The House on Cherry Street

Chapter 7

I returned to Bloomington to start my senior year with a solid job offer from Cole for the following spring. My year was not going to be easy. Classes had returned to normal after the COVID 19 disruption. Darsh was set to graduate with his MBA the following May. Darren didn’t seem concerned that he wasn’t going to finish. His gymnast photo exhibit and his male nude collection had brought him strong affirmation from his teachers and local collectors. He had the start of a diversified portfolio.

Darren felt that wherever Darsh got a job he could finish his degree. Ryan, on the other hand, was less sure what he was going to do. It looked like he could finish his degree but couldn’t get his teaching certificate until he did student teaching.

With Doug’s approval the blond twins who were wrestlers occupied Darsh and Darren’s old room. With Doug’s encouragement we fixed up the small bedroom upstairs for Doug and Brad when they came for a visit. Doug regularly came to IU home football games even before he started coming to the gymnastic events. He now came to see Danny and James wrestle. Brad was traveling extensively so Sonny was with us much of the time. Occasionally, Sonny would go to Poseyville with Doug when Brad was planning to be at Doug’s house.

While we thought we had missed COVID 19 infections we hadn’t. Doug called in late October with the news that Brad had the virus and was recovering in Poseyville. Somewhere in Brad’s travels he became infected. His case was not serious but he wasn’t going to be traveling for the quarantine period plus several weeks of precautionary quarantining. That meant Doug cancelled our Thanksgiving gathering so we had to make other plans. As it turned out the twins invited the four of us to join them in nearby Columbus, Indiana which meant we drove over for the day and drove back that evening.

More frightening news came when Brad called to tell us Doug was hospitalized with the virus. He told us that Doug had been a heavy smoker earlier in his life and had emphysema so his doctor hospitalized him as a precaution. We were concerned until Brad called to tell us that Doug was slowly recovering. Doug was in great physical shape so our anxiety lessened.

During the fall Georgia was over regularly. I didn’t pay much attention except the twins were constantly talking about the size of her breasts when she wasn’t around. I was so busy with classes that I didn’t pay much attention to her. She seemed to love being around the boys. On one of the rare evening that I was sitting watching television Darsh sat down next to me. I could tell he had something on his mind. He softly started, “Randy, have you noticed any changes with Ryan?”

I looked at him as I was thinking, “Nothing really. We haven’t had sex much because I have been so busy. Ryan seemed to understand.”

“I came home the other day and went upstairs to look for Darren. With your door wide open Ryan was on top of Georgia. They were going at it.”

“So you think Ryan has turned away from boys for girls?”

“At least one girl. Has he said anything to you?”

“No, but he used to hug me when I got home. We’d kiss before we went to sleep. That doesn’t happen that much anymore but I thought it was me. I have been so stressed with my classes. I thought he was tired from his gymnastic workouts.”

Darsh said, “That’s true. I have watched him at practice and he isn’t on his game. I saw the coach have a serious discussion with him a couple of times.”

“Do you think his athletic scholarship is in jeopardy?”

“No, I don’t think that.” At that point James walked in with a towel wrapped around his wrestler body. He looked at us, turned to see what was on TV before dropping his towel to reveal his solid, sculpted butt and back. He said nothing and walked toward his room.

I sat quietly as Darsh got up to get a drink of water. Darren came in smiling and said, “That damn Dr. Roberts tried to hit on me. I was modeling for him, and he tried to get me to go home with him. I was polite and said that I couldn’t.”

“Do you have plans to do anything with him?”

“No, but I was polite. I need his recommendation if I apply for admission to a fine arts program in New York.”

“Are you moving to New York?” I said thinking he was joking.

“Didn’t Darsh tell you he’s got job interviews with several outfits in New York? That’s the only place he’s looking.”

I looked toward Darsh who was standing in the kitchen door. “He’s telling the truth. I have been concentrating my job search in New York City. I don’t have anything yet but I had a couple of promising video interviews.”

With Darren’s arm around Darsh’s shoulder they walked toward their room. I turned off the television and started to get up to go upstairs when Ryan and Georgia came in. They were giggling until they saw me. I calmly I said to Georgia, “Are you sleeping over?”

Ryan said, “What do you mean?”

“Just what I said. If the two of you want to sleep together in our bed that’s fine with me. I’ll sleep in the little room.”

Shyly Georgia said, “Ryan was going to tell you.”

“I’m fine. If Ryan and I are no longer partners that makes me sad. We’ve had more than two great years together. Remember I found you on Mrs. Saunders’s 20th Century History course list of names.”

Ryan was silent and appeared nervous. “Randall, it has been a great ride but I’m really enjoying the ride that Georgia and I are having. If you are really serious we will go to bed. I promise we won’t do it often.” He pulled Georgia to the back stairs as I sat watching the two of them disappear. I used the bathroom downstairs since I didn’t want to disturb them by walking through our bedroom to our bathroom. Upstairs our door was open even and they had conveniently left the bathroom light on. I could see that Ryan was in my place in our bed and Georgia was in his place.

I slept fitfully but I was surprised that I wasn’t angry or too sad. I knew Ryan had changed. He seemed uninterested in school or gymnastics. Hopefully, Georgia could help him get him energized to finish his degree. I will ask her if she wants to take over his finances. I was gone the next morning before they were out of bed. I didn’t see them for a couple of days. I decided to attend the gymnastics meet on Saturday to see what Darsh was talking about. As I walked into the balcony I saw Georgia and a couple of other girls. She waved and motioned for me to come over. I didn’t want to be rude so I joined them.

I concentrated my attention on Darsh and Ryan. Darsh was precise with his floor exercise. Ryan didn’t compete in that event. When it was time for the bars I concentrated on him. It was clear that Ryan’s routine wasn’t crisp and clean as it usually was. I said out loud, “Ryan’s not doing well.”

Georgia snapped, “What do you mean?”

Defensively I said, “He usually hits his dismount perfectly. Is he injured?”

She demurred, “Not that I know of. He’s tired of gymnastics.”

“Well, he better get his ass in gear because he can’t afford to lose his scholarship. He won’t have enough money to finish his degree.”

“How do you know?” she asked defensively.

“Because I handle his money. I have since we have been together. I give him an allowance weekly or he would have spent his money long ago.”

She said, “He never told me that.”

“I’ll turn his checkbook and credit card over to you as soon as he tells me to.”

“Let’s plan for the three of us to go out for pizza so we can talk.” We did that on the following Friday night. The conversation was relaxed but I told Ryan he had to improve his gymnastic performances or risk losing his scholarship. I told him what Darsh had shared with me. He admitted the coach was concerned and had warned him. Georgia sat quietly. She said, “Ryan, you never told me Randall managed your finances.”

“I was going to. I am sure he’d be happy to give the responsibility to you. He probably told you I’m not good with money.” She didn’t pursue the discussion. I asked him if he had decided to do student teaching either next summer or fall. He didn’t answer but there was concern on Georgia’s face. The conversation remained calm. Ryan didn’t get irritable. They left to go to Georgia’s apartment that she shared with another girl and a boy who was a friend.

As I was walking toward our house Bobby and James came up behind me. I think it was Bobby who said, “Didn’t we see Ryan leaving with Big Boobs?”

“Yes, the three of us had pizza.”

James said, “Whoa, that sounds really good. Let’s go order one.”

Bobby snarled, “You mean one for yourself. Then order another one for me and Randall.” We returned to the pizza place. I ordered a beer as did the twins even though I knew they were short of their twenty-first birthdays. No questions were asked and the three of us sat with our beers waiting for their pizzas.

“Haven’t you and Ryan been together for quite a while?”

“Since our sophomore year.”

James said, “Together, together.”

“Yes, I planned on Ryan being my partner and even husband. Things have a way of changing. We’ve had great fun together but he seems to have shifted his attention to Big Boobs. I thought she was, to put it in a pejorative, a fag hag.”

“How do you feel about her taking your guy away?”

“Sad, in a way, but Ryan is a complex guy. He doesn’t seem to have much direction in his life. His early life was rough. He was thrown out of his house by his father because he was gay. He’s made it this far on his own.”

James said, “He wouldn’t have made it without you.”

“Could be. He and Georgia will have to decide from now on.

“Me and Bobby have shagged boys and girls. Each has advantages. If you like some male companionship we’d be happy to join you in your bed.”

I smiled, “That’d be nice.” We walked home and the house was dark except for the little light that was seeping out from under Darsh and Darren’s closed door. The three of us started toward the stairs when Bobby said, “Let me get our bulb.”

We mutually cleaned out one another before showering. The queen size bed was big enough for me and the muscle bound twins. Our lovemaking started with a three way kiss. Their soft buttery lips were kissing each other as much as they were kissing me. Their bodies felt so different than Ryan’s. They were hard compared to Ryan’s softer, smoother muscles. They each pushed their manhood into my rear. They were gentle but both were wider than I was used to. When it was my turn I turned Bobby on his back and pushed his legs up. I started to slip on a condom but Bobby said, “No, I want to feel you.” I complied and enjoyed the warm insides of Bobby as James lay beside us playing with my butt and asshole. I didn’t move quickly because I didn’t want to end too quickly. When I did cum I felt really pleased. After showering I asked if they wanted to sleep with me. Without words we were back in bed and fell soundly asleep.

The next morning I came down about ten to find Darsh making an Indian breakfast treat. He said Darren was in bed. As he and I were talking Bobby and James came down naked carrying their clothes. They smiled at Darsh as they went into their room.

Darsh said, “Was that the relief squad?”

I smiled, “Yes, they’re good.” He smiled and turned to finish what he was cooking.

“I assume Ryan is with Georgia. Are you and the boys going to begin to sleep together?”

“Maybe, sometime but not all the time. I’m sure Ryan will be in bed with me some of the time.”

Darsh changed the direction of the conversation with, “Did I tell you Darren and I are going to New York over spring break. You know I had a couple of video interviews and since the COVID 19 lockdown restrictions are easing I have been invited for a couple of personal interviews but with masks and gloves. Darren is coming along but not going to do anything about finding a fine arts program until I get a job.”

“That sounds great. I’ve been thinking about flying down to Florida for the week. I haven’t decided on Key West or Ft. Lauderdale. I’ve called Doug and told him my plans he was going to talk to Brad. I figure that will be my last vacation for a while. I start my new job in Evansville right after graduation on May 8.”

“Are you going to live in Poseyville?”

“Temporarily, but I will get my own place in town. I am going car shopping today for a good used Toyota. Last summer I drove Doug’s RAV4 and really liked it.”

“Have you gone online? Darren and I found our used Audi 4 at a really good price.”

When I passed the twin’s room I could see they were dressed and ready to head to the gym for their workout. James smiled, “We had a great time. Hope we can do that again before too long. You don’t take yourself too seriously and we like that.”

I puzzled at his statement but said, “I liked what we did, too.” As I drank my coffee I followed Darsh’s advice and looked on line for Toyota RAV4’s in the area. The Bloomington Toyota dealer had several fairly new cars in my $20,000 price range. I found several other RAV4’s listed for sale privately but I read that the Toyota dealers warranted their cars for six months. That gave me confidence if there were undiscovered problems. I took an Uber out to the dealer and was met by a tall, blond, young salesman who showed me not only RAV4’s but also Camry’s. He encouraged me to drive both a red RAV4 and a chocolate brown Camry. I liked both but wasn’t ready to make a decision even though he was strongly encouraging me. When he found out I was taking an Uber back into town he volunteered to let me drive back in the RAV4. He would go with me and bring the car back.

When we arrived at the house I stopped in front thinking he would drive on. He said, “Randy, nice house. Got any coffee I could use a break. I was surprised and was wondering if I forgotten to turn on my gaydar. The fellow whose name was Tad was being really friendly, I thought. He came in and sat on the sofa as I brewed a pot of coffee. No one was home so we sat and chatted for a few minutes before he got up and asked if I’d show him around.

I told him the story of the bathroom renovation. He asked, “How many roommates do you have?”

I said feeling pretty sure he was gay and was looking for confirmation, “Four and a half.”

“Whose the half?” he said wrinkling his brows.

“My former boyfriend sleeps over when he isn’t with his girlfriend.”

He smiled, “I’ve had one of those. Switch hitter.”

“No, I would say ‘has gone to the other side’.” Tad followed me upstairs. He looked in and could see the nude photos in Darren’s studio. He looked into the little room but didn’t go in. Finally, we stepped into our room where the sunlight was shining brightly across the made bed. He looked into the bathroom.

“Nice,” was all he said. After leading the way downstairs he walked toward the front door. “You free tonight. I get off work at 5:30.”

I thought, why not and said, “Sure. Do you want to come over here and meet my roommates?”

“Four or four and a half,” he said laughing.

I suspect four but I really don’t know who’ll be home Saturday night.”

“I don’t have plans and could stay the night.” He smiled as he walked toward the car.

I told Darsh, Darren, Danny and James that I was having a guest over. Darren said, “Is he good looking? Will he model for me?”

“You can ask him when he arrives.” Tad arrived shortly after six thirty. The guys waited around to meet him. Darren being Darren asked straight away. Are you interested in modeling for me?”

Tad said, “Nude, like the pictures I saw upstairs. I’ll do it but not until I get a haircut. Maybe next week.”

Darsh and Darren left to meet up with friends. James was busy in the kitchen getting pork chops ready for the grill. Bobby quizzed Tad about what he did and how many cars he sold. He was trying to help me learn more about this cute, aggressive car salesman. Tad didn’t seem to mind and was forthright during Bobby’s interrogation. James served us barbeque pork chops, mashed potatoes, corn and a tossed salad. Both Tad and I complimented his culinary skills. I volunteered to do the clean up. Tad seemed happy to help me as the boys went into watch Extreme Challenge. When the clean up was finished we went upstairs. Tad pulled a bottle of red wine out of his overnight bag. “I bought a screw top in case you didn’t have a cork screw.”

“That’s fine. There are glasses in the cabinet and there’s a cork screw.”

I pulled out my desk chair and offered Tad the overstuffed chair. As I sat down he stood behind me and started rubbing my shoulders. I felt unsure since I hadn’t been on a date like this for more than two years. I was surprised how awkward it felt. I tried to relax. Tad offered me a short glass of wine. He sat in his chair and didn’t say anything for a while. I saw him slip off his shoes. He said, “Randy, what are you planning to do when you graduate?”

“I have a job waiting for me in Evansville with Cole Enterprises. I’m starting as a junior engineer in the brake division, I think.” Tad didn’t say anything and took another sip. “I start over there on May 8.”

Tad sat quietly which was making me nervous until he said, “This is too spooky but my mother, Dorothy is a Cole. My last name is Braun another name you will hear in Evansville. I grew up there. I’m the black sheep of the family. I didn’t finish at the University of Evansville like most of my family. I came to Bloomington to get out of Evansville and away from my family. Being a Braun/Cole can be smothering. My mother and father have been divorced for some time. My mother is about to marry a guy who is a district manager at ICI Skanska, another Cole business.”

“Do you want to share my bed?”

“Love to but I need to shower. Can we do that together?” I got up and instinctively started to unbutton his white, collared shirt which I assume he had been wearing when I met him at the car store. He loosened his belt but allowed me to take all his clothes off except his socks. In the meantime I started to unbutton my shirt. He said, “Let me do that.” I stopped and waited for him. His nice toned body was tan. He had little hair on his body except in the regular places. I pushed him ahead of me into the bathroom. I turned on the water as he peed. He got in and I followed him. We weren’t in the shower a minute when he was down on his knees in front of me. He gently took my flaccid dick in his mouth and got it to full attention quickly. I pulled him up and wanted to kiss him. He seemed reticent at first. Once we were dry we got into bed. I turned all the lights off except for my desk light and the one in the bathroom. I preferred his body over the twin’s bodies.

He relaxed as we kissed and kissed until it was time for the main event. I asked, “Do you mind if I enter?”

He shocked me, “Randy, I’m a virgin.”

“I’ll be careful and go slow.” I lubed one finger and slipped it into his shoot. He winced but didn’t complain. One finger was followed by two fingers, three fingers and finally my condom covered dick. I went slowly but he couldn’t keep his hand off his own dick. I was focused on being careful not to hurt him. He was pumping away on his own member. I decided not to cum in him and pulled out to see what he would do. He grabbed my dick, pulled off the condom and began to pump our dicks together with his right hand. I shot onto his chest in less than a minute. That caused him to shot onto his own chest.

“So that’s what it’s like to be a bottom. I liked it. I’ll do that for you.” I smiled. He did top me but not until early the next morning. His member was long and slender which was pleasant for me. Tad said with his hand propped up his head, “Why did I have to pick someone who was moving to Evansville?”

“Not my fault. Cole offered me good money. There’re still a lot of my engineering classmates who don’t have job because of the virus.”

“I know, I know. I’m just joking.”

“Are you out to your family?”

“Who said I was gay? I had sex with a man for the first time.” He smiled and continued, I couldn’t be a gay Cole in Evansville. It’s hard to have a private life there being part of that family. That’s why I moved last year and started selling cars on a lark. I’m pretty good at it, I’m told. You hungry? What’s for breakfast?”

“Cereal, coffee. Slip on your briefs and a tee shirt and we’ll go downstairs. I’ll see what I can find.” That is what we did. We saw the twins first. Darsh was already in the kitchen stirring up something. Darren wasn’t present but his rumpled head appeared from their room as he was rubbing his eyes.

He said, “See you bought your RAV4.”

“No, I haven’t decided.”

“Whose red RAV4 is parked in front of the house? He hadn’t paid noticed Tad sitting at the breakfast counter.”

“Darren, this is Tad my car salesman.”

Darren responded, “So you’re telling us that if you buy a RAV4 and the salesman comes with the deal.” He turned to Darsh, “We should have looked for that kind of deal when we bought our car.” Everyone was laughing with Darren.

Tad spoke for the first time, “I came with the RAV4 to see if Randy was qualified to own it.”

Darren continued, “Is he qualified?”

“More than qualified. He a cool guy and quite a lover.”

James snapped, “TMI, TMI.” The laughing continued. Our half-dressed band of brothers stood around drinking coffee and orange juice and discussing our plans for the day.

Tad said to Randall, “I’ve got to get to work. Saturday is a good day for sales. Are you my first sale of the day?”

Darren said, “Only if Randall gets a super price. Do you come with the deal?”

<

Smiling Tad said, “That can be arranged.”

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