An Erotic Tale Ch. 05

God that felt good. I could feel all the tension draining from my body as the hot water beat down on me. After staying under the spray just a little longer than usual, I stepped out the shower and reached for the towel hanging on the rail next to the shower cubicle. As my hand connected with the towel, I froze as I heard what sounded like a door closing.

I felt my heartbeat increase its tempo as my adrenaline kicked in. Fuck! Was there someone in the apartment? Did the person who attacked me come back to finish what he started and somehow manage to break in?

I wrapped the towel around my hips as all these thoughts flashed through my brain. Looking around the bathroom, I tried to find something I could use as a weapon. Besides finding a rubber plunger under the sink, there wasn't much that I could use for protection. Deciding that was at least something, I grabbed it before walking to the door.

Remembering something else, I doubled back to the medicine cabinet to retrieve my deodorant spray before once again going to the door. It wasn't much, but if there was someone out there, I could at least temporarily blind him before braining him with the plunger.

Feeling a bit better armed I put my ear to the door and listened. Hearing nothing, I slowly turned the handle, keeping the spray can at a ready in my other hand. Not finding anyone in the bedroom, I crept toward the bedroom door before going to investigate the living area. Not finding anyone hiding or lurking anywhere, my heart finally slowed as my panic receded.

Christ, this paranoia was messing with my mind. It must have been one of the other apartments down the corridor or my imagination playing sick jokes with my mind.

As I walked back towards the bedroom to pull on some clothes, I almost jumped out of my skin as someone pounded on my door.

Gripping my 'weapons' tighter in my hands, I walked towards the front door to peer through the peephole. Seeing the pizza delivery boy standing there, my whole body sagged in relief as I lowered the plunger. Opening the door slightly I peered around it.

"You order a large pepperoni with extra cheese?" The delivery guy asked.

"Yeah, that's me. Hold on a sec while I get the cash."

"Sure buddy. That's 17 dollars. "

Nodding, I hurried to the bedroom to throw some sweats and a t-shirt on before grabbing a 20 from my wallet. Paying and tipping the pizza guy, I closed and locked the door before engaging the security chain. Setting the box on the breakfast counter, I walked over to the sliding door to check that it was locked. Satisfied, I walked back into the kitchen to have my dinner.

About an hour later, Mike called me on my cell.

"Hey sexy, how was work? I hope you didn't overdo it."

"No, work was fine. Just the expected backlog that's gonna keep me busy for a while. How was your day?" I didn't mention that I had worked late. I knew Mike wouldn't take kindly to that news.

"The usual paperwork and stuff, but I would rather have spent the day with you. I missed you baby."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm glad to have things back to normal again, but I missed you to." If only Mike knew how much. Jesus this paranoia attacks were making me as jumpy as a fish out of water.

I really wanted to tell Mike about what happened early, but I was so goddamn sick and tired of laying my issues on other people's shoulders. I had lived my whole life relying on no one but myself and in the space if a few months I had gone from being completely independent to needing other people to chase the boogeyman away. I needed to get a grip and fast before my life spiraled completely out of my control.

"Will you be ok by yourself tonight? Do you want me to come over?" Mike asked. I could hear the concern in his voice and for some reason that pissed me off instead of soothing me like I expected it to.

Before replying, I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"No. I'll be ok. Thanks for the offer Mike, but I really need to try and get things back to normal again. Will I see you tomorrow though?"

Even though I knew it was naïve of me, I just wanted things to go back to the way they were before the attack -- when Mike and I had simply enjoyed being together because we couldn't get enough of each other, and not because he felt obligated to protect and fuss over me.

I knew I was probably being an asshole, but it felt as though the attack robbed me of more than just my feelings of safety and power -- it also robbed me of the relationship I had been steadily building with Mike.

"Yeah babe, I would love to see you. How about I take you out somewhere nice for dinner? It will be just you and me someplace romantic."

"That's sounds great Mike. I can't wait." I smiled to myself.

"Good, then its settled. I'll pick you up about 7:30 tomorrow. I'll make the reservation for 8pm."

"Perfect, I'll be ready and waiting. I love you Mike." I couldn't help but smile as I said it. Even though it was still new on my tongue, it felt natural, like I had been saying it forever.

"And I love you baby. I'll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams of me."

"Ditto," I replied as we ended the call. Feeling much better now, I turned off all the lights before heading to the bedroom. Suddenly I couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

**

The next day was much as the last. I worked until my back and shoulders ached and only managed to get out of the office by 6pm. At least the towering pile of files on my desk was slowly disappearing.

Rushing home, I managed to get there by 6:30pm. Jumping into the shower I quickly washed up before running to my cupboard pulling out black dress slacks and a dove grey button down shirt.

By the time I was done, it was almost 7:30. I wanted to be calm and collected by the time Mike arrived as I didn't want him to know I had to rush home because I worked late. I knew he would lecture me on overdoing things and start worrying about my safety as well.

Walking to the sliding door, I opened it before stepping onto the balcony. Standing there watching the last rays of sunlight dipping low on the horizon, I felt the tension seeping from my shoulders.

I started as I heard the knock on the door. Walking back inside, I turned and closed the patio door, then let Mike inside. He was wearing dark brown slacks, a pale beige shirt with a matching tie, and a contrasting beige sports jacket to finish off the look. Glancing down at his feet, I saw dark chocolate brown loafers on his feet.

For a second I was stunned. I only snapped out of it as he leaned in a planted a kiss on my slackened lips.

"Close your mouth or the flies will go in."

I could just stare at him. In all the time I knew Mike, I've always only seen him in jeans and t-shirts. Sometimes he would pair the jeans with a shirt if he needed to dress up a bit, but never had I seen him like this.

"I never knew you even owned clothes like this. I'm feeling slightly undressed now." I looked down at my own ensemble and realize I needed to add a tie and a coat.

Mike just smiled and followed me into the bedroom. I reached in and pulled out a tie and a waistcoat. To be honest, I was always fascinated with fashion from the 1930's, and if I could get away with wearing three piece suits and a Fedora everyday without getting strange looks, I probably would. So as a compromise, I only stuck to the waistcoat and tie. The benefit was that I had good shape and the look worked on me.

Once I was done, Mike ushered me to the front door where he turned the deadbolt inside before pulling the door close. I wanted to protest that I could lock my own door, but thought it wasn't worth the effort and energy the ensuing argument would generate.

The restaurant was quite upscale. Fancier than any place I've ever been to before. We were told that our table was being prepared for us and we decided to head over to the bar for a drink while we waited.

"Very nice Mr. Grayson," I said while checking out the restaurant.

"Only the best will do for my boyfriend. I thought you'd appreciate some fine dining for a change, after all the pizza and Chinese I usually ply you with."

We both laughed, as it was true. Besides the odd occasions that I cooked when Mike came over, most of the time we just ordered in.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the charming Mike Grayson. I'm surprised to see you here -- not your usual scene."

I saw Mike's laughter die an instant death as the voice intruded.

"Jeremy," Mike said as he placed his beer on the counter and turned to face the owner of the voice.

The guy Mike addressed as Jeremy was tall. Taller than me, but just a few inches shy of Mike's full height. He had soft golden blonde hair - which most women paid a fortune trying to get out of a bottle; the brightest sky blue eyes I'd ever seen on anyone and soft plump lips that looked like it was made to pleasure a man. I couldn't help but stare at him. He had the bone structure and body that screamed male model, as well as an overall golden kiss to his skin that screamed natural tan. All in all the man standing in front of us was in a word, beautiful.

"Mikey. It's been a while. You haven't returned my calls." Jeremy said in what sounded like an amused voice.

"Yeah well I've been busy."

Watching the interaction between Mike and Jeremy, I could deduce only one thing. This must be an ex-lover of Mike's. Mike's body language screamed of an awkward run-in with an ex, and Jeremy seemed to be enjoying baiting Mike far too much.

"Hmm... Well I guess this must be the 'something' or should I say 'someone' keeping you so busy."

Jeremy looked me up and down assessing me. He must have decided I was not a threat to his vanity, because he reached around Mike and stuck his hand out.

"Jeremy Fairfax, your predecessor." He smiled flashing evenly bleached white teeth.

For some insane reason, I could not picture Mike and Jeremy together. Jeremy seemed far too high maintenance a guy, and somehow that did not gel with how I knew Mike. Given, I didn't know him too long, but somehow I always figured he dated guys like me -- not so flashy.

I carefully took Jeremy's hand in mine and shook it.

"Carson."

"Ah, Mike always did enjoy the prettier things in life, didn't you Mike?"

"That's enough Jeremy!"

Startled at the vehemence in Mike's tone, I glanced quickly at him. I had never seen Mike like this before. Yes, I'd seen him angry or pissed before, but now there was another emotion at play here. To be honest, Mike looked rattled. As though this whole meeting and conversation put Mike on edge and I couldn't understand why.

"Tsk, Mike," Jeremy clucked his tongue. "I'm just being polite, which is more than we can say for you."

As though by divine intervention, the hostess came over to inform us that our table was ready.

"Goodbye Jeremy," Mike said, as he placed his hand low on my back to guide me away from the bar.

"It was nice seeing you again lover. We should definitely do it again." I stiffened slightly as Jeremy words and mocking laughter floated over us as we made our way to the table.

Once seated, I looked over at Mike. I could see him studiously trying to avoid my eyes by perusing the menu in front of him.

"So, that was interesting," I said as an opening for Mike to continue.

Finally glancing up at me, Mike put down his menu. "Look, can we just forget that happened? This night is supposed to be about us. Let's not let anything ruin it please Carson."

Staring into Mike's eyes, I could see panic, and I really wanted to push to find out what put it there. I needed to know why this guy affected Mike this way, but neither did I want to get into an argument with him over it.

Sighing I decided to shelf it for now and just enjoy this time with Mike. But I was definitely not going to leave it at this. I wanted answers and I'd be damn before I let Mike dodge giving them to me again.

Later that night as I was getting ready for bed, I replayed the scene from the restaurant in my head. By tacit agreement, we had decided that Mike wasn't going to be spending the night. Things had been a bit strained since the run-in with Jeremy, and no matter how much small talk we made or pretended all was okay, a shadow had been cast over our date.

I wanted to know what the deal was between Mike and his former lover. From the way Jeremy spoke, I got the impression he wanted to rile Mike. And from Mike's reaction, it was clear that it was working. To be fair though, we had never had a serious discussion about previous lovers. In my case, Mike knew that I had had none, but I was under no illusions that Mike didn't have them lining up at his front doors.

Now that we came face to face with his past, he clammed up tighter than a virgin on her wedding night. This whole episode made me realize that as much as I knew about Mike, there was even more of him that I didn't know. I needed to be careful; otherwise this might end badly for me.

*

A few days later, I headed over to the local deli for some cooking necessities. Mike was coming over for dinner and I wanted to do something special but casual. I decided to go Italian, and the deli had all these amazing Italian meats and cheeses that I could use. I guess it was my way of buttering him up in order to glean the information I sought.

Checking out the selection of cheeses on display, I happened to glance up at the mirror above the refrigerated counter and to my astonishment saw Ron.

My first instinct was to immediately leave the shop, but as I stared at him checking out the wine selection two aisles over, a sudden anger gripped me. Who did this asshole think he was following me? I was tired of looking over my shoulder constantly, and wondering if the person who attacked me was still there watching me.

Knowing I was taking a big risk, I put down the chunk of cheese in my hand and marched over to where Ron was. As I approached, he glanced up did a double take and then quickly put the bottle he was holding back on the shelf.

"Carson." From the wide-eyed look, I could almost believe that he really hadn't known I was in the shop as well. There was something so awkward yet natural about his reaction to seeing me, that I hesitated for a second.

"Are you following me Ron?"

"What?! Jesus, no. I just came in to pick-up some wine. Look I heard about what happened to you and I'm sorry, but you had no right to tell the police I did that to you."

"What choice did you leave me with, Ron? I meet you, you show up almost everywhere I go, you ask me out and I refuse, then suddenly I'm attacked. Doesn't seem like a coincidence to me."

I could see the color rising in his face. It started from his collar and continued up until his whole face looked flushed. His chest started heaving as well, and I could see that I had roused his anger.

"Fuck you Carson. All I ever did was be nice to you. I offered friendship and you snubbed me like I was some fucking leper. Then you have the nerve to send the police to my door. Fuck you!"

Ron's voice had risen with his anger and several people turned to stare at us. For some reason Ron's response and his anger seemed genuine. Like I had wounded his pride and insulted him by accusing him of attacking me.

"Do you have any idea what you put me through? The goddamn police came to my work Carson. They fucking marched me out of there like I was some kind of criminal. I still have my colleagues whispering about it."

"Look, I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I needed to give the police all the information to catch the asshole that attacked me. If it wasn't you then I apologize, but think about it from my perspective. I was in the goddamn hospital fighting for my life."

I could see Ron fighting to tamp down his emotions. He glanced away from me while he took a couple of deep breaths before once again focusing on my face.

"I hope the police catch whoever did that to you, but it wasn't me Carson. If you knew me you would know I could never harm anyone like that. As for me running into you all the time, I don't know, put that down to fate. "

I'm sure he could see the doubt clearly displayed on my face.

"I may be a lot of things, but I sure as hell am not a stalker or a man who would attack someone just because they turned him down. Believe what you will, but I know who and what I am. Let's just agree to ignore each other if we ever do have a run-in again -- I'm sure you would agree it would be better for all concerned."

I stared into Ron's eyes while I thought about what he said. Call me naïve or just plain fucking stupid, but I think I actually believed he was telling the truth.

Nodding my head, I said. "OK Ron. I'm sorry if my sending the police to your door caused you unnecessary distress, for what it's worth."

"I hope they catch the asshole that did that to you. Maybe we can be friends when they do -- for what it's worth." He smiled wryly as he said it.

"Maybe"

After that, we both went back to our shopping and kept a wide berth if we happened to be in the same aisle.

On my way home, I thought about everything Ron had said and I hoped like hell it wasn't really him. If -- no when, they caught the bastard maybe, just maybe Ron and I could actually try and be friends. For now I decided to keep my meeting with Ron to myself -- I had more pressing matters to see to, namely Mike and Jeremy.

*

Ok, so dinner was not going as planned. We were so damn awkward with each other, it was painful to watch. We smiled and made polite chitchat about nothing consequential until I was ready to scream. We hadn't been this awkward with each other even when we first met. I was at the end of my rope, and any attempt by me to draw Mike into conversation about Jeremy was slyly outmaneuvered by Mike.

Finally I had had enough.

"Ok, what gives?"

Startled, Mike looked into my face. "I don't know what you mean."

"Christ Mike, let's not play this bullshit game. You won't talk about you past relationship with Jeremy, and you keep dodging the topic. I want to know why?"

Mike's eyes fell away from my face and I could see the tic in his jaw from where he was obviously grinding his teeth.

"Because it's just that -- the past! I don't see why I have to rehash something that has been over long ago."

"If it's really in the past Mike, why do you have such difficulty talking about it? Is it because you still have feelings for him?"

"What? No, of course not! Christ any feelings I had for Jeremy vanished the minute he did -- "

I sat back in my chair stunned at what Mike had unwittingly revealed. So the break wasn't amicable or mutual. It seemed that Jeremy had for some reason left and it had made Mike bitter.

I could see Mike's hands clench on the table either side of his plate. He had obviously said more than he intended to and did not seem pleased.

"So he walked out of your relationship. How long were you together?"

"Carson," I could see Mike really didn't want to answer that question.

"Mike -- how long were you and Jeremy together," I repeated.

"Almost three years."

"Holy shit!" Wait, did I just say that out loud? From the look on Mike's face I guess I did, but holy hell in a hand basket this was big. Three years? Their relationship must have been serious for them to be together for so long.

"Why did he leave?"

"For fuck's sake Carson this is ancient history. Can we please drop it and get back to our real lives."

Mike sounded pissed, and he had never taken this particular tone with me before. But I could see right through it. He was using this as a deflection, hoping that I would get mad at him so I'd stop with the questions.

"If we are going to work Mike, you are going to have to learn to trust me."

"Oh like you trusted me when you didn't tell me that some whack job was coming onto to you and stalking your ass?"