MAYBE THIS TIME Read online

  “Maine. But there is a rest area just over the New York border.”

  “My boss would kill me for saying this, but think about soda or bottled water if you’re going to be driving. Cops in Pennsylvania really are on the prowl for influenced drivers on the weekend.”

  “You’re right. Give me a cola and two sausage sandwiches.” He ate slowly and chatted with a few of the customers. Got talked into a game of pool and was annihilated. Did better when drafted for a game of darts as Wayne’s Wild West Way Station began to fill up. All at once three of the guys started giving wolf whistles as a woman entered wearing fishnet stockings held up by garters attached to a black body suit. A red scarf around the neck and a lopsided black bowler topped a short cut hair style. She carried a second dress over her arm and immediately headed to the back room of the restaurant.

  “Who was that?” Dillon asked the barmaid.

  “That was Gia. Didn’t you recognize him?”

  “No, I thought that was a real woman.”

  “When he’s performing, he does too. He can really sell it. Look. I go work the back bar at ten. Want me to tell him you are here? Or do you want to surprise him when he starts performing. Somehow I think that would be better. He always gets so nervous before a show. And I don’t know why, but I think knowing you were here would make him more nervous. Once the show starts, his nerves are gone. He is in total control.”

  Just then a burly guy with a beard entered. He was wearing a fifties – June Clever – housewifey dress and had glitter and eye shadow done to extremes and huge daubs of rouge smeared on his cheeks.

  “That’s Joey Leonard. Or I guess I should say Jolene. Didn’t know he was performing. If Gia is sublime, Joey takes drag to the ridiculous extreme – refuses to shave his beard, his chest, his pits. But I’ll tell you, tonight you will see something absolutely outrageous if you are going to stick around. Hey Larry,” she called to a guy in a red plaid shirt, blue jeans, and a cowboy hat. “This is Dillon. He’s new here. Never seen a show. Keep him occupied and then take him to the back bar. He’s cool with gay guys – at least I think he is. Gia sort of rescued him Tuesday night. If he’s not, send him my way. I could use a good session after work. I bet he could bang me like a bass drum in a Sousa marching band. You do like chicks, don’t you, Dillon?”

  “Even more than acing college exams.”

  “Stay on the soda and we could have a good time after closing. Ever done it on a pool table? I could give an experience that when you confessed it, your priest would blush. I’ll leave you in Larry’s hands. Tell Scotty you’re only drinking sodas and to put them on my tab.” She disappeared into the back room to set up the bar for the crowd that would come in to dance and see the show.

  “So you’re cool with gay guys and girls. You bi?”

  “Don’t think so. Only slept with a guy once and we slept. He did give me head in the morning. Other than that, it’s been chicks. Why you ask?”

  “I am. I like sex with anyone. Doesn’t matter if they have indoor or outdoor plumbing. As long as we both get satisfied. Pure physical release. Ain’t looking for love yet. Too young to get burdened down with a family. Too many places to see and things to do. You mentioned college exams. What did you major in?”

  “Accounting and business management with a side order of Computer Information Networks.”

  “Cool.”

  “I thought I liked it. Just had an interview in Baltimore, and suddenly I realized I don’t want to spend the next thirty years balancing ledgers.”

  “Gee, I should fix you up with my friend Lisa. She is just opening a second beauty salon in the mall and she plans on opening two more within a year or two. I know she’s looking for a business manager. Someone to take care of the books and file all the appropriate paperwork with the government, and I’m sure there would be some fringe benefits Uncle Sam wouldn’t know about.”

  “That sounds interesting, but I think I’m going back to Maine and find something. Of course, my parents are going to be a little upset with me changing my mind about careers after paying for four years of college.”

  “Maine. That’s a cool place – no pun intended. While I was in college, I spent a whole summer there working at the Ogunquit Playhouse as an apprentice. Did a lot of tech work and filled in the chorus in a few shows. Even got to be one of the Burger Place Boys in Grease. Now I just act locally, build most of the sets, and do all the lighting designs for the City Players. Playing with the lekos, the fresnels, the scoops – you know – aim them, gel them, plug them into the correct dimmers, that kind of thing.

  “I played Oberon in Mid-Summer’s Night’s Dream in high school.”

  “No shit, I played Puck. Costume barely covered my privates. Almost all netting and leaves. Took ten minutes to get into it and get everything properly positioned. That was when I found out sex with other guys was interesting. The guy who was in charge of dressing me really liked his job. All that tucking. The last show – he fluffed me. Although hidden, everyone in the audience knew God had been good to me. Got a few dates with a cheerleader out of that. Also two of the wrestlers. From then on, whoever I was attracted to or who was attracted to me, I had fun with. Right now I’m dating Mary. She has to work till eleven. She’ll meet me here and then we’ll dance a few and go back to her place. I love her waterbed. It’s fun to ride the waves, if you know what I mean.”

  “So is this place straight or gay?”

  “Neither and both. People who come here couldn’t give a rat’s ass who someone else is sleeping with. Some are gay, some straight, some like me are bi. You know – whatever floats your boat, whatever pops your pistol, whatever gets your cookies off, whatever creams your Twinkie. Regulars here, as I said, don’t give a fuck about who is pairing up with whom. If you’re nice, you’re nice. That’s all that matters. And I’d say Darcy thinks you’re pretty nice. Trusting you with me. Want to join me in a drink before we go in the back and see the show. If I get you a little tipsy, you won’t want to go driving and she could take you home or fuck with you here.”

  “Who could say no to an offer life that? Tequila and OJ.”

  “Got it.” They talked for another half hour before heading to the back. They squeezed into the crowd on the side of the room next to the bar where Darcy was turning out beers and cocktails in rapid succession. Many people were shaking their asses and gesticulating on the dance floor to the dj’s rapid tempos. Dillon could see why this was a non-judgmental lounge – guys with guys, guys with girls, girls with girls all dancing side by side and smiling. The music stopped, the floor cleared, and Joel Grey’s voice came over the speakers as Jolene appeared from a side stairway mouthing the words to the opening number of Cabaret.

  “Willkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome!” Everyone thought they knew the words but didn’t realize Joey had found the karaoke version of the song and had the deejay mix the two versions, and he started changing the words, referring to staff and patrons in his perverted new lyrics. Weird Al would have been proud.

  Following this opening number, Gia performed the title song also from the musical but changed the line from ‘I used to have a girlfriend known as Elsie with whom I shared four sordid rooms in Chelsea’ to ‘I used to have boyfriend known as Chester with whom I shared four sordid rooms in Leister’ and when she sang ‘And when I saw him laid out like a queen’ and paused, the audience went crazy. To Dillon, these were performers who knew how to entertain a crowd.

  Killing some time so Jolene could get into her next outfit, Gia began talking. “You know, I had the chance this week to meet someone who could have been Mr. Right for me, but it was too short an encounter for anything to even remotely develop. But guy, you were so ideal, and whatever state you are in right now, this goes out to you.” The music for her second number began performing Maybe This Time from the movie version. She swept around the crowd accepting the dollars that were thrust into her hand or tucked into the bodice of her outfit.

  Listening to the prefatory speec
h, Dillon quickly realized he was probably the man Gia was talking about. He pulled a five from his wallet and moved from the back of the crowd to the front row of donors and stuck his hand with the money out. As she passed, she mechanically grasped it, politely smiled, and then realized it was Dillon and forgot briefly to mouth the words. Regaining control, she continued working the room, as it were, but at the concluding “Maybe this time I’ll win,” she pulled him out onto the floor and gave him a kiss on the cheek, leaving a bold red lip print. Gia pulled him back into the stairway, and the moment they were out of audience sight, he was endlessly repeating, “Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!” Finally, he had enough control to ask, “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in Baltimore!”

  “I’ll tell you all about it in the morning.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “After hearing your little speech, I think I should change my plans. I originally intended to buy you dinner tonight, have a drink or two with you, and head up 81 toward Kirkwood and sleep in the rest area there before heading home. I’ll be honest. I didn’t sleep well either of the last two nights. I kept getting aroused thinking about you and Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

  Jolene was onstage, dressed as Raggedy Anne, performing Madonna’s Material Girl to the delight of the audience.

  “Look. Don’t you go anywhere! I’ve got a costume change and two more numbers. I think you just made my next number by Dionne Warwick a lie. It’s a real oldie from 1970 called I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.”

  Flame, whom Dillon had not yet seen, did a fractured song called Gloria by someone named Branigan that had phones ringing and airplanes flying and someone doing a voiceover in an operator’s style saying ‘that number is disconnected’. Then Eugene did his number and Jolene camped out a number called I Feel Pretty and Flame finished the show as Barbara Streisand singing The Minute Waltz. Following a short curtain call, the deejay had the crowd back on the floor dancing as Eugene stripped off his outfit, scrubbed off his makeup, and made his way to Dillon’s side.

  “You said you wanted to buy me a drink as a thank you for Tuesday night. May I suggest we go to the front bar? It’ll be quicker and we can talk without all the music drowning us out.”

  “Lead on.” Dillon followed, his hands attached to Eugene’s belt, as they weaved through the drinkers and dancers to the front half of the building. They were seated at a side table drinking tequila and orange juice when Larry and Mary emerged from dancing. He steered Mary to the table and introduced her to Dillon. “Great show, Eugene. Really liked it.” He looked at Dillon. “I guess Darcy’s not getting lucky tonight. Say, if you happen to be in town tomorrow night, have Eugene bring you over to Fever Forever. It’s karaoke night and I’ve never met an actor who doesn’t have a good singing voice as well. We could probably find a song we could do as a duet. I always prefer harmony to melody. Maybe something by the Righteous Brothers. Just a suggestion. It was nice to meet you. We’re off to ride the waves. Have fun.”

  “So what’s this about you and Darcy?” Eugene asked when they were alone again.

  “She was trying to hit on me and said if I didn’t find you tonight, I should drink soda, stick around to closing, and plow her pussy.”

  “And?”

  “And I stayed to find you. Now I want to find out why every time I thought about you and me, I got an erection.”

  “And how do you plan to find out?”

  “Hopefully by spending the night with you. You notice I’m drinking tequila. In moderation,” he added as an afterthought.

  “And then with Larry tomorrow?”

  “He’ll bed anything. You really want to feel a cock up your ass?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know if I’d want my cock up somebody’s ass or even if I’d want their dick in my mouth. All I know is I liked kissing you and holding you and what we did in the shower.”

  “So you just want a guy to give you a blowjob?”

  “No. That’s not what I’m saying. During my conversation with Larry earlier, the thought crossed my mind, but there was no reaction in my crotch. Same when I looked at a few of the other guys here. Nothing. Then once I knew you were in the building, my crotch has been rather spongy, wanting more attention. I had to force myself to think about other things or my pants would have been tenting. Right now, if you were to feel my crotch, you’d find I’m half stiff just looking at you and hearing your voice.”

  Eugene reached under the table. “Oh my god, you really are. Shall we adjourn to my place and take care of this.”

  “I’d like that. I don’t know if I’m queer for you or could be queer with you, but you seem to be something special to me and I’m not just thinking of your Pennsylvania kindness to drunken out-of-staters. And I think you know I am not the kind of guy who is going to freak out and pummel the shit out of you.”

  “My hopeful question is, are you the kind of guy who could fuck the hell out of me and make me shoot my load all over my body while you were doing it.”

  “I doubt it. Remember, I have never fucked anybody. If you hadn’t showed up, Darcy might have been my first.”

  “Well, I’m glad you chose me to possibly be your first. Shall we suck up and head out of here?”

  “Yes. Where? Your place?”

  “Yes, home to Rupert’s Crossing.”

  Eugene plopped his garment bag on the floor the minute they were inside his house. Ordinarily he would immediately take care of his costumes, but tonight he didn’t give a fuck about any of them. Tonight he had a man with him – a man who purposely had come back just to be with him.

  Eugene wrapped his arms around Dillon and pulled them close for an initial kiss. There, just inside the front door, tongues battled and explored, arms pulled bodies tightly together, chests rubbed against each other, and hardening crotches met. Eugene’s hands began roaming all over Dillon’s back and then Dillon reciprocated. It was Dillon who finally broke the kiss and suggested they head to the bedroom.

  Shoes were quickly kicked off and shirts removed. Fingers now toyed with bare skin. Eugene’s mouth found Dillon’s ear and began nibbling and licking, and breathing moist air into it. And then the neck and shoulders received some adulation. And then his mouth latched onto one of Dillon’s nipples and that astounded Dillon. No chick had ever paid attention to him that way. He had sucked on some boobies in his lifetime but not one had ever returned the action. He wasn’t even aware men’s nipples could derive pleasure, but it felt nice. Unique. Good.

  He pulled Eugene’s face to his and kissed him again as he tumbled their bodies onto the bed with his body landing on top. He did everything to Eugene that had been done, including the nipples. And then his tongue explored the hairless armpits. He licked the bicep, the triceps, he licked the length of the whole arm and then the hand and then the fingers. He didn’t know why he did it, other than it seemed something natural to do, but he took each finger into his mouth and sucked on it. He enjoyed the feeling of Eugene’s other hand caressing his stringy blond hair as he sucked. He moved from the fingers to the abdomen, giving little kisses on the side of the rib cage. He licked across the belt line and then back up to the nipples and then the lips.

  “Oh man, you are so hot,” Eugene said. “You got to excuse me for just a minute. I got to use the bathroom or this ain’t going to be as pleasurable as it should be. I’ll be right back. You could take off your socks and your pants. I know you want my lips on your dick and so do I. Can’t wait to feel you jamming some of this hot cock down my throat.” He patted the filled crotch.

  He returned in a few minutes totally naked with his softened dick swinging with each step he took across the bedroom rug. He climbed onto the bed and buried his face in Dillon’s underwear and started tracing the still stiff dick with his mouth. He reached for the waistband and started to pull it down. Dillon lifted his hips and the material swiftly lowered and one stiff dick leaped out, free of any restraint. Eugene licked up and down the shaft. He licked
the balls, taking each one and sucking gently before working back up the shaft and surrounding the head. Inch after inch entered his mouth and the confines of his throat till his nose was again banging into pubic hair. Up and down, and soon Dillon was moaning in pleasure.

  Once he heard those first moans, he shifted position until he was kneeling on each side of Dillon’s hips. He grabbed hold of the stiff dick and positioned it against his asshole and lowered himself on it, feeling it pop into his just-greased-in-the-bathroom ass. Then he began the bouncing as Dillon enjoyed his first fuck. Eventually the hips began bucking up as orgasm neared. Eugene was stroking his own stiff dick as he felt Dillon pushing his cock in as far as he could. Then he got a surprise. Dillon pushed his hand aside and began stroking Eugene himself. And as the hips drove the dick in faster and faster, the wrist stroked the other cock in matching tempo. And when Eugene announced his impending climax, Dillon didn’t stop, urging it to shoot all over his chest. As if in response to the feel of the warm milky liquid on his chest, Dillon’s balls quickly tightened right up, and with three more plunges he was blasting his cream as deep into Eugene as he could get it.

  “Congratulations, hot stud. You are no longer a virgin and it felt good. How’d it feel to you?”

  “Honestly, better than I ever imagined. Better by far than a lifetime of my fist, and even better than your mouth, but that view turned me on more – seeing my dick disappearing into your lips.”

  “Can you reach the top drawer under the table lamp? There’s a towel there. I can wipe my jizz off your chest.”

  “Yeah. God, those gobs of cum felt like liquid fire when they landed. My own never gave me any such sensation. But yours sent me right over the edge. Now I know one thing that really pops my cookies as Larry said to me earlier. I guess I now know what he means about putting the cream in the twinkie.”

  “Hey, I ain’t no twink!”