Seth Part Five

        "Oh wow Steve, this is fantastic news.  I'm so happy for you."
 
        I was talking to my friend Brian.  He's such a wonderful guy.
I had this tremendous crush on Brian a while back, but it was not
mutual, so today we are very best friends and that works very well
for me.   He was obviously thrilled to hear about my experience with
Seth the night before.  Brian knew the whole story now.  We talked
about Seth some more, Brian told me to take it slowly like all of my
friends do with every new guy.  Brian knows all about me.  Then my
doorbell rang, I wasn't expecting anyone, Brian hung up with me and
it was Donald at my door.  He was here for Saturday morning coffee,
something Donald and I do almost every week.  He followed me into the
kitchen as I put the teakettle on.  I use one of those old fashioned
Melitta cone filters, the ones you pour the hot water into manually.
 
        "So, when did you get home last night from your date ?"
        "Um, well, a little while ago actually."
        "OH!  Then you did have a good time ?"
        "Donald, good time doesn't come close.  Seth is an animal.
         If it weren't for me being so willing I could almost say I
         was raped."
        "Oooh, very good, and will you be seeing Seth again ?"
        "YES! Like tonight probably."
        "Probably ?"
        "He's going to call me later."
        "Oh he SAID he was going to call you."
        "I'll bet you a quarter he calls me."
 
        Donald and I shared a pot of my homoerotic coffee from The
Castro and we talked about the quake, he had felt it.  I told him
why I hadn't felt it and how my quake detectors had failed.  He
laughed and said something about resonant frequencies and beer cans.
We finally decided to get some brunch so we headed down to El Camino
and an Indian restaurant.  I told Donald all about Seth, how I was
feeling about him, how hopeful I was.  He said that Seth sounded like
"husband material" to him.  I loved hearing that!  We went over to
the K-Mart and looked at the boxer shorts.  Nothing on sale.  Then
we headed back to my place and Donald took off.  I did my laundry
and called a few BBSes.  The day seemed to drag by.
 
        Around 4PM my phone rang.  It was my sister up in Sacramento.
I told her about Seth and she was very reserved.  I guess she's
heard me mention a lot of guys names before.  Mary wished me well.
I hung up with her and started reading a collection of gay short
stories, laying on my bed.  It was a rainy day without constant
rain, a little drizzle, then just damp.  I wrapped myself up in my
comforter and before I knew it I was off to sleep.  My phone rang
and woke me up, it was getting darker outside, my voice must have
sounded funny when I answered.
 
        "Hello ?"
        "Hi Steve, I'm sorry, were you sleeping ?"
        "Seth !!  Hi, good to hear your voice guy, yes I dozed off."
        "What's the matter ?  Up late last night ?"
        "Oh, yeah, some guy was screwing my brains out last night.
         It was great."
        "Really, what's he like Steve ?"
        "Oh, he's really cute, out of the closet, well built, he has
         black hair, he's very nice too."
        "Hey, that sounds great.  Are you going to see him again ?"
        "Hmmm, you tell me cutie ?  Am I ?"
        "I think so !  Want to go to a movie tonight ?"
        "Hey, sounds great!  What do you want to see ?"
        "I hear Aladdin is pretty good.  Or is that too much of a
         kiddie thing for you ?"
        "No, that sounds great.  I heard there were a lot of gay
         people involved in it so it must be good."
 
        We arranged to meet at the Gigaplex Cinema, or whatever it is
called, in Mountain View.  Then Seth suggested we could meet at his
place instead and ride to the movie together.  I said fine.  I saw
nothing wrong with the idea of seeing him alone for a few minutes.
We really did not talk about anything personal, it was still all too
new, we were both shy about it.  Seth was cooking dinner so I let him
go.  I hung up the phone and sat on the edge of my bed a minute with
my eyes closed, remembering what Seth had looked like sleeping in the
morning, all sprawled out on his bed.  I finally got up and went into
my livingroom to sit and wake up.
 
        We were going to an early show so I had to get ready
quickly.  I jumped in the shower and couldn't stop thinking about
Seth the whole time I was in there.  I decided to go in civilian
clothes, taking the night off from my militance to relax with Seth.
I picked out a pair of jeans that were almost tight, and my navy
blue flannel shirt, with a blue T-shirt.  When I opened my underwear
drawer my blue flannel boxer shorts were right there, perfect.  A
few minutes later I sat in the livingroom and I was in the mood for
Depeche Mode again.  I started daydreaming about Seth when the music
seemed to fit.
 
        "Let me take you on a trip
         Around the world and back
         And you won't have to move
         You just sit still
         Now let your mind do the walking
         And let my body do the talking
         Let me show you the world
         In my eyes
 
         I'll take you to the highest mountain
         To the depths of the deepest sea
         And you won't need a map
         Believe me
         Now let my body do the moving
         Let my hands do the soothing
         Let me show you the world
         In my eyes"
           -- Depeche Mode
 
        Time to go !  I checked my hair in the mirror, time to get
it cut again soon.  I had plenty of gas in my van, cigarettes,
condoms, clean clothes in my gymbag.  I shut everything except my
BBS off and headed out the door.  It was not actually raining right
then but everything was still soaking wet.  I got to Seth's place
about five minutes early and was walking up to the door when he
stepped out.  He was anxious to get to the movie right away.
 
        We rode in his Toyota over to the theatre.  As we walked to the
ticket area the breeze was flirting with one of the flaps on his denim
jacket.  He looked so clean and fresh.  I saw that he was wearing a
T-shirt with something on it.  When we got to the front of the place he
stopped me and put his arms around me.  There must have been fifteen
people standing around.  Seth just absolutely does not care who
approves or disapproves of him as a gay person.  Too cool!  I hugged
him back. Then I opened his jacket.
 
        "Let me see this shirt."
 
        It was a black T-shirt that said "QUEER" in rainbow colored
letters.  Now I was wishing I had worn one of mine, but that's OK too.
If anyone saw me walking around with Seth, in his shirt, they probably
would get the picture.  He let me buy the tickets since he had bought
dinner the night before.  We found a place to sit in the middle of the
theatre that was a little bit away from everyone else. My hand went
onto his leg as soon as we sat down.  I could hardly pay attention to
the movie.  Everything was Seth in my mind.  My hand was traveling up
and down his leg, to the moist warmth of his crotch, down to the inside
of his knee.  After a while he started feeling me up too.  We were
teasing each other, building the tension.  We both wanted to be alone
again together.  The movie became an inconvenience to me.  Oh it was a
very good movie, I'd recommend it to anyone, but I wanted it to be over
so Seth and I could be alone.
 
        The movie finally ended, I followed Seth up the aisle, my
eyes were glued to his butt.  I wanted to get under the sheets with
him again.  To be Seth's boy, his lover for one more night.  I was
also starting to wonder if something was happening here, if this
might be the start of something big.  All the way out of the theatre
and as we started to walk across the parking lot to Seth's Toyota,
my mind was wandering, thinking of Seth and I together.  Then he did
something that made me really feel good.  He reached out to me and
took my hand in his.  The timing of it, I can't be sure, it almost
seemed like he was reading my mind, or thinking the same things by
coincidence.  That little gesture, taking my hand and holding it,
people were walking past us toward the theatre, Seth!
 
        "It's the same story 
         Every night
         I've been hurt
         And we've been had
         You leave home and
         You don't go back
         Someone told me Monday
         Someone told me Saturday
         Wait until tommorrow
         And there's still no way
         Read it in a book
         Or write it in a letter
         Wake up in the morning
         And there's still no guarantee"
          -- Pet Shop Boys
 
        He unlocked my side of the car first.  I hurried inside to
unlock his door.  He got inside and before he put the keys in the 
ignition, before he even shut his door, he leaned over and kissed me
on the lips.  Seth!  I think that was the first time that I could
really feel it inside without worrying about it too.  There really
was something going on here.  I was more than just another hot date.
Seth!  Was it just a week ago that I was feeling lonely, ready to
give up on having love in my life ?  Oh Seth!  He shut his door and
started the car.
 
        "Where to Steve ?  Are you hungry ?"
        "No, not really, how about a drink ?  Want to go to Shouts ?"
        "OK, you said it was a nice place.  Lead on."
 
        Rob was on the bar, my  friend Rob, a great bartender and a
really nice guy.  I introduced Seth and I'm quite sure I was beaming.
Rob struck up a conversation with Seth while I hit the mens room.  I
drew a heart on the blackboard in the mens room with the letter "S" on
each side.  Seth and I stayed long enough to have two beers.  During
that time he did use the mens room once.  He was smiling when he came
back, it was a big smile and it was clearly meant for me.
 
        "Living on the wall
         Just short of delusion
         When we fall in love
         There's confusion
         This must be the place
         I waited just to leave
         This must be the place
         I waited just to leave
         And how
         How long ?"
          -- Pet Shop Boys
 
        Seth!  We headed back to his car again.  The lot behind
Shouts was still being converted to a parking garage.  We were
parked in the city lot across the street and a half a block away.
It was raining steadily outside again now.  The rain was falling
straight down, with no breeze at all, and it was steady enough to
make puddles in the street.  Seth jumped across one of the puddles,
the toe of his loafer held forward to clear a puddle, making me
think of a dancer for a second.  I stepped off the curb right into
the puddle deliberately, the way a child would.  Seth watched me
from the crosswalk but did not say a word.  My glasses were more of
a hindrance than a help, drops of water running down them.  I felt
giddy all of a sudden.  I kicked the puddle at Seth, drops of water
on his jeans.  He ran from me and cleared the puddle on the other
side of the street in a long, graceful leap.  I thought of ballet
dancers and long lean legs.  A car was coming.  I took my glasses
off and put them in my pocket and walked slowly through the puddle
on the other side of the street.  I splashed him again.
 
        "You're crazy, you know."
        "I know that Seth, but I do it well."
        "You're out of your mind."
        "Yes, but you're the one whose jeans are wet."
 
        He grabbed me in a headlock, holding my head under his arm,
and he started rubbing his fist in my soaking wet hair, trying to
give me a "nuggy".  I struggled and broke away from him, then I
stepped down off the curb and into the puddle again, stomping my
feet like a three year old.  Waves of water were flying out, away
from my feet, Seth stepped back to avoid all the water.
 
        "Crazy queer, crazy queer, Stephen is a crazy queer."
        "Cutie pie, Cutie pie, Seth is a cutie pie."
 
        We were yelling at each other in the middle of the street,
both of us were laughing.  Another car went by in the other
direction.  There was nobody else out on the streets.  The rain was
even heavier now, almost like an East coast summer shower.  My jeans
were drenched right up to the knees. 
 
        "Are you done playing yet Steve ?"
        "Yes, I guess so.  Are you soaking wet yet ?"
        "Uh huh, let's go."
        "Go where Seth ?"
        "Let's go to my place and get out of these wet clothes."
        "Ooooooh, sounds nice, and then ?"
 
        Seth looked at me and just smiled, a wide smile, dimples on
his cheeks.  I started running towards the car but Seth beat me to
it.
 
        "Open the door bitch, I'm getting wet !"
        "You poor little thing, I hope your mascara doesn't run."
 
        As we got inside I shook my head like a dog coming in from
the rain.  Drops of water went flying from my curls, all over Seth
and the inside of the windows.  The windshield steamed up instantly.
Seth started the car and turned on the defroster.  It was going to
be a minute or two before we could see.  I took my glasses out of my
pocket and tried to find a dry spot on my shirt to wipe them with.
Seth handed me a rag from the back seat.  As soon as I had my glasses
on he was right there in my face, leaning over to me, he kissed me
and his tongue was in my mouth.  I felt a shudder go all through me.
I put my arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer.  He turned
in his seat, rolling up toward me, I moved my hand down to the back
of his firm butt.  The emergency brake handle was in my way.  I would
have liked to have pulled him right over on top of me.  The windows
were just starting to clear, Seth started running his hand through
my soggy curls.  He broke away and sighed, looking right at me.
 
        "Wet!  You're all wet Steve"
        "You never yet met a pet, I bet, as wet as they let this wet
         pet get."
        "Pet ?  You a pet ?"
        "Your pet Seth, take me home and feed me something good."
        "I'll feed you alright.  I'll give you a mouthful."
        "Mmmmmmm, let's go bitch."
 
        Everybody was going really slow on 101.  The rain was a
solid sheet across the road.  I realized we were on the same road
where I had met Seth, less than a week ago.  Things were going
really fast with us, but not too fast for me.  As we pulled into his
parking lot I saw my van, the pink triangles on the bumper, and I
thought of the time we had met.  I was glad he had run out of gas.
 
        We ran to the doorway, Seth beat me again, as if we were 
worried we might get any wetter.  Inside Seth turned on all the lights
and went right to his bedroom.  He came back with two bathrobes and a
couple of towels.  He handed me a really short, thin, blue bathrobe. 
I stripped down in front of him, throwing each piece of clothing in a
different direction, down to my blue boxer shorts, they were still
dry.  The color of the robe seemed to match my shorts.  Everytime I
threw  another piece of clothing Seth threw one in the same
direction.  His apartment started to look like mine.  Seth had a
terry cloth robe, multi-colored stripes, and those hot white jockey
shorts that he wears.  My sneakers and my socks were soaking wet. I
put them by the door.  He threw me a towel and I sat on his couch and
folded my legs underneath me, drying my hair and my glasses.  Seth
went into the kitchen.
 
        "How about a pot of coffe Steve, warm you up a little."
        "Sounds good, thanks, anything else you might think of to
         warm us up ?"
        "Let's have the coffee first, and sit and talk."
        "OK, sounds good.  Want a hand ?"
        "Hand job ?  No thanks, not right now, you relax Rover."
        "ROVER ? What's this Rover stuff  ?"
        "You're  my wet pet aren't you ?  I decided to call you
         Rover."
        "Woof.  Woof woof.  Rover wants a bone."
        "Rover's going to have to wait a few minutes.  Sit boy."
 
        He came back to the livingroom and sat down beside me, next
to me, but not touching me.  I sensed he had something on his mind.
He got a serious look on his face.
 
        "Steve, do you remember when we first met ?"
        "Of course I do.  I'm not THAT old yet."
        "And I asked you if you had a boyfriend ?"
        "Yes, and I said no."
        "Do you want to have a boyfriend Steve ?"
        "Oh God yes, you know that Seth.  What are you trying to
         say ?"
        "Do you like me Steve ?"
        "Yes, I wouldn't be here if I didn't.  Did you want to ask
         me something ?  Because if you do I won't have any trouble
         answering you."
        "Really ?"
        "Yes, go ahead, I dare you."
        "Will you go out with me Steve ?"
        "Seth, I just did, I'm out with you now, you mean exclusively
         don't you ?  Like boyfriends right ?"
        "Yes, will you ?"
        "Oh yes, definitely, gladly, I'd be honored Seth, yes."
        "Great!"
 
        So there we were, sitting on his couch, listening to his
Mr Coffee making strange noises in the kitchen.  I had not even dared
to hope that this would happen, especially not this soon.  I turned
to him and I put my hands on his face, very gently, and we kissed
with our lips just barely touching, holding still, my eyes were shut,
his face felt warm to my hands.  I started rubbing my thumbs on his
cheeks.  His stubble was coarse and masculine, there was this sound
as my thumbs moved around on his face, each little bit of stubble
grating against the skin of my thumbs.  We stopped  kissing and just
hugged each other for the longest time, neither of us saying a word.
I felt like I was going to cry.  Then Seth got up to pour the coffee.
I sat there watching his shadow on the floor as he moved around in
the kitchen.  Something happened inside me and I actually did get
tears in my eyes, but I rubbed them away before he came back.  Seth,
my boyfriend, oh wow!
 
        He put the stereo on and we listened to Madonna as we drank
our coffee, neither one of us saying very much.  In fifteen minutes
I had gone from soaking wet to soaking it all in.  I knew I felt
very happy right then, like a dream had just come true, in fact it
had.  Then he put down his coffee cup, mine was gone already, and
he pushed me down lightly on the couch.  The bathrobe I had on came
open.  He pulled his open, and he laid down right on top of me, skin
against skin, my arms loosely around him, just relaxing for a minute
or two together.
                   [ continued  in Seth Part Six ]