text:
DL's Yaoi Polloi
Title List Part 1 >
A Sexual Education
Blood Bound
A Cat in Cream
The Courting of the Queen
Fancy Cat
Djinn & Tonic
Heart of the Hawk
Heart's Compass
Titles List Part 2 >
In the Garden of Eden
Jamie's Private Dancer
My Dear Secretary
Saddle Up & Ride
The Hollow Man
Come On Baby, Light My Fire
Til Death Do Us Part
Charlie's Angel
The Heart of a Warrior
A Gift for Santa >
2. A Gift for Santa
Pieces of You
Cupid's Chokehold
Love at a Premium
Andy Cahill was in a state that he had never been in before in his entire life – that was, rip-roaring, falling-down drunk. He leaned against the bar in the club that his friend Terry had dragged him to, blinking pie-eyed at the blur that was the bartender. That lovely man who served him all of those nice flavored liqueurs that tasted like candy. Mmm, he was feeling pleasantly dizzy, his head spinning. Was this what it was like when you drank alcohol? If so, he could understand why so many people drank a lot. It was really nice. Maybe he'd order another of those wonderful drinks – the peach Schnapps was heavenly… Hmm, his tongue didn't seem to be working right. He'd have to get Terry to order for him. Now where had his friend gone? He was around here somewhere – maybe that blur over there?
Most likely he was wherever a pretty girl happened to be. Terry was a college football player, so of course the girls just flocked to him. Andy envied those girls secretly. He strongly suspected that he might be gay, but so far he hadn't done anything about those suspicions. He was a good boy, from an upstanding family. Being gay did not fit in with being a good boy, did it? Although drinking like a fish didn't fit in with that way of life, either, and here he was… It was all Terry's fault. His team had won an important game of some kind, and he'd laughingly dragged Andy away to celebrate. He hadn't wanted to go; he had studying to do for a big test. But Terry had been insistent, and finally he'd given in. It was a celebration, after all. He didn't want to be a party pooper when Terry was riding a high like this. So he'd come along reluctantly, thinking that he'd stay for a bit then slip out when Terry was surrounded by friends and girls. His friend had led him to the bar, but he'd refused regular alcohol. Terry had tried to talk him into it, but the smell of the liquor in Terry's glass had turned his stomach. Then his friend had gotten an evil gleam in his eyes, and had ordered Andy a shot of Amaretto liqueur. "You'll like this," he'd said. "It tastes like candy."
Andy had sipped at it cautiously, but had found that he DID like it. He had a sweet tooth, and the Amaretto was heavenly. After that, Terry ordered him things like various flavored Schnapps and several more kinds of liqueurs. He'd tried them all, and was now he was in a happy haze. His legs felt rather rubbery, but who cared? He sighed in bliss, wavering a bit. Someone slid onto the stool next to him, and Andy squinted at the blur. But it looked too dark to be Terry, who had Norwegian ancestors and was very blonde. "Hi," a voice said. "Do you come here often?"
Andy considered these words. Did he come here often? "No," he said after a moment, his language precise in the way that the very drunk could sometimes be. "This is my first time."
"Ahh. I thought I hadn't seen you around here before. I would have remembered someone so cute," the voice purred.
Cute. He was cute? Like a kitten or a puppy. Andy grinned suddenly. "I'm cute," he said blissfully.
A chuckle. "Yes, you are. What's your name, sweet thing?"
"Andddyyy," he slurred a little.
"Well, Anndddyyy, I'm Jake. Can I buy you a drink?"
Oh, yes. Excitedly he said: "I'd like a peppermint Schnapps."
Another laugh. "I see. Coming right up," the voice spoke to the bartender, while Andy squinted again. But the blur didn't resolve itself into anything more clear. He thought that this Jake person might have dark hair, but he couldn't be sure. Then a glass appeared near his hand, and it was close enough that he could actually see it. He made a happy sound and seized it. He gulped the lovely stuff down, then stood there grinning fatuously. "Good," he said.
"I'm glad you liked it. Listen, would you like to get out of here? With me?"
Andy scratched at his cheek a bit. Did he want to get out of here? That voice was very nice; he liked the sound of it. He just wished that he could see its owner as well. Normally he would have bolted out of the club at such a suggestion, but all of his inhibitions had flown out the window in his extremely inebriated state. "Sure," he slurred. "Let's get out of here."
A satisfied sound. "Come on, then, sweet thing," the voice crooned, taking his elbow and beginning to steer him along. Andy went, although if the hand had retracted he probably would have gone off in any direction at all. He was taken outside, shivering a little at the chill air. The hand herded him along to a car, and then opened a door for him. Andy just stood there, until the voice laughed and hands urged him into the car. Then he was sitting in a comfortable leather seat, his glazed eyes staring straight ahead. He heard the engine start up, and the car roared off into the night. After an indeterminate amount of time, the vehicle stopped. Andy didn't move until the door next to him opened, and those hands pulled him out of the car.
"Here we are," that amazing voice said to him.
Hands steered him along again, and Andy went with them without demur. His senses were almost completely fogged by now, and the owner of that voice could have been steering him off the edge of a high building for all he cared… Some stairs, which he found very hard to negotiate, then a door opened. He entered a place of light, which made him squint. The hands urged him across one space and into another. Then they stopped him. He was turned, then…then…a mouth closed over his! He was being kissed! Andy moaned a little, rather puzzled but liking the feel of another mouth on his. This was nice. He opened up obediently when a tongue snaked into his mouth, and made little sounds as it stroked over his own tongue in a caressing manner. Goodness! That felt marvelous! The kissing continued, and hands began to gently pull his clothing off. Normally he'd have been horribly embarrassed in this situation, but now all he felt was that complete state of bliss. It seemed an extension of that feeling when hands stroked over his bare skin, and then a mouth followed after. He squeaked when that mouth settled on his most sensitive part, and began to suck at it ever so sweetly. His fingers tangled in what might be black hair and hung on tightly, as he whimpered and moaned. Another new, amazing sensation in a night full of them
. Somehow he drifted down onto a soft surface, and another body settled atop his. There was more kissing, more touches, more amazing things happening. When fingers slid inside of him, he only moaned breathily. This only seemed part and parcel with the rest of the wonderful things happening to him. And when something even bigger pushed into him, while he made a small sound of pain he didn't fight this either. Hands pushed his legs to his chest, and that wonderful mouth sucked kisses from his lips as the thing making him feel so full began to move within him. That voice talked to him, whispering against his lips. It crooned how tight he was, how good he felt, how wonderful this whole thing was…Andy had to agree. This was wonderful. The dull pain had faded, leaving behind only amazing pleasure. He clung to the body hovering over him and succumbed to it, lost in an alcoholic haze as his virginity was swept away by the owner of that voice. When he came, crying out deliriously, he felt the body over him shudder and heard the voice raps out a low groan. Andy fell back limply, totally sated and completely relaxed. He fell asleep almost immediately, a sodden slumber so deep that he never felt the other man moving him around or pulling a blanket over his sweat-sheened body.
Sunlight stabbed into his eyes, making Andy groan and throw up a feeble hand to shield his eyes. What the hell? His head hurt so bad it felt like a gang of men were inside of his skull, clanging around in there with pickaxes and jack hammers. He clutched at it with nerveless fingers, moaning in agony. What had happened? Where was he? His almost closed eyes took in a bedroom, a bedroom that he didn't recognize. He felt a chill of horror. Had he…he must have. He'd gone somewhere last night with a perfect stranger! Anything could have happened to him! And when he sat bolt upright, the pain that flared through his ass made him realize that something HAD happened! He'd had sex with said complete stranger, and a MAN at that! Oh, dear God! Andy scrambled out of the bed, only to end up almost falling on his face as his legs gave way under him. His stomach churned, and he staggered toward the door he hoped led to the bathroom. It did, and he fell to his knees and vomited profusely into the bowl. His shoulders heaved as he lost everything he'd eaten and drank for the last three days. He moaned feebly, wanting nothing more than to die right here and now. Experiencing a hangover for the first time, Andy didn't understand now why anybody drank alcohol! Ever! Not only did he feel like he'd been trampled by a herd of wild buffalo, he'd had sex with a total stranger. And gay sex, at that!
He whimpered and pushed himself feebly to his feet, staggering out into the bedroom to find his clothing. It was scattered around the floor, and he blushed darkly as he bent over to retrieve it piece-by-piece. Groaning at the pain in his lower back, he slowly pulled on his clothes. He carefully stuck his head out of the bedroom door, seeing a somewhat messy living room/kitchen beyond it. There was no sign of anybody else in the apartment, for which he was utterly grateful. Andy limped toward the front door, holding his lower back and half-closing his swollen eyes. Reaching the door, he struggled with the handle. It took him what seemed like forever to get it open. A briskly chill spring wind hit him in the face, making him moan again. He'd much rather have gone back to bed, but he couldn't stay here!
Shivering and holding his arms, he tried to negotiate the small set of stairs leading downward. His hand gripped the railing tightly so he didn't fall on his head. He finally reached the sidewalk, and staggered away down it. He needed to find a pay phone or something. Wait a minute! Did he still have his wallet? Frantically he checked his pocket, and was utterly relieved when he found that he still did. Clutching it in his hand, he moved onward in his search for somewhere where he could call either Terry or a cab company. But this seemed to be a neighborhood of apartment buildings and small houses only, and he wanted to groan in pain and despair. He was so cold, so achy, so miserable…
A laughing voice spoke to him from nearby. "Hey, are you all right?" it asked. He halted and turned very, very slowly to look at the speaker. A pretty girl with flaxen hair and a blue coat was standing there looking at him with an expression of concern on her face.
"No," he croaked. "Please, c-can you t-tell me where I-I can f-find a payphone?" he begged through chattering teeth.
"You're freezing! Come inside and I'll let you use my cell," the girl said worriedly, indicating the apartment building just behind her.
He blinked. "Y-You shouldn't d-do that. I m-might be a…s-serial killer or s-something."
She laughed. "A serial killer staggering around in the cold with no coat on? Besides, why would a serial killer warn me not to let him inside? Come on; before you freeze into a popsicle." She urged him along, and Andy was too cold and miserable to object anymore.
The girl's apartment was mercifully warm. Andy sighed in bliss as she gently urged him into a chair and handed him her cell phone. "I'll make us some coffee," she told him, bustling away into her tiny kitchen.
Andy sighed and called Terry's cell. It rang about a dozen times, but he just let it do so. Terry was probably hung over too; it would take him a bit to get moving. But Andy felt that it was his friend's fault that he was in this situation, as he would never have gone with a strange man last night if he hadn't been smashed. Finally an irritable voice roared: "What?!"
"Terry, this is Andy," he began sharply.
"ANDY?!! Dude, where the hell did you go?!" Terry yelled, making his head throb.
"It doesn't matter now. Could you please just come and pick me up? I'm at…" he hesitated and looked at the girl, who was now carrying two cups of coffee over to the table. She gave him her address. He repeated it into the phone. Terry agreed to come and pick him up once he got dressed. Andy hung up the phone gratefully and handed it to the girl, who smiled at him.
"Are you feeling a bit better?" she asked. He was. The sullen pounding was now a more gentle throbbing, and the coffee was helping to drive some of the drags of the alcohol out of his system.
The girl, who said that her name was Karen, also made him some dry English muffins to nibble on. Andy was slowly but surely coming back to himself – and was more horrified than ever about what had happened last night. He vowed to never drink alcohol again, not as long as he lived. He explained to the curious Karen that he'd gotten drunk last night and had left the club he was at with a total stranger for a one-night stand – although he left out the part about the stranger being a guy. He also told her about waking up this morning in a strange place and realizing what he'd done. She looked sympathetic. "Getting drunk isn't always smart," she noted.
"You can say that again. No more alcohol for me," he said grimly. They talked for while until there was a knock at the door. Karen went to open it, revealing a worried-looking Terry standing there.
Her mouth fell open at the sight of the muscular Viking god who'd come to pick up Andy, as Terry demanded: "Are you seriously all right, Dude? I'm sorry about getting you drunk, I had no idea you'd get that sloshed. One second you were by the bar, the next you were just gone!! I was seriously worried, and I was going to call the police and report you missing as soon as I could. They told me last night that I had to wait 24 hours, which is completely bogus. I knew you wouldn't have left by yourself. What the hell happened?"
Andy felt better knowing that his friend hadn't deliberately gotten him drunk and then callously deserted him. It was apparent that Terry's concern was real. He repeated his story again, still leaving out the part about the sex of his one-night stand. Terry looked relieved. "I'm just glad that you weren't kidnapped or something. So you got some, huh?" The pleased expression on his face over this fact made Andy roll his eyes.
The girl Karen snorted audibly. Terry turned to her. "Thanks for helping my friend," he said. "I'm Terry Jensen, by the way."
"Karen Mills. I was glad to help him," she said, smiling. Andy could see that Terry was much taken by the girl's smile. He couldn't seem to stop staring at her. And she was definitely returning the interest. He sighed, rubbing at his aching head.
"Can I just go home?" he asked plaintatively.
Terry roused himself from his stupor. "Sure," he said. "Do you go to the university?" he asked Karen hopefully.
She nodded. Terry looked pleased. "I hope I see you around, then," he said.
"I'd like that," she replied simply. "Take care of yourself, Andy," she added, patting his arm.
"Yes, and thank you for everything," he told her gratefully.
"It was no problem. See you," she waved as they started out the door toward Terry's car.
"What an awesome, hot chick!" Terry yelped. Then he paused and added: "Dude, why are you limping?"
Andy gritted his teeth together. "Just get in the car and drive," he said harshly.
Seven Years Later: Andrew Cahill, Head Loan Officer at a branch of the First National Savings and Loan bank, was bent over his paperwork industriously. It was a typical day at the bank, and he was pretty busy. His secretary had just confirmed his next appointment, with a man named Jake Faraday. Mr. Faraday apparently wanted to secure a small loan to expand his business, a popular music shop. While there were some problems with his past credit, Andy was still thinking of granting the loan request. His instincts, which seldom led him wrong, were saying that this would be a good move for the bank. He paused to take a drink from the coffee mug on his desk. It was a personalized mug that read: I may be gay, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy. The mug had been a gag gift from Terry to him one Christmas after he'd come out to his friend. Actually, Terry had been pretty philosophical about the whole thing, saying that he wasn't surprised about Andy's sexual orientation. Nobody had seemed that surprised, really. Apparently he'd only been fooling himself into believing that he could pass as straight. He'd even admitted to Terry that the drunken one-night stand years ago wherein he'd lost his virginity had been with another man. All Terry had said was: "That totally explains why you were limping."
Terry was a good friend. His eyes strayed to the photos in the frame on his desk. Several of them were of Terry and his wife Karen, the nice girl who'd helped him all those years ago when he'd fled the apartment of his one-night stand. She and Terry had started dating after that, and the girl proved surprisingly good at keeping the formerly wild Terry in line. They'd had their first child two years ago, and Karen was currently working on the second. Andy was happy for them. He wasn't so happy for himself, because his love life was nothing to write home about. His few boyfriends since he'd come out had all been…lackluster, at best. He just didn't know what he was doing wrong. He had a good job, a nice home, a cat to keep him company…but nobody to curl up with in front of a roaring fire or cuddle with in bed at night. While he recognized how well off he was compared to others, he really wished that he could meet someone special.
"Mr. Cahill? Your next appointment is here," his secretary said from the doorway.
"Thank you, Grace, please show him in," Andy said.
"Come right in, Mr. Faraday," he heard Grace's voice say.
"Thanks," an oddly familiar voice replied. Andy wondered where he'd heard it before as he glanced up.
"Hello, Mr. Faraday, I'm Andrew Cahill. Won't you sit down…?" he began politely, then his eyes widened when he saw the startlingly handsome man standing in his doorway. Long black hair was pulled back behind a fine-boned face that looked like it belonged on a poet. Byron, maybe…
But his reaction to Jake Faraday was nothing compared to the other man's reaction to the sight of HIM. The man's black eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. "It's you!" he cried in disbelief. "Oh my God, I can't believe it!"
Andy blinked in puzzlement. "I beg your pardon?" he said, as Jake Faraday just stood there with his mouth hanging open.
The other man finally pulled himself together enough to reply. "You don't…remember me?" he asked cautiously.
Andy frowned. "Should I?" he said, still puzzled.
Jake Faraday ran a hand over his hair. "Wow. Umm…that does explain a lot I guess…" he paused, and then met Andy's eyes straight on. "I took you home after I met you in a bar a little over seven years ago. We had sex, then when I went out to get us some breakfast the next morning you disappeared. I never saw you again."
Shock rippled through Andy. Dear God! He was face-to-face with that one-night stand from so long ago! He gulped. "I see," he said.
Jake frowned a bit. "You really don't remember me?" he said incredulously.
Andy shook his head. "I was drunk that night," he explained. "Really, really drunk. It was the first time I'd ever had any alcohol, actually. My friend got me plastered on liqueurs and deserted me. I don't remember much about that night after my third drink, to tell you the truth. All I do remember was waking up in a strange apartment the next morning with a massive hangover and the knowledge that I'd…been with someone…There was no one around, so I threw up in the toilet and ran like hell. It freaked me out that I'd had sex with another man. I'd never done that before that night, either."
Jake's dark eyes widened. "You were a virgin?" he hissed.
Andy nodded. "Oh, man, this is bad. I'm sorry. I had no idea how drunk you were. I just thought you were really cute, and I thought we could maybe get to know each other after that night. I was really worried when I couldn't find you, because I'd brought you home in my car so I knew you hadn't driven away. I looked everywhere for you – drove around for hours looking for you, afraid that something bad might have happened to you. But I could never find you, and I haven't seen you since…until today." Jake's voice was both apologetic and faintly chiding at the same time.
Andy felt rather bad. "I'm sorry, too," he said. "I suppose I should have stayed, but I was just so out-of-it and freaked that I…just bolted. Please, won't you sit down? You came here today to talk about the loan you wanted for your business."
Jake came forward and took a chair across from him. "Yeah. I just had no idea I'd know the loan officer. God. Your last name is Cahill, huh? I never got it that night."
Andy felt uncomfortable. This whole situation had thrown him off. He knew that he should just talk about the loan, but having those dark eyes resting on his face was flustering him. This man had had sex with him! Had taken his virginity. Now, face-to-face with his one-night stand at last, he didn't know quite what to say or do. How could he talk calmly to this person? Not to mention the fact that Jake Faraday was…quite attractive…He swallowed, looking blindly down at the papers on his desk. "Err…You applied for a small business loan to expand your music store," he began hoarsely.
"Yes, that's right. I'm doing so well I want to add a little recording studio so that I can charge local bands to make audition tapes for them, that kind of thing. I've gotten lets of requests for that, I just need a little bit of money to do the remodel and buy the recording equipment."
He shuffled his papers a little, trying to concentrate and act like he wasn't completely thrown by this meeting. "I've looked over your application and done some checking into your credit history, and I decided to approve the loan, Mr. Faraday," he said as calmly as he could.
"Oh, cool. Look, this is just weird," Jake replied. "Maybe you can pretend that this is just a normal situation, but I can't. I've never been able to forget you, not since that night. Every once in awhile I look at people passing me by on the street, hoping that one of them would be you. Maybe it's only the fact that you vanished on me that makes me remember you so clearly, but I don't think so. And what I was wondering is – would you like to go out with me sometimes this week? Please?"
Andy's head jerked up, and he saw that Jake had a serious expression on his handsome face. The dark eyes were so hopeful…He felt his breath falter a bit. "I don't…know…" he began feebly. "I'm not sure that's a good idea…"
"Why not?" Jake asked impatiently. "We could finally get to know each other for real," he added.
Andy's fingers tightened around his pen. "Look, Mr. Faraday," he began.
"Call me Jake," the other man urged him.
He sighed. "That wouldn't be a good idea, either," he said. "I mean, we had a one-night stand together over seven years ago. I don't really see that that would be the basis for anything now, do you?"
Jake snorted. "I've seen relationships develop out of weirder things than sleeping together. What could it hurt to go out to dinner with me once? Unless you're with somebody else?" he asked.
A way out. But Andy had never been a good liar. He sighed. "No, I'm not currently seeing anyone," he replied.
Jake brightened up. "Great! Then would you go out with me?"
He rubbed at his forehead, feeling the beginning of a headache. This man was pretty persistent. "Look, why do you want to go out with me? Do you try to date every one-night stand that you've ever had?" he asked impatiently.
Jake was silent for a moment. Then he said slowly: "Yes. Because you're the only one I've ever had."
Andy's mouth dropped open, and he gaped at Jake. The man looked completely serious. "What? I mean…?" he said feebly.
Jake sighed and shook his head. "I don't know why I did it that night, why I decided to pick somebody up in a bar. Except…you were just so damn cute, happy as a lark and telling me that your name was Anndddyyy," he slurred the name, making Andy's face turn rather pink. "I just couldn't help myself. And I didn't think it would be a one-night stand. I thought that we'd eat breakfast together, get to know each other, that it might turn into something great. Instead, I went out to get that breakfast and you disappeared on me. I felt like somebody had kicked me in the balls. Do you wanna know something? I read the paper for weeks after that, looking for your picture. I was afraid that I'd read that you'd been killed in a car accident or something else really horrible. But there was nothing. It was as though you'd been a figment of my imagination."
Andy was flabbergasted by this recital. All those years ago he'd figured that the guy who'd picked him up wouldn't care in the least about his running away, that he'd gotten what he wanted that night. To find out that Jake Faraday had not only cared, that he'd been terribly worried…he didn't know quite what to say. Silence fell over his office for a moment, and then he said slowly: "I suppose that I could…go out with you once," he said.
Jake let out a relieved sigh and relaxed back in his chair. "Thanks," he said. "I really appreciate this. Ummm…could I call you Andy?"
A hesitation, then he nodded. "All right."
"Great. You can call me Jake."
"Not right now I can't," Andy said tartly. "We still haven't finalized your loan papers yet."
Jake just stared at him, and then he chuckled. "Okay. I'll call you Mr. Cahill and you can call me Mr. Faraday, just for now anyway."
"Thank you for your consideration," Andy said dryly.
Jake's eyes were twinkling. "You're welcome," he said mock solemnly.
When he left Andy's office an hour later, Andy just sat in his chair feeling a little numb. Good God, he had a date with the man who'd taken his virginity! The man he'd never been able to remember before this! This was the strangest thing that had ever happened to him. What were the odds that that same man would walk into his bank? And would still remember him clearly, even after all of these years? It seemed impossible, and yet there it was. He set his hands to neatly filing Jake's paperwork for the approved loan, to give himself time to think. This often worked, but not this time. He just felt baffled and unsure. Finally he sighed a little and picked up the receiver of his phone. He hit a speed dial number, and waited while it rang on the other end. Then a laughing voice came onto the other end.
"Hey. Andy! What's up?" it asked.
"Hey, Karen. I don't mean to bother you, but I wanted to tell you about something that just happened to me," he began.
"It's no bother; I was just sitting on the couch watching TV. Tyler's taking a nap, and his sister is currently kicking me in the kidneys."
He laughed in spite of himself. "Well. You remember how we all first met? When you found me wandering in the streets freezing?"
"Yes, of course. You looked like a pitiful puppy. One I'm glad I took in, too, since it meant that I got to meet the lug of my life…" her voice was merry and teasing.
Andy found himself grinning. This was why he really liked Karen. She adored poking at her husband, which kept Terry on his toes. " Anyway, I told you about what happened. How I'd had a one-night stand with some guy I couldn't even remember. Right?"
"Sure. Why?"
"He just walked not my office about an hour ago."
Astonished silence poured over the phone line. Then: "What?! The same guy?! But how do you know its him?"
Andy sighed. "Because he remembered me, even though I couldn't remember him," he replied. "Apparently he's never forgotten me even after all this time."
"Wow. That's amazing. What's he like?"
"Hot," Andy said succinctly.
"Oh, really? Details, give me details," she urged.
So he told her all about his meeting with Jake Faraday. She listened and commented occasionally, and when he was done she sighed happily. "That sounds utterly romantic. Some hot guy who only slept with you once is overjoyed to see you again, and wants to go out with you. Andy Cahill, you are incredibly lucky."
"I suppose so," he said doubtfully.
"You are," she replied firmly. "And you have to call me with all of the details afterward, you hear me?"
"I will," he said, then told her goodbye and hung up. He felt bemused and rather dazed, as though he were in some strange dream that he was going to wake up from presently. He pinched his wrist, then yelped and rubbed at the spot with his hand. Well, he was awake. It was really true. The first guy he'd ever slept with had come back into his life, and they were going out to dinner together tomorrow night.
Andy felt incredibly nervous as he sat at the table and looked at his date across it. Jake Faraday was even more gorgeous this evening, since he'd dressed up for their date. He was wearing an Angora pull-over in a shade of blue that complemented his very fair skin as well as his dark hair and eyes, and a pair of grey wool slacks that hugged his long legs. He wore a necklace made of black-and-silver beads around his neck, and a single tiny hoop earring dangled from one earlobe. He's pulled his long hair back and braided it into a tight queue at the base of his neck, but a few dark tendrils escaped and wisped around his handsome face. He was like a wet dream come to life, and Andy wondered desperately why someone like this would have remembered someone like HIM for such a long time after their one-night stand. It baffled him completely, and he frowned as he picked up his water glass and took a sip from it.
"Penny for your thoughts," Jake remarked, looking at him keenly. He almost choked on the sip of water in surprise, and then turned a dark pink as he struggled to breathe and also to think of something to say as an answer since he didn't want to tell Jake what he was really thinking. "Err…I was just thinking that you look very nice," he decided to say, which was both tactful and true.
Jake smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Thanks. But you look great too," he said admiringly, looking Andy over. He was wearing one of his nicer suits, and his fingers tugged at the tie nervously now.
"Thank you. I'm sorry, I'm not very good at small talk," Andy blurted out.
"That's okay. It won't be hard for us to find something to talk about – after all, I'm the guy you lost your virginity to. If nothing else, we can talk about that," Jake teased. Andy turned even redder and looked around hurriedly. He was afraid that some of the other diners had heard what Jake had said. But no one was looking at them. He sighed in relief as he glanced back at his date.
"Are you always so…" he began, not sure of what word to use.
"Straightforward? Crass? Lacking in manners? Yep, I'm afraid that I am all of those things," Jake replied with a wink.
Andy shook his head. "This is so strange," he mused. "I know absolutely nothing about you, I don't even remember that night, and yet here we are."
"Ask me anything, I'll answer any questions," Jake said promptly. "Go ahead; this is just like any first date, where we don't know each other and we're trying to get to know each other – the only difference is I've seen you naked already."
Andy blushed a bit at this reminder. "God, I really can't believe that I did that, even in a drunken stupor," he said in disbelief. "Leaving a bar with a complete stranger? You could have been an axe murderer. You could have been the next Jeffrey Dahlmer, looking to put my hacked off body parts in your freezer."
Jake rubbed at his jaw thoughtfully. "Well, maybe you left because some instinct told you that you COULD trust me," he pointed out. "Maybe you wouldn't have left with just anyone. Who knows? You can't remember your thought processes from that night, so it's a moot point."
"Yes, if I had any thought processes left, which I highly doubt," Andy remarked dryly. "I was totally smashed. I don't have a high tolerance for alcohol, apparently. Not that I care to test that theory one way or another, since I haven't touched alcohol again after that night."
Jake looked surprised. "Not ever?"
Andy shook his head again. "No. My first time drinking, and I got roaring drunk, left a bar with a total stranger, had a one-night stand with a person I couldn't remember afterward, and had the mother of all hangovers the next day. That didn't encourage me to want to ever drink again, I can tell you."
"No, I suppose it wouldn't. You got thrown into the deep end of the pool head first, didn't you? I swear, if I'd known how stinking drunk you actually were, I would never have taken you home with me that night. I might have tried to get your phone number out of you or something, but taking advantage of someone who doesn't know what's happening to him isn't my bag. That's pretty close to rape, far too close for comfort."
Andy was pleased that Jake seemed sincere in what he said. "I really didn't seem totally drunk to you?" he questioned.
Jake shook his head. "Not exactly. You were happy as a clam, but you didn't seem falling-down drunk. I just thought you were pleasantly buzzed. You didn't slur your words or anything, and you were looking me in the eyes."
Andy's brows shot up. "Was I? I don't know how I managed that, since you were nothing but a blur to me."
"Hmm. Maybe it's a good thing that you decided not to drink anymore after that. If you can pass for mildly drunk when you're completely out of it…"
"Yes. Ugly things could have happened. And frankly while being drunk was a nice experience, the day after was so awful that it doesn't even bear thinking about. Worst morning of my life, I can tell you. I felt like my intestines were trying to tie themselves into knots inside of me."
Jake grimaced sympathetically. "Now THERE'S an image," he said. "But that was the worst morning I've ever had, too. I came home to find the cute guy I'd been so interested in gone without a trace. I thought I'd feed him, and help him take a shower, and maybe rub his shoulders for him…take care of him while he was coming down from his buzz. Instead I spent the morning scouring the neighborhood, totally panicked. Scared that he'd been hit by a car or something."
Andy stared at him. Yes, Jake had said before that he'd looked everywhere and had even read the newspaper looking for news of Andy, but he'd thought that Jake was exaggerating. But the other man seemed perfectly sincere. "Why…? I mean, why did you care so much? I know that you said that I was your only one-night stand, but still…"
Jake frowned a little. "I don't know, really," he began slowly. "Except that here was something about you…when I saw you in the bar that night, it was like I couldn't help myself. It wasn't just because you were so darn cute – that was only part of it. I just wanted to take you home and cuddle you and have my way with you…" his eyes gleamed with a rather wicked light as he said this last, and Andy felt his breath catch in his throat, "But I also wanted to sober you up and spend hours talking to you. I just KNEW that you'd be someone that I'd get along with, that we'd be totally compatible. Does that sound weird or corny?" he asked doubtfully.
Andy shook his head slowly. "Actually, no it doesn't. That same morning, a girl who found me wandering the streets and helped me out turned out to be the perfect girl for my best friend Terry. He came to pick mer up, and I swear it was love at first sight for the two of them. That's why I've always thought that my only drunken one-night stand wasn't so bad, because at least Terry got to meet Karen."
"Wow, that sounds cool. I'm glad something good came out of our night. And now I'm hoping that something else good will come out of it, too," Jake added. He smiled at Andy as he said this, and something in his eyes made Andy's stomach flutter inside of him. While his mind might not remember Jake, his body certainly did! The waiter arrived to take their orders, and Andy hurriedly scanned the menu. Once he'd gone, Jake sat back in his chair and gazed at Andy across the table. "You were still in college back then, weren't you?" he asked.
Andy nodded. "Yes. I was studying business and accounting, although I had no idea what I really wanted to do with my life. I just knew I was good with numbers and people too. I got a part-time job as a bankteller to help pay my way through school, and I just moved up through the ranks until I became Head Loan Officer. I like my job, although it's really hard to turn needy people down sometimes. Sadly, you really have to have money to get money, especially these days. That leaves a lot of people out of the American dream, since it's pretty hard to make it without some kind of help."
Jake nodded. "That's true. I'm just lucky that I sort of fell into my business. I started out as a musician," he told Andy. "I was in a band when I met you. But we weren't really that great; I figured out after awhile that we weren't going anywhere. So I got out of the band and took a job at a music store to pay the bills while I figured out what to do next. And the owner was a nice guy who turned out to be like a father to me. When he retired, he sold the store to me for a very cheap price. I'm really grateful to Dan. If it weren't for him, I'd still be scraping by on minimum wage jobs while going absolutely nowhere."
"And so you decided to eventually put in a little studio, and you came to my bank for a loan," Andy remarked wryly. "What are the odds of that?"
"Pretty long, but it doesn't matter. I figure that this is the universe's way of making sure that we get together like we should have seven years ago," Jake told him.
"You're making some assumptions," Andy pointed out. "I only said that I'd go on ONE date with you, that's all."
Jake laughed. "I know you did, but I'm pretty sure that you won't be able to resist me," he added.
Andy snorted. "Are you saying that you're totally irresistible?"
Jake grinned. "Yep," he said easily. "That's exactly what I'm saying."
"We'll see about that," Andy told him. Jake's grin widened. "Yes, we will," he replied merrily.
Andy thoroughly enjoyed their dinner after that. Jake flustered him somewhat when he flirted gently with him; but otherwise they talked easily together about a wide variety of subjects. Surprisingly, they had a lot in common. They both agreed about everything from the death penalty (they were against it); to religion (neither had much use for it); and sports (neither understood why so many people got so fanatical about silly games). He was feeling relaxed by the time dessert came. Jake had a rich-looking brownie with ice cream, all smothered in fudge. He eyed this confection rather wildly. "Are you actually going to eat that?" he asked incredulously.
Jake was practically rubbing his hands together in glee. "Yeah, I am," he said as he picked up his fork. "I have a total sweet tooth."
Andy looked doubtfully at his rather thin form. "You mean you eat desserts like that all the time?"
Jake smiled as he sampled a bite of the rich confection. "Yep. I have a very fast metabolism. I never gain any weight, no matter what I eat."
Andy looked disgusted. "You do know how many people would kill to be able to do that, don't you?"
Jake nodded, blissfully cleaning his spoon before he took another big bite. "I know. But I can't help the fact that I got such good genes. Blame my parents. My mom was the same way; she could eat anything at all and not gain an ounce. Didn't even have to exercise."
Andy made a "pfft," sound. "So let me see – you got genes for good looks, charm, and the ability to eat anything you want and not get fat. Plus at least some musical talent, since you were in a band. It's a wonder somebody hasn't killed you by now."
Jake chuckled. "Hey, what can I say? I'm lucky and I know it. Anyway, why don't you try your cheesecake? It looks delicious."
Andy rolled his eyes but took a bite of the cherry cheesecake he'd ordered. It was rich too, and he knew that he'd only be able to finish maybe half of it. Jake was still happily eating his own dessert, and was already a quarter do the way through it. Andy watched him eat in awe. Good Lord, did the man have a hollow leg? Where did he put it all? But then he got distracted when Jake licked at his lip delicately to get a trace of hot fudge, and he felt his groin tighten traitorously. His fingers spasmed around his fork, and he looked down at his own dessert before Jake could look up and see the lust burning in his eyes. All he wanted was for Jake to lick HIM just liked he'd just done that little drip of hot fudge. "Mmm, that was good," Jake crooned. His tone of voice made Andy's abdominal muscles tighten and his mouth feel rather dry. "Soo sweet. How was your cheesecake?"
Andy looked blindly down at his dessert, which he'd barely tasted. He had no idea how it had been – it could have been made of ashes or dirt for all he knew. "It was fine," he croaked.
"Are you sure?" Jake asked dubiously. "You didn't eat much of it."
"I'm pretty full. I just didn't have any room for it," he said, which was partially the truth. "Oh. Do you want to get it to go?"
"Sure," he replied, not wanting Jake to know the real reason why he hadn't been able to eat his dessert. So they ended up leaving the restaurant with Andy holding a white Styrofoam container with the almost uneaten cheesecake in it. They got into Jake's car, which was an interesting vehicle. It was an elderly Jeep, of the Army variety not the more commercial vehicle. Jake had painted it in rainbow colors, with the name of his shop on the doors in scroll-work letters. Andy had been dubious about getting into it when Jake had come to his house to pick him up; but it ran smoothly and was surprisingly comfortable. Okay, it was somewhat strange-looking, but… "So have you decided whether you're going to let me take you on another date?" Jake asked as he pulled out in traffic.
Andy pondered this question. The truth was that he wanted to go out with Jake again, but he also wanted to let the other man sweat a little. Jake's utter confidence that he could charm Andy rather annoyed him. The silence stretched out, and Jake threw him a worried glance. Clearly he was beginning to rethink his confident statement earlier. Andy wanted to laugh, but instead he said solemnly: "Well, I don't know. Tonight was fun, but…"
"Oh, come on," Jake pleaded. "Please give me a chance, Andy. I really like you."
The desperation in his voice got to Andy. He pretended to sigh, but he also said: "All right. We can go out again."
Jake brightened up immediately. "That's great! Hey, why don't I come and get you tomorrow on your lunch break? I want to show you my shop. We can eat lunch there together. Okay?"
Andy found that he was curious to see the business that he was going to be giving to be giving a loan to. "Yes. I'd like that."
"Cool. Oh, here we are," he pulled up in front of Andy's house, and looked disappointed to have arrived at their destination. He turned to Andy, his dark eyes searching Andy's intently. "I had a great time tonight, Andy. Thanks for going out with me."
Andy smiled. "I had a good time too. Goodnight, Jake. I'll see you tomorrow."
He started to get out of the Jeep, but a hand on his arm stopped him. He looked back at Jake, and suddenly found himself being kissed. It was a light thing, but he seemed to feel it right down to his toes. When he pulled back, Jake smiled like a cat. "Goodnight, Andy," he purred, and watched as the rather flustered man got out of his car and went down the walk toward his house.
Andy looked up from his paperwork when there was a knock at the door frame of his office. His stomach immediately started up a butterfly fluttering when he saw Jake standing there smiling at him. "Hey, Andy. It's noon," he said. "You promised to eat lunch with me today, and I'm going to show you my store. Remember?"
Surprised, he glanced at his clock. It was, indeed, noon. "Yes," he said distractedly, running a hand through his hair as he pushed his chair back. "I got busy and didn't notice what time it was. Just let me close up here and get my jacket. I'll meet you out front."
"That's cool," Jake replied. "Hey, what kind of food would you like? I thought I'd order something to be delivered now so it won't take long for it to show up at my shop."
"Err…" Andy hesitated, but his mind was blank. It was still filled with facts and figures from his work.
Jake chuckled. "Don't worry about it; I'll order for both of us from this sandwich shop that I know. The food is great. Roast beef sandwiches okay with you?"
"Yes, that would be fine," Andy replied honestly. "I really can't think of anything anyway."
Jake nodded, liberating his cell phone from the pocket of his coat. "What kind of cheese and toppings do you like? I like sautéed onions and mushrooms, but that's not everybody's taste."
"I like Swiss cheese," Andy told him, "And sautéed onions and mushrooms sounds delicious, actually."
Jake grinned, dazzling him with that set of white teeth. "A man after my own heart. Okay, I'll order and meet out by my Jeep. See you in a minute," he waved a hand and strolled away, giving Andy time to gather up his things and put his office in order. He made sure that his desktop was neat and clean, and then fetched his suit jacket from the chair it was draped over. He liked to be just a little bit informal when talking to people, because he liked to set them at ease a bit. Most people were nervous when dealing with loan officers, and rightly. Their financial futures were in his hands, and far too often he had to turn them down and see the disappointment and unhappiness in their faces. That was the worst part of his job, and he always tried to let them down gently and give them a bit of financial advice as well. Being turned down for a loan wasn't the end of the world, and there were ways to reapply later after you had more cash flow and/or collateral, or had fixed your imperfect credit. He almost always steered people toward good financial advisers who would help them without charging astronomical fees... and more than one had returned to him later to get a successful loan or just to thank him for his efforts.
Andy left his office, closing the door behind him. His assistant had already left for her lunch break, proving that it had to be at least five minutes after noon since she always deserted promptly at noon and didn't return until exactly one o'clock. He locked his door behind him and went outside, taking a deep breath of the cool spring wind. His heart started fluttering too fast when he saw Jake leaning against the side of his Jeep waiting for him, and the other man smiled lazily in greeting as Andy approached him. "You ready?" he asked.
"Yes," Andy told him, and they got into the Jeep together.
He had to wrestle with the ancient seat belts, and gave Jake a stern look when he didn't buckle his own. Jake laughed at his chiding look. "Sorry, but I just don't believe in seat belts," he said with a shrug. "I know that's bad, but it's just the way I am. I'll take the seat belt fine rather than wear it. I figure the only person that I'm hurting by not wearing it is me, so it's my choice. And people don't get enough choices in their lives anymore. Everybody wants to tell us how to live and what to do. I don't care that it's the law; some laws aren't just, and to my mind that's one of them. It's taking away personal freedoms, and isn't that what this country is all about?"
Andy didn't know what to say to this impassioned little speech. Jake chuckled next as he began to drive. "Sorry about getting on my soap box. This is just one of the subjects that I'm passionate about."
"That's all right. Some people aren't passionate about anything," Andy noted quietly. "It's nice to find someone who is, no matter what the subject matter. And it's good that it's only your personal freedom that you're advocating. I can't stand those who try to tell others how they should live and what they should do as though it's their right."
"Agreed," Jake replied, nodding. "Everybody's life is their own to live as they see fit. As long as it's not horribly illegal or immoral, we should be able to do what we want. As the Wiccans say: And it harm none, do what thou wilt. I believe in that totally."
"That's a good saying," Andy noted. He paused, and then added: "Maybe I should become a Wiccan."
Jake began to laugh heartily. "My little witch, Annndddyyyy? Well, you DID put a spell on me seven years ago, so I suppose that you'd qualify…"
"Oh, ha ha," he said, although he felt warmth in the pit of his stomach at the look in Jake's eyes when he glanced at him. Jake began to sing 'Black magic', and his voice wasn't bad at all. Andy remembered that he'd been in a band. He shook his head silently, making Jake's eyes twinkle.
"You are a strange person," he mouthed, making Jake's grin widen. He winked insouciantly at Andy, who pretended to roll his eyes. But the truth was, he was enjoying himself more than he had in…well, ever, really. Jake pulled up to the curb in front of a store front that had painted the same wild colors as his Jeep.
"We're here," he said in satisfaction. "The High Note, the best music shop in town. And probably in the entire state," he added proudly as Andy removed the recalcitrant seat belt. Andy got out of the Jeep as Jake came around to take his elbow. He escorted Andy inside, pushing the glass doors open. The interior was well lit from the bank of windows at the front, and he stood looking around curiously. He saw instruments hanging on the walls, just about every kind imaginable. There was a large rack of guitars on one wall, most of them shiny and probably expensive. Racks holding cds and every kind of accessory for musical instruments possible lined the middle of the room, and he saw books of sheet music and beginners' practice guides on shelving at the ends of the racks. Over to one side, several drum sets took up most of the available space.
There were also smaller drums here and there around the edges, the small ones you could set in your lap and play. Weren't those called bongos or something? Music was playing over a sound system, and he saw a half-a-dozen customers browsing the shelves or looking at instruments. A young man with wildly dyed hair and several piercings was holding a guitar, strumming the strings in a thoughtful manner. He was being watched carefully by the clerk at the desk, a pretty girl with a ready smile. She displayed this to both of them as they approached her. "Hey, Candice, this is Andy," Jake said to her in a proprietary manner. "Andy, this is Candice."
"Nice to meet you," the girl said. "You're the guy that's going to give Jake the loan, right?"
"Yes," Andy replied.
"Well, you're good in my books then," she said in satisfaction. "That recording studio will bring us in a lot of customers."
"Err, thanks," he said, while Jake laughed and took his elbow.
"Let me show you where I intend to renovate and put in the studio, Andy," he said. "Candice, keep an eye out for the guy from the sandwich shop. I've ordered lunch for all of us."
Her eyes lit up. "Great! Meatball sub, right?"
"Of course," he replied, setting his free hand on his chest. "Have I ever let you down?"
She chuckled. "Let's not go there," she said dryly. "Anyway, I'll be happy to keep an eye out for him. He's cute."
"No seducing the delivery boy," he said mock-severely as he led Andy away toward a door in the back of the room.
"Aww, you're no fun," she replied in disgust.
Jake chuckled as he opened the door and led Andy down a hallway. He stopped at a door on the right hand side. "This is a storeroom right now, but I figure I can make the room next to it the store room and this can become the studio. It's not much to look at right now, but it's going to be great once I've done remodeling it." He opened the door and led Andy inside, showing him a big, somewhat bare room with metal shelves holding supplies and instruments with tags tied to them. "I run a musical instrument pawn shop as part of the business," Jake explained to him as they walked along between the shelves. "People can come in and get loans on their instruments, and they have to pay the money back with interest before a certain time is up. If they don't come and get it, I sell it in my shop for a profit. It's a fairly lucrative little side business. Well, that's it," he added as they emerged near the back wall. "As I said, not much to look at at the moment. But when it's done it will be great. A cozy little space with great acoustics where people can come and cut demo tapes or even do things for their own personal reasons, like do recordings of church music and whatnot. I've had requests for some of the oddest stuff since I told people I was going to try and put a recording studio in my shop. But as long as they pay me for it, I don't care why they want to make a recording."
Andy felt as though he could almost see what the room would look like transformed into a recording studio when Jake talked about it with such enthusiasm. It made him feel good that he could provide the loan money necessary to make Jake's dream come true. He'd never gotten to see the results of one of his decisions before this. "Will you make any recordings yourself?" he asked, still looking around. "Your voice is pretty good."
He gasped when hands slid around his waist, and when he turned his head he found himself face-to-face with Jake Faraday. A smile was lifting those sensual lips. "I'm glad you like my voice," he husked. "And I'd be happy to make some recordings just for you, Andy."
"That's not what I meant…" he began hurriedly, his own voice breathless.
"I know. But that's how I'm choosing to take it," Jake whispered, just before he claimed Andy's lips in a deep, sensual kiss. Andy forgot all about what they had been talking about – and everything else for that matter – as Jake's lips moved over his. He moaned softly, and the moment his mouth opened a tongue slid inside and claimed it. His body was being pressed to Jake's and his head was in a whirl as the kiss went on and on. His arms came up to close over Jake's shoulders, and he hung on for dear life as their mouths mated and merged hotly together for what seemed like an eternity. The sound of discreet throat clearing made them both come back to reality. Jake lifted his head and cast a disapproving look at his employee, who was standing nearby.
"Sorry to interrupt," she said delicately, "But the food's here and I've closed the shop for lunch. I didn't think you'd want everything to get cold and soggy while you were…umm…BUSY," she added, glancing at Andy.
He felt his face turn rather red in embarrassment as Jake gently pushed him away. "I'll let it go this time," he said mock-sternly, "But the next time you find us making out somewhere in the shop, just let it go, huh?"
"Oh, I can't flirt with the delivery boy, but you get to make out with guys in the back?" she remarked in disgust, shaking her head.
Jake slung his arm around Andy's waist. "That's right," he agreed calmly. "I'm the boss, after all; it does come with SOME perks, you know." He turned to Andy, who was standing there silently trying to recover from his embarrassment. "Come on, Andy, let's eat. I'm starving," he was looking at Andy's mouth as he said this, and his breath caught a little at that look in spite of the fact that Candice was still standing nearby. Whenever he got around Jake Faraday he seemed to lose his mind more than a little. But he was beginning to think that this wasn't a bad thing at all.
Andy took the last bite of his juicy, delicious roast beef sandwich. He almost moaned in appreciation of the taste. He heard a chuckle next to him, and glanced over Jake. The music shop owner smiled toothily at him. "It's good, isn't it?"
He nodded. "Very good. I've never tasted anything quite like it before."
Jake nodded as Candice giggled. "You won't have. This sandwich shop is one of a kind. I know the owner. Actually, he was a member of my band back in the day. When we broke up, he needed to find another source of income so he put his sandwich-making skills to work. And viola! The best sandwiches in town…or maybe the entire state!" he waved a hand at his food as Andy found himself laughing.
"I see. Does he need a loan to expand too?" he asked.
Jake looked arrested. "You know, he might. I'll run the idea by him next time I see him. I'll tell him that I know this really great, helpful loan officer," he added with a wink for Andy.
"But don't be upset if he can't get a loan," Andy warned. "Almost no one does anymore, because the banks took such a hit from both the mortgage crisis and credit crisis."
"I get ya. No worries either way," Jake assured him, patting him on the arm. His flesh seemed to tingle from that touch, even through his shirt. "Oopsy. Don't you have to be back to work by one o'clock?" he went on, looking up at the clock hung over the door of his shop.
Andy looked at it to, and an expression of alarm flashed over his face. "Yes! Jake…"
"I'll get you there, no problem. Come on, Andy! Let's hit it!"
He jumped up and hurried around the counter, as Candice called out: "It was really nice to meet you, Andy! Come again soon!"
"I'd like that!" he called back to her, waving as he darted out the door and toward Jake's Jeep.
Jake jumped into the vehicle and started it up. "Buckle up, Anndddyyy, you're about to get the ride of your life!" he yelled, which made him feel more than a little apprehensive as he put on his seat belt hurriedly and then grabbed for the roll bar as Jake pulled away from the curb in a screech of tires.
A mere ten minutes later, they braked in front of the bank. Andy's fingers were white, and so was his face. Jake turned to him. "Gotcha here on time!" he crowed. Then he paused as he caught a glimpse of Andy's pale face. "Oh, man, did I scare you? I'm really sorry!" he said contritely, reaching up to untangle Andy's fingers. He kissed them one-by-one in silent apology. "I won't do that again, I promise," he said contritely. "Sorry, baby."
Andy found his voice, which only croaked a little. "That's all right. At least I'm not late. Thank you for showing me your shop, Jake. And for lunch."
Jake smiled at him. "You're welcome. Listen - when can I see you again? Please tell me that you'll go out with me sometime soon." he batted his eyes hopefully at Andy, who hesitated as he began to climb out of the Jeep.
"When?" he asked quietly, and Jake's face glowed.
"How about tomorrow night? We could go dancing. Do you like to dance?" he asked.
Andy shook his head dubiously. "I've never been," he replied.
"Oh, man, then you haven't lived!" Jake cried. "We'll definitely go dancing, then. I know this great place that I think you'll love. See you then, say seven-ish?"
"All right," Andy said. Jake grinned and blew him a kiss before driving away.
Bemused, Andy wandered into work slowly. He felt like a man in a strange dream. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before - except for once. The last time that he'd met Jake Faraday. So apparently it had something to do with the man himself. Maybe he was a good luck charm…or a whirlwind. Andy couldn't quite decide which, but it didn't seem to matter much. One way or the other, he was enjoying himself more than he ever had in his entire life. And he was fully prepared to just go along with it for as long as it lasted.
He called Karen during his afternoon coffee break. "Hey, Andy! How's it going with Mr. One-Night Stand?" she caroled through the phone.
He smiled. "Very well," he told her. "We went on a date the other night, and today I ate lunch with him at his music shop. And we're going dancing tomorrow night."
"Wow! That's so cool! Its been ages since Terry and I went dancing," she sighed. "So I'm going to have to live vicariously through you. You have to tell me all about everything. You got that?"
His lips twitched. "Okay," he said. "I will. I promise. Kiss Terry for me, all right?"
"I will. Although I know that's just your way of sublimating the intense crush that you have on my hubby," she teased.
"Yeah, right. You hit the nail right on the head," Andy said drolly. "Talk to you later, Karen."
"Bye, Andy. Take care," she said as she hung up.
He went back to work, feeling quietly content with life. He'd always been fairly happy in every area except one - and now he might be fulfilled in his love life too. And all because of a drunken one-night stand he'd had seven years ago! Life was strange sometimes. But really great sometimes, too.
Andy opened his door to find Jake beaming at him on the doorstep. "Hey, Anndddyyy! Wow, you look great," he said, looking Andy over.
He glanced down at himself. He was wearing a nice dress shirt and black slacks. He hadn't had any idea of what to wear dancing. Jake, by contrast, was wearing a pair of tight leather pants and a silken, silvery shirt. A length of silver beads was strung around his throat at the open top of the shirt. He looked magnificent and completely sexy. "Are you sure?" he asked uncertainly. "I mean…" he waved a hand at Jake and then at himself.
Jake grinned. "You look amazing. Really sexy. I'm going to have to guard you all night to keep someone from stealing you away," he said as he spanned Andy's waist with his hands and drew him close. "But I'll be vigilant. Nobody else can have my Annndddyyy," he murmured as he closed his lips over Andy's and began to devour him.
He moaned, clutching at Jake's shoulders as a tongue inserted itself into his mouth and stroked over his headily. When Jake finally drew back, he just stood there panting. "You're adorable," Jake purred. "Come on. Let's go dancing, cutie."
He seized Andy's hand and drew him down the walk. He went willingly, his brain totally addled right at the moment. That kiss had been…so amazing! He couldn't quite wrap his head around it. But he was really looking forward to another one of those sometime soon.
The dance club that Jake took him to was large, crowded, and noisy. Andy winced as they walked in the door, glancing around. Jake took his hand and led him through the crowd toward the busy dance floor. "Sorry its so noisy!" he called over the sound of the music and the voices speaking. "But you'll love it, I swear!"
Andy didn't try to reply. He held onto Jake's hand as they walked onto the dance floor. Then he was being pulled into Jake's arms and was held close. "Look around, Annnddyyy!" Jake called as he began to move his hips. "These are our people!"
He looked around, puzzled by Jake's words. But it didn't take him long to realize what he meant. Almost all of the people on the dance floor were of the male persuasion, and they were dancing together. The few women that he saw were also dancing together. This was a gay dance club! He'd never been to one before. He looked back at Jake, who grinned at him and moved his hips so that their groins brushed together. Andy lost most of his breath when that happened as his body responded vigorously. "Dance with me, Annnddyyy," Jake crooned. "Let me feel your body rock, baby."
Somehow he did just that. He'd never danced before in his entire life, but somehow Jake's body managed to coax him into the right movements. He found himself lost in Jake's black eyes, and time flowed away. He felt like he was coming out of a daze when Jake finally pulled him off the dance floor so that they could get something to drink."
"You're a natural, Andy!" Jake called to him happily. "You've definitely got the moves. And your sexy as hell, too. I think I'm the envy of half the guys here."
"I highly doubt that," Andy replied, shaking his head.
Jake snorted as he drew Andy up to the bar. "Don't underestimate your attractions, sweetness," he told Andy firmly. "Remember that I took you home when I'd never done that before or since, just because I couldn't resist you. What do you want to drink?"
"Mineral water on the rocks," Andy replied.
Jake laughed. "That's right, you don't drink anymore. Not after our night. I ruined you for alcohol. I hope to do the same for other guys," he added with a sexy, wicked smile.
Andy's breath caught as Jake leaned over to order a Kahlua and Rum for himself and a mineral water for Andy. He was thinking to himself that that had probably already happened - Jake was just so irresistible, so sexy, so attractive in so many ways - no other guy could compete. Hell, no other guy had EVER been able to compete, because since that night seven years ago he'd spent all of his time looking for someone just like Jake. He just hadn't realized that until Jake Faraday had walked back into his life less than a week ago. But he knew it now, and he hoped that this thing between them would work out. Because otherwise, he might spend the rest of his life searching for a Jake Faraday substitute, and failing utterly. There was only one Jake Faraday. He was definitely one-of-a-kind.
Andy picked up his phone when it rang. "Hello? Andrew Cahill speaking."
He heard a chuckle over the phone. "Hello, Andrew Cahill," Jake's voice purred. "How are you today?"
He smiled. "Hi, Jake. I'm fine."
"I'd agree with that," Jake replied. "You're very fine."
He felt warmth in the pit of his stomach. "If you say so."
"I do. Listen, sweetness, we've gone out on …how many dates now?"
"Five," Andy replied promptly.
A soft laugh. "Five," Jake agreed. "And I've loved every one of them. I decided for our sixth date to prepare a surprise for you. Can I come and pick you up after work and show you my surprise? Pretty please?"
"Of course," he replied warmly. "Anything that you do will be good with me."
"Wow. Such trust. I'm flattered," Jake said happily. "Anyway, I'll see you in a few hours, honey. Okay?"
"Yes," Andy replied. It was VERY okay.
"Great. See you then, Annndddyyy," he hung up, leaving Andy feeling that the whole day had just gotten better.
He left his office and locked the door behind himself, feeling both anticipation and a little bit of nervousness inside of himself as he contemplated the surprise that Jake had told him about. He smiled and said goodnight to his co-workers, who replied in kind. Andy walked across the wide marble floor toward the doors, holding his briefcase in his hand. He pushed through one of the glass doors and emerged outside, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Jake leaning against the side of his jeep waiting for him. A lazy smile moved over that ungodly handsome face as Jake lifted a hand to greet him. "Hey, Annddyyy," he called. "Long day?"
"Yes," he sighed.
"That's too bad. Jump in, sweetness, and let's hit the road," he nodded at his jeep as he moved around to the driver's side.
Andy opened the door on the passenger's side and climbed in the jeep. He put on his seat belt, not bothering to say anything anymore when Jake didn't do the same. The vehicle started and pulled away from the curb smoothly. "Where are we going?" Andy asked curiously.
"Nope. Not telling," Jake replied easily. "Nu uh. That's why they call it a surprise, you know." his black eyes were dancing as he glanced over at Andy.
He had to accept that, though he was dying of curiosity by now. But he tried to be patient as Jake weaved his way through the late afternoon traffic. "Here we are," he remarked at last, pulling up in front of a brick apartment building.
"Where?" Andy asked in puzzlement.
"My place," Jake told him as he got out of the jeep. "I want to show you around before we get to the surprise. All right?"
"Of course," Andy said. He really wanted to see Jake's apartment. He exited the jeep as well, and Jake came around to take his elbow in his hand and lead Andy into the building.
They rode a creaky old elevator to the fifth floor, and came out in a hallway that had a mellow old wood floor with a faded rug running down the middle of it. Jake steered him along to a door about a third of the way down the hallway on the right hand side, and produced a key from the pocket of his coat. he opened the green-painted wooden door with a flourish, and escorted Andy inside.
The apartment beyond the door had a lot of character already on its own. It had small bay windows, a polished wooden floor covered with a large Persian rug, and battered but comfortable looking furniture scattered around the living room. The walls were a green-grey color that should have been ugly, but surprisingly it wasn't. Jake had hung some glossy posters on the walls, along with a few musical instruments. He liked it instinctively.
"So what do you think of the place?" Jake asked him.
"It's nice. It's you," Andy replied, making Jake smile.
"Thanks. Let me give you a tour," Jake told him. He led Andy into the small but cozy kitchen, a room he used as a study, and finally…he paused by a door and turned to look at Andy with his hand on the knob. "This is my bedroom," he told Andy.
Andy felt that fluttering in his stomach again. Nervously he swallowed, but he didn't protest when Jake pushed the door open and gestured for him to go inside. Andy walked into the room, and what he saw there made him gasp in surprise.
The overhead light was off, but it didn't matter. Candles set in glass globes were burning softly on almost every available surface. Some of them were scented, and the wonderful odor of vanilla mixed delightfully with the scent of flowers. That was because bouquets of flowers in glass vases had also been arranged around the room here and there. The big wooden bed had been made up with silky sheets and an equally silky comforter. A single long-stemmed red rose was laid across the pillows on the bed.
Jake spoke to him as he stood there in shock, trying to take it all in. "Andy. This is your surprise," he began. "You see, it really upset me when you told me that you'd been a virgin that night, and that you couldn't remember much about it. Your first time should be something really nice and wonderful, not a drunken encounter that didn't leave you with any good memories because you can't remember it. So I thought - maybe I could give you a better first time? Not a FIRST first time, but your first time with me when you're not smashed out of your skull? What do you say?"
His throat was threatening to close up. Andy felt tears rising in his eyes. He felt hands turning him around, and Jake looked at his face. "Oh, baby, don't cry," he pleaded. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't," Andy choked. "Upset me, I mean. It's just…" he looked around the bedroom. "This is so amazing," he said.
Jake began to smile. "No, you're amazing," he told Andy. Then he didn't say anything else, because he was so busy kissing Andy for all that he was worth.
Andy felt bemused and out-of-it when Jake finally pulled away a bit. The black eyes were smiling at him, but they were also full of a lusty look that made his whole body tighten traitorously. "Sweet Annddyyy," he crooned. He lifted a hand to run his fingertip over his kiss-swollen bottom lip. "I want to make love to you. Can I?"
He nodded silently. Jake smiled, cupping the side of his jaw with his fingers. "I've waited seven years to be able to do this again," he told Andy.
His fingers brushed down Andy's neck, stroking and caressing. When they reached the collar of his shirt, they ghosted down to the buttons. Andy held his breath as Jake began to slowly unbutton his shirt. Agonizingly slowly. His breath finally shuddered into his chest when he remembered to breathe again, and Jake grinned wickedly at him as he parted the front of the shirt and pulled Andy's tie off deftly.
"Mmm, just like I remember," Jake said, looking at his bare chest through the open front placket of the shirt.
"What? Pale and skinny?" Andy rasped hoarsely.
Jake shook his head. He pushed Andy's suit coat off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. "Sexy. Totally sexy," he replied. "Skin that makes me want to taste every inch of it. These cute little nipples," his fingers brushed over the pink nubs on Andy's chest, making him moan softly. He placed his hands flat on Andy's chest and slid them downward over his quivering belly in a movement that was almost reverent, "And you're not skinny. Slim is the better word. Slim and cute and sexy."
Andy was entranced by his words and actions he stood still as Jake pushed the opened shirt off of him, then let his fingers do the walking to the front of Andy's pants. They made quick work of the belt and the fastening, an amazing feat since Jake never looked away from his eyes as he managed to divest Andy of his pants and underwear all at the same time. He panted helplessly as they were all pushed down his hips by Jake's clever hands. Then he was being kissed again, and his erection was pressed against the front of Jake's long coat as he wound his arms around Jake's neck and returned the kiss with equal fervor.
Jake pushed him back onto the bed, standing over him. He began to take off his coat, and Andy felt heat race through him as he watched Jake begin to undress. This was the first time that he was getting to see Jake naked since that first time, and he really couldn't remember much of that night at all. Jake's shirt fell away, displaying a lightly muscled torso with a line of black hair running down the middle in a dark trail. He licked at his lips as Jake made quick work of his jeans, wriggling out of them like an eel. Narrow hips, long thighs, and a lovely cock that Andy fastened his eyes on in breathless anticipation.
"Don't look at me like that, Annddyyy," Jake growled, then descended on him.
His body pressed down atop Andy's as they kissed again, their cocks grinding together in a pleasurable rub. Skin sliding against skin, the lovely friction making Andy moan into the kiss… his hands ran down Jake's bare shoulders and back, and he spread his legs and wound them around Jake's narrow waist. His heels dug in slightly just above Jake's buttocks, and he rubbed then up and down as Jake's tongue wound together with his.
Jake slid away from his mouth at last, kissing his chin and heading downward. "Gotta taste," he told Andy muffedly against his skin. "So sweet."
He gasped as a tongue traced down the cords of his neck and lapped at his collarbones. A warm, wet mouth took in one of his nipples and sucked gently, driving him crazy. His fingers settled in Jake's long hair as the musician moved steadily downward, leaving a moist trail behind as he gently nipped at the silky skin of Andy's lower stomach. His hands slid down Andy's sides at the same time, stroking over his flanks and pushing his legs apart as Jake arrived at his final destination - the cock quivering between Andy's thighs. "Mmm," he purred happily. "I played flute in my high school band, you know. Let me show you how it's done."
He couldn't reply, but Jake didn't seem to care. And then Andy didn't either, as Jake's warm mouth enclosed him and his lips pursed. Oh, God, he was sucking as he pulled his head up, then he was pushing back downward to encase even more of Andy's penis while his tongue traced wild patterns on the underside. His fingers found long hair again and clung desperately and wildly, as Andy's back arched off the bed. He cried out deliriously. He'd never had a blow job this good before! Well, maybe he had once…but he really couldn't remember that time so this was…his toes were curling as he bucked up into Jake's skilled mouth.
Jake's hands pushed his thighs further apart as he knelt at the end of the bed between Andy's legs. They stroked over his skin as Jake continued with the amazing, wonderful, dreadful, shockingly pleasurable past time of tormenting Andy insidiously with his lips and tongue. He was going crazy, losing it, his vision blacking out…
Just before he came, Jake pulled away. Andy cried out in despairing disbelief. "Jake!" he wailed wildly.
A low laugh. "Don't worry, Annddyy. You'll get yours," he remarked darkly. "I'm just going to take my own sweet time." and he licked insouciantly at one of Andy's balls, laving at it with his tongue.
Andy whimpered. His cock hurt, all of the muscles in his abdomen were tight as drums, his whole body was quivering with frustrated need. Jake's tongue felt great as it trailed over his perineum, but it wasn't enough to drive him over the edge. And when he tried to touch himself, Jake's hands slapped his away. "Mmm, mm," he was chided. "No touchie. Bad Annddyyy."
He let loose a frustrated sound as Jake's hands pushed his thighs to his chest. "Trust me, it'll feel so great when you finally come that you'll barely be able to stand it," Jake told him.
Andy might have argued, but just then he felt a tongue drag over the tender skin of his perineum and lash across the twitching flesh of his anus! Andy's eyes opened wide, as did his mouth. He'd never…ever…let anyone do this to him before! Of course he'd sort of wanted to try it, but it just seemed like such a dirty thing…oh, fuck, Jake's tongue felt so good! Strong strokes, alternating with swirling licks, driving him out of his mind…his whole body arched, offering himself more fully to Jake's ministrations.
Jake's hands held his thighs apart as he continued to eat Andy out with ravenous skill. Andy, for his part, could only cry out and writhe on the bed, unable to speak or do anything else coherent. When Jake finally was done, he fell back on the bed panting, his whole body limp. He heard sounds down between his legs - tearing sounds, slick sounds, the sounds of a man preparing himself for action. Then Jake reappeared, crawling up onto the bed and positioning himself between Andy's still spread thighs. He looked down into Andy's face as he took himself in hand and began to push slowly into his body. "Just as tight as I remember," he rasped.
Andy made a small sound, although there was no active pain. It had been awhile for him, yes, but Jake's amazing tongue bath had loosened him up and his careful entrance kept Andy from feeling any real pain. He gasped as the head broke through the ring of his anus, and Jake began to sink into him fully. "Yeah," Jake groaned, his face twisting. "Oh, yes. God, Andy, you feel so good."
He felt good too. Andy moaned, lifting his hips in welcome as Jake slid into him fully at last. Hands crooked his legs and grasped his thighs, draping Andy's legs over Jake's arms. Then he began it thrust, slowly but surely, driving into Andy's body all the way before pulling back and doing it all over again. Jake's dark eyes watched his face the entire time, seemingly mesmerized by his expressions. Andy writhed, his legs jerking in Jake's grip, as the pleasure of being filled and taken overwhelmed him. His head rolled on the silken comforter, his hands scrabbled at its surface, and his back arched as he gave himself up once again to the astonishing sensations taking place within him.
"Jakkee," his voice came out slurred, as though he were drunk again. Which he sort of was, only on pleasure instead of alcohol this time…
"Annddyy," Jake replied, beginning to really move inside of him with hard, swift strokes. "Oh, shit." his hips began to slap against Andy's upturned ass, and his fingers dug into the skin of his thighs as Jake worked him over harder and faster. Their cries filled the bedroom together, and
Andy felt himself being drawn up toward the edge again. He hoped that Jake would finally let him fall over it, because if he didn't he was going to go insane…
"Touch yourself, Andy. Come for me, baby," Jake ground out, really plowing him now.
Andy complied. Blindly he reached down and grabbed his own cock, fisting it as he began to jerk himself wildly. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck…he screamed and his body convulsed as his semen began to jet up into the air, raining down on his own chest and abdomen in white droplets. He heard a groan, and saw through lidded, glassy eyes as Jake's body arched and his head went back. He felt the cock within him jerk and twitch, and then Jake was falling half against him in a panting heap.
"Fuck," Jake moaned tiredly. "That was better than the first time. The best ever."
Andy had to agree, even though he couldn't remember the first time well enough to confirm Jake's statement. Hands stroked his thighs tenderly. "Annddyy, that was worth the seven years wait," Jake told him hoarsely. "It really was."
Here we are!" Jake sang, coming through the door of the bedroom with breakfast on a tray. "This is what I tried to do the first time we got together," he explained as he carried the tray over to the bed. "I went out to get us breakfast, and when I came back you were gone."
Andy sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry," he said contritely.
Jake laughed, sitting down on the side of the bed. "You don't have to be sorry, Anndddyyy. I can understand why you bolted then. I'm just glad that you're not going anywhere NOW," he leaned over to kiss Andy on the lips. "You're not going anywhere, are you?" he asked softly when he pulled back.
Andy found himself smiling. "No," he replied simply. "Unless you kick me out."
Jake snorted genteelly. "As if that would ever happen. Now let's eat and read the paper together. I've always wanted to do that with a lover," he said in satisfaction as he set the tray on Andy's knees and went around to climb back into bed himself.
So that's how he found himself eating scrambled eggs, bacon, and wheat toast, then spreading out the newspaper that Jake had bought out over his legs so that they could both read it(after Jake had snuggled up close to him, which he didn't object to at all). It was the best morning that Andy could ever remember having, which was funny since the first time that he and Jake had had sex had been the worst morning that he'd ever had…this definitely made up for it.
After that lovely breakfast, Jake proceeded to push him down on the bed and make love to him with lusty sweetness, until Andy forgot everything else but the feel of Jake's lips and hands on him and his cock buried inside his body. Fortunately it was Saturday, so neither of them were going to be late for work. Because after the morning lovemaking, they fell asleep again twined together on the bed among the wrecked sheets, and had a little nap. After they woke up again, it was time for a long hot shower(and more sex) and to finally get dressed. His clothes were wrinkled and rather dirty, and he put them on only reluctantly. Jake promised to drive him home so that he could collect some clean clothes and feed his cat, and then he'd whisk Andy back to his place so that they could spend the entire weekend together. That agenda sounded just fine to him.
He called Karen while he was at his house gathering clothes and other things he'd need for the weekend. "I'm going to be spending the weekend at Jake's place," he told her, then grinned faintly as she squealed in delight over the phone.
"Oh, Andy, you lucky duck! How was he?" she asked with avid curiosity.
He felt his cheeks heat a little. "Wonderful," he said simply.
"Wow. It's like a fairy tale or something. I'm so jealous!"
"Well, it's your turn to feel jealousy, since I've been jealous of you and Terry all of these years," he pointed out. "I've always wanted what you two have for myself."
"I'm really glad that you found it, Andy," she said happily. "Jake just sounds so great! You've got to bring him with you one of these days so we can meet him."
"I will," he promised, before hanging up.
He carried a packed bag out to the Jeep where Jake was waiting. "Got everything?" Jake asked him. "And did you feed your kitty?"
"Yes and yes. She'll probably hate me when I don't come home until Monday," Andy said ruefully as he climbed into the vehicle.
"Well, I'll try to think of something to make it up to her. I want her master all to myself this weekend," Jake said.
Andy enjoyed his weekend with Jake thoroughly. They mostly lounged around the apartment, when they weren't having sex on the bed, the kitchen table, the couch, in the shower, you name it…he was feeling a bit tired by Monday, but he still wished that the weekend could have been longer. Jake dropped him off at his house so that he could get dressed and go to work in his own car. Jake kissed him on the lips and said that he'd see Andy at lunch. He waved as Jake drove away to open the music store, then turned and went into his small house feeling like a man on cloud nine.
Every day that week they either went out to lunch or Andy went to the shop with Jake to hang out and eat with him. After work, he would drive home and spend some time with his poor, neglected kitty, before Jake would show up at seven or so to whisk him away to dinner or take him dancing or whatever they'd decided to do for the evening. Andy couldn't ever remember a time when he'd had more fun. Jake was always laughing and teasing him, buying him silly gifts, and sometimes serenading him in public just to embarrass him a little. He looked forward to every day now with anticipation, eager to see what would happen.
The next weekend, he took Jake to Terry and Karen's house so that his friends could meet his lover. Karen was visibly impressed by how handsome Jake was, and even more impressed by how attentive he was to Andy. Her heart turned to mush in her chest as she watched Jake fuss over Andy, because it was clear that Jake was head-over-heels in love with her friend already. It was just like a real life romance novel, and she could admit that she was as sappy about romance as the next woman.
Terry noted after the two men had gone: "That guy's really into Andy, babe."
Karen nodded, her hand stroking over the mound of her pregnant belly lovingly. "Yes, he is, Terry," she agreed.
"Cool. That's nice. Andy's always been such a sweet guy, and I could tell he was lonely…I was thinking of setting him up with this guy I work with, but now I'm glad that I didn't have to," Terry said in satisfaction.
Karen held back a giggle only with an effort. "Considering some of the guys you work with, honey, I'm glad that you never got the chance," she said dryly. "Besides, Jake's a perfect fit for our Andy. Like any good man, he worships the ground that Andy walks on," she teased, her eyes sparkling.
He eyed her. "So I'm not a good man?" he queried, looking rather offended.
She finally laughed. "You're a VERY good man, Terry," she replied. "You just don't realize it, that's all."
Four months later:
"Hey, Andy, come with me!" an eager Jake pulled him by the hand to the door of the storeroom at the back of his shop. "I can't wait for you to see this!"
He pushed the door open, and stepped aside so that Andy could walk into the room. He gasped a little when he saw the transformed store room - it didn't look a thing like it had when he'd seen it first. The room they were standing in was crowded with sound equipment, and he could see a recording room through the pane of glass that now divided the store room in half. "Isn't it great?" Jake asked him happily.
"It is," an impressed Andy agreed, looking around. "You did a great job, Jake. It's nice to see what the loan money paid for."
Jake hugged and kissed him. "Yeah. You made it all happen for me, Andy. I can never thank you enough - but I'll keep trying," he added into Andy's ear in a lascivious tone of voice.
He felt warmth surge through his body. "Oh, there's something I want you to listen to," Jake added, turning away to the sound equipment. "This is the first recording I did on this equipment. Tell me what you think."
He pushed a button, and the mellow sound of a guitar being strummed filled the studio. Then a voice that he recognized as Jake's began to sing.
"One night, one night, with you was all it took. I lost my mind, and I'm completely hooked. I want to be with you always, forever and a day. Hey, Annddyyy, sweet Annddyy, are you here to stay? Come, come and be my love…you'll be like I gift from the Heavens above."
Jake was watching his face. "It's a terrible song," he remarked with a grimace. "I'm hopeless as a song writer. But…I hope it conveyed what I wanted to say. Would you come and be my love, Andy? Would you move in with me, lock stock, barrel and cat? Please?"
Stunned, he found himself blinking back tears. "Yes," he said hoarsely after a moment. "Yes. Oh, God, Jake…" he surged into his lover's arms, and felt fingers sift through his hair tenderly.
"I feel the same way," Jake whispered in his ear. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm so lucky, Andy. I'm thankful to whatever Power that directed me to that bar seven years ago. The first and last time that you got falling down drunk…if I hadn't gone that night, I might have missed you altogether. What a horrible thought."
Andy sniffled a little, but also laughed as he wiped his eyes. "Thank Terry as the Power, then," he said. "He was the one that dragged me there and introduced me to alcohol. Without him, a good little straight-laced boy like me would never have gone to a bar, gotten drunk, or had a one-night stand with another GUY!"
Jake grinned. "That's true. Is there anything that we can get him to thank him?"
Andy shook his head. "We don't need to. He got the best gift of all out of it. He met Karen the day he came to pick me up after our one-night stand," he pointed out.
"Wow, that's true. Love is the best gift of all, as I well know," Jake agreed, reaching out to pull Andy into his arms again. He kissed him on the lips hungrily, and Andy moaned and twined his arms around Jake's neck.
"To use a somewhat cheesy song lyric, I honestly love you, Annddyyy," he said softly when their lips parted.
Andy found himself smiling widely as he looked into Jake's black eyes. "I love you, too, Jake. And to use ANOTHER cheesy lyric, love is all we need."
Jake chuckled. "You got that right," he agreed happily, just before he kissed Andy again.


With the weather starting to get warmer each day, do I really need to go into the various reasons to walk more? I think walking is a great way to exercise, especially when the weather is just right. If you add walking to your routine, you may just find yourself reaping the benefits without really doing all that much. I know I look forward to going out for walks around the block or at the local park. Check out these reasons to walk more.
A few years ago, the British National Health Service (NHS) recommended taking 10,000 steps a day and has now been adopted worldwide as a health mantra. That's about five miles worth of walking. On average, most people get between 3-4,000. One reason to walk more is to improve your overall health and maintain that level of fitness. Your body is your vehicle for life so it's important to take care of it. You may try using a pedometer to track how many steps you take in a day.
Do you work a desk job where you're hauled inside and seated for extended periods of time? You need to get out more and stretch those legs. Walking is a great way to do so. You can walk at your lunch break, go talk to a colleague versus telephone them from your cubicle or just break up the time you spend sitting. In fact, sitting without moving isn't healthy for you. And if you do it day in and day out then it can start to have an effect on your overall health.
One thing I like about going for a walk is the fresh air. Air-conditioned or recirculated air in your car, work and home can get stale. Fresh air allows you to oxygenate the body and feel refreshed. If it's a nice day, why not step off the treadmill and go for a walk around the block? You get the benefit of walking and enjoying the fresh air.
Walking is such a great exercise! It's convenient because you can do it anywhere without any special equipment. As much as I love yoga, I need my mat. As great as Irish dancing is, I'm lost without my shoes and music. Walking can be done wherever you are. You can burn calories and stay in shape. It's a win-win!
Walking can help strengthen your heart if you get in a regular practice. It lowers your risk for a stroke and heart disease while making sure your cholesterol stays in check. It also helps you maintain a healthy blood pressure. Who knew? Walking is incredible for your heart so you might just put on your shoes and start walking today.
This one isn't that hard to figure out. When you walk outside more often, you are exposed to sunlight on a regular basis. Sunlight provides vitamin D, which affects bone health and immunity. So walking can actually ensure you have a solid input of vitamin D in your system so you are ready for adventure.
If you're like me and spend more than your budget on get-togethers with friends, you may consider walking. It's a wonderful way to catch up, stay healthy and spend time with your friends and family. You can go to a park with your friends and walk as you gossip about all the latest news. Have fun with it!
It's no wonder why you should add walking to your routine with all of these benefits. What is your favorite part of walking? What are some more benefits of walking?


text:
IM Connect/
Facebook Slapped With Maximum Fine Following Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal
Facebook lost millions of users, along with the trust of the public, following the revelations in March 2018 embroiling them and Cambridge Analytica in a data harvesting scandal.
Despite the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) recently concluding that Facebook contravened the law, Facebook can count itself lucky that it will receive a slap on the wrist in the form of a £500,000 fine due to the timing of their breach.
Investigation into misuse of personal data
The ICO began an investigation in May 2017 into the misuse of personal data in political campaigns, with a particular concern surrounding the EU referendum. The investigation's focus quickly shifted to Facebook and Cambridge Analytica when evidence emerged that an app had been used to harvest what is now estimated to have been 87 million Facebook users' details during the 2016 US presidential campaign.
The ICO's investigation has concluded that "Facebook has failed to provide the kind of protections they are required to under the Data Protection Act." Facebook had contravened the law by failing to safeguard people's information and also failed to be transparent about how data was harvested by others. Accordingly, Facebook have received the maximum fine available under the Data Protection Act 1998 of £500,000 (or, in other words, seven minutes' worth of Facebook's average revenue).
In comparison to Facebook's fine from the European Commission in 2017 of £95m for providing incorrect or misleading information during the purchase of WhatsApp, the ICO's fine is arguably of little concern to Facebook. Campaigners have been unimpressed with this penalty.
The ICO's Report
It's not just Facebook who have been reprimanded by the ICO – the ICO's report sets out a number of other regulatory actions following the extensive privacy breaches:
Warning letters to 11 political parties, alongside notices compelling them to agree to audits of their data protection practices
Enforcement Notice for SCL Elections Ltd to compel them to deal properly with a subject access request from Professor David Carroll
Criminal prosecution for SCL Elections Ltd for failing to deal properly with the ICO's Enforcement Notice
Enforcement Notice for Aggregate IQ to stop processing UK citizens' retained data
Notice of Intent to take regulatory action against Emma's Diary (Lifecycle Marketing (Mother and Baby) Ltd)
Audits of main credit reference companies, as well as Cambridge University Psychometric Centre.
It's clear from the ICO's actions that new technologies using data analytics have allowed campaign groups to micro-target individuals, damaging the integrity of democracy around the world and showing disregard for individual's personal data.
Lessons to learn
Whilst online data has historically naively been assumed to be protected, the public are increasingly concerned about their privacy and aware of their personal data following a number of high-profile hacks. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has now upped the consequences for companies that fail to implement adequate protections.
As the information commissioner Elizabeth Denham stated: "This is not all about fines though… any company is worried about its reputation, because people want to feel that their data is safe." Facebook's real punishment in this case was the substantial damage to their reputation following significant media coverage and their CEO being hauled before Congress and the European Parliament. The company have been 'let off' with a £500,000 fine as the timings of the breaches resulted in the ICO unable to levy the penalties introduced by the GDPR.
If the reputational damage is not enough cause for concern, companies should be aware of the significant fines on offer under the GDPR. Fines for breaches of data subjects' rights and freedoms are capped at the higher level of €20m or 4% of global turnover. This indicates that Facebook would have received a hefty fine should their scandal have occurred after 25 May 2018.
The ICO's decision to fine Facebook the maximum amount available to it should be taken to demonstrate its firm stance on enforcing data regulations. Don't be fooled by the amount – the GDPR is implemented and the ICO is ready and waiting to apply its full force.
Written by Megan Forbes, from Irwin Mitchell's Regulatory and Criminal Investigations Group.
Your Word May No Longer Be Your Bond
A Tale of Two Sides – An Insurance Warning to Tenants
Will the Rights of UK Workers Be Diluted in a No Deal Brexit?
In-house Champion – Georgie Collins
Craig Weston
+44 (0)750 1229 485
craig.weston@irwinmitchell.com
First Major UK GDPR Fine: ICO Announces Intention To Fine British Airways £183m For Data Breach
Irwin Mitchell Team Up With CBI To Deliver GDPR Master Classes
Employment Fees Ruled Unlawful By Supreme Court
Home Office Attempts To Discourage EU Nationals Applying For Permanent Residence in the UK
Italy's DPA Issues Record Data Protection Fine

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A leaky faucet or tricky kitchen reno got you stumped? Richard Trethewey and Tom Silva from Ask This Old House will be with us live on Thursday, February 9 at noon HST. At that time, visit PBS Hawai'i's Facebook page or here on pbshawaii.org to view the live stream to ask your questions.