuart continued tugging at the underwear with his free hand and licking the hard cock in his face. Finally, with the underwear free, Stuart pushed Carlos' legs apart and began licking between them, under his balls and up and down the throbbing cock.

As Carlos' pre-cum continued to ooze out of him, Stuart took the cock fully into his mouth, and slowly sucked up and down; Carlos thought he was going to cum instantly, but Stuart's slow motions kept him on the edge, waiting for the next step. He knew he was going to get fucked, he wanted to get fucked, he was begging for it, fearing it, longing for it, dreading it, loving the feeling of these cascading emotions slamming together inside of him, and wanting more and more of it. Stuart pushed Carlos onto his back on the bed, and then pushed Carlos' legs apart and up into the air, over Stuarts' shoulders, and dove into the crevice in between, and tongued his victim and bathed his balls and his cock in saliva, adding to Carlos' writhing and anxiety and moaning and longing.

"Oh god fuck me oh please fuck me" Carlos begged.

Stuart wanted to dive into the waiting winking hole in front of him but took his time, wanting to make sure Carlos was ready. He tongued the hole, wetting it thoroughly, and bringing a new wave of moaning to his partner. He shoved a finger into Carlos, then two, and rotated them slowly around and deeper and in and out, replicating the ample cock that would soon replace his fingers.

With a deft motion and without a warning to Carlos, Stuart slid the head of his cock into the winking hole; Carlos cried out, more in surprise than in pain, and Stuart waited a beat before slowly pursuing his prey.

As he slid his cock deeper into Carlos' virgin asshole, Stuart became aware of the tight hot ass he was fucking; he kept shoving his cock further into the chasm that was begging for him, until his balls slammed into Carlos. He pulled back all at once; his cock popped out of the hole. Carlos gasped again; he whimpered as if he had just lost something. Stuart was back inside him in less than a second and slid in again all the way to the hilt this time.

Stuart set up a slow and methodical rhythm sliding in and out of Carlos' tight ass, with Carlos' moans increasing in intensity and volume, until he was begging Stuart to fuck him. Stuart was sure that Jeremy and Vince and Yoshio and Mike and Tad and Mason and Ross and the city hall and probably everyone at the Hollywood Bowl could all hear Carlos' rutting moans, and did not look forward to facing his Uncle over breakfast.

Within minutes, the combination of the heat and tightness of Carlos' virgin ass and Carlos' moans and intensity in getting fucked, receiving a cock for the first time and adding his own spasms to the rhythm, pushed Stuart to a massive orgasm; he quickly pulled out of Carlos and came on his stomach with what seemed like gallons of cum. He stayed on his knees facing Carlos as the Venezuelan boy pumped his own cock to orgasm in just seconds, and Stuart collapsed onto Carlos' stomach, their bodies glued together by their cum.

Stuart crawled forward and lay next to Carlos on the pillows; they grinned at each other, and finally Stuart got up and pulled Carlos up by the hand and they got into the shower together, Stuart gently washing his partner's abused asshole and balls and cock. Carlos was still hard, and moaned as Stuart washed him, and knelt in front of Stuart and sucked his limp cock back to life. The water falling on them in the shower was cold when they both came again, and they ran to the bed naked to get warm.

"How was it?" Stuart asked.

"Hmm, better than I thought, in fact I want to do it again. You ready?"

"Sure. Let's try something different this time." Stuart rolled over onto his back and lay next to Carlos and began stroking his cock. When he was hard, he had Carlos climb over him and kneel, and place his asshole directly above Stuart's hard-on, and then instructed him to slowly lower himself onto the cock as Stuart pulled apart Carlos' ass cheeks. Stuart's cock slid into place into Carlos' still-stretched asshole, centimeter by centimeter, and this time Carlos was ready for the invasion and in fact was controlling it.

He sighed heavily when he reached the bottom of Stuart's shaft, and then just rested there for a minute.

"Is that it?" he asked.

Stuart laughed. "No, Bud, this time you are fucking me, I mean you are going to be fucking yourself on my cock. Just start sliding up and down on me; you control the tempo and the friction."

Carlos was enjoying this; he almost felt like a girl and began laughing to himself and the weird analogy. His asshole was really enjoying this ride, much better than the first time. There was something inside of him that was shooting off fireworks and electricity and he was enjoying the Hell out of this fuck. Suddenly he was cumming on Stuart's chest, and did not even realize he was ready to shoot. That brought Stuart to the edge as well, who began slamming upwards into Carlos' ass and cumming inside of him.

Carlos fell to the side, exhausted from the efforts of three orgasms in less than two hours; Stuart's cock was still inside of Carlos, and when it slipped out the popping sound made them both laugh. They soon fell asleep, still naked.

In the morning, Stuart woke to a stiff cock invading his ass; Carlos was still asleep, but Stuart managed to get the cock into his asshole and gently push backwards enough to secure it deep inside him. In short minutes, they were both moaning again and Carlos was cumming into Stuart's hole. They could not stop smiling at each other over breakfast, as Mason and Mario exchanged smiles and chuckles watching the two nascent fuckers downing their coffee and orange juice and muffins and noting that Carlos was eating while standing.

"There's fruit as well" Mason encouraged them, but Stuart replied "Oh I think we have both had plenty of banana in the past few hours to keep us satisfied."

Mason nearly choked as Carlos objected "Maybe you got satisfied, Gringo, but maybe some of us still need to be satisfied."

Mario said "Well how about that, breakfast delight instead of afternoon delight?"

"What?" both Stuart and Carlos asked.

"Old 70's pop song" Mason explained.

Carlos kissed Stuart, and Mason kissed Mario, and breakfast was set aside and a four-way kiss ensued and then a four-way fuck developed right after that. Carlos was on his hands and knees as Mason, Mario, and then Stuart rimmed him; Carlos' moans were at least as loud as the night before. Mario had the pleasure of being the second hard cock in history inside of this handsome Venezuelan, followed by Mason, who had just finished fucking his nephew. Stuart began fucking Mario at the same time Mason was fucking Carlos, and by noon there were four panting men diving into the pool to cool off and clean up.

When Tad wandered onto the pool deck and saw the four naked men, he asked "What did I miss?" and was greeted with the command "Jump in here and find out!"

Tad fucked Stuart and Carlos in the swimming pool, and then was fucked by each of them as well, while Mason and Mario were content to watch. The sunlight and the early afternoon warmth were pleasant, and they enjoyed another hour in the pool before Mason suggested they go to the steak house up the highway and get an early supper.

Over medium-rare steaks, they got caught up with Tad and his life while Mason and Mario explained all of their activities over the past two months since the beginning of the year. Tad was enthusiastically explaining his adventures in culinary school.

Tad asked the inevitable question: "So are you two guys BF's now?"

"No, more like FB's" Stuart retorted.

"What's that?" Tad asked.

"Fuck buddies" Carlos explained.

Mason was actually relieved to hear the question, and even more gratified to hear the reply. He had been worrying about these two since the trip to Tahoe and its aftermath. Mario smiled at him and they kissed lightly. Their kiss was interrupted by a cough at their elbow, and Mason looked up to see the grinning face of the Mayor's assistant to whom he had been introduced on Friday.

Mason stood and said "Babe, allow me to introduce Raj Acharya, the Mayor's assistant responsible for getting me enmeshed in City Hall."

Raj laughed and said "It is a pleasure to see you, sir, and this of course is your husband?"

Mario shook hands with Raj, and they smiled at each other. Turning to the woman at his side, Raj said "Please meet my sister, Aneth."

They enjoyed meeting the handsome young man who had seemed so earnest and serious when Mason met him in the Mayor's office; here in the restaurant he was a very different personality, relaxed and casual. The grey tweed suit and glasses were replaced by linen pants and a silk shirt and flip-flops, and contacts.

"Do you live here on the coast?" Mario asked.

"No, I live in the city, to be near my work at City Hall, but my sister lives here and works at Santa Monica City College. She teaches economics; she helped me to make the suggestion to the Mayor of your name for the panel" Raj explained.

Aneth said "I have been reading your columns for several years now and assign them to my students for case studies."

"I am very flattered" Mason said. "I thought the only people who ever read my columns were my husband and a cranky old man in Poughkeepsie." They all laughed, and Raj added "Well I can assure you that is not true, the Mayor reads them regularly, so it took very little convincing when you were nominated."

"Thanks, that is very sweet, you will have to come by our house some day and spend time with us at the beach."

Raj replied "That is very kind, I am sure we would both enjoy that. We do not get to socialize very much because we are both dutiful Hindus, you see, and keep working most of the time in order to support and satisfy our families."

"Sounds way too serious" Mason said, and when Raj said "Well it is only partially an exaggeration", they all laughed.

"Seriously, please come by and see us soon" Mario urged.

"Oh by the way, and forgive me for mentioning business during a social visit, but I want to make sure the Mayor told you that the state Assembly has already chosen the chair of the regional panel, but as the chair of the city's panel, you are automatically a member of the regional one as well."

"No, actually he failed to mention that; how flattering" Mason deadpanned.

Raj laughed, "I am sure he merely overlooked it; you know how busy he is."

"And I am sure you are just as busy, and I am surprised to run into you here tonight, since I am sure you get very little time off."

"Rarely, that is true."

Mason insisted they set a date for the two of them to come to the house in Malibu, and Raj and his sister Aneth were flattered to be included in Mason's social circle. Raj later admitted to Mason in a text message that neither of them had many friends even though they had been in California nearly ten years. Like most immigrants, they followed a family member who had carved a pathway to the Golden State and then became enmeshed in the local scene, never really letting go of their ties to home or their native culture.

Raj and Aneth showed up the next night exactly on time at 8 PM as promised, and the quiet little party which Mason had created on the spur of the moment included Vince and Jeremy and their parents, together with Ross and Joaquin, Dr. Cooper and his partner the intern, whose name Mason could never remember, and the Dean of the law school and his wife as well as Mario's twin bosses, Tommy and Teddy Baylor and Teddy's wife Elise.

The party was designed to introduce Raj and Aneth to a new circle of friends, and everyone had been prepped for that role by a quiet conversation with Mason on the telephone when he extended the invitations. Everyone was very cordial, and indeed was flattered to be able to meet a young man who had so much influence in the city government. Raj controlled the Mayor's social schedule as well as his speaking engagements, and so access to Raj was essentially access to the Mayor himself.

The party was a success of course, and everyone enjoyed themselves and expressed to Mason how much they always enjoyed his home. It was one of the unique homes in Malibu, situated on the high side of the beach dunes, and near a curve in the coastline that developed into a dramatic cliff. Mason had the home designed by an architect from Virginia who was a native of Texas, and specified Texas `Rattlesnake' limestone for the exterior fascia, as well as for the fireplace and the pool-side kitchen. One wall of the master suite was also exposed limestone, and the colors seemed to change with the seasons, always fascinating Mason.

The huge open one-story structure seemed to flow from room to room without any long dark hallways, opening into the great room and then onto the broad patio and pool deck enhanced by huge ceiling-to-floor panes of glass. It was a far cry from the dark Victorian house he was raised in on the windy steppes of the eastern Idaho farmlands, halfway up the Snake River from Idaho Falls to the Wyoming line.

When Mario and Mason first met, Mario was very impressed by the beach house and drew a conclusion from it about Mason's wealth, and in fact had asked him about it; apparently wealth in South America is not the taboo subject that it is in the United States. "You must be a millionaire; did you inherit this?" Mario had asked.

"No, when I was in New York City I rescued a Saudi princess who was falling into the subway tracks and so I was rewarded by the King with a billion dollars" Mason lied.

"Really?" Mario naively responded, not then yet accustomed to Mason's sense of humor.

"Really, and they come back every year and have a party in my honor at the Tavern on the Green, and then they like to see the Congressional Medal of Honor I was given by the President."

"Now I think you are lying."

"Yes. I am lying. None of those things happened."

"Then what is the truth?"

"Well, I do have Saudi friends, and so using that connection and following their advice, I have accumulated a dollar or two and used it to build this house and put some money away for a rainy day."

"It never rains in California."

"That's a country song. It does rain in California, just not that often."

Mason never discussed his wealth after that with Mario, and the subject never was very important to Mario. He came from a very wealthy family who had brought their riches with them from the old country when they colonized Argentina in the third wave; he was accustomed to wealth and it never really impressed him.

However, in America, and especially in California, wealth was a badge of honor, it was the way in which Americans celebrated their class consciousness; the rags-to-riches story of a little Idaho farm boy accumulating millions just on his hard work and brains was the most familiar story in the American paradigm, and Mario assumed that is exactly what had happened in Mason's life. It was, mostly. The meager proceeds from life insurance policies after his parents' deaths were insignificant compared to the amount Mason had already accumulated by then.

Mason never felt rich, to tell the truth; he always carried with him the farm-bound values he grew up with; he was careful with most things, never allowed himself much extravagance, and knew where every nickel was hidden. He was not miserly, just never felt like he could afford to be a show-pony, as his father called it. He allowed himself the very best cars he could afford and kept them in perfect condition. His home was exquisitely maintained, and the grounds were often seen in Malibu-oriented magazine spreads. Mason himself avoided the public and preferred his anonymity. That was about to change.

The day following the first meeting of the panel at the Mayor's office, the newspaper had a spread on the opening page of the business section with a photo of Mason, the former governor and the other panel members, and a short article describing their mission. Mason was called by Raj about a dozen times to describe calls received from various news outlets, including his favorite, The Economist, asking for interviews. Mason's anonymity was destroyed. He was not flattered by this new celebrity.

It was not Lindsey Lohan-style celebrity, and in fact was a notoriety that was held within a very specialized circle of financial professionals world-wide. Still, in less than two weeks, Mason gave twelve interviews, all by phone. The most significant call came from the President of Argentina, who invited Mason and Mario to come back to the capital in Buenos Aires as soon as possible to address a special round-table of South American dignitaries.

Between all of his other projects: NPR, the city college, the Mayor's panel, and the blogs, they decided that the trip to Argentina needed to be immediately after the first of the month. Carlos would be alright alone in the house, and Stuart volunteered to come and stay with him during the week that Mason and Mario would be gone. The whirlwind trip was exhausting for both of them, and by the time they returned to California, Mason said to Mario "I am sure glad we do not have to make that commute very often."

Mario laughed, and said "Well I hope we never have to make that commute, or else it would force us to sell the house and move."

"Oh Hell no." Mason was emphatic.

"Love, please know this, I came to California on my own years ago, I love California, I also love my homeland, Argentina, but my home is with you, and right here on this lovely stretch of sand is a perfect place for us I think."

Mason looked at Mario and smiled, and then asked "How are you feeling? Any news about the heart thing?"

"I am fine, and please believe me I am not going to be all macho and keep it hidden from you. I go to see the doctor again next month, but so far nothing to report. By the way, you never told me about your doctor visit from the first time we went to see Dr. Cooper together. I guess in the drama of my arrhythmia you forgot to tell me?"

"No, I did not forget to tell you, it's just there is nothing new to report from me either. The usual stuff: high blood pressure, easily controlled with drugs, I need to exercise more often, I don't have high cholesterol, I have a fairly low BMI and low fat-ratio, I eat plenty healthy, so nothing to worry about. I might even survive a couple more years."

"Love, I want you to bury me, so let's hope you survive a lot more than just a few more years." Mario was being melodramatic. Mason was not amused.

"You need to work on your stand-up routine."

"Sorry. Just know that I love you and I want to be with you forever."

"I do." They kissed just as the plane was landing at LAX and the bump sent them crashing into each other.

There was a call from Mason's old boss at the east coast news magazine, who wanted to ask if Mason was ready to come back to work full time, since he was now making headlines on the west coast. Mason told him in all seriousness "As politely as I can put this, Rex, `Fuck no', but thanks for the very flattering offer."

Rex retorted, "I never really understood why you took off. You were at the height of your career, at least a dozen years before the normal retirement age, and could have become the department chief over financial news if you had asked for it."

"Rex, remember that little snot-nosed kid who you hired to come into the department and cover the Congressional finance committees and work under me? You wanted me to train him and introduce him all over Washington, DC?"

"Sure, he now works for CNN and does on-TV reports from DC."

"Yep, that's the one. Well I did exactly as you requested, and the little piece of shit walked all over me to get that CNN spot and never looked back. I still have track-shoe-scars on my back."

Rex was laughing heartily; "You gave up a golden career because of that?"

"No, not really, that experience just made me realize I had other things I wanted to do before they pull the plug."

"Bucket list?"

"Fuck no. I am far too busy for any kind of do-it-before-you-kick-it list. I just got married, my husband and I are playing `Mrs. Garrett' to a gaggle of kids around the neighborhood, and we have tons of things on our agenda. We are having way too much fun to go gently into that dark night."

"Gaggle of kids? Mason you old dog, you went to California to get to fuck surfers regularly, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Try that in Manhattan."

Rex laughed again. "Well, old friend, best wishes to you, you know I want you to be happy. We'll talk again when your panel report is issued."

The airport limo deposited Mario and Mason at the front door, and Carlos came outside with arms wide open to welcome them home. It was nearly sunset on Sunday afternoon, and so Stuart was still on the water surfing.

Carlos reported that nothing of any interest had happened in the days they had flown to Argentina and back, except a Friday night party with just Stuart, Tad, Mike, and Carlos, in which Carlos got to have more chances to test and see if he was ready to become a bottom. He enjoyed it a lot, he said, but it was not going to become his favorite thing to do.

When Stuart returned to the house and they had a chance to convene in the great room, Stuart suggested that his Uncle might profit from building a business of consulting in the financial journalism arena. Mason thought that was a horrible idea, and gently reminded Stuart that he already had plenty of projects to keep him busy, especially raising two sons.

"Two sons?" everyone asked in unison.

"Sure, Stuart and Carlos."

They all laughed, and in another hour the two couples headed in separate directions to bed. Just as he was falling asleep, Raj called to remind Mason he had a noon appointment with the Mayor, who wanted a progress report.

"Shit, I completely forgot."

"I can get you a light sentence for good behavior" Mario laughed.

"Not funny, Daffy Duck. I guess I better get up early and draft a little one-page thing for the Mayor. He always likes to take notes."

"Do you want to drop me off at the law firm on your way into City Hall?" Mario asked.

"Sure; then we can have an early supper when I come back to pick you up."

Mario had a surprise waiting for Mason when they met for supper.

"So with all of the hard work I have been contributing, and the huge case load I have been carrying, and the media coverage for the firm that we have been receiving because of you, and my work at the law school and the pro-bono work I have done, today the bosses offered me a partnership."

"Congratulations, love, that is wonderful! You are marvelous."

"I am very proud of course, but I have you to thank for it; making partner in less than five years is amazing; making partner in less than two years is a miracle."

Mason agreed, and promptly said "We have to throw a party to celebrate." Typical Mason, Mario chuckled to himself.

Of course they invited the entire world: Mason invited the neighborhood association, especially Vince and Jeremy and their families, all of their usual friends, Ross and Joaquin, and Mario's family, as well as the Dean of the law school, Raj and his sister Aneth, the staff at NPR and the editor of the Sunday LA Times magazine. All together Mason counted about a hundred people they had invited; because it would not be possible to accommodate that many at their home, Mason scheduled the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton.

Stuart of course was invited, as were several members of his staff at the federal district court; Mason was acquainted with one of the justices there and invited her as well. Naturally, the Mayor's economics research panel was invited, as was the regional panel; Mason was surprised by his old boss from New York who showed up with a bottle of champagne. Finally, the entire law firm staff was present, and was very congratulatory toward both Mario and Mason. Carlos spent the evening close to Stuart, and managed to not look uncomfortable in his tuxedo.

By the end of the evening, Mario had shaken at least a hundred hands and smiled until his face hurt. Mason did not even notice when their photo was taken by a reporter for the Times, which ended up in the Sunday business section with a caption about "panel chair and his life partner" or something to that effect.

Mason was very proud of his lover, and would do anything for him, but was chagrined to see the newspaper exploit their relationship as a way of extending the newspaper's popularity with the gay crowd. Mario disagreed, and said that since California had such a recent history of changes in favor of the gay community, both culturally and politically, they should support that effort.

In any event, Mason's cherished anonymity was now permanently destroyed; he was a minor celebrity, and like it or not, it was newsworthy. He had actually been asked for his autograph at the party by at least a half dozen people. By the time the party was over, Mason was very glad he had booked rooms in the hotel rather than having to drive back to the coast late at night. Mason, Mario, Carlos, and Stuart shared a two-room suite, and in the morning the soft fog rolling in from the coast reminded Mason why he had left the other coast and came back west. As he stood on the balcony looking out to the west, he realized that in nearly the short space of four years with Mario, his life had completely changed.

He had come to the west coast from his niche in New York City to relax, retire, be alone, and rejuvenate himself. He wanted to shed the grime and grip of the city after more than twenty years grinding away at serving the news to the public. He wanted to forget all of the things he had tried to accomplish in the past twenty-plus years and instead replace them with the things he had cherished as a young man just starting out. In an odd and ironic way, he now could not remember either version of his personal reality. This present reality, with Mario and his various projects, was all the reality he needed. He was sure it would carry him into the final quarter of his life. "You Old Fag" he quietly laughed to himself.

After a leisurely morning with breakfast served in the suite, Mason began answering all of the phone calls that had accumulated while he had his phone silenced. This celebrity business is hard work, he thought to himself; why would anyone aspire to this nonsense? Driving back to Malibu, the car was filled with four mellow men who apparently had no energy to muster a conversation. Reaching home, it was only minutes before the group was surrounding the pool and enjoying the sunshine.

By nightfall, Mason had served a light supper, Stuart had departed for his home in the Hollywood Hills, Carlos was busy working on homework, and Mario was deep in reviewing his case load. Mason was glad to be slightly ahead of his deadlines for writing. He poured glasses of wine for Mario and himself, and sat next to his husband on the sofa.

"May I interrupt you?" he asked Mario.

"Any time amor" Mario responded, putting down the case file he was reading.

"Is this what you wanted?"

"This? Do you mean Malibu, you, this home, this beach? Dumb question, with all due respect."

"OK, maybe, but I guess I was just kind of feeling like Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof'; you know, that scene where he asks his wife Do you love me?'. Remember that?"

"Of course, and remember what she said to him?"

"Yes, more or less."

"Mason, to the best of my recollection, she said `Dumb question' also."

"Yeah she did, didn't she?"

Mario leaned toward Mason and kissed him, and then set his work folder aside. Turning to face Mason, he said "Seriously love, what's on your mind? Is something bothering you?"

"Nothing is bothering me, really, I am OK, I just have been thinking about stuff and reflecting and sorting out my feelings and making sure this is all the right path."

"Wow, that's some heavy shit for the weekend. What brought that on?"

"I guess the celebrity angle, it really bothers me, I never signed up for this course at summer camp. I just want us to be happy and have our quiet little life here together and let the world go fuck itself."

"My feelings exactly, we certainly agree on that, but are we celebrities now all of a sudden?"

"Well, having been in the LA Times two times in less than a month, it seems like we are headed in that direction. My phone has not stopped ringing, I have given more interviews in the past month than I ever planned on after leaving New York, and I just want to feel balanced again."

"I see. Well, I sympathize; I guess if I was suddenly thrust into a situation I had not contemplated nor planned, I might feel a little overwhelmed also. I think you are a tough guy, I think you are brilliant and I think you will find your balance very soon. You can always cry on my shoulder."

"I'm not crying, just feeling weird. Maybe talking it out will help. I have never had the chance to do that in the past."

"Mason, you have taught me so much in such a short time and one thing I am absolutely convinced of is you can solve anything. You will get this. And I will always be at your side."

After his glass of wine, Mason decided to take a walk on the beach. The sun had already set, but he wanted to have some solitude and the sounds of the ocean to help him think through this mess. Mario watched him go out across the patio and the pool deck, and then down the path across the dunes to the beach. He deeply loved this man, and at this very moment, that was driven home as he could feel Mason's angst; Mario hurt for him, and wished he knew how to help his husband. He had deep faith that Mason would soon find his path and they would be balanced, together, again.

When Mason returned to the house more than an hour later, he looked greatly relieved. The anxiety had left his face and his shoulders were no longer slumping. Mario smiled at him and they kissed.

"You seem to have turned a corner."

"Yes, I think so."

"Want to tell me about it?"

"Sure. I guess this is all about the expectations of other people because I never felt good enough, never felt that I was living up to the things people wanted out of me. And now I am feeling that same old dread again, that I have a whole new set of expectations from a new group."

"Oh, OK, so none of this was about you' or even me', it was about performance anxiety ?"

"I guess so, yeah."

"Mason, I have already said a dozen times you are a great man, brilliant, and you can work this out. Just relax and look at this whole thing as a game, the NPR assignment, the LA Times assignment, the Mayor's panel, and you will have a lot more fun with it. If you attack each of these assignments with a `fuck you' attitude, I think you will have a lot more fun."

"Wow. OK, I will try that. Let's see what happens."

"And I have to make note, I am a little surprised. I never realized you had those anxieties and feelings of insecurity."

"Doesn't everyone?"

"Not the over-achievers among us."

"Like you?"

"I was thinking more of your nephew Stuart."

They laughed, and Mario poured them another glass of wine. Cuddling together in bed late that night was a fresh reminder to both of them why they fit together, why the Universe conspired to bring them together, and why this moment on the edge of the continent facing the broad dark western sea was just another bit of magic to cement them together. Mason's last remark before falling asleep was "I forgot to tell you the next meeting of my panel is going to be here at the house."

"Oh shit" Mario whispered.